Casino Night moved to Sept 28th
Please note that the Granville County Chamber’s 1st Annual Casino Night event, DENIM AND DIAMONDS, has been postponed from this Saturday, March 3, to Friday, September 28th.
VGCC schedules tax seminar for small businesses
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2018
VGCC schedules tax seminar for small businesses
The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center, in partnership with Woodforest National Bank and the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, is offering a “Lunch Break to Educate” seminar on “Tax Planning & Reporting for a Small Business” on Wednesday, March 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The seminar, which is free of charge, will be held at the Chamber of Commerce office at 414 South Garnett Street in Henderson.
After completing this seminar, attendees will be able to identify the federal, state and local tax reporting requirements of a small business and its owner, and to establish a plan to account and pay for those taxes. They will also learn how to identify methods for researching the local, municipal, and county reporting/licensing requirements for a small business.
Lunch will be provided by Woodforest National Bank to the first 20 participants who register.
The seminar is part of a series, called “Preparing for a Healthy Business in 2018,” being offered by the VGCC Small Business Center periodically throughout the year.
Registration can be completed online at www.vgcc.edu/schedules/small-business-center. The deadline to register is March 2.
For more information, contact Tanya Weary at smallbusiness@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3240.
–VGCC–
Registration Underway for the 2018 Master Gardener Symposium
By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire
The Master Gardner volunteers invite the public to attend the annual Master Gardner Symposium, sponsored by NC Cooperative Extension. This year’s symposium will be held Saturday, March 24, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market at 210 Southpark Drive in Henderson.
The cost of attendance is $30 if registration is received by Wednesday, February 28, 2018. After this date, the cost of registration increases to $35 per person. The price of registration includes snacks, beverages and lunch.
There will also be an optional, hands-on workshop in the afternoon for participants to make, and learn how to use, their own rain barrel with supplied materials. The workshop is limited to 25 pre-registered participants for an additional fee.
According to Paul McKenzie, area agent for the Vance County Cooperative Extension Office, space is limited and tickets often sell out prior to the day of the event. Those interested in attending the symposium are urged to register as early as possible to guarantee entry.
The theme for this year’s symposium is “Backyard Gardening: Changing Times, Changing Conditions.”
The symposium will feature four speakers, including keynote speaker Sam Pearsall, the retired director of the North Carolina Natural Heritage program. Pearsall will explain how climate change impacts natural ecosystems and personal gardens.
Additional speakers include educators from NC State University:
- Elsa Youngsteadt, Research Associate and science writer, will discuss various species of bees and the role they play in the ecosystem. Specific focus will be given on how to protect bees and attract them to gardens.
- Barbara Fair, Associate Professor, Landscape Extension Specialist and Certified Arborist, will discuss plant selection, water conservation efforts and rain gardens.
- Joseph Neal, Professor of Weed Science, will discuss landscape weed management.
“This year’s speakers will address pollinators-how to protect them and get them to visit your garden, plant selection for drought resistance, water conservation and weed management,” said McKenzie. “You will be hearing facts and unbiased, researched-based information, not just the latest, greatest trend.”
Those interested in attending the symposium are encouraged to join the Master Gardner Volunteer Program. Volunteers are provided with 40 hours of gardening training in exchange for 40 hours of volunteer work. “The volunteer program is an amazing opportunity to learn and to give back through community outreach at local schools, farmers markets and other areas,” McKenzie said.
The registration form for the symposium may be downloaded from https://go.ncsu.edu/vancegarden. For more information, contact the Vance County Cooperative Extension office at (252) 438-8188.
Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start Expands Children’s Free Book Program
By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor For Hire
Franklin-Granville-Vance (FGV) Smart Start recently received funding from NC state lawmakers to expand their free reading program – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – to children ages birth to five years old.
Children in this age range who are residents of Franklin, Granville or Vance County can receive one book a month in the mail free of charge. “If we can sign a child up at birth, that child can receive 60 books free of charge prior to the program ending,” said Garry Daeke, development coordinator for FGV Smart Start.
The first book participants receive is “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, which, according to Daeke, plays into Parton’s theme of the fire engine. The last book in the series is “Kindergarten Here I Come” by D.J. Steinberg and teaches children ideas and concepts that will prepare them for elementary school.
According to Daeke, the goal of the program is to make books available to all children, regardless of income, and to increase their exposure to language and concepts at an early age. “Brain science says children’s brains are 85% developed by the age of five. Dolly’s program is teaching children to read and helping them understand higher concepts,” said Daeke.
The books are developmentally appropriate for children at the age of sign up and change each month as the child grows. “This program gets kids excited to run to the mailbox each month to receive a book with their own name on it,” said Daeke.
Founded by singer and entertainer Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation in 1995, the Imagination Library has been a part of Vance County on a smaller scale since 2005.
“The NC legislature made more funding available to Smart Starts around the state in order to grow the program. This will allow us to enroll an additional 400-500 children in Vance County this year alone,” said Daeke.
Applications can be found at various locations around town including pediatric offices, childcare centers, the Vance County Public Health Department, the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library and the FGV Smart Start office located at 125 Charles D. Rollins Road near Maria Parham Health in Henderson.
FGV Smart Start will also have a booth set up at the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library in Henderson on Thursday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children present at the sign up will be able to take a book home with them that day.
According to Daeke, the application process only takes a minute and the child should receive their first book in the mail one to two months after the application has been completed.
Those interested in the program may also contact the FGV Smart Start office at (252) 433-9110 or visit the NC Smart Start website at www.ncsmartstart.org to enroll online.
VGCC scholarship endowed by MR Williams
— courtesy VGCC
VGCC scholarship endowed by MR Williams
A new Vance-Granville Community College scholarship has been endowed by the Henderson-based distribution company, MR Williams. The new scholarship in the company’s name will be presented to a VGCC student each year as a “Presidential Scholar Award,” the college’s largest, most prestigious level of endowed scholarship.
Mike Williams, board chairman and founder of MR Williams, said that his company values education, both for its own sake — to benefit from skilled employees — and for the sake of the entire community. “We know that students who complete a two-year degree at VGCC are better prepared to succeed at the four-year university level,” Williams said. “I grew up in a small town like Henderson, and I want to see this community thrive. Vance-Granville does so much to support our community and our local businesses.”
Pictured, from left, at the MR Williams headquarters in Henderson are VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, company founder and board chairman Mike Williams, VGCC Endowment Specialist Kay Currin and VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson.
For over 40 years, MR Williams, Inc., has been selling products and services to the convenience store industry in the Carolinas and in surrounding states, from Delaware to Georgia. Mike Williams purchased the former Watkins-Sydnor Wholesale Distributor in 1976 and changed the company’s name in 1979. Since then, the company has grown considerably and invested in increasingly sophisticated technology.
MR Williams has supported the VGCC Endowment Fund Golf Tournament for several years and was one of the platinum sponsors for the record-breaking 33rd annual Golf Tournament in 2017.
Lawson Williams, the company president since 2009 and Mike’s son, said that the newly endowed scholarship marks another milestone for MR Williams as its first college scholarship. Williams said that his company is pleased to be able to give back to a community that has been so supportive of their business and their hundreds of local employees.
“We greatly appreciate the commitment that MR Williams has made to supporting our community, higher education and economic development,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.
Eddie Ferguson, VGCC’s endowment director, added, “MR Williams is not only a great corporate citizen but also one of our college’s valued community partners, and the company’s generosity will support VGCC students for years to come.”
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 9,100 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–
Granville Crime Stoppers Feb 2018
— news release courtesy Granville Crime Stoppers
On Wednesday, February 14th, 2018 an unknown person or persons unlawfully went upon private property of a residence located off Bob Daniel Rd, Oxford, NC and forced entry of a residence and a barn that caused criminal property damage. Several guns, ammunition, one digital camera, as well both power and hand tools were criminally removed from the property.
On Thursday, February 15th, 2018 an unknown person or persons unlawfully went upon private property of a residence located off Lucy Averette Rd, Oxford, NC and forced entry of a residence, which caused criminal damage. One 12 gauge Mossberg shotgun and one 42 inch television was criminally removed from the property.
If you have information concerning these incidents, please contact the Granville County Sheriff’s Office at 919-693-3213 or call Crime Stoppers 919-693-3100.
THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENT OF A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000 FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST/INDICTMENT(S) OF PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE CRIMES. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION CONCERNING THESE CRIMES OR ANY OTHER SERIOUS CRIME(S) IN GRANVILLE COUNTY. YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL THE GRANVILLE COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS IN OXFORD AT 919-693-3100.