BIG DAY in Warren County 4-28-18

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Craig Hahn, Executive Director ~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

— by Craig Hahn

April 28th is Going to be a BIG DAY Here in Warren County!
9 Events For You To Enjoy

As I’m sure you’re no doubt aware, there aren’t too many weeks here in Warren County where we can honestly say, “There’s nothing to do!” Well, just a preview, that on Saturday 28 April, this will be even more true than ever! Allow me to briefly plan a full day for you and your family…

First…start your day at the corner of Macon & Bragg Streets in the BB&T parking lot for the Warren Growers Association Warren County Farmers Market. This local market runs from mid-April thru mid-October with local fruits, vegetables, eggs, baked goods, preserves, herbs, flowers, dog biscuits, mushrooms and plenty of handmade crafts. They’ll be open from 8am until Noon to start your day.

Then…just a ½ block stroll to Main Street to watch the start of the Run Warrenton 5K Race in front of the Historic Warren County Courthouse. The Town of Warrenton, in association with Cedric King, is hosting the 6th Annual Run Warrenton 5K. This USATF Certified 5K run is through downtown Warrenton. Proceeds will support Achilles International and college scholarships for deserving students. Find out more at runwarrenton.itsyourrace.com.

Then…shortly after the final runners cross the finish line you can spend some time on the grounds of our Historic Warren County Courthouse for Spring Fest 2018. Presented by the Warrenton Revitalization Committee and sponsored by Duke Energy & Maria Parham Health, this year’s event features your favorite crafts, artisans, exhibits, fresh local vegetables, food and more! Live entertainment features the TranZition Band and GrassStreet Bluegrass Band. To stay up to date on Spring Fest and other downtown Warrenton events, like them on Facebook at Warrenton Festivals. Festivities continue from 10am until 4pm.

Then…when you need a short break from funnel cakes and delicious BBQ, head two short blocks away to the Warren County Memorial Library for the Annual Warrenton Archaeology Day from 10am until 3pm. See Native American artifacts, tools and weapons and learn about the prehistory of the region spanning over 12,000 years into the past. Free Admission for all!

Then…to explore a little more recent collection of archaeological treasure in downtown Warrenton, join the The Jacob Holt House Foundation for their first-ever “Building Warrenton: A Vacant Properties Tour.” See 9 vacant properties just waiting for the right person and a little TLC to bring even more life to downtown Warrenton.

Then…need a little time away in the country? Head north on Main Street for the day-long Warren County Junior Firefighters’ Competition at the Warren County Recreation Complex on the Highway 158 bypass. Kicking off at 8:30 with events all day until 5:00pm, see dozens of teams of Jr. Firefighters from across the country competing in firefighting skills contests. Duke LifeFlight helicopter is scheduled to make an appearance at 11:30am.

Then…back to town and a visit to the newly renovated Old Cotton Gin at the corner of Hall and Franklin Streets in downtown Warrenton. Anne & Tommy will be open from 10am until 4pm so that you can tour this new event facility and see their mini-museum inside.

Then…a short trip back to Main Street and the Main Street Kitchen at 108 South Main Street for Working Landscape’s learning event. The front of the cafe will be open that day for the duration of Springfest from 10am – 4pm with a variety of self-guided activities for kids to enjoy. There will be a community garden art project, a “book nook” with lots of books about food, plants, and farming to read, and a “Do You Know What’s In Season?” activity. There will also be a small healthy snack for kids to take with them.

And finally…to wrap up your day, buy your tickets now for the annual Inez Volunteer Fire Department Dinner & Auction at 6:00pm at the Warren County Armory Community Center. Tickets are just $50 per person and include a delicious Prime Rib dinner, open bar, DJ and dancing, a silent/live auction and the chance to help support the wonderful volunteers from Inez VFD who keep us safe 365 days a year. For tickets, see any Inez VFD member or call Linda McSwain at (919) 210-2968.

How’s that for an action-packed day! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at multiple events on 28 April!

(Not a paid advertisement.)

It’s Warren County Map Time!

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-Courtesy of Chamber Connections, the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County’s weekly newsletter

It’s Warren County Map Time Again! Two Years Since Our Last Update!

It’s hard to believe, but it was two years ago this month that we began compiling our first new Warren County map in several years…and now, it’s time to update those maps! These new maps will be released in early summer for our residents and visitors to Warren County.

As before, the support for this map will come from our great sponsoring businesses. This week, I’ll be contacting previous and new sponsors along with our representative from SouthEast Map Solutions. Once published, we’ll have more than 5,000 maps to distribute promoting our wonderful county.

We plan to include the following features in this year’s map: detailed street maps of Warrenton, Norlina & Macon – detailed road map of all roads within Warren County – update locations of more than 40 sites in the Preservation Warrenton Driving Tour of the County – update locations of the 50+ homes and businesses in the Preservation Warrenton Walking Tour of Warrenton as well as the African American Walking Tour of Warrenton – include 16 additional Rosenwald Schools identified since the last map – designation of the Haliwa-Saponi official State of NC area within Warren County.

If your business is interested in becoming a sponsor, we have a limited number of ad positions available. Each sponsor receives a minimum of 50 maps for distribution in addition to the on-map ad. Please email info@warren-chamber.org or call 252-257-2657 if you’d like to be included in this countywide project.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Mental Health Update with Cardinal Innovations 04/25/18

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NC Coop Extension

Cooperative Extension with Jean Bell 04/26/18

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Reducing Stress

Life these days is stressful for everyone. Parents have to deal with work, housework, bills, kids, and even illnesses and emergencies. Sometimes there just does not seem to be a lot of peaceful moments in life.  This can cause a lot of stress for kids and parents When parents are stressed, kids can pick up on the tension and become stressed themselves.  Kids may show stress by becoming whiny or clingy or more demanding. They may get easily frustrated and become upset by little things and changes in their daily routine. Kids may also not have any energy and not want to do things. This can even cause stress for the parents because the kids are behaving badly! Of course, adults react to stress in many of the same ways. There are ways for parents to take action to reduce their stress.  These suggestions may not remove the stressful events from daily life, but can help you cope and bring peace and calm to your home.

  • Consider your mental attitude. Reviewing the problems of the day will only cause stress. Think calm peaceful thoughts and let go of the bad thoughts. Don’t keep thinking about what you did wrong during the day, and wonder what you could have said or done differently. Find the positive in your day, and focus on that.
  • Use music to soothe and relax. Music can soothe frayed nerves. Studies have even shown that music can lower blood pressure, which can lessen your physical responses to stress. Think about the music you enjoy and that you find calming. If you love Christmas music, and it relaxes you listen to it any time of the year! Make it a point to listen to the music you find calming when you need to relax.
  • Don’t expect perfection from yourself or others. Some people can’t forgive themselves for a mistake or a not perfect response. Remind yourself that you are only human, and all humans make mistakes. Forgive yourself for mistakes and then take the steps to make it right.
  • Live life one day at a time. Many people have anxiety about the past and worry about the future. You can’t change the past (remember no one is perfect) and be confident that you can deal with whatever happens in the future. Many people find comfort and support in their faith. Just giving your problems to your higher power and letting go of worry about what has passed and what is to come can help you to deal with the present.
  • Eliminate the negative in your life. Study your environment and see if there is something irritating that can be improved. Maybe it is as simple as a door that doesn’t latch correctly which causes you irritation every time you try to lock it or never being able to find your keys when you leave the house. Look for solutions- get the door repaired and designate a place for your keys and develop the habit of always putting the keys there. When you deal with small irritations your stress level can decrease.
  • Take a mini break. Make time to do something just for yourself every day, It can be as simple as going for a walk, sitting down with a cup of coffee and a book, taking a bubble bath, playing a game with your kids. Just try to do something pleasant every day. Taking ten minutes for yourself can set the tone for the day, from stressful to relaxed.

Try to look at life positively. Remember that some parts of life can be managed, and some parts are out of your control. Recognizing this can reduce your stress levels, and this will make the atmosphere of your home happier for everyone in the family.

Town Talk 04/26/18

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News 04/26/18

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Take Back North Carolina Initiative Press Conf

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Wednesday afternoon at 3:30, the United States Attorney’s Office conducted a press conference at the Henderson Police Department. The audio of the press conference is available here. Discussed was the beginning of a new initiative to combat violent and drug crime in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This initiative will bring the full weight and resources of the federal court system in the fight against crime in the counties of Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and all the counties of the Eastern District of NC in partnership with the District Attorneys’ offices and federal, state and local law enforcement. The initiative will also focus on the alarming level of opioid use and the deaths associated with it. The speaker was United States Attorney Robert J. Higdon, Jr. and in attendance were the Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin County sheriffs as well as the Police Chief of Henderson, Oxford and Louisburg. Also present were the District Attorney for the 9th Prosecutorial District and the ADA. According to what was said at the press conference, the goal is to reverse the trends where violent crimes and drug-related deaths have shot up in the last couple of years both in North Carolina, specifically the Eastern District, and across the nation. Higdon said opioid use is higher in eastern NC than the rest of the state. He essentially said the federal government in recent years had stopped using all its tools to prosecute the worst offenders and charge them with the worst crime. He said the work was already underway and through cooperation among law enforcement agencies and local and federal prosecutors, the goal was to significantly reduce crime by getting the worst offenders in federal court as fast as possible. He said when death was involved in a drug case, a federal court can us a 20 year mandatory sentence. He said when a gun is in the possession of the offender five years can be added to the sentence, and that goes to seven years if the gun is brandished and 10 years if the gun is discharged. He said there would be a 14-day plea deadline, and it was best if the offender plead guilty to reduce his/her sentence and because the penalties would be consistent for offenders and the punishment would fit the crime. Crimes against a law enforcement officer would be given a priority. He said there would be seizure of assets – cash, car, house, business. He said the federal courts would be going after medical professionals who administer drugs inappropriately. He said he hoped to deter crime rather than have to prosecute.

Veterans Dog Walk at Vance Co. Animal Shelter

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The Vance County Animal Shelter, located at 1243 Brodie Rd in Henderson, will host a Veterans Dog Walk on Saturday, May 12, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The public is welcome, with veterans and first responders strongly encouraged to attend. Participants will be walking and interacting with selected shelter dogs in an effort to provide companionship and trust-building activities.

The event, titled Paws, Tails and Boots, was founded by veteran and Vance County Animal Shelter volunteer Mark Ferri. Ferri began the program in 2016 as a way to raise awareness of the mental health issues faced by veterans.

According to Ferri, the event has grown with the support of both the Vance County Animal Shelter and Chief Frankie Nobles. “Frankie and his staff are like family to me,” Ferri said. “I couldn’t do it without them.”

Ferri believes that the veterans and dogs interact so well because “both of us have had traumatic experiences, both of us need help and both of us need each other.”

By working together, Ferri believes that the interaction is beneficial and healing to both human and dog. “When you take a dog for a walk, the veteran engages with the public, gets out of their shell and builds trust,” said Ferri. “The animal also enjoys the walk and builds trust in humans as well.”

While there, Ferri and other participants will be encouraging others who are eligible to commit to adopting a shelter animal, be it dog or cat.

According to Ferri, the only thing you need to do to participate in the event is to “bring some good walking shoes and a good attitude.”

For more information on the Vance County Animal Shelter and their services, please visit their website at https://www.vancecounty.org/departments/animal%20control/.

Warren County Logo

Warren County Farmers Market Now Open!

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-Courtesy of Chamber Connections, the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County’s weekly newsletter

The Warren County Farmers Market is now open!

Here’s a little of what you’ll find in 2018:

Produce – Spring onions – Turnip greens – Purple kale – Bok Choy – Small organic freshly cut Nozaki Chinese cabbages – Lettuce  Plants – Pineapple Sage – English Lavender – Thyme – Tri-Color Sage – Oswego Tea – Blood Sorrel – Peppermint – French Tarragon – Stevia – Fraises Des Bois – Eggs – Chicken – Duck Meat -Steaks, roasts, a variety of beef sausages and ground beef – Whole chickens as well as skinless, boneless breasts and skinless legs/thighs; Sauces – Curry (Hot and Mild) – Jerk (Hot and Mild) – Brown (Hot and Mild); Baked goods – Blueberry crumb cake – Lemon pound cake – Chocolate pound cake with lemon drizzle – Old-fashioned pound cake – Cheese bread – Cranberry/orange muffins – Brownies – Banana nut bread.

Syrups – Honey – Blackstrap molasses; Flowers – Flower bouquets – Shasta Daisy potted plants – Planted bulbs of Stargazer & Casablanca Lilies – Flower Photographs; Framed Poetry; Crafts Fit of Pique Garden Pots, including Strawberry Jars; Diffuser brackets; Dog Treats – Organic and All Natural Biscuits, Crunchy Peanut Butter and Bacon Cheddar Barley Bones including a “Lucky Buck” for $1 discount on future Farmers Market purchases.

If you have any questions, please call Danylu Hundley at 252-213-1795. The Warren County Farmers Market is located in Historic Downtown Warrenton in the BB&T parking lot at the corner of Macon & Bragg Streets and open Saturdays from 8 a.m. – Noon. Looking for more information? Call 252-257-3640 or visit www.warrengrowers.com.

According to Hundley, “Our vendors will be excited to see you, and we hope that you will enjoy seeing “seasoned” vendors and meeting new ones! We are excited that our market is growing this year and will continue to grow as the season moves forward. Come out and support your Warren County farmers and craftspeople. We have been hard at work during the cold weather in preparation for YOU!”

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Northern Vance High School Honors Graduation Marshals

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Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

Juniors who attend Northern Vance High School were honored on Friday, April 13, 2018, at a reception for their selection as graduation marshals for the Class of 2018.

The students were selected based on their outstanding academic achievements.

Northern Vance’s graduation ceremony will take place on Saturday, June 9, 2018, beginning at 12 p.m. in the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Henderson.

 

Those who will serve as graduation marshals include: front row – from left, Billy Zheng (lead marshal), Tomesha Jefferson, Matthew Munn, Ryan Stainback, Destinee Bullock and Briana Sulyans. Back row – from left, Anterrahn Harris, Brittany Kersey, Jaida Lewis, Alex Machado, Breana Williams and Tierra Bullock.