The Local Skinny! VGCC Foundation Receives $50,000 Grant To Help Small Business Owners

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The Vance-Granville Community College Foundation has received a $50,000 grant award from Duke Energy Foundation to support small businesses in the four-county area it ser.

And community college officials have come up with a creative way to make sure that the money is equitably distributed to do the most good.

The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops, one based in each of the four counties the college serves.

Owners of retail shops, restaurants and other small businesses looking to expand, their business, upgrade technology, improve marketing or downtown storefronts are just the kind of participant VGCC’s Small Business Center is looking for.

“We want to see how creative they’ll be,” said Carolyn Perry, director of VGCC’s Small Business Center. The timing right before the holidays could prove extra helpful; some small businesses depend on a brisk holiday sales season to boost their bottom line.

The first workshop will be held next week in Granville County on the South Campus in Creedmoor, Sept. 16-19.

Subsequent workshops will take place in the other three counties served by VGCC:

  •       Sept. 30 – Oct. 3: VGCC Main Campus, Henderson
  •       Oct. 7–10: VGCC Warren Campus, Warrenton
  •       Oct. 14–17: VGCC Franklin Campus, Louisburg

Each workshop session will be comprised of four evening classes for a total of 10 hours of instruction. The sessions will culminate with a five-minute pitch contest, after which five of the session’s 10 participants will receive a $2,500 award to support their small business.

Perry said there are just a few requirements to participate – applicants must be 18 years old and must be residents of the county of the workshop they sign up for. Only one participant per household is allowed and anyone associated with VGCC is not eligible to take part, she said.

If you do a little quick math, $50,000 divided by 4 equals $12,500. There will be 20 awards – 5 per county – which means that each grant will be $2,500.

The first three days of the process will involve coaching and developing a plan that will be pitched on day 4, Perry said, sort of like TV’s “Shark Tank.”

VGCC Dean of Business and Industry Solutions Kyle Burwell, provided details about how the money would be used.

“When you start off with some capital,” Burwell said, you increase a business’s survival rate, not to mention provide stability and create additional employment opportunities. She said it’s a way to help businesses learn how to use funding and market themselves, which creates “a true impact for all of our communities.”

The VGCC Foundation was one of 21 community organizations from across the state to share in $700,000 in this round of funding, said Beth Townsend, Duke Energy local government and community relations manager. Since it was established in 2020, the program has given more than $2 million in grant funds to small businesses across the state.

To learn more about this program and participant requirements, contact Perry at 252.738.3240 or perryc@vgcc.edu.

 

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TownTalk: Angie Ellington – Autumn at Apple Hill Movie

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Angie Ellington said she’s been a fan of Hallmark movies for quite some time, and chances are she’ll be tuning in on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. when “Autumn at Apple Hill” premieres. No need for spoiler alerts for Ellington, however – she already knows the story.

In fact, she wrote the book.

Ellington is a local author who has had numerous books published, but “Autumn at Apple Hill” is the first one that has been made into a movie.

Main characters Elise and Luke are portrayed by Erin Cahill and Wes Brown, and Ellington said they’re both good choices for the characters she first created on paper.

Erin’s hair color is different in the movie, but other than that, “I could totally see Erin as Elise,” Ellington said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. And Brown, she said, “fits the description of Luke perfectly,” even down to the Tom Cruise-like smile Ellington writes in the novel.

Sometimes, movies based on books turn out quite different from the original story, but Ellington said that’s not the case with “Autumn at Apple Hill.”

For one thing, the producers kept the title, she said. And they kept the name of the town the same as the one in the book.

The movie is set in upstate New York, not Maine where Ellington has the character of Elise coming home to operate her grandparents’ bed and breakfast.

In the book, Luke comes to town to open a bistro, but Ellington said that the movie has him as a CFO of a hotel chain – a storyline change made into “something you can tell in a 90 -minute movie,” she explained.

The movie is scheduled to air at least four times during the “Fall into Love” themed movies on Hallmark, Ellington said. Visit https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/fall-into-love/fall-into-love-2024-movies to learn more.

And there will be other events to promote the movie as the premiere date draws near, including what Ellington called a “Zoom-along.”

A woman with an Instagram and Facebook link called “Hungry for Hallmark” creates recipes that pair with Hallmark movies.

What’s on the menu to go with “Autumn at Apple Hill,” you ask?

“She’s going to make an apple tart,” Ellington said. Cahill will take part in the Zoom-along and Ellington will join the small-screen activity for a few minutes as well.

Find out more at https://angienellington.com/

Click on any of the titles there to be directed to Amazon where the books can be purchased in book form or in audible format.

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Rebuild Communities NC, AARP Team Up To Offer Technology Classes For Senior Adults

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Information courtesy of Edythe Thompson, Rebuild Communities NC

Rebuild Communities NC has partnered with Senior Planet from AARP to help people over 50 learn new online skills. When you sign up for the Digital Skills Ready@50+ program, you’ll gain the essential skills you need to navigate an increasingly digital world.

Whether you’re hoping to stay connected with family and friends, interested in learning new technology, exploring entrepreneurship, or looking for a job, the Digital Skills Ready@50+ lectures and workshops offer training on a wide range of technologies, from video conferencing and online job search tools to office productivity software.

To sign up for the classes, call Edythe Thompson at 252.915.1840 or email Deborah Hall-Robinson at dhallrobinson@gmail.com.

Classes will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Perry Memorial Library’s Farm Bureau Room from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The first session was held Tuesday, Sept. 10 and gave an overview of Smartphones.

Additional sessions include:

Thursday, Sept. 12: Finding information online

Tuesday, Sept. 17: Google Workspace

Thursday, Sept. 19: Google Maps

Tuesday, Sept. 24: Gmail Tips & Tricks

Thursday, Sept. 26: Staying Safe Online Workshop

Stay tuned for the October schedule, coming soon!

 

TownTalk: The Dangers of Illicit Fentanyl

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It can’t be overstated: The only safe drug you can take is one that is prescribed for you and comes from a pharmacy, said Cathy Hazlett, substance use prevention & treatment program manager with Granville-Vance Public Health.

Hazlett will be the featured speaker at tonight’s community information series at Baskerville Funeral Home. The talk begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public.

Hazlett was a guest on Tuesday’s TownTalk and discussed the science of addiction, street drugs and some tips for parents about how to help their children steer clear of potentially deadly situations involving illicit drugs.

Research has shown that teenaged brains are not fully developed, Hazlett said. Specifically, the frontal cortex – the part of the brain that is responsible for thinking about the consequences of actions, she said.

Teens’ brains are “biologically structured to take risks – that’s how they’re wired,” she said. So, when a young person wants to try something, and if that something has fentanyl in it, it can have deadly consequences.

Similarly, people who abuse drugs – even marijuana – undergo physical changes to their brain structure, she noted.

Addiction becomes a disease of the brain, she said. “That drug has taken over the brain,” and the addict no longer thinks logically when it comes to using drugs. The overuse of opioids quickly became a crisis because addiction can happen so quickly, Hazlett said.

Fentanyl – a potent synthetic opioid – is pervasive in counterfeit drugs that are sold on the street and people who buy drugs from dealers have no idea what they’re actually getting.

“There’s no guarantee that what you’re getting is going to be fentanyl free,” Hazlett said.

Warning people about the dangers of using illicit drugs is only part of the education piece that Hazlett shares in the community. Another part includes raising awareness about harm reduction – steps drug users and others can take to reduce the chance of an overdose.

Of course, the best outcome for drug users is to seek treatment and get into a recovery program, she said.

But if that is not an option, at least have Narcan nearby and don’t use alone, she said. There also are test strips available to determine if the drug you are getting ready to use has traces of fentanyl.

Although it can be scary to think about, parents should keep the lines of communication open with their children to steer them away from risky behaviors, often driven by peer pressure.

Hazlett suggests asking open-ended questions to encourage dialogue and avoid sounding judgmental.

“Come up with strategies to say ‘no’,” Hazlett said.

Both Granville County and Vance County will receive millions of dollars over the next 18 years from the multi-billion opioid settlement. Granville County currently has two projects – one that helps inmates in the county jail get treatment and stay clean after they’re released and another that has created a post-overdose response team that follows up on EMS calls that involve drug overdoses.

Vance County will hold a meeting at 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 16 to discuss options for projects. The meeting will be held in the county administration building.

One simple step anyone can take: make sure you store safely and properly dispose of any unused medication, whether prescription or over-the-counter. Some pharmacies will take unused or outdated medicines, and local police departments and sheriff’s offices have secure bins where you can take medicines.

Dispose of them in a safe manner, but please, not down the sink or flushed in the toilet. That just contributes to water contamination.

She’ll have some lockboxes with her at tonight’s meeting for people to use at home to store the medicines they are currently taking.

“Keeping medicines locked up is not a bad idea,” she said.

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The Local Skinny! Council Approves Pay Increases For City Employees

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In a unanimous vote Monday, the Henderson City Council approved a pay increase for all city employees, tacking on close to a 20 percent increase in payroll costs in the city’s budget. The increase will be retroactive to sync with the pay increase given to police and fire department employees.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon said the move adds about $1.8 million on the expense side – payroll expenses and the cost of the study – but the city’s expected revenues should be about $2.5 million, so “we can accommodate the total impact,” he told council members during their regular monthly meeting.

Back on Aug. 19, the city council approved a pay increase for police and fire department employees – to the tune of just more than $900,000 – out of “urgency,” Blackmon said in remarks during the meeting. At that August meeting, it was stated that the results of the pay study for all employees would be considered at the Sept. 9 meeting.

Blackmon said the pay study reviewed 70 different job positions for the 2023-24 fiscal year which resulted in recommendations for an updated classification and grading scale.

Salary increases have been a part of the city’s strategic plan for a couple of years, he said, citing the need to be competitive with surrounding areas and attract and retain employees.

The local tax base hasn’t grown much in the last decade, but Blackmon said anticipated growth is on the horizon.

“There’s expected growth here in the community,” he said, noting that there are close to 2,000 housing units underway and more on the way in the first quarter of 2025.

Council Member Michael Venable made the motion to approve the pay increase, which was seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. Council Members Garry Daeke and Sara Coffey were not present at the meeting.

The Council also voted to approve a unified development ordinance that essentially updates zoning and land-use regulations that have been in place – unchanged – for more than 40 years.

Information in the agenda packet prepared for the meeting stated, “Over the past 12 months the Development Services Department staff, Insight Planning Consultants, and the Planning Board have been working on land use regulations of the zoning and subdivision ordinances that have not been comprehensively updated and re-written since the 1970’s. The proposed Unified Development Ordinance combines best practices for zoning and subdivision regulations, along with other desired City codes such as design guidelines, sign regulations, floodplain and stormwater management, into one document.”

The updated ordinance includes a revised table of uses, mixed-use district, regulation removal of redundancy zoning districts, new regulation to assist in affordable housing creation and other  technical planning practices.

The city contracted with Insight Planning to craft the UDO and comprehensive plan that was adopted in July 2022 for $99,000.

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Local Government Commission Considers 2 Local Projects At Sept. 10 Meeting

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Vance County and the city of Henderson are on Tuesday’s agenda for assistance financing two water-related projects totalling close to $2 million.

The Local Government Commission is set to review more than $335 million in financing requests at its Sept. 10 meeting, according to a press release.

Vance County is asking for $1.6 million in U.S. Dept. of Agriculture revenue bonds to install 23.6 miles of water main lines to extend service to Kittrell Township for about 210 new connections, and also to refurbish Kittrell’s 100,000-gallon elevated water tank.

The city of Henderson is one of 16 municipalities from across the state set to be considered for loan approval from the State Revolving Fund to pay for surveys of lead water lines.

If approved, Henderson would get $400,000 to conduct the survey, which is required by the EPA and NC Dept. of Environmental Quality.

The inventory will show where lead water lines are located in anticipation of replacing them to protect public health, according to information from the LGA.

The meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. in Raleigh at the Dept. of the State Treasurer, 3200 Atlantic Ave. Register to view the meeting online at https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1960354907250441814

TownTalk: McGregor Live! Series

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When the lights dim this Saturday night at McGregor Hall, the audience can expect to be wowed – the Traveling Salvation Show has come to town!

It’s the first in the 2024-25 McGregor Live! series, which features some top touring companies mixed with local talent taking the stage to entertain audiences into the fall, winter and beyond.

“It is a really energetic, fun show,” said McGregor Hall Executive Director Mark Hopper of the Saturday show, a tribute band of sorts to music legend Neil Diamond.

“This is a really professional outfit,” Hopper said, “with a top-shelf band.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14.

The company travels with a live band, backup singers and terrific lighting to create an unforgettable concert, with a nod to Diamond’s extensive body of work over the course of many decades of performing in arenas and concert venues all over the world.

Purchase season tickets for McGregor Live! at https://www.mcgregorhall.org/

The price is $135 – a bargain no matter how you slice it, Hopper said.

“It’s a real value – the price is NOT indicative of the level of performance,” he said. “You will not be able to attend this kind of entertainment for this cost.” Hopper takes great pride in keeping ticket prices as low as possible – he said nobody will pay more than $35 for a show at McGregor Hall.

As executive director, it’s Hopper’s job to manage the calendar, booking shows and other types of entertainment during the year.

It’s not as simple as making a phone call and booking an act, however. Sometimes, he can schedule a performance for a touring company that’s traveling between shows say, in Charlotte and Richmond, or between Asheville and Wilmington.

And as important as landing those big-name acts is, Hopper said it’s the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to generating revenue.

The annual sponsorship campaign just ended for the upcoming season includes more than 100 businesses and others who recognize the impact performances at McGregor Hall has on the local economy – retail, lodging, restaurants and more, Hopper said.

The sponsorships are “a huge portion of our income,” he added, and make it possible to keep ticket prices affordable so the whole community can attend and enjoy plays, concerts and more at the 1,000-seat entertainment venue.

If the big acts represent the tip of the revenue iceberg, Hopper said all the rentals and community events comprise the other two-thirds that goes unnoticed. Whether it’s summertime family reunions, church services throughout the year or other competitions, Hopper said McGregor Hall is a place the community uses and enjoys.

Here’s a quick rundown of the rest of the performances scheduled for season’s McGregor Live! series:

  • Nov. 2-3, 9-10 – “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” – about 100 members of cast and crew are in rehearsals now for this local production, “just about the biggest one we’ve ever tackled,” Hopper said. He is the show’s director and he said the storyline isn’t in lockstep with the Disney movie, but the music comes straight from movie score. “This one’s going to be a big deal,” he said.
  • Dec. 20 – “Grand Ol’ Christmas Show” brings to the stage all the trappings of a classic variety show – Hopper said it’s a great family show that will surely put everyone in a holiday mood. This company is based in Texas, and brings a dozen performers who will sing, dance and tell stories to create “a really good family night,” Hopper said.
  • Feb. 14-16, 22-23 – The Bridges of Madison County – with four shows in February, this performance, also directed by Hopper, will debut on Valentine’s Day. Auditions will be held in October, and Hopper said he expects to draw interest from a great distance to earn a spot in the eight-member cast. “Nobody in the Triangle has tackled this before,” he said. By the way, there will be a special dinner available on Opening Night – Feb. 14 – in the Gallery, so Hopper said folks can opt to add a special Valentine’s dinner before the curtain rises.
  • Mar. 27 – Shadow Dance “is the BIG one,” Hopper said. A company called Catapult will tell stories via silhouette. This group was on the TV show “America’s Got Talent” and is doing a two-month tour on the East Coast, Hopper said. “It’s the most unique, fascinating thing you’ll see on the stage…it’s mesmerizing to watch them.”

Visit www.mcgregorhall.org to see the full calendar of events.

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