VGCC Alumnus: Acting in Dinner Theater ‘Feels Like Coming Home’

/by

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Vance-Granville Community College holds a special place in the heart of Spencer Nunn, who has returned to his alma mater as a member of the cast of the college’s upcoming Dinner Theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy, “Company.”

When the former Warrenton resident first enrolled at VGCC, he planned to complete an Associate in Science degree and transfer to a four-year university to study Marine Biology. As it turned out, his experience at the community college changed his career plans and, in fact, his life – dramatically.

“When I got to Vance-Granville, I was already into acting, since finding theater in my freshman year of high school,” Nunn recalled. “But I thought of theater as a hobby.”

Vance-Granville Community College holds a special place in the heart of Spencer Nunn, who has returned to his alma mater as a member of the cast of the college’s upcoming Dinner Theater production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical comedy, “Company” on April 25 & 26. (Photo courtesy VGCC)

One semester, he considered auditioning for VGCC’s production of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” but a Biology lab session conflicted with the audition time, so he missed it. “Fortunately, I knew one of the cast members and found out that somebody had dropped out of the play,” Nunn said. “I was just in the right place at the right time. I auditioned and got the part.”

Many more VGCC productions followed, including the first four Dinner Theaters. Nunn attended school part-time, while also working part-time. That meant he was enrolled for more semesters than some students, and he had more chances to appear in VGCC plays. “I might be the most prolific actor in Vance-Granville history,” he reflected with a laugh.

Along the way, after spending time studying with VGCC Theatre Arts instructor Betsy Henderson, something clicked for him. “I thought after a while, ‘this makes me happy,’ and I decided to pursue the theatre as a career,” Nunn said. His new plan was to transfer to a four-year university to complete a degree that would allow him to teach drama.

Nunn graduated from VGCC in 2016 and enrolled at William Peace University in Raleigh, where his professors marveled at the amount of college-level stage experience he had. He is set to graduate from WPU with his bachelor’s degree in Theatre Education, and a minor in English, on May 4, not long after the VGCC Dinner Theater. “Later, I’d like to get my master’s and teach at the college level,” Nunn said. “I was not on that course when I started at VGCC.”

There is another significant aspect to Nunn’s experience at the community college: the lasting relationships he formed. In addition to making many friends and gaining a mentor in Betsy Henderson, Nunn started dating one of his fellow student actors, Rachel Pottern, after they appeared together in “Zara Spook and Other Lures.” He proposed marriage to her in front of an awe-struck VGCC Civic Center audience at the conclusion of a Dinner Theater production, “Smoke on the Mountain.” She said “yes,” and they eventually wed in 2016. “So that’s something else I owe to Betsy Henderson and the college,” Nunn remarked. They even had their wedding on the VGCC campus. Originally set to take place in the gazebo outside, the ceremony moved into the Civic Center because of Hurricane Matthew.

His wife is an accomplished thespian herself and graduated from William Peace University right before he enrolled there. Among the four plays in which Nunn has acted at WPU, one was directed by Rachel. He has submitted a proposal to direct a play at the university after he graduates, just as she did.

Appropriately enough, in the new production of “Company,” Nunn plays “Paul,” a young man who is about to get married to “Amy,” played by Rachel. Nunn describes Paul as “a young banker in New York City; he’s very optimistic and overly affectionate at times, but he’s genuine, kind-hearted and loving.”

Spencer and Rachel Nunn are the only cast members in this year’s seventh annual Dinner Theater who were also in VGCC’s first such production (“Our Town”) back in 2013. Their involvement in the show as alumni is in keeping with the celebration of the community college’s 50th anniversary.

“The cast of this show is a lot of fun,” Nunn said. “The music is really challenging. Sondheim is known for complex music. If the cast was not so determined and ego-free, it could be frustrating, but we are all so supportive of each other.” In addition to Betsy Henderson directing and co-starring, Nunn noted that the production benefits from “a fantastic music director, Joanna Li; I feel I understand musical theater so much better after working with her.”

“Coming back to do this show feels like coming home,” Nunn added. “I never regretted going the community college route. I am 100% positive I would not be in the position I am, mentally, emotionally or in terms of maturity if it wasn’t for Vance-Granville.”

His heart, he said, “is at peace knowing I am doing theater because I realized how much it meant to me at Vance-Granville, and now, I want to get on a career path to be able to give that back. Going to the college is one of the best things I ever chose to do, and so many blessings have come from it.”

The dinner theater is scheduled for the evenings of Thursday, April 25, and Friday, April 26. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. each evening in the Civic Center on the college’s Main Campus near Henderson. Tickets are available for $30 each through the VGCC website at www.vgcc.edu/dinnertheater.

NCDOT

‘Swat-A-Litterbug’ Program Simple Way for Public to Help Keep NC Clean

/by

-Information courtesy the Vance County Government’s Facebook Page

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s “Swat-A-Litterbug” program encourages the public to report people who litter in an effort to help make North Carolina roadways cleaner. The program provides every individual an opportunity to be an active participant in reducing litter on NC roadways.

The public can report those who litter to NCDOT’s Litter Management Section by filling out an online form or calling NCDOT’s Customer Service Office at (877) 368-4968.

Upon receipt of the reported information, NCDOT will mail the registered owner of the vehicle that was reported a formal notification, signed by the N.C. State Highway Patrol, that informs them of the littering offense, the penalties of littering and urges them to help keep North Carolina clean.

Information that is needed to report a “litterbug” includes the date, time, plate number, county, city, street and violation description (cup, napkin, cigarette butt, etc.).

Please do your part to help keep NC, and our local communities, litter-free!

 

Perry Memorial Library to Hold Spring Book Sale

/by

-Information courtesy Perry Memorial Library

You are invited to the Friends of Perry Memorial Library’s Spring Book Sale May 3-5, 2019. The library is located at 205 Breckenridge St. in downtown Henderson.

Friday, May 3 ~ 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Members Only Sale (membership available at the door)

Friday, May 3 ~ 1 – 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4 ~ 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 ~ 1 – 4 p.m. – Bag Sale/$3 bag

Gently used book donations are welcome all year long. Please drop donations off at the Library’s Circulation Desk and let them know they are for the Friends Book Sale. The library cannot accept donated magazines or Encyclopedias.

For additional information, please visit www.perrylibrary.org.

 

 

News 04/15/19

/by

Rotary Club of Henderson Accepting Student Scholarship Applications

/by

-Information courtesy the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce

The Rotary Club of Henderson, NC is accepting student scholarship applications now through Friday, April 19, 2019.

In order for students to be eligible to apply for this scholarship, they must be a current senior in high school and attend any school or homeschool in Vance County, NC.

Applicants must write an essay in answer to the following question:

How is the motto of the Rotary Club, “Service above Self,” evident in your life, and how will you continue to uphold this motto through college and beyond?

Specifically, your essay should be sure to address the following:

  1. What “Service above Self” means to you;
  2. What you have accomplished that demonstrates “Service above Self”; and
  3. Your future plans describing how you will continue to incorporate “Service above Self” throughout the rest of your life.

In addition to the essay, please include the following:

  1. Student’s full name
  2. Grade
  3. School
  4. Cell phone number
  5. Home phone number
  6. Email address

Please submit all completed scholarship information to:

Mail to:

C/O D. Rix Edwards

Stainback, Satterwhite & Zollicoffer

115 N. Garnett St.

Henderson, NC 27536

OR

Email to: redwards@sszlaw.net

Award Timeline:

Friday, April 19, 2019 – All scholarship applications are due to the address or email address listed above.

Wednesday, May 1, 2019 – Scholarship winners will be notified of awards and invited to the scholarship banquet.

Tuesday, May 14, 2019 – Scholarship winners should plan to attend the banquet to be recognized for their achievements.

Scholarship Essays will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Clarity of the writing
  • Specific evidence of “Service above Self” in your life
  • Specific evidence of your future plans to continue to incorporate “Service above Self” throughout your life

NOTICE OF SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS:

Award Winners:

Scholarship award winners will be notified of their awards on Wednesday, May 1, 2019. Scholarship award winners will receive a scholarship in the amount of $2,000 to apply toward their continuing-education-related expenses.

On notice of award, scholarship award winners will be invited to attend the Scholars Banquet.

Questions regarding this scholarship application should be submitted via email to Rix Edwards at redwards@sszlaw.net.

VGCC Announces Changes to Public Cosmetology Services

/by

-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

The Main Campus (Henderson, NC) Vance-Granville Cosmetology Department will no longer offer services to the public effective April 11, 2019. 

Beginning May 21, 2019, services will be offered at our Franklin Campus, located at 8100 Hwy. 56, Louisburg, NC.

Services will resume at our South Campus, located in Creedmoor, NC on May 29, 2019, and Warren Campus, located in Warrenton, NC on August 15, 2019.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause you. Thank you for your continued support of the VGCC Cosmetology Department and we look forward to continuing to serve you.

City of Henderson Logo

Water Outage Planned for Oxford Road – Mon., April 15

/by

-Information courtesy the City of Henderson

The City of Henderson announces that there will a water outage on Oxford Road from the intersection of Dabney Drive and Oxford Road to the intersection of Oxford Road and Willowood Drive on Monday, April 15, 2019, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Contractors will be working on a tie-in to the water main during this time.

Residents in this area may have experienced a water outage for several hours earlier today (April 11) as contractors worked to isolate the segment of the distribution system.

If you live or work in the area and will be affected by Monday’s outage, please plan accordingly.

News 04/12/19

/by
Granville County Library System

North Carolina Room Preserves Historical Flavor of ‘Old Granville County’

/by

In honor of April 7-13 as National Library Week, Mark Pace, North Carolina Room Specialist at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford, was the featured guest on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program.

A part of the Granville County Library System since the early 1960s, the North Carolina Room’s primary mission is to preserve and maintain materials for historical and genealogical research in the present-day county of Granville and adjacent counties.

“We are a regional history center. Granville County formed in 1746 and is a ‘mother’ county. Warren, Vance, Franklin, parts of Orange and Person and present Granville were all once part of the original Granville County,” Pace explained. “We seek to preserve the materials that are relative to the cultural and historical flavor of old Granville County.”

According to Pace, genealogical records ranging in date from 1746 to present day include wills, deeds, marriage records, court records and cemetery records.

Such information can be found on the approximately 600 microfilm reels of newspapers, dozens of large size genealogy charts and 175 scrapbooks – some dating to the late 1800’s – that are a part of the Room’s collection.

“I always tell people that when you start researching your genealogy, you’re going to find something that you don’t like. On the other hand, you find out things about your ancestors that make you proud,” said Pace.

In addition to microfilm and charts, the 900-square-foot room inside the Thornton Library is also home to an extensive photography collection, personal papers and 4,500 books and volumes specific to local history.

“We have received some good collections recently, specifically a photography collection of 4,500 images given by the family of J.B. Clay, a local photographer in Oxford from the mid- 1950s to the mid-1990s. This new donation serves as the largest known photo collection relative to Granville County to date,” Pace said.

Donated materials from the public, including family bibles, photos and letters, are essential to the mission of the North Carolina Room, according to Pace.

“We rely heavily on what people donate to us or bring and let us copy. You can’t go out and buy these types of things. The public is always encouraged to bring by any items of local historical significance for us to copy and keep a record of, no matter how obscure those items may seem.”

Although its primary function is genealogical, Pace said the North Carolina Room meets patron needs for inquiries into historical environmental site surveys, high school reunions, local government requests, church histories and more.

While the majority of visitors are Granville County residents, Pace reported that up to 40% live outside of the area, including residents of other states and countries. “In just this year alone, we’ve had visitors from 35 different states and from far away as Great Britain and Jamaica.”

Pace, a Henderson native and college history major, said his passion for historical events and documents began with the Henderson High School fire of 1968.

“I was eight-years-old and my father taught school there. I remember it vividly. He got home late that night and I begged him to take me back to the school to let me see it. The next day, I saved the newspaper articles about the fire. After that, I would save other newspaper articles of historical events. In the late 1960s/early 1970s, there was a lot going on.”

In his Town Talk interview, Pace relayed many interesting historical facts about both Granville and present-day Vance County, including what he considers Granville’s most significant contribution to the world marketplace – flue-cured tobacco.

“The land in the southern part of Granville County was so good for growing flue-cured tobacco that a group came from Australia in the 1890s and loaded up dirt from Granville County and had it shipped back to Australia to see if they could grow it there. Of course, it didn’t work,” laughed Pace.

To hear the Town Talk interview with Mark Pace in its entirety, including more interesting historical facts on Granville and Vance County, please click here.

The North Carolina Room is located inside the Richard H. Thornton Library at 210 Main St. in Oxford. Hours of operation are Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. (closed Sundays from Memorial Day until Labor Day).

CropCheck Program Now Available to Farmers of Cotton, Corn & Soybeans

/by

-Press Release, NCDA&CS

This year, farmers can add CropCheck, a pilot program offered by Field Watch, that allows growers to map small grain/commodity crops by herbicide-resident traits. Crops include cotton, corn and soybeans.

It’s been three years since the online mapping programs Driftwatch and BeeCheck were launched in North Carolina. Since then, it has become a valuable online tool for beekeepers, specialty crop growers and pesticide applicators. All registries are free and easy to navigate.

“This program is about increasing communication and awareness between beekeepers, growers and pesticide applicators,” said Pat Jones, deputy director of pesticides programs. “Since April of 2016, North Carolina growers have mapped more than 10,000 acres of specialty crops. We hope to see the same enthusiasm and support from our small grain/commodity crop growers.”

CropCheck allows the farming community to be aware of specific herbicide-resistant traits of crops in neighboring fields and then adjust their spray program to minimize the effect of herbicide drift to these important small grain crops. Labels of the new herbicide products containing dicamba require growers to monitor nearby susceptible crops through a state-sponsored program like CropCheck.

Growers, beekeepers and pesticide users can access CropCheck, DriftWatch and BeeCheck at www.ncagr.gov/pollinators. The website offers detailed instructions on how to sign up and use the mapping tools.

Producers of high-value specialty crops, such as tomatoes, tobacco, fruit trees, grapes and vegetables, can map their sites and provide contact information about their operation on DriftWatch. Using BeeCheck, beekeepers map their hives online using pins and half-acre circles and can choose which details of hive information are displayed on the map.

Driftwatch is also North Carolina’s Sensitive Crop Registry, which is required by product label to be checked before making an application of the new dicamba products, such as Engenia, Extendimax, and Fexipan.

FieldWatch Inc. is a nonprofit company created to develop and expand the operation of the DriftWatch Specialty Crop Site and BeeCheck Apiary registries. To date, 21 states and a Canadian province use the program. CropCheck is currently offered in three states, including North Carolina, for the 2019 growing season.

This program was purchased with a grant from the N.C. Pesticide Environmental Trust Fund. It is part of the department’s ongoing efforts to protect and increase valuable pollinators in the state.