Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Vance Farmers Market Advisory Board To Meet Mar. 31

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board will meet in person at the Market on Thursday, Mar. 31 at 2 pm.

Primary agenda items will be reviewing the 2021 season and reporting on preparations for the 2022 season, according to information from Paul McKenzie with Vance County Cooperative Extension.

The meeting is open to the public. Registration is requested (but not required) as it will help us plan for sufficient spaced-out seating.

For more information or to register: 252.438.8188 or paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu. The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Drive in Henderson.

Find more information on the Farmers Market at http://go.ncsu.edu/vcrfm.

Plant A Tree In Honor Of Arbor Day

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-story courtesy of N.C Dept. of Agriculture

Today is Arbor Day in North Carolina, a day to remember the important role trees play in the lives of the state’s human residents, but also to the many animals who need wildlife habitats to thrive.

This year marks the 150th observance of Arbor Day, which first was observed in Nebraska in 1872, according to information from the N.C. Department of Agriculture.

“Trees clean our air, filter our water and are essential to wildlife habitats, which are benefits to all of us,” said N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

One goal identified in the recently updated North Carolina Forest Action Plan is to conserve and enhance the sustainable management of urban forests. Planting trees and responsible urban forest management at the local level including community involvement and participation in urban forestry recognition programs are critical to sustaining healthy forest resources in North Carolina.

“Planting trees is an easy way we can all contribute to the sustainable management and preservation of North Carolina’s forests for future generations,” Troxler said.

North Carolina is fortunate to have a variety of state forestry programs that protect forest resources by supporting landowners and communities with tree-planting, site preparation and forest improvement, said David Lane, state forester. Among these are cost-share programs such as the Forest Development Program and the Urban and Community Forestry grant program, both managed by the N.C. Forest Service. The NCFS Urban and Community Forestry program also oversees the application and award process for Tree City USA, Tree Campus Higher Education and Tree Line USA.

Learn more about N.C. Forest Service urban and community forestry programs and services at www.ncforestservice.gov/Urban/Urban_Forestry.htm. Learn more about the updated North Carolina Forest Action Plan at www.ncforestactionplan.com/.

 

The Local Skinny! Around Old Granville: Canadian Immigrants

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We’ve learned from history lessons in school about immigrants who traveled from faraway places, their worldy possessions often fitting in a small suitcase, passing by the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor to begin their new lives in America.

But did you know that there was a contingent of immigrants who came here after the end of the Civil War to what is now Vance County – all the way from…Canada?

A local man named Samuel Jones Parham got into the real estate business at a time when land prices had tanked as a result of the breakup of the huge plantations during Reconstruction.

Although Parham wasn’t single-handedly responsible for “the Canadian invasion,” Mark Pace quipped, he did go to an area in central Ontario to talk up the great land deals in the area.

“He made a connection in central Ontario,” Pace told Bill Harris on the Around Old Granville segment Thursday’s The Local Skinny! To be specific, he sold land to several families in the towns of Hamstead and St. Mary’s.

Pace said 25 families – for a total of about 400 people – relocated from Canada to Vance County between 1871 and 1873. The majority of these immigrants were first-generation Canadians whose families had come from Scotland, Pace said.

Scotland and Canada both were subjects of the British Crown back then, Pace reminded, and there was a lack of land ownership. “The motivation (to immigrate) was to own your own land,” he said.

Most of the families settled along Sandy Creek, between Vicksboro and Epsom, he said. Families with last names like Buchan, Dickie, Fox, McMillan, Pyree, Stewart and Smith were among those who came south to the United States with the dream of owning property.

“Some of their great- and great-great-grandkids are still here today,” Pace said.

Interestingly enough, there began a reverse migration of sorts back to the same area of Ontario – thanks to a crop called tobacco. Tobacco was being planted – and harvested – in that same area, and many people from here would go back to Canada to work during the growing season.

Samuel Parham died in 1880; his widow died in 1903. Although her husband was a mayor of Henderson, her name is perhaps better known because the original hospital in Henderson was named in her memory: Maria Parham.

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McGregor Hall

McGregor Hall Presents “Living with Ruthie Mae” Sunday At 2 PM

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Tickets are still available for Sunday afternoon’s performance at McGregor Hall of Garrett Davis’s play “Living with Ruthie Mae,” and patrons are reminded that the mask mandate has been lifted for indoor spaces.

The show had to be rescheduled from mid-January, and all tickets from that original date will be honored with the same seat selection. The show begins at 2 p.m.

“Living with Ruthie Mae” is a comedy about that one sweet family member who doesn’t know when to go home – the most recent work of the North Carolina playwright – and features Shirley Jones of The Jones Girls and American Idol finalist Scott Savol.

According to information from McGregor Hall, “per our local and state health guidelines, we are no longer requiring masks to be worn in our facility. However, we do encourage our patrons to exercise their personal judgment on what is best for the health and safety of you and your family when visiting McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center.”

Visit https://www.mcgregorhall.org/ to purchase tickets online.

Corbitt Trucks

TownTalk: Corbitt Preservation Event To Be Held On April 9

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When he looks at one of those old Corbitt trucks, Charles Powell sees so much more than an old vehicle that just happened to be manufactured right here in Henderson in the early part of the 20th century – he sees, in his words “magnificent pieces of equipment.”

Powell, president of the Corbitt Preservation Association, and plenty of other Corbitt Truck enthusiasts are looking forward to gathering again in a few weeks to share their love of the locally produced vehicle with others.

There will be a Spring Fling and Open House on Saturday, April 9 in the area of the Bennett H. Perry Museum, which also is home to the preservation association. This is the 20th year for the event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., rain or shine.

“You can’t just look at it as a hunk of metal,” Powell told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. What some may see as utilitarian vehicles of a bygone era, Powell and other Corbitt truck fans see as history on wheels.

There will be some Corbitt trucks parked along Church Street in front of the museum so folks have a chance to see them up close.

The preservation association was all set to have the open house last year, but COVID-19 quashed those plans. Powell said the open house for the museum is a great way to let the community know that the museum is here for them to enjoy.

“I think everybody’s ready to get out,” Powell said. “People have been inside for so long – I think they’re really going to like these events.”

There are half a dozen or so car shows or other similar events across the state that Powell and others either drive or trailer some of the old Corbitts to, including the Got To Be NC festival in Raleigh and another at the Transportation Museum in Spencer, near Salisbury.

“It takes quite a bit to get these vehicles loaded up and hauled to a show,” Powell explained. Some of the vehicles are between 70 and 100 years old, so driving them is often out of the question.

Some of the ones who have loved and cared for the vehicles are getting older, too, he said. He’d love to attract some younger folks to become members of the preservation association. Membership dues were waived during the pandemic and Powell said anyone interested in becoming involved need do nothing more than show up at a meeting – the next one is May 15 – or come out to the spring fling and sign up.

Find the group on Facebook at Corbitt Preservation Association or at https://corbitttrucks.com/

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TownTalk: Granville Gardeners’ Expo Coming April 23

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From Master Gardeners looking for a little something to add to their flower beds to newbies just hoping to cultivate a green thumb, the upcoming Granville Gardeners’  Expo will have something for just about everyone.

From workshops and demonstrations to plants and home décor, the Granville County Expo and Convention Center on Saturday, April 23 will be filled to overflowing with vendors and others to kickstart springtime gardening projects, according to Christi Henthorn, one of the event organizers.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it will be a time “to learn, shop and have some fun,” Henthorn told John C. Rose and Bill Harris on Thursday’s Town Talk.

The Granville Gardeners is a nonprofit organization that is filled with all different types of gardeners, from the backyard enthusiast to commercial nursery men and women. “Our job as garden club members is to help folks (find ways to) garden that fits their needs,” Henthorn said. Likewise, local vendors who will be on hand can help you decide which plants best fit the space you have.

Visit https://www.thegranvillegardeners.org/  and click on the Expo link to find the list of plants available for pre-order to be picked up on the day of the event. The link to pre-order is scheduled to go live tomorrow (Friday, Mar. 18), Henthorn said.

Some of the workshops planned for the expo include learning how to compost and putting together attractive planters

“We have some very, very experienced gardeners that have lived here their whole lives and their gardens are just stellar,” Henthorn noted.

There still is room for more vendors, with 10 x 10 spaces priced at $40. Other sizes are available as well, she said. There also are sponsor opportunities as well. Below is a list of the sponsorship levels:

  • Seed – $100
  • Sprout – $300
  • Sapling -$500
  • Bouquet – $1,000+

to learn more or send an email to granvillegardeners@gmail.com. In addition, the club phone number is 919.892.9135.

 

 

 

Christi Henthorn details the upcoming Granville Gardners Expo.

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Reserve Your Place Today For Rescheduled Granville Chamber Banquet

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The deadline to reserve tickets for the upcoming Granville County Chamber of Commerce banquet is fast approaching – members have through Friday, Mar. 18 to register to attend, according to information from Chamber Director Lauren Bennett.

The banquet is scheduled for Monday, Mar. 28 at 6 p.m.  at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. The speaker is UNC basketball legend Phil Ford.

The Chamber also is accepting nominations for 2021 Small Business of the Year.

Click form to complete a nomination form.

All nominations should be returned to the Granville Chamber by 5 p.m. on Monday, April 18.

Nominations may be submitted in several ways:

Hand deliver:    124 Hillsboro Street, Oxford, N.C.
Mail:                            P.O. Box 820, Oxford, N.C. 27565
Email:                        lauren@granville-chamber.com

Arrested for First Degree Murder

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— Henderson Police Department Press Release

On Saturday, March 12, 2022 at approximately 5:25 PM, Officers of the Henderson Police Department were dispatched to 410 Young Street in reference to a gunshot victim.

After arriving, Sinaya Harrison, age 20 of Vance County, was located seated in her vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound. She was quickly transported by emergency medical personnel to an area medical facility where she later succumbed to her injuries.

Information from the public quickly came in, and through the diligent work of the Henderson Police Department and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations, we were able to develop information leading to the arrest of three individuals.

Elijah Brooks Hart, 30yrs old, of the Epsom/Gillburg community, Antonio Lamont Alston, 21yrs old, of the Epsom/Gillburg community, and Jamon Raheem Alston, 27yrs old, also of the of the Epsom/Gillburg community have all been arrested for First Degree Murder.

All three have been taken to the Vance County Detention Center, without bond, to await further court processes.

It is believed this was an isolated incident and occupant(s) within the victim’s car were the intended target of the heinous crime.

We are still following up on leads and if anyone has information about this incident, please contact us through Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers at (252- 492-1925 or the P3 app), Henderson Police Department 252-438-4141, or contact us through Facebook or Instagram.

Authority Chief Marcus W. Barrow