N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center Selects Three Communities for Downtown Revitalization
Raleigh, N.C. – The N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center selected Asheboro, Dunn and Henderson for the Center’s Downtown Associate Community program, Secretary Anthony M. Copeland announced today.
The towns will receive up to three years of downtown technical assistance services from the Center, beginning in September. These communities may have the opportunity to receive official Main Street designation if they successfully complete the program and demonstrate that they have met the requirements of the N.C. Main Street program within the three-year time frame.
“All North Carolina communities depend on a healthy and vibrant downtown to attract businesses small and large,” said Secretary Copeland. “This program will help Asheboro, Dunn and Henderson become even stronger candidates for new jobs and expansion.”
The Downtown Associate Community program launched in May 2015 and provides communities interested in downtown revitalization with the tools to build a sustainable organizational foundation. North Carolina communities must start with this program to become a designated N.C. Main Street community. The competitive selection process takes place every other year.
“We are excited to work with these communities and look forward to helping them strengthen their downtown revitalization efforts moving forward,” said N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center director Liz Parham. “The Downtown Associate Community program offers strategic economic development planning and organizational development that will provide long term sustainability for the community’s revitalization initiative.”
As with all programming offered by the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center, the Downtown Associate Community program is based on the Four-Point Approach® methodology, a comprehensive process developed by the National Main Street Center® that focuses on organization, design, promotion and economic vitality.
For more information about N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning programs, visit www.nccommerce.com/MainStreet or contact Liz Parham, director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center, at (919) 814-4658 or lparham@nccommerce.com.
VGCC Culinary program moves to new scheduling format
The Vance-Granville Community College Culinary Arts program is changing the way it schedules core courses when the fall semester begins on Aug. 14. Culinary courses will now be taught in eight-week sessions rather than in the traditional 16-week semester format.
“One benefit of the eight-week format is that our students will have more concentrated time in each specific lab,” explained VGCC Culinary Arts Program Head/instructor Chef Teresa Davis. Even though each individual course will be completed in fewer weeks than under the former schedule, the amount of instructional time spent in each course will be the same. A baking class might meet for three hours each week instead of one hour, for example, allowing students to continue their training rather than waiting several days between classes.
“We think that this schedule should make it easier for many students to schedule their classes around their jobs and other responsibilities, along with any Work-Based Learning opportunities that they may have,” Davis added.
Four courses will be offered during the fall semester’s first eight-week mini-term, from Aug. 14 through Oct. 11: Sanitation & Safety (CUL-110), Baking I (CUL-160), Culinary Skills II (CUL-240) and Pastry & Confections (CUL-280).
Then, two other courses will be offered from Oct. 12 through Dec. 11: Culinary Skills I (CUL-140) and Global Cuisines (CUL-230).
The Culinary Arts degree program, based at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, prepares students to assume positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of settings, including full-service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract foodservice, and health care facilities. In addition to the associate degree, VGCC offers certificates in “Basic Baking” and “Restaurant Hospitality.” Eligible high school students can enroll in Basic Baking through the Career & College Promise program.
For more information about the Culinary Arts program, contact Chef Teresa Davis at davist@vgcc.edu or (919) 690-0312.
Recent VGCC Culinary Arts graduate Hayya Wright of Louisburg prepares a dish in the kitchen at the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford, where the program is based. (VGCC photo)
Step 1 in Preserving & Protecting Our Historic Communities
by Craig Hahn
The Warren County Historic Preservation Commission held a public informational meeting 27 July to introduce their initiative to have permanent, historic signs placed in Warren County communities. This County program is designed to help preserve & enhance the history of our local communities and Warren County.
The following communities will be part of Phase 1 of this program: Arcola/Bethlehem, Inez, Ridgeway, Russell Union, Soul City & Warren Plains. At last night’s meeting representatives from Soul City, Russell Union and Ridgeway were in attendance and plan to move forward on signs for their communities.
Citizens interested in being a part of the historic community signage program are needed to form committees to research their communities’ history, select a roadside site where motorists can pull over to read the sign and to raise funds for the purchase of the signs (similar in appearance to the silver-toned State historic markers). These signs will be two-sided. The cost is about $1,200 to $1,700 each (depending on the final design choice. Currently Warren County does have some funding available to assist each community noted above to “kick-start” their respective fundraising efforts in the amount of about $400.
To get involved, Community members interested in participating or getting more information may contact Ken Krulik at 252-257-7027, 252-257-3037, or mailto:KenKrulik@warrencountync.gov.
*In Custody* Franklin County Sheriff’s Office looking for Armed and Dangerous Suspect
Kevin Lea James, 44, of 375 Fishing Rock Road, Castalia NC, is wanted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for the following charges:
Felony Assault on a Handicapped Person
Misdemeanor Assault – Inflict serious Injury
Communicating Threats
Assault by Pointing a Gun
These incidents allegedly occurred on July 25th, 2017 at 375 Fishing Rock Road, Castalia NC.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office advises you to use extreme caution as he is considered armed and dangerous.
Contact the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office at 919-496-2186. 
Kevin Lea James
DOB: 08-21-1972
Age: 44
Height: 5’8
Weight: 190
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Brown
Little Free Libraries Pop Up Around Henderson
by Garry Daeke
FGV Smart Start has started the Little Free Library program as a way to promotion reading for children, literacy for adults and libraries around the community. 
It’s a “take a book, return a book” gathering place where people share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a Little Free Library is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share.
Vance County United Way, through its United We Read, United We Succeed program, granted funds to Smart Start to start this effort. Smart Start will set up four of these libraries in the community. Smart Start has ample supplies of children’s books for the libraries, and local citizens, along with the Friends of the Perry Library, will be assisting with book drives and collections to assist with additional books.
The mission is to promote literacy and the love of reading by building free book exchanges, and to build a sense of community as we share skills, creativity and wisdom across generations.