-Information courtesy Rev. L.T. Harris, Joy In The Lord Baptist Church
Joy In The Lord Baptist Church will host a gospel singing featuring “The Watchman Quartet” from Rocky Mount, NC on
Saturday, March 9, 2019, at 6 p.m.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
The church is located at 1238 Debnam Avenue, Henderson, NC.
-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools
GCPS IS ON THE MOVE – LITERALLY!
You probably see our school buses just about every day at some point on our roads. Chances are, you’ve probably ridden a school bus at some point in your life. But I bet you didn’t know some statistics behind our transportation department, so check this out:
Granville County Public Schools transports an average of 3,662 students per day on 103 buses. Our drivers cover more than 7,600 miles and work more than 298 hours each day. This works out to a grand total of more than 1,218,200 miles per school year! YES, that is 1.2 million miles – just in our county! And, it took more than 182,150 gallons of diesel fuel to do this! That’s is enough fuel to fill TEN average-sized swimming pools! Not to mention all of the other fluids, tires, wipers, lights and other stuff that need replacing – just imagine the maintenance required! Our 8 full-time mechanics do an amazing job!
From a safety standpoint, our fleet of buses is constantly being upgraded and modernized. We now have 14 buses equipped with Stop Arm Cameras, designed to catch drivers on video who pass stopped school buses (a big no-no!). Also, all of our buses are equipped with Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS systems allow us to monitor the locations of our buses at all times. We can tell the speed of a bus, when it applies the brakes, and even when it deploys a stop arm. It also allows us to monitor time and attendance of our drivers, which allows for a very accurate account of bus driver hours for payroll.
The GPS system also has a feature called “Comparative Analysis”. This allows us to monitor and maximize the efficiency of our routes as designed by our routing program and compare to what our buses are actually doing. It also lets us offer the “Here Comes the Bus,” a mobile app made available to our parents. Using this app, parents and students are able to view real-time location of their bus. It has meant fewer missed pick-ups, preventing children to not have to wait in the dark, freezing temperatures, or pouring rain. Parents also no longer need to call the school to check the status of the bus.
Finally, did we mention our recent state safety inspection? We received the best score EVER and beat the regional average score and had NO buses with serious safety infractions.
All in all, we have a pretty amazing Transportation Department full of talented staff, led by Mr. Harry Wilkins. We hope the next time you see one of our buses on the road, you will have a newfound respect and appreciation for the job we do of carrying the most precious cargo on the road – OUR STUDENTS!
#GCPSONTHEMOVE
-Press Release, Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce
The Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Vanessa Jones has been named as interim president.
“I look forward to working with our members and the Chamber staff and board as we continue to move our community forward,” Jones said.
Jones has extensive knowledge of both Chamber operations and the community. She previously served as a dean and vice president at Vance-Granville Community College. Jones is a past board chairwoman for the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce. She later joined the Chamber staff and has been with the organization since June 2015.
The Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce names Vanessa Jones as interim president. (Photo Credit: The Daily Dispatch)
“There is no better person to help us move forward and continue to grow our membership during our search for a permanent president than Vanessa Jones,” said board Chairwoman Nancy Wykle. “Vanessa is extraordinarily well-regarded in the community and by the Chamber staff. She has built extensive relationships with members and other key stakeholders over the years. I am thrilled that she was willing to take on this role as we search for a new permanent president.”
In addition to assuming responsibility for the day-to-day Chamber operations, Jones will also continue her responsibilities with the Chamber as the Work First program coordinator.
Jones replaces John Barnes, who resigned from the chamber February 19.
-Press Release, Triangle North Healthcare Foundation
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced the launch of its 2019 grant cycle, now open through May 17, 2019.
The Foundation seeks programs and projects that will provide positive results in one or more of the five focus areas: Chronic Disease, Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Reproductive Health, and Success in School as related to Healthy Lifestyles. Nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and schools are eligible to apply.
The link to the Foundation’s online grant application is available at the website: www.tnhfoundation.org
Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, a regional healthcare grantmaking organization based in Henderson, NC, is a health legacy foundation that was established in 2011 following the merge of Maria Parham Medical Center and Duke Lifepoint.
The Foundation’s mission– to encourage, support, and invest in quality efforts that measurably improve health in the Triangle North area— is achieved through funding strategic initiatives, programs, and projects that focus on improving health. The Foundation also supports programs that build capacity and develop leaders for nonprofits in the region.
The Foundation has launched a grant cycle each year since its grantmaking began in 2013. To date, the Foundation has invested over $1.5 million in over 60 projects serving the four counties in the region, Franklin, Granville, Vance, and Warren.
According to the Foundation’s Executive Director Val Short, the Foundation Board’s hope is that through grantee organizations and the people they serve, the Board’s vision for the future of our region will be realized…“to live in a healthy community.”
“Our hope is that the Foundation’s investment of grant funds in our communities will result in long-lasting improvements in the health and wellbeing of our children and adults,” Short said.
The Foundation staff is currently available to discuss ideas for grant projects or to assist with grant writing. Call 252-598-0763 to schedule an appointment. Information about current and past funded programs and projects is available on the website at www.tnhfoundation.org.
-Information courtesy Turner A. Pride Jr., County Extension Director, NC Cooperative Extension
This year the Vance County Cooperative Extension Office is turning our focus to the women in agriculture in our area. As integral parts of the agriculture community, we want to provide support for their endeavors and push them to the forefront.
In the spring of 2019, the team is planning to offer a program to cultivate and honor the women in agriculture in Vance County. This program is called the Vance County Women in Agriculture Leadership Program. Our office will put together a nomination committee to select five to six women with strong agricultural ties to participate in the program. This could be a teacher, farmer, ag business worker/owner, backyard gardener, etc.
By offering a collaborative learning experience we hope to strengthen agricultural ties of the women in Vance County, provide an opportunity to share and learn from each other and to promote a future for agriculture in Vance County.
While in the program these women will have the opportunity to network with and learn from some of the leading women in agriculture from around the state through numerous “lunch and learn” sessions. Some of the topics covered will include agriculture resources and programs, business development, marketing, time management and more. We want this group to receive a worthwhile and empowering experience, as well as the opportunity to tap into the various resources available around the state.
To culminate their time together and celebrate their contributions to agriculture in Vance County, we will be hosting a banquet at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market in May. At that time, we will recognize all of these women and the nominated winner for the Vance County Woman of the Year in Agriculture.
As we prepare for the kick-off of this program in April, we want to reach out to the community for your thoughts. If there are individuals that you may feel would benefit from this opportunity, please contact County Extension Director Turner Pride at (252) 438-8188 or tapride@ncsu.edu.
-Information courtesy Rebuilding Hope, Inc.
The variety of backgrounds among Rebuilding Hope, Inc. volunteers includes a retired teacher, David “Doc” Ayscue.
After 31 years of teaching high school health and physical education in Vance and Granville counties, Doc was invited by friend, fellow church member and RHI volunteer Steve Cannon to visit the ministry.
“I’ve been here ever since,” said Doc, who left the classroom in 2010. “And it’s been fun.”
Doc, a Henderson native, said he was attracted to the ministry because it helps others, and the volunteers are “good Christian men to work with.”
David “Doc” Ayscue named Rebuilding Hope’s March 2019 Volunteer of the Month. (Photo Credit: RHI)
Encouraging others to volunteer, Doc said, “There is no other way to get the feeling you get by helping someone.”
Doc, who also coached middle and high school baseball, basketball and football in Vance, recalls one special experience.
“We were fixing up a mobile home for someone, and I painted every room a different color,” he said. “I called it the Joseph house.”
At RHI, Doc, now a self-employed painter, runs the paint room, helps build ramps and replace roofs, does a bit of carpentry and is a runner during SOS.
“I try to work at least one day a week at RHI,” he says. “Seeing the expressions on homeowners’ faces and knowing I’ve been able to help someone is rewarding.”
Doc’s voice is familiar, too. He’s a WIZS sports commentator on Monday afternoons and broadcasts Friday night football games.
A member of New Sandy Creek Baptist Church, Doc is a deacon, a member of the choir and the building and grounds and counting committees.
Doc and wife Brenda have been married for 40 years. They have three children and a grandchild.
-Information courtesy Granville County Government
Please SAVE THE DATE for Tuesday, March 12, 2019, for a “groundbreaking” ceremony for Granville County’s new Law Enforcement Center/Animal Shelter.
The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. at the construction site, 525 New Commerce Drive in Oxford. The public is invited to attend.
-Information courtesy Granville County Government
The four branches of the Granville County Library System will offer several new and innovative events and programs during the month of March.
On Saturday, March 2 and Saturday, March 9, Women’s History Month is celebrated as two female authors are featured. Children’s author Amber Parker of New Bern, NC will be on hand at the South Branch Library on March 2 to discuss her books at 3 p.m. Young readers are especially invited to experience the world of nature she describes.
Following up on that presentation will be a book signing at the Berea Branch on March 9 at 11 a.m. as author Faye Little presents her work, “Snapshots of a Country Diary.” Originally from Berea, Little (formerly Faye Adcock) now lives in Virginia and will share memories of growing up and living on the family farm. For more details about these presentations, contact the South Branch Library at (919) 528-1752 or the Berea branch at (919) 693-1231.
Other events to be presented for Women’s History Month, in conjunction with Friends of the Library, include a program by Dr. Christine Darden, a “Hidden Figure” of NASA fame, on March 3 at 2 p.m.; “The Status of Women in North Carolina” at 7 p.m. on March 6, with featured speaker Mary Williams Stover of the N.C. Council on Women; The Poetry of Mary Oliver on March 11 at noon; “Three Questions to Ask Yourself” discussion by Stacy Abrams, March 13 at 7 p.m.; “The Rise and Fall of the Rocket Girls” book discussion on March 15 at 11 a.m.; “African American Women and the Suffrage Movement” presentation on March 20 at 7 p.m.; and “The Political Progress Women Have Made,” facilitated by Cecile Richards at 7 p.m. on March 27. All of these events will be held at the Thornton Library.
Brightstar Touring Theatre will also present “American Women in History” at 5 p.m. on March 9. This production puts the spotlight on some of the world’s most remarkable female pioneers such as Sacajawea, Susan B. Anthony and many more. This program is also open to the public and will be held at the South Branch Library in Creedmoor.
Women aren’t the only focus for the month of March, however, as registered participants can follow mysterious clues from the “wizard world” to escape a “locked” room inside the Thornton Library. Reading all seven Harry Potter books before participating in the Escape Room is helpful but not required, according to Children’s Librarian Amy Carlson. While the registration list is full, a waiting list is now available for those who have not yet signed up to participate. The Harry Potter Escape Room will be open to registered participants of all ages on Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23. Learn more at Granville.lib.nc.us.
“Game Night” will continue the wizardry theme as “Dungeons and Dragons” is featured at the Thornton Library from 6 until 8 p.m. on March 7. Call 919-693-1121 for more details and “heed the call!”
Children’s programming for March includes story time at the Stovall branch (Mondays) and at the Thornton branch (Wednesdays), with topics of “Opposites,” “Once Upon a Time,” “Spring” and “My Emotions.” The Lego Club will also meet every Tuesday in March at the Thornton branch from 3:30 until 4:45 p.m.
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) programming continues on Thursday afternoons for students in grades K through 5. Held each week at 4 p.m., March topics include robot play, a presentation on the importance of clean water, building flashlights and building bridges. To participate or for more details, contact Amy Carlson at 919-693-1121, ext. 212.
Other hands-on activities include a crochet class at the South Branch, scheduled for 2 p.m. on March 18. This workshop is open to the public and all materials will be provided. A “makerspace” is also a new feature of the Thornton Library and consists of yarn, knitting needles, fabric scraps, etc. which have been donated for use by library patrons. Ask about it at the library checkout counter!
In addition, a “Seed Library” is being established at the Thornton branch. By the end of March, library patrons will be able to “check out” vegetable seeds with their library card to take home and plant in their gardens. It is hoped that residents who utilize this service will cultivate these plants and share their seeds with the library after harvest for “checkout” the following season by other interested gardeners.
Your local library is not just for books anymore! Find out “what’s new” at one of the four branches of the Granville County Library System in Oxford, Creedmoor, Stovall or Berea today, or visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/ for a full listing of events at the library closest to you.
-Information courtesy Warren County Cooperative Extension
The Warren County Cooperative Extension Office announces an upcoming opportunity to visit New York City.
Interested participants will depart from the Warren Co. Coop. Extension office at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, March 29, 2019, and will travel by bus to NYC throughout the evening. The bus will arrive in NYC at approximately 8 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, giving participants the day to shop, sightsee and explore the city on their own.
The bus will depart from NYC at 7 p.m. on March 30 and is expected to return to Warrenton in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 31.
Cost of the trip is $110 per person with a required $25 non-refundable deposit. Balance is due in full on Monday, March 18.
For more information, contact Crystal Smith at (252) 257-3640 or email cmsmith2@ncsu.edu.
