Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Vance Co. Extension with Jamon Glover: Disobedience Pt. 2

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Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

 

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.

 

The Local Skinny! Night Out Against Crime is Tuesday, Oct. 19.

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Vance County’s Night Out Against Crime is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 19 on Breckenridge Street, and there will be lots of activities for families to enjoy, according to Lorraine Watkins and Tonya Moore, a couple of the organizers for the annual event.

Originally scheduled for September, rainy conditions forced officials to move the annual event to next week, Watkins told Trey Snide during Thursday’s The Local Skinny! program. Fortunately, all the participants are able to attend next week, which both women are pleased about. Activities begin at 4:30 p.m. and conclude at 8:30 p.m.

“It’s going to be absolutely awesome,” Watkins said. “This is going to be one of the best events we’ve ever had.”

Whether you’re interested in getting a free hot dog or Coca-Cola product, or you’re a kid who wants to match his (or her) push-up skills against local law enforcement officers, the evening is sure to be entertaining and fun-filled.

In addition to guest speakers and welcomes from the Henderson Police Department and Vance County Sheriff’s Office, cheer squads from the high school and middle school are scheduled to perform. And right after the Gospel choir Work In Progress finishes its concert, there will be a drawing – hopefully captured live on Facebook – for a $500 gift card to Sam’s Furniture.

COVID-19 vaccines and testing also will be available.

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City Leaders Continue Looking At Ways To Reimagine Downtown Neighborhoods To Attract Growth, Development

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As plans for reimagining and redeveloping neighborhoods near downtown Henderson continue, city leaders are considering ways to improve current areas while understanding how best to create new opportunities for growth.

One way may be establishing an urban overlay district, which was explained to City Council members Monday as a way to allow for multifamily housing units in areas where they currently are not allowed.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon told WIZS News in a written statement that the overlay district is just one aspect of the redevelopment work being planned to “jumpstart” the urban redevelopment area, or URA, in the Elmwood area of Henderson. The groundwork being laid now, Blackmon said, is “designed to entice builders/developers to consider new development, as well as infill development in the city of Henderson.”

As Corey Williams, the city’s development services department director, explained, the city has torn down numerous homes that were either abandoned or in disrepair. But when the properties remain vacant, with no growth or development filling in, the state defines that as “blight.”

The UNC School of Government is working on a study to move the URA forward and to help define the area and offer tools to help remove the blight.

That could mean additional code enforcement, but Williams said the city hasn’t unpacked that part of the toolbox yet.

“I think we can balance it out,” Williams told WIZS News Wednesday. “We’ll build more with less land, make our community walkable, safe and friendly and tie everything back to downtown,” he added. And the infill development can be done in a way that it enhances the downtown area and put neighborhoods within walking distance of downtown amenities.

The city also may be able to acquire properties that can be bundled to create larger chunks of continguous land, which could be beneficial for further development.

Most developers, he said, aren’t interested in doing all the infrastructure work needed to develop properties – it’s almost become the work of the city, he said. The city “can do the enforcement, put the pieces together and put it out (there) and market it to developers.”

With guidance from the council and the redevelopment commission, Williams said he sees a bright future for neighborhoods like those in the Elmwood URA.

The School of Government study showed that Henderson needs 3,000 additional housing units to accommodate residents. The Elmwood URA can’t handle that many single-family dwellings, so the overlay district would allow for mixed-use residences, from townhomes and condos to single-family homes. Key to this development is affordability to homeowners, he noted. In a mixed-use plan, there is room for renters and homeowners.

Development of a land use plan and updating the zoning ordinances may be in order as the city continues to look at ways to create neighborhoods in and around downtown. A unified development ordinance is something that Williams said may be in the city’s future. Such an ordinance would be a strategic way to approach development.

At the end of the day, Williams said, it is key to understand what the residents can afford. Single-family homes at $150/square foot may not be realistic. “I think if we can do some things that are affordable, but mixed-use, not just for moderate income…we’ll have a better standard of quality than we have had in the past.”

TownTalk: Infinite Possibilities Shines A Light On Domestic Violence Awareness

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Erin Carter says events like the one coming up Saturday at Aycock Rec Complex are about more than awareness – it’s a public demonstration of support to show victims and survivors of domestic violence that they aren’t alone in the fight to put an end to what has become all-too-common in society.

Carter and Bretanya Simmons work with Infinite Possibilities, Inc., a place where victims of abuse can go for support and help during a crisis. Carter is a victim’s advocate and Simmons is a court advocate and also works with area youth struggling with domestic violence situations.

The “Walk A Mile In Her Shoes” event will start at 10 a.m., Carter told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

“Events like this show our clients that we are all on the same page,” Simmons said. “It’s important for our clients to see us outside our roles sometimes,” she added.

Carter and Simmons are hoping to see lots of like-minded walkers Saturday. “We are hoping for a great turnout,” Carter said, adding that participants just need to show up, sign in to get a number from the information desk and be ready to walk by 10 a.m.

The main office is in Henderson, and Simmons’s office is in Warrenton, right beside the magistrate’s office.  Clients often are referred to her when they come in to get restraining orders for partners or spouses, she said. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said she saw an uptick in clients. But volume fell, she said, as the pandemic wore on: victims were stuck at home with their abusers, she said, and didn’t have an opportunity to seek help.

“Once the world stopped, and the majority of (people) were working at home, we didn’t see as many coming in – they didn’t get that time they normally would to reach out and get help with their situation,” Simmons said.

Those “situations” aren’t limited to physical abuse, Carter said. “Domestic violence is so much more than just physical abuse,” she added. Just because we don’t see bruises or other physical harm, doesn’t mean it’s not domestic violence, she said. There’s emotional abuse, financial abuse, spiritual abuse, as well as cyber bullying.

“That’s why education is so important,” Carter explained. “If we are educated, then we can help someone else.” Being able to create a conversation with someone you suspect may be a victim of domestic violence can be the first step to getting help for that person. “Create a conversation – not a coercive conversation, but an empathetic conversation, a gentle conversation…to provide information, could go a long way to help someone,” she said.

The Infinite Possibilities hotline is 252.425.2492. Learn more at infinitepossibiltiesinc.net or find them on Facebook.

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Warren County Adds 2 To Newly Merged Community and Economic Development Dept.

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The newly formed Warren County Community and Economic Development department has added two staff members to further the mission of comprehensive and strategic development for the county.

Cynthia Jones is the assistant director of the new department, which merged with the county’s planning and zoning department over the summer. Jones replaces Ken Krulik, who retired Oct. 1 after 14 years with the county planning and zoning department. The newly formed department also is responsible for GIS and code enforcement, according to a press release from Director Charla Duncan.

Rachel Wooster started a job as a developer in mid-September.

Jones will oversee the planning, zoning, code enforcement and GIS divisions. She is a native of Nash County and has 19 years of local government experience, having previously worked in Edgecombe and Nash counties and the city of Rocky Mount. Jones is a state-certified zoning official and a member of the North Carolina Community Development Association and the state chapter of the American Planning Association.

“I have no doubt in my mind that Cynthia will be an asset to our community and economic development team,” Duncan said. “As we work toward a new vision and strategy for these department divisions, Cynthia’s talent, experience and knowledge are going to strengthen the work that we are doing for Warren County.”

County Manager Vincent Jones said Cynthia Jones brings a strong planning background to the job. “She will be instrumental in helping us modernize our operations and grow our focus on community development going forward,” he added.

Wooster is a native of Raleigh. She was recently graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in poliical science and public administration.

“Rachel has an energy and enthusiasm for development work that I believe will resonate with both our current and future residents and businesses,” Duncan stated.

“Our goal with community and economic development, especially now that we have countywide zoning, is for our planning and economic development divisions to work with each other and not in silos. As we enter into the beginning stages of our Comprehensive Development Plan update, it’s a perfect time to think about how we want to use our land, how we want to grow, and what actions we need to take to get there,” Duncan said.

Both Wooster and Jones have offices in the Warren County Health Department complex located at 542 W. Ridgeway St. in Warrenton.

Jones can be reached at cynthiajones@warrencountync.gov and Wooster can be reached at rachelwooster@warrencountync.gov.

For more information, contact Charla Duncan, Director of Warren County Community and Economic Development at charladuncan@warrencountync.gov or call 252.257.3115. Duncan’s office is located in the County Administrative Office Building at 602 W. Ridgeway St., Warrenton.

TownTalk: hmwPreservation Works to Document Historic Architecture

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Heather Slane said matching locations on maps with properties that she actually sees at the end of driveways and through wooded areas is sort of like putting together a puzzle. When the pieces all fit together, the end result is rewarding. But sometimes it can take a while before the picture begins to take shape.

Slane is an architectural historian whose firm, hmwPreservation, has just completed part of Phase 1 of a 3-phase project to update Vance County’s architectural survey.

If the survey were a building, it would be considered historical – the most recent one was completed in the mid-1970’s, she said. And today, the general rule of thumb is that a structure is considered historical if it’s at least 50 years old.

Slane joined host Bill Harris on Tuesday’s Town Talk to discuss the project and the progress being made. The first couple of days, she admitted that she had a bit of a learning curve. “We had to make sure we were looking for the right thing in the right place,” she said about using the maps and lists to match up with the properties they were viewing.

The survey is a result of some federal grant funding distributed to North Carolina to complete architectural surveys in six counties. Slane and her group won the contracts for Vance and Person counties.

There was a survey conducted in the early 1980’s in Henderson, which resulted in the formation of the downtown Henderson Historic District, but Slane said her focus right now is updating the county’s list of historical properties that is maintained at the state’s historic preservation office.

So far, Slane’s work has been to identify the approximately 350 properties previously listed in files, using GIS and other documents to locate the properties.

That part of the work is completed, and she said she and her team plan to return in February to begin Phase 2. Before the work is completed in the spring of 2023, she will have identified properties within the city limits of Henderson, too.

“We drove up and down every road in the county and made a list of all the properties that the state did not already have information on that we can go back and create files for,” Slane said.

She’s mindful of the “No Trespassing” signs, she said, and sometimes just has to photograph from along the roadside. But when a property is in obvious disrepair, showing no sign of being cared for, she said she feels comfortable going in for a closer look.

There are some properties listed that no longer exist, either falling victim to demolition or neglect over the last 50 years. But there are other structures that will find their spot on the updated list, and Slane said schools and churches are two types of architecture that are sure to be included.

“One of the things we always try to document, in addition to the condition of the buildings, are schools and churches,” she said. “Those tend to tell the stories of communities even better than most houses do.”

Something she has noticed in her drives through the county is the abundance of ranch-style homes. Instead of trying to document each individual property, she said she looks for unusual roof lines or other interesting details to include a representative of the style that permeates the rural roadsides.

Slane also is interested in hearing from residents who have a particular story to tell or want to share a remembrance about a particular structure or area.

“I don’t know Vance County all that well,” Slane said, adding that having locals tell her which buildings are important and special for them is a real gift. “It’s always helpful to have people who’ve lived in Henderson for a long time” share information with her. It’s that personal perspective that gives context to the survey.

She will welcome input up until January or February of 2023, just in advance of the completion of the survey. Email her at heather@hmwpreservation.com.

“We want something that’s useful, not just something that’s a file for the state,” she said.

 

 

Granville Residents Can Voice Opinions On School Closure, Consolidation at Oct. 18 Public Hearing

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The Granville County Board of Education will hold a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 18, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. in the gym at Tar River Elementary School. The purpose of the hearing is to receive comments regarding the idea of transforming the elementary school into a middle school.

Tar River Elementary is located at 2642 Philo White Road, Franklinton, just off Hwy 96 near the Wilton community. Members of the public who wish to speak before the school board on the idea of moving students from G.C. Hawley Middle School to the Tar River campus may sign up beginning at 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to information from district public information officer and associate superintendent for curriculum & instruction and student services Dr. Stan Winborne. In a press statement, Winborne said each speaker who has signed up before 6:30 p.m. will be given the opportunity to address the board on this topic for up to three minutes.

The hearing will be livestreamed at https://live.myvrspot.com/st?cid=MDhkZj.

Everyone is required to wear face masks and cooperate with social distancing protocols. Persons without face coverings will not be permitted inside the building, and anyone who chooses not to comply will be asked to leave the property. In addition, seating is limited.

Before the public hearing, the board of education will hold a work session to discuss school improvement plans. The work session will begin at 4 p.m. The work session will begin following a closed session, during which there will be a discussion of personnel and attorney/client privilege. The closed session will begin at 3:30 p.m.

The same requirements regarding face coverings and social distance protocols are in effect for the 4 p.m. work session, too, Winborne stated.

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