-Information courtesy Maria Parham Health’s Facebook page
Maria Parham Health announces their cafeteria renovations are complete. The cafeteria reopened today for normal business hours.
Business hours are:
Breakfast – 7:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Lunch – 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dinner – 4 – 6 p.m.
Maria Parham Health thanks the community for their patience and understanding during the renovation process.
-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc.
While the deadline for registering for this summer’s Servants on Site is May 1, 2019, over half of the 200 openings for participants have already been filled.
RHI coordinator Randolph Wilson reports that 109 Early Bird registrations have been received for the June 22-29 event and that a theme for the Servants on Site week has been chosen.
This year’s theme is “I.D. Identify Defined.”
Encourage your youths to take part in this mission endeavor. If you know of any churches or youths you feel would be interested, call our office with contact information.
The cost is $150 per participant. Youths must have completed sixth grade.
Keep in mind that for every five youths, we require one adult of the same sex.
Financial Support for SOS Projects
Churches provide financial support to purchase materials that a crew will need for the work project at their work site, and they provide lunches to the crew and homeowner during the week. Churches serve the crew and the homeowner, but they will tell you that they are also blessed by both.
Crew partners could number as many as 15 participants from as many as eight of our different registered groups. The crew, and often the homeowner, worship with their sponsoring church on Sunday morning and have lunch with them afterward. This is the first time the crew members meet together as a crew. It is a great time for all the partners to begin knowing each other. Crews serve the homeowner and the church, and they will tell you they are blessed by both.
The homeowners are also both blessed and a blessing.
We expect the partnership of a sponsoring church, an SOS crew, and a homeowner to provide a rewarding experience for everyone. We have seen that the relationships that are built last beyond the week of SOS.
SOS will have worship services at Central Baptist Church at 7:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday, June 23 – June 28, with the exception of Wednesday. We hope many will join us as often as possible.
Hope Hoyle Howard, one of the original founders of Citizens Aligned to Take Back Henderson, NC, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss recent job developments and positive growth in Vance County.
Founded by Howard and fellow members Tommy Haithcock and Heidi Owen four years ago, the goal of the group was to bring positive change to the community.
“At first, there was some confusion with our name and questions of who we were trying to take the community back from,” said Howard. “We explain that the name represents wanting to take Henderson back to a time when everyone was proud of the community, a time when we looked out for our neighbors and did what was best for the next person.”
Tired of hearing the negative talk on Henderson’s crime rate, dilapidated buildings, unemployment and business outlook, the group started a Facebook page in 2015. Today, the page includes posts designed to bring attention to areas in the community that need work and to help educate the community on the positives of the area.
Citizens Aligned to Take Back Henderson, NC members are shown left to right: Heidi Owen, Tommy Haithcock and Hope Hoyle Howard. (Photo courtesy Hope Hoyle Howard)
“Starting off, we didn’t have that many people behind us, but we earned peoples’ trust and pushed and pushed until we were heard,” Howard said.
“It’s paid off, and we now have over 3,200 members on our Facebook page, many who are active, if not daily, weekly.”
Howard feels the concern Citizens Aligned expressed with the abandoned Howard Johnson property on Parham Road in Henderson was a huge catalyst for why the remains of the hotel were demolished. According to the group’s Facebook page, “every time an abandoned, dilapidated crime-riddled building is removed Henderson becomes a better, safer place to live.”
“We have a great backing between the City Council, the Mayor’s Office and the County,” said Howard. “The City and County have really come together to take down many of the jointly-owned [dilapidated] properties. We’ve got to get the code enforcement where it needs to be to continue this process.”
Mayor Eddie Ellington said Citizens Aligned does a good job of holding local governmental offices accountable for multiple situations. “They will bring various issues, such as dilapidated properties, to our attention or ask for follow-up on a situation. They are my friends and I know what they’re doing is for the betterment of our hometown.”
Recent postings to their Facebook page show the group is proud of job growth in Henderson, including the current construction of an Aldi on Dabney Road. The Aldi sign has been installed and the new grocery store will bring job opportunities, along with another shopping option, to area residents.
Howard points to other positives including the beginning of the cleanup and rebuilding process for the Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant that was destroyed in a fire in November, the recent addition of a “thriving” Planet Fitness and the 84-acre extension of the Henderson-Vance Industrial Park located off US-1.
Howard can tell the group’s research and inquiries have made a difference by the number of phone calls she receives from other towns complimenting Citizens Aligned and asking for suggestions. “It is the biggest compliment when someone reaches out to us to ask how we’ve accomplished what we have done here and asks how they can get started in their town.”
The first step in getting started with such a group, according to Howard, is to focus on positive change. “When we formed, we didn’t want to be just another group that points out the negatives. We wanted to find the good, and there is so much good in our city and our county.”
To hear the Town Talk interview with Hope Hoyle Howard in its entirety, please click here. Howard’s portion of the interview begins at the 14:00 mark.
-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce’s Jan./Feb. 2019 “Focus” Newsletter
Officers for the 2019 Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have been elected.
Nancy Wykle, Publisher of The Daily Dispatch will assume the role and responsibilities of Board Chair. Hunter Peyton of BB&T will become first vice-chair, and Mel Manning of Quality Investments of Henderson will assume the role of immediate past chair.
Levy Brown of Vance-Granville Community College will assume the role of second vice-chair and Cynthia Ratliff will serve as treasurer.
All new, existing and outgoing Chamber officers and directors were recognized during the Chamber’s 2019 Annual Membership Meeting and Banquet on Thursday, January 31 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center.
-Information courtesy The National Weather Service – Raleigh
The 2019 North Carolina Severe Weather Preparedness Week runs from Sunday, March 3 through Saturday, March 9, 2019. With the peak of North Carolina’s severe weather season right around the corner, NOW is the time to prepare!
There are a lot of great resources that you can use to prepare for the severe weather season. Please take a moment to visit the NWS Raleigh Severe Weather Preparedness Week web site at https://www.weather.gov/rah/2019ncswpw where you’ll find links to our daily severe weather topics and useful severe weather preparedness tips and information.
In addition to making a severe weather safety plan, we strongly encourage everyone to participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill, which will occur on Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. Every school, business, workplace, and family across the state is strongly encouraged to participate in this drill. It is important that all schools and businesses are aware of the following important points about the tornado drill:
Please share this information and encourage all of your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, and especially all schools, to take the opportunity next Wednesday to participate in the drill, and to take a few moments to learn more about severe weather preparedness.
-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, NC Cooperative Extension
The theme for the 2019 Vance County gardening symposium is “Gardening for a Sustainable Future” and will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019. This event, hosted by the Master Gardener℠ volunteers of Vance and Warren Counties, will take place at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.
Presenters this year include Dr. Ashley Troth, Extension Agent in Durham County, Mark Weathington, Director of NC State University’s JC Raulston Arboretum, and Kit Flynn, Master Gardener volunteer emeritus and garden writer.
Register by Thursday, February 28 to receive the early bird registration rate of $30. Lunch and snacks are included in the registration cost. Complete details and the registration form are available at https://go.ncsu.edu/vancegarden or by calling 252-438-8188.
The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce is currently experiencing a challenging time in its long history of serving the local business community.
In addition to recent news that John Barnes resigned from his position as president effective February 19, the Chamber is set to lose all funding for their Work First program effective July 1, 2019. This includes funding for the position of their Work First coordinator, a role currently filled by Vanessa Jones.
Chamber Chair Nancy Wykle, told WIZS News, “Vanessa Jones’ position was funded through the Work First Program. DSS (Department of Social Services) administered the funding for that, and they had a contract with the Chamber to administer the program.”
According to the Vance County DSS Work First website, the program was created to assist participants in becoming self-sufficient by securing and maintaining employment. Participants receive monthly cash assistance for themselves and their children by signing and adhering to a detailed plan that outlines their goals for becoming self-sufficient.
To qualify, participants are required to be involved in work-related activities for 20-55 hours per week depending on the age of the youngest child and if the family is a two-parent household.
Benefits can be received for up to 24 months if participants remain in compliance; families reaching that limit cannot reapply for welfare for three years.
In 2018, DSS informed Barnes they were pulling the contract with the Chamber saying, according to Wykle, that “we need to rethink how these dollars are being spent.”
Part of their need to reconsider the Chamber’s Work First dollars, according to DSS, included the increased need for foster care funding as a result of the opioid crisis.
At that time, Barnes reduced the blow the Chamber received by negotiating for the Work First money to only drop by 50 percent in the 2018-2019 fiscal year budget. That budget year ends, along with the Chamber’s DSS Work First grant, on June 30.
Wykle said the DSS Work First grant being cut by half and then dropping to zero hurts. “Coupled with losing some sponsorship or folks just choosing to spend their dollars another way, that has made for an interesting financial picture, and we know what we’ve got to do to make up the difference.”
She said, “The staff is really focused on what they need to do, and what they want to do. We are really lucky that we have the staff we have in place because I can’t imagine a more capable group of people keeping the ship right.”
In a press release issued Friday, February 22, the Chamber stated that an interim will be appointed while the organization searches for the next president.
“The chamber board is actively engaged in the process of naming an interim president and will be providing any support the staff needs to ensure that all member services will continue without interruption,” said Wykle.
-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce’s Jan./Feb. 2019 “Focus” Newsletter
The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 2019 Leadership Vance Program with an orientation breakfast at Vance-Granville Community College on February 7, followed by its team building and challenge course retreat at the Fred G. Bond Metro Park.
The Leadership Vance program is designed to inform, challenge and educate participants on the opportunities and needs of the community and to strengthen their leadership skills while teaching about the social, economic, and political dynamics that shape our community.
The intensive training and exposure to all aspects of the community will provide participants with the historical background and the skills necessary for civic and community positions. The program is ultimately designed to create a group of informed and dedicated leaders who will contribute to the community.
The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce kicked off its 2019 Leadership Vance Program with an orientation breakfast at Vance-Granville Community College on February 7, followed by its team building and challenge course retreat at the Fred G. Bond Metro Park. (Photo courtesy H-V Chamber)
Participants are exposed to various aspects of Henderson and Vance County, specifically in regard to city and county government, health and community resources, economic development, agriculture and natural resources, history and media and criminal justice and law.
Participants in this year’s class include: Andrew “Joel” Beckham, Pastor – New Life Baptist Church; Eric Brooks, Operations Manager – Walmart Distribution; G. Norman Dickerson, Jr., Admin Assistant/Assist Event Coordinator – Vance County Tourism; Lee Andrew Faines, Jr., Accounting Specialist I – Vance County Dept of Social Services; Ray Gronberg, Managing Editor – The Daily Dispatch; Evelyn Lemay Harris, Director of Distance Education – Vance-Granville Community College; Pam Hester, Executive Director – Vance County Tourism Development Authority; Andre Howard, Engineering Inspector – City of Henderson; Fantasia Johnson, Clinical Social Worker/Therapist – Springs Holistic Center, Inc.; Sharita Antoinette Jones, 4th grade ELA Teacher – Vance County Schools; Elgin J. Lane, Human Resources Director – City of Henderson; Cathy E. Renn, Property Tax Evaluation Manager – Vance County Tax Office; Jason D. Varner, Marketing Manager – SERVPRO of Franklin, Vance & Granville; Lemondre’ Watson, Assistant Principal – Vance County Schools; Brian Williams, Account Manager – Temperature Control Solutions.
-Information courtesy the US Census Bureau
In preparation for next years Census, the Census Bureau is now offering jobs this spring and summer entailing verification of maps. The individual will be given a digital device with maps near their home. The individual would then survey the area and make the necessary changes to the maps.
In return, the Census will reimburse the individual at the rate of $.58/mile driven and for Franklin & Vance counties $17.50/hr., Warren County, $16.00/hr., and Halifax County, $13.50/hr.
Hours are flexible and up to the individual who sets their own schedule. Apply online at www.2020census.gov/jobs.
(This is not a paid advertisement)
-Information courtesy Jeanette Brummitt
A Relay for Life Auction will be held at Eaves Auction, 8521 NC-39 in Henderson on Saturday, March 16, 2019, beginning at 5 p.m.
All funds raised at the auction will go towards the American Cancer Society – Vance County Relay for Life. Anyone wishing to donate items to the auction may contact Jeanette Brummitt at (252) 226-6085 or Angela Matthews at (252) 204-2976.
“Please know that without your support, we simply cannot meet our goal. These much-needed funds are used in furthering cancer drug research and cures. Without it, more lives will be lost.”
(This is not a paid advertisement)
