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The Local Skinny! Commissioner Balks At City’s Reimbursement Request For Displaced Families

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In her report to the Vance County Board of Commissioners last week, County Manager C. Renee Perry said she had received a letter from Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon that formally requested $22,000 to reimburse the city for money it gave to families displaced when the place they were living in was shut down back in May.

Perry, however, reminded commissioners that county funds had been used to house the families to the tune of $26,905.67. “My recommendation is …there should be an offset to the cost that the county incurred,” Perry stated during the commissioners’ July 1 regular monthly meeting.

If the city and the county were to split all costs 50/50, the city and county would each pay $22,000 for the $2,000 vouchers provided earlier by the city to the displaced families AND the city would put up $13,452.84 to take care of half of the almost $27,000 that the county incurred while the shelter was in use.

According to Perry’s calculations, 8,547.16 is the more accurate number that should be considered – $22,000 minus the $13,452.84.

The commissioners ultimately took no action at the meeting.

Commissioner Yolanda Feimster expressed concern over the request. When the incident with (Motel) 121 occurred, the county provided the shelter, and all the things that went along with it – water and electricity – not to mention portable showers, toilets and overtime pay for law enforcement officers to make sure the area was safe.

“And we were never reimbursed, not one dime,” Feimster said.

She went on to call the $2,000 payment to the families who had to spend a week in the former Eaton Johnson gym-turned emergency shelter a “band-aid” approach that would have little long-term effect.

Feimster said she was sympathetic to those who had to move out of the motel that they called home, but she expressed concern that the city is asking for reimbursement for something that the county was not first consulted about.

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TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Area Architects, Part 2

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Historical architecture enthusiasts may be able to take a look at a structure and determine quickly who designed or built it. Take Jacob Holt, for example. The homes he built in and around Warren County in the 1840’s echoed Holt’s interest in Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.

Back then, it was common for one person to design, construct and finish interiors of homes, with help from area craftsmen and artisans, said local historian Mark Pace. Pace and WIZS co-host Bill Harris continued a discussion Wednesday about area architects from the pre-Civil War era to the 20th century.

Albert Gamaliel Jones, a contemporary of Holt, was known as a house carpenter, and, like Holt, drew from the classic Greek Revival and Italianate to create the buildings’ style.

He built homes like the Fuller Home in Louisburg, Ivy Hill near Hollister and Lake O’ The Woods in Warren County.

But, Pace said, he was also noted for numerous public buildings, including the 8-columned main building at Chowan College, the main building at Louisburg College and Wesleyan Female College.

“Sometimes it’s a little tricky to see where Holt stops and Jones starts,” Pace noted. Their styles are similar enough that one could be mistaken for the other.

Fast forward to the 20th century and Pace said a Virginia man – trained as a draftsman – became a registered engineer and set up a business in Henderson. The man was Eric G. Flannagan and his business – Eric G. Flannagan and Sons remained in operation until 2001, Pace said.

You don’t have to go far in Henderson to find a Flannagan building.

Pace has referred to the elder Flannagan as “the Jacob Holt of the 20th century.”

Flannagan’s style was a beaux arts style, sort of a post- Art Deco, Pace explained. Take Henderson High School.

What makes it beaux arts are the focus on symmetry and the details – gargoyles on the façade and embossed books under each window – that create that unique style that Pace said is a Flannagan hallmark.

Other area structures include the Methodist Church in downtown Henderson, the original Henderson fire station and the former municipal building beside it, the Orange Street School in Oxford and the main entrance to the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford.

Between Flannagan and his sons Eric Jr. and Stephen, the business has more than 600 homes and other structures to their credit.

When the business closed in 2001, the treasure trove of plans and blueprints were donated to N.C. State University and East Carolina University. And the North Carolina Room at the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford is the recipient of half a dozen boxes from the firm’s archives.

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Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Vance County Regional Farmers Market

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Calvin Adcock has been a vendor at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market for 27 years. He’s set up shop on William Street, the YMCA, the old Lowe’s building and now at the market on Southpark Drive.

Manager Pat Ayscue calls Adcock a “one-man band” because he’s got “a little bit of everything that everybody wants.”

He fills his corner spot with canned tomatoes, chow-chow relish and more. Everybody comes in to see what he’s got for sale, Ayscue said during a special segment of the WIZS Home & Garden show Wednesday.

Adcock was certified to can tomatoes back in 2004, he said during the show, which was recorded at the market.

“Few tomatoes taste better than his,” Ayscue said.

Whether it’s canned tomatoes, canned green beans or freshly picked produce from other gardens from across the county, customers have their pick of anything from watermelons to eggplant now as the vendors bring a wide selection to the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

G & G Farms is a recent addition to the market, and Gian Jefferson said she and husband Gregory are enjoying being market vendors. They have different chicken breeds that lay all colors of eggs, Jefferson said.

Vance County Ag Agent Michael Ellington said helping new farmers get established and find their markets like the Jeffersons have is a highlight of his job.

Bob Parks of Parks’ Blackberries out on Bearpond Road brings his Natchez blackberries to the farmers market this time of year. The newer variety of blackberry ripens a little bit later, Parks said, helping to extend the season. Snack on fresh berries or bake them in a cobbler or dumpling for a super sweet treat.

Adcock, who will celebrate his 86th birthday later this month, said he thinks this farmers market is wonderful. “I appreciate it and like it – it’s really helped the community,” he said.

“Most people have got most anything here you want,” he said.

Click Play to Hear the Full Special Broadcast from the Vance County Regional Farmers Market!

TownTalk: New Senior Center Planned For Stovall

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Over the course of the next 12 months or so, the town of Stovall is going to be the site of some groundbreaking activity – literally.

A new senior center is going up at the corner of Oxford and Main streets, and local officials agree that the proposed location is perfectly placed to get a lot of use by folks who live in the northern part of the county.

The $3 million project has cleared all the initial pre-construction hurdles, and Granville County’s Senior Services Director Kathy May said work should begin this month, with an estimated completion date of August 2025.

May and Stovall Town Commissioner Jeffrey Stovall were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk, and both agree that the new senior center will change the landscape of the tiny town located just a few miles north of Oxford on Highway 15.

The 4.5 acre-tract is situated across from the Stovall library and medical center and is nestled between Stovall Baptist Church and Town Hall.

And although the idea has been about seven years in the making, May said the timing is just right.

Did you know that Granville County has the largest percentage of people in the 50-59 age range? “I was shocked when I found that out fairly recently,” May said.

Forty percent of the county’s population is 50+, a demographic May and her staff know quite well. Residents over 50 are eligible to participate in senior center programs and events; services like transportation, congregate meals and meal delivery are for residents 60 years and older.

As residents “age in” to the services that the county’s senior center provides, May said it’s important to have a facility that can accommodate multiple activities at once.

The current senior center has been in service since the mid-1990’s, and while it’s a nice building (with original hardwood floors), May said it’s basically a single 1200-square-foot room, with no functional outdoor space other than a gravel parking lot.

The new center, by contrast, will have multiple spaces, a walking path and plenty of room outside that eventually will be home to a couple of pickle ball courts.

“A senior center is like a home away from home,” May explained. It’s a place where senior adults can reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, learn how to stay healthy and it keeps them from sitting at home being lonely, she said. The center staff can help connect them with vital community resources, another bonus.

They eat meals together, play games, attend workshops and take classes through the Creative Lifelong Learning program.

May said she plans to hold some of the CLL classes at the new center in Stovall.

“It’ll be great for seniors and the community as a whole,” Stovall said. “I really do think it’s going to bring the town together. He was elected to the town board of commissioners in the last election, and he said town leaders are working hard to make Stovall a place where young families want to live.

“We’re trending upward,” Stovall said, adding that the senior center creates a “confidence booster for us to continue to do the right thing.”

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library

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If you grew up in Henderson and you’re of a certain age, you may have fond memories of spending summer afternoons in the children’s section of the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library. The children’s section was in the basement, and you could either go in at ground level or climb those impressive front steps and then head down the metal stairs just beyond the main Circulation Desk.

Either way, you ended up in a cool, quiet spot and peruse books to your heart’s content.

“Cool” is about the only similarity between the old library and the new Perry Memorial Library, however.

There are still plenty of books to choose from, and the AC is a welcome relief from the recent early-summer heat, to be sure.

But chances are good that there was NEVER an obstacle course set up for children to enjoy at the old library. It’s just one of the activities that Youth Services Director Melody Peters and team have planned, all in the name of summer fun.

The obstacle course, “Adventures in Imagination,” kicked off at 4 p.m. today, and Peters said she wanted to tap into children’s different learning styles. Some kids are tactile learners and like to touch and feel things to help them learn. Kinesthetic learners are active, so there’s a place for them to crawl and jump around as they progress along the obstacle course, picking their way across a river filled with crocodiles. This is where Peters stresses the word ‘imagination’ – the crocodiles, rocks and river are made of paper, she said.

The topic moves from imagination to science for the next couple of weeks, when participants will get to do some STEM activities with N.C. Cooperative Extension staff on Tuesday, July 9 and then on July 16 a geologist from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is going to come talk about rocks. There will be some geodes to crack, so if your kids have never done that before, bring them to the library that day.

Family Story Time takes place on Sunday, July 28 and Peters has planned a special version of the Olympic Games for that afternoon event, complete with edible medals – think Oreos and Twizzler ropes.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available at your local library.

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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Drought

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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.

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The Local Skinny! Involving Churches In Mental Health Education

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A bill introduced by Rep. Frank Sossamon that would get the faith community invested and involved in tackling mental health issues has passed the House in an almost unanimous vote, leaving passage by the Senate and then the governor’s signature before it can become law.

Sossamon said a pilot program is all set to be rolled out in Vance and Granville counties, which he represents – he’s just waiting for the bill to clear the last two hurdles. If all goes well, the plan is to have a program kickoff in September.

“We’ve got our notebook ready with all the material,” Sossamon said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! “But we can’t do anything until it’s signed into law.”

The bill creates three levels of certification that churches can participate in to help their congregations and the larger community with education about mental health topics and resources available in the area.

More than 30 churches and other faith-based organizations are already signed up, according to information in Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to constituents.

The first level includes an orientation for church leadership to become familiar with resources in the area, Sossamon said, as well as inviting a pastor to preach about a different topic each month. Hearing about, say, depression from the pulpit or in Sunday School classes may help to remove the stigma of mental illness, he said. “It demystifies mental illness…and is also liberating” for someone who may be suffering in silence. It lets them know they can have a conversation with their pastor, or others in the church. “That in itself brings healing,” Sossamon added.

The next level of certification involves a quarterly training on mental health and level 3 involves specialized mental health first aid training and training to recognize someone who may be in crisis or expressing suicidal thoughts.

“We are still in the midst of a mental health crisis in North Carolina,” said Representative Frank Sossamon. “This program provides a unique opportunity to tap into the compassion and dedication of our faith communities to support their fellow citizens. By leveraging the trust and connections that churches have within their communities, we can make a meaningful impact on mental health care and support.”

Pastors in Vance and Granville counties can sign up HERE to get on the official list and receive kickoff information and program updates. If you are outside of Granville County or Vance County and interested in participating in the program, keep on eye on Sossamon’s monthly newsletter to know when the program will expand to other counties.

Sossamon and bill sponsors urge all North Carolinians to contact their state senators and express their support for HB 982. By advocating for this bill, you can help ensure that it becomes law and that our faith communities are empowered to play a vital role in addressing the mental health crisis.

View the bill text here and see its progress here.

To learn more about the faith-based program or to sign up for Sossamon’s monthly newsletter, visit https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/zdADBdY.

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