Henderson Zooms Ahead with Racetrack Ordinance

/by

The Henderson City Council passed an amendment to a zoning ordinance Monday night that paves the way for motorsports activities to be developed in areas under the city’s jurisdiction.

Following a public hearing during which individuals spoke for and against the idea of allowing the development of motorsports racetracks, the ordinance passed by a 6-2 vote. Council members Garry Daeke and Mike Rainey voted against the ordinance. Marion Brodie Williams, Sara Coffey, Lamont Noel, Melissa Elliott, Ola Thorpe-Cooper and Jason Spriggs voted for the ordinance.

Eight individuals spoke in favor of passing the ordinance, including the two racetrack development partners, Justin Davis and Devin Anderson.  Speaking in opposition included a couple from Warren County, who warned that such developments bring liabilities and can have negative impacts in the community.

The council vote means that a developer may appear before the zoning board of adjustment to request a special-use permit for a racetrack for all-terrain vehicles, motocross equipment, motorcycles and other three- and four-wheelers.

A special use permit, which can be a rigorous process, is required to proceed. Once obtained,  the special-use permit would allow motorsports activities in areas zoned I1 (Industrial Park District), I2 (Industrial Non-Park District), RA (Residential Agriculture) and R40 (Low Density Residential) in the City and ETJ.

Before the vote was taken, Council member Daeke said it was a wonderful business opportunity but that any such facility had to be put in the right place.  He said, “To me it’s only about noise.”  He said he wants to allow people to do what they want but that people are afforded the right to sit in their yard and enjoy the quiet.

Daeke questioned whether the right buffers are in the zoning ordinance and whether the distances are far enough from schools, nursing facilities and homes, specifically if existing homes in R40, low-density residential should be excluded from the ordinance.

Some specific points included in the ordinance include hours of operation, setbacks and minimum distances from places like nursing homes and schools.

The racetrack may be open Monday -Friday between 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturdays 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. No racing may be conducted between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The 15-part Design Standards for Racetracks section of the ordinance outlines details pertaining to safety, hours of operation and logistics, among others. Part 7, for example deals with noise mitigation and reads in part: “An adequate noise mitigation plan shall be provided which shall demonstrate that good faith efforts to reduce noise effects in the vicinity have been made…All motor vehicles participating in a racing event shall be designed to keep vehicle noise in compliance with of 95 dbA measured in a stationary test. Vehicle sound must be measured by a properly calibrated decibel meter from 50 feet, at a right angle to the vehicle, with the vehicle at a no-load revolutions per minute (RPM) of 3,500.”

 

The Local Skinny! Jobs In Vance 12-13-22

/by

The H-V Chamber of Commerce and WIZS, Your Community Voice, present Jobs in Vance for December 13, 2022. 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 sandra@hendersonvance.org or hailey@hendersonvance.org to be included.

Company  First United Methodist Church in Henderson

Job Title  Two positions are open.

Director of Music Ministries.  Will collaborate with the Worship Committee and lead pastor in planning music worship for Sunday morning worship, weddings, and funerals. Rehearses and directs the chancel choir in hymns, anthems, and other musical worship. Should also be willing to develop other opportunities sharing God’s love through musical expression. The ideal candidate should have earned at least a bachelor’s degree in music; have experience with the tradition of United Methodist music and liturgy )or be willing to learn);  have experience and interest in engaging our congregation and local community through music in creative ways; have experience managing various choirs of all ages and experience levels, and have a proven track record of growing a music ministry.

Salary negotiable.

Church Organist.  This person will work with the Director of Music Ministries to select music and play for 11 a.m. Sunday morning worship, including hymns, anthems, and other forms of musical worship, weddings and funerals, and special services on our Aeolian-Skinner organ. The organist/ accompanist will participate in all choir rehearsals. The ideal candidate should have experience as an organist/ accompanist in a church environment; have the ability to sight-read piano, organ, and choral repertoire; and have the ability to play choral parts and open score. Familiarity with United Methodist music and liturgy is a plus.

How To Apply  Apply online at http://fumchendersonnc.org (click on careers on the homepage) or call the church office for details at 252-438-8791 Submit a resume with cover letter and three professional references to: George Loveland, Pastor, george.loveland@nccumc.org or First United Methodist Church, 114 Church St., Henderson, NC 27536.

Company  Vance County Public Schools

Job Title  Literacy Tutors.  Part-time positions.  Tutors needed at the public elementary schools, including Adcock, Carver, Clarke, Dabney, New Hope, Pinkston Street, E.M. Rollins, E.O. Young, and Zeb Vance.  Work in-person 15-25 hours per week in an assigned placement school at least 3 days a week, with 1-3 students for 30 minutes at a time, 8 am – 1 pm. You will become an employee of the school district and will be paid hourly, depending on your education level.  You do not have to have a background in education, because you will be supported by a NCEC learning coach who will provide training, professional development, and support throughout the school year. HS graduate $15 per hour, In college $16 per hour, College degree $20 per hour, Advanced degree $25 per hour. Minimum requirements are a high school diploma.

How To Apply  Apply online at http://nceducationcorps.org/application.

 

Company  Families Living Violence Free

Job Title  Youth Development/Court Advocate. This position reports to the Executive Director.  Responsibilites include in part – Providing comprehensive direct counseling and advocacy services to you who are victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault.  Also engages in outreach and education to county schools and other youth-serving programs in the community.  Major responsibilities include: conduct thorough intake of clients to request services and providing referrals for services to other essential providers as appropriate.  Accurately assessing immediate needs, including emergency shelter, provide crisis intervention and safety planning and assessing immediate needs of any children involved.  Maintain accurate documentation, reports, and statistical information.  Night and weekend crisis line rotation, attendance at all FLVF (Families Living Violence Free).  Minimum requirements are a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Psychology from an accredited university.  Minimum two years experience working in youth programs.  Excellent communication skills, self-directed, flexible, and dependable team member with excellent work ethic.  Familiar with Granville County public schools, neighborhoods, and youth serving agencies.

How To Apply  Apply online at Families Living Violence Free website – www.flvf.org or email resume and cover letter to proark@flvf.og.

 

Company  Ribeyes Steakhouse of Henderson Restaurant

Job Title  Server. Part time.  Salary $10 – $21 an hour. Previous restaurant experience is required.  Provide friendly, responsive service to create an exceptional dining experience for all guests.  Must be able to communicate and understand the predominate language of guests, have basic knowledge of dining room and service procedures and functions, possess basic math skills and have the ability to handle money and operate a point of sale system.

How To Apply  Apply in person at the Ribeyes Steakhouse, located on Graham Avenue in Henderson.  Or apply online at www.indeed.com.

 

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.

Click Play!

 

TownTalk: Northeast Piedmont Chorale Comes To McGregor Hall

/by

The Northeast Piedmont Chorale will perform a free concert Saturday evening at McGregor Hall.

The 72-member choir will perform selections that reflect the concert theme, “Rejoice,” and Director Cindy Edwards said it’s a joy to be able to bring the story of Christmas through music.

Chorale President Judy Miller told John C. Rose on Tuesday’s TownTalk that she hopes concert-goers leave “feeling a special energy, rejoicing with us and enjoy the holiday season.”

Edwards and chorale baritone Tom Burleson joined Miller to talk about the upcoming performance, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

The spring concert almost filled the 1,000-seat performing arts center, which Miller said was among the largest audiences in the history of the chorale.

“It was just wonderful,” she said.

Many of the chorale members participate in their church choirs, but the pandemic really quashed singing – especially in congregational settings. Singing in a group setting was shut down to prevent spread of COVID-19, so the chorale is especially grateful to be able to perform on stage once again.

“Not only do musicians want to sing,” said Edwards, “but audiences want to hear” the music.

Among the selections that will be performed include a “very percussive” piece sung in Latin a cappella with handbell accompanists, an arrangement from “Ceremony of Carols,” as well as “Can You See The Star,” an original composition by chorale member and internationally acclaimed choral instructor Sally Albrecht.

Albrecht will be directing that selection, Miller said. “It will be so much fun to sing with the person who wrote the song,” she said.

Other selections include a Swahili adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer, with a guest soloist, as well as arrangements of traditional carols including “Little Drummer Boy,” “Deck the Halls” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.”

Edwards said the chorale will be accompanied by a 16-piece orchestra and a guest harpist that “put the icing on the cake. Strings, brass, percussion, harp and woodwinds makes it just beautiful,” she added.

To learn more, visit www.npchorale.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

/by

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

Click Play!

 

TownTalk: Celebrating The Career Of Lt. Ray Shearin

/by

Lt. Ray Shearin spent almost half his career with the Vance County Sheriff’s Office with two of the best partners he could have hoped for. They never took turns driving and never once paid for his lunch, but he’d have done anything for them, and probably the feeling was mutual.

His patrol buddies were part of the K-9 unit and Juneau and Rex were among the first canines to join the sheriff’s office.

Shearin reflected on his 28-year career with the local sheriff’s office during Monday’s TownTalk with John C. Rose. He will retire at the end of the month with 30 years of service, once you add in sick days, he said.

The Shearin family has a long relationship with the sheriff’s office – and with Sheriff Curtis Brame. Shearin’s father Henry retired in 1992 from the sheriff’s office just before his son left military service.

“My dad trained Sheriff Brame and Sheriff Brame trained me,” he explained. And all three have had the same VCSO number – S-4. “The sheriff was gracious enough to give me my dad’s number,” Shearin said, adding that it meant so much to him to be able to have the same number that his father had used.

Shearin said his father imparted many important life lessons that have stood the test of time:

“Dad’s work ethic. When you go to work, do your job,” Shearin said, adding that his father had been raised on a farm, “so he knew work. You go in and you give 110 percent and make sure everyone goes home safe, just like you.”

Shearin currently serves as the VCSO’s operations lieutenant, but he’s worked his way up like so many others from serving papers to working patrol shifts, up through the ranks of sergeant and now lieutenant.

There are about 60 employees in the sheriff’s office, he said, and estimated that between 20-30 are working at any given time of the day to keep the residents of Vance County safe and sound.

As he thinks back on his career and looks forward to his retirement, he said it is the camaraderie that he has enjoyed the most. “It’s a brotherhood and sisterhood,” he said of his fellow sheriff’s office employees.

“We’re a family,” he said. “We try to take care of each other.”

“The people in Vance County have been great to me.”

Which leads to another life lesson he learned from his father and utilizes every day he represents the Vance County Sheriff’s Office: “the goal is to treat people like you want to be treated,” Shearin said. “He’s the one who told me how to treat people and how to do your job and do it well.”

He said the use of computers has greatly enhanced the ability to be prepared in law enforcement, from typing reports instead of writing them in long-hand using carbon paper to make copies to having information readily available to ensure the safety of officers on patrol.

Deputies never know what a patrol shift may bring, so they have to be prepared for most any situation at all times.

Shearin said he will never forget when he and Juneau were called out to help locate a young child who’d followed her dog off into the woods and hadn’t returned home. It was just getting dark, he said, and he sent Juneau, a tracking dog, ahead. That dog “tracked her for over a mile,” located her by a pond, barking each time Shearin called the dog’s name – just like it had been trained to do.

“That’s the gratifying part,” Shearin recalled, “when something like that happens” and families are safely reunited.

“Having a partner like that, you always have someone you can rely on,” Shearin said. “Even when backup is coming.”

Both dogs retired to Shearin’s farm and lived out their days there. Juneau died of cancer and Rex suffered hip dysplasia in his older years. But they were – and remain – cherished members of the Shearin family.

 

CLICK PLAY!

 

Warren County Selected for Golden LEAF Program

/by

Warren County has been selected to participate in a Golden LEAF program that helps communities  identify potential sites for industrial development.

It was the only community selected during this cycle of SITE Program Identification, according to information from the office of Warren County Manager Vincent Jones.

“I am appreciative that Golden LEAF has recognized the potential and value that we see here in Warren County,” Jones said in a press statement.

“Our inclusion in this program will provide us with yet another tool that will help Warren County strategically prepare for the kind of growth and development that is appropriate for Warren County.”

The SITE Program offers a three-phase approach to help communities identify potential sites for economic development, provide funding to complete due diligence on publicly controlled sites, and provide funding to extend public utilities to publicly controlled sites or to conduct clearing and rough grading of publicly owned sites.

“Participation in the SITE Program – Identification phase will allow us to further understand where we should be targeting our work and investments for marketable and attractive sites for the type of growth we aim to see,” said Charla Duncan, Warren County’s community & economic development director.

“As we look to prioritize infrastructure expansion, pursue development agreements with landowners, and support landowners in marketing their land,” continued Duncan, “we need a better understanding of competitive sites and where to strategically invest our resources.”

The Golden LEAF Foundation was established in 1999 to administer a portion of the tobacco settlement agreement monies back into North Carolina’s rural and economically distressed communities. Its mission is to increase economic opportunity in North Carolina’s rural, tobacco-dependent, and economically distressed communities through leadership in grantmaking, collaboration, innovation and stewardship.

To learn more about Golden LEAF, visit  www.goldenleaf.org.

The Local Skinny! City Council To Hold Public Hearing

/by

UPDATE FROM WIZS RADIO – Click Here – wizs.com/henderson-zooms-ahead-with-racetrack-ordinance

The information in the link above is more up to date than the audio link below.

CLICK PLAY!

 

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Orchard Plantings

/by

Listen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.

Click Play!