granville county government monthly employee newsletter
TRANSCRIPT
“Happy Birthday” to the following employees
during the month of October:
Oct. 2: Carter Preddy
Casey West
Oct. 3: Brian Minchew
Matthew Pippins
Cassandra Putney
Oct. 4: Michael Harrell
C.J. Norris
Jordan Robinson
Oct. 6: Angela Crawford
Erin Kutney
Oct. 9: Lowell Wilkins
Oct. 10: Austin Riley
Oct. 13: Amy Carlson
Oct. 16: Myrtle Harris
Steven Hayes
Victoria Ramsey
Oct. 18: Wesley Parrish
Oct. 20: Vashone Eaton
Tamonica Thorpe
Oct. 25: Sheri Bailey
Tyler Hughes
Oct. 27: Lauren Cash
Oct. 28: Stacy Hicks
Ronald Smith
Oct. 29: Kaleb Fisher
Oct. 30: Mark Pace
Do you “follow” us ? For up-to-the-minute news,
announcements and photos,
visit, “like” and “follow” our
Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/
GranvilleCountyGov.
Granville County Government
Monthly Employee Newsletter
October 2021
Granville County was a scheduled stop
for more than 800 cyclists participating
in the “Mountains to the Coast” tour
sponsored by Cycle NC. On Oct. 6, cy-
clists representing 41 states biked
across our state from Sparta to North
Topsail Beach for a scenic tour of North
Carolina’s back roads. On the way was a
scheduled overnight stop in the Butner/
Creedmoor area, where participants gathered to visit local attractions, enjoy an
“Alive After Five” performance and experience some “unique” Granville County
hospitality.
Granville County Tourism Director Angela Allen hosted a welcome tent at the
Creedmoor Recreation Center to officially greet participants and share infor-
mation about our county.
To learn more about Cycle NC and the “Mountains to the Coast” tour, please
visit https://ncsports.org/cycle-north-carolina/.
Sheriff’s Office hosts first “Citizens Academy”
Granville County welcomes 800+ cyclists
The Granville County Sheriff’s Office completed their inaugural “Citizens
Academy” on Sept. 30 with a graduation ceremony that included 13 partici-
pants. The program, open to residents age 21 and older, was established to
build a bridge between law enforcement, the community, and our residents
through classroom presentations and community involvement. Participants
met each Tuesday evening during the month of August and September.
Graduates included Commissioner Sue Hinman, Garnet Drakiotes, Billy Mick-
le, Teresia Blackwell, Kimberly Adcock, Robert Blancato, Faicia Elliott, Linda
Clough, Annette Myers, Donna Mickle, Renata Thornton, Erica Harris and
James Eden. Congratulations to all graduates and to the Granville County
Sheriff’s Office for hosting such a successful program!
Terry Hobgood has been
named Public Information
Officer/Grant Develop-
ment Specialist for Gran-
ville County Government
and will fill a vacancy left
by current Public Infor-
mation Officer/Grants Co-
ordinator Lynn Allred, who
plans to retire in Decem-
ber 2021.
Hobgood brings over nine
years of experience in local
government to this role, most recently as Public Infor-
mation Officer/Clerk for the City of Creedmoor. He had
previously joined the Granville County Administration
team in July 2021 as Deputy Clerk.
In his new role, Hobgood will lead all Granville County
Government communication efforts regarding programs,
activities, and services for the public and for County em-
ployees. He will also assist County departments in iden-
tifying grant funding and ensuring rules and reporting
compliance on all active County grants. He is in the pro-
cess of transitioning to his new position.
Congratulations, Terry!
What’s going on in Granville?
The following employees have recently joined the
Granville County Government team:
corner
WELLNESS the
FREE onsite flu vaccina-
tions are being provided
to all full-time medically-enrolled employees on
Tuesday, Oct. 19 from 6:30 until 10:30 a.m. at the
Granville County Senior Center, 107 Lanier Street in
Oxford. Schedule your appointment through the
Wellness Portal at www.wellworksforyoulogin.com
and earn 20 points toward your Wellworks incen-
tives. Be sure to complete the required information,
sent via email, and bring to your appointment.
Registration closes on Oct. 14. Contact HR Direc-
tor Angela Miles at 919-603-1338 or at ange-
[email protected] with any questions.
When you come to the Coun-
ty Administration Office on
Belle Street, expect to be
greeted by Audrey Hill, who
has been recently hired as
Senior Administrative Support
Specialist.
Audrey brings 23 years’ ex-
perience with Newton Instru-
ment Company, where she al-
so provided administrative
support. She previously filled
this position temporarily through Express Employment
Professionals and was permanently hired to fill this
role, starting full-time on Sept. 16. Welcome, Audrey!
Hobgood transitions to new Administrative position
Get your flu shot and earn
20 points!
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New face at front desk, Administration Office
Catherine Crowder (Board of Elections)
Jessica Ball, Emma Bostic-Young, Samantha Williams
(Social Services)
Kaleaf Gray, Shauntavia Lee, Virgil Walker,
Benjamin Morales, Ashley Hopkins, Deshaun Gary
(Detention Center)
Helen Mitchell, Dollie Burwell, Normalejandra
Avila-Belasques (Board of Elections, part-time)
Matthew Gilson (Animal Control, part-time)
Brayden Garrett (Parks and Grounds, part-time)
Pamela Barker, Destiny Davis, Delvin Tuck
(Cooperative Extension, part-time)
Welcome to our staff!
News of interest? If you have news to share for future newsletters,
please send to [email protected]. or
Safety Corner
3
From Oct. 18 - Oct. 22, employees can participate
in a new, fun way to show their “county spirit!”
• Monday, Oct. 18, “Hat Day.” Wear your favorite
hat! Whether it’s a cowboy hat, a brightly-colored
sun visor or a sports toboggan, just wear a hat!
• Tuesday, Oct. 19, “Super Hero/Costume Day,”
Have a favorite super-hero that you may aspire to
be like? This is the perfect day for you to shine
and be larger than life!
• Wednesday, Oct. 20, “Sports/College Team Day.”
What is your favorite sports team? Who do you
pull for? Wear sports apparel to show your sup-
port for any NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, college or local
team and show your team spirit!
• Thursday, Oct. 21, “Wacky, Tacky Day.” Dress in
wacky or tacky clothes. however you feel, and ex-
press yourself!
• Friday, Oct. 22, “Granville County Apparel Day”
and lunch at the Granville Athletic Park.
“Represent” by wearing clothes with the County
seal/logo or in County colors of red/white, like the
county flag. 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., join us for
a floating lunch at the GAP. There are fun activi-
ties planned - even a dunking booth - as we wind
up “Spirit Week” and kick off Granville County Em-
ployees’ United Way campaign (Oct. 22 - Nov. 12).
All employees are invited to participate during
“Spirit Week!” Be sure to take photos and send them
in for the November newsletter!
Fire Safety!
ANNUAL LEAVE BUY-BACK It’s that time of year again for the “Annual Leave Buy
Back!” Granville County will “buy back” up to 37.5 hours
of annual leave from its employees’ accrued annual
leave balance. Payment will be made based on the em-
ployee’s current rate of pay, and the buy-back payments
will be payable with the November payroll check.
To qualify, an employee must:
• be an active, regular full-time employee earning
leave;
• have a minimum balance of at least 100 hours after
buy-back. (For example, if your current balance is
138, you can sell 37.5 hours, leaving 100.5 hours
remaining.)
The buy-back period is only allowed one time per year.
Please submit your request to payroll with your Oct. 15
timesheet via a form provided by Human Resources.
Questions? Call HR at 919-603-1338 for additional as-
sistance.
National Fire Protection
Week is Oct. 3 through
Oct. 9. There are many
aspects to fire safety, and
most of it revolves around
awareness. For example,
do you know what your
smoke detector sounds
like at work? At home?
Knowing what it sounds
like ensures that there is
no delay in your reaction during an emergency.
You should also know:
• where fire extinguishers and pull stations are lo-
cated;
• how to use a fire extinguisher (PASS - Pull, Aim,
Squeeze, Sweep);
• when it is appropriate to use an extinguisher;
• where to go in case of an emergency. Be aware
of at least two ways in and out of your facility;
• where to meet outside of the facility in case of an
emergency. Have a pre-determined location and
communicate it to everyone involved.
By following these safety guidelines, you can be
prepared for a fire in your workplace or at home.
Information provided by Reba Duke, EM and Safety
Specialist, Granville County Emergency Management
and Fire Marshal’s Office.
“SPIRIT WEEK” is coming!
4
Employees of Granville County Government participated
in the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Fall Litter
Sweep on Friday, Sept. 17, collecting more than 50 bags
of trash along portions of the Oxford Loop and Brassfield
Road. Thanks to everyone who helped in this clean-up ef-
fort: Sandra Limerick, Myrtle Harris, Kemberly Jones, Josh-
ua Clayton, Paul Averett, Matthew Eller, Carlos Landrau,
Jeremy Bass, Kevin Glover, Harry Mills, Commissioner Tim
Karan, Commissioner Zelodis Jay, Angela Allen, Terry Hob-
good, Gwen Clayton, Tommy Clayton, Kelly Lawson,
Shawann Hunter and Tina Faulkner.
County employees participate in Fall Litter Sweep Despite the rain, local seniors from age 90 to 101
(and a guest) were honored during the annual “Nifty
Nineties” event, held at the Granville County Senior
Center in Oxford on Sept. 21. Photos were made
under the portico and fellowship with the staff was
enjoyed, as well as a meal-to-go and live entertain-
ment from under the sheltered area. In all, more
than 40 Granville County seniors participated.
A drive-through Veterans recognition is scheduled
for Nov. 10 at 2 p.m. Help spread the word about
the programs and services provided by Granville
County Senior Services!
Local seniors honored during “Nifty Nineties” event
Ringing the church bell to honor victims of 9/11 tragedy
Commissioner
Tony Cozart was
one of several
participants help-
ing ring bells in
local churches in
O x f o r d l a s t
month as a se-
ries of chimes
honored the vic-
tims of the Sept.
11, 2001 trage-
dy. Comm. Co-
zart rang the bell
at Oxford Presbyterian Church, joining several area con-
gregations in ensuring that this day was memorialized
prior to the kickoff of the annual Hot Sauce Contest.
Bells were rung at various times during the morning
hours to designate the exact hours/minutes of the four
separate terrorist attacks 20 years ago that took many
lives and changed the course of history.
Granville County’s Human Relations Commission
will host a fair housing training program at 7 p.m.
on Oct. 11. This session will be facilitated by Mr.
Gene Troy, Program Manager for the N.C. Human
Relations Commission, Civil Rights Commission,
North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings via
Zoom webinar. While the content is targeted to
elected officials and administrative staff, it is open
to any interested party. To register, contact the
County Administration Office at 919-693-5240 or
send an email to [email protected].
Fair Housing Training offered through HRC
5
Claire Ramsey also enjoys the cooler weather!
Robin Edwards likes the beautiful fall colors and the cool, crisp air.
Kathy May loves driving the country roads in Granville County when the leaves are changing, and says it is just as beautiful here as being in
the mountains.
Jason Falls likes being able to sleep with his windows open.
Vivian Wright likes Halloween, the fall colors
and cooler weather.
Korena Weichel enjoys kayaking on any one of our
beautiful lakes.
Lynn Allred looks forward to grape-picking, when the scupper-
nongs are ripe on the vines.
Terry Hobgood likes to hike at the Tar River Land Conservancy and at other hiking trails
In Granville County.
Fall in love with Granville County! To learn more about fall events and things to do here, visit the Granville County Tourism website at visitgranvillenc.com.
What do our employees like most about Fall in Granville County?
October Observances:
Oct. 16: National Boss’s Day
Oct. 23: Make a Difference Day
Oct. 31: Halloween
Do you know what to do if
you feel the ground start to
shake? The “Great Southeast
Shakeout” is Oct. 21 and is
the world’s largest earth-
quake drill. At 10:21 a.m. on
that date (or anytime you
want), you can practice the
“Drop, Cover, Hold On” drill
with your family, friends,
neighbors or co-workers.
Don’t be caught off guard! Be
prepared and know what to
do in case of an earthquake.
You can register for the drill
at shakeout.org.
Get ready to Shake it Out!
Recipe of the month!
Apple Pumpkin Tart (Courtesy of Jennifer Brown, NC Cooperative Extension)
1 eight-inch frozen pie crust, thawed 1/2 cup apple cider
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 2 Tbsp honey
3 medium apples, peeled, cored, diced 1 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs plus 2 egg whites, beaten 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar and currants, each 1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp. thyme and marjoram, each
Thaw crust and press into an 8-inch fluted tart pan. Preheat oven to 425
degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all tart ingredients and mix well. Scrape
the filling into the prepared tart shell. Smooth evenly around the pan. Bake
for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and con-
tinue to bake for 40 minutes.
(Source: University of Illinois Extension, https://web.extension.illinois.edu)
Weekly observances:
Oct. 3 through Oct. 9:
National Fire Prevention Week
October is… * National Crime
Prevention Month
* Adopt a Shelter Dog Month
* Domestic Violence
Awareness Month
* Breast Cancer Awareness
Month
One-Stop Early Voting dates and
times have been set for the Nov 2
Municipal Elections:
Thursday, Oct. 14: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 18: 8 a.m.to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 19: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 20: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 21: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday, Oct. 25: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 26: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 27: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 28: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 30: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Early voting sites include the Oxford
Public Works Building, 127 Penn Ave-
nue, and the South Branch Library in
Creedmoor, 1550 South Campus
Drive. Please contact the Granville
County Board of Elections at 919-693
-2515 with any questions, or visit the
North Carolina State Board of Elec-
tions website at www.ncsbe.gov.
Early voting is Oct. 14 through Oct. 30
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Library partners with Asheboro Zoo Passes to the North Carolina
Zoo in Asheboro are available at
all four branches of the Granville
County Library System! During the
month of October, library card
holders are eligible to receive two
FREE passes for one-day's admis-
sion to the world's largest natural
habitat zoo (2,600 acres). Passes
can be renewed each month to be
used during designated times for
up to seven days. For more de-
tails, contact the Granville County
Library branch closest to you.