Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 05-01-23 Noon
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TownTalk: Watkins VFD Plans BBQ Fundraiser
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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Volunteers Join Voices To Read Bible Aloud From Genesis To Revelation May 3
About a dozen local churches are taking part in this year’s Public Bible Reading Day. If everything falls into place like it’s supposed to, volunteers will have read the Bible – from start to finish – by the end of the day.
This special day happens Wednesday, May 3 and it is specifically timed to take place around the National Day of Prayer, which is observed on the first Thursday in May.
Lois Murphy told WIZS that the different churches in the area already have been assigned their books of the Bible.
COVID has thrown a monkey wrench of sorts into the plan that organizers have of reading aloud in public, Murphy said.
“We read aloud and we read publicly if we can,” Murphy said. “COVID has shut down some of the public reading, and some churches still have some COVID restrictions in place,” she said.
Because of this, volunteers have the option of reading in their church or from the comfort of their own homes.
“I would like to see people reading…at the plaza at the courthouse, maybe at a downtown location, even in stores or businesses, if they would permit us,” she mused.
The way it works is pretty simple: Each church gets a section of scripture that can be read in 15 minute increments. The whole Bible is divided into 15-minute segments. After a quick calculation, Murphy said it would take about four hours to read Genesis and another three to get through Exodus.
Here is a list of local churches that will be participating in the Reading Day:
First Baptist Church
First United Methodist Church
Union Chapel
Island Creek
Clearview Church
Harriet Baptist
Fuller Chapel
Cotton Memorial
Blessed Hope
West End
South Henderson
New Sandy Creek
Murphy suggested that anyone interested in joining in the read-aloud contact one of the churches listed above to get more information.
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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Tomato Planting
Chances are, most of us have planted tomato plants in our lives – either in neat rows in a beautifully tilled garden or in a container placed in the sunniest part of the yard.
There’s the “if you plant it, it will live” philosophy and then there are those more serious gardeners who time their plantings, amend the soil and pay attention to what the folks at the extension office have to say about growing the juicy, summertime produce that actually is a fruit, not a vegetable.
Vance County Cooperative Extension’s Resource Technician Wayne Rowland suggests trying several different varieties of tomatoes to find one that suits your needs – and your growing conditions.
Better Boy, Whopper and Celebrity, for example, are good performers and also are resistant to certain diseases that often plague tomato plants.
It’s also important to amend soil that is either heavy with clay or too sandy to provide proper nutrients. Mixing in a few inches of organic material like compost or leaf mold will help, and if you haven’t done a soil test, you may want to consider sending off a sample to the folks in Raleigh to learn the pH of the soil in the garden.
The soil sample results helps gardeners know what type of fertilizer to use, but if you don’t have a soil sample, no need to fret: you can make your own at home.
A simple fertilizer recipe is ¾ c. of lime (the mineral, not the fruit) and ½ c. of 8-8-8 fertilizer makes a good multi-purpose fertilizer, Rowland said.
As for how to plant those tomato plants to get the best yield and to make harvesting easier, Rowland recommends spacing the plants 1-2 feet apart along the row, and having 3-4 feet of space between rows.
If your transplants have gotten tall and leggy (maybe because you just couldn’t wait and bought them weeks ago in anticipation of planting time), Rowland shared a gardener’s trick that could help: Instead of digging a hole, dig a trench and plant the tomato, roots and bare stem sideways!
If using this trench method, remove all the leave along the stem except for the top leaf cluster. Lay the plant on its side and cover the roots and the stem with a few inches of soil, taking care not to tamp down the soil too hard that you break the stem.
No matter which method you use, the tomato plants will benefit from applying a starter solution, something that’s available at local garden centers or you can make your own.
If you need a lot, mix 1 pound of 8-8-8 fertilizer in 10 gallons of water.
If you don’t need that much, add 3 tablespoons of 8-8-8 to 1 gallon of water.
Whether you want cherry tomatoes to put in a fresh salad, Romas for spaghetti sauce or if you have your mouth set for a juicy slice of tomato slathered with Duke’s mayo between two slices of white bread, now’s the time to get those plants in the ground. With these helpful tips from N.C. Cooperative Extension, your work surely will pay dividends later in the summer.
Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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“Spring Fling” At Vance Farmers Market Kicks Off New Growing Season May 6
Join vendors at the annual Spring Fling at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market on Saturday, May 6 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Whether you’re looking for fresh-picked produce or any of the other items that the market offers, Market Manager Pat Ayscue invites everyone to come out and see what all the buzz is about.
“Spring is such a topsy-turvy season with a bit of late frost and high temps that spin up, thunderstorms bringing inches of rain and high winds,” Ayscue stated.
“Hats off to the farmers who always put their best foot forward in all kinds of weather to bring you their best farm-raised produce and products. The bounty of strawberries makes all the pollen we experience well worth it.
Come experience the market as it comes alive to begin another season, filled with farmers’ harvests and craft vendors.
“It’s so good to hear the chatter among vendors and customers filling the air,” Ayscue said.
“I look forward to welcoming our new vendors to our farmers market family and the community,” she said.
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr. in Henderson. Contact Ayscue at 252.598.0814 or farmersmarket@vancecounty.org. To learn more, visit http://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfm.
Granville Library System Adds LinkedIn Learning To Patron Amenities
-information courtesy of Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood
Granville County Library System patrons now have access to a free service that offers thousands of courses and trainings that can be used for professional and personal development.
LinkedIn Learning offers more than 16,000 courses – from leadership and computer skills to foreign language classes, according to information from Director Will Robinson.
Need to brush up on your Microsoft Office skills? There’s a class for that. What about that resume you’ve been meaning to update? Check. There’s a class for that, too. And if you wish you’d paid more attention during your foreign language class in high school, there’s something for you, too. Users can enroll in courses in seven different languages – English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, and Mandarin – and follow customized learning paths at their own pace.
“LinkedIn Learning is one of the top online professional development curriculums available,” Robinson said. “We are excited to offer this resource for free to all residents with the added benefit of making the same training available to all county employees. It was an easy win-win decision to provide this valuable resource to Granville County residents while simultaneously improving the professional training available to county employees.”
The addition of LinkedIn learning aligns with several priorities identified in Granville County’s 2021-2025 Strategic Plan including improving resident services with online access, retaining local talent through skill development for the workforce, creating community and employee education opportunities and improving training resources to ensure Granville County is a preferred destination for the top public service employees in this region.
Granville Library users can login to LinkedIn Learning with their library card number and Personal Identification Number. Need help? The library staff is happy to help. Contact the Thornton Library at 919.693.1121 or the South Branch Library at 919.528.1752.
Visit www.granvillecounty.org/linkedin to get started.
LinkedIn Learning is also available for mobile devices allowing offline access and learning on the go.
Download the IOS version in the App Store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/linkedin-learning/id1084807225) or for Android devices visit the Google Play store
(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.linkedin.android.learning&hl=en_US&gl=US). On the mobile app, select “Sign in with a Library Card” and enter “granvillecountylibrarysystem” as the Library ID and follow the prompts to enter the library card number and your PIN.
Oxford Police, ALE Agents Arrest Four On Drug Charges
Four Oxford residents face a slew of drug charges following an investigation by the Oxford Police Department and ALE special agents earlier this week.
On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, ALE special agents and the Oxford Police Department, executed a search warrant at Four Corners Food Mart, located at 1104 Goshen St. in Oxford, after receiving complaints of drug sales at the location.
As a result of the investigation, two employees and two owners were charged with a total of 21 charges, which included 14 felonies. During the search, agents seized more than 3.5 pounds of marijuana,oxycodone, Adderall, Xanax pills, Ecstasy tablets and Suboxone, as well as one handgun and more than $11,000.
“The Oxford Police Department is appreciative for the joint effort in making our community safer,” Chief Pat Ford said in a press release issued Thursday. “Thank you to the agents and officers involved.”
Charged in connection with the case are:
- Abraham Saif Assaedi, 27, was charged with Felony Conspire to Sell Marijuana, Felony Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Felony Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle/Place for Controlled Substances and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
- Saif Alsaidi, 71, was charged with Felony Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Felony Conspire to Sell/Deliver Marijuana, Felony Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle/Place for Controlled Substances, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
- Nikki Davis, 47, was charged with Felony Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana, Felony Conspire to Sell/Deliver Marijuana, Felony Trafficking Opium or Heroin, Possession with Intent to Manufacture/Sell/Delivery Schedule II Controlled Substance, Felony Maintain a Dwelling/Vehicle/Place for Controlled Substances, Felony Possession Schedule II Controlled Substances, Felony Possession Schedule I Controlled Substance, Simple Possession of Schedule IV Controlled Substance, Simple Possession of Schedule III Controlled Substance and Possession of Marijuana Paraphernalia.
- Felicia Ann Hayes, 47, was charged with Felony Possession with the Intent to Manufacture/Sell/Deliver Marijuana, Felony Conspire to Sell Marijuana and Simple Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Community Resource Festival
By all accounts, Thursday’s Community Resource Festival at the Vance-Granville Civic Center was a success as hundreds of participants visited more than 60 vendors to learn about services they provide and more. For Michelle Walker, this event was the culmination of months of planning with community partners to help local residents learn about available programs and services that are right here for the asking.
Walker is the sales and account manager with Huff Consulting. She and other key planning partners invested time and energy into Thursday’s result, and she couldn’t be more pleased.
“As long as I have the opportunity, I’m going to do things like this to help people,” Walker told WIZS as she surveyed the activity around her. Walker and others no doubt have poured their heart and soul into making this festival a success, and Walker could barely hold back tears as she watched community agency representatives interact and connect with individuals from the community.
Huff Consulting is a recruiting firm that works with a wide range of employees – from day laborers to corporate executives, Walker said, adding that her company has recognized the struggles that face many in the community. “Everybody has a need,” Walker said on an earlier TownTalk broadcast to promote the event. And this resource festival is a way to bridge the gap between available resources and the folks who are looking for them.
Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson said things got off to a good start in the morning and continued throughout the afternoon.
“We have absolutely packed the house,” Wilkerson told WIZS during the initial hour of the resource festival. During the planning process, she said, she and other organizers had a vision to bring under one roof community resources for the public to come and get information.
Sixty-plus organizations appeared from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – there were representatives from fire and police departments, as well as churches, non-profits and businesses from Vance and Granville counties. The event was free to attend, and more than 150 people were in attendance around 11 a.m., visiting the various information tables located throughout the Civic Center.
The Vance and Granville Chambers of Commerce, along with VGCC and Huff Consulting, teamed up to put on the festival.
VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais said she didn’t hesitate when she was approached with the idea for a community resource festival.
“We think of ourselves as a convener and a catalyst,” Desmarais said in an interview during the Thursday event. “The community is serving its constituents – this is how we all get better…and do better.”
This event was just one more way to empower people to care for themselves as they networked with community businesses, non-profits, churches and other resources in the area. “Whatever their goal may be, they’re welcome here. We want (the community) to remember that Vance Granville really does care.”
Granville Vance Public Health – As the name implies, the agency serves the two counties, and Tayshah Josey was on hand to discuss a variety of programs available to residents. From family planning and maternal care to STD and HIV testing, Josey said the health department is here for the community.
Josey said a new program designed to reduce infant mortality will be rolled out in the next few months. Participants who complete a infant safe sleep training will get rewarded with a new crib.
HIV test kits are available at the health department, too. These are home kits and individuals can request two free kits within a 90-day time frame. The STD clinic is available for walk-ins, but appointments also are available.
Family planning clinics use a sliding-scale for payment, Josey added. Visit https://www.gvph.org/ to learn about all the services GVPH provides.
Maria Parham Health – Donna Young, MPH marketing director, was on hand to network and provide information about the hospital, which enjoys high marks from Leapfrog, a national organization that measures patient safety. “We got an A for the Fall of 2022,” Young noted, which means that hospital staff puts patient safety first.
Whether getting care at the Duke-accredited cancer center, heart catheterization lab or any of the other departments, patients can be assured they’ll be taken care of.
Young said she fielded questions on a variety of topics at the resource festival, including inpatient rehab services. Whether you’re speaking to her in person or contact her via email at Donna.Young@lpnt.net, Young said you’ll get the answers you need.
“Every one of those inquiries goes straight to my inbox,” she explained, and she then routes each question to the right person to answer the question.
State Farm – In addition to medical care, a community needs other services as well, including insurance. State Farm Insurance Agency in Henderson provides the full range of insurance services in the area, and local agent Margier White had her sister, Davida Rascoe, with her at the vendor table Thursday.
State Farm is all about helping people when they’re in trouble, Rascoe said. “You need someone who cares,” she said, “who have your concerns at heart.” Her sister does a great job at making sure they cover whatever you need.”
Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame was in attendance, among other area law enforcement agencies.
“This is an awesome opportunity for citizens,” Brame said Thursday morning. Many agencies – the sheriff’s office among them – also has applications available at the community resource festival.
Granville Health System – Granville Primary Care offers a complete range of services, from pediatrics to geriatrics, and Renita Timberlake said the Butner office offers primary care as well as express care services. A team of 10 providers in the Oxford office also works with businesses to provide services like drug screens for employees and workers’ comp claims.
Gail Barnes-Hall is the director of the Harold Sherman Adult Day Center, which provides respite care for those who care for loved ones with physical or cognitive issues. The center is open Monday through Friday from 7:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., Barnes-Hall said. Participants get three meals a day and participate in engaging activities, all while giving their caregivers a break from their care-giving duties.
Visit https://ghshospital.org/ to learn more.
HubZone Technology Initiative – Bryan Davis and Mark Williams work with HubZone, whose mission is twofold – refurbishing donated laptops and distributing them to those who need them, which keeps them in use and out of landfills.
“We help bridge the digital divide,” Williams said Thursday morning. The donated laptops have their data wiped before they’re converted to Chromebooks and donated to local nonprofits.
“We serve them so they can help the broader community,” Williams said.
Davis started out with HubZone as a photographer – until they found out he had experience with refurbishing computers himself.
Learn more about HubZone, located at 208 N. Garnett St., at https://www.hubzonetech.org/
Henderson Family YMCA – Tesa Alexander is membership director for the Henderson Family YMCA. The Y, located at 380 Ruin Creek Road, is the only Y in the four-county area, and Alexander said joining fees were waived for anyone who signed up at the resource festival.
“We try to partner with the community and make it a better place,” Alexander said. “We build our community by working with one another.” The Y will sponsor “Healthy Kids Day” Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendors, food trucks and more will be on hand at the Y to celebrate the nationwide observance.
Guardian Ad Litem, 9th Judicial District – Samantha Branch is supervisor of the guardian ad litem program for the 9th Judicial District, which includes Vance and Granville counties. April is Child Advocate Month and Branch said her agency is always looking for volunteers to be a voice in the court system for abused and neglected children. “The goal is to get children back with their family unit,” Branch told WIZS. “We gather information and report back to the court (about) what is going to be in the best interest of the child.”
Visit www.volunteerforgal.org to learn more.
SportsTalk: Viper Football Starts Spring Workouts
Football may be months away but the Vance County Vipers are busy with preparations as they start Spring workouts. Coach Aaron Elliott is back for his second season and is the only coach in the school’s history to return after their initial year. “We have been wide open for Spring workouts with great numbers. We had 45 kids on Monday. A lot more than we expected,” Elliott said, on Thursday’s SportsTalk.
The team is returning a number of star players from last year’s playoff team including all of last year’s starting linebackers. One of those returning players is Tashon Alston. Alston is also getting looks from division one schools. South Carolina has made an offer to Alston. “It felt good. It felt awesome to hear about the offer,” Alston said while joining his coach on the show.
Elliott is also pleased that his entire coaching staff from last season has remained intact and, while pleased with all of the players and coaches that are returning, he is also excited about new faces to the program. For the first time the Vipers now have a weight training instructor. “That was the missing piece to the puzzle,” Elliott said.
The Vipers will practice through the end of next week and then take a break for exams and graduation before ramping back up in June.
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