Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Registration Underway for the 2018 Master Gardener Symposium

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

The Master Gardner volunteers invite the public to attend the annual Master Gardner Symposium, sponsored by NC Cooperative Extension. This year’s symposium will be held Saturday, March 24, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market at 210 Southpark Drive in Henderson.

The cost of attendance is $30 if registration is received by Wednesday, February 28, 2018. After this date, the cost of registration increases to $35 per person. The price of registration includes snacks, beverages and lunch.

There will also be an optional, hands-on workshop in the afternoon for participants to make, and learn how to use, their own rain barrel with supplied materials. The workshop is limited to 25 pre-registered participants for an additional fee.

According to Paul McKenzie, area agent for the Vance County Cooperative Extension Office, space is limited and tickets often sell out prior to the day of the event. Those interested in attending the symposium are urged to register as early as possible to guarantee entry.

The theme for this year’s symposium is “Backyard Gardening: Changing Times, Changing Conditions.”

The symposium will feature four speakers, including keynote speaker Sam Pearsall, the retired director of the North Carolina Natural Heritage program. Pearsall will explain how climate change impacts natural ecosystems and personal gardens.

Additional speakers include educators from NC State University:

  • Elsa Youngsteadt, Research Associate and science writer, will discuss various species of bees and the role they play in the ecosystem. Specific focus will be given on how to protect bees and attract them to gardens.
  • Barbara Fair, Associate Professor, Landscape Extension Specialist and Certified Arborist, will discuss plant selection, water conservation efforts and rain gardens.
  • Joseph Neal, Professor of Weed Science, will discuss landscape weed management.

“This year’s speakers will address pollinators-how to protect them and get them to visit your garden, plant selection for drought resistance, water conservation and weed management,” said McKenzie. “You will be hearing facts and unbiased, researched-based information, not just the latest, greatest trend.”

Those interested in attending the symposium are encouraged to join the Master Gardner Volunteer Program. Volunteers are provided with 40 hours of gardening training in exchange for 40 hours of volunteer work. “The volunteer program is an amazing opportunity to learn and to give back through community outreach at local schools, farmers markets and other areas,” McKenzie said.

The registration form for the symposium may be downloaded from https://go.ncsu.edu/vancegarden. For more information, contact the Vance County Cooperative Extension office at (252) 438-8188.

 

News 02/27/18

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Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start Expands Children’s Free Book Program

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor For Hire

Franklin-Granville-Vance (FGV) Smart Start recently received funding from NC state lawmakers to expand their free reading program – Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – to children ages birth to five years old.

Children in this age range who are residents of Franklin, Granville or Vance County can receive one book a month in the mail free of charge. “If we can sign a child up at birth, that child can receive 60 books free of charge prior to the program ending,” said Garry Daeke, development coordinator for FGV Smart Start.

The first book participants receive is “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, which, according to Daeke, plays into Parton’s theme of the fire engine. The last book in the series is “Kindergarten Here I Come” by D.J. Steinberg and teaches children ideas and concepts that will prepare them for elementary school.

According to Daeke, the goal of the program is to make books available to all children, regardless of income, and to increase their exposure to language and concepts at an early age. “Brain science says children’s brains are 85% developed by the age of five. Dolly’s program is teaching children to read and helping them understand higher concepts,” said Daeke.

The books are developmentally appropriate for children at the age of sign up and change each month as the child grows. “This program gets kids excited to run to the mailbox each month to receive a book with their own name on it,” said Daeke.

Founded by singer and entertainer Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation in 1995, the Imagination Library has been a part of Vance County on a smaller scale since 2005.

“The NC legislature made more funding available to Smart Starts around the state in order to grow the program. This will allow us to enroll an additional 400-500 children in Vance County this year alone,” said Daeke.

Applications can be found at various locations around town including pediatric offices, childcare centers, the Vance County Public Health Department, the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library and the FGV Smart Start office located at 125 Charles D. Rollins Road near Maria Parham Health in Henderson.

FGV Smart Start will also have a booth set up at the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library in Henderson on Thursday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Children present at the sign up will be able to take a book home with them that day.

According to Daeke, the application process only takes a minute and the child should receive their first book in the mail one to two months after the application has been completed.

Those interested in the program may also contact the FGV Smart Start office at (252) 433-9110 or visit the NC Smart Start website at www.ncsmartstart.org to enroll online.

VGCC scholarship endowed by MR Williams

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— courtesy VGCC

VGCC scholarship endowed by MR Williams

A new Vance-Granville Community College scholarship has been endowed by the Henderson-based distribution company, MR Williams. The new scholarship in the company’s name will be presented to a VGCC student each year as a “Presidential Scholar Award,” the college’s largest, most prestigious level of endowed scholarship.

Mike Williams, board chairman and founder of MR Williams, said that his company values education, both for its own sake — to benefit from skilled employees — and for the sake of the entire community. “We know that students who complete a two-year degree at VGCC are better prepared to succeed at the four-year university level,” Williams said. “I grew up in a small town like Henderson, and I want to see this community thrive. Vance-Granville does so much to support our community and our local businesses.”

Pictured, from left, at the MR Williams headquarters in Henderson are VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams, company founder and board chairman Mike Williams, VGCC Endowment Specialist Kay Currin and VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson.

For over 40 years, MR Williams, Inc., has been selling products and services to the convenience store industry in the Carolinas and in surrounding states, from Delaware to Georgia. Mike Williams purchased the former Watkins-Sydnor Wholesale Distributor in 1976 and changed the company’s name in 1979. Since then, the company has grown considerably and invested in increasingly sophisticated technology.

MR Williams has supported the VGCC Endowment Fund Golf Tournament for several years and was one of the platinum sponsors for the record-breaking 33rd annual Golf Tournament in 2017.

Lawson Williams, the company president since 2009 and Mike’s son, said that the newly endowed scholarship marks another milestone for MR Williams as its first college scholarship. Williams said that his company is pleased to be able to give back to a community that has been so supportive of their business and their hundreds of local employees.

“We greatly appreciate the commitment that MR Williams has made to supporting our community, higher education and economic development,” said Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC.

Eddie Ferguson, VGCC’s endowment director, added, “MR Williams is not only a great corporate citizen but also one of our college’s valued community partners, and the company’s generosity will support VGCC students for years to come.”

Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 9,100 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.

–VGCC–

News 02/26/18

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Polar Plunge Raises Funds for Vance County Special Olympics

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire

Held on a chilly morning earlier this month, the 2018 Special Olympics Vance County Polar Plunge saw a total of 53 courageous people brave the freezing water of Kerr Lake.

The sixth annual event took place on Saturday, February 3 and began at 9:30 am with participants checking-in at the Satterwhite Point Glass House. Participants were required to raise at least $30 to take part in the plunge. Hot cocoa and a t-shirt were provided to all plungers, with additional t-shirts being sold to assist fundraising efforts.

Participants were asked to come dressed to impress, with costumes highly encouraged. Rules included no wetsuits allowed, tennis or water shoes required and warm, dry clothes to change into recommended.

Before the lake plunge began, prizes were awarded for best individual and team costume, most money raised by both an individual and a team and largest team.

The contest was followed by the main event-the icy plunge into the lake. Vance County Special Olympics Local Coordinator Crystal Allen reported that participants did everything from sticking their toes in the water to running in.

The event raised over $7,000 for the Special Olympics, with proceeds going directly to equipment, uniforms and supplies for Vance County athletes.

“We are so appreciative that you have helped us to fulfill our goals,” Allen said. “We hope to have even more participation next year!”

Special Olympics North Carolina is a non-profit amateur sports organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 Olympic-type sports to nearly 40,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The organization relies on generous support from individuals, businesses, and foundations to provide services.

According to the Special Olympics North Carolina website, approximately $2.57 million dollars has been raised for athletes in NC since 2000. These funds were raised by over 46,000 donors and made possible by over 5,000 fundraising events.

“Special Olympics strives to provide children and adults with intellectual disabilities hope for a healthier, longer and more fulfilling life through sports training and competition that keeps them engaged in regular physical activity within a structured peer network,” said Allen. “Through participation in Special Olympics, our athletes build self-confidence and improve their overall health and well-being.”

Anyone interested in volunteering, donating or coaching a Special Olympics sport is asked to contact Allen at (252) 431-6091. “Without volunteers from the community, we could not provide a program for our local athletes,” Allen said.

Allen thanks all who made the fundraiser successful, “On behalf of the local committee, athletes and community participants of Special Olympics Vance County, I would like to offer a sincere thank you for your generous contribution to our annual Polar Plunge.”

Mark your calendar for next February’s Polar Plunge, get your friends or co-workers together to form a team and plan to wear your best lake-diving costume.

Dispatch earns 9 awards from N.C. Press Association

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(Congratulations to The Daily Dispatch!)

— by Dispatch staff

— republished with permission

The Daily Dispatch received nine awards in its division in the annual North Carolina Press Association contest, which included entries from October 2016 to September 2017.

“I am thrilled to see our staff’s work honored,” said Nancy Wykle, publisher and editor of The Daily Dispatch. “We do our best every day to serve our advertisers and readers, and this reaffirms the dedication our staff has to serving this community.”

Advertising account representatives Stephanie Ranes and Diane Robbins received awards.

Ranes received first place for Best Community Service Signature Page or Best Shared Page for the “In Loving Memory” ad.

Robbins took both first and second place for Best Entertainment Ad for Carolina BBQ & Chicken and iExteriors 2017 NGAA, respectively.

In the newsroom, sports editor Logan Ulrich won second place for sports enterprise writing for his piece “Local football coaches deal with low turnout.” He also took second place for sports photography for the photo accompanying “Spartans advance to title game on PKs.”

Ulrich also placed third for sports feature writing for the article “Thoughts of family fuel Daye” and third for sports news reporting for the article “Kerr-Vance state title game.”

Reporter David Irvine placed third for headline writing.

The paper’s staff also won first place for the special section celebrating the Henderson’s 175th anniversary. “The win for the 175th section was really a win for the entire community because we had so many people here contribute to the section to make it successful,” Wykle said.

The newspaper received the awards Thursday in Raleigh.

News 02/23/18

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Public Health Serving You 02/21/18

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West End Community Watch 2-20-18 Write Up

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— information based on written submission of Claire Catherwood

The West End Community Watch group met February 20, and the speaker was Henderson Police Chief Marcus Barrow.

He began by recounting recent police activity which has been heavy over the last week, including an officer involved shooting, a shooting near a popular local establishment and a bank robbery.

Chief Barrow also provided information about the “Ring” app, which can be used on Wi-Fi or with a smart phone.  The “Ring” app is a doorbell-like device which takes a picture and sends it to your computer or phone when anyone comes near your door.  The person does not need to actually ring the bell to trigger the camera.  It does cost about $200.  Chief Barrow stressed that while he did not wish to advertise a product, it is worthwhile to look into any technology which will keep people safer.

The remainder of the meeting was taken up by topics opened by those in attendance.  The final discussion was about the need of stressing and taking advantage of the good things about Henderson and Vance County.

Chief Barrow expressed his love of our area and his desire for all to recognize and celebrate the good.

(WIZS thanks Claire Catherwood for her written account of the meeting.)