Tickets On Sale Now for The Boys & Girls Club of Granville County’s Mardi Gras Bash Fundraiser

By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire

The second annual Mardi Gras Bash Fundraiser to benefit the Granville County Unit of the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Central North Carolina (BGCNCNC) will be held Saturday, February 10 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Vino Oasi, an event center located in Stem, NC.

According to Jackie Sergent, mayor of the City of Oxford and an advisory council member of the Granville Boys & Girls Club, the fundraiser will be a celebratory event for all full of “lots of beads, lots of masks, and lots of color.” Participants are encouraged to dress in their finest Mardi Gras attire.

The fundraiser will include a dinner of a signature drink, appetizers, soup, salad, bourbon chicken, shredded beef and onions, vegetables and four-cheese macaroni followed by a traditional Mardi Gras dessert of king cake. In addition to great food, guests will enjoy the look, feel and sounds of New Orleans’ Bourbon Street with jazz music, festive décor and a photo booth.

A 50/50 raffle will be held as well as a wine pull. For $20, participants will be able to pull a wine with a value up to $70. Also for $20, a purchaser can select a person of their choice to sing karaoke. The selected person then must sing a song or will have the opportunity to pay $25 to decline the offer.

Tickets are on sale now for $50 a person and may be purchased at The Hub on Main or Uptown 101 in downtown Oxford, online by visiting the BGCNCNC Facebook page or by calling the Granville Boys & Girls Club office at (919) 690-0036.

A van will depart from The Hub on Main every 15 minutes beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 and will shuttle Mardi Gras Bash participants to the Vino Oasi location at 3220 Bliss Trail in Stem, NC free of charge. Parking is available behind The Hub.

All proceeds go to support the Granville County Unit of BGCNCNC. Money raised supports the mission of the club and allows for expansion opportunities and a potential cost savings to participants.

“The Boys & Girls Club is the single most nimble way to make an impact on child performance and support the local school system,” said Sergent. According to Sergent, 100% of recent Boys & Girls Club participants in the local five-county area graduated from high school, with 95% advancing to places of higher education or serving in the military.

The club offers after-school and summer break care to area youth up to five days a week until 6:30 pm. For $10 a week, children are provided snacks, homework assistance, fun activities, social interaction, dinner and a safe place to stay.

DeLauren White, unit director for the Granville Boys & Girls Club, explains that the club focuses on three main components with youth-academic success, good character and leadership and healthy habits. “There seems to be a misconception that the Boys & Girls Club is like a daycare. We are much more active and much more hands-on. We are really trying to change the lives of young people and I truly believe we are doing that,” White said.

With the majority of the youth being children between the ages of 5-12, the club aims to increase the number of teenagers they serve. Teen nights are now available on Friday nights from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. and on Saturday nights from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Fundraising events such as the Mardi Gras Bash help make expansion projects such as teen nights possible and ensure continued coverage of current program offerings. The public is invited to attend Saturday night’s bash to celebrate Mardi Gras and support the Granville County Boys & Girls Club. Those that cannot attend the event are also welcomed to make a donation.

(This is not a paid advertisement.)

Legacy of Martin Luther King discussed at VGCC

— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College hosted a program to discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 24, after being postponed due to winter weather. The discussion was sponsored by the college’s Minority Male Success Initiative and was held in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus.

VGCC Counselor Cathy Davis made remarks about the purpose of the event and the King holiday. She quoted the King Center, which said the observance commemorates Dr. King’s actions and words that “answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles.” Davis added, “The Minority Male Success Initiative invites you to commemorate this holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity, promote Dr. King’s teachings and carry forward his legacy.”

The program then featured VGCC student Angelica Bridges of Oxford presenting a powerful rendition of the song, “Rise Up.”

The featured speaker for the event was Roberta Scott, a longtime public school teacher and retired Adult High School coordinator for VGCC. Scott is currently a member of the Warren County Board of Education, an officer of the N.C. School Boards Association, and an advisor to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 1963, she participated in the March on Washington, at which Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

First, Scott described growing up in Washington, D.C, in an era when the nation’s capital was racially segregated, recalling the practices that restricted her access to certain restaurants, playgrounds, schools and even seats on trains. She then put the 1963 march in its political and historical context.

“Dr. King met with President John F. Kennedy, and he told the president about the severity of the injustices in the country,” Scott recalled. “Dr. King said we needed a civil rights bill. President Kennedy told him, ‘I understand, but we have so other many things going on’ and said it couldn’t get done right now.”

Scott said that, after that somewhat disappointing conversation with the president, King’s next move was “to organize a nonviolent march in Washington, the march to the Lincoln memorial, which Dr. King felt would be a fitting place.”

She remembered, “There were 250,000 people who marched that August 28 — people marching cheerfully, having conversations, and there was no violence whatsoever. You saw whole families, children marching with their parents. My husband and I were there, and our four-year-old daughter marched right along with us. It was a sight that you will never forget.”

“I don’t think President Kennedy expected Dr. King to really go back and organize such a march,” Scott noted. With many national civil rights groups working together to organize the massive demonstration, the event was effective in galvanizing public support for a federal civil rights bill, which ultimately was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination.

Scott said that young people today typically cannot imagine what the era of segregation was like, because of the work that was done by King and other leaders to make change happen. “You can go anywhere to eat, you can sit where you want to on the bus or the train, go to the college you want to go to, you can do all of these things without even having to think about it,” Scott said. “But there was a day when you couldn’t do that. It’s hard for you to realize.”

She emphasized the importance of rejecting hatred and of voting. “We need to become passionate in a nonviolent way, and we need to encourage everyone 18 years or older to vote,” Scott said. “Do whatever you can in your community to help, to make a difference, and to keep Dr. King’s dream alive, the dream of equality and freedom.”

The program was one of two organized by the VGCC Minority Male Success Initiative in honor of the King holiday. The other was a trip for students to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro.

–VGCC–

Granville County Public Schools

Granville County Board of Education Retreat Meeting Sat, Feb 10, 2018

NOTICE TO PUBLIC AND PRESS

The Granville County Board of Education will meet in a Board Retreat on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at the Masonic Children Home, 600 College Street, Oxford, NC 27565 at 9:00 a.m. The Board will meet in Closed Session for Personnel/Attorney Client Privilege in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321.

Dywanda Pettaway
Clerk to Board of Education

News 02/07/18

Community Partnership for Pets $10k Grant to Vance County

Community Partnership for Pets $10k Grant to Vance County

Frankie Nobles, Chief of Vance County Animal Services, told WIZS News in a press release that Vance County is the recipient of a $10,000.00 spay/neuter grant.

The grant was applied for on January 26, and Nobles indicated it would be used as follows:

  • Spay/Neuter for citizens in the community who are considered low income, but do not qualify for our free program.
  • Free spay/neuter and rabies vaccines for families turning in litters of puppies/kittens (Prevent a Litter)
  • Start a TNR program for cats in the community.

TNR stands for Trap-Neuter-Return.

Nobles said, “These funds will be a great help getting animals in the community spayed/neutered. We anticipate that with this assistance for more citizens, we will see fewer litters of puppies and kittens being brought into the shelter. We are also hoping to see our yearly intakes at the shelter decrease each year as we start a TNR program for feral cats in the community.”

The OPS Academic Honorees Fall Semester 2017/2018


WIZS has been asked to announce:

Vance County, NC

Water Planning Committee Seeks Self-Sufficiency in Customer-Friendly Incentives

At Monday night’s Vance County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Water Planning Committee discussed its plan for self-sufficiency for the county water system by presenting two possible incentives focused on the goal of attracting a new customer base.

The first incentive called for “forgiving” the outstanding balance of availability customers once they have been connected to the water system for a period of time. Availability customers are the portion of active customers who signed up for the water system, but never made an actual connection.

According to County Manager Jordan McMillen, there are currently a total of 434 availability customers who are responsible for a $30 monthly fee as a result of their commitment to the system and having water available to their property.

The second incentive presented to the Board would allow existing/active customers to receive a credit on their bill for referring a friend or neighbor who becomes an active water customer. This referral incentive would only apply to existing/active customers.

Both incentives aim at increasing the water system’s customer base. The county water system currently serves 1,282 active customers in the Sandy Creek, Dabney and Williamsboro townships, with 848 metered customers hooked into the system.

According to McMillen, the total number of current metered customers comprises slightly more than half of the overall number needed to reach self-sufficiency. “To achieve self-sufficiency, we need approximately 1,500 to 1,600 active metered customers. Our multi-year financial plan for the system includes converting more availability customers to active customers as well as adding new customers to the system to alleviate a situation where the county is providing approximately $400,000 a year from the general fund to offset and subsidize the water system,” stated McMillen.

McMillen noted that it is typical for a new water system to be subsidized for a period of time while the customer base builds. He believes incentives and current customer satisfaction will go a long way into building the necessary customer base. “The incentives discussed are being proposed as a way to add customers. Once they join the system, they are happy with what they are receiving, they like the fact that water is available when the power is out, and they have peace of mind not having to worry with wells drying up, well pumps or related issues,” McMillen remarked.

After hearing the incentive proposals, the Board instructed staff to develop the necessary language and specifics to move forward with the customer referral incentive for consideration at the water committee’s February meeting. The committee then plans to bring the more developed customer referral program language back to the board of commissioners for consideration at their March meeting. The Board was not in favor of the outstanding balance forgiveness proposal at this time.

In addition to the discussion of the two incentives, the committee also heard from three availability customers and one active customer who favored eliminating the $30 fee and replacing it with an annual tax or another type of assessment.

McMillen acknowledged that the challenge with eliminating the availability fee is making up the difference elsewhere. “The challenge with eliminating any fee is that it widens the gap in funding that is necessary to reach self-sufficiency and essentially requires a different revenue option or fee to fill its place,” explained McMillen.

While the committee works diligently to reach its goal, McMillen reported that the system is keeping its current customer base happy. “The water committee is continually looking for ways to decrease expenditures, add customers, and increase revenues to bring the system to self-sufficiency.  As the committee continues to do this, we are cognizant that the water system is serving citizens and satisfying a need for quality drinking water and fire protection throughout the county,” McMillen stated.

City of Oxford Public Works, Water and Infrastructure Committee Meeting Feb 9, 2018

According to a press release issued by the City of Oxford, the Public Works, Water and Infrastructure Committee will meet Friday, February 9, 2018 at 8:30 a.m.

The meeting will be held in the First Floor Training Room, City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street. The purpose of the meeting is
to discuss Macra Lace Company’s request to drill a well to supplement their water usage for dyeing purposes.

All those interested are invited to attend.

VGCC guest speaker starts series on the brain

— courtesy VGCC

Phil Dixon is passionate about the human brain, and he communicated his passion in a fascinating Jan. 30 discussion that kicked off a series of three lectures hosted by Vance-Granville Community College, entitled “Using Your Brain for a Change.”

Originally from England, Dixon has lived in Oxford, N.C., for less than a year. His work history has spanned many different industries and parts of the world, including a stint at Apple.

Today, though, Dixon spends much of his time reading the latest research about neuroscience and determining how that research can be translated into practical application in our daily lives. In particular, Dixon is deeply involved in the application of neuroscience to leadership and management issues.

He said the reason that he and others focus on the brain is simple. “Everything we think, do and dream starts right between your ears, so I think it’s pretty important to take a look at what’s going on there,” Dixon said. Beyond that, he recalled that, years ago, he noticed the abundance of books and articles being published by supposed experts on the subject of leadership. “And yet, with all that available, we didn’t seem to be producing any better leaders,” Dixon said. “In fact, we seemed to be producing leaders who were getting worse. I wondered why. I studied and realized that if we can better understand the brain, maybe we can be better leaders.”

Dixon began his interactive presentation by giving the audience an outline of the brain’s structure, which can be divided not only into two halves but also into three “layers.”

“The first layer, going from bottom to top, is what is sometimes called the ‘lizard brain,’ which is the activator for the fight-or-flight response,” Dixon explained. “It’s pretty much on autopilot. It keeps you breathing.” Second is the “mammalian brain” or the “limbic system.” “This layer is responsible for managing your emotions, memories, biases and habits, and is the activator of decision-making,” he said. “Finally there is the neocortex, which is responsible for those things we typically describe as what make us human: language, imagination, consciousness and reasoning.”

Dixon said that each of the brain’s approximately 86 billion neurons is connected to thousands of other neurons. “We used to think the brain looked like a computer, but now we think it looks more like the Internet, with everything connected to everything else,” he said. “Your brain continues to change, and make new connections, throughout your life. Its ‘neuroplasticity,’ its ability to change, is huge.”

The human brain is constantly “scanning” the environment, Dixon explained, picking up on cues that indicate potential threats and potential rewards. “Of all the ‘circuitry’ in the brain, we have five times as many circuits in the brain to pick up threats as we do to pick up rewards,” he said.

He described the brain’s reactions with the “Five P’s”: Protection, Participation, Prediction, Purpose and Pleasure. “What people want is to feel physically and emotionally safe, we want to feel part of the group, and to be able to predict or have control over our environment,” Dixon said. “If those are taken care of, we feel safe. Then, we are able to find out what our purpose is in life, and we can enjoy the pleasures of life.”

Dixon said he was “blown away” when he learned that researchers discovered that the brain treats an emotional threat in the exact same way as a physical threat. “If I diss or reject someone or shout at them, to the brain, it’s exactly the same as if I slapped them around,” he noted.

Chemically, Dixon said, when a human feels threatened, the brain releases cortisol, the so-called “stress hormone.” The bad news is that the cortisol “hangs around” in the brain for between two and five hours after the threat. “So in most work or learning environments, you really don’t want to put someone’s brain into a threat state if you can possibly avoid it, because cortisol practically shuts down someone’s ability to plan and organize, initiate and learn,” Dixon argued.

One thing that puts the brain into a “threat state,” he explained, is change. “We are in a “VUCA” environment today: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity,” he said. “The brain likes to be able to predict things.”

Dixon’s series continues on Tuesday, Feb. 27, with “Your Brain on its Own,” focusing on how the brain operates when people are alone, including how they focus, make decisions and manage stress and time. The lecture is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. The public is invited.

The series concludes with “Your Brain with Another Person” on Tuesday, March 27. Dixon’s lectures are presented by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. For more information, call Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.

–VGCC–

Home and Garden Show 02/06/18