Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

TownTalk: Crawford Focuses On ADHD For Children’s Book

It’s a short book – only 35 pages – but author Fay Crawford said thinks it could have a lasting impact on those who read it or have it read to them.

“My Special Friend” is about a boy named Mikey who is diagnosed with ADHD – attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – and what he learns about how he learns.

This is Crawford’s first book, but she said writing is something that she has always been pretty good at.

It’s a work of fiction that tackles a very real subject. “ADHD is real and it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Crawford, a retired schoolteacher, said.

As a classroom teacher for more than 30 years (all of them spent at E.M. Rollins), no doubt she had her share of wiggly second-graders who just couldn’t keep their mind on their work or who had to have the instructions repeated because they just couldn’t pay close enough attention.

Teachers develop strategies and techniques to deal with any number of challenges in their classrooms, but Crawford said she wishes she’d known more about ADHD when she was still teaching.

Once she retired, she delved into research on the topic. “When I did the research, I learned so much – more than I knew when teaching,” she explained on Thursday’s TownTalk.

Without giving too much away, the storyline goes like this: Mikey is diagnosed with ADHD, but he comes to realize his ADHD doesn’t define who he is or what he can become, Crawford explained.

The target audience includes parents, teachers and young people. Children in the 3rd or 4th grade probably can read it independently, she said.

“There are so many children…with this diagnosis,” she said, and it’s important to know what it is and what it isn’t.

“During research, I discovered that ADHD is a brain disorder…children who have ADHD, there are differences in their brain development and brain activity.”

Children with ADHD have to learn how to use their brain – their “special friend” as Crawford refers to it – in a different way. It’s exactly what Mikey does in the story to win a contest.

She recalled a saying she heard from former Vance County Schools Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson: “Different is not deficient – it’s just different.”

With a master’s degree in literacy, it’s no wonder that Crawford places such an emphasis on reading – or that she decided to write a book.

“Reading is so important,” she said. “You learn so much from reading – you can go places just from reading.”

Find “My Special Friend” on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/My-Special-Friend-Fay-Crawford/dp/B0CQNNTK75

If you’d like a signed copy, visit Shero Publishing at https://sheropublishing.com/

 

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Understanding Oil Viscosity

For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

There are many brands of motor oil to choose from, but no matter which brand you choose, there’s one thing they all have in common: a combination of numbers and a letter that describes how thick the oil is – its viscosity.

The Society of Automotive Engineers came up with this combination, but how many of us know how to interpret that number – letter – number combination?

The staff at Advance Auto Parts can help you choose the correct engine oil for your needs, whether you’re shopping for your vehicle, lawn mowers or anything else that uses oil

Generally speaking, the lower the number, the lower the viscosity.

Let’s use 5W-30 as an example. This type of oil is used commonly in newer model vehicles.

The number before the W describes the thickness of the oil at low temperatures. The lower the number, the thinner the oil and the better that oil will perform when the engine is cold.

The number after the W describes the oil’s thickness when the engine’s warmed up. Higher numbers mean thicker oil viscosity, which provides better protection for high-heat or high-load uses.

Trust the staff at Advance Auto to help you choose the right product for your needs.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems, Pt. 2

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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Home And Garden Show

On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Farmer’s Market now open on Wednesday
  • Keep garden journal updated
  • Harvest vegetables daily
  • Succession planting
  • Squash bugs
  • Check tomatoes for leaf disease

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Cooperative Extension With Wykia Macon Summer Programs

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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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland – Pests In The Garden

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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Perry Memorial Library

Perry Library This Summer, Books, Programs, Opportunties

Anyone who works with young people will probably offer this advice: Be ready for anything. Getting tweens and teens off their devices and into the library may be a tall order, but Perry Memorial Library’s Youth Services Director Melody Peters is up for the challenge.

“Reading’s boring,” they’ll say. “Oh, you just haven’t found the right book,” she’ll reply.

“I’m really interested in worms,” one announces, expecting Peters to come up empty-handed. Nope. She points them to a whole section of books about worms, or whatever the topic from out of left field may be.

“I find their interest,” she said, following up with “I guarantee there is a book that relates to that.”

“I love to get their ear for a moment,” Peters said Tuesday on The Local Skinny! If she can get their attention for even a short time, she’s got a chance to share her love of reading and of books.

For example, she recently visited Vance County High School for an outreach session that involved making bracelets and key chains. Nothing to do with books, but chances are she took a moment to talk to them about books and reading and visiting the library.

Sure, the library has books. Lots of books. But there’s also a Teen Zone, and lots of programs and activities that tweens and teens can take part in. “There’s so much more than books – but don’t forget the books,” she said.

One event that Peters is inviting readers of all ages to participate in is the June 18 kickoff of the summer reading program.

From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the library will be hoppin’ with carnival-style games, crafts and more as the library begins “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” which offers reading logs, incentives and prizes for all ages, from toddlers to adults.

Representatives from the local recreation and parks department will be there, as well Kerr Lake rangers, all offering information about programs they’ve got going on during the summer.

For her, finding a good book is like finding treasure, Peters said.

Come find some treasure of your own at your library.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to find out about all the programs and services the library offers.

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Council Members Split On Funding For McGregor Hall

As members of the Henderson City Council continued budget deliberations at a work session Monday, they found themselves in lockstep to help displaced families find more permanent housing, but far apart on providing financial support for McGregor Hall.

The Council approved giving $2,000 to 22 families who had to move out of the Motel 121 in early May because it was deemed uninhabitable by inspectors.

Since then, five of the 27 families have found other places to live with help from Vaya Health, leaving 22 families – with 47 children – living in motels in Vance and Granville counties.

State money that has been paying for lodging is running out, and the families face being homeless again without some intervention.

“Twenty-two families, as of tomorrow, are going to be homeless again,” said City Manager Terrell Blackmon during the budget work session.

According to Mayor Melissa Elliott, the bill so far is roughly $144,000 in motel bills.

It would cost close to $40,000 to keep them in their current situation until the end of the month, she said.

After some discussion, the Council agreed to pay the $2,000 voucher to all 22 families and then request that the county reimburse the city for half. That way, the city will end up paying for 11 families and the county would pick up the other 11.

It was unclear when the vouchers would be distributed, where the money would come from or whether the families would be allowed to stay in their current lodging after check-out time Tuesday.

Elliott acknowledged that $2,000 is “not a lot of money to relocate…(but) we have to start somewhere.”

Blackmon said he and County Manager C. Renee Perry had been in communication about the situation, and he said that the feeling is the county would be open to help pay for the vouchers.

“I don’t think they’ll leave us hanging out there on this,” he told the council.

In further discussion, some Council members asked whether there are funds set aside in the budget for providing emergency housing.

Blackmon said there may be funds to provide temporary housing for people whose homes are being repaired with community development block grant funding, but he doesn’t think there is a pot of money that would help in situations like the one at Motel 121.

“This exercise, although unexpected, has shown us that we really don’t have the structure to accommodate and help families a little bit longer,” Blackmon said.

Geraldine Champion said she didn’t want anyone to go through what the families living at Motel 121 have gone through.

“We need to do something and we need to be proactive,” she said.

One option that came up is a shelter for displaced families that could operate in the city.

Blackmon said there typically is more funding available for programs than for brick and mortar projects. “We need to figure out how we can get that type of facility in the city,” he said.

The recommended budget, which totals roughly $45 millioncould be adopted as early as June 10. Just as the recommended budget presented to Council in early May didn’t have any money designated for emergency housing, neither did it provide any funding for McGregor Hall.

At last night’s work session, two motions failed that would have provided substantial money to the performing arts venue – Garry Daeke’s first motion was for the full request of $75,000. That failed 5-2, with only Daeke and Council Member Sam Seifert voting in favor.

Daeke followed up with a motion, also seconded by Seifert, to provide $60,000. That motion failed, too. Commissioners Geraldine Champion, Sara Coffey, Ola Thorpe-Cooper, Michael Venable and Tami Walker voted no.

Council Member Lamont Noel was absent.

McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper – who is the venue’s only full-time employee – had requested $75,000 from the city and $60,000 from the county in this year’s budget cycle, all of which would be used to retire the mortgage debt. Blackmon said $124,620 in debt service is due in early July each year.

On the heels of the two failed motions, Coffey offered a motion, seconded by Champion, to provide $5,000 to McGregor Hall in the form of a one-year renewable grant, as well as placing a voting member of the council on the McGregor Hall board and to know how the funding would be spent.

“I don’t think $5,000 will get anyone the board,” Daeke said. “I would like to see it fully funded.”

Seifert said, “I can’t agree more with Mr. Daeke…We need economic development here in Henderson, and this right here is a beacon that draws it in,” he said of McGregor Hall. “This is a driver for many different things.”

Plans to purchase property owned by McGregor Hall continue, which would add up to $275,000 to the performing arts venue’s bottom line. Blackmon said there’s a CAF that is ready to be presented at the next meeting.

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