North Carolina State Farmers Market to host Seafood Day August 26th
Shoppers can reel in some fresh N.C. seafood at the State Farmers Market during Seafood Day on Friday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The annual event will feature free shrimp samples, fileting demonstrations, a fish toss and informative displays about the state’s seafood industry.
“Whether it’s fresh-caught or farm-raised, North Carolina seafood is readily available for consumers to enjoy and worth nearly $130 million to the state’s economy,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Seafood Day is a great way to experience the freshness from North Carolina waters firsthand.”
During the event, visitors can enjoy free samples of N.C. shrimp while supplies last. They also can learn how to properly filet fish and shuck oysters from the fishmongers at Locals Seafood. Children can take part in a “mullet” toss competition for prizes. There also will be educational displays from N.C. Catch, Got to Be NC Seafood and the N.C. Aquaculture Association. In addition, Locals Seafood and the N.C. Seafood Restaurant will offer specials for attendees.
About the State Farmers Market
The State Farmers Market is open year-round offering a variety of seasonal agricultural products. Late-summer and early-fall produce is now available, including tomatoes, corn, apples and muscadine grapes. Shoppers also can find locally raised meats and seafood, wines and specialty products, as well as plants and shrubs for fall plantings. The market is also home to the State Farmers Market Restaurant, N.C. Seafood Restaurant and Market Grill.
The market is located at 1201 Agriculture St. More information about upcoming special events at the market is available at www.statefarmersmarket.org.
VGCC Culinary Arts student reflects on national competition
Dustin Gregory of Oxford, a student in the Culinary Arts program at Vance-Granville Community College, is back on campus after representing not only his school but the entire state of North Carolina in a nationwide competition.
Gregory competed at this summer’s SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. He qualified for the competition by winning the top prize in Culinary Arts at the state-level SkillsUSA conference in April, and became the first student from VGCC to take part in a national SkillsUSA contest.
As one of 27 culinary competitors from across the nation, and the only one from a North Carolina college, Gregory was given a box of ingredients and specific rules to follow as he created a soup, salad and two entrees in a limited amount of time. His dishes, all prepared in a little more than five hours, started with a tomato soup topped with a poached egg. His salad included mixed greens with fried chicken livers and a honey Dijon vinaigrette. Gregory said that the requirement to use chicken livers seemed to “stump” many of the competitors. “I put it on the salad, and I wasn’t the only one,” he noted with a laugh.
The two entrees he prepared were airline chicken with roasted potatoes and haricots verts, followed by beef shank braised in a demi-glace with a mushroom au jus sauce, couscous and lentils, and sautéed squash with red pepper. In the end, Gregory did not medal, but he viewed the experience as a positive one. “I’ve always liked competitions,” he said. “It can only make you better, and it builds character. Just to be able to make it to that level, to represent your school and your state, is a really good feeling.”
Gregory was accompanied to Louisville by his Culinary instructor, Chef Teresa Davis, as well as VGCC Dean of Business & Applied Technologies Angela Gardner-Ragland, Public Services department chair Steven Hargrove, Business Technologies department chair Spring Tucker, Applied Technologies department chair Keith Shearon and Cosmetology program head Tomeka Moss. “We are so very proud of him,” Gardner-Ragland said. “It was a great experience that he can put on his resume. He represented VGCC and the state of North Carolina very well.”
“Everyone from Vance-Granville was very supportive,” Gregory said. Davis, in particular, helped him prepare after they arrived and learned what ingredients he would have to use, but she could only watch during the actual competition. Gregory not only had to compete in the skills competition but also had to take written tests, in which he used the knowledge he has gained in his two years as a VGCC student.
Gregory expressed his appreciation to US Foods and other friends of VGCC who made donations to help sponsor his trip to the conference.
With his VGCC Culinary classes complete, Gregory is currently finishing up some general education courses on a part-time basis, with plans to graduate in 2017. Meanwhile, he continues to work at the award-winning Angus Barn restaurant in Raleigh as a sauté cook. Gregory is thinking about continuing his education to complete a bachelor’s degree in the culinary field. “I originally enrolled in this program because I wanted to open up a restaurant on the coast,” he said. “I’d still like to be my own boss, but right now, I’m focused on my education. The higher your education is, the more things will fall into place.”
SkillsUSA is a partnership of secondary and post-secondary 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. Among the benefits to VGCC students are opportunities to participate in competitions, which are designed by industry experts and showcase the nation’s top career and technical education students.
For more information about the Culinary Arts program, contact Chef Davis at davist@vgcc.edu or (919) 690-0312.
Robbery at Kerr Lake Bait and Tackle – Arrests Made
Two individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with the August 9th robbery of Kerr Lake Bait and Tackle on Nutbush Road.
Leonardo Martinez, 30, of Cary is charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiring to rob with a dangerous weapon. He is currently housed in the Wake County Jail under a $100,000 bond.
The second individual, Dalton Christmas, 23, of Raleigh was also charged in the robbery. He is facing a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiring to rob with a dangerous weapon. His bond is set at $400,000. He is also being held in the Wake County Jail.
They both are scheduled to appear in Vance County Court on August 29th.
(The previous was a press release from the Office of the Sheriff of Vance County)
H/V Chamber to Hold Final Meet Me in the Street of 2016 Next Thursday
Steve Owens and Summertime is making a return engagement to the last of our three Meet Me in the Streets. The sounds of summer will certainly be in the downtown area on Thursday, August 25th as we wrap up our summer concert series. It’s truly a destination for friends and co-workers to gather, unwind and network while enjoying great live music in a casual atmosphere. The music will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will run through 8:30 that evening.
Steve Owens and Summertime will be playing a unique blend of Carolina Beach, Southern Soul, and Rock-N-Roll. The band is made up of some of the finest vocalist and musicians in the southeast. Steve Owens and Summertime sets the mark at each performance with their High Energy and passion to entertain.
Mark your calendars. Come on out and join the Chamber and this awesome band as they play all the songs that you love to hear. Its free entertainment for your enjoyment along Breckenridge Street in downtown Henderson.
This free outdoor concert is made available by Presenting sponsors, Charles Boyd Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, PRIM Development and Residential Rentals, and Toyota of Henderson; Gold sponsors, Duke Energy, Maria Parham Medical Center, and Waste Industries; Silver sponsors, BB&T, CenturyLink, Mars Petcare, Wake Electric Membership Corporation, Walmart DC 6091, and Wake Electric Membership Corporation; Bronze sponsors, AA Self Storage, Document Systems Inc., Express Employment and Satterwhite Marina; Contributor sponsors are Franklin Brothers Nursery, KARTS, Kerr Lake Cornhole and Vinyl Graphics, Sam’s Club, Servpro, Sheetz, and Woodforest National Bank . Food sponsors are Chic-fil-A and Farmer Johns Ice Cream. Media sponsors are WIZS 1450 AM, The Daily Dispatch, and WLUS 98.3 FM.
KARTS will also be on hand to provide free transportation after the concert for individuals who needed assistance home.
For more information, please contact the Henderson-Vance Chamber at 252-438-8414.
Visitor Spending In Vance Up 4.7 Percent
The director of The Vance County Department of Tourism attributes increased visitor spending to a combination of marketing, a supportive board and successful events.
When specifically asked to what she attributed the 4.7 percent increase, Tourism Director Nancy Wilson said, “A very strong marketing campaign, a good board that stands behind the tourism department and our success in the events that we host and organize. It’s a combination of all of those I think.”
One of the signature events of The Vance County Department of Tourism is the annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine. The 15th annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine is coming up October 14th, 15th and 16th in downtown Henderson. If the past few years are any indication, some 30,000 people will attend the event to see vintage and drag cars with a total economic impact of between 2.5 and 3.0 million dollars, this data according to previous WIZS news articles quoting Wilson.
Governor Pat McCrory’s office today issued a press release (click here for full version) indicating visiting spending was up in 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. Of those, Vance County is in the top 10 of largest percentage increases at 4.7 percent behind Polk with 11.8 percent and Cherokee with 7.8 percent.
In terms of ranking counties by actual domestic travelers’ expenditures, some counties that you might expect topped the list with Mecklenburg first, Wake second, Guilford third, Dare fourth and Buncombe fifth.
Wilson said about Vance, “We knew it was up. We can tell from collections each month. The motels have had an extremely good year. We are just tickled to death. I mean we’ve got the least number of rooms we’ve ever had, and we’ve got the largest collections, so that tells you something. They are staying full.”
Wilson reiterated the impact on retail sales tax in Vance County too, of which retail sales tax figures are up for Vance County. She said visitors are coming here and boosting the retail sales tax figures.
She said, “We’ll keep on doing what we’re doing because it must be working, and we’ll just work a little harder.”