Local Small Business Summit to be held April 6th at Warren County Armory

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The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has announced the complete lineup of presenters for the fifth Small Business Summit, which will be held Thursday, April 6, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m., at the Warren County Armory Civic Center in Warrenton.

The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, the Warren County Economic Development Commission, and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center are partnering with the college to organize the event, which has the theme, “Driving Your Business: Staying Ahead of the Curves.” CenturyLink is the presenting sponsor. Other co-sponsors are Halifax Electric Membership Corporation, the Lake Gaston Gazette-Observer, The Daily Dispatch, The Warren Record, WARR 1520 AM and WIZS 1450 AM.

The summit kicks off at 11 a.m. with an interactive session entitled “Google – Get Your Business on the Map,” led by Craig Hahn, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County. Participants are encouraged to set up a free Google/Gmail account prior to this workshop, if they do not already have one. Hahn will help local businesses “claim” their listings on the leading search engine, which will help their customers find up-to-date information. He will also review free tools that Google has available for increased visibility.

During lunch, the keynote address will be presented by Tammy Crowley-Deloatch, a nationally certified personal trainer and president of New Day Fitness in Roanoke Rapids. Her discussion is entitled “Put Your Dreams to the Test,” in which she describes a dream as “an inspiring picture of the future that energizes your mind, will, and emotions, empowering you to do everything you can to achieve it.” She will ask participants a series of key questions that provide a powerful learning process that greatly increases the likelihood of success in achieving their dreams.

The afternoon features a pair of interactive sessions led by Chisa Pennix-Brown, CEO of Lady Bizness, based in Greensboro. Pennix-Brown has 15 years of experience in business coaching, community outreach, and social media insight. Her most recent accomplishment is becoming the author of “The 90 Day Focus: Your Action Plan for Success.”

In the first seminar, “Business Apps Made Easy” (1-3 p.m.), Pennix-Brown will teach participants how they can save time and money using mobile apps that help with marketing, syncing calendars, saving content, and creating multiple posts on their social media accounts. Attendees are encouraged to bring their iPhone or Android phones or tablets along with their logins and passwords for existing social media accounts.

The second seminar is “Facebook Made Easy” (3-5 p.m.), in which participants will learn how to use Facebook pages to brand their businesses and engage customers. Pennix-Brown will cover how to start a page from scratch; how to schedule messages that save time; how to automate their marketing and keep people on their page; and apps that integrate to make their businesses stand out.

The purpose of the Small Business Summit is to engage, empower and enrich participants to help make their small businesses more successful through innovative marketing practices. “We welcome all aspiring entrepreneurs, small business owners, and non-profit leaders to participate in this inspirational, educational and motivational experience with us,” said Tanya Weary, director of the VGCC Small Business Center.

All sessions during the summit are free of charge. Lunch will be provided free of charge to the first 100 registered participants by CenturyLink. After that point, lunch is $10.

For more information, contact VGCC Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

Granville Little Theatre To Present Hello, Dolly!

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Greetings beloved Patrons,

We are so excited to bring Hello Dolly to the stage for you!  Our opening night is this week on Friday.  We have been busy perfecting the show, locating a new venue, and making final plans for our awesome supporters!  …  Yes, I said locating a new venue.

Unfortunately, there was a conflict with the use of City Hall Auditorium.  However, the show must go on!!!  We will be performing Hello Dolly in the auditorium of Northern Granville Middle School at 3144 Webb School Road, Oxford, NC 27525.  The up side to our last minute venue change is that we can accommodate more than double the amount of patrons!  So, please help us get the word out!  We would love to have a packed house for all shows! We appreciate you all and can’t wait to see you at the show!!!

Warm Regards,
Cast and Crew of Hello Dolly and the GLT Board Members

Details:

Hello, Dolly!
March 24th – 25th & 31st – April 1st @ 7:30 p.m. and March 26th & April 2nd @ 2:30 p.m., 2017
School Shows: March 30th @ 9:00 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

​Directed by: Kevin Holmes
Assistant Director: Ben Shelton
Music Director: Joey Humbert
Choreographer: Genianne Elliott
Technical Director: Channing Elliott
Stage Managers: Ann Lawrence-Holmes & Daniel Gierisch
Set Design: Rick Lue
Creative Consultant: Mitchell W Butts
Producer: Kim Pryor
​For Tickets go to:
https://events.ticketprinting.com/event/22744

Local Blood Donation Opportunities Coming in April

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RALEIGH, N.C. (Mar. 20, 2017) – The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood during National Volunteer Month this April. Donating blood is a simple way to make a profound difference in the lives of patients.

Nearly 2.8 million generous people donated blood through the Red Cross last year. The Red Cross salutes these volunteer blood donors who helped fulfill its lifesaving mission and invites others to roll up a sleeve and join them.

Bill Parr has been donating blood for more than 30 years. “I think it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do, knowing that such a simple act can have such a positive impact on another human being in a time of need,” he said.

Volunteer donors are the only source of blood products for those in need of transfusions. Donors of all blood types are needed this spring.

Make an appointment to donate blood by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

NC

Granville

Oxford

4/10/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Oxford United Methodist Church, 105 W McClanahan St

Stem

4/5/2017: 9 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Granville Central High School, 2043 Sanders Rd

_______________

Person

Roxboro

4/13/2017: 1:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Person Family Medical & Dental Center, 702 N. Main St.

_______________

Warren

Macon

4/7/2017: 2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., Macon Baptist Church, 159 Church Street

How to help

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

Volunteers needed

Another way to support the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross is to become a volunteer transportation specialist and deliver lifesaving blood products to local area hospitals. Volunteer transportation specialists play a very important role in ensuring an ample blood supply for patients in need by transporting blood and blood products. For more information and to apply for a volunteer transportation specialist position, visit rdcrss.org/driver.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

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Oxford Finance Committee to Meet to Discuss Federal Interest Rate Hike

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CITY OF OXFORD

MARCH 23, 2017

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING

The Finance Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, March 23, 2017 at 10:00 AM. The meeting will be held in the Mayor’s Conference Room, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss with Mr. Lee Carter who is with our investment firm North Carolina Capital Management Trust, to discuss investment opportunities as the FEDs just raised interest rate.

All those interested are invited to attend.

Cynthia Bowen

Interim City Clerk

City of Oxford

G.K. Butterfield Comments on Trump’s Budget Blueprint

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WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) today released the following statement on President Donald Trump’s budget blueprint for FY2018:

“Budgets demonstrate priorities.  And once again, President Trump- though, light on details- clearly demonstrates regressive priorities that will have an extreme impact on working families.

“If Congress adopts President Trump’s proposed budget, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the State Department face large cuts. Smaller agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting stand to be eliminated under President Trump’s plan.  The President’s proposal also calls for the elimination of key economic development agencies including the Minority Business Development Agency and the Economic Development Administration.

“This budget fails to address our economic problems by slashing funding that supports our long-standing commitment to increase economic opportunities through investments in education, infrastructure, affordable housing, and job training.  Many of these programs sustain older Americans and so many in eastern North Carolina.

“I am outraged by the President’s call to drastically cut funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  This will be devastating to programs that support public housing in low-income communities and, quite frankly, keep a roof over people’s heads.  Under the President’s proposal, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) will be cut entirely, significantly impacting small, rural communities like the ones in my congressional district.  More than 88,000 households in North Carolina benefit from LIHEAP, and the very threat of this program’s elimination could push these families beyond the tipping point.  The CDBG program has been a successful means of helping communities secure federal funding for local neighborhood revitalization, housing rehabilitation, and economic development activities.

“I cannot and will not support measures that take a wrecking ball to programs that have long supported low and moderate-income Americans.

“President Trump calls his proposal the ‘America First’ budget, but this plan puts many Americans last.”

https://butterfield.house.gov

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Be careful when burning debris in spring

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Wildfire risk typically higher from March to May

RALEIGH – The N.C. Forest Service is urging residents across the state to think safety and exercise caution during the spring fire season, which typically lasts from March to May.

“During the spring fire season, people do a lot of yard work that often includes burning leaves and yard debris,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “There are many factors to consider before doing any burning.”

North Carolinians thinking about burning debris should contact their county ranger for advice first, Troxler said. “The ranger can help maximize safety for people, property and the forest.”

Follow guidelines to reduce risk of wildfire

For people who choose to burn debris, the NCFS urges them to adhere to the following tips to protect property and prevent wildfires:

  • Consider alternatives to burning. Some yard debris, such as leaves and grass, may be more valuable if composted.
  • Check with your county fire marshal’s office for local laws on burning debris. Some communities allow burning only during specified hours; others forbid it entirely.
  • Make sure you have an approved burning permit, which can be obtained at any NCFS office, county-approved burning permit agent, or online at https://ncforestservice.gov.
  • Check the weather. Don’t burn if conditions are dry or windy.
  • Only burn natural vegetation from your property. Burning household trash or any other man-made materials is illegal. Trash should be hauled away to a convenience center.
  • Plan burning for the late afternoon when conditions are typically less windy and more humid.
  • If you must burn, be prepared. Use a shovel or hoe to clear a perimeter around the area where you plan to burn.
  • Keep fire tools ready. To control the fire, you will need a hose, bucket, a steel rake and a shovel for tossing dirt on the fire.
  • Never use flammable liquids such as kerosene, gasoline or diesel fuel to speed burning.
  • Stay with your fire until it is completely out. In North Carolina, human carelessness leads to more wildfires than any other cause. In fact, debris burning is the No. 1 cause of wildfires in the state.
  • These same tips hold true for campfires and barbecues, too. Douse burning charcoal briquettes or campfires thoroughly with water. When the coals are soaked, stir them and soak them again. Be sure they are out cold and carefully feel to be sure they are extinguished. Never dump hot ashes or coals into a wooded area.
  • Burning agriculture residue and forestland litter: In addition to the guidelines above, a fire line should be plowed around the area to be burned. Large fields should be separated into small plots for burning one at a time. Before doing any burning in a wooded area, contact your county ranger, who will weigh all factors, explain them and offer technical advice.

For more information on ways you can prevent wildfires and loss of property visit https://ncforestservice.gov.

Granville County Public Schools Pre-K and Kindergarten Registration Begins

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Time to register for

Pre-K and Kindergarten

 

Plan to register your child at the school within your attendance zone.

If you’re not sure which school your child should attend, call 919-693-6412.

 

Butner-Stem

Elementary

Thursday, April 6

1:30pm – 6:00pm

   CG Credle

Elementary

Tues-Thurs, April 4,5,6

7:30am – 5:00pm

   Creedmoor

Elementary

Wednesday, March 29

8:00am – 6:00pm
         
Joe Toler-Oak Hill

Elementary

Wednesday, March 29

7:00am – 5:00pm

   Mt. Energy

Elementary

Thursday, April 6

7:00am – 6:00pm

   Stovall-Shaw

Elementary

Thursday, April 6

8:00am – 6:30pm
         
Tar River

Elementary

Tuesday, March 28

7:00am – 7:00pm

   West Oxford

Elementary

Tuesday, March 28

7:30am – 6:00pm

  

Wilton

Elementary

Thursday, April 6

8:30am – 6:00pm

Pre-K application deadline is June 9th!

Your child does not have to be present to be registered, but you will need to take along the following:

  • Proof of residence (current electric, city gas or city water bill, OR signed lease agreement)
  • Child’s birth certificate
  • Child’s immunization record
  • Proof of income for Pre-K

Questions?

Call your assigned school OR Call 919-725 1816 OR Email cruteb@gcs.k12.nc.us

—

Stan Winborne, Ed.D.
Director of High Schools
Director of Career & Technical Education Program
Public Information Officer
Granville County Schools
Phone (919) 693-4613
Fax (919) 693-7391
email:  winbornes@gcs.k12.nc.us

Computer-aided drafting course offered at VGCC

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Vance-Granville Community College has scheduled a “CAD with Solid Edge” course, to be held Monday through Thursday, April 3 through May 25, on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County. Students will choose to take the course on one of two different schedules: 9 a.m. until noon, or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Solid Edge is a Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) software program, produced by Siemens, which is used in a variety of industries, including advanced manufacturing.

This course introduces students to the three-dimensional solid modeling and design software. Topics include design sketching, basic three-dimensional design considerations and techniques, model creation, model editing, model rendering, analysis of solid models and creation of multi-view drawings. Upon completion, students should be able to use design techniques to sketch, model, edit, and render 3D models and generate multi-view 2D drawings. Students will learn how to create and print 2D drawings from 3D solid models and send solid models to a 3D printer.

The instructor for the course is Peter M. Robinson.

Students may become certified through Siemens upon passing the credentialing exam.

The cost of this course is $187 plus the cost of textbooks and the exam.

Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/oex or in person at any VGCC campus. The deadline to register is March 28. For more information, contact VGCC at oex@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3324.

–VGCC–

Couldn’t get enough of the 3rd President? VGCC to welcome back “Thomas Jefferson”

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A series of lectures at Vance-Granville Community College by Bill Barker, in character as President Thomas Jefferson, were so popular in 2016 that the college’s Endowment Fund is bringing him back to the community.

Barker will speak as Jefferson on the “Freedom for Religion” in the VGCC Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus in Vance County on Monday, March 20, at 11 a.m.

Then, he will present “Mr. Jefferson on Food and Wine” at the same location on Monday, March 27, at 11 a.m. The VGCC Culinary Arts department will provide refreshments for the occasion.

Both of the talks are different from the well-received presentations that he made at VGCC in 2016, which touched on science, the Constitution and slavery.

This year’s hour-long presentations, which include time for questions from the audience, are free and open to the public.

Barker has portrayed Thomas Jefferson in a variety of venues since his first appearance at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1984. He has received critical acclaim as the resident “Mr. Jefferson” at Colonial Williamsburg, Va., since 1993.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, his interest in Thomas Jefferson reaches back to his youth. He enjoys researching the American world Jefferson knew with an interest in the role this Founding Father played and continues to play in our American identity. Barker has a local connection, as his father was an Oxford native and he has many relatives in Granville County.

Barker received a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in history, from Villanova University. Attracted to the stage at an early age, he became a professional actor, director and producer. He was cast as Jefferson in the musical, 1776. Barker is the same height, weight and general appearance as Mr. Jefferson. When Barker spoke at VGCC in 2016, David Wyche, the college’s English department chair, remarked, “Short of time travel, this is as close as we can come to meeting the man himself.”

He has performed as Jefferson at the White House, the Palace of Versailles and throughout the United States, Great Britain, France and even on the Las Vegas Strip. He appeared as the Founding Father in programs that aired on ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, CNN, The History Channel, and C-SPAN.

For more information on the Thomas Jefferson programs, call VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.

–VGCC–

New members join VGCC endowment board

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The Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund Board of Directors recently welcomed four new members. They include Tanya Evans of Timberlake, Ronnie Goswick of Franklinton, Katharine Macon Horner of Durham and Marshall Tanner of Oxford.

“We are delighted to welcome these leaders to our Endowment board, and we appreciate their commitment to supporting our students and our mission,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.

The board of directors oversees the Endowment Fund Corporation, a nonprofit organization established in 1976 to seek and receive scholarship funds and other contributions for the college.

Evans is a district manager in Duke Energy’s government and community relations department. She is responsible for external relations, issue management, community involvement and corporate contributions for the company’s northeast region, which covers Caswell, Person, Granville, Vance, Warren, Franklin, Edgecombe, Nash, Wilson and Halifax counties. Duke Energy has established numerous scholarships for VGCC students and awarded several grants to the college over the years. Evans has a degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Goswick is the director of business and economic development at Carolina Sunrock, based in Raleigh. The company is a longtime supporter of the college and has endowed a VGCC scholarship in its name. Goswick served for 25 years in local government with Franklin County and the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments as an economic development director. He is also a former Franklin County commissioner and member of the Town of Franklinton Board of Commissioners. Goswick is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in business.

Horner is a Henderson native who graduated from Atlantic Christian College (today known as Barton College) with a degree in health and physical education and from Wilson County Technical Institute (today known as Wilson Community College) with an associate degree in nursing. She retired after a lengthy, varied career in health care, having spent many years working as a nurse at Duke Medical Center. Horner has endowed two scholarships at VGCC in memory of her parents and grandparents.

Tanner spent his career in the manufacturing sector, retiring in 2010 as a vice president of Bridgestone Bandag, another company that has supported the VGCC Endowment Fund for many years and endowed a scholarship in its name. He managed plants for that company in Iowa and Georgia before finally moving to its Oxford location. Tanner earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial management at Georgia Tech. Active in his community, he received the John Penn Citizen of the Year Award in 2003 from the Granville County Chamber of Commerce.

The four new additions join current Endowment Fund board members Robert L. Hubbard (the vice-chair), Julius Banzet III, Sarah Baskerville, Rep. James W. Crawford, Jr., Dr. Ben F. Currin, Clay Frazier, L. Opie Frazier, Jr., Rev. Dr. Richard M. Henderson, Darryl Moss, T.S. Royster, Jr., Donald C. Seifert, Sr., Josh Towne and Todd Wemyss. As president of VGCC, Dr. Stelfanie Williams chairs the board.

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,800 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–