FGV Smart Start Announces New Executive Director

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FGV Smart Start, Inc., has announced that Dr. Tony Cozart will be the new executive director.

Dr. Cozart is a retired educator, with over 32 years in the local public school systems. He began his career as a teacher and assistant principal in Vance County, then served in Warren County as principal at Norlina Middle, South Warren Elementary and Warren County High schools, among other administrative positions. He is the pastor of Cooks Chapel Baptist Church in Warrenton, and also serves on the Granville County Board of Commissioners.

Cozart is married to the former Jacqueline Peace. They have three daughters: Kimberly, Kristal, and Karmen. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Saint Paul’s College, Master of Arts in School Administration from North Carolina Central University, and Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University.

Dr. Cozart has been the Kindergarten Readiness coordinator at FGV Smart Start the last two years. He began his duties as the executive director on November 16.

VGCC trustees approve new Associate Degree in Visual Arts

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Vance-Granville Community College’s Board of Trustees approved the offering of an Associate in Fine Arts degree in Visual Arts beginning in the fall of 2017 as the trustees met for their bi-monthly meeting on the Main Campus on Nov. 21.

The board also welcomed Jennifer P. “Jenny” Hester of Henderson as a newly appointed trustee, received preliminary plans for capital improvements on four campuses, and celebrated the results of the latest faculty and staff campaign to support the VGCC Endowment Fund.

Hester, who works in real estate and development in Henderson, was sworn in by Resident Superior Court Judge Henry W. “Chip” Hight of Henderson. Appointed for a four-year term on the board by N.C. Governor Pat McCrory, she replaces Dr. Doris Terry Williams of Henderson, who had served since November 2010.

The Fine Arts degree will be added to the Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees already being offered by Vance-Granville. A minimum of 60 semester hours of College Transfer courses will be required in English; communications, humanities and fine arts; social and behavioral sciences; mathematics; and natural sciences, in addition to classes in art history, two-dimensional and three-dimensional design, and drawing. For graduates who wish to complete a four-year degree, course credits will transfer to all 16 campuses of the University of North Carolina System under the state’s Comprehensive Articulation Agreement.

The board’s action came on a recommendation from the trustees’ Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris. With board approval, the College will now submit the program to the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC) for their approvals.

In other action from the Curriculum Committee, the board voted to approve closure of the Associate in Applied Science in Entrepreneurship program. Citing consistent low enrollment, Harris said the program will end in the fall of 2017 with a “teach-out plan” for currently enrolled students through Spring Semester 2018. The program was designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth as self-employed business owners. The College continues to offer a variety of related programs in Business Administration, Accounting and Office Administration, among others.

Faculty-Staff Drive for Scholarships

The co-chairs of the annual faculty and staff drive on Vance-Granville’s four campuses announced to the Trustees that $20,079 was raised this fall from among employees to support the mission of the College and students through scholarships.

The drive co-chairs were Kristi Salmons-Ellenberg, department chair and instructor for Social Sciences; Willie Mae Foster-Hill, Main Campus receptionist; and Steven Sievert, instructor for Computer Education.

VGCC awarded 301 scholarships at its annual awards ceremony this October. The funds raised by the faculty and staff this year will help with future scholarships.

Capital improvements

The Board of Trustees received a preliminary look at capital improvement projects that may be made possible with the $7.6 million in funds that the College is receiving through the Connect NC bonds approved by statewide voters this past March.

Projects are proposed at all four campuses, according to Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the Building Committee.

Among the largest projects, the replacement of outdated heating, ventilation and air conditioning and fire alarm systems on Main Campus is projected to cost around $4 million. Exterior masonry repairs and restoration, also on Main Campus, are projected at around $1 million. Both projects will enter the design phase in January 2017 with a proposed construction start date of August 2017, Seifert said.

Other projects, depending upon available funds, could include, on Main Campus, the remodeling of restrooms, renovations to several instructional areas, and the construction of a “burn building” for the Fire/Rescue department in Continuing Education; at South Campus, the replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment; at Franklin, renovations to a lab and boiler replacement; and at Warren, gas pack and heat pump replacements. The Connect NC Bond funds must be designated for repairs and renovations or the construction of new facilities.

In addition to the Connect NC Bond projects, Seifert said roof renovations to Building 6 on Main Campus are in the design phase, and the project will be bid out in February and completed in the summer of 2017. Remaining balances from other renovations on Main and South campuses will be available for space utilization improvements and repairs and renovations, respectively, Seifert said. Among those improvements, Steve Graham, Vance-Granville’s vice president for finance and operations, said a Bioprocess Technology laboratory on Main Campus is being retrofitted to house a new curriculum program in Histotechnology. The Bioprocess program is moving to the Franklin County Campus.

Other Action

In other action:

  • Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the Personnel Committee, reported on new employees, retirements and resignations. Among those retiring is Jacquelin “Jackie” Heath, program head and instructor for School-Age Education. Heath, who began employment on Sept. 15, 1976, and retires in January, is Vance-Granville’s longest-serving full-time faculty or staff member.
  • Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., co-chair of the Investment Committee, and Steve Graham, Vance-Granville’s vice president of finance and operations, updated the board on the move of the College’s investments to First Citizens Wealth Management in October. In September, the board approved the firm as the financial advisor, ratifying the designation of the firm by the VGCC Endowment Fund Board of Directors.
  • In her report to the trustees, President Dr. Stelfanie Williams reported on recent activities and events at Vance-Granville. Among those, she noted upcoming holiday events, including the Vance-Granville Community Band’s Holiday Concert on Monday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m.

The next meeting of the VGCC Board of Trustees will be held on Monday, Jan. 23, at the Main Campus.

Home and Garden Show 11/22/16

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Vance County School Update 11/21/16

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Vance-Granville Community Band to present free holiday concert on December 5th

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The Vance-Granville Community Band will perform traditional Christmas fare as well as light classical and contemporary favorites during its ninth annual holiday concert on Monday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. at McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson.

This will be the first time that the Community Band has held a concert at the 1,000-seat venue, which opened earlier this year and is located at 201 Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson. Admission is free of charge.

The band has prepared a program that includes seasonal music like “Wishing You a Merry Christmas,” a medley of Christmas carols arranged by William E. Rhoads; “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson; “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” a medley featuring “Welcome Christmas” and “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”; and “The Carollers March” by R.E. Holz, arranged by band member Bob Salzmann. Another piece, “The Night Before Christmas,” features a dramatic reading of Clement Moore’s poem by the band’s Claire Ramsey, with musical accompaniment.

The band is also set to play “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky; the overture from “Abduction from the Seraglio” by Mozart; a symphonic suite of music from the sci-fi franchise “Star Trek” to commemorate its 50th anniversary by Michael Giacchino, Alexander Courage and Gene Roddenberry; “Hallelujah” (featured in the movie “Shrek”) by Leonard Cohen; and “Riders for the Flag,” a march by John Philip Sousa.

The concert will also feature the “Old Vanguard Woodwind Quartet” playing additional selections of holiday music. The quartet comprises a bassoon, a soprano saxophone, an alto saxophone and a tenor saxophone.

Brian Miller, who retired as band director at Louisburg High School and now teaches for VGCC and Crosscreek Charter School, is the band’s primary conductor. Tracie Winstead, who plays bassoon in the band, is the associate conductor.

The Community Band, which is sponsored by the VGCC Division of Arts and Sciences, includes people of all ages, from all walks of life, and from throughout the region. No auditions are required. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7-9 p.m. at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center, on the Main Campus in Henderson, at Exit 209 on Interstate 85 (Poplar Creek Road). For more information, contact Brian Miller at (919) 496-5877 or at bmiller9302@vgcc.edu or Betsy Henderson at hendersonb@vgcc.edu.

Public Health Serving You Update 11/16/16

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VGCC SkillsUSA students donate bottled water to hurricane victims

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Criminal Justice Technology students at Vance-Granville Community College recently conducted a bottled water drive through the college chapter of SkillsUSA. The service project was designed to assist fellow North Carolinians who suffered shortages of clean water as a result of Hurricane Matthew.

VGCC students worked in partnership with the Henderson Police Department, which was collecting bottled water along with several other local law enforcement agencies throughout the state. HPD officers picked up the 47 donated cases of water from the students on Nov. 3.

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry, working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA chapters help students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations excel. Founded in 1965 as V.I.C.A. (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA has served more than 12 million members in its history. Today, the organization has more than 360,000 students and instructors as members nationwide.

The SkillsUSA chapter provides VGCC students with opportunities for leadership, professional development, community service and social activities. Students in a number of different curriculum programs at VGCC are eligible to join.

For more information on the VGCC Criminal Justice program, contact program head William Clements at clementsw@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3242.

Vance County Schools opens Family Resource Center

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A grand opening was held during the evening on November 14 to officially open the Vance County Schools Family Resource Center in the Administrative Services Center on Graham Avenue in Henderson.

Parents, students, school system officials and community residents attended the event.

Superintendent Anthony Jackson and Vance County Board of Education Chairwoman Gloria J. White led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new center.

Cassandra Evans, director of Federal Programs and Parent Engagement for the school system, led a committee made up of parents representing several local schools in planning the Family Resource Center.

The center will now be available for parents and other family members of students in Vance County Schools to visit during school days to take advantage of educational written materials and a vast range of online educational resources. The Family Resource Center includes a large volume of materials detailing the services and programs available to students and their families in the local public school system, as well as information on future educational and career opportunities beyond high school.

Plans calls for additional resources to be added to the center on a regular basis.

Clark Elementary School – Active Shooter Exercise

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On Saturday November 19th, 2016 Vance County Public Safety agencies as well as emergency responders from our surrounding counties will be conducting a full scale active shooter exercise at Clarke Elementary School, located at 309 Mount Carmel Church Road, in Henderson.

Vance County received a grant in the amount of $20,000.00 through the Federal Homeland Security Exercise Program to conduct the training event, which has been in the planning stage for the past six (6) months.

It is our intent to make this exercise as realistic as possible while preserving the safety of all those involved. Simulated gun fire will be used as well as injury simulation (Moulage) to add realism.

The exercise will take place on Saturday rather than a regular school day due to the age of the students, however roughly 250 Vance County School’s personnel (many of them actual teachers) will be portraying students to further add realism to the scenario.

While we have conducted similar exercises to this in the past, each school is unique and offers its own unique challenges. Clarke Elementary was chosen as it is the newest school in the County and is probably not as well-known to our responders as some of the other school facilities.

Early preparation for the exercise will begin at 7:00 AM on that day with the exercise itself beginning later that morning. The exercise will conclude early in the afternoon on that same day. We would like to caution residents in the area that they may hear the simulated gunfire and would like to emphasize that they should not be alarmed by those sounds. Additionally, there will be a large public safety presence in and around the school for the duration of the event which will include law enforcement, EMS, fire and even helicopters, but again we would like to stress that this is all a part of the exercise.

Further, we will be closing off certain sections of the roads in and around the school to allow us to adequately test our perimeter control methods. Residents that live in the confined area will be contacted to make them aware of what is happening and they will be allowed to come and go if they should need to. Through traffic will be routed around the exercise venue until the event is over.

This exercise is NOT open to the public. Anyone not affiliated with one of the participating agencies who approaches the exercise area will be turned away. You do not have to get disheartened as you can easily navigate to this website and find easy ways to build yourself a relaxing time. It is unfortunate that we must prepare for such a horrible event but we owe it to our citizens and our communities to ensure that such public environments are as safe as possible. Through joint efforts such as this exercise we ensure that a coordinated response will occur during an actual event.

Contact: Brian K. Short

Phone: 252-438-8264

McGregor Hall to present “13 The Musical” Nov 18th and 19th

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A hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that “cool” is sometimes where we least expect it. This performance has something for anyone who is a teenager, who has been a teenager, or is raising a teenager!

Evan Goldman is about to turn 13, and he can’t wait. His life seems full of possibilities—that is, until his parents get divorced, and he is forced to move with his mom from big-city New York to “podunk” Henderson, NC. He was lucky his mom had gotten hold of the best overland park divorce lawyer, because if she hadn’t, he wouldn’t have had been in the custody of his mother. If Evan can’t get the coolest kids to come to his bar mitzvah, how is he going to survive the school year, not to mention, the rest of his life? And how will he ever accomplish that in a place where kids don’t even know what a bar mitzvah is?

Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. Thirteen is a musical about fitting in—and standing out. As Evan navigates the world of cool kids and nerds, jocks and cheerleaders, first kisses and heartbreak, he comes to understand what it means to be a friend and that Henderson “isn’t so bad after all.”

With a bright, catchy pop score from Tony-winning composer and pianist Jason Robert Brown, equal doses of humor and pathos, and a cast of wildly talented teens, Thirteen is irresistible to grown ups and almost-grown ups alike. A six-piece live rock band of local talent will bring the music of Jason Robert Brown to life.

Thirteen is the only Broadway musical ever to perform with a cast and band entirely made of teenagers. Some of the finest young talent from Henderson and beyond will bring the musical to our stage in a way you never thought possible.