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Granville Co. Activities: Feb. 22 – Feb. 29

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-Information courtesy Granville County Government

Mark your calendars for the following Granville County activities:

FOREST MANAGEMENT WEBINARS continue as the Granville County Center for NC Cooperative Extension hosts their informational series for landowners. The next webinar date is Feb. 27 at the Cooperative Extension office, 125 Oxford Loop Road in Oxford. The webinar begins at 7 p.m. and the topic will be “Launching Your Woodland Legacy.” For more details or to register, contact Paul Westfall at 919-603-1350 or at paul_westfall@ncsu.edu. Those interested in attending can also register online through Eventbrite.

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH THROUGH MUSIC as Teresa Cook Spruell, piano and voice presenter, performs music selections from slavery to present day at the South Branch Library in Creedmoor. This free concert is scheduled for Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. and is open to the public.

A DOCUMENTARY FILM on the life of Malcolm X will be shown at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford on Feb. 22. The film, produced in 1972, will be shown in observance of Black History Month. The 3 p.m. showing is free and open to the public.

AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTING RIGHTS HISTORY will be discussed during a program at the Richard H. Thornton Library on Feb. 24. From 6:30 until 8 p.m., Sallyann Marable Hobson will address the voting history in Granville County and Post Civil War North Carolina. Call 919-693-1121 for details.

A POP-UP GROCERY STORE TOUR will be offered on Feb. 25 at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford. Jennifer Grable, Granville and Person County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, will instruct participants on how to get healthy food on a budget, how to read nutrition labels and much more. Helpful take-home information and giveaways will be available. Registration is required. Call 919-693-1930 for more information.

TAX ASSISTANCE is available each Thursday until April 9 at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford. Representatives of the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program will be available from 5 until 8 p.m. for Granville County residents ages 60+. This is a free service and appointments are required. Call 919-603-1930 for more details.

LEARN FIRST AID AND CPR as Betty Jones and Ruth Huff instruct a course at the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford. This training will be held from 4 until 8 p.m. on Feb. 25 and is offered through the Creative Lifelong Learning (CLL) program. Call 919-693-1930 for a fee schedule and to register.

A FREE RABIES CLINIC has been scheduled by Granville County Animal Control on Saturday, Feb. 29. This event will be held at Gazebo Park in Butner from 9 until 10:30 a.m. for dogs and cats. One and three-year vaccines will be provided, with proof of prior rabies vaccinations being required for three-year shots. Vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis. Dogs must be on a leash and cats must be in a carrier. Call 919-693-6749 to learn more.

Beautiful Snow Feb. 21, 2020

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Beautiful snow … thick, wet, heavy snow fell in Henderson Thursday night.  About three inches fell, and while there were not heavy impacts to travel, a lot of daily activities were disrupted on Friday.  The snow, it seems nearly every flake, stuck to trees and lines.  The glistening snow is visible, from our cover photo, as well as with the bright sunshine on Friday morning in our video below.  Enjoy!

News 02/21/20

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McGregor Hall

Town Talk 02/20/20: Hopper Discusses McGregor Hall’s Municipal Funding Request

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Mark Hopper, operations director of McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center and chair of the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Thursday at 11 a.m.

Hopper discussed McGregor Hall’s recent open-ended request for funding from the City of Henderson and Vance County, supporting the proposal with information gleaned from a recent economic impact study completed by the Municipal Research Lab at NC State University.

With an operations budget of approximately $500,000, Hopper said the center is maintained by one full-time employee, three part-time employees with a combined 20 hours per week and the help of volunteers who “go above and beyond.”

“That is an extremely lean budget for a facility like ours,” Hopper said. “Most facilities like ours our operating in the $800,000 to a million-dollar budget range.”

Providing a brief history of the building of McGregor Hall, Hopper explained that the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation fundraised for the $9 million center. Six months before opening, one pledge fell through, according to Hopper, and the Center owes a remaining $2.9 million through a low-interest USDA loan with an approximate annual payment of $124,000 a year.

The center is now requesting assistance from the City and County to offset this debt payment every year. An exact dollar amount was not specified in the request.

Hopper said McGregor Hall, with seating for 1,000, is breaking new ground as the only performing arts center in the state with over 750 seats not connected with an educational institution that does not receive any kind of municipal funding.

While McGregor Hall staff and volunteers are proud of being a pioneer of sorts, Hopper said management of debt, City and County funding and increased staffing are essential for continued growth and sustainability.

“Our primary goal is not really an artistic one,” Hopper expressed in a sentiment that he has shared in previous interviews with WIZS. “Our primary purpose in our formation was an economic one. We intended to be an economic stimulus in downtown Henderson.”

According to the results of McGregor Hall’s economic impact study, the center is achieving that goal. During the 12 month study period prior to April 2019, McGregor Hall was directly responsible for injecting $2.4 million into the Henderson economy and was responsible for 5.5% of all economic growth in Vance County over the past three years.

“Taking that kind of economic presence out of the Vance County and Henderson economy right now would be absolutely devastating. We want this to grow and get even bigger. We are starting to see some really exciting things going on in downtown Henderson and we feel we’ve had a big part in making that happen,” stated Hopper.

To hear the interview with Hopper in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.

Granville Chamber’s ‘Cluck ‘N Shuck’ Seafood Event Rescheduled for April

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-Press Release, Granville County Chamber of Commerce

The Granville County Chamber of Commerce announces that its ninth annual fall seafood event – “CLUCK ‘N SHUCK,” which was postponed in October 2019 due to a shortage of oysters, has been rescheduled for Friday, April 3, 2020, from 5:30 until 8 p.m. at The Red Barn – Golf Course Road, off Lake Devin Road, in Oxford.

Caterer Leon Nixon’s dinner menu offerings include steamed oysters, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried chicken tenders, slaw, buttered potatoes, hushpuppies, tea, Pepsi-Cola products and cold beverages.

The event will be held at the venue – The Red Barn – where it has been held the past six years. This location provides an incredible setting for those desiring to eat on the decks overlooking Lake Devin. Inside seating on the ground floor of The Red Barn is also available.

Advanced ticket sales – $40 per person or two tickets for $75 – includes all-you-can-eat on the premises. As this is a limited ticket event, those wishing to attend are encouraged to purchase tickets early from one of the Chamber’s offices – 124 Hillsboro Street in Oxford (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.) 919-693-6125 or the South Office – 1598 NC Hwy 56, between Butner and Creedmoor (8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Thursdays) 919-528-4994.

A limited number of event t-shirts are also available at the Chamber’s offices for $5 each.

Plank Chapel UMC Hosting Resources Brunch, Caregiving Discussion

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-Information courtesy Dr. Carolyn N. Roy, Plant Chapel UMC

Plank Chapel United Methodist Church is hosting a Resources and Refreshments “brunch” on Saturday, February 29, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Representatives from the Kerr-Tar Area Agency on Aging and Dementia Alliance of North Carolina will provide information and answer questions regarding caregiving, resources and issues with growing older. This conversation is not age-restricted. All ages welcome to come and learn and grow together.

Plank Chapel UMC is located at 3047 Bobbitt Road, Kittrell, NC 27544. For more information, email the church at plankchapelumc@gmail.com or call 252-492-1919.

City of Henderson Logo

Henderson City Council to Hold Annual Strategic Planning Retreat

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-Information courtesy Esther J. McCrackin, City Clerk, City of Henderson, NC

The Henderson City Council will meet for its annual Strategic Planning Retreat on Wednesday, February 26, 2020, at the Satterwhite Point Community House from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A quorum is expected; however, no action will be taken.

The public is welcome to observe.

Big Ruin Creek Baptist Church to Hold 220 Seafood Fundraiser

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-Information courtesy Dorothy Wimbush, Big Ruin Creek Baptist Church

UPDATED 03/27/20

Big Ruin Creek Baptist Church fundraiser date has changed to May 11, 2020 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at 220 Seafood Restaurant in Henderson. Eat in or take out. Tickets are still the same price of $8.00 in advance or at the door.  Plates include trout, french fries, slaw and a drink is included only if you eat in.  Contact Dorothy Wimbush at 252-425-7366 for advance tickets. Tickets will also be sold at the door the day of the event.  Go out and enjoy!

Big Ruin Creek Baptist Church will hold a Trout Dinner Fundraiser on Monday, April 6, 2020, from 4 – 7 p.m. at 220 Seafood Restaurant, 1812 Norlina Rd. in Henderson.

Trout, coleslaw, french fries and hushpuppies will be available for $8 per plate. Plates are available for eat-in or take out. Beverage provided with eat-in meals only.

Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling Dorothy Wimbush at (252) 425-7366.

Your support of this event is greatly appreciated.

News 02/20/20

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George R. Watkins Receives United Way’s Sam Watkins Visionary Award

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THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

-Information courtesy Citizens Aligned To Take Back Henderson, NC

Mr. George Rose Watkins received the United Way of Vance County’s Sam Watkins Visionary Award on February 18, 2020. This award was named after and is given in memory of Mr. Watkins’ twin brother, Samuel Merriweather Watkins, Jr.

Mr. George Rose Watkins received the United Way of Vance County’s Sam Watkins Visionary Award on February 18, 2020. (Photo courtesy Citizens Aligned to Take Back Henderson, NC)

The award was presented to Mr. Watkins by United Way President Jane Haithcock at the Annual Meeting and Recognition Event.

The Sam Watkins Visionary Award is given annually to an individual who is a resident of and has a passion for Vance County who is a visionary and who strongly supports Vance County and all of its citizens.

Mr. George Watkins is very deserving of this honor and from a grateful community, we say thank you, Sir!