Vision2020-TheDailyReflector

Vision2020

Business, Industry & Health Care

INSIDE ■ Trillium navigates shifts in treatment, state law, Page A2 ■ Greene County Heath Care in one-stop care shop, Page A3 ■ Networks of care focus on preventing heart disease, Page A5 ■ Martin General fights rural hospital trends, Page A6 ■ Interstates offer connections to the future, Page A7 ■ Initiative seeks growth through ECU research, Page A9 ■ Breweries tap into a growing market, Page A10

AA2

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

Editor’s note: Visions remind us that better times will return The COVID-19 pandemic had not yet begun when we started planning Vision2020, a new annual section focused on the region’s economic outlook. The reporting was done and stories written even before

the virus halted March Madness.

Unfortunately, it seems like the pandemic has paused the economy since. Nevertheless, we decided to carry on. Things may look bleak, but we are confident that this is an

interruption from which we will recover, and the visions contained herein — from the stories about innovations and progress to the vision statements provided by local leaders — will continue to be the reality. We

present them here in the spirit of hope and solidarity that makes all of our communities strong. Here is to better times.

— Bobby Burns, editor

Riding waves of change Trillium navigates shifts in treatment, state law to provide mental health services

BY THADD WHITE Adams Publishing Group-ENC

Changes in state law, treatment and other factors have led to a multitude of differences in how individuals with substance abuse, mental illness and intellectual or developmental disabilities in eastern North Carolina receive care.

Bland Baker, who serves as northern regional manager for Trillium Health Resources, said his 26-county agency has changed with both the passage of time and new laws.

“We are always looking for ways to fill gaps,” Baker said. “It is difficult, but we are doing our best to provide a variety of services.”

In the 1970s, North Carolina legislators mandated area programs to care for those suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.

At the time, the programs served as basically a “onestop shop,” employing their own psychiatrists, nurses and therapists.

“We were the only game in town,” Baker said. “We provided whatever service was provided for mental health and substance abuse.”

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the state changed course and had those area agencies, instead of providing direct services, begin overseeing providers. The area agency became what’s known as a local management agency, or LME. “We endorsed providers and monitored them, but we didn’t provide any services,” Baker explained.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Magnolia House is one of two crisis respite facilities that Trillium Health Resources has opened through a partnership with Integrated Family Services.

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

Elaine Vanfosson comes to play with Meredith Galt and Lynn Harris at the Town Common Trillium playground in February 2017. Trillium provided funding three years ago for “inclusive” playgrounds in all counties it serves.

to have gaps, especially in our region because it is so rural,” he said. “Sometimes you have to be creative.”

Stigmas surrounding mental health and substance abuse can also make meeting those needs difficult. One of Trillium’s solutions is to operate a crisis call center (877-685-2415) for those in need of immediate help 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“The crisis call center is staffed with individuals who receive the call and then refer them to a clinician who is in the center,” Baker said.

“The clinician will have a Agencies merge conversation with them and As the state began moving do an assessment to deterforward with the LME ap- mine what service the indiproach, it also encouraged vidual needs and get them area agencies to merge. to the closest provider.”

Trillium in fact was formed by a merger between an area agency in the Important partner Roanoke-Chowan region Several programs used and one in the Albemarle by Trillium are provided by region. More counties from Integrated Family Services, what was formerly the Tide- making them an important land region later merged partner, according to Baker. with the other two agencies. IFS provides a mobile crisis The overall effect of the team that can perform an mergers has been the re- assessment and get someduction of 42 separate areas one the services they need, into seven. Trillium now including hospitalization. manages mental health ser- The mobile crisis team is vices in 26 counties in north- also available to law eneastern and southeastern forcement, emergency medNorth Carolina. Last year, it ical personnel and school had an operating budget of districts. If a school expe$450 million and provided riences a traumatic event, services to 57,000 people. including the loss of life of Baker said things one of its students or staff, changed yet again in 2011- IFS would come in to pro12 when state leaders de- vide debriefing and assiscided the LMEs should also tance to students and staff. become managed care orBaker said Trillium does ganizations. That basically more than manage behavmeant the state provided ioral health services for money to the local manage- Medicaid and indigent popment agencies to pay others ulations. It also offers free to provide services. crisis intervention training While state mandates for law enforcement and have changed the way ser- emergency medical services vices are provided, technol- personnel. ogy and the needs of those “If they come up on a sitreceiving care have also uation with someone who changed. has mental health issues, Baker said every year the training gives them apTrillium performs a needs/ proaches to help, which gaps survey that asks each may make the outcome of its stakeholders — de- different than if they don’t partments of social ser- know how to handle somevices, health departments, one in crisis,” Baker said. governing boards, service “It just gives them another recipients — what is need- tool in their belt if they have ed. Trillium then tries to someone who struggles meet those needs while en- with addiction or mental suring it gets “the best bang health issues.” for our buck,” he said.

Trillium also provides It can be a daunting chal- mental health training for lenge, Baker said. average citizens. Its free “We are always going eight-hour course, which is

offered at churches and to civic organizations, can help people recognize “there may be an issue” and learn when to contact someone for help.

“The child/adolescent training is more geared toward school systems,” Baker said. “It teaches school personnel how to recognize what is regular teenage behavior, and what behavior may mean something is going on.”

Trillium also provides Naloxone kits to law enforcement agencies in the region.

The kits include nasal applications to help reverse the effects of a drug overdose.

In addition, Trillium provided funding three years ago for “inclusive” playgrounds in all counties it serves.

“It put everyone on a level playing field — those with disabilities and those without disabilities,” Baker said. “When they get on a playground, the differences disappear. It was money well spent.”

Baker said Trillium found Child First to operate a pilot program providing those services and thus far the program has been well received.

Baker said Trillium also has partnered with providers to put therapists in school

systems. He said the program allows children to get help on a school campus.

Trillium also works with Integrated Family Services to provide a Crisis Chat program that allows people to speak to a clinician anonymously.

“It started out targeting children, but we found out adults are using it as well,” Baker said. “They can talk about what happened that day, bullying, trouble with parents. Anything they need to talk about.”

If a person chatting with the clinician begins talking about hurting themselves

and the clinician believes the situation is an emergency, the chat does have a tracking mechanism that allows the person to be located and emergency personnel sent to intervene.

One unique feature of Trillium is its governing structure. Baker said each of Trillium’s three regions has an advisory board appointed by county commissioners in that region, but the agency’s operations are overseen by a 13-member governing board. A third of that board’s members are consumers of Trillium’s services and their families.

Reaching out Another initiative, which originated from the needs/ gaps survey, is placement of kiosks at departments of social services, libraries and courthouses that allow individuals who are not yet ready to receive a mental health screening in person to do so in private. The kiosks feature both a privacy booth and a computer screen.

Information individuals provide at the kiosks remains anonymous. As a result, while Trillium has information about how many people have used the kiosks, it doesn’t have information about those who use them.

“It was an innovative way of reaching out into the community, especially when people weren’t publicly ready to talk to someone,” Baker said.

Another key issue that arose in the needs survey was services for kids up to age 5. Baker said the earlier services are provided to children who live in unsafe homes, suffer from abuse, are homeless or face other stressful situations, the less likely they are to suffer longtime effects from those problems.

When you or a loved one are faced with a health concern, there’s nothing more important than the confidence you have in your healthcare provider. You have many choices when it comes to these specialized medical services and UNC Lenoir Health Care is proud that you have chosen our hospital. Over the last decade we have made incredible changes, including our new partnership with UNC Health Care, that greatly enhance our systems and quality of service. We have been on the cutting edge of cancer treatment by being one of the first in our state to acquire a new linear accelerator, we opened the McCain Heart Center to accommodate the growing needs in our community, and we now offer specialized weight loss programs and inpatient rehabilitation that’s second to none. We have the right team in place to take YOUR community hospital to the limits of what’s possible in healthcare.

When you need critical health care services, choose UNC Lenoir Health Care and stay close to home.

VISION2020

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

One-stop health care shop Greene County Health Care offers services for all things medical

BY ANGELA HARNE Adams Publishing Group-ENC

The year was 1975. The place was Walstonburg.

It had one doctor. He had retired.

A grassroots effort began to start Walstonburg Medical Center. Leaders in Walstonburg and Greene County reached out to state and federal leaders.

The goal: Create an organization whose focus was increasing access to affordable health care. Their goal was to help more people by recruiting primary care providers and eventually expanding to specialists. Greene County Health Care was born.

So began a growth and expansion of a network community health centers and an influx of medical doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners that grew to include rural Greene, Pitt and even Pamlico counties. About 140 professionals currently provide primary, dental and mental health care to 40,000 residents on a sliding scale, with a design to expand further.

Greene County Health Care — with federal, state and patient dollars — expanded Walstonburg Medical Center and built Hookerton Health Center in 1976. It renovated a former furniture store in downtown Snow Hill and opened Snow Hill Medical Center on June 4, 1977.

Dr. Elie Osta came to Greene County Health Care 25 years ago, just after completing his residency. He ultimately became its the medical director.

“Dr. Osta came and stayed. Health care leveled out and stabilized,” said Norman Lewis, a Walstonburg pharmacist who joined board of directors in 1981 with Denny Garner, a resident who simply wanted to be able to see a doctor locally.

Garner added, “I love him to death. He is passionate and concerned with his patients. It is important to have a doctor who knows me and my family, and one we are comfortable with.”

Osta completed his residency at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

He was in the states on a visa that required him to practice medicine in an underserved area for three years.

“Maybe I’ll like it” was his initial thought, Osta said. He liked it all right.

He was hired to work at the Snow Hill Medical Center in downtown Snow Hill, which continues to house his office.

“I broke the rules and opted to stay,” Osta said, referring to his three-year contract.

He fell in love with his patients and the structure of Greene County Health Care, he said.

Many of his patients were in their 50s when he started his career. They are now well into their 70s. He has more than 10 patients who are in their 90s.

“That’s the beauty of staying. Patients get to know you. You become friends,” Osta said. “Patients love me, and love to see the same face. They come in sick and vulnerable, so it is comfort to see the same face. The main focus is patient care,” Osta said.

Throughout his career, Osta worked to lower referrals and offer services in-house, including injections, endoscopies and biopsies.

He also learned Spanish, so he could better serve his patients.

“Translation services are important in our com-

ANGELA HARNE/ADAMS PUBLISHING GROUP

Dr. Elie Osta, left, the medical director of Greene County Health Care, checks patient Chris Cooper’s ear.

FAST FACTS A few quick facts about Greene County Health care: ■ It has 170 employees ■ It serves nearly 40,000 patients in eastern North Carolina, resulting in nearly 120,000 patient visits ■ The National Committee for Quality Assurance recognizes all medical centers as Level 3 patient-centered medical homes, the highest distinction available. Greene County Health Care also received a distinction in Behavioral Health Services.

■ It employs 19 medical providers (doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners), eight dentists, six hygienists and six medical family therapy staff.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Medical family therapist associate Bridget Sanchez offers patients a healing environment in which to receive care. “People come to therapy to heal themselves munity. Spanish is the from a variety of life circumstances,” she said. “Our therapists have helped second-most often spoken individuals overcome trauma, depression, anxiety, addictions, relationship issues, language for our patients childhood experiences that left an impact and many other life circumstances.” in eastern North Carolina,” said Doug Smith, the organization’s chief executive with four chairs. Green- serve 18 schools in Pitt poverty rate. officer. “We are obligated ville’s dental practice was and Greene counties. The Many of the patients are to ensure our patients un- added in 2007 and in 2010, program has reduced cavi- “on their way up,” having derstand their diagnosis the Pamlico dental practice ties between first and sec- just secured employment and their treatment plans. opened in Bayboro. ond visits from 35 percent after a layoff, recovered Communicating with them Today, the dental opera- to 9 percent, according to from an addiction or were in the language they’re tion has 10 chairs in Snow Doherty. recently released from prismost comfortable is ba- Hill, 10 chairs in Greenville “We have brought a lot on, Doherty said. sic.” and four chairs in Bayboro. to the area,” Doherty said, “We are putting their Once he could speak Last year, Greene Coun- adding his work is very re- smile back together as they most of his patients’ lan- ty Health Care had 33,000 warding. “There is not a day land jobs or enter school,” guage, Osta saw a change “dental encounters,” I don’t drive home without a he said. in them. “You can immedi- Doherty said. smile. I am humbled by our The organization proately see it on their face.

“Now in two weeks, we patients. They’re amazing.” vides a free dental clinic They can relate better and see the same amount of paApproximately 93 per- twice a year seeing approxfeel good,” he said. tients we saw our first year cent of Greene County imately 60 patients — many Greene County Health of operation,” he added.

Health Care’s dental paCare is expanding its transMobile dental units tients are at or below the See GREENE, A4 lation services to offer additional languages, including French, German, and Chinese, Smith said.

EVOLUTION Throughout the years, Greene County Health Care has seen doctors who completed their residency with them return to serve rural communities. It is “where their heart is,” according to Connie Rhem, the communications director.

The organizations constructed Student Health Services at Greene Central High School, Kate B. Reynolds Medical Center, Greene Dental Services and a new administrative office, all in Snow Hill.

Rob Doherty was brought on board in 2003 as dental director. The dental practice started in Snow Hill

AA3

VISION STATEMENT GCHC expanding health care access Access to health care is the fight of eastern North CaroliNORMAN na’s life.

HisLEWIS torically, the area has struggled with access to affordable medical, dental and mental health care. That’s why we worked together in the 1970s to create Greene County Health Care and charged the agency with bringing health care professionals to Greene County and greater eastern North Carolina.

Today, we’re still fighting that fight. Greene County Health Care operates community health center sites in Greene, Pitt and Pamlico counties. Our funds come from various sources, including patient and insurance payments, mandatory and discretionary funding from the federal government and other grant funding.

Congress passed funding until May 22 for the Community Health Center Fund, the National Health Service Corps and the Teaching Health Centers program. Greene County Health Care receives funding from the Community Health Center Fund. And the National Health Services Corps and the Teaching Health Centers program train tomorrow’s doctors and dentists.

What we are asking for is five years of stable funding. Why? Like other community health centers, Greene County Health Care is a business.

Running any business month-to-month is difficult. And we’re growing.

Sustained funding would allow us to continue to grow, expanding services and care for more patients.

Today, we provide care to nearly 40,000 people in eastern North Carolina, resulting in nearly 120,000 patient visits each year. We know the need is greater. We need to provide more care to more patients, not less care to fewer patients.

Also, workforce programs, like the National Health Services Corps and the Teaching Health Centers program recruit, train and retain medical and dental providers for our future needs.

Please support our efforts to retain and expand health care in Greene County and our surrounding areas. The health of our communities depends on it.

Norman Lewis is the chairman of the Greene County Health Care Board of Directors.

AA4

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

GREENE

Continued from A3

from Community Crossroads Center, Greenville’s homeless shelter.

A woman in her 30s came into the clinic. Most of her teeth were root tips. She was in constant pain, Doherty said. Over time, dental staff removed all of her teeth and replaced them, he said.

The patient also was connected with the behavioral health team.

“She’s gotten help, attends meetings regularly and landed a part-time job,” Doherty said.

Health care is a “team approach,” Doherty said. The medical, dental and behavioral health teams all work together for the betterment of the patient, he added.

Medical issues are linked to dental hygiene and care.

Routine dental checkups help to lower blood pressure, decrease hypertension and improve diabetes.

The dental services area includes seven dentists and eight hygienists.

INNOVATION Through its Snow Hill offices, Greene County Health Care also operates mobile medical units.

The medical unit serves primarily the migrant and farm worker communities and includes the community at-large at public events and festivals, Rhem said.

“Greene County has an influx of migrant farmers.

We reached out to them. Fifty percent of our clientele are migrant farmers,” Lewis said.

The organizaton has a neighborhood staff services department, which “takes health care where (the migrant farmers) are,” Rhem added.

It has led the way in migrant and farm worker health, said Smith, the CEO. The center saw nearly 9,000 migrant and farm workers last year.

“We work with area farmers to visit migrant and farm workers on the farm, where those folks live and work,” Smith said. “They work from sun up to sun down six days a week, so going to them is really the only way to ensure their basic health needs are taken care of. We make follow-up appointments for them if they need additional care.”

Services not only extend to farmers. The organization’s dental van serves elementary school children in Greene and Pitt counties on-site at local schools.

It also operates the James D. Bernstein Community Health Center and Bernstein Dental Services in north Greenville and Pamlico Community Health Center and Pamlico Dental Services in Bayboro.

Each site offers behavioral health and medical and dental care.

It also operates Community Partners HealthNet in Snow Hill. The program supports electronic health and dental records and practice management software, manages a data warehouse and tracks clinical results for Greene County Health Care and six other community health centers in the United States, Rhem said.

Included in the growth of Greene County Health Care was the organization’s move to electronic health records. It led the way in North Carolina — the first community health center in the state to start the move from paper medical records to electronic.

Rhem added that the organization serves as a backup center for six other health care centers in eastern North Carolina.

Smith added, “We knew electronic health records were the future of health care, including at community health centers. The federal government really led the effort. Now, Greene County Health Care helps

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Dr. Frank Serio, left, and dental assistant Stephanie Oliveras examine a patient. Greene Couty Health Care’s focus on screenings and prevention mirrors the focus of the federal government.

FOCUS AREAS Greene County Health Care focuses on three areas as it looks to the future: ■ Expanding access through digital technology — just as the ogranization has done for years through its electronic medical records system and use of data to improve patients’ health. Staff is working on using telehealth-like capabilities to improve and expand translation services.

■ Its focus on screenings and preventive measures mirror the federal government’s focus. Its quality measures include tracking for cervical cancer, colorectal, weight, tobacco use and depression screenings, counseling on nutrition and physical activity, tobacco cessation counseling, vaccinations in toddlers and preventive dental care in children age 10 and under. It is also on the front line in addressing the opioid epidemic.

■ “Growing our own.” Greene County Health Care partners with A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona, as part of a physician assistant program, which will start in 2022.

Over time, Greene County Health Care aims to work with area schools to develop young people from the area who might have interest in attending physician assistant school and may be inclined to return home to practice.

■ It participates in clinical rotations with the Brody School of Medicine; the Duke PA Program; ECU human development and family science, as part of its medical family therapy program; family residency and social work, UNC Dental School; NYU Langone in New York City; and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

■ All community health centers are governed by a patient-majority board. The board must reflect the diversity of the community, including race, gender, ethnicity and professional expertise.

other community health centers with electronic health records and other software management and tracking efforts related to quality care.”

COMMITMENT Greene County Health Care is a one-stop shop for all things medical.

“We are a medical center located in your community to serve the entire community. Our goal is to provide a level of care from birth, on,” Rhem said.

It operates using a combination of federal funds, grants and patient revenue.

The community health center system serves the entire community, including patients with insurance and those without.

“This commitment to serving the unserved and underserved sometimes leads people to believe that Greene County Health Care operates free clinics. Actually, patients are charged for service. Any patient who is uninsured or underinsured may receive care using a sliding fee scale if they qualify,” Rhem said.

“The scale is based on federal poverty guidelines using household size and annual family income.”

The center also offers payment options for patients who do not qualify for the sliding fee scale, but cannot afford to make lump sum payments,” she added.

“We’re here to ensure that people receive the care they need, when and where they need that care,” Smith

said.

“We balance that focus with the need to continue operating our facilities.

We’ll work with folks who have financial challenges.

This allows us to provide them care and to collect funds for the service.”

It partners with manufacturers that donate $300 to $500 worth of insulin for diabetic patients. Through the 340-B program, local pharmacies like Walgreens and Realo offer discounted prescriptions to patients.

Lewis, the board chairman, has a son who has type I diabetes. His medication costs $365 a month. He knows of patients on two types of insulin products, which cost $700 a month.

“People can’t afford that monthly,” he said. “The Medicare Part D program is god-awful. After the $2,600 limit, you’re in a doughnut hole. Within three to six months, people are in that doughnut hole. These are medications they need to live.”

Lewis and fellow board member Garner are grateful to Smith, who suggested reaching out to the manufacturers. Greene County Health Care is providing patients a “real lifesaver,” Lewis said.

Greene County is a highly impoverished county.

Often at the first of the month, residents have to decide between medications, groceries or rent, Gardner said.

“It is a big decision.

This medical program has helped tremendously,” Gar-

ner said.

Smith added, “We can see a patient in our center, but if they can’t pay for the prescription, what’s the value in that? We work with area pharmacies and drug companies to get medications patients need. Medications for diabetes top our list in eastern North Carolina. Our case management services program leads patients through the care process. Our case managers help with referrals to specialists and assisting patients with accessing other services they need.”

LIFESAVING Greene County Health Care saved Chris Cooper. In 2018, Cooper was living in New Bern. He was 38 years old and suffered a massive heart attack.

Two days later, he underwent a five-way bypass.

A week later, he was sent home, but faced arrhythmia issues. He received an ICD implant.

In April 2019, he was on a defibrillator when a 6-inch blood clot was discovered in his right leg. In September 2019, he underwent another bypass surgery.

Today, his heart is only working 25 to 30 percent.

He is unable to work, and is taking life “one day at a toime,” he said.

“Without Greene County Health Care, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here,” he said.

Cooper had just started a new job when his health declined. His heart attack occurred Dec. 8, 2018. His 90-

day probation period at his new job was set to end Jan. 1, 2019, which would have started his health insurance.

The sliding scale program has helped Cooper financially. His prescriptions would cost him $1,500 a month. Through the program, he pays $200.

“It is a blessing,” Cooper said.

A diabetic, prior to his heart attack, Cooper needed an insulin pump. He had been waiting nearly 18 months for the pump from another medical office.

“Greene County Health Care got me the pump in a short amount of time. It is a huge thing. It makes my life so much easier,” Cooper said.

Cooper knows when he comes to the organization, he will receive “personalized care.”

“It means everything,” he said.

Greene County Health Care also reaches out to veterans. First, through the Veterans Choice Program and now through the Veterans Community Care Program.

The federal program allows veterans to access care in their community, rather than traveling long distances for care.

It also offers help in enrolling in health insurance.

The service is free and open to the community.

“We know that both rural and urban communities rely on a healthy workforce to grow,” Smith said. “In that way, community health centers provide an invaluable service. Our only goal is to ensure that all people have access to affordable, quality care.”

Greene County Health Care is a “first class medical facility with room to expand,” Garner said.

There is no doubt its physical presence grew in the last 20 years, and so did the patient population.

In 1990, Greene County Health Care served 3,500 people a year. In 2019, that number grew to just under 40,000 patients and nearly 120,000 patient visits.

“Community need defines our growth,” Smith said. “We’ve expanded from one center that focused on primary medical care to a group of centers that provide a wider range of services. We also provide dental and behavioral health care and have programs for medication assistance, case management, migrant and farm worker services and

translation services. That’s significant, in terms of service to the community.”

ADDITIONAL SERVICES ■ Student health services: Care provided by Greene Central staff at Greene Central High School ■ Outreach and enrollment: Provide free assistance with insurance enrollment and referrals to “help” agencies in the community ■ Neighborhood health services: Outreach to migrant and farm workers, veterans and the community at large ■ Case management ■ Mammography and X-ray services at Snow Hill Medical Center ■ Health education ■ Medication assistance ■ Care on a sliding fee scale based on federal poverty guidelines

GCHC LOCATIONS ■ James D. Bernstein Community Health Center, 261 Belvoir Highway, Greenville ■ Snow Hill Medical Center, 302 N. Greene St., Snow Hill ■ Kate B. Reynolds Medical Center 205 Martin Luther King Parkway, Snow Hill ■ Pamlico Community Health Center, 313 Main St., Bayboro ■ Greene Dental Services, 6 Professional Drive, Snow Hill ■ Snow Hill Medical Center, 302 N. Greene St., Snow Hill ■ Bernstein Dental Services, 261 Belvoir Highway, Greenville ■ Walstonburg Medical Center, 204 S. Main St., Walstonburg ■ Pamlico Dental Services, 313 Main St., Bayboro

N.C. COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS ■ There are 42 Community Health Center grantees in the state.

■ They serve 570,918 patients.

■ 79 percent of those grantees are recognized ats patient-centered medical homes ■ Have a lower total spending per Medicaid patient than other providers ■ Serve all 100 North Carolina counties ■ 8,269 veterans served ■ 125,985 children served

VISION2020 VISION STATEMENT

Standing up for health care Vidant Health’s mission to improve the health and well-being of eastern North Carolina is more than just a slogan; it is the foundation of who we are and how we deliver compassionate care in an underserved region.

For years, from the time we were Pitt County Memorial MICHAEL Hospital WALDRUM to where we are now as Vidant — a nine-hospital system with more than 100 physician practices serving 1.4 million people in 29 counties — our organization focused solely on delivering the best possible care to our family, friends and neighbors.

When we think about what the future of health care looks like in eastern North Carolina, we think of building on what we are already doing — reducing infant mortality rates, improving blood pressure among those we serve through our TargetBP program, influencing positive lifestyle changes that directly affect well-being through population health initiatives and bringing the most advanced technology like GammaTile on our journey for life without cancer.

While our work in these areas is making a difference, the rural health care crisis has spread across the country and reached our home.

Our commitment to delivering the best care possible is unchanged. All of us in health care are more comfortable at the bedside, caring for those we love. But the issues are too serious and the consequences too dire for us to stay in our comfort zone.

The Stand Up for ENC campaign is Vidant Health extending beyond its comfort zone because our patients are always our priority and they deserve access to high-quality care.

Medicaid Expansion is a critical next step for how we can deliver on our mission.

Hospitals in rural areas are 62 percent less likely to close in states that have Medicaid expansion, according to the Chartis Center for Rural Health.

Vidant’s vision is to be the national model for rural health care. Without policies that look after our family, friends and neighbors, hospitals in the state will continue to struggle to treat these underserved populations.

With more than 1 million people in our state living without health insurance, care is often put off until patients are very ill — driving up the cost of treatment.

Our communities deserve better; they deserve better access to care.

Our vision for eastern North Carolina, both now and in the future, is for improved access to care for everyone.

Our promise is to do our part to continue providing excellent care.

Now, it is time for our elected officials to do their part and improve access to care through Medicaid Expansion.

This is a vision of the future worth standing up for.

— Michael Waldrum, MD, MSc, MBA, is CEO of Vidant Health

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

AA5

Attacking heart disease

Networks of care, prevention focus on saving lives

BY KAREN ECKERT Adams Publishing Group-ENC

“Wow! Are we going to be able to fill this up?”

That’s what Dr. Reza Ershadi, a cardiologist at Vidant Medical Center, remembers wondering over 10 years ago when the six-story heart center was under construction.

Now that the East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant has been open since 2009, Ershadi has learned the answer to his question.

“We’re always busy,” he said. “There’s a need and we’re filling that need.”

In North Carolina, 20.5 percent of deaths were attributed to heart disease in 2018, a close second to cancer at 20.9 percent, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

In eastern North Carolina, in particular, the rate of heart disease is higher than in the rest of the state, according to NCDHHS. Specifically, in 2018, heart disease was the cause of 22.4 percent of deaths in the 29-county area served by the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, making it the leading cause of death in that region of the state.

In Pasquotank County heart disease ranked No. 1 in cause of death at 28 percent.

In Edgecombe County the percentage was 22.9 percent and in Nash, 22.1 percent.

In Pitt County heart disease caused 21.8 percent of deaths.

Higher rates of poverty, smoking, obesity and diabetes contribute to the higher rates of heart disease in eastern North Carolina, according to Dr. Paul Bolin, chair of medicine at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Also, a large segment of the population in eastern North Carolina is underserved medically, he said, and that contributes to a higher rate of heart disease.

The heart center at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, with its 140 inpatient beds and 40 outpatient beds, has brought major changes to the region regarding heart health care over the last decade, Ershadi said.

“That facility we have there is top-notch,” Ershadi said. “It’s state of the art in every way you can imagine.”

Ershadi, who received his training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which is renowned for cardiology and heart surgery, said that Vidant’s heart center rivals anywhere he’s seen, been or trained.

“It’s hard to find a place like that in a rural area,” Ershadi said. “I don’t think people understand what a gem (the heart center) is,” he said.

“Pretty much every service that’s offered anywhere else, that everybody thinks of as the big names in the state, we can do all the same kind of stuff,” he said.

For example, within the last two years, Dr. Brian Cabarrus, another cardiologist at Vidant, has been doing a procedure called a TAVR (transcatheter aortic valve replacement), Ershadi said.

Cabarrus is also working on the mitral clip procedure.

The mitral clip is a device used when patients have a leaky heart valve, Ershadi said. Cabarrus just did his first case at Vidant earlier this year.

On the heart failure front, Dr. Hassan Alhosaini and Dr. Courtney Saunders have done procedures with the LVAD (left ventricular assist device), Ershadi said.

In the past, these were devices that would bridge to transplants, but now they are starting to become destination devices for some patients, Ershadi said.

The only thing the heart center at Vidant does not do is transplants, Ershadi said.

CLIFF HOLLIS/ECU NEWS SERVICES

Dr. Bryan Ehlert, assistant professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at ECU’s Brody School of Medicine, performs a TCAR procedure at the East Carolina Heart Institute at Vidant Medical Center.

In addition to treating patients at the Vidant heart center in Greenville, cardiologists also reach out to patients in the more rural areas, holding clinics, for example, in Ahoskie, Beaufort, Edgecombe and Duplin, Ershadi said.

And there are efforts being made to augment facilities at Vidant sister hospitals, for example in Beaufort and Edgecombe counties, so that more procedures can be done there, he said.

Another resource for eastern North Carolina residents lies northwest of Greenville.

Nash, Halifax, Edgecombe and Wilson counties are part of the 29-county area served by the Brody School of Medicine, but residents there also have access to the heart center at Nash UNC Health Care.

While smaller in size than the heart center at Vidant, the Nash Heart Center has earned awards from the American Heart Association and from the American College of Cardiology, according to cardiologist Dr. Carlos Espinoza, who completed his Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at East Carolina University in 2017.

The cardiologists at Nash are faculty physicians with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, and UNC collaborates with them in all aspects of cardiology care, said Espinoza.

“A lot has been done to streamline the care of patients coming to the Nash Heart Center with heart attacks,” Espinoza said. “We have worked with local paramedics, ER physicians and supportive staff to reduce the time from first medical contact to the opening of the blocked artery causing the heart attack.

“Our catheterization labs have top-notch technology, such as catheters, stents, intravascular imaging and devices that support the function of the heart while we perform high risk procedures. If patients are coming with a heart attack that needs more complex intervention, we have the capability of airlifting them immediately and to get them where they can receive care,” Espinoza said.

Still another resource in eastern North Carolina is

the Sentara Health Care system, which lies northeast of Greenville.

Residents in Pasquotank County and the surrounding areas are served by the Sentara Health Care system, particularly at the Sentara Albemarle Medical Center in Elizabeth City. It is a licensed 182-bed, full-service facility that provides a wide range of services, including cardiology, according to its website.

Further north, in Norfolk, Va., is the Sentara Heart Hospital on the campus of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks the dedicated heart hospital with its 112 inpatient beds and 45 outpatient beds as one of the nation’s top programs, according to Sentara’s website.

While state-of-the-art medical facilities and technological advances are important, prevention is the most effective strategy in the fight against heart disease, according to experts.

The No. 1 treatment of heart disease is prevention, said Dr. Jason Foltz, chief medical officer at Brody.

Prevention applies to everyone, he said.

For patients who have already experienced a heart event, such as a heart attack, the focus is on prevention of another occurrence, Foltz said.

For people who have not experienced a heart event, the focus is on prevention of an incident in the first place.

Ershadi said that everyone already has some heart disease, referring to the build-up of plaque in the arteries.

The build-up starts in childhood when tiny plaques in the arteries start to form, he said. “And, of course, they get more significant by the time you get older.”

The idea is to prevent that accumulation, Ershadi said.

Conditions that increase the risk for heart disease include high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Behaviors that increase risk include a diet high in saturated fats, trans fat and cholesterol; not getting enough physical activity; drinking too much alcohol and using tobacco.

“Stop smoking, get moving, maintain a healthy weight and focus on eating foods that are good for you,”

Our Family Serving Your Family

Foltz said.

Foltz, who is also a primary care physician at ECU Physicians, the faculty medical practice of the medical school, said that it is important that doctors and patients work in partnership to prevent heart disease.

People don’t go to see their doctor because they are afraid of what their doctor might tell them, but that is a mindset that needs changing, he said.

“You need to see your doctor to partner in your wellness,” Foltz said.

By seeing a primary care physician, patients can learn their blood pressure numbers and if they are at risk for diabetes, Foltz said.

One of the newest trends in caring for patients is a more comprehensive approach between disciplines, Foltz said.

For example, at a patient’s appointment with him, Foltz will bring in a dietician who can discuss healthy eating with the patient.

Doctors develop partnerships in other ways as well.

Eating sensibly is an important way to prevent heart disease, but a study done at the medical school revealed many patients face the issue of food insecurity, Foltz said.

That means that, in the course of a month, patients said they weren’t sure they would have enough money for food on the table.

That situation sparked a partnership between the Food Bank of North Carolina, the Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Health in creating a medical food pantry in 2018 to be an emergency resource for healthy food alternatives, Foltz said.

Health care providers at ECU Physicians also promote a program called Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina, Foltz said.

He likes the program because it offers simple, doable steps for eating right and exercising, such as moving more, preparing more meals at home, making fruits and vegetables half of one’s plate and replacing sugary drinks with healthier alternatives.

NCCARE360, a statewide initiative that helps health care providers connect patients with resources such as health coaches and social

workers, is another valuable tool, Ershadi said.

Quitting smoking is another way to prevent heart disease, and doctors can direct their patients to partner with particular programs.

Espinoza at the Nash Heart Center said that he recommends to his patients a program called Tips From Former Smokers, which was launched by the CDC in 2012.

Patients can get counseling for free by calling 1-800-QUITNOW. Counseling is available in other languages besides English, he said.

Espinoza said that to tackle the issue of obesity, Nash UNC Health has partnered with the American Heart Association to promote exercise and to raise funds for lifesaving research.

“For those patients with advanced obesity, and with conditions caused or aggravated by it, we have the Nash General Hospital Surgical Weight Loss Center where patients get evaluated and treated for obesity,” Espinoza said.

There is another type of partnership that has emerged over the years.

Many patients are part of a national, nonprofit organization called Mended Hearts that provides educational and support programs to heart patients.

The Pitt County Chapter formed in 1984 when the Cardiac Surgery Unit opened at Pitt County Memorial Hospital, as Vidant was named then.

Harold Blackwelder underwent a quadruple bypass there 17 years ago at age 51.

Today Blackwelder, 68, is president of the local chapter of Mended Hearts, which consists of 20 to 25 active members.

Blackwelder is one of five Mended Hearts accredited visitors providing peer counseling at the heart center.

He visits on Tuesdays and Thursdays to provide counseling and support to patients who are “fresh out of heart surgery,” he said.

“Every interaction is a little bit different,” Blackwelder said, referring to the visits.

A common question that patients ask is about recovery time.

They want to know how long it is going to take to feel like a normal human being again, he said.

Blackwelder, who is retired from the HVAC industry, said that he has been providing peer counseling for the past six years and has seen well over a thousand patients.

In addition to providing free peer counseling, the Mended Hearts group meets the first Thursday of each month to hear pharmacists, doctors or other experts discuss the newest trends and give the latest updates on the prevention and treatment of heart disease, Blackwelder said.

Mended Hearts is open to patients and their families who have experienced a heart event, he said.

“It’s a great program,” Ershadi said.

FAMILY MEDICAL SUPPLY Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment

Visit Family Medical Supply at 1038 W.H. Smith Blvd., in Greenville Open Mon.-Fri. 9am-5:30pm Closed Sat. & Sun.

We Have the Durable Medical Equipment You Need Most!

Mobility Equipment • Respiratory Equipment • Bath Safety Equipment • Lift Chairs • Ramp Sales • Wound Management • Nutritional Needs

252-215-9278

AA6

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

Setting the standard of care

Martin General Hospital fights the trend of struggling rural hospitals The challenges

BY SARAH HODGES STALLS Adams Publishing Group-ENC

WILLIAMSTON — It is no secret that many small, rural hospitals are struggling to survive.

But it is important to note that nearly 20 percent of Americans live in rural areas and depend on their hospitals as important — and often only — sources of care, according to the American Hospital Association’s 2019 Rural Report.

This holds true in Martin County which covers 462 square miles and has an estimated population of 22,671, according to 2018 U.S. Census figures.

Martin General Hospital, a 49-bed facility located in the county’s seat of Williamston, has been serving the area since being chartered in 1950. The county purchased the hospital in 1962 and it has operated from its current location on McCaskey Road since 1972.

For Martin General, the challenges of small-town health care came into focus last fall when officials faced a difficult decision regarding services.

The Martin County Board of Commissioners voted to allow the hospital to close its labor and delivery unit, deciding too few expectant parents were using it to justify its existence.

John Jacobson, the hospital’s interim chief executive officer, said closing the unit was not an easy decision for hospital and county leaders.

“We have been proud to share in the joy of welcoming babies with their moms and families over the years,” he said, but he noted that Martin General had seen declining numbers in labor and delivery for the past decade.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Pulling together is a normal way of life for Martin General Hospital employees. Whether it’s Wearing Red for Womens’s Health or supporting one of their own as a Martin General staff member battles cancer.

And so that makes it more intimate and they learn from that, too.”

Hayley Taffer, the chief nursing officer, said Quorum is a corporation that specializes in “real health.”

“Multiple facilities in their corporation are rural health facilities,” Taffer said. “And we have lots of resources to reach out to really kind of across the nation because the hospitals are spread across the nation.

“We’re not kind of bottlenecked where we can get our information from.

We have a pretty expansive source of information that we can pull from being in bringing here to Martin County from our corporation,” Taffer said.

“I think the balance of that is we are a small, community hospital but we also have the benefit of the reFighting the trend sources of a large corporate After witnessing the organization,” said Becky troubles plaguing facilities Edwards, Martin General’s such as Washington Coun- human resources director. ty Hospital and its fight to stay open, Martin General officials decided to focus Making strides on services residents needWith Quorum’s resources, ed most to keep them from Martin General leaders have having to travel outside the made strides in keeping county. county residents healthy.

They have been helped in “I think we have a really this endeavor by the hospi- robust and up-and-coming tal’s affiliation with Quorum cardiology practice that has Health, which began in April brought a lot to this area,” 2016.

Taffer said.

Debbie Gonot, Martin The administrative team General’s chief quality offi- credits Dr. Jose Jacob for cer, said one of the positive bringing advances to cardithings about Quorum is that ac care to Martin General representatives come to the Hospital. hospital to see how it func“He’s bringing a lot of tions. new procedures and tests “It’s not like they’re just close to home,” Taffer said. reading a book,” Gonot said. “So the patients don’t have “They come in and they to travel 45 to 50 minutes see our challenges and our to go have their echocardiobarriers and in our success. gram.”

Martin General Hospital faces the same challenges that hit all other health care providers of this day, officials said.

“The squeezing of the insurance payments and the allowable insurance payments with government budget cutbacks,” Jacobson said. “Obviously, a large part of our aging population is the lower-income population that does qualify for Medicaid. A lot of the payments that we receive come from federal or state payers, Medicare or Medicaid. And as you know, they make some budget cutbacks.

Those payments kind of squeeze.

“And, you know, you do have to have to be safe.

You do have to have a certain staffing level,” he said.

“You can’t have one person in the lab who does all the draws and runs all the tests for all the people that come through your ED and all the patients up on the floor.”

The hospital is held to the same standard of care as larger facilities, he said.

It has to find the way to execute this safely with fewer people.

Competing for staff

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Martin General employees participate in a Christmas parade. Members of the staff take pride in showing their community spirit, both inside the hospital and during local events.

The hospital recently made a major upgrade regarding health and technology, according to Gonot.

“We just got a four-dimensional echo, which no other hospitals in this area have,” she said.

“The 4-D you’re actually to actually go down inside; it’s able to kind of go down inside the heart,” Jacobson said.

In the coming months, a mobile catherization lab for diagnostic procedures will be accessible to Martin General patients.

The cardiology practice will soon move into its own facility on the hospital grounds in the former Roanoke Women’s Care building.

Certified pulmonologists and nephrologists onsite allow Martin General to keep sicker patients here longer without having to send them to other area facilities.

Edwards calls the hospi-

tals range of services an “excellent acknowledgement” of the fact the majority of the population is age 60 and older.

“You focus your services on those people, which is cardiology, pulmonology, nephrology, orthopedics, hip, and all kinds of things that we all need to support our life,” Edwards said.

Jacobson added, “There are a lot of things we can do here. We have full-time surgical coverage and pretty much full-time orthopedic coverage.”

Post-joint replacement therapy remains individualized at Martin General, unlike at many other hospitals where patients may be in a room of multiple patients.

“We are blessed to have such a knowledgeable team here in our therapy department,” Taffer said.

A point of pride for administrators is the length of

service of their 250 employees.

“We have a lot of longevity and a lot of dedication,” Taffer said.

Many of the employees are natives of Martin County; others have relocated to the area and bring a wealth of experience to enhance patient treatment.

Edwards said having local people working at the hospital can bring patients a sense of comfort.

“It’s one of the things when we do a new employee orientation, I ask the very question, how many of you are local? Because you walk upstairs, and you walk in the hall, and you hear your name,” Edwards said. “You back up a couple steps into a patient room and it’s your dad’s neighbor or your grandmother’s friend. And I think that that they like the hometown feel of everything.”

Competing for well-qualified nurses and staff against larger markets is an ever-growing battle while the nation suffers a shortage of health care workers, especially nurses.

“I think clinically speaking, there’s an innate desire for nursing and clinical personnel to become the best in their field,” Taffer said.

“That desire to really refine and master their clinical skills. And with that being said, when you go to larger facilities, there’s a trauma team. There is an I.V. team.

There is a code blue team, which is great, but it only allows you to become a master in a very small focal area.

“At Martin General, when you come here, you are the code team,” Taffer said. “You start your I.V.’s. You have the ability and the chance to participate in the traumas to become the mastery of several different areas, several different skills. So it really is such a great foundation for any nurse, a nurse that desires to be a jack of all trades or a nurse that just needs that solid foundation because they want to move into a specialty.

“And so when I go and talk to nursing students — younger and not younger in age, but less experienced nurses — I really talk about that because I think that such a draw to be able to participate in such a positive environment,” she said.

VISION2020 New CSX Connector led to Corning, Triangle Three major projects underway in Edgecombe represent an overall investment of more than $1 billion.

BY JOHN H. WALKER Adams Publishing Group-ENC

As one talks with Carolinas Gateway Partnership CEO Norris Tolson about projects currently underway, the inflection changes in his voice and his usual poker player’s facial expression gives way to a grin before turning into an outright smile.

Clearly, the major projects underway in Edgecombe County are enough to stir the emotions of this veteran of economic warfare.

There are three major projects underway in Edgecombe with an overall investment of more than $1 billion — Corning, the CSX Connector and Triangle Tyre.

Both Corning — which will soon open and employ 111 with 35-45 on-site vendor contractors — and Triangle, which has yet to break ground on what will eventually be a four-building, 5-million-square-foot operation, are both located at the Kingsboro Business Park, which is a CSX-certified megasite.

The third major project is the CSX Connector, the first intermodal rail-truck hub to be constructed in eastern North Carolina, is located across U.S. 301 from North Carolina Wesleyan College and is scheduled to open later this year.

Positive activity Since the announcement that Corning and Triangle were coming and CGP began the marketing process, Kingsboro has grown from being known as the Kingsboro Industrial Park to, more recently, Kingsboro Business Park.

“We have a lot of positive activity going on in Kingsboro,” Tolson said. “I’m very pleased with the energy around the site.”

In addition to Corning and Triangle, Tolson says there have been discussions regarding a service plaza on a 20-acre plot near the northeast corner of the Kingsboro exit from U.S. 64 as well as developing a unique food court and park area in the area near the lakes where the Midlake Trailer Park once stood.

Tolson previously told the Telegram that as he has talked with developers, he has told them he wants them to think outside the box to do things differently in an effort to make Kingsboro a different type of development.

“We’ve been shown some interesting designs and plans,” he said.

See KINGSBORO, A8

AA7

Connections to the future

Officials: Trio of future interstates already paying dividends for the region

BY BOB GARNER Adams Publishing Group-ENC

Three future interstate highways will further streamline existing eastern North Carolina corridors and will continue spurring economic development and population growth in the region during the next several decades, according to developers and transportation officials. These routes are future Interstate 87 between Raleigh and Norfolk, future I-587 between Zebulon and Greenville and future I-42 between Raleigh and Morehead City.

There are no accurate projections of when these highways will become fully completed interstates, since they are funded and scheduled for construction or improvement in sections that compete for priority, officials said. However, simply the promise of relatively continual upgrading of these routes to interstate standards over time is enough to quicken the pulse of economic development efforts in the counties and regions through which they pass. What are now rural, largely agricultural areas of eastern North Carolina will inevitably become better connected to highway networks, seaport facilities and rail terminals serving prosperous population centers throughout the eastern United States and beyond.

In some areas, like North Carolina’s Crystal Coast — accessible by U.S. 70/Future I-42 — population will almost surely increase and generate a wave of related economic investment along with growth management challenges. In others, vitality-sapping population declines over recent decades will hopefully be diminished through the creation of many new jobs in advanced manufacturing, food processing, logistics and other infrastructure-dependent enterprises feeding off the new future interstates.

“Ninety percent of all new job creation takes place along these type corridors,” said Christian Lockamy, a former Greenville economic developer who is now director of the Elizabeth City-Pasquotank County Economic Development Authority. “All three of these future eastern North Carolina interstate thruways have driven a lot of looks at our region from companies we’ve been working to attract. As a result, businesses and industrial parks are increasing significantly along the routes.”

Norfolk to Raleigh Future I-87 from Raleigh to Norfolk will be the longest of the three routes at about 213 miles. The 180mile North Carolina portion will follow present U.S. 64 east from Raleigh through Rocky Mount to Williamston, where it will turn toward the north and follow present U.S. 17 past Edenton and Elizabeth City to the state line. In Virginia, future I-87 will join interstates 64 and 464 in the vicinity of Norfolk and the Port of Virginia.

Even though it’s widely estimated

THE DAILY ADVANCE

A sign along U.S. 17 Bypass in Pasquotank County announces the future Interstate 87 that will link Raleigh and Norfolk, Virginia. The 180-mile North Carolina portion of the highway will follow the current U.S. 64 east from Raleigh through Rocky Mount to Williamston, where it will turn toward the north and follow current U.S. 17 past Edenton and Elizabeth City to the state line. In Virginia, the future I-87 will join interstates 64 and 464 in the vicinity of Norfolk and the Port of Virginia.

“I’ve been working on I-87 for 15 years, and I always tell people we shouldn’t be amazed at how long interstate highways take to complete, but rather that they get built at all. But bit by bit, they do get built. And those red, white and blue signs — even the ones that say ‘future’ — are remarkable things, providing not only branding but focus for advocacy by local leaders and developers.”

Joe Milazzo Regional Transportation Alliance in Raleigh that future I-87 could take as long as 30 years to be brought to full interstate status, the existing multi-lane roadway from Raleigh to Norfolk is already a big selling point.

“We’re blessed to have future I-87, in addition to I-95, as a conduit to get our clients’ products to the end user quickly, efficiently and when the customer wants them,” said Norris Tolson, president of the Rocky Mount-based Carolinas Gateway Partnership, an economic development group that focuses on Nash and Edgecombe counties.

“Even now on present U.S. 64 and U.S. 17, the Norfolk port is within a two-hour drive from Rocky Mount, while the ports at Morehead City and Wilmington are both only two hours and fifteen minutes away.

That makes the Rocky Mount area a great logistical hub — especially when you add in the new CCX intermodal rail terminal here that will become operational in January 2021.”

“As future I-87 is upgraded to

full interstate status in the coming years, Nash and Edgecombe counties can only become even more attractive as an advanced manufacturing, food processing and logistics center,” Tolson said.

To cite just one example of what is happening already, Triangle Tyre selected Edgecombe County in 2018 for its first U.S. manufacturing facility. The Chinese tire manufacturing company will create 800 jobs and is investing nearly $580 million at a 1,449-acre advanced manufacturing megasite site located near Tarboro and just off future I-87. The project will contribute an estimated $2.4 billion to North Carolina’s economy.

When future I-87 was signed into law and announced at the end of 2015, initial preliminary estimates were that the total cost of the route would be around $1 billion. But according to more recent information released by the N.C. Department of Transportation, estimates now range from $1.7 billion to nearly $2

More development In addition to the auto plaza area with fuel and food and the food court, Tolson has heard from developers and investors talking about apartment buildings, duplexes and housing developments.

Also, there’s a plan being look at to take advantage of the Tar River for recreational purposes, such as canoeing and rafting, utilizing the NC Parks Service landing

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

Billy R. Smith, MD Camille Johnson, FNP Mark Cavaliere, PA

billion. Approximate calculations of the cost of improvements to the section between Raleigh and Williamston range from $845 million to $1 billion. The preliminary estimates for upgrading the portion from Williamston to the Virginia border vary from $850 million to $945 million.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, the federal government pays 90 percent of the cost of interstate construction.

The only portion of I-87 now finished and in operation as a completed interstate is a 13-mile stretch in eastern Wake County between Raleigh and Wendell. (That makes I-87 the nation’s shortest current interstate highway.) Around three miles coincides with the Raleigh beltline (I-440), while the next 10 miles is known as the Knightdale Bypass, which extends as far as Wendell.

According to the DOT, improvements to bring future I-87 from Wendell eastward to Zebulon up to interstate standards, mostly through widening outside lane shoulders and upgrading some interchanges, are scheduled to begin in 2026.

There is no firm timetable for how long that overall process may take.

Although no design work has yet been done on future I-87 east of the Wake-Nash county line, there is still a lot of work to be done to bring the roadway up to interstate standards. Existing paved shoulders will need to be widened, some bridges will have to be replaced and some interchanges will have to be

See HIGHWAYS, A8

AA8

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

KINGSBORO Continued from A7

off Dunbar Road to the northwest of Corning.

Corning is moving closer and closer to opening — and Tolson has closely watched the project as it has moved along.

Tolson tells the story that he would drive by the Corning project whenever he had to travel to Tarboro to see the progress.

“They poured those walls in place,” he explained. “It was something to see. I’d drive by one day and there would be several wall panels up and then, a few days later, the whole side of the building would be completed.”

Tolson, who said that while Corning will initially be served only by truck, thinks the day will come will a rail spur will extend across Alternate U.S. 64 to serve the plant.

“Corning continues to be an amazing project,” he said.

Both Corning and Triangle, Tolson says, are the result of landing the CSX Connector — called CCX by the railroad company.

“The day after we announced CSX, our phones started ringing,” Tolson said in an earlier interview. “We had calls from people asking where Edgecombe County was located and wanting to know more about us.

“CSX put us on the map.”

CSX wasn’t always coming to Edgecombe County.

It fact, the railroad had selected a spot between Selma and Micro in Johnston County, but ran into heavy landowner opposition.

Tolson said a longtime friend of his in Raleigh called and advised him that the CSX deal in Johnston County was falling apart and that he might contact

HIGHWAYS

Continued from A7

improved to meet modern requirements — lengthening on-ramp lanes, for example.

Certain segments on present U.S. 17 that still have intersecting side roads and driveways, traffic lights and other characteristics will have to be re-engineered or bypassed entirely. Some stretches of U.S. 17/Future I-87 around Windsor, Edenton and Elizabeth City, however, already meet most interstate standards.

“I’ve been working on I-87 for 15 years, and I always tell people we shouldn’t be amazed at how long interstate highways take to complete, but rather that they get built at all,” laughed Joe Milazzo with the Regional Transportation Alliance in Raleigh.

“But bit by bit, they do get built. And those red, white and blue signs — even the ones that say ‘future’ — are remarkable things, providing not only branding but focus for advocacy by local leaders and developers.

“Interstates won’t ‘make’ a region by themselves, since land, workforce and other infrastructure are also vital, but they do provide the opportunity to at least participate in the broader economic development game,” Milazzo said.

Greenville spur

Future I-587, announced by the North Carolina Department of Transportation in late 2016, will run from future I-87 at Zebulon east to Greenville along an upgraded U.S. 264. Once future I-87 was approved and announced, officials and economic developers from the Greenville area lobbied the state and federal agencies for a spur route on behalf of the city. This rural freeway joins Raleigh to both Wilson and Greenville, as well as overlaying I-795 between I-95 and its continuation south to Goldsboro.

There is now a funded contract for two separate projects in Greene and Pitt coun-

CAROLINA GATEWAYS PHOTO

Work is progressing on the CSX Connector site, located along CSX’s A-line main line and across from N.C. Wesleyan College. When operational later this year, the facility will be able to handle 110,000 containers annually.

the rail company.

Tolson said he went back to his CSX contacts and started the process all over, telling them the Twin Counties would like to make a pitch.

“They told me to go ahead,” he told Welcome to Tarboro magazine.

Tolson said he thought that after the battles the rail company had gone through over land in Johnston County, they were surprised at how quickly things came together in Edgecombe. ties related to upgrading U.S. 264 to interstate standards, according to Cadmus Capehart, Division Construction Engineer for North Carolina DOT’s Division 2. Both involve widening outside lane shoulders from four to 10 feet, as required for interstate highways, and both will take place in conjunction with a process of rehabilitating the pavement through strengthening and resurfacing. These two projects, totaling approximately $22.5 million, should be complete in late 2020 or early 2021.

These improvements will still not bring Pitt and Greene counties totally up to interstate standards because there will still have to be more work in the future on bridges to bring them into compliance with vertical clearance and required length of on and off ramps. Altogether, it’s estimated that $100 million will eventually be needed to bring the entire route from Zebulon to Greenville up to interstate standards.

“Greenville was the largest city in North Carolina without an interstate connection until I-587 was approved,” said Vann Rogerson, interim director and CEO of the N.C. East Alliance. “Now, though, Pitt County can be presented to potential clients as well situated for going back up toward Raleigh, up Interstate 95 and up toward the Port of Virginia via the connection near Bethel with I-87.”

“Now it’s vital that we stay behind future I-587 and the other future interstates in the region to make sure they — and our local economy — remain competitive as far as the process of setting funding priorities is concerned,” he added.

Instead of CSX having to make the contacts and secure the land options, Tolson said CGP put the deal together and told CSX they were ready for business.

The fact the Twin Counties could put the land deal together and CSX not face opposition turned out to be a win-win-win — for the region, for the railroad and for the state, as many people felt that when the Johnston County site fell apart, the deal was gone forever for

North Carolina.

Other than not being CSX’s first choice, the site might prove to be ever better for the railroad for a number of reasons.

It is located halfway between Miami and Boston as well as being 10 minutes from Interstate 95, close to both I-40 and I-85, two hours from the Norfolk port, two hours from the Wilmington port, and four and a half hours from the Charleston ports.

Tolson said the location

The dotted lines on the map created by NC East Alliance economic development partnership represent three future interstate highways — I-87, I-587 and I-42 — expected to enhance the region’s prosperity.

Garner, Clayton, Smithfield, Selma, Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern and Havelock with Morehead City and its state port facilities. I-42 will actually terminate near the Carteret County line in the vicinity of Newport and will not enter Morehead City, although some congestion-clearing

bridge construction near the port itself is part of the longrange transportation plan in the city.

Cutting travel time between Raleigh and the Morehead City-Beaufort area from three hours to a little more than two, the 137-mile roadway will function as a less

WHAT IS CBD?

Economic catalyst U.S. 70, the existing fourlane highway between the Raleigh area and Morehead City, is also undergoing upgrading and will eventually become I-42. The future interstate basically follows the U.S. 70 corridor in a southeasterly direction, connecting

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Hemp Extract products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Our products contain less than 0.3% THC.

allows North Carolina rail to become a player in the mix for companies using the interstates and regional seaports.

“Triangle will certainly bring product in for their tires, because we don’t have any rubber trees,” he said, smiling.

The unique thing about CCX is that NCDOT will own it, much like a highway or ferry port, while CSX has agreed to operate it for at least nine years. It will be the only CSX intermodal fa-

cility that the railroad does not own.

While the project has been downsized from four cranes to three and 500 acres to 300, there is more than enough space to expand, Tolson said.

He noted that the facility will be able to handle 110,000 containers annually.

A container has a capacity of 56,350 pounds, which means more than 3 million tons of freight annually could move through the facility.

congested hurricane evacuation route. It will become an improved freight-hauling corridor and will connect Seymour Johnson Air Force base and Cherry Point Marine Air Station, as well as Kinston’s Global TransPark, to the interstate highway system.

Several new U.S. 70/Future I-42 segments are already complete, including the bypass around the north side of Goldsboro, but others will not materialize until after at least another decade of work.

A 32-mile stretch of the highway between Dover, east of Kinston, and New Bern is undergoing widening of the outer lane shoulders to bring the route up to interstate standards, along with strengthening and resurfacing of the pavement. This project began in 2019 and will continue through 2020.

Beginning at the southern end of the Neuse and Trent River bridges in New Bern, a 4.5 mile stretch of now-congested roadway in the vicinity of the New Bern airport will soon be under construction to eliminate five traffic-signal intersections through the construction of elevated interchanges. This work, locally known as the

“James City Project,” is set to begin in March of 2021, with completion planned for late 2023.

Future I-42 will follow a new bypass just begun around the west side of Havelock in Craven County, with completion scheduled for early 2024. Stoplights in Havelock and the resulting traffic backups have long been a source of frustration for travelers in this area.

“Within five years, there will be no stoplights at all between Dover just outside Kinston and the Carteret County line,” said Carteret County Economic Development Director Don Kirkman.

The last major piece leading to completion of future I-42 will be the bypass looping around the south side of Kinston. A small piece of this project is scheduled to begin in 2026, but construction will not begin on the larger portion of the route until 2029.

“It’s going to take us a while to get there, but I-42 will obviously be a game changer for Carteret County,” said Kirkman. “But beyond that, I think this entire corridor is going to be transformational — a huge economic catalyst for all of central eastern North Carolina.”

VISION2020 VISION STATEMENTS Penco’s quest for the best

Third Street develops workforce

Penco Products, America’s oldest manufacturer of steel lockers and shelving, is based right NAYA here in eastPOWELL ern North Carolina, and we celebrated 150 years of business success in 2019.

In partnership with our distributors, Penco is paving the way with progressive values and visionary leadership that can function as a model of inspiration for other businesses in our community.

In 2001, we relocated our manufacturing plant from Philadelphia, Pa., to Hamilton in Martin County and, in 2013, our corporate headquarters moved to Greenville. The process was met with challenges, and for several years Penco’s bottom line did not reflect the dedication and effort of our team. A half a dozen years ago, we experienced a tipping point. Tom Kulikowski saw an opportunity to steer the business in an upward direction and accepted the role of president and CEO of Penco.

His leadership, along with the hard work of the Penco Team, inspired three challenges that helped it regain traction: ■ Assess the work environment and clean it up: Tom observed the historical practices at the plant in Hamilton and devised a strategic turnaround. He infused the Penco family with his vision: “Inventing a New Future,” calling for teamwork, product line upgrades, growing our distribution channel, strategic shifts and additions, improving safety standards and procedures, and reducing inventory. Our quality improved, we had record-breaking accident claim reduction, productivity increased, and we began seeing positive revenue gains.

■ Communicate by example: Last year, Tom built on the vision to invent a new future by declaring, “Our Future is Now!” He met with the Penco family and communicated the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly about our financial performance and productivity. We modified some products, adjusted our processes, added equipment and empowered our team through employee engagement training. Penco celebrated 150 years of successful business through black-tie and family-fun events, giveaways, and more to boost morale. “Project Hedgehog” established a system for team members to share ideas and it sparked innovation and retained.

■ A quest to be the best: The Penco family this year set individual goals to push themselves into becoming “the best” in all areas of life through connecting with ourselves, our teammates and our community. When we are better as individuals it reflects in our jobs. When we communicate better with each other, accuracy and efficiency improves. When we connect with our community we help others, build our own character and make our community stronger.

“We are here to make a choice — a choice between being average or committing to be the best,” Kulikowski said. Penco has experienced tremendous growth and success over the years, but at the core of Penco is our desire to serve our community and see it grow. Penco is America’s No. 1 manufacturer of lockers, shelving, pallet racks and hygiene and textile products made available through a nationwide network of distributors.

Visit the website at www. pencoproducts.com for more information.

— Naya Powell is marketing creative specialist Penco Products.

Everyone has God-given potential. This is a core belief at Third Street Education Center, a nonprofit with the mission of educating and equipping SUSAN in ways NELSON that bring dignity and hope. Started eight years ago, the center’s long-term vision is to see generations transformed by the power of the Gospel.

We are one center with one vision but three distinct branches: Third Street Academy, Third Street Business and Workforce Development and Third Street Community Impact.

Third Street Business and Workforce Development (TSBWS) provides a bridge for gainful employment for those who have been difficult to employ.

TSBWS was created in 2014 out of a need to maintain our 15-acre property. We bought all the equipment and decided we wanted it to be used to make a difference the other six days a week. Soon, we started our first business program called Third Street Facility Services. Word spread, and soon our services were in high demand.

As more people hired Facility Services we hired more workers, most of whom either were involved with the justice system or who were recovering from substance abuse disorder.

The landscaping business grew, employing more and more individuals. In 2019, we added more business programs. When someone asked for a handyman, we had a highly skilled worker who could get the job done and now runs a full-time crew of three. When our kitchen was renovated and equipped to meet the Academy’s growing needs, we hired an experienced chef knowing we would launch a full-scale catering business program. When Brown & Wood, a local car dealership, saw our work ethic installing flowers at the property, they asked us to take over the auto detailing operation, birthing our fourth business program.

In all four of these business programs, the participants learn a valuable, marketable job skillset and develop professionalism and a strong work ethic. They then transition to full time employment. When TSBWS staff first arrive at Third Street, they are often hopeless and out of options. They need hope and we help supply that as we provide a chance to gain experience, a positive employment record, and certifications that help move their resumes to the top of the stack.

One of the most powerful aspects of the initiative is that it is financially self-sustaining, and any revenue produced that is not used to fund business operations goes right back into the Third Street Education Center programming.

Employment has always been a need that Third Street has wanted to address because it brings dignity and hope, but we did not know this would be our path to get here.

Over the years, we are so thankful that our core belief that everyone has God-given potential has made TSBWD an integral part of who we are.

— Susan Nelson is director of community relations at Third Street Center. To learn more visit www.thirdstreetec.org or contact her at susann@thirdstreet.org.

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

AA9

Initiative seeks growth through ECU research Rural Prosperity Initiative extends univeristy resources to help rural economies.

BY GINGER LIVINGSTON Adams Publishing Group ENC

Generations of eastern North Carolina families have sent their daughters and sons to East Carolina University for 113 years.

While many returned home to become teachers, nurses, business people and later doctors and engineers, others left the east to make their way in other parts of the state, nation and world.

For those who stayed, the rural economy changed as big box retailers killed mom and pop shops and national supermarket chains did away with locally owned supermarkets and country crossroads stores.

As these businesses closed and bypasses swept past the edges of these small towns, their downtowns were left empty and fading away.

But where many see a lost past, East Carolina University leaders see a new future waiting, and they are dedicating the time and talents of faculty and students into revitalizing these communities.

Launched by former Chancellor Cecil Staton in the fall of 2017, the ECU Prosperity Initiative focuses the university’s research and engagement expertise on finding solutions to disparities in health, education and economic development in rural and coastal communities.

Research teams are working in areas of biomedical science, precision medicine, health and chronic disease, health behaviors; energy and natural resources, marine and coastal systems, big data and analytics and STEAM education.

“The Initiative is a way to conceptualize the work that’s been ongoing for many years and to think about it strategically and thematically,” said Sharon Paynter, assistant vice chancellor in the Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement.

“It is an initiative that lives in the research and the teaching and the learning of the faculty, staff and students at this university,” Paynter said.

Slightly more than 10,000 ECU students come from the rural areas of North Carolina, mainly from the east, said Keith Wheeler, executive director of ECU’s Office of National Security and Industry Initiatives, which is part of the Division of Research, Economic Development and Engagement. That is almost twice as many as the next UNC institution, said Wheeler, a Dare County native.

The prosperity initiative, and its stated goal of improving rural life, is important because it helps sets ECU’s mission of service apart from other University of North Carolina System institution, he said.

Once the broad goals of improving the region’s economy, health and education were set, Paynter said ECU leaders looked at the work already underway to build upon it.

“The university made an institutional, strategic commitment to grow research,” Paynter said.

ECU has almost doubled its research during the last three to four years, building on “multidisciplinary, collaborative efforts” in areas where it already has strengths such as telepsychiatry, environmental health, water quality and responding to environmental disasters to name a few, Paynter said.

“Where we started was to understand better what we were already good at, what we are already doing and what we need to build on,” she said.

The university’s research grants have grown from slightly less than $10 million in 2016 to $34 million in 2019.

Part of that involved meeting with elected leaders, citi-

ETHERIDGE

WHEELER

zens, industries, nonprofits and other interested parties to find out what mattered to them, Paynter said.

Randall Etheridge, a faculty member with the College of Engineering and Technology, is a Beaufort County native who grew up in Pitt County.

After earning multiple degrees from North Carolina State University, Etheridge joined ECU’s faculty in 2015.

“Randall wanted to use his engineering knowledge to do something that mattered,” Wheeler said.

One of his early projects was studying water quality issues at Lake Mattamuskeet in Hyde County, focusing on the disappearance of submerged aquatic vegetation.

However, when the county sustained back-to-back bouts of flooding following Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016, which caused millions in crop losses, the community’s interest turned to mitigating the damage.

The Hyde County Soil and Water Conservation District had questions about whether the flooding was being driven by delayed maintenance of canals that drained the county’s farmland and asked Etheridge to find answers.

Etheridge’s team of students found that dredging would lessen the flooding to some degree but rising sea levels resulting from climate change also contributed because they reduces the flow rate out of the canals.

There also was a question about whether dredging the canals would transport the lake’s water quality issues to the Pamlico Sound, an important area for shell fishing.

As Etheridge and his team weighed these questions, the PAYNTER North Carolina Coastal Federation was launching an initiative to create a watershed restoration master plan for addressing the water quality and flooding issues. Etheridge and his students became part of that process.

He received a $299,454 grant from the National Science Foundation last year for a project that will have ECU seniors and community members working jointly to research and develop plans to mitigate flooding in Hyde County and other coastal communities facing similar flooding issues.

Small communities typically don’t have the financial resources to hire private engineering firms to design solutions to flooding, Etheridge said.

“Our goal is to put some of the expertise of the students and pair with the expertise of community members to help advance the engineering process for these communities at minimal cost,” he said.

The students will begin their work in August, meeting with officials from Hyde County, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, the tourism sector, Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuges and others.

The students and local experts will develop three design options with the goal of presenting Hyde County and other communities an idea of the costs and effectiveness of each solution.

“Then (the communities) will be able to focus on one solution to move forward with and apply for grants and funding for that one solution and it hopefully cost them less — if our project is effective,” Etheridge said.

Community involvement

is a critical component of the project, he said.

“One thing that was pretty clear initially and has become even more clear as we’ve gone through the watershed restoration planning process is that the way of life in Hyde County is very important to the people there and that’s one of the biggest inputs they’ve had, they want to preserve that way of life and it’s one of our goals,” he said.

Being a good partner means doing more listening than talking and bringing forth information so people can make decisions they can carry out, Paynter said, explaining how the initiative functions..

“The university cannot do this alone. It’s neither our role nor our expectation to come into a community and tell them how to recruit people to live in their place,” she said. “What we can do is act as a facilitator, act as a connector, act as a convener of conversations in which communities identify the things they feel best define them, best showcase them and use the resources that they’ve got while identifying the needs they have.”

Another means of encouraging community growth is the Rural Innovations Strengthening Eastern 29 Counties, or RISE-29 initiative, a program funded with a $1 million grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

Working through the Miller School of Entrepreneurship and its partners, opportunities will be created to help ECU graduates to establish new businesses in towns throughout Beaufort, Hyde, Martin and Pitt counties.

Students also will be teamed with existing small businesses looking for succession and continuity plans as the small business owners prepare for retirement.

The goal is to create 25 microenterprises and 100 new direct jobs.

AA10

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

Tapping into a growing market

Local breweries offer patrons a unique perspective on recreation that fosters and supports entrepreneurial ventures.

Duck-Rabbit Brewery has been fully embraced and supported by the town of Farmville and the community at large. We feel it is a key player in the growth and vitality of the Farmville business community.”

BY DONNA MARIE WILLIAMS Adams Publishing Group-ENC

In a growing national trend, breweries are challenging preconceived notions of recreation, drawing more people into the area and providing an ideal spot for younger and older adults to frequent.

“Breweries have become a tourism magnet over the past 10 years because there is much, much more to a brewery than drinking beer,” said Stephen Penn, economic developer for the Town of Winterville. “Breweries allow people of all ages to enjoy others’ company at a unique location. They allow people to sit outside and enjoy beautiful weather.”

Breweries are unlike traditional bars where the bartenders offer widely distributed imported and domestic beer. Instead, each brewery offers its own custom-made selection by the establishment’s brewmaster.

Selections presented by the breweries are ever-changing with the inclusion of one and off beers and seasonal selections.

Breweries also are transforming into a hangout spot for families and professionals.

“Those who have never been to a brewery may be surprised at how many children there are running and playing outdoors while their parents catch up with friends,” Penn said. “Since many breweries have pet-friendly areas, it allows people to include their dogs on their relaxing evenings. For many, it’s a great way to mingle with friends and the community in a relaxing atmosphere.”

The relaxed atmosphere of the breweries helps to foster communication, according to Jeremy Maxic, the owner of Hook Hand Brewery Taproom in Williamston.

“We’re all kind of glued to our cellphone,” Maxic said.

“It seems like it’s harder to connect to people. Breweries have a way of creating an atmosphere where strangers connect. They come more for the experience than a beverage, but the beverage is part of the experience.”

Breweries also have helped to spur and assist with revitalization efforts as they create lasting effects on their communities.

“You also tend to see new businesses and restaurants springing up around recently opened breweries that further helps in the development of our destination by providing additional ways to extend and enhance your experience — by trying a new restaurant, getting a cup of locally roasted coffee, or exploring a new art gallery,” said Sierra Jones, the director of communications and marketing for the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

In Pitt and Martin counties, breweries have helped to enhance the recreational values of their town. In 2017, it spurred the creation of the Pitt County Brew & ‘Cue Trail, which helps to market and promote the growing number of craft breweries in Pitt County, Jones said.

“These events and activities all help create a sense of community and fun in the downtown areas and communities,” she said. “(This) helps attract not just local residents, but visitors from outside of Greenville-Pitt County as well who can get a sense of our destination’s local flavor and authentic vibe.”

Hook Hand Brewery Taproom, Williamston After opening Blackwater Cider in Windsor three years ago, Maxic decided he also wanted to operate

Local Oak Brewing Co., Nauti Dog Brewing Co., Winterville

PHOTOS BY DONNA MARIE WILLIAMS/THE STANDARD

Rocky Freeman, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery’s taproom manager pours a beer for Clay Vick of Fountain.

a brewery. He converted a fish market along Railroad Street into Hook Hand Brewery Taproom.

“I saw an opportunity in Williamston. Everyone was friendly and supportive.

They changed an ordinance to allow me to come, ” Maxic said.

Hook Hand Brewery Taproom opened its doors in December 2019, and has quickly become a staple in Williamston’s downtown.

“As a whole, Williamston has flocked to support Hook Hand since their opening in December 2019,” said Zach Dickerson, planning and downtown marketing coordinator for the town of Williamston. “Especially on the weekends, the building is packed full of Williamston residents. Reviews, both word-of-mouth and online, mention how the unique vibe of the place and the excellent product make for an excellent experience.

“Hook Hand serves as a third place for both residents and visitors of Williamston,” Dickerson said.

“People have work and home, but a well-rounded town has a third place where people can gather to socialize that is not work or home. It is refreshing to hear people ask, ‘Want to meet at Hook Hand tonight?’

By having a place to meet downtown, Williamston citizens are encouraged to get out and spend some time meeting friends and making new ones. Hook Hand has been a huge boost for adult recreation in town.”

Maxic hopes the brewery’s success will create a ripple effect downtown Williamston and beyond. For Maxic, the taproom’s part in the revitalization process is vital.

“I’ve been making booze since I was underage,” he said. “I have seen the revitalization it brings and how it brings the community together. I’d like it to be the catalyst that brings Williamston back to life. I don’t want to forget about Windsor and all of eastern North Carolina. I want to be able to spread (the growth throughout).”

Dickerson shares the same hope.

“They have recently partnered with a local food truck, and this resulted in the parking lot being at capacity, something that does not often happen in Williamston,” he said. “We are both hopeful for and working with Hook Hand to make them a catalyst that sparks interest and growth in our downtown area.”

His desire to help spur community engagement is the reason Maxic is committed to purchasing local ingredients.

“It brings up everyone

around you on a day to day basis instead of share holders in another country that already have more money then they will ever need,” Maxic said.

He also is unique because he does not use grain to make his beer and focuses his efforts on making Hook Hand a “sustainable small brewery,” Maxic added.

“I make stuff no one else makes. I am all about being unique. Where else can you get watermelon wine?” he asked.

His dedication to staying local creates a huge impact. “(Maxic) stated he has many repeat customers,” Dickerson said. “A huge plus for Hook Hand is that (Maxic) keeps his produce sources local. For his ciders, he strives to obtain fruit from local farms and even grows the clary sage in his own garden. If there’s one thing Williamston citizens love, it’s a local eastern North Carolina business — Hook Hand exemplifies that.”

Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Farmville Paul Philippon, a self-proclaimed lover of beer and owner of Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery in Farmville, began brewing beer when he was in college. The hobby later turned into a career. Philippon worked for three different breweries before deciding to open Duck-Rabbit.

“I like making a product that I can see people enjoy,” Philippon said. “My previous career was in the world of ideas. There was very little concrete about that. You couldn’t really gauge how you were doing. With this, when you see people and it conduces to people’s entertainment —you see people being entertained. That makes me feel proud and very happy.”

Duck-Rabbit sold its first

Local Oak Brewing Co. owners, husband and wife Ben Self and Amy Amacker, enjoy a beer in the brewery’s green space, which features an oak tree that is more than 150 years old, in downtown Winterville.

beer in August 2004 and since then has become a staple in the Farmville community.

“Farmville has been really great,” Philippon said.

“Farmville has been really welcoming. It’s a great community to be in … this is our home and I feel like we’ve been made welcome for 15 years now.”

Duck-Rabbit has also been the host to community events including the Farmville Market on Main, which features musical entertainment, a variety of vendors, food trucks, and of course, beer.

“Duck-Rabbit Brewery has provided a place for those who enjoy craft beer to gather in a relaxed setting to meet friends and to make new friends,” said Farmville manager David Hodgkins. “Duck-Rabbit not only serves Farmville residents but attracts people from

other areas to Farmville who frequent other businesses in town as well.”

Along with its busy taproom, Duck-Rabbit distributes in bottles across the United States.

“We wouldn’t be here without the support North Carolina has shown us. We sell in nine states and North Carolina represents a good 50 percent of our sales.

The community broadly speaking has been our life’s blood,” Philippon said.

Duck-Rabbit has also helped showcase Farmville’s potential and has added value to the town’s brand, according to Hodgkins.

“Duck-Rabbit has become a well-known brand and has brought positive recognition to Farmville,” Hodgkins said. “The craft beer industry fits very nicely into Farmville’s growing reputation as an artistic and innovative community

Winterville joined the growing trend several years ago by allowing microbreweries to operate within its downtown area. Within the year, Winterville became home to not one, but two microbreweries.

“The life of downtown Winterville has boomed since the opening of Local Oak Brewing Co. and Nauti Dog Brewing Co.,” Penn said. “We are so lucky that these businesses decided to join the downtown Winterville family and help mold our downtown into the unique area that it has become … The addition of Local Oak and Nauti Dog has significantly contributed to the 5 p.m. and later bustle that we are experiencing.

It’s great to drive through Winterville on a Friday or Saturday night and see the crowds that they are attracting.”

Local Oak, owned by husband and wife, Ben Self and Amy Amacker, opened its doors in December 2019.

“It still such a young market and we felt like we can really grow with the county and influence people’s perceptions of what a microbrewery should be,” Amacker said.

The grounds and large Oak Tree located on the property has helped pave the way for Local Oak to become a kid-friendly brewery.

“We wanted to have such a large outdoor space. In the spring, summer and fall people can go out there and relax, get some food from a food truck We were really focused on this property especially having a large outdoor space,” Amacker said.

Self added, “You can bring your kids and have them run around. It’s a really low-pressure environment.”

Self is also the brewmaster at Local Oak, and like other breweries makes custom-made products for his brewery.

“We’re focused on the product,” Self said. “We’re trying to put out the best beer we can make. That’s what we’re focused on — not consuming mass quantities. Most people will come in and have two beers or a sample flight and will go on about their day. That’s what we want to be. We don’t ever repeat recipes here. Once a

See BREWERIES, A11

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020 BREWERIES Continued from A10

beer is gone, it’s gone forever.”

Just a short walk away is Nauti Dog, which opened its doors on Jan. 24 with a mission to be a place for Winterville and surrounding area residents to enjoy.

“We live in Winterville, and saw a need here,” said Chuck Smith, a co-owner of Nauti Dog. “Having a place for residents of Winterville and surrounding communities to come and enjoy good craft beer and a sense of community, without having to travel to the center of Greenville was important to us. We love the things happening on Dickinson Avenue and wanted to see that type of growth and vibrancy come to Winterville.”

Janis Smith, a co-owner and the head of brewing operations for Nauti Dog, added, “Ultimately, we would like Pitt County to be the craft beer center of eastern North Carolina, mirroring Asheville’s beer scene. We began discussing Nauti Dog more than five years ago, but got really serious about it three years ago. It’s a dream come true.”

Nauti Dog is happy to be located downtown Winterville.

“It’s been great. We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Janis Smith said. “We love it. The number of neighborhoods in close proximity have really helped give us a good start.”

Nauti Dog also has been embraced by the community, and the owner hopes to have a lasting impression in Winterville and feels they have already contributed to the community in which they reside.

“We think we are off to a great start. The city, town and county have responded favorably to our presence,” Chuck Smith said. “As for true impact, I think that is still evolving. Obviously, we love the reception we have been given so far, and hope it continues, but the real impact we want to see is further growth and revitalization of downtown Winterville.

“We hope to be a prominent member of this community for a long time,” he said. “In addition, we would like to expand. We envision a second location, in a similar small-town setting in the future. For us, it’s more about building a community spot for people to interact, talk and hang out, than growing a retail/grocery store presence. As we grow, we also want to hold to our values and be a good citizen … Giving back is important to us.”

Although within walking distance of each other, there is nothing but camaraderie, or as Self calls it, “co-petition” between Local Oak and Nauti Dog. “We want to be the best version of ourselves that we can be, but the truth is with Nauti Dog being successful it brings even more people

to the area,” Self said.

Chuck Smith added, “Honestly, it is fantastic. We are friends with Ben and Amy, and couldn’t be more excited to have them here. We think it actually helps both of us, and the future growth of our downtown scene to have both breweries operating in close proximity.

“We are excited for the future and have already been discussing collaborations and other events with them,” he said. “’A rising tide lifts all ships.’ Seriously, if you travel to other areas of the state and country, the more successful beer scenes usually have multiple breweries and restaurants close together so people can walk between them.”

The success of both breweries has added to the success of Winterville.

“We have received an outstanding response to the growth of downtown Winterville and Winterville as a whole,” Penn said. “I’ve met so many people that love the new breweries and their atmospheres. People also appreciate that each of the breweries went ‘all-out’ on their buildings, and it absolutely shows. The ‘feel’ of each brewery seems very different from each other without one being superior, as they completely complement each other. The business community has embraced the additions to downtown Winterville, as well. They have sparked an interest in local entrepreneurs and contributed to a desire in locating downtown Winterville.”

Uptown Brewing Co., Pitt Street Brewing Co., Greenville Since opening in January 2017, Uptown Brewing Co. has “become a trendy spot to hang out,” according to Drew Cheshire, the brewmaster for Uptown Brewing Co. “It’s different than any business or restaurant here,” Cheshire said. “We attract a lot of young professionals.

We have a good relationship with East Carolina University. A lot of their staff likes to hang out here. We have a lot of groups here (and) private events. We reserve tables for them and they can bring in food. The community has done a good job embracing us.”

Billy Dunn, the owner of Uptown Brewing Co., decided to join the brewery trend with hopes to bring the feel of Ashville’s, Raleigh’s and Wilmington’s brewery scene to Greenville.

His efforts helped point patrons to something they could enjoy locally.

“Now people like hanging out in breweries and when they go into the grocery store they look for something local,” Cheshire said.

Pitt Street Brewing Co. opened its doors on Aug. 25, 2017.

“Pitt Street Brewing Co. was opened with a goal of

cultivating the craft beer community and facilitating a positive, creative working environment for those employed,” said Brianna Long, the general manager of the establishment.

While at a Brewers Association Craft Brewers Conference in Denver, Colo., two of Pitt Street’s founding investors met with Greenville’s economic developer.

“After a couple trips to Greenville and teaming up with local Greenville investors, a building was secured and work began to happen,” Long said. “Everyone involved saw the unique opportunity and good investment in adding to the beer economy in Pitt County.”

The brewery has received positive feedback since it opened its doors.

“We have been able to give back and participate in many community events and we look forward to strengthening those partnerships in the future,” Long said. “Humbly, we think we have created a positive, inclusive space for beer drinkers to gather with friends, support local artists and musicians and also give back to the community around us. In addition to those here before us, we helped further drive the success of the Dickinson Avenue district and bring people to an area of Greenville that was eager for more development.”

Like others, Pitt Street and Uptown have helped with Greenville’s revitalization efforts.

“The local breweries have been embraced by the community because they provide a safe, fun, and welcoming environment where visitors and locals can come together,” said Brock Letchworth, the public information officer for the city of Greenville.

“They are not only a great place to spend an evening or host an event, they have also played a significant role in revitalizing our center city.”

Jones added, “The Greenville-Pitt County community has certainly embraced the opening of new breweries in recent years. The owners, brewers and staff at all the breweries in Greenville and Pitt County have really supported the community right back.

“They have all been wonderful community partners and have gotten involved in local events and causes to help make them a success,” Jones said. “Each of the breweries has worked to build and attract a community that looks forward to gathering there for new creative beer releases, live music, to try out a new food truck, to meet up with friends for laughs and good conversations, have meetings or just hang out with their dog on a nice afternoon.

“I think the addition of the new breweries in Greenville-Pitt County has created unique and inclusive social opportunities that have enhanced our community sense of place in a very positive way.”

AA11

VISION STATEMENTS Tourism’s steady growth Travel and tourism in Greenville-Pitt County has seen substantial and steady growth over the last five years yielding many positive effects for our economy. One of the easiest ways to validate this growth is by reviewANDREW ing the economic impact SCHMIDT generated by visitors traveling to our destination. In 2013, Visit North Carolina, the state travel and tourism office, reported visitor expenditures in Pitt County totaled $213.5 million. Over five short years, this number increased to $260.5 million, ranking Greenville-Pitt County 20th out of North Carolina’s 100 counties in tourism expenditures.

The growth is putting more people to work. In 2018, 2,310 jobs in Pitt County were directly attributed to the tourism industry. Our visitors stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants, shop in our retail outlets, play in our athletic facilities, visit our art galleries and museums and enjoy our entertainment venues, which in turn helps create and sustain jobs all while generating immediate economic impact that increases our local sales tax base.

The growth can be attributed to a number of factors that are equal in value. One is the growth of our hospitality infrastructure and our ability to offer a variety of lodging, entertainment, dining, retail and outdoor recreation options. A focus on arts, cultural, culinary and sports tourism also is driving leisure travel that supplements our conventions and meeting market. The continued expansion and investment in the Uptown District is helping to shape a vibrant city center that is essential for all successful tourism destinations. Visit Greenville NC also has been able to increase the amount and reach of our marketing and advertising to promote Greenville-Pitt County’s many tourism assets.

The continued growth of tourism and the hospitality infrastructure that supports it is paramount to the continued economic success of Greenville-Pitt County. Tourism is economic development and directly tied to the quality of life of the residents that live here. Whether a new company is considering expanding to the area, an individual is considering relocating to our area for a job, or a meeting planner is considering Greenville as the destination for a large convention, those individuals are visitors first. Support for tourism is support for your community. We appreciate the entire Greenville-Pitt County community’s continued support for tourism as we move into a new decade of growth in our destination.

— Andrew D. Schmidt, MPA, CHME, is president and CEO of the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

To learn more contact him at andrew@ visitgreenvillenc.com or visit www.visit greenvillenc.com.

Growing stronger together As mayor of Greenville, I could not be more proud of what the city has accomplished during the past couple of years and our potential moving forward. We continue to grow our tax base, our infrastructure investments P.J. are at an all-time high, and CONNELLY crime is decreasing. Our city is reaping the benefits of wise investments, a focus on purposeful growth and a collaborative approach to what we do.

No one entity can grow this region alone. We are stronger together, and a win for anyone in Pitt County is a win for all of us. The City of Greenville, Greenville Utilities Commission and other towns throughout Pitt County recognize this and, as a

result, we launched the Greenville-ENC Alliance in 2019.

The alliance is a public-private economic development organization that serves the Greenville-Pitt County region. The alliance brings together private and public entities to boost our economy by marketing the region, supporting new and existing businesses, developing community assets, and maximizing investment opportunities in a collaborative approach to economic development that is unlike any we have ever taken before.

This type of collaboration has proven to be extremely effective in other regions. The major advantage of a regional approach is that it allows for more coordination and communication among partners and an ability to leverage all of our resources to ensure the whole region is appropriately served. Many throughout the region have recognized the importance of a collaborative approach, and the result has been an astounding capital campaign that has raised more than $8 million of public and private sector funds over the next five years.

At this time, I want to urge all of Pitt County to strongly consider joining us in this regional partnership.

It is my hope that our region can also come together in the coming years to support some of our most vital assets — ECU and the Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Medical Center. We also need to unite in our advocacy for state investment in our area’s infrastructure. All are vital for our region’s prosperity.

If we are going to thrive as a region, we need everyone moving in the same direction. Collaboration makes us better. It is time to come together.

— P.J. Connelly is mayor of Greenville.

Learn more about the city at greenville nc.gov. Learn more about the Greenville-ENC Alliance at encalliance.com.

Great things inside PGV Pitt-Greenville Airport is eastern North Carolina’s best kept secret. We are a small, hometown airport with great curbside appeal.

Simple is sometimes better!

PGV is proud to serve the air travelers in this area we call home. Whether traveling for business or BILL leisure, residents eastHOPPER ern North Carolina and beyond, Pitt-Greenville Airport works hard to provide travelers with that great Southern hospitality.

During this last year, we have encountered many challenges, but continue to focus on growth and our surrounding communities. As part of our economic development goals, we have secured U.S. government funding to assist PGV with opportunities for expansion, which will allow us to accommodate the needs of our local citizens.

Pitt-Greenville Airport cherishes its relationships with our community partners such as the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce, Vidant Medical Center, Pitt Community College, East Carolina University and of course the City of Greenville and Pitt County government, along with a host of other members of the community.

Our most important goal is being of service to the community. Pitt-Greenville Airport plays a vital role here in eastern North Carolina, whether as a host for our students through the Grow Local program, assisting military members with service dogs or providing support to the medical community, we are here to serve!

PGV’s doors are open … stop by … pull up a rocking chair and have some hometown peanuts. Great things are inside!

— Kim W. “Bill” Hopper is executive director of Pitt-Greenville Airport. Learn more at www.flypgv.com or facebook/ pittgreenvilleairportauthority.

AA12

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

Health care just a phone call away Local hospitals increasingly are using telemedicine

BY JENNY WHITE Adams Publishing Group-ENC

As medical technologies and health treatments change and improve at record speeds, so too are the methods in which we receive our health care.

Both Nash UNC Health Care and Vidant Edgecombe Health have existing protocols to use telemedicine methods to treat patients.

Telemedicine is the distribution of health-related services and information via electronic information and telecommunication technologies like video conferencing.

This allows practitioners to conference with other doctors, researchers or specialists for consultations or long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring and remote admissions. Telemedicine is especially helpful for rural hospitals or medical practices that lack access to more specialty-intensive health care.

Dr. Chris Brock, Nash UNC Health Care Emergency Department medical director, said Nash UNC has made great strides in using telemedicine in recent years, especially for stroke care.

“Typically, we’ll receive a patient in the emergency room and suspect a stroke. There is a regimen of testing required for diagnosis, so while the CT scans and other tests are happening, we’ll go ahead and make contact with the Duke Telestroke service. We get to speak to a Duke neurologist within minutes and go ahead and give our initial workup notes to the specialist,” Brock said. “So, we’ve got the ball rolling by the time the test results are back and can have a patient into a treatment plan as soon as possible.”

Brock added that, especially for stroke patients, getting the most advanced and proper treatment started can make a tremendous difference in the eventual outcome for patients.

“Using telemedicine for

our stroke patients 100 percent helps us offer better patient care,” Brock said.

“It literally helps us to save more lives and have better outcomes for our patients that are having a stroke.”

Another department that’s using telemedicine at Nash UNC is the intensive care unit. Dr. Crystal Hayden, chief operating officer and chief nursing officer at Nash UNC, said the hospital recently launched Tele-ICU in the critical care unit and cardiovascular intensive care unit in February.

“Tele-ICU enables off-site, board-certified intensivists to interact with beside staff via audio/visual conferencing on a mobile work station to consult on patient care when there is not an intensivist physically present in the unit,” Hayden said. “By implementing Tele-ICU, we ensure 24/7 intensivist coverage of every patient in our ICU.” According to a JAMA

study published in 2018, research showed annual telemedicine usage in a control group increased from 206 visits in 2005, or less than 1 per 1,000 people, to more than 202,000 visits in 2017, or more than 7 per 1,000.

Over 83 percent of the telemedicine incidents were in rural areas.

Amy Dixon, manager of marketing and volunteer services at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital in Tarboro, said their emergency department also uses telemedicine to treat stroke patients, as well as heart failure patients.

“Vidant Neurology and other contracted specialists are used to help with the treatment of stroke patients,” Dixon said. “Vidant Health also utilizes telemedicine to treat high-risk congestive heart failure patients in their homes to monitor weight and vital signs.”

However, Vidant has used telemedicine the longest to help treat mental

health issues for their patients. Since 2010, Vidant Edgecombe has offered telemedicine for behavioral health problems.

“We utilize NCSTeP and Vidant Behavioral Health to provide telemedicine for behavioral health patients.”

Dixon said.

Across the country, this is the most common use, so far, of telemedicine.

The JAMA lead study author Michael Barnett of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said a shortage of mental health specialists and resources is fueling the growth of telemedicine in this discipline.

“It’s growing most rapidly in rural areas where a shortage of mental health specialists is prompting more patients to consider this alternative to in-person visits,” Barnett said.

During the study period, 53 percent of telemedi-

cine visits were for mental health visits.

Studies predict primary care telemedicine incidents will increase over the next few years. Vidant Edgecombe offers a similar service to patients already.

“We offer VidantNow virtual care in partnership with MDLive to North Carolina residents with non-urgent symptoms including acne, allergies, flu, fever, insect bites, sore throat, urinary problems and vomiting, just to name a few,” Dixon said.

“VidantNow is an app which allows access to licensed physicians 24/7 via smartphone or computer in the patient’s home or wherever they may be” Dixon said. “This technology helps our patients avoid long wait times in our waiting rooms and lengthy travel time while sick.”

Vidant Edgecombe started offering VidantNow in 2018.

(252) 531-4590

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Vidant Edgecombe Hospital has been offering the VidantNow app since 2018.

Vision2020 The Daily Reflector Education & Lifestyles

INSIDE ■ Region’s golf courses appeal to all ages, skill levels, Page B2 ■ Spectator sports offer more than ever to local fans, Page B4 ■ Eastern North Carolina fishing spans all seasons, Page B5

■ Studies suggest building a thriving community is an art, Page B6 ■ Schools working to integrate STEM into lesson plans, Page B9 ■ Career, technical programs offer paths to job readiness, B11 ■ Early college high school programs offer specialized education, Page B7

BB2

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020 VISION STATEMENT Ironwood changing times

EVAN SCHILLER/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Golf courses provide aesthetically pleasing spaces, and preserving these greenways improves the environmental quality of any community in which they’re located.

Game of a lifetime

Region’s golf courses appeal to all ages, skill levels

BY BOB GARNER For Adams Publishing Group-ENC

Golf continues to grow in popularity in eastern North Carolina, appealing to a broader range of individuals than ever before. People of virtually all ages, skill levels and economic circumstances — and those varying widely in degree of physical fitness — benefit from the game. It’s a low-impact form of exercise; a sharpener of mental acuity; a stress, anxiety and depression reliever; and a valuable tool for building the skill of mixing socially with others.

“One great thing about golf is that it’s the game of a lifetime — and it’s practically never too late to start, even for those in their mid-to-late 70s,” said Dan O’Boyle, director of the Atlantic chapter of the Carolinas PGA section.

Golf courses provide aesthetically pleasing spaces, and preserving these greenways improves the environmental quality of any community in which they’re located. More than 70 percent of the average course consists of rough and nonplay areas, including trees, water, natural grasses and shrubs, so combined with open fairways and greens, these layouts offer valuable wildlife habitat. Courses offer many other ecological benefits, including improving air quality, absorbing and filtering rainfall, protecting topsoil from erosion and discouraging pests like ticks and mosquitos.

Perhaps most importantly, golf courses encourage people to engage with nature in a unique way.

O’Boyle, who’s general manager of Seascape Golf Links in Kitty Hawk in addition to serving on the Carolinas PGA board, thinks golf may strengthen adaptability more than any other leisure activity. “People often assume golf is predictable and repetitive, but when you play a golf course, you play it differently every day based on the wind and the weather and the position of the pins and the tees,”

EVAN SCHILLER /CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

More than 70 percent of the average course consists of rough and non-play areas, including trees, water, natural grasses and shrubs, so combined with open fairways and greens, these layouts offer valuable wildlife habitat.

“People often assume golf is predictable and repetitive, but when you play a golf course, you play it differently every day based on the wind and the weather and the position of the pins and the tees. Sure, you may be playing the same layout, but, like life circumstances, conditions change every day.”

Dan O’Boyle, director of the Atlantic chapter of the Carolinas PGA section he said. “Sure, you may be playing the same layout, but, like life circumstances, conditions change every day.”

Speaking for fellow PGA pros, O’Boyle said one overarching goal of his organization is to “grow the game.”

“We want to expose juniors, seniors, men and women of every stripe to this great game who just haven’t participated in it yet for whatever reason,” he said.

“As one example, we have a national PGA foundation called REACH that actively engages juniors from different economic backgrounds, veterans and a wide diversity of people in terms of gender, race, ethnicity and so forth in not only playing golf but also working in the industry.”

Golf also makes major contributions to the economic vitality of communities and regions. In North Carolina, golf generated an annual direct and indirect impact on the state economy of $4.2 billion, supported more than 53,000 jobs and paid $1.3 billion in wages in 2018. Those who view golf as an elitist pastime may be surprised to learn that nearly eight of every 10 rounds

of golf is played at public golf courses or clubs accessible to the public.

Public play is, for example, invited at one of the highest-ranked golf courses in eastern North Carolina, which is located on the private, 900-acre Scotch Hall residential community in Bertie county, near Edenton. The North Carolina Golf Panel annually ranks the state’s top publicly accessible courses, and Scotch Hall is listed as number 12 in the panel’s 2019 “Dream 18.”

The course at Scotch Hall, formerly known as Innsbruck, is an Arnold Palmer “signature” design, meaning the late championship golfer had a heavier level of involvement in its creation than in many of the other courses in the United States bearing his name.

After it opened in 2008, and before it became accessible to the public, Golf Digest ranked the layout as the ninth-best new private course in the United States.

At 7,267 yards, it boasts five sets of tees from championship to novice and offers beautiful views of Albemarle Sound, the Chowan River or Salmon Creek on 11 of its 18 holes. It has been ranked

at No. 1 among the top 25 Arnold Palmer golf course designs and was ranked in 2015 as No. 14 on the “Best of Golf Advisor” list.

Nate Brill, the director of golf at Scotch Hall, describes the course design as featuring distinct landing areas for each of the five sets of tee boxes, along with strategically placed, challenging bunkers and rolling greens that are more challenging than they seem. “It definitely offers a challenge to all golfers, except possibly a really talented player who’s playing from a tee too far forward of where he or she should be,” he said.

Scotch Hall has an inn and several villas available for stay-and-play packages, and there’s a convenient market for food and beverages located within 10 minutes of the preserve.

There’s also a pro shop, putting green, practice hole and an on-site restaurant and lounge, The Shed.

“The Arnold Palmer course was fun, challenging and in good shape … Between what we brought with us to drink, snack and cook and The Shed, there was no need to go anywhere. We stayed right on the property

Golf and country club memberships are finally seeing an increase in numbers or at worst stabilized JOHN numbers LAMONICA around the country.

This is after several years of decline. We are seeing younger people start the game or come back to the game. Predictions are that in seven years golf will be as strong as it was when my dad was showing me how to play this great game.

But it is different. It is no longer the “Bushwood” Country Club mentality of the elite social status that comes with country club membership. Our new members are looking for more family-oriented activities, not only with golf but for non-golf activities in a casual, comfortable, family setting. Focus has to be on holiday activities, kids club, menus and family events.

The men’s 19th hole is becoming a part of the past.

Couples want co-ed bars and lounge areas. With time being such a premium on couples with the majority of both working, they want to visit the club together and spend time together. Clubs are having to switch gears, the club is no longer the place for “fine dining.” Families are looking for a casual comfortable atmosphere.

They are eating out more and we have to make the club a place they want to frequently dine. Our menus are focused on variety and competitive pricing.

The greater Pitt County area is growing rapidly; however, we already have an abundance of golf courses and country clubs.

To remain relevant in the market, you must be family focused and adapt to and understand the changing priorities of our members and future members.

— John LaMonica, PGA, is the general manager of Ironwood Golf and Country Club.

VISION2020

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

BB3

VISION STATEMENT Sports draws visitors

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

Clifton Watts hits at the driving range at Bradford Creek in Greenville in August 2019.

GOLF

Continued from B2

for the three days we were there,” a recent Trip Advisor review said.

“We had a group of 27 guys down from Virginia Beach recently, and several of them told me that there is no golf course in the Hampton Roads area that provides the competitive price and value of what we have here,” Brill said.

Another of the region’s most popular golf courses with public access is Hertford’s The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation, built in 1990 and located roughly equidistant from Edenton and Hertford. Albemarle Plantation is a soundside residential golf community featuring a 6,431-yard, five-tee Don Maples design that’s the region’s only golf club earning four-and-a-half stars from Golf Digest. The course abuts several marsh areas and winds in spots through cypress groves festooned with Spanish moss.

The finishing three holes offer expansive views of Albemarle Sound.

A full-size marina, a pool, tennis courts and attractive retirement homes add ambiance to the golf course’s setting, while the Plantation Clubhouse offers not only a pro shop but convenient dining and a full-service bar in the Clubhouse Restaurant’s Grill Room. Another informal dining option is the Dockside Café beside the marina, which features a large wraparound deck.

Cutter Creek Golf Club in Greene County gets many glowing reviews on its

MORE INFORMATION Scotch Hall Preserve 105 Scotch Hall Court Merry Hill, NC 27957 877-847-3727 toll free 252-482-5300 scotchhallpreserve.com/golf The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation 371 Albemarle Blvd.

Hertford, NC 27944 252-426-5555 soundgolflinks.com Cutter Creek Golf Club 198 Club House Drive Snow Hill, NC 28580 252-747-4653

EVAN SCHILLER/CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Public play is invited at one of the highest-ranked golf courses in eastern North Carolina, which is located on the private, 900-acre Scotch Hall residential community in Bertie County, near Edenton.

publicly accessible layout, particularly for a course in a largely rural area without a great many other area attractions. Built in 2008, this 7,280-yard course (with five sets of tees) led one self-described advanced golfer to comment in a Golf Advisor review, “This is a great links course with lots of interesting holes and challenges.

There are some monster par 4s (especially into the wind) on which a 4 will be a very good score, and there are some drivable par 4s.’ Definitely will have to work your way around the course.” cuttercreek.com Belmont Lake Golf Club 201 Belmont Club Way Rocky Mount, NC 27804 252-973-0800 belmontlakegolfclub.com Bradford Creek Public Golf Course 4950 Old Pactolus Road Greenville, NC 27834 252-329-4653 bradfordcreekgolf.com (Region’s only lighted public driving range) Cypress Landing Golf Club 600 Club House Road Chocowinity, NC 27817 252-946-7788 cypresslandinggolf.com

Another reviewer wrote on Golf Now, “If you’re in this part of the state for some reason, stop and play this course. It’s absolutely immaculate. One of my favorite courses. Long, challenging and cheap.”

Located in a residential community with homesites and homes for sale, the golf course is equipped with a pro shop, a driving range, a putting green, a pitching/ chipping area and a practice bunker. The Cutter Creek Grille, open for breakfast and lunch, offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches, wraps, chips and beverages,

Call me today!

while the adjacent Cutter Creek bar had the distinction of becoming Greene County’s first business with a liquor license.

Cutter Creek has three homes available for rent by golfers, who can choose between The Loft (4-bedroom, 3-bath); The Lakehouse (6-bedroom, 6.5 bath); and The Cedar (3-bedroom, 3-bath). All the rental homes are owned by Cutter Creek and offer a fully equipped kitchen, a living room with a gas fireplace, cable TV, wireless Internet, washer-dryer facilities and access to the community’s swimming

At Play Greenville NC Sports, we are happy to announce we are now over half way GRAY through WILLIAMS our first fiscal year as a sports commission! Our team is making huge strides in recruiting additional sporting events, advocating for new athletic facilities and educating stakeholders throughout Greenville-Pitt County about the importance of sports tourism. At the midpoint of our first fiscal year we have recruited 21 sporting events, which are estimated to generate just over $10 million in estimated economic impact in Greenville-Pitt County.

With those numbers we are proud to say we are on target to grow this year and stay on an upward trend with the rest of the national sports tourism industry.

We already scored some major wins this year, including landing national level events like the U.S. Lacrosse Greenville BBQ LAX Bash at ECU’s North Recreation Complex Oct. 3-5 and the Little League Softball World Series Aug. 10-19, 2020. Another major event, the U.S. Gymnastics South East Regional event at the Greenville Convention Center, is in limbo due to the coronavirus.

Such events showcase our community not only on a regional level, but a national and international level as well. This is a huge game changer in our industry, with wins like these we are positioning ourselves as leaders for other small destinations in the sports tourism world.

Play Greenville NC Sports will continue to advocate for additional sports facilities to be built to support the growth of sports tourism in Greenville-Pitt County. New Greenville Recreation & Parks facilities, such as the beach volleyball courts under construction at H. Boyd Lee Park, will allow the sports commission to enter into untapped markets and increase our number of tournament bookings.

Play Greenville NC Sports appreciates and values the many partnerships that have allowed us to be successful in our first year and we ask for the community’s support over the next decade to help Greenville-Pitt County become the premier sports destination across the state.

pool.

There are other top-notch regional courses available to the public (see sidebar) that bring a wealth of benefits to the area and its residents.

As more and more people in all walks of life discover the opportunity to take up golf in their own particular way, most will see the wisdom in these words from golfing — Gray W. Williams, great Bobby Jones: CSEE, is executive director “Golf is the closest game of the Greenville-Pitt to the game we call life. You County Sports Commisget bad breaks from good sion. Learn more at shots, you get good breaks visitgreenvillenc.com/ from bad shots — but you sports or contact her at have to play the ball where gray@visitgreenvillenc. it lies.” com.

Auto, Home, Business, Property, Life, Health, Banking, Annuities

Business

Auto

Home

Life

Chris Godley owner, LUTCF

1860 W Arlington Boulevard, Greenville, NC 27834 P: 252-364-8940 www.godleyinsurance.com

BB4

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION 2020

Always worth watching

From youth to professional, spectator sports offer more than ever to area fans

BY RONNIE WOODWARD AND NATHAN SUMMERS Adams Publishing Group-ENC

Sports fans either coming to visit or to live in Greenville will be met with more than just a college town, although that atmosphere is tough to beat on East Carolina football game days.

The city once named by Sports Illustrated as being one of the top 50 sports towns in America still lives up to that name and combined with surrounding counties, the area is home to sports at every level from youth to professional.

New-look Dowdy-Ficklen East Carolina’s Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium annually draws droves of Pirates fans to Greenville during the fall.

Dowdy-Ficklen, the centerpiece and most recognizable venue among ECU’s athletics facilities, has undergone multiple renovations throughout its existence. TowneBank Tower opened in 2019 to enhance the fan experience at Pirate football games.

The structure filled with new premium seats, suites and a media work area was part of coach Mike Houston’s first season with the Pirates. ECU also used new-look Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium last year to implement kids zones and other attractions to try to increase attendance at games.

“I knew that people loved the Pirates when I got here, but I really didn’t know to what level that was. I look back at the (NCAA) baseball regional (last June) and what type of atmosphere you had here,” second-year athletics director Jon Gilbert said. “We had almost 13,000 students at a football game, and while all of our crowds haven’t been up to my expectations, I’ve seen glimpses that there are a lot of people who care about the Pirates.”

ECU had a 2-4 record in home games in 2019 with TowneBank Tower soaring over the south side of the stands. The Pirates’ schedule this year includes home games against Marshall, UCF and Navy.

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

East Carolina baseball coach Cliff Godwin high-fives fans in “The Jungle” after East Carolina beat Campbell to win the NCAA Greenville Regional at Clark-LeClair Stadium on June 3, 2019.

Greenville Regional despite losing to Quinnipiac in their first game. ECU stormed to the title after its opening loss, delighting purple-andgold fans, especially with a win over rival N.C. State and also beating Campbell in the championship contest.

“We couldn’t have won that regional without our fans,” said Pirate coach Cliff Godwin, an ECU alum, this preseason. “Their energy and their support and their purple-gold chants helped keep our guys going for four wins in two days. It was a special environment.”

Attendance for the championship game, which was a 12-3 Pirate victory over the Camels, was 5,206.

PCC quickly evolved into a junior-college powerhouse under veteran coach Tommy Eason and plays its games at the Minges-Overton Baseball Complex.

Eason, an ECU hall of College baseball famer for his baseball playing days, has won nearly 70 attractions percent of his games with the Bulldogs and guided Pitt County has a proud them to NJCAA World Secollege baseball tradition in ries in 2010 and ’17. the form of successful programs at East Carolina and Baseball in Kinston Pitt Community College.

ECU baseball is a regGrainger Stadium opened ular participant in NCAA in 1949 in Kinston and is regionals, which the last currently home of the Down two years meant earning East Wood Ducks. the right to host regional The minor-league team games at Clark-LeClair Sta- is the high Single-A affildium. iate of the Texas RangThe Pirates won the 2019 ers, dressed in a unique double-elimination NCAA orange, green and black

DEBORAH GRIFFIN/DAILY REFLECTOR

Elm Street Park is the home for Little League baseball and now Little League softball in Greenville.

uniform color scheme.

Their mascot — “DEWD” — helps attracts fans to the old-school park, plus a fresh approach to the summer features promotion nights like thirsty Thursdays, Christmas in July and dogs in the park.

“This ballpark is an older, smaller park, and a lot of people come and will like that atmosphere,” Wood Ducks vice president Wade Howell said last summer.

“We like to say that we market to all of eastern North Carolina and we want people to come and watch a game here and kind of adopt us as their minor league team.”

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

East Carolina football players celebrate a touchdown as fans cheer in the background at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Sept. 7, 2019.

Over in Minges Nestled next to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for East Carolina football games is Minges Coliseum for ECU men’s and women’s basketball games.

As with football, kids zones recently were installed in Minges to help create a family-friendly atmosphere for games. The building opened in 1967 and has seen Pirate basketball upsets, including ECU wins over top-15 Marquette teams, along with hosting concerts and other events.

Elite Elm Street Greenville’s cherished Little League baseball stadium has become something to look forward to visiting — and playing in — for players and families for a long time.

Each year, Elm Street Park hosts not only its own pair of Little League divisions, but also regularly welcomes teams from across the state and the Southeast for state championship and regional tournaments.

This year, a whole new Elm Street will be showcased when the stadium and field are adjusted to accommodate the Little League Softball World Series for the first of five years as part of an agreement announced in February.

The infield will be stripped of its grass and the pitching mound leveled for the August event, but it will not affect any Greenville Little Leagues baseball events.

DISCOVER IT YOURSELF!

WITH AN AAS DEGREE IN

BIOTECHNOLOGY www.pittcc.edu

VISION2020

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

BB5

A sport for all seasons Eastern North Carolina fishing spans the calendar

BY NATHAN SUMMERS Adams Publishing Group-ENC

Fishing in eastern North Carolina is unique and it does not matter what month is showing on the calendar.

In much the same way as the seasons flow seamlessly into one another, so too do the prime times for catching some the state’s most prized saltwater and inshore species.

Even though they very often share the same habitat during certain months of the year, the fish have a strange way of cooperating with each other — and anglers — in terms of their prevalence in ENC’s primary coastal river system. It is a complex web of thousands of creeks, channels and bays all creating a steady flow into the state’s sounds and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

The migrations and seasonal tendencies of different species within that system mean there are chances to catch fish year-round, even right here in Greenville.

In fact, simply ask a local angler or tackle shop worker and they will quickly name one or two fish that just so happen to be biting at that time.

Following is a breakdown of which dominates which season for ENC fish-chasers:

SPRING Local lore says that when the Bradford pear trees in eastern N.C. start blooming, usually in late February or early March, striped bass, or “rocks” will be teeming in the Tar/Pamlico River system locally (the Tar officially becomes the Pamlico at the U.S. 17 bridge in Washington), as well as the Roanoke River to the north and the Neuse and Cape Fear to the south.

The striper, like most Carolina gamefish, has a complicated history here, so much so that a day of fishing for the iconic species currently comes with a good deal of regulation, chiefly a ban placed on keeping the fish west of the river ferry lines last spring in hopes of reestablishing what was once a native, migratory population but is now almost entirely hatchery fish in the Tar system due to overfishing and netting in the sound and its tributaries.

The aim is to recreate a self-sustaining population, and for anglers a return of more and bigger trophy-sized fish as has been done with success on the Roanoke.

Also ingrained into the spring culture of eastern North Carolina is the shad, another migratory species so beloved as to have festivals named in another of the fish’s annual journey into the smaller sections of rivers

and creeks.

During its peak a few decades ago, the shad run would lure lines of anglers to the banks of all them, and piles of fish could be caught in a matter of hours. Still, on a nice spring day in Greenville, a flock of anglers can be found on wooden fishing plank at the Town Common and up and the down the open banks of the Tar.

SUMMER A lot of fish dislike the heat and the generally poor water quality that comes with it.

Fish like those schooling up in the small water in the spring are long gone by late May and early June, and as they trek back toward the ocean, so do a majority of anglers. When it’s hot, it’s usually time to get out in the early morning to beat the heat, but also to “beat the banks” as many here call it.

That means heading to the Pamlico Sound and the dozens of inshore bays it fills. The water is shallow and perfect for targeting the flounder that patrol the water near the shorelines and in many cases, the water that gushes beneath the banks of sea grass.

Fishing 3-5 feet of water within 20-30 yards of the bank will generally locate the flatfish, but anglers coming to eastern Carolina to find flounder this season will face some red tape the same as they will with rockfish.

Declining numbers of bigger, older fish forced a shutdown on keeping the species and creating an abbreviated season late spring.

FALL When the temperature begins creeping down, giant redfish begin creeping into inshore waters from the ocean and become accessible to local anglers for generally one to two months before the onset of colder weather.

Many locals consider this to be the prime time to fish because most target species are invigorated from their summer sluggishness, including speckled trout.

A majority of the boats floating around the sound and the river mouths this time of year, however, will be armed with big rods and “popping corks,” a flotation device added to the line above a lure or piece of bait that is pulled in violent jerks to create loud surface splashes and the indication of an injured fish.

Mature red drum, or “old drum” as locals call them, often can’t resist.

Regulations protect such older fish and force the release of the biggest ones, but that doesn’t keep the fall drum bite from being a key to the

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

Joe Albea, left, and Tommy Harrington talk fishing strategy during a trip on the Pamlico River.

ENC angling experience.

WINTER The time of year when most angers around the globe pack it up and daydream about next year is prime time to catch one of the state’s true trophies.

Although speckled sea trout, or specks or just “trout” to most natives, are yearround residents and can often save a slow flounder trip in the summer, there is no mistaking these fish dominate the cold weather. When there is frost caked to the boat launch and fishing means bundling into all-weather gear and knit hats and gloves, the biggest trout of the season, called “gators” are lurking even in some of the smallest creeks.

Specks take over some of the same shallow backwaters dominated by flounder in the summer, and this year was regarded as one of the best in recent memory by some fishermen who have been doing it for decades.

Farmville, We've Got It All! Embracing progress while holding on to small town values makes Farmville a great place live, work andagrow Visit us to and experience community with

small town charm, full of culturewith & history.

Visit us and experience a community small town charm, full of culture & history.

VISION STATEMENT Aging tsunami

County seniors. Agencies like the Pitt County Council on Aging are working very hard to They say there are two load the sandbags to prepare for the influx of things in life that are cerolder adults moving to our community, from tain: death and taxes. Let’s up North and the Midwest, with programs add a third — aging. We and services to meet their needs. are all aging and, for many, The critical question is, are we making accepting and preparing for progress? In the last five years the Council RICH ZECK on Aging has made leaps and bounds in prethe inevitable is not a high priority. paring for our community’s aging needs. But The aging tsunami, also known as the like any pending storm, it is hard to shovel baby boomer generation, has begun to come sandbags as it is raining. As older adults ashore in Pitt County and across the country. move to our community to enjoy the quality According to the AARP, 10,000 baby boomers of life that we offer, it will put a strain on are turning 65 every single day, and this is ex- several areas like our health care resources, pected to continue into the 2030s. This means transportation and the infrastructure of that nearly seven baby boomers are turning 65 smaller rural areas. every minute. That is a lot of aging!

The good news is that we are a community Further evidence shows that Pitt County’s of resourcefulness and philanthropy that has population of those 65 and older is projected come together for many challenges and have to grow almost four times faster than the overcome them. In preparation for the onpopulation in the next 20 years. More than 50 coming tsunami of aging, we can gather more percent of the project growth of Pitt County agencies, volunteers, and community leaders will be the “senior citizen” folks. to work together to make the storm seem like The demands of the older population can nothing more than a Carolina shower. be very different than those of other age groups. Issues like transportation, prescrip— Rich Zeck is executive director of tion drug costs, fixed income, rural isolation, the Pitt County Council on Aging. Learn housing, socialization and poverty are a more at pittcoa.com or contact rzeck@ few of the major issues facing today’s Pitt pittcoa.com.

East Carolina University & Pitt Community College campuses located downtown

farmvillenc.gov

EASY ACCESS TO BOTH MEDICAL & INDUSTRIAL CENTERS IN GREENVILLE To learn more or to schedule a tour, call 252-753-6700 or email dhodgkins@farmville nc.gov

BB6

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

Celebrating the creative process Studies suggest building a thriving community is an art

CLIFF HOLLIS/ECU NEWS SERVICES

Glass is pushed in the electric furnace in the GlasStation, which has helped draw visitors to downtown Farmville.

BY KIM GRIZZARD Adams Publishing Group ENC

Two decades ago, when Emerge Gallery opened its doors in downtown Greenville, the few people who stumbled across it were often those looking for the ABC store.

It was shortly after the city had abandoned the pedestrian mall concept and opened Evans up to traffic, but the street offered few destinations for the motorists who had been invited to use it again. It was three or four years before a business moved in across the street from the gallery and couple of years after that before the former Blount Harvey Building would be restored.

Today, a different picture of this part of the city has emerged. The ABC store has moved out, a couple of hotels are planning to move in and the arts are becoming the toast of the town.

The Greenville City Council in November unanimously approved the creation of the Emerald City Arts District in a central-city area that is already home to various galleries and music venues, as well as a theater company. The next step is the unveiling of a five-year arts development proposal known as the Emerald Loop.

“It’s basically an urban art trail that will connect all of our cultural amenities in the center city of Greenville,” said Holly Garriott, executive director for Pitt County Arts Council at Emerge.

“This is a huge investment not only from the state, the city, ECU, a lot of private entities that are part of this project,” she said. “They’re all a part of it because they know that this is a project that will transform our downtown area — and it’s an arts project.”

There was a time when the word “art” might have been considered out of place in a sentence about economic development. Funding for arts organizations was largely considered to be a charitable donation rather than an investment.

But recent studies have suggested that building a thriving community is as much an art as it is a science.

According to a national study by Americans for the Arts, the nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $2.12 billion in direct economic activity in North Carolina, supporting almost 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $201.5 million in revenue for state and local government.

A 2019 report from the National Governors Association suggested that public policies that boost the creative sector were found to help struggling rural communities to find new life. According to the study, rural counties that were home to performing arts organizations experienced population growth three times faster and had higher household incomes than other rural counties.

“Any location that has a strong arts and cultural identity, it transforms that place,” Garriott said. “It becomes the story of that place and the feeling of that place. So we know the arts are what can do it.”

The Town of Farmville is a case in point. About eight years ago, town commissioner and real estate broker Jamin Dixon counted nearly 30 empty spots or buildings that were underutilized in a nineblock area that makes up the town’s central business district.

“The economy was really kind of declining,” said Lori Drake, executive director of the Farmville Chamber of Commerce. “We were losing losing a lot of our businesses on Main Street.”

The closing of two of the town’s icons – Farmville Hardware and Bonnie’s Cafe – were like a one-two punch to the local morale.

“People were starting to get really concerned,” Drake said. “The people of Farmville love their hometown, and nobody wanted to see it decline.”

Four businessmen who later became known as the Farmville Group stepped in to lead a revitalization effort with an emphasis on the arts.

“Even if it was a small thing like a business painting their building or just changing their awning ... even cosmetic changes like that, people just really started thinking more positively,” Drake said.

As the effort gained momentum, ECU graduate students Vincent Li and Andrew Wells were hired to paint murals and repaint signs in the downtown area. There were nearly two dozen in all, including a mural of a 3D Farmville license plate on the side of the former NAPA building and a vintage advertising sign declaring “Find it first in Farmville.” The fresh paint on those signs became a sign of life in the business community.

But what really breathed new life into the area was when ECU opened a glass-blowing facility and classroom space on West Wilson Street. Dubbed the GlasSation, it occupies the former Eason Chrysler and Eason Gulf gas station.

The facility’s central location helps turn visual art into performing art as visitors are drawn inside to watch works being heated and stretched.

“That (GlasStation opening) really, I think, helped to jump-start things,” Drake said. “The momentum really started to pick up for what we were trying to do.”

The revitalization helped reduce vacancies by about two thirds. Farmville Hardware reopened in a refurbished building adjacent to the DeVisconti Event Center.

Earlier this year, Bonnie’s reopened in its original location. Meanwhile, the town has attracted a bakery, a coffee roasting enterprise and the North Carolina Furniture School, just down the street from the GlasStation.

THE DAILY REFLECTOR FILE PHOTO

A mural of Greenville native and jazz great Billy Taylor has been added in downtown Greenville in an area the Greenville City Council has designated as the Emerald Arts District.

Drake said that from 2011 through 2016, Farmville experienced a more than 20 percent increase in median household income.

The town also boasts a new art gallery, East Carolina ArtSpace. The Main Street gallery features the work of 30 artists, all of whom have ties to eastern North Carolina, and also features studio space where some of them work.

“We really believe that promoting the arts and having a creative presence combining creativity with commerce downtown is important to our growth and development,” Drake said.

“I think the creativity was always in this town,” she said.

“I think the commitment to their hometown was always here. I think it was just a matter of people coming together.”

Farmville had a framework to unite people around the arts. The Farmville Community Arts Council, which operates downtown out of the former Paramount Theater, has a more than 40-year history, making it one of the oldest in the state.

Neighboring Martin County has had an arts council since 1975. The volunteer organization offers art education, performance arts including music and theater and youth summer camps. It also exhibits artwork in the gallery of the council’s home in the Flat Iron Building on Washington Street in Williamston.

For years, Pitt County was without an arts council. After opening Emerge in 2000, Garriott worked to relaunch a council in 2009.

“It’s a lot more than just having events,” she said.

“Having that presence is really important to be able to advocate for the arts.”

Garriott was one of the people who lobbied for the creation of the arts district late last year, telling City Council members that spending on arts events in the community generates about $25 per person, per event, not counting the ticket purchase price. That is below the national average of $31 per person.

Adding more cultural amenities and events would increase that spending, she said.

Garriott points to Emerge’s African-American Music Series as an example of how the arts bring a trickle-down prosperity to the area. The monthly concerts, promoted as part of the African American Music Trail cultural tourism program, are free to attend, but concertgoers often remain downtown for hours, frequenting local businesses after the concerts end.

“Having an arts organization near them, it is going to benefit their business,” Garriott said. “I know whether it’s the First Friday Art Walk or the second Friday music series, we are helping these restaurants with dinner.

We’re helping these restaurants and bars with drinks after. People are walking around. We are putting money into the economy.”

According to the National Governors Association study, visitor spending in the eight counties included in the African American Cultural Trail increased by nearly 11 percent from when the trails

guidebook was published in 2013 to its measurement in 2016.

The study, “Rural Prosperity Through the Arts and Creative Sector,” also reported two out of three businesses indicated that arts and entertainment were important to attracting and retaining workers.

“It used to be people would move to a place for a job,” Garriott said. “Now they’re moving for a place because they want to be in that place, and then they look for a job. I think that’s what we’re seeing more and more of that we need to invest in our arts

and cultural environment to be able to attract and retain talent.

“These big factories and industries are moving to places where they know they can attract talent and people will want to move there and live there. It’s a no brainer,” she said.

“We need this to be a cool place to live. That’s what it comes down to. The arts make it a cool place to live.”

Staff writer Ginger Livingston contributed to this report. Contact Kim Grizzard at kgrizzard@reflector. com or call 329-9578.

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

BB7

VISION2020 Early College High Schools bolster offerings Four area schools help students graduate with specialized instruction and an associate degree At a glance

BY AMBER REVELS-STOCKS

■ More than 130 early college and innovative high schools have opened across the state to offer students the opportunity to earn an associate degree upon graduation from high school.

■ The institutions are built around high-quality instructional programming and target certain student populations: students atrisk of dropping out of high school, first-generation college students and students who would benefit from accelerated instruction, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

■ Most are located on the campus of a college or university, but not all. The programs are set up to allow students to graduate with an associate degree in five years, although some students do it in four years or fewer.

Adams Publishing Group-ENC

North Carolina public schools in the early 2000s began partnering with universities and community colleges in a drive to expand offerings and better prepare more high school students for advanced education.

Since then, more than 130 early college and innovative high schools have opened across the state to offer students the opportunity to earn an associate degree upon graduation from high school.

The institutions are built around high-quality instructional programming and target certain student populations: students at-risk of dropping out of high school, first-generation college students and students who would benefit from accelerated instruction, according to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.

Most are located on the campus of a college or university, but not all. The programs are set up to allow students to graduate with an associate degree in five years, although some students do it in four years or fewer. Students have to apply and be accepted into the schools, and some schools even cater to students regardless of the county they live in.

Four area schools illustrate the variety of programs and approaches available.

Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience The Northeast Regional School of Biotechnology and Agriscience was created by Senate Bill 125 in the 2011 session of the General Assembly as a regional school. It is the only regional school in the state, serving students from Beaufort, Martin, Washington, Terrell and Pitt counties, according to Principal Hal Davis.

The school allows students to take classes at Martin Community College, Beaufort Community College, Pitt Community College, East Carolina University, the University of Mount Olive and N.C. State University.

NERSBA’s curriculum is designed to follow the similarities of early college programs while focusing on biotech and agriscience applications, such as animal science and equine technology.

“We have a wide variety of courses to choose from, whereas in a traditional school you are more focused on a specific track,” Davis said. “Most early colleges are on the campus of a specific community college whereas we have our own campus on the former site of Jamesville High School and Jamesville Middle School. In the future, that property will be permanently owned by NERSBA.” Students are transported to the campus by the transportation departments of the public school districts in which they live. This is a gargantuan task, according to Davis.

Only 200 students are enrolled at NERSBA, which allows it to be flexible in addressing each student’s course of study, Davis said.

“We don’t have a standard curriculum that every student has to follow. We take each student’s needs, each student’s career goals and customize our program specifically to them,” he said. “We’re able to provide students with the opportunity to earn up to two years of college in program areas that they are very much in-

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

Innovation Early College High students study world history. North Carolina public schools in the early 2000s began partnering with universities and community colleges in a drive to expand offerings and better prepare more high school students for advanced education.

terested in and relate to, which leads eventually to a successful career.”

While every school in NERSBA’s service area works to educate students, the Jamesville school provides a higher degree of hands-on learning opportunities than most schools, according to Davis. It also provides a college-like atmosphere.

“It is a college atmosphere within the campus itself,” he said. “We give students a lot of flexibility. They appreciate that because they feel like they’re being treated like young adults. We do put a lot of responsibility on their shoulders. Obviously, just for a student to make the trip from, say Grifton, to NERSBA is a big responsibility in itself.”

All of NERSBA’s graduating students have been accepted to their first-choice college since 2016, according to Davis.

“There have been some surprises,” he said. “The number of students we’ve had who go on to Campbell University or UNC-Greensboro.

We have students at Appalachian State, Brevard, Western Carolina and every college back to Elizabeth City State.”

NERSBA’s greatest success is increasing student self-esteem, Davis said.

When students start, they often do not have the skills to introduce themselves to others or complete job interviews. However, by the end of their five years, students look people in the eye and can hold conversations with people they have not met before.

“We really try to appeal to first-generation college families,” Davis said. “We have students who are considered lower-performing who, once they get to NERSBA, really blossom. We have a student who is graduating in May, who thought she would never graduate high school. She’ll have her associate’s degree in May. “That’s what we’re really proud of and what we’re all here for.”

Greene Early College High School Greene Early College High School started in 2006 under the North Carolina New Schools model. With its opening, students could determine whether to attend it or the county’s traditional high school, Greene Central, for the first time. It is a collaboration between Greene County Schools and Lenoir Community College.

The school is designed

to serve students who are economically disadvantaged, underrepresented in colleges and universities, or are first-generation college students, according to Principal Rodney McNeill.

“The thing that sets GEC apart from other schools is the commitment to establishing positive working relationships with all stakeholders of our school, while also providing rigorous instruction that is relevant to the lives of the students we serve,” McNeill said. “This takes an amazing group of professionals to make that happen and we definitely have that. We also enjoy tremendous support and trust from the parents of our students and the Greene County community.”

This has resulted in Greene Early College winning several awards and recognitions. Newsweek Magazine recognized it as one of the Best High Schools for serving students in poverty.

U.S. News & World Report has also named Greene Early College as one of the Best High Schools every year since 2014.

The school is also a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, a National Beta School of Merit and has an A grade in North Carolina’s school grading system.

“We’ve also had a 100 percent graduation rate for five of the past six years, and half of our teachers and our school counselor are National Board Certified,” McNeill said. “We’re also an A school, and our growth this past school year was in the top 5 percent of all schools in the state.”

Early colleges fill an important role by benefitting

a demographic that often feels left out. Greene Early College serves students with average ability who want to work hard and need a supportive environment to help them reach that potential, according to McNeill.

“All of our students are taking honors high school classes and college classes in the ninth grade. There’s a sense of pride in that and it’s felt throughout the entire family,” he said. “Many of our kids will graduate from high school with an associate degree as well and will be the first in their families to do either. The smaller environment and high expectations coupled with the built-in support systems make it an ideal learning environment for students.”

He finds that his students choose early colleges because of the opportunities available.

Many of Greene Early College’s students are the relatives of previous graduates.

“They understand the savings of getting a college degree or the first two years for free while you’re in high school. It saves both time and money for families,” McNeill said. “Because we’re so small and have many school traditions, it also helps students feel like they belong to something special.”

McNeill is proud to work at an early college because of the schools’ success, not just in Greene County, but across the state. The high graduation rates, student achievement and student satisfaction are better than traditional schools, he said.

While they can cost more than traditional high schools to educate students, early colleges are a great use of taxpayer funds, according to McNeill.

“Early college high schools are one of the best things to happen for public education in my professional opinion,” he said. “Students are graduating with degrees and skills that will transfer immediately into the community. These graduates will become future homeowners and will raise families in the communities where they reside currently. Our communities will benefit from a well-trained and better-educated workforce and students can stay in their home communities and not have to leave home to find a career. This is good for everyone.

“The model should be expanded and replicated.”

Pitt County Early College High School Pitt County School Early College High School started in August 2015 and graduated its first class in May 2019. Out of 62 seniors, 21 completed the early college program in four years instead of the expected five. Pitt Early College moved into a dedicated building on Pitt Community College’s campus in 2018.

The school won the National Elementary and Secondary Education Act Distinguished Schools award two years in a row after being nominated for the first time in 2017. Pitt Early College earned an A grade in the state school grading system and exceeded growth goals in academic scores for three years in a row, according to Principal Wynn Whittington.

“We were the first high school to be nominated in 2017,” Whittington said of the NSEA award. “But I’m

pretty sure we’re the only high school to win it twice in a row.”

Pitt Early College has a family environment due to its small enrollment, he said. Faculty and staff work to know their students on a personal level.

“The biggest thing is the relationships we have with our students,” Whittington said. “We’re able to focus on their social, emotional and physical needs as well as their academic needs.

You don’t get that at a larger school due to sheer size. …

“We have students who call and ask if I can come pick them up because they missed the bus. I would have seen it as I wouldn’t have to go to school today.

But our students will call or text us.”

Like other early colleges, Pitt Early College targets first-generation college students who could be considered economically disadvantaged or who qualify for free or reduced lunch.

“We focus on the students who probably would never go to college due to the financial burden,” Whittington said. “The difference for us is that we’re able to change lives every day because we’re giving children an opportunity that they probably would not otherwise have.”

In his experience, students choose to go to Pitt Early College to feel like they belong.

“They feel loved and cared for here,” Whittington said. “Students want to belong to something. I feel like some students don’t always live in the best situation and we are the one constant in their lives.”

At most schools, students dread being called up to the office. At Pitt Early College, Whittington said, he has to kick them out of his office.

“They look at us as their family, and they have no hesitation about reaching out to us if they need something,” he said. “Some days, I have to kick kids out of the office because it just gets

See EDUCATION, B8

BB8

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

EDUCATION Continued from B7

too loud. I don’t know about you, but when I was in high school, I didn’t go to the office and hang out. I never wanted to be there. With us, our kids hang out and talk to me. I never did that with my principal.”

Students who have been accepted to Pitt Early College receive a letter hand-delivered by Whittington at their middle school.

He loves to see the look on students’ faces when they are accepted.

“When you can tell them, ‘We want you to be a part of our family,’ there is no greater feeling,” Whittington said. “When those students who graduated last year got acceptance letters and scholarship letters, that was fantastic. When I got to stand on that stage and call names, the tears just flowed.

There’s nothing better.”

That feeling of family makes Pitt Early College unique even among other early college programs, according to Whittington.

“There’s not a day you don’t come into our office and there’s not a child who is in a conference with someone.

Every person in our building is a counselor and a teacher.

They don’t get the recognition they deserve,” Whittington said. “When you go into the office manager’s office, and she’s tutoring a student while working on payroll, that’s just not something you’d find anywhere else.”

Innovation Early College High School Innovation Early College High School became the second early college in Pitt County in August 2018 when it welcomed a class of 55 students. Each year, it adds 55 students, currently having one cohort of freshmen and one of sophomores. Innovation is a collaboration between Pitt County Schools and East

Carolina University.

That collaboration sets Innovation apart from other early colleges, according to Principal Jennifer James.

“I work very closely with ECU staff to ensure that our program is successful,” James said.

Innovation also uses project-based learning that focuses on the 17 Sustainable Goals of the United Nations.

“We approach project-based learning through utilizing a human-centered design thinking process,” James said. “Our goal is to teach students to be compassionate and to empathize with others and their situations. Our students should think about and solve problems by understanding other people’s paradigms.

“We want our students to leave this place better than they found it.”

Early colleges benefit their students by providing a high level of support due to having such small class sizes, according to James. Because Innovation only has 110 students in two grades, the faculty and staff can focus on the students’ social and emotional well-being as well.

“We spend a good amount of time teaching our students about self-advocacy and how to self-advocate in college,” James said.

Academic college as well as career emotional and social classes, which are non-credit bearing classes, are taught by Innovation’s guidance counselor. Topics include things like mindfulness, how to shake hands and growth mindset.

“They’ve discussed how to use ‘I’ messages when we don’t like what someone has said, such as ‘I felt hurt’ or ‘I disagree,’” James explained.

Innovation also provides its students with the ability to gain up to 61 credit hours from ECU by the time they graduate. That is why most of the students who attend the school choose it, according to James.

“Our students desire to have teachers who will help

VISION2020

FILE PHOTO/THE DAILY REFLECTOR

Students pay attention to teachers during class for the first day of the Pitt County Early College High School in 2017. More than 130 early college and innovative high schools have opened across the state to offer students the opportunity to earn an associate degree upon graduation from high school.

them in their high school and college courses. They want to have strong relationships with their teachers,” she said.

“Our students also desire to have a personalized learning pathway that includes intentional advising, pathways of study tailored to chosen careers, consistent counseling and ongoing communication about progress.”

Early colleges, including Innovation, are committed to ensuring that every student feels known, respected and cared for by the adults in the school and that every student is supported to develop to his or her full potential, she added.

All early college staff members are committed to ensuring every student is actively engaged, challenged, and supported, in all classes to succeed in rigorous coursework.

A slice of the good life. Have one.

VISION STATEMENT Good things in Farmville “Only Good Things Happen in Farmville.”

While this may sound overly optimistic to some, DAVID Farmville HODGKINS has plenty going for it and we are busting at the seams with good news. In the last several years, Farmville has seen a flood of new business activity, especially in the downtown area. Almost every storefront in the downtown area is filled and business is booming.

In the last several years we have seen new restaurants, retail businesses, and service businesses established, and business is brisk.

The newest businesses, an independent pharmacy and a hardware store, are due to open very soon. Downtown has also become an arts, education, and entertainment area boasting the East Carolina Artspace art gallery, the DeVisconti Events Center with indoor and outdoor meeting and entertainment venues, the Farmville Arts Council which is housed in the historic Paramount Theatre, the East Carolina GlasStation, and the Pitt Community College Farmville Center campus.

The new Farmville Public Library under construction will provide 17,000 square feet of traditional library functional space, meeting space, makers space and a genealogy room. The town has invested heavily in the downtown area through direct grants to building owners for facade improvements, renovation of vacant buildings, and restoration of historic building features.

Public investment in these programs has leveraged private investment at a rate of 10 times the original public investment, making this effort a true economic development success story.

Along with creating an economically viable downtown area, the town has invested heavily in new facilities. Plans are in the works for relocation of the Farmville Fire Department to a facility better suited for modern emergency response.

We recently completed a Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan to address the community’s recreation needs for the next five plus years. Approximately 100 acres of land on the north end of Farmville has been acquired and an 18-hole tournament-ready disc golf course has been constructed.

A fishing pond has been established adjacent to the disc golf course and the beginning segment of a greenway trail system has been established in the area as well. Renovations are underway on the existing Farmville Community Center that houses several recreational programs for all ages and a partnership with Pitt County Schools to expand recreational offerings, summer day camps and athletic camps augmenting the traditional year round athletic and program offerings.

One of the best ways to build a community atmosphere is to offer more and varied community events.

The Farmville Public Library, in partnership with the May Museum, offers a monthly Coffee and History series.

The Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with the public library and the police department, offers a nighttime family friendly

outdoor movie series in the summer and at Christmas.

Other programs include the Farmville 5K Road Race in May, an Easter Egg Hunt, community fun days at town parks, a summer Main Street concert, a monthly agricultural and crafts market on the grounds of the May Museum, the annual tree lighting and the Taste of Farmville event sponsored by the Farmville Chamber of Commerce at Christmas.

Last but not least is the annual Dogwood Festival which stretches for four days at the end of April.

This popular event has been going strong for more than 30 years and brings people to Farmville from far and wide.

I hope you can see that truly, good things are really happening in Farmville.

— David Hodgkins is the town manager of Farmville. Visit farmvillenc.gov.

wintervillenc.com live | visit | enjoy

300 W Arlington Blvd, Greenville, NC 27834 www.expresspros.com

Job Seekers Employers Career Development Workforce Solutions Candidate Selection Process Workforce Management tools Employer Resources Contact us to find out more.

VISION2020

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

BB9

Engaging young minds for the future Schools working to integrate STEM — science, technology, engineering and math

BY AMBER REVELS-STOCKS Adams Publishing Group ENC

STEM is more than just science, technology, engineering and mathematics for the people who teach it.

Sam Houston, president of the North Carolina Science, Mathematics and Technology Education Center in Durham, describes STEM as “Strategies That Engage Minds.”

This is how eastern North Carolina views it as well.

“I think a lot of people want to put their hands on what STEM is a lot of times, and of course, it stands for science, technology, engineering and math, but how I best explain STEM is that it’s more of a mindset,” said Cliff Hudson, Martin County Schools’ K-12 science and STEM coordinator. “It’s something we’ve been doing for a long time. The technology piece has changed, but the mindset hasn’t. … it is a strategy that engages minds first. Then you bring in the cool, techy type things and the hands-on learning.”

Greene County started its STEM program at Greene Central High School in 2012.

It has since grown into a K-12 program with the high school and middle school serving as model STEM schools for other districts, according to Greene County STEM coordinator Jose Garcia.

The culture change has been the greatest benefit for students he has seen in that time.

“We’ve seen students that have more accountability as far as they’ve taken ownership of their work. They’re making decisions that normally teachers make,” Garcia said. “We slowly eliminate the excuses, by doing those things and also holding high expectations for all students.

We’ve slowly changed that culture by empowering those students.”

Greene County Schools uses grand challenges to help cement what students have learned. The students choose a topic, complete the research, create a product, present it to a teacher who gives them feedback, revise and finally present the project to their peers. As a result, students’ self-esteem has grown and they are more resilient.

“When they produce something, even if they don’t win the grand challenge, they always want to do better next time,” Garcia said. “They’re always looking forward to the next time. Traditionally, we did not hear that from students. …

“It allows the students to look forward to the next set of projects and the next chance to redeem themselves. The culture shift has really happened with our students.”

Greene Central has also seen student achievement increase. The district’s struggling students have become middle- and high-performing students, according to Garcia. Students who have previously struggled are now taking online courses, Advanced Placement classes and dual enrollment classes at Lenoir Community College.

“Those advanced classes have better diversity now,” Garcia said. “That’s not just because of STEM education; there’s other pieces, but it’s nice to see that our students that have struggled that are in STEM education are taking those advanced courses.”

This is Pitt County Schools’ first year with a STEM coordinator, but Fritz Robinett has served as district science coordinator for seven years.

He says STEM serves a twofold benefit for students: Workforce development and teaching students the necessary skills for life.

“I can give you all the platitudes and statistics about

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

Students play with slime at Greene County’s STEM Night. Greene County started its STEM program at Greene Central High School in 2012. It has since grown to a K-12 program.

how many open STEM jobs we have in North Carolina and how we have to go outside the state to fill them. …

If we’re talking about workforce development, we need kids who are interested in STEM career pathways right when they graduate high school and beyond,” Robinett said. “But I don’t have hiring concerns. I’m an educator. I want my kids to learn, I want them to grow. I want a scientific, a STEM-literate society.

There is no ‘I’m not a STEM person’ in the modern information age. Everybody’s a STEM person. It’s just a matter of are you understanding the STEM world around you or is it manipulating you?”

STEM teaches students critical thinking skills that help them navigate the world.

It also helps students learn concepts in English/language arts, math and other courses.

“If you look at the list from the ELA common core and the list from the mathematical practices and the list from the next generation science and engineering standard practices, they’re all the same,” Robinett said.

“It’s recognizing patterns in information, inferring and observing. It’s cause and effect. We want kids to engage in arguments from evidence no matter what class they’re in. We want kids to recognize patterns and information so they can draw logical conclusions. That type of STEM literacy isn’t just about read-

ing words, it’s about understanding and applying ways of thinking to the complex modern world.”

Hudson has served as STEM coordinator in Martin County for three years. While the district is taking small steps, he has seen students become more well-rounded and adaptable.

“STEM provides them with some tools or assets to be able to be problem solvers and think critically while working in a collaborative group. That’s a great benefit,” Hudson said. “They can take those things they learn and apply them to anything they want to do in the real world.

I think it helps them because they become real-world problem solvers. It makes them adaptable.

“That will help them be more job-ready in the future because the jobs we’re preparing our students for now don’t exist yet.”

STEM has made Martin County’s students more able to communicate and collaborate while thinking creatively and critically, Hudson said.

“If you can do those things, you can be successful in the world,” he added.

When Greene County originally started its STEM program, it started in the career and technical education or CTE classes, according to Garcia.

“CTE is hands-on already.

The parts that we have to incorporate in CTE is that

A West Greene Elementary School student works on a project during STEM night.

STEM structure,” Garcia said.

Over the last eight years, Greene County has expanded its STEM offerings into classes that are not traditionally considered STEM. “When we start in these non-traditional areas, the main thing we’ve learned is that teachers are enthusiastic and really want to engage their students whether it’s with STEM education or some other approach,” Garcia said. “We use inquiry-based education, and we start at the most structured, where the teacher controls every-

thing pretty much beginning to end. But over time as the teacher gets comfortable and the students have that capacity, you get to the final category (of inquiry-based learning) where you allow the students to complete problem-based learning.”

Greene County is also expanding its STEM offering into K-5. Snow Hill Primary started the process about four years ago. Now the program has moved into West Greene Elementary and Greene County Intermediate schools.

“There’s a vertical alignment piece,” Garcia said.

“There are certain things we don’t do in second grade because we know we’re going to hit those in third or fourth grade. The same thing, there are resources we don’t use at the high school because we know we use them in sixth grade. … We make sure we vertically align how this program looks for K-12 because we don’t want overlap and we don’t want students to get burned out. We’re very thoughtful about what that looks like in kindergarten versus 10th grade.”

In Pitt County, schools are becoming more interested in STEM education than they were seven years ago when Robinett started.

“When I first came on board, we had implemented STEM labs into all of our middle schools. We had begun purchasing and distributing Makerspace equipment to all of our K-8 schools,” Robinett said. “More recently, we’ve seen a couple of our schools, an elementary and a middle school, who have begun taking steps towards receiving the STEM designation from the state of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, which is an extremely rigorous process that requires a school to basically transform how it does its work.”

More schools are also asking for support, including in classes that are not traditionally STEM-oriented.

“My position was created in July, which I would say is a good indication in Pitt County’s interest in continuing to grow STEM,” Robinett said. “I’m coordinating what’s going on in the CTE world, the tech-ed world and in the core-content world. The very best of STEM education combines the skills kids get in CTE courses with the knowledge they get in their core classes.

“If you ask around to leaders across the state that speak on STEM education, that’s the model of success we’re moving for. Some of the best things that happen in STEM require kids that have technical expertise that they might get in CTE work combined with the knowledge they get in their core classes.”

Martin County Schools has always taught science and math, but the system had not integrated the material with other subjects, according to Hudson. Integration has brought the biggest change he has seen.

“Previously, we taught in

See STEM, B10

B10

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

VISION2020

STEM

Continued from B9

‘silos’ (but) STEM tries to bring all of that into a cohesive unit where it’s taking a topic and looking at all aspects of it,” Hudson said.

“The biggest piece is putting that all together into one cohesive piece. We’re pulling those individual things into one unit.”

Technology has been the most obvious change, he added.

“The technology change allows us to attack and problem solve in different ways as that has changed over time,” Hudson said. “Our students are using technology now that didn’t exist 10 years ago.

Some of it didn’t exist five years ago. That has been the biggest change that parents can easily see.”

Greene County is moving from its project-based learning at the high school level to problem-based learning. It is more difficult for students, but Garcia believes they will soon build capacity with it.

“We’ve put in place problem-based learning because they were doing great things with their grand challenges, so we needed another approach,” he said. “They’re frustrated right now because it’s new. Same feelings and feedback that we got with the grand challenges, we’re getting with our problem-based learning now.”

The change is the result of feedback from teachers.

Greene County Schools is constantly tracking data to make adjustments and ensure its students are being adequately challenged, he said.

The district is also seeing the fruits of its labors. It takes time and patience to create a successful program, Garcia said.

“In education, we want that secret formula on how to make something effec-

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Health sciences students dissect animal organs during class in Greene County.

tive within a year, and a lot of things don’t happen in a year,” he said. “It takes time to develop that program, to build that capacity, to make that culture shift happen within your school and community. It takes time to make sure that here in the district we have a process in place and that we customize it and adjust that process.”

Pitt County is fortunate compared to the other counties because it has access to more industries and businesses, Robinett said.

“What we hope to accomplish is to leverage the power of those business and community partners. Greene County struggles to find those things because they’re so rural. They may have to use agricultural centers or farms as ways to engage in STEM education,” he said.

“We have heavy industry sector here; we have uptown growth businesses so we have entrepreneurial folks we can tap into. We have the medical field. We’ve got the university. So the big thing we have complementary is a growing positive relationship with the business and industries here in the area.

“If I had to point to one thing that my Martin and Greene colleagues would

like to have in their district, it would be that dearth of business and industry that we just have to figure out how to take advantage of.”

Robinett works to partner with those industries to make sure Pitt County is listening to them. There has to be a true collaboration between any school and any business and industry to create a truly sustainable partnership, he said.

“We have to make ourselves as relevant to the businesses and industries as they are to us,” Robinett said. “They’re important to us because we want our kids to have good-paying jobs. We want them to graduate, stay in this area and contribute to the economy. The conversations we’re having with them is how can we collaborate together to meet your needs as well as our needs.”

Martin County Schools is creating a CTE high school at the TeleCenter in Williamston. This will allow Hudson to offer more advanced classes.

“For our high schools, that will be a big push. We’re going to have more advanced STEM classes,” Hudson said.

He is also working to make sure all students in the district are exposed to STEM.

“Some kids are drawn or attracted to STEM activities, but we try to expose all of our kids,” Hudson said. “We incorporate STEM in our classes, not necessarily a STEM class, but trying to incorporate those mindsets and STEM activities into other classrooms. We co-teach and model lessons and work with teachers with different units throughout the unit. We kind of push in and help or we pull small interest groups.”

E.H. Hayes Elementary School has a STEM teacher who works with every student in the school, which consists of third through fifth grades. South Creek Middle and High School also has a STEM teacher who provides resources to core teachers and teaches STEM electives.

“We’re also implementing a new K-8 curriculum that focuses on critical thinking.

It tries to get kids to work through and solve problems,” Hudson said. “We also offer through a partnership with Martin Community College a STEM summer camp for rising ninth graders as well.”

STEM allows students to learn problem-solving skills in hands-on activities based on inquiry-based, student-centered learning. Part of that involves letting students fail.

“You’ve got to let your students fail,” Garcia said. “What is the purpose of having students scoring all As but not having the skills to know what to do when they wind up with a C? The more often they fail, the way the brain is wired, the better you learn from that experience. The research supports that.

“Middle school is the best time because you don’t have to worry about GPA. If they can fail at the early grade levels, let them do it because by the time they get to the high schools, they will have learned from those mistakes and experiences.”

VISION STATEMENT Developing young men Everyone has God-given potential.

This is a core belief at Third Street SUSAN Education NELSON Center (TSEC), a nonprofit with the mission of educating and equipping in ways that bring dignity and hope.

Started eight years ago, the center’s long-term vision is to see generations transformed by the power of the Gospel.

We are one center with one vision but three distinct branches: Third Street Academy, Third Street Business and Workforce Development, and Third Street Community Impact.

Third Street Academy is a private Christian school for boys with an emphasis on high academic standards, character development and spiritual formation.

Third Street Business and Workforce Development provides a bridge to gainful employment for those who have been difficult to employ. Third Street Community Impact seeks to form long-lasting, trusting relationships in our local community.

Rich and Meridith Rizzuti in 2012 purchased the historic facility, then known as Third Street School, and renovated and updated it with an army of volunteers. In June 2014 the Third Street Education Center received the “Stewardship Award for Preservation Commitment” from the Greenville Historic Preservation

Commission.

We took a leap of faith and hired our first teacher in August 2015 before we even had students, and by month’s end we had seven.

Then came Pre-K in November of that year. At the end of that school year, all of our Pre-K students were assessed and showed high mastery of all skills for kindergarten readiness.

Our kindergarten and first-graders showed significant improvement in all assessed areas, and today, with over 50 students enrolled, many primary school gentlemen who have been with us from the beginning are reading above grade level. Our vision was to add a grade every year, which so far, we have accomplished.

We are adding a Grade 6 for the fall of 2020, which marks the beginning of our middle school.

These boys are often called at-risk by society, but we believe they are high-potential young men who are destined for greatness. “He’s the type of kid who is either going to change the world or burn it down,” says Nathan White, executive director of the education center.

As we continue to pour into these young men, our long-term vision to transform generations by the power of the Gospel will be realized. We are looking forward to the future and continuing to grow and transform lives at Third Street Education Center.

— Susan Nelson is director of community relations at Third Street Center. To learn more visit www.thirdstreetec.org or contact her at susann@ thirdstreet.org.

VISION2020

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

BB11

Training tomorrow’s workforce

Career, technical programs offer paths to job-readiness that don’t require college degree

BY AMBER REVELS-STOCKS Adams Publishing Group-ENC

As K-12 education focuses more on preparing students for life beyond high school, school systems in the region are placing more emphasis on career and technical education.

Career and technical education or CTE is made up of elective courses that prepare students for careers, including real-world skills, regardless of whether they go straight to employment; enroll in a trade school, community college or university; or enlist in the military. These courses include health sciences, computer programing and culinary arts. The programming also includes soft skills, such as dressing appropriately and arriving to work on time.

CTE benefits students in many ways, including showing them real-world applications for their core classes, according to David Jenkins, Martin County Schools’ director of career and technical education, accountability and high schools.

“It takes the academic skills and makes them usable in a real-world situation. Students can see how those courses fit and are used in the world,” Jenkins said. “I remember even as a student sitting in geometry and figuring the area of a trapezoid and it didn’t make a lot of sense until I was in agriculture and measuring land. Then, I said, ‘Oh gosh, if I had realized this when I was in school, I could have really made this work.’”

He added that skills learned in core classes can be adapted to CTE courses.

“People don’t realize one of the hardest books you can read is an engine repair book,” Jenkins said. “The readability level is really difficult. To students, reading a novel doesn’t seem important, but then they get to the engine repair book and say, “Oh, OK. Now I understand why I needed to know this.”

CTE also allows students to engage in hands-on activities, according to Greene County CTE Director Julie Batchelor.

“Career and technical education benefits students by engaging them in problem-solving and hands-on activities that enable them to apply knowledge, ability, and skills which successfully prepares them for jobs and or higher education opportunities,” Batchelor said.

There are also clubs for CTE students that promote positive work habits and enhance students’ self-esteem while developing leadership and communication skills, she added.

These elective courses

also help students find careers they may be interested in and discover which careers they do not want, according to Pitt County Schools’ CTE Director Beth Ann Trueblood.

“It benefits students because it allows our students to not only find careers they may be interested in but also allows students to cancel out careers they’re not interested in. That’s just as important,” Trueblood said.

“If a student really wants something to do in health science but finds out they can’t handle when people are emotional or be in a real stressful situation, they may move to another career.

“If a student was really interested in automotive but realized it was a little too hands-on and they don’t like that interaction, they may switch to something different.”

She added, “It’s important to find out what you are interested in. It’s just as important to cancel out things you know you would not be happy in as a career.”

As business and industry changes, CTE changes, according to Trueblood.

“When business and industry come to Pitt County, we have to prepare our students to go to work with them. We need to offer those classes as an exploration,” she said.

Job readiness CTE used to be less career-oriented 36 years ago, according to Jenkins.

“Even in the last 10 years, we’ve really started to focus on having students being prepared for a job or for a career,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot more emphasis on students earning credentials for industry, and that is something that wasn’t done, at least not in Martin County, 10 years ago.”

Credentials are available in several program areas, including first aid/CPR, welding, pesticides and more.

There are also career-ready credentials. These serve as proof students have the skills they should.

Greene County’s CTE students have earned over 1,075 credentials over the last two years, according to Batchelor.

“Greene County currently offers industry-recognized credentials, AP and honors courses, as well as STEM CTE courses,” she said.

“The growth in CTE has been exciting and has allowed students challenging and rigorous opportunities.

Work-based learning opportunities for students in the form of job shadowing and internships have provided real-life work experiences and career awareness opportunities for students that

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Students at Greene Central High School create meals for district staff.

years ago were not available.”

The future holds a lot of excitement for CTE programs for schools systems as they start new programs, strengthen old partnerships and renovate old buildings to serve new purposes.

In Pitt County, the Tradesformers pre-apprenticeship program continues to expand. The program started last year as a consortium of three businesses that worked with students starting the summer before their senior year.

“This year, we have added four more companies to that, adding commercial plumbing, masonry and welding,” Trueblood said. “It gives students that on-the-job training so that when they continue their education at the community college, they can roll into an apprenticeship so they can become a journeyman through that program as well as receive tuition reimbursement. It gives them not only the education portion but it gives them on-thejob training so they’re better employees when they finish those programs.”

Pitt County Schools is also working with the North Carolina Bio Network and Thermo Fisher Scientific to create a program called PharmaK12.

Once students graduate, they can take a class at the Pharmaceutical Services Network and potentially sit for an interview with Thermo Fisher.

Pitt County Schools and Pitt Community College also are working together for the PCS-PCC Technical Academy, which offers HVAC, electrical systems, computer integrated machining and industrial systems technology. The dis-

trict takes students to the community college for their first two classes of the day.

When they finish their junior and senior years, the students will have certificates.

“They are ahead of the game and will only have to take maybe a year, yearand-a-half at the community college to finish that degree,” Trueblood said.

“They do come out with a lot of experience and a lot of training that Pitt County Schools doesn’t offer because we don’t offer those classes. Those trade classes are hard to find teachers.

We want to still include our students in the opportunity to take those courses, but we can’t offer all of those at the high school level so we have a great partnership with Pitt Community College to make that happen.”

Advanced training In Greene County, students have the opportunity to take advanced placement CTE courses for the first time, according to Batchelor.

“This year was the first year we have offered an AP course in CTE. The computer science curriculum at Greene Central High School includes a very popular AP offering, AP Computer Science Principles,” she said.

“Students in the course learn about computer programming but spend most of their time learning how to think computationally doing creative projects. Students code as well as study how computer science is changing our society, learn about how the Internet works, and explore robotics.”

Students in that course will compete in the first robotic challenge at Greene Central High School in May

along with STEM students and the computer programming club. Next year, they will compete in a regional FIRST challenge.

Students in Greene County are also taking Python I, a course that lets students build a robot, code circuit boards and explore social issues.

Martin County is looking forward to renovating the TeleCenter in Williamston to serve as a career and technical high school that will offer classes that are difficult to offer at individual high schools, according to Jenkins.

“Hopefully in August 2021, we’ll have it up and going. When that happens, then we’re really going to be able to focus in on the industry needs with advanced manufacturing, some higher robotics classes, some higher-level technology classes,” Jenkins said. “Right now, we’d have to do some major work in our school labs to offer these classes like how we want them to be offered, so the TeleCenter is going to be an excellent place for us to do that. That’s our future.”

Students at both high schools will be able to select courses at the TeleCenter while spending the rest of their time at their home school.

Martin County Schools also works to develop partnerships with its business and industry.

“They’ll come in and do some training for our students,” Jenkins said. “We’ll allow our industry to come in and recruit in the schools with our seniors, particularly those who have not planned college, military or career. If they’re sitting in limbo, our industry can come in and say, ‘We have

this available. We’d love to have you come work with us.’”

It is also important for the school system to have the support of parents, post-secondary education and legislators, he added.

“Everybody has to be on the same page, and everybody has to be willing to work together,” Jenkins said.

Business and industry partnerships are also very important in Pitt County, according to Trueblood.

“Partnerships are the key to success because they drive what we offer our students,” she said. “They drive the careers in our area, and we have to have those partnerships.”

Trueblood also emphasized the importance of focusing on students and letting them determine their futures.

“For so long, we’ve pushed our students to go to a four-year school. That’s no longer the case,” Trueblood said. “In high school, we prepare our students and give them the tools so that if they want to go straight to a job, that’s okay. If they want to go to a community college or technical school, that’s great too. If they want to go to a university or enlist in the military, that’s great.

“We shouldn’t have a mindset anymore that the university is the only option for our students. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

The students are our priority.”

Jenkins agreed, “CTE makes a quality difference in the lives of young people.

That’s our goal to make a positive difference in the quality of the lives of young people. If you make that your focus, you can’t go wrong.”

B12

THE DAILY REFLECTOR, SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2020

Plymouth Mill employees volunteered to restore areas along the Roanoke River in Plymouth, improving the health of the river and beautifying the community’s green space.

In 2019, the Plymouth Mill contributed approximately $50,000 in grassroots giving to local communities.

The Plymouth Mill supports more than 330 local jobs.

The Plymouth Mill is self-sufficient in meeting electricity needs for the facility, with nearly 100% of the mill’s energy coming from renewable sources.

Domtar’s Plymouth Mill has an estimated regional economic impact of $634 million.