HVDDC 2nd Annual Moonlight Gala Tickets Now on Sale

The Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission will once again host Moonlight Gala on Saturday, September 9.  Tickets for last year’s ticket holders go on sale TODAY.  You may purchase the same quantity as last year.  If you would like additional tickets, those will be available on July 14 with the general public. The cost this year is $65 and the menu is attached.  I will be happy to deliver your tickets or they may be purchased at Dataforge, 217 S. Garnett Street.

 

Thank you for your support of the HVDDC’s revitalization efforts.  I look forward to seeing each of you at this year’s gala.

 

Carolyn Powell

Executive Director

Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission

Henderson Lions Set to Meet on Thursday July 27th

Thursday, July 27,2017

Henderson Lions – The Henderson Lions Club will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Henderson Country Club.  The speaker will be Lion Mikey Chavis.  To learn more or join the Lions and be a part of an active community service organization, contact any Lions Club member or President Randy Oxendine at 252-438-8034.

Vance County Schools to offer Credit Recovery Sessions

Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

July 10, 2017

Vance County Schools is beginning its course credit recovery sessions for eligible high school students in the 2018 graduation cohort this week.

The sessions will be available over the next three weeks. All sessions for high school students across the county will be held at Northern Vance High School.

Students who are in the 2018 graduation cohort can participate in the recovery of one credit during the session. All credit recovery work will be available online, with teachers on hand to lead each session. The sessions will be held at Northern Vance July 10-13, July 17-20 and July 24-27. Students can attend the sessions each day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch and snacks also will be provided for students.

School bus transportation will be provided to students on an as needed basis.

News 07/10/17

News 07/07/17

Recent VGCC grad featured in career pathways discussion for educators

Educators, local industry representatives, community leaders and a recent Vance-Granville Community College graduate shared ideas at a panel discussion organized on June 21 by the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Training Alliance (AMSTA), a partnership of VGCC, Granville County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Warren County Schools and Vance County Schools.

The event was part of “AMSTA Summer Cruisers 2017,” a multi-day program that brought teachers from the four counties together to learn more about manufacturing and the regional economy. Day three of the program was held at Franklinton High School and began with greetings from the state’s deputy superintendent of public instruction, Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin, who applauded the participants and said AMSTA is a model for the state.

Next, a discussion on “career pathways” featured panelists Ronnie Goswick, the director of business and economic development at Carolina Sunrock and a former Franklin County economic development director; Arlan Peters, manager of sustainability at Novozymes North America in Franklinton; Eric Breit, director of strategic initiatives for the Capital Area Workforce Development Board; and Thomas Boyd of Henderson, a recent VGCC Mechatronics Engineering Technology program graduate.

Barbara Boyce, representing the Triangle Regional Career Pathways Collaborative (TRCPC), served as the moderator. The collaborative consists of three workforce development boards, five community colleges (including VGCC), ten public school districts and numerous community and industry partners. The primary goal of TRCPC is to develop career pathways to align with the regional labor market and support the regional economy.

Goswick told educators that he hopes K-12 teachers will focus on so-called “soft skills,” good work habits and professionalism, which apply to any type of work. “We can train them on the job skills they will need for a particular job,” he said of new workers at his company. Similarly, Peters said that schools should produce “students who are good thinkers, who can solve a problem,” and said basic science was essential for his company. “Even in jobs that aren’t science-related, you can use your scientific training,” he noted.

Boyd was asked to talk about his pathway. He graduated from Southern Vance High School, worked for a few years, and then enrolled at VGCC, originally intending to study web design. Boyd then switched to the college’s new Mechatronics Engineering Technology degree program, primarily due to his interest in robotics. “Mechatronics is a program that combines different parts of many different fields, a little electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, a little bit of design, and overall industrial maintenance, so you’ve got a little bit of everything to get you started when you’re looking for a job,” Boyd said. “After a year in the program, I was approached about an internship opportunity for a design job at AXIS Corrugated Container, a manufacturer in Butner. I enjoyed taking the design classes, so I took the internship. After I completed the internship, they offered me a full-time job, and I’ve been working there a little over a year now.” In May, he became one of VGCC’s first three Mechatronics graduates.

Boyd said it would be beneficial for younger students to learn generally about how businesses operate, how to network and how to communicate professionally. He added that teachers should explain to students the job opportunities available for students if they earn two-year degrees, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. “Your average high school student thinks they want to go to a four-year school and they’ll automatically get a great job right from the start, but a lot of them don’t realize that you can get a two-year degree and get a really nice-paying job,” Boyd said. “Even if they want to go to a four-year school, doing the two years at a community college first will help them out in the long run. It gives them a good start with a couple years to figure out what they really want to do, and then they can decide on furthering their education somewhere else.”

Breit, representing the workforce development field, said according to the latest research, “the quality of the current and future workforce is now the single most important factor for industry recruitment and retention, so employers want to know about not only current workers but also about the local schools.” He added that the nine Triangle-area counties, including both urban and rural areas, are considered a single labor market, “so it makes sense for workforce development boards, community colleges and public schools throughout the region to put our heads together to see how we can better collectively serve the region, our employers and our students.” Breit said that TRCPC is focused on jobs that are in demand, in the sectors of advanced manufacturing, information technology, life sciences and health care.

After the discussion, a second panel was held to discuss school choice and its impact on the public school systems. Speakers included Dave Machado, director of the Office of Charter Schools at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and Dr. Deanna Townsend-Smith, assistant director of that office.

Finally, attendees received updates from several guests. Jo Anne Honeycutt, director of Career & Technical Education (CTE) for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, said that her department is emphasizing Work-Based Learning (WBL) opportunities and is working on a new high-school-to-college articulation agreement that will help students transfer their high school course credits to colleges. LaTanya Patillio, a former CTE teacher and the new teacher advisor to Gov. Roy Cooper, addressed educators and said that “AMSTA is an example of what public schools are doing right.”

Tresha Layne from the Southern Regional Education Board said that she is working with AMSTA on professional development tied to project-based learning, and praised the partnership for helping the K-12 schools collaborate with VGCC and employers to develop a skilled talent “pipeline.” Sara Lloyd, VGCC’s director of customized training, added that she fields calls from industries about their workforce development needs and helps to connect them to K-12 schools and the college concerning internship opportunities.

Attendees concluded the event by touring Franklinton High School’s Career & Technical Education wing.

For more information on AMSTA, contact Stephanie Ayers at ayerss@vgcc.edu or (919) 316-0026.

–VGCC–

Volunteers Needed for Next Coop Food Giveaway

VANCE COUNTY FOOD GIVEAWAY!

On Thursday, July 13, 2017 the NC Central/Eastern Food Bank will be distributing bags of food to community members who are in need of food at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Drive, Henderson, NC.

The distribution will start at 10:00 a.m.

Citizens will receive disbursements using a drive-through method, as bags will be brought to individual cars when citizens arrive at the site.

Please contact the Vance County Extension office if you are interested in volunteering; email tapride@ncsu.edu or call 252-438-8188.

All volunteers should arrive at 9:00 a.m.

News 07/06/17

Thirty Seven Domestic Violence Related Homicides Reported in NC in 2017

From January 1 to July 2, 2017, there have been 37 Homicides as a direct result of Domestic Violence in North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

THIS HAS TO STOP!

If you or someone you know is a victim of Domestic Violence, please call FAMILIES LIVING VIOLENCE FREE.

919-693-5700 or Hispanic line 919-690-0888 anytime day or night, 7 days a week.

You could be saving a life…may be your own.

 

Peggy Roark

Adult & Empowerment Services

Families Living Violence Free

125 Oxford Outer Loop Road

PO Box 1632

Oxford, NC 27565

Office: 919-693-3579

Crisis: 919-693-5700

Website: www.flvf.org

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Info Sessions to be held for new STEAM Academy at E.M. Rollins

Vance County Schools

For Immediate Release

July 6, 2017

Parents and students can learn more about the new STEAM Academy at E.M. Rollins Elementary for the 2017-2018 school year during meetings scheduled for Monday, July 10, and Thursday, July 13, at Perry Memorial Library on Breckenridge Street in Henderson.

Both meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be led by Principal Stephanie Alston.

Enrollment is still open for the new year to elementary students throughout Vance County. Plan to attend one of these meetings to learn how to submit an application during open enrollment.