Town Talk 09/04/19: State Tourism Campaign to Feature Oxford Hot Sauce Contest

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

With less than two weeks to go, the countdown is officially on for one of Oxford’s largest tourism draws – the annual NC Hot Sauce Contest. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, September 14 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m in downtown Oxford.

Angela Allen, director of the Granville County Tourism Development Authority, said thousands of people are expected in downtown Oxford next weekend to interact with friends, merchants, fans, artisans and vendors. In 2018, the event reportedly topped 18,000 visitors.

“If you plan on visiting us, just put Main Street, Oxford in your GPS and you will find it,” Allen said.

According to Allen, 40 of North Carolina’s barbeque and hot sauce vendors are participating, along with approximately 30 food vendors and eight breweries and wineries.

An NC Pepper Eating Contest sponsored by Bailey Farms will begin at 1 p.m. and always proves interesting to watch, said Allen. “I love to see the faces of those going through the many rounds and to see who can actually stand the heat!”

The day will also include activities for children, antique car displays, music, entertainment, shopping at downtown stores and dining at local restaurants.

Participants may also see a film crew on site as the NC Tourism Department will be recording portions of the event to include in its Visit NC “Firsts That Last” state-wide advertising campaign. “They will be there to capture those first experiences that people have at the contest, whether it be trying a pepper for the very first time or sampling sauces that are way too hot,” Allen said.

While the annual contest is literally a lot of fun and games, Allen said the bigger picture is the tourism dollars generated from sales tax on travel expenses such as hotel stays, gasoline, food and entertainment.

“Every time a person travels, they are going to spend money,” explained Allen. “All that sales tax comes back to that particular area and destination.”

In her Town Talk interview, Allen explained that the local area has often been easy for travelers to overlook in the past as they drive through via the interstate to other destinations.

“Tourism departments focus on making their location unique from other destinations,” she said. “You’ve got to play up those things that make you stand out. The hot sauce contest is definitely one of those things that has the platform to make Oxford unique.”

To hear Allen’s interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Granville County Logo

Open Broadband Meeting, Business & Industry Day Among Granville’s Sept. Events

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Granville Co. Community Calendar Items

A COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING, hosted by Granville County Government and Open Broadband, LLC will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Camp Oak Hill and Retreat Center. The 7 p.m. meeting is scheduled to share details and to answer questions about Granville County’s new Broadband Initiative, which will bring high speed internet service to unserved and underserved areas of the county. All interested residents are encouraged to attend and to have questions prepared.

Camp Oak Hill and Retreat Center is located at 1528 Oak Hill Road in Oxford.

THE ANNUAL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY APPRECIATION DAY EVENT is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 24 at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center in Oxford. Local businesses are invited to join Granville County Economic Development, in partnership with the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and Vance-Granville Community College, for an opportunity to network and to learn more about services and resources that are available to assist them. The event is free and open to the public.

For information on reserving a table, contact Lynn Cooper at 919-693-5911 or cooper@granvillecounty.org.

THE CREATIVE LIFELONG LEARNING (CLL) PROGRAM, offered by Granville County Senior Services, has kicked off its fall season with a wide range of classes, activities and educational tours. Upcoming classes include Barn Quilt Painting, taught by Nancy Peele on Monday, Sept. 16 at 10 a.m.; Nutrition, taught by Linda Robinson on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 12:30 p.m.; The Romanov Dynasty, taught by George Robinson on Thursdays from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31 at 10 a.m.; Clogging, taught by Linda Cash on Thursdays from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24 at 8:30 a.m., Decoupage, taught by Christine Luscavich on Friday, Sept. 20 at 9:30 a.m.; and Learning to Play Duplicate Bridge, taught by Chip Hughes, on Fridays from Sept. 20 to Nov. 22 at 10 a.m.

Classes are open to any interested adult in Granville County – you don’t have to be a senior to participate. To learn more about the CLL program or to register for these classes, contact Marilyn Howard at 919-693-1930.

Town Talk 09/03/19: 10th Annual Ducky Derby to Feature Festival-Like Atmosphere

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start will hold its annual Ducky Derby Festival and rubber duck race, a fundraiser for the local Smart Start program, on Saturday, September 21, 2019, in downtown Henderson. The festival begins at 12 p.m. on Breckenridge Street between Perry Memorial Library and the Henderson Police Department.

According to Garry Daeke, development coordinator for F-G-V, this year’s activities include a bounce house and slide, face painting, corn hole, ring toss, balloon animals and performances by the Baby Shark and Paw Patrol characters.

Vendors will be on hand serving hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, sausage dogs, fish sandwiches, corn on the cob, funnel cakes, ice cream and snow cones.

Entertainment will include a DJ, singing performances from several daycare programs, music from Henderson Collegiate, Mary Potter Elementary School band and choir and the drumline from Granville Central High School.

The YMCA will lead line dancing and Zumba in the street and children will have the opportunity to man a real firehose with the assistance of the Henderson Fire Department.

Each child that attends the event will receive a free book, courtesy of Smart Start. Parents will also have the opportunity to enroll any child age birth to 5 in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that sends a book each month to children at their home.

“Our goal is to enroll 1,000 more children from this area into the program,” said Daeke. “We recently reached over 3,000 children enrolled and we are trying to get to 4,000 before the year is over. That would put us at 45-50% of the young children in the Franklin, Granville and Vance County areas that will be getting books in the mail.”

Safe Kids will also be present and will set up childcare safety seat inspections.

At 2 p.m., the entertainment switches to Garnett Street, where the rubber duck race will take place. Up to 2,000 rubber ducks will be poured into the Garnett Street “river” by a Greystone Concrete cement mixer.

The first duck to cross the finish line at Orange Street wins $1,000, second place $500 and third place finish is $250. Even the last duck to cross the finish line wins $100. There will be an additional drawing with one lucky winner receiving free “Chick-fil-A for a year,” a set of 52 meal tickets. Winners of the prizes do not have to be present to win.

In Henderson, tickets are on sale at EZ Car Care, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce and State Employees Credit Union. All Smart Start staff and board members also have tickets, please call (252) 433-9110.

Tickets will also be on sale the day of the race. Ducks are $5 each, a “Quack Pack” of 6 tickets is $25 and a “Flock” of 25 tickets is available for $100.

Sponsors include:

Super Duck: Duke Energy, Union Bank, Granville Medical Center, Boyd & Royster Funeral Services

Top Duck: Charles Boyd Chevrolet and Cardinal Innovations

Feathered Friends: Henderson Family Dentistry, United Healthcare, Wester Realty, Greystone Concrete, City of Henderson, Chick-fil-A and Rose Oil Co.

To hear Daeke’s interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

McGregor Hall Announces Audition Dates for ‘Black Nativity’

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center

Be a part of the retelling of Christ’s birth through gospel song and movement! “Black Nativity” incorporates the poetry of Langston Hughes with drama, dance, and both contemporary and traditional gospel song.

ALL actors of ALL appearances are welcome.

You may choose to audition on either Saturday, September 14 at 10 a.m. or Sunday, September 15 at 3 p.m. You may subsequently be asked to attend a callback audition on Tuesday, September 17 at 7 p.m.

Auditions will be held at McGregor Hall, 201 Breckenridge Street in Henderson. Please enter through the backstage door facing Winder Street at the top of the handicap ramp.

There will be a movement component for the auditions, so please wear appropriate shoes and clothing.

The production opens on Thursday, December 12 with two daytime school field trip performances. There will also be evening performances at 8 p.m. on December 13-14 and a 2 p.m. matinee performance on December 15.

Rehearsals will begin Monday, October 7. Onstage chorus members may be asked to purchase or rent costumes at their own expense.

For more information or to sign up for auditions visit www.mcgregorhall.org/auditions or email markhopper@mcgregorhall.org.

Break a leg!

(This is not a paid advertisement)

CodeRED Logo

Granville Co. to Test CodeRED Community Notification System

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Granville County Government

Granville County’s free emergency notification system, CodeRED, will be tested between 6:30 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10. The purpose of the test is to validate telephone numbers in the Granville County database.

The CodeRED system allows Granville County’s emergency officials to effectively reach residents and personnel through telephone calls, text messages and e-mails. If a resident receives this call, no action is needed. Granville County is merely testing the system to ensure it is operational and to encourage additional residents to enroll to receive future notifications.

This process helps to continually improve the system already in place by increasing the efficiency and speed at which notifications will be delivered during an actual emergency. If citizens of the county are not registered and their phone number is not in the database, they will not receive this call or any other notifications during an emergency.

Robin Edwards, Granville County’s Emergency Services Coordinator, notes that the number of residents who actively add/update their contact information in the emergency database directly impacts the protection that can be provided to people and property.

“Residents, as well as businesses, are encouraged to visit our website and update their contact information,” Edwards said. “In particular, those who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address within the past year and those who use a cellular phone or VolP phone as their primary number.”

A reminder is also offered that if a citizen is already registered for a municipal CodeRED system in their city or town of residence, they are not automatically enrolled in the county-wide database. Granville County enrollment is an entirely separate process.

“If you want to be notified of emergencies across the entire county, then you are urged to register on our website – and to keep your contact information up to date to be better informed,” Edwards adds. “And if you know anyone who is not registered and lives in Granville County, please encourage them to do so.”

To register or for more information about CodeRED, visit the Granville County website, www.granvillecounty.org, and click on the CodeRED logo located on the Emergency Management page. This page can be accessed through the “Community” heading at the top of the home page.

Those without internet access should contact a friend or family member to assist in the online process of adding/updating contact information to the county’s emergency database.

Questions regarding this system test or about CodeRED should be directed to Granville County Emergency Services at 919-603-1310.

Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Meet This Evening

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet Tuesday, September 3, 2019, at 7 p.m. at the Granville Expo and Convention Center, 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford.

Agenda items include:

Consent Agenda

1. Contingency Summary

2. Minutes

3. Tax Releases and Refunds

4. Resolution Designation of Applicant’s Agent (DAA) Hurricane Florence Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

Recognitions and Presentations

5. Recognition of Service – Carolyn W. Trappiel

Public Comments

6. Public Comments

Public Hearings

7. Public Hearing for Economic Development – Project Cookie

Tax Matters

8. Oxford Preparatory School 2019 Property Tax Exemption

Solid Waste Matters

9. Solid Waste Residential, Collection Franchise and Convenience Site Management – Second Reading

Purchasing

10. Smoke Testing Amendment to Agreement

11. Inspections Department Pickup Truck

12. Detention Center Transit 250 Cargo Van and Van Insert

Appointments

13. Research Triangle Regional Partnership Board of Directors

14. Granville County Human Relations Commission

15. Granville County Economic Development Advisory Board

16. Granville County Digital Infrastructure Planning Committee

County Manager’s Report

17. Granville County Volunteer Services Enhancements

18. Granville County Employee NCDOT Fall Litter Sweep Event

County Attorney’s Report

19. County Attorney’s Report

Presentations by County Board Members

20. Presentations by County Board Members

Any Other Matters

21. Any Other Matters

To view Granville Co. Board of Commissioner meeting agendas and minutes, click here. 

VGCC Holds Convocation to Start New Academic Year

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College recently held its annual fall convocation to bring faculty and staff together for a kick-off to the new academic year.

Much of the event focused on a discussion of student success. Special guests for the convocation were representatives of “Achieving the Dream” (ATD), a national education reform organization designed to assist community colleges with improving student success. VGCC joined the ATD network of colleges in 2018.

ATD Leadership Coach Dr. Joanne Bashford and ATD Data Coach Dr. Linda Hagedorn presented information about the college’s progress in moving the needle on student success in the past six months.

VGCC Director of Planning & Research Julie Hicks and English faculty member Frankie Frink provided their colleagues with updates on key data points and forms of support to address the needs of students who are food insecure, respectively.

VGCC’s participation in Achieving the Dream and the leadership of Dr. Rachel Desmarais, who became college president earlier this year, have caused the college to place a greater emphasis on data related to teaching and learning, and equitable student outcomes for all.

Approximately 44 VGCC faculty and staff members serve on one of four ATD teams: the Core, Data, Communications, and Strategies teams. These teams will continue to work collaboratively throughout the fall semester to develop an Action Plan derived from the feedback and planning that took place during the fall convocation. This ATD Action Plan will be connected to the VGCC Strategic Plan.

“Convocation provided an opportunity for all new and returning faculty to learn more about the latest with ATD and provide feedback,” said Dr. Levy Brown, the college’s vice president of Learning, Student Engagement & Success. “We are committed to equitable student outcomes, which ultimately impact student success.”

The event also included the opportunity to recognize VGCC employees who have recently hit milestones by completing five, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 years of service.

“As we mark the 50th anniversary of Vance-Granville Community College’s service to the community, we celebrate the dedicated people who have made the college a wonderful place to work and learn, while we also look ahead to the future through the Achieving the Dream program,” said Dr. Desmarais.

Wildcats Softball to Host 220 Seafood Fundraiser

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information and photo courtesy Amanda Pegram, Wildcats Softball 

The Wildcats Softball team will hold a fundraiser at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson on Monday, September 9, 2019, from 4 to 7 p.m.

$7.00 per plate. Eat-in or take out.

Dinner includes fried trout, french fries, coleslaw and hushpuppies. Drink included for eat-in only. Glad to serve walk-ins.

Proceeds will be used to fund tournaments and purchase needed equipment.

Please help support this great group of girls from Granville, Vance, Warren, and Halifax counties.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Kerr Tar Regional Council of Governments

Kerr-Tar Regional COG to Offer Eligible Residents Emergency Home Repairs

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments

The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments (COG) has been awarded $200,000 by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) under the 2019 cycle of the Urgent Repair Program to assist residents in the counties of Franklin, Granville, Person, Vance and Warren.

The Urgent Repair program finances emergency home repairs for homeowners who are elderly or have special needs and whose incomes are below 50% of the median for the area. Only repairs that address imminent threats to the life and/or safety of occupants of the dwelling unit or accessibility modifications will be performed under the program. A total of 18 households are projected to be assisted.

In the Urgent Repair Program, one or two critical problems may be repaired, but the entire house is not addressed. Examples of work typically done under this program include roof or HVAC system repair, well or septic system repairs, adding accessibility features like ramps, bathroom grab bars and wider doors.

The COG will provide assistance to those whose homes are selected for repairs in the form of a loan. Homeowners will receive an unsecured deferred, interest-free loan, forgiven at a rate of $2,000 per year until the principal balance is reduced to zero. The maximum amount of the loan available is $10,000.

Applications are available starting September 2, 2019, and must be returned to the COG office by 5 p.m. on November 1, 2019. Clients to be assisted will be selected by January 1, 2020.

The application and program information are available on the Kerr-Tar Regional COG website at www.kerrtarcog.org or by calling 252-436-2040.

The funds provided by the NCHFA for the Urgent Repair Program come from the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund.

Granville Crime Stoppers

Granville Co. Crime Stoppers to Host Seminar on Ministry Safety

/by

100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy Granville County Government

Granville County Crime Stoppers will host a seminar on Ministry Safety and Security on September 4.

This one-day course, to be held at West Oxford Baptist Church (627 Hillsboro Street), will instruct participants on how to build a security team, how to deal with difficult people and situations and ways to protect people from harm.

The purpose of Granville County Crime Stoppers is to help make Granville County a safer place to live, work, and raise a family by assisting law enforcement in the fight against crime.

The church is a public place and is susceptible to a variety of safety and security situations.

Fees for this seminar include the cost of materials and lunch.

Registration is available at www.AmericanChurchGroup-NorthCarolina.com. For more details, call 877-766-7981.