TownTalk: FGV Ducky Derby Takes To Garnett Street Sept. 18

If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to have 2,000 rubber duckies float down Garnett Street, then come out Saturday, Sept. 18 for the 12th annual Ducky Derby to benefit Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start.

Garry Daeke, FGV development coordinator, said he is looking forward to another successful fundraiser, despite some necessary adjustments because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsors have really stepped up to support the event, Daeke said. “Sponsorships have been off the charts,” he told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. With the promise of good weather and generous sponsors, Daeke said the event is shaping up to be the best yet.

The public is invited to come out for the noon event, he said. This year, however, all the ducks will have the name of a child care employee, whose names were submitted by more than 100 child care providers in the three-county service area.

The first prize winner gets $1,000, second prize is $500 and the last-place finisher gets $100.

Child care workers and providers have suffered financial hardships during the pandemic, and Daeke said FGV is pleased to honor these essential workers at the Derby.

“They’ve had a tough, tough year,” Daeke said. This is one way to “bring a little light into how much we depend on them to take care of our children and so parents can go back to work.”

All proceeds go back into program services.

The race starts at Garnett Street and Breckenridge Street and ends a couple of blocks away at the corner of Garnett and Orange. Spectators should expect to wear a mask and maintain social distancing safety protocols.

The FGV Smart Start provides services for families who may be looking for child care, as well as a wide range of services for child care providers.

“If we can get our children prepared and ready for school…that’s a key element in their success after school,” Daeke said.

The FGV helps to fund literacy programs that increase young children’s accessibility to books and reading. Having a caring support system around you, no matter what your resources are, helps children achieve their potential, he said.

Visit www.fgvsmartstart.org. to learn more.

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BBQ Fundraiser to Benefit Misty Bailey Scheduled for Oct. 2nd.

The Fight For Misty BBQ Fundraiser to benefit Misty Bailey and her family will take place on Saturday Oct. 2 at Harriet Baptist Church, 1354 Ruin Creek Road in Henderson from 1 to 5pm. BBQ will be sold by the pound at a cost of $10 per pound. In 2019 Misty was diagnosed with Cardiac Sarcoidosis, a rare disease that disrupts the heart’s rhythm, blood flow and normal heart function causing very aggressive inflammation around the heart.

She had a pacemaker implanted to monitor her heart rhythm and detect irregular heartbeats. In addition to numerous medications, Misty endures Remicaid IV Infusions every six weeks at Duke Hospital to reduce inflammation around her heart. These infusions last approximately 18 to 24 months. Cardiac Sarcoidosis is incurable and will require ongoing long-term treatment.

The BBQ for the fundraiser is being prepared by Doug Puckett and Tim Brummitt. Tickets can be purchased in advance or the day of the event. Purple “Fight for Misty” silicone bracelets will also be on sale the day of the event for $1.

TownTalk: ACTS Makes a Joyful Noise with Benefit Concert

Imagine hosting the biggest Thanksgiving meal ever, providing all the food for the biggest family imaginable. Every day. There’s the food preparation, then serving, then the cleanup. That’s how Lee Anne Peoples describes the operation at ACTS – the executive director said it takes dozens of volunteers to provide the hot meals five days a week for area residents.

It takes volunteers – and money – to feed sometimes as many as 200 people each day, Peoples told John C. Rose Tuesday on Town Talk.

Area Christians Together in Service is sponsoring a fundraiser on Sept. 25 at McGregor Hall that Peoples said will serve the dual purposes of raising money for ACTS as well as providing entertainment for the community.

“Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord” is set for Saturday, Sept. 25 at McGregor Hall and will feature local talent for an evening of inspirational entertainment for the whole family.

The doors open at 6 p.m. and the performance begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and children 12 years and under get in free.

Tickets are available from any ACTS board member or from the ACTS office at 201 S. William St. Tickets also are available at the door.

Anyone interested in performing for the concert can contact Peoples for details at  252.492.8231 or lapeoples@actsofhenderson.org.

There are several sponsorship levels that businesses or individuals can purchase, she said, adding that the community has long been supportive of ACTS and the work it does to feed hungry people. Sponsor levels are platinum ($1,000), gold ($500) and silver ($250) and include ads in the concert program.

In 2020, Peoples said ACTS served 25,527 meals. She’s done the math for 2021 and if the numbers continue as they are now, 2021 will top 30,000. In a city with a population of about 15,000, that’s a lot of meals, she noted. “I’m surprised at how the numbers have jumped up” in the past couple of years, Peoples said.

In addition to the hot meals, ACTS provides food boxes, dozens of Backpack Buddies (weekend bags of food for schoolchildren) and Mobile Meals for people who can’t make it to the ACTS location.

All these ongoing projects get done largely through the work of about 45 loyal volunteers who come on a regular basis. “There is absolutely no way we could do what we do without volunteers,” Peoples said. And there is always a need for more help, especially in the afternoons. Many of the volunteers leave at noon or shortly thereafter, but there are still things that need to be done in the afternoons. “Even if you just have a few minutes between 12 and 2, it would be a big help.”

Just like that gigantic Thanksgiving dinner – the food has to be put away, the kitchen cleaned up and ready for the next day.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

TownTalk: BBQ Cook Off Promises Great Food and Fun

– Update Sept 15

The second annual Tri-County BBQ competition is Sunday, Sept. 19 at Kerr Lake Country Club.  Organizer Tracy Mosley said the competition is a fundraiser of Helping All People Excel, Inc., a local nonprofit that, among other things, helps college-bound students from Vance County with some necessary school expenses. The cookoff will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at KLCC, 600 Hedrick Drive, Henderson.

The inaugural event provided help to a dozen college students, she said. This year, she hopes to be able to provide assistance to 15 students.

“We don’t want them to have any barriers when they’re in college,” Mosley, H.A.P.E.’s executive director told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk. Mosley said there are lots of programs that provide backpacks and school supplies, to those in high school and below, but those young people who have graduated high school and who are headed off to college sometimes get left out.

Mosley calls them “lost in the sauce” costs – things like a printer, or copy paper, or even household items like plates, silverware and washing powder.

Some of those items are costly, she said, adding that and her organization deals with many first-generation college students whose parents may not be aware of all the things a college student may need.

“We work to eliminate obstacles and barriers that youth in our area face …as they work to reach their potential,” Mosley said. “There are real expenses associated with going off to college.”

The BBQ cookoff is a fun way to raise money for this effort. Tickets are $5. Get there early and enjoy samples off the contestants’ grills, she said. In addition to the competition, the Sept. 19 event will have numerous community resources on site to share opportunities for young people. There will be food trucks and a deejay, too, until 3 p.m. when Jim Quick and Coastline take the stage. The band will perform from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

If Mosley has her way, the Tri-County BBQ competition will become Henderson’s “signature event,” much like Oxford’s Hot Sauce Contest and Clarksville’s Lakefest. She would love to outgrow the Kerr Lake Country Club and have next year’s contest in downtown Henderson.

Learn more at kerrlakebbq.eventbrite.com and helpingallpeopleexcel.com.

For complete details and audio click play.

 


– Update Sept 13

Time is ticking for cook teams to register for the second annual Tri-County BBQ competition – the cookoff is Sunday, Sept. 19 at Kerr Lake Country Club and organizer Tracy Mosley said tonight (Monday) is the deadline to register. The fee to register is $100. Call Mosley today at 252.432.1131 to register a team.

The competition is a fundraiser of Helping All People Excel, Inc., a local nonprofit that, among other things, helps college-bound students from Vance County with some necessary school expenses. The cookoff will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at KLCC, 600 Hedrick Drive, Henderson.

The inaugural event provided help to a dozen college students, she said. This year, she hopes to be able to provide assistance to 15 students.

“We don’t want them to have any barriers when they’re in college,” Mosley, H.A.P.E.’s executive director told John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk. Mosley said there are lots of programs that provide backpacks and school supplies, to those in high school and below, but those young people who have graduated high school and who are headed off to college sometimes get left out.

Mosley calls them “lost in the sauce” costs – things like a printer, or copy paper, or even household items like plates, silverware and washing powder.

Some of those items are costly, she said, adding that and her organization deals with many first-generation college students whose parents may not be aware of all the things a college student may need.

“We work to eliminate obstacles and barriers that youth in our area face …as they work to reach their potential,” Mosley said. “There are real expenses associated with going off to college.”

The BBQ cookoff is a fun way to raise money for this effort. Tickets are $5. Get there early and enjoy samples off the contestants’ grills, she said. In addition to the competition, the Sept. 19 event will have numerous community resources on site to share opportunities for young people. There will be food trucks and a deejay, too, until 3 p.m. when Jim Quick and Coastline take the stage. The band will perform from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

If Mosley has her way, the Tri-County BBQ competition will become Henderson’s “signature event,” much like Oxford’s Hot Sauce Contest and Clarksville’s Lakefest. She would love to outgrow the Kerr Lake Country Club and have next year’s contest in downtown Henderson.

Learn more at kerrlakebbq.eventbrite.com and helpingallpeopleexcel.com.

For complete details and audio click play.

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance

The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for Sept. 14, 2021. The Chamber compiles the information, and it is presented here and on the radio. Contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce at 438-8414 or email christa@hendersonvance.org to be included.

JOB OPENINGS IN VANCE COUNTY – Week of September 14, 2021

 

Name of the Company:  Henderson Belk

Jobs Available: Is having a HIRING EVENT! September 18 from 11:00am – 3:00pm at the Henderson Store

Method of Contact:  Applicants can apply via Belkcareers.com or TEXT JOBS to belk4u to 235-548

 

Name of the Company: Carolina Sunrock

Jobs Available:  Facilities Maintenance Technician

Method of Contact:  for more information register online at ncworks.gov or go by one of the locations

 

Name of the Company:  Select Products Holdings

Jobs Available: Supervisor, Fork Truck Operator, Maintenance Mechanic, Mechanic, Delivery Truck Driver

Method of Contact: for more information register online at ncworks.gov or go by one of the locations

 

Name of the Company: Vance County

Jobs Available: Economic Development Director and Social Work Program Administrator

Method of Contact: for more information register online at ncworks.gov or go by one of the locations

 

Name of the Company: City of Henderson

Jobs Available: Leaf Season Worker

Method of Contact: for more information register online at ncworks.gov or go by one of the locations

 

Name of the Company: Henderson Collegiate

Jobs Available:  Now hiring for the following positions: Elementary Apprentice Teacher, Elementary Assistant Dean of Students, High School Apprentice Teacher, High School Math Teacher, Middle School Apprentice Teacher, Middle School Science Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Student and Family Engagement Coordinator, Technology Support Specialist, Instructional Coach, Teacher Resume Collection, Middle School Technology Teacher

Method of Contact: If you are interested in any of these positions please reach out to recruitment@hendersoncollegiate.org/careers/ or go to hendersoncollegiate.org/careers/ to apply online

 

Some of these businesses are present or past advertisers of WIZS.  Being an ad client is not a condition of being listed or broadcast.  This is not a paid ad.

 

Vance County Sheriff's Office

Illegal Dumping a Huge Local Problem You Can Help With

SHERIFF CURTIS BRAME AND INVESTIGATORS WITH THE VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARE SEEKING INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC CONCERNING ILLEGAL DUMPING.

BRAME TOLD WIZS NEWS MONDAY AFTERNOON A CASE OF ILLEGAL DUMPING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY IS BEING INVESTIGATED IN THE 2700s BLOCK OF WATKINS ROAD.

WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, A DUMP TRUCK LOAD OF TREE STUMPS, TREE LIMBS AND OLD TIRES – LIKE SOMEONE WAS CLEANING UP A FARM FOR EXAMPLE, THE SHERIFF SAID – WAS DUMPED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS INCIDENT, PLEASE CONTACT THE VANCE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE AT 252 738 2200 OR CRIMESTOPPERS AT 492 1925.

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny: Perry Memorial Library Is Open And Ready To Serve Patrons

In many communities the library is still an important resource. Henderson’s Perry Memorial Library also continues to be an important resource in our community. Patty McAnally, the library’s director, says that it has been a challenge to help serve their patrons through the pandemic. The library is currently open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Friday. Patrons are able to browse the stacks and use the computers. While some restrictions on seating are still ongoing, the library does still have seating available at tables in the facility. The History Room is also open by appointment for those looking to work on genealogy.

McAnally also understands that many are still not comfortable coming to the library so curbside pickup is still available and books can be reserved online. For those who need help navigating the library site and are unsure of how to place a book on hold, just give the library a call and they can help with the process.

If you do choose to go to the library, masks are required and if you forget yours they will be happy to give you one. However, McAnally says a national study has determined the risk of Covid transmission from things like books is very low. The virus does not survive very well on paper. Of course there are other items and surfaces beyond books and the staff of Perry Memorial Library continue wipe down computers, keyboards, mice, chairs and all counter tops between each patron to ensure safety. McAnally said it was a big relief to learn the books were not a concern for transmission of Covid. “We are here to help people,” McAnally said. Helping the library’s patrons was made much more difficult by Covid but things are improving now that the library is open again.

For more on Perry Memorial Library visit their Facebook page and their website. There you will find out about the many upcoming events the library has to offer.

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Colton’s Adventure Features Spaghetti Dinner, Silent Auction On Sept. 17

The 4th annual Colton’s Adventure fundraiser is set for Friday, Sept. 17. Come out to Kerr Lake Country Club between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. for eat-in or take out, according to Kelsey Maddox, Colton’s mother.

They’ll be serving up a spaghetti meal, complete with salad, bread and dessert. Tickets are $9. Beverages are served for dine-in patrons.

There also will be a silent auction, so come prepared to browse the items available.

Maddox said plate delivery to businesses also is available.

All proceeds go to Colton’s direct medical care, she said.

Last year’s event sold out right at the stopping time, Maddox said, and they were able to purchase a special wheelchair called a Zip Zak.

This year’s goal is to sell 800 plates.

Colton was diagnosed with skeletal dysplasia, and his medical team is still searching for a genetic diagnosis, Maddox told WIZS News Friday.

“The diagnosis he was given is Chondrodysplasia Punctata Tibia Metacarpal type,” Maddox wrote in an email. “It is amazing the words that you learn when having a medical complex child,” she added.

In his short life, Colton has undergone 34 surgeries and endured countless hospital stays. This year alone he has been hospitalized several times – and he turned four years old during one hospital stay. He’s hospitalized now for RSV, she said.

He has been able to resume therapy sessions five days a week, which were put on pause last year during COVID-19 restrictions.

All told, Colton’s medical team consists of 21 physicians in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, as well as Wilmington, Delaware.

Maddox said about 40 items will be in the silent auction, including a UNC basketball autographed by Coach Roy Williams, a Texas Roadhouse gift basket that includes 2 free dinners every month for one year, and signed sports items from the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Kerr Lake Country Club is located at 600 Hedrick Drive, Henderson, NC 27537.