NOVEMBER 2019 NEWSLETTER

CURRENT EVENTS

·     The next COG Board Meeting will be Thursday, October 21st at 6:30PM at the Kerr-Tar Office.

We need your input to develop the Kerr-Tar region’s first ever food strategy!

Join the conversation on how to:

I. Grow our region’s food economy

II. Make healthy food available to all

III. Support local farmers

Registration Details Below

If interested in attending a regional meeting, please register at the following:

Vance County Community Meeting

Warren County Community Meeting

Franklin County Community Meeting

Person County Community Meeting

Granville County Community Meeting

Announcing EDA Visit

The Council of Governments wishes to advise our regional Economic Development Directors of an upcoming EDA visit by NC’s EDA Representative, Hillary Sherman. During her visit, Hillary plans to visit with our EDC’s Directors and tour the region. Her visit is scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, 2019. 

2020 CENSUS Tribal Liaison

Warren County CCC is planning a regional CENSUS Summit (Warren, Franklin, Granville, Halifax, Vance counties) for March 12, 2020, at the Armory Civic Center.

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments received a 2019 NADO Impact Award at the NADO Annual Training Conference in Reno. This award recognized the launch of the region’s Visit NC Farms Mobile App. The mobile app was launch on July 1, 2019 and highlights of region’s farms, farmers markets, farm stays, and various other agritourism activities. Accompanying Diane Cox and Michael Kelly to the conference were KTCOG Board members, Danny Wright and Jimmy Clayton. 

America Walks Announces 2019 Community Change Grants

There is still time to submit applications for the America Walks 2019 Community Change Grant.

This grant program will work to provide support to the growing network of advocates, organizations, and agencies using innovative, engaging, and inclusive programs and projects to create change at the community level. This program will award grantees $1,500.00 in community stipends for projects related to creating healthy, active, and engaged places to live, work, and play.

Funded projects should:

·    Increase physical activity and active transportation in a specific community

·    Work to engage people and organizations new to the efforts of walking and walkability

·    Demonstrate a culture of inclusive health

·    Create and support healthy, active, and engaged communities

Awardees will be notified in December 2019. Funds must be used in the 2020 calendar year. Please contact KTRPO staff if your community is interested in applying. Additional information can be found at the following: https://americawalks.org/america-walks-opens-2019-community-change-grant-applications/

The Southern Environmental Law Center of NC is pleased to announce a workshop on November 22 in Raleigh. If interested in attending, please RSVP as the following: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScn3hoSkhq2QefaWpcKbsThjxe66Ol92hRFWWjKAx6gsUHcQw/viewform

PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

2020 Tentative TCC/TAC Meeting Dates

All meetings are open to the public and held from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments’ located at 1724 Graham Ave. in Henderson.

·     January 23, 2020

·     February 27, 2020

·     March 26, 2020

·     April 23, 2020

·     May 28, 2020

·     June 25, 2020

·     July 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

·     August 27, 2020

·     September - No Meeting Scheduled

·     October 22, 2020

·     November 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

·     December 2020 - No Meeting Scheduled

*Meeting dates are subject to change in order to accommodate NCDOT deadlines. If a meeting date changes, members of the TAC and TCC will be notified

SPOT P6.0 Subcommittee Meeting

The P6.0 Subcommittee met on Wednesday, October 30, 2019 to begin the process of reviewing regional projects for submission to NCDOT. The P6.0 Subcommittee will meet again in December 2019. The KTRPO thanks members of the P6.0 Subcommittee and NCDOT staff for their attendance and comments of proposed transportation projects.

The NC Moves 2050 Project Team thanks citizens in our region for participating in Phase I of NC Moves 2050. The KTRPO thanks those who completed surveys and provided comments focused on North Carolina’s long-range multimodal transportation plan over the next 30 years. The KTRPO will inform our region’s stakeholders about activities involving Phase II of NC Moves. 

The Safe Routes Partnership invites communities and organizations working to improve safe, equitable access to local parks to apply for the 2020 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities program. The program provides tailored technical assistance for seven communities to develop Safe Routes to Parks action plans and awards $12,500 to each community to begin implementation of those plans.

The program will begin accepting applications starting on November 4, 2019 with an application deadline of December 16, 2019.

Grantee communities will work closely with staff at the Safe Routes Partnership from February through September 2020 to develop action plans aimed at improving safe, equitable access to local parks in their communities.

Announcing FY 19 Railroad Trespassing Enforcement Grant

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the United States Department of Transportation are accepting applications for funding for the Railroad Trespassing Enforcement Grant Program. The objective of the grant is to reduce trespassing along railroad Rights-of-Ways (ROWs) that currently account for approximately 500 trespassing deaths annually on a national level. The grant is open to all state, county, municipal, local and regional law enforcement agencies that have FRA-regulated railroad tracks within a 1.0 mile boundary of their jurisdiction. The State of North Carolina is listed as among a state eligible for grant funding. If a law enforcement agency is interested in applying, please contact a member of the KTRPO.

AGING

 Family Caregiver Month

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed November to be Family Caregiver Month in North Carolina. Caregiving is a courageous act that comes in many shapes and sizes. The act of taking care of someone and providing adequate care goes beyond what words can describe. Caregiving has no limits in reference to race, sex, religion or ethnicity. Providing care to a family member or loved one has become a normal part of the society in which we live in today. It is rare that an individual want or desire to live within a facility when having the option to age in their place of choice. To caregivers throughout our nation, we take this month to honor and admire your commitment and dedication to such a heroic act.

Dementia Awareness Month

Governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed November to be Dementia Awareness Month. Dementia is an overall term for diseases and conditions, characterized by a deficit in cognitive abilities that disrupt daily life and independence within many throughout our nation.

The Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging (AAA) encourages communities to support those who are living with Dementia, as well as the individuals providing care for those with the disease. The AAA offers education opportunities for the public on the disease and ways to adapt with the complications that are involved.

Throughout this month, Annual Candlelight Reflections will take place. Annual Candlelight Reflections were designed to honor individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as family caregivers. We encourage communities and organizations within our region to participate in and/or host an event. For more information regarding these events, please contact your local senior center.

Support Groups for Family Caregivers

Caregiver support groups are offered monthly in the following counties: Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren. If you are a caregiver, or know someone who is, we highly recommend attending! Our caregiver support groups offer information, assistance, guidance, and support for all caregivers! The following times for support groups are listed below. For more information regarding caregiver support groups, please contact Harvey Holmes, Family Caregiver Specialist at hholmes@kerrtarcog.org or call (252) 436-2040.

WORKFORCE

Where do you turn when everybody and everything seems to be against you? Even though you are young, you realize that due to the poor choices you have made in the past you have to make significant changes in your life to have a productive future. Not knowing exactly where to start, Landon Whitlow visited the Workforce Development Staff at Piedmont Community College to find out about available services and training opportunities to begin his journey of self-improvement. He immediately enrolled in the Employability for Career Pathway Lab where he

learned about the NCWorks NextGen Program. While in the lab he developed a resume, registered in NCWorks, assessed in Reading and Math skills, and sat for the National Career Readiness Certification. Due to his high academic scores and his interest in advanced manufacturing classes he enrolled in Certified Production Technician Training. He successfully completed this class receiving six national certifications. He met with the Career Coach again to express interest in continuing on into the Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways by taking the Advanced Manufacturing and automation class. NextGen staff could see that this young man was moving on, and taking pride in his accomplishments. He never missed

an opportunity to tell the staff how much he appreciated the support and encouragement he had received and continues to receive. He completed the class successfully and received the International Siemens Level I Certification. The Career Coach worked with him on his resume, online job search and interviewing skills. Landon’s hard work and perseverance paid off for him, as he has a full-time job working for the new up and coming company here in Person County, Poly-Wood, LLC. NextGen Staff is proud of Landon and all of his accomplishments. To see the smile on Landon’s face speaks volumes!!! This young man is on the road to a

brighter new future, and we truly wish him the very best! The support that .NCWorks NextGen staff provides works to help young adults overcome barriers and Landon is a testament of the program. 

Looking for a job - look at www.NCWORKS.gov 

MISSION STATEMENT

Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments aims to

promote regionalism that provides opportunities for

local governments to enhance and improve the quality

of life for our citizens through effective delivery of

services and programs.