McGregor Hall’s 2017-18 Season: Increased Ticket Sales & Exciting Performances
By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire
The weather outside may be cold and frightful, but inside the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center located on Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson an exciting 2018 lineup is bringing the heat.
The 2017-18 season began last fall with country music legend Lorrie Morgan, and the Center has been on a roll with great performances and exciting opportunities since. Ticket sales have been increasing and the support from both the public and the business community has been encouraging.
According to Mark Hopper, Vice Chair of the Board for the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation and McGregor Hall, individual tickets sales as of June 1, 2017 through mid-January of 2018 are up just over 50% when compared to the same time period in 2016-2017. Similarly, ticket revenues are up over 65% in the same time period comparison. Hopper believes this increase in ticket sales and revenue shows that the county and region are buying into the vision of making downtown Henderson a destination again.
In addition to increased sales, McGregor Hall is proud to have entertained over 6,000 students in educational programming in the past year. The Center has also partnered with Vance County Schools to bring Arts Alive! to the community. Arts Alive!, a talent showcase for students and employees of Vance County Schools, features dancing, singing, acting and the playing of musical instruments. According to McGregor Hall’s online calendar of events, the next Arts Alive! showcase will be held Saturday, March 24.
In February, the Center has a blockbuster schedule, including hit-maker Al Stewart, best known for the chart-topping songs “Year of the Cat” and “Time Passages.” Stewart will be charming audiences on Saturday, Feb. 17 and Southern Gospel legend Karen Peck and New River will be performing on Friday, Feb. 23.
McGregor Hall will also present “Masters of Soul” on Saturday, March 3, a top-quality Motown revue show that will feature the classic songs that made the Motor City sound famous. Hotel California, the original tribute band to The Eagles will also be delighting music lovers on Friday, March 16 with classic hits such as “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Desperado” and many more.
Tickets are on sale starting this week for the second annual Music at McGregor classical and chamber series, a set of three intimate concerts where patrons are seated onstage close to a talented lineup of performers. This year, McGregor Hall welcomes home John Noel, a Fulbright scholar concert pianist who grew up in Henderson; Michael Stephenson, a world-class soprano saxophonist and a founding member of the New Century Saxophone Quartet who is also a Henderson native, and vocalists Tiffany and Terrance Brown, whose gifted singing has filled both Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.
For patrons’ convenience, tickets for all performances are available for purchase in three ways: online via Etix, by calling the box office at (252) 598-0662 or in person at the box office. McGregor Hall recently announced a change and expansion to box office hours with the office now being open Monday through Friday, 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM, as well as one hour prior to show times. Ticket prices vary by show.
In addition to entertaining the community with performances, the Center’s hall and theater are also available for rental. Please contact the box office for current availability, facility specifications and rates.
McGregor Hall is a registered 501(c) 3 nonprofit and welcomes your tax-deductible contributions. According to Hopper, ticket sales account for less that 30% of operational revenue, and the Center receives no county or city funding. “Grassroots support keeps the dream alive, as over 50 business partners and numerous individuals generously showed with their contributions for the 2017-18 season,” said Hopper.
The gift of your time and effort are also welcomed. Volunteers to help with ushering, promotion, backstage assistance and other areas are needed and always appreciated. Please email info@mcgregorhall.org or call the box office to learn more about volunteer opportunities.
Additional information on scheduled performances, including dates and ticket prices are available at www.mcgregorhall.org.
(WIZS contracted with the writer of this article Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire for publication here and on the air.)
(This is a news article, not a paid advertisement.)
HPD Search Yields Two Arrests 1-25-18
Press Release – January 26, 2018
On January 25, 2018 members of the Henderson Police Department Special Response Team and Vice-Narcotics Section conducted a search warrant at 1031 Maple Street, Henderson after receiving complaints of drug sales. During the execution of the search warrant 48.8 grams of cocaine, 104 grams of marijuana, three handguns, and U.S. currency was located and seized.
Kacey Hicks
Kacey Hicks, 33, 410 Julia Street, Henderson was arrested and charged with Manufacture Schedule VI Controlled Substance, Trafficking in Cocaine (2 Counts), Felony PWIMSD Cocaine, Felony PWIMSD Marijuana, Possession of Firearm by Felon, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He received a $300,000 secured bond and remains in the Vance County Jail pending a court hearing on February 5, 2018 in Vance County.
Vincent Hicks
Vincent Hicks, 29, 410 Julia Street, Henderson was arrested and charged with Manufacture Schedule VI Controlled Substance, Trafficking in Cocaine (2 Counts), Felony PWIMSD Cocaine, Felon PWIMSD Marijuana, Possession of Firearm by Felon, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He received a $300,000 secured bond and remains in the Vance County Jail pending a court hearing on February 5, 2018 in Vance County.
Authority: Chief M.W. Barrow
Vance County Judicial Redistricting Resolution Meeting Tuesday, Jan 30, 2018
According to a press release issued by Vance County, there will be a special called meeting of the Vance County Commissioners on Tuesday, January 30. It will take place at 8:45 a.m. in the Perry Memorial Library Farm Bureau Room located at 205 Breckenridge Street.
The press release continues that the purpose of the special meeting is to “approve a resolution regarding judicial redistricting.”
The importance of the resolution, if it passes, will be a demonstration on the part of Vance County that it wishes to remain in the 9th Judicial District and keep Mike Waters as District Attorney for the County.
The 9th Judicial District is comprised of Vance, Granville, Warren and Franklin Counties presently.
Vance County Commission Chairman Tommy Hester called the special meeting here in Vance County.
Hester told WIZS News, “(Waters) has done a great job. We have a lot in common with those counties. We look at economic development, Boys and Girls Clubs, hospitals, there’s a lot of things involved.” He said having to go with a district attorney in a far away county “is not going to be as good as being able to have someone close by who you can work with, who’s worked with this county and done a great job for this community.”
He said he could not speak for the board because it had not voted yet but said “personally I’m against us being moved.”
It’s unclear at this time if the other counties involved will call special meetings also, not to mention local municipalities like the City of Henderson.
H-V Crime Stoppers HPD Crime of the Month Jan 2018
The Henderson Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying individuals involved in an armed robbery that occurred on January 15, 2018 at the Sweepstakes Casino on South Beckford Drive, Henderson. Suspect vehicle is described as a black in color four-door vehicle. One of the suspects was described as a white male wearing a half skull mask displaying a handgun. One of the suspects wore a distinctive backpack that we are asking to public’s help in identifying. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Zachary Phillips at 252-431-5170 or via email at zphillips@hendersonncpd.org. Callers may also call Crime Stoppers at 252-492-1925 or by using the P3 app on a smartphone or tablet device. Callers may remain anonymous.
Authority: Chief Marcus Barrow
Please review the HPD photos below.
Connect NC Bond renovation projects at VGCC planned for 2018
— courtesy VGCC
Vance-Granville Community College is gearing up to begin renovations that will improve masonry rooflines, walls and bridges at the Main Campus using the funds allocated by the Connect NC State Bond.
Renovations to restore, repair and waterproof masonry will be placed out for bids in April with work scheduled to begin in May, according to a report delivered to the VGCC Board of Trustees at its bimonthly meeting on Monday, Jan. 22.
Trustee Donald C. Seifert, Sr., chair of the board’s Building Committee, reported that funding will come from $1 million of the funds allocated by the Connect NC Bond passed by North Carolina voters in March 2016. A remaining balance of $69,000 from county resources that has been used for structural renovations to roofs and masonry will also be available for the project.
Bids will be going out in March for the renovation of 3,200 square feet of space in the college’s newest building, Building 10, to accommodate a practical simulation lab for the Basic Law Enforcement Training, Fire/Rescue and Emergency Medical Services programs housed there. Connect NC bond money will be combined with a private donation to complete the project. The renovation may provide an opportunity for the college to expand the training it offers for public services.
At the Franklin Campus in Louisburg, the Welding Technology lab is being renovated to add eight welding booths with plans to complete that project this month. A demonstration area in a Welding classroom, adjacent to the lab, will be renovated and ready for use this summer. This project is being funded with Connect NC bond money.
In a general discussion on the college’s services to the community, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, VGCC’s president, cited efforts to help area business and industry.
For example, she noted, the college met with leaders of a new industry, Mako Medical Laboratories, to address their educational needs.
The college will begin meeting the needs of the newly announced industry through its Histotechnology and Medical Assisting curriculum programs, she said, with plans to add a Medical Laboratory Technology curriculum.
Mako, a Wake County-based medical diagnostic testing company, announced in November a decision to expand with the location of a facility in Henderson and the eventual creation of more than 150 jobs. The company is locating in the former Harperprints building with an initial 30 to 50 jobs, according to the announcement last fall.
“Our Histotechnology and Medical Assisting programs will be a great start for them,” she added. “We’ve been able to sit down with them. We had about 10 of our employees with the college meet with their senior leaders and talk about how they are going to grow and how Vance-Granville can serve them.”
“It’s a great company,” she added. “I think we are very fortunate to have them.”
In other action:
• In her report to the board, Dr. Williams highlighted recent accomplishments and opportunities at the college, citing in particular recent efforts of VGCC’s Pharmacy Technology students leading service projects to provide relief to people in the Caribbean who were affected by Hurricanes Irma and Maria and a partnership with police and a pharmacy in Creedmoor for a drug collection event for people to dispose of outdated and unused prescription drugs. Similarly, Dr. Williams noted, college students collected school supplies and books for children affected by domestic violence, citing a service project by the Alpha Sigma Chi chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
• The board gave approval to Mid-Year Amendments to the 2017-2018 Budget as presented by Trustee Abdul Rasheed, chair of the Budget Committee. The adjustments were made to account for $1,834,568 in carryover funds from the previous year and grant funding.
• In the reports of the Curriculum Committee, chaired by Trustee Barbara Cates Harris, approval was given to a course to be offered at correctional facilities in Butner, Bunn and Manson, and an Accountability and Integrity Plan for Workforce Continuing Education was approved by the board.
• Trustee L. Opie Frazier, Jr., chair of the board’s Investment Committee, reported on continued growth of the college’s investments.
• An informational report on new employees, retirements, resignations and changes in positions was provided by Trustee Sara Wester, chair of the board’s Personnel Committee.
Board of Trustees Chair Danny W. Wright presided over the meeting.
The Board of Trustees will hold its next regular meeting on March 19 at the Main Campus.
— VGCC —
Kittrell Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm Charge
— courtesy The United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of NC
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Kittrell Man Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm Charge
RALEIGH – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Robert J. Higdon, Jr., announced that today in federal court, United States District Judge Terrence W. Boyle sentenced JOHNNIE O’NEIL LEWIS, 35, of Kittrell, North Carolina to 60 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release.
LEWIS was named in an Indictment filed on August 8, 2017. On October 18, 2017, LEWIS subsequently pled guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
On June 1, 2017, the Henderson Police Department (HPD) responded to a call regarding an intoxicated individual, later determined to be LEWIS, who was shooting a gun in a residential neighborhood of Henderson. The HPD encountered LEWIS, a convicted felon, walking in the middle of the roadway, holding his hand near his waistband. LEWIS was observed with his hand on a pistol in his waistband and was issued repeated commands to stop moving; however, LEWIS failed to comply with the directives and fled on foot. A brief foot chase ensued, but officers were able to apprehend LEWIS without further resistance.
Upon his arrest, the HPD located a pistol approximately twenty feet from where LEWIS was arrested. Additionally, a handgun magazine was lying on the ground next to LEWIS, who also had thirteen rounds of ammunition in his shorts pocket. At the time of his arrest, the HPD smelled a strong odor of alcohol on LEWIS’ breath.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in America a top priority. In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.
The Henderson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted the criminal investigation of this case. Assistant United States Attorney S. Katherine Burnette handled the prosecution of this case for the government.
VGCC hosts lecture series on the brain
— courtesy VGCC
Vance-Granville Community College will offer a series of free, engaging lectures on the human brain, and the community is invited to attend.
Phil Dixon, a resident of Oxford, will present the series, entitled “Using Your Brain for a Change,” starting with the first session on Tuesday, Jan. 30, from 10:30 a.m. to noon, in the small auditorium in Building 2 on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County. In this introductory lecture, Dixon will take a look at how the brain works generally and what it is made of.
In his later talks, Dixon will focus on “Your Brain on its Own” on Tuesday, Feb. 27, and “Your Brain with Another Person” on Tuesday, March 27. These sessions will also begin at 10:30 a.m. in the small auditorium.
Dixon describes himself as being “passionate about the brain – everyone’s brain!” He spends much of his time reading the latest research about the neuroscience of the brain, and determining how that research can be translated into practical application in our daily lives. In particular, Dixon is deeply involved in the application of neuroscience to leadership and management issues such as Executive Coaching, Leadership and Management Development, Change Planning & Management, Culture Change, Recruitment and On-Boarding.
Before he began studying and teaching others about the brain in 2002, Dixon worked in the information technology field – including a stint at Apple – worked in organization development and management consulting, and was the CEO of a commercial real estate firm. He has worked in the private and public sectors, has established and grown a number of consulting firms and has lived, worked and/or taught in over 20 countries.
In 2009, he had the opportunity to study for a master’s degree in Consulting and Coaching for Change in England at a program run jointly by HEC Paris and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He has published several articles about the brain, and is a frequent and international speaker on the topic of brain-based leadership.
The series of three sessions is presented by VGCC’s Office of the Endowment. “We were excited to be introduced to this gentleman who has this expertise and vast experience and to discover that he is now living in the local area,” explained VGCC Endowment Director Eddie Ferguson. “Our Endowment Office sees this as another great opportunity for the college to be a valuable resource to the community we serve. We invite our students, our faculty and the community at large to join us for Phil’s fun, informative presentations.”
In the past, the Endowment Office has sponsored two series with Bill Barker portraying Thomas Jefferson.
For more information on this series, call Eddie Ferguson at (252) 738-3264.
–VGCC–
(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.)