Town Talk 02/10/20
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NC Coop Extension to Offer Free Trip to Buster Sykes Farm
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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, NC Cooperative Extension
The best way to master the art and science of pruning fruit trees is to observe the proper technique from an expert. NC Cooperative Extension will provide that opportunity on Wednesday, February 19, 2020, through a field trip to the Buster Sykes Farm in Alamance County.
The Buster Sykes Farm contains a 300 plant orchard with apples, peaches, pears, plums, pawpaws, blackberries, grapes, figs and much more. Operated by the Alamance County Extension Center, it is meticulously maintained according to specifications developed by NCSU horticulturists. For anyone wanting to raise fruit crops, whether in the backyard or on a small farm, there is simply no better place in Piedmont North Carolina to learn about proper pruning and maintenance practices. Instruction will be provided by Mark Daniely, the Alamance County Extension Director who supervises the orchard.
There is no charge to participate, and transportation is provided. The trip will depart from the Warren County Center of NC Cooperative Extension at 7:45 a.m., returning around 2:45 p.m. There will be additional pick up points in Henderson and Oxford. Space is limited and registration is required.
For complete details and to register, call 252-257-3640 or visit https://go.ncsu.edu/fruitprunetour.
Duke Energy Crews Working to Restore Power to Local Area
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-Information courtesy Tanya Evans, District Manager, Duke Energy
After yesterday’s tornados and torrential rain, we had a one-two punch today with early morning wind gusts causing additional damage. The saturated ground and heavy winds have resulted in hundreds of downed power lines, broken poles and snapped trees.
At this time, we have more than 4,000 Duke Energy crews working to restore power throughout the region with additional teams from the Midwest (300) and off system resources (180) from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Delaware and Virginia to bolster our restoration efforts.
While we are focused on restoring as many customers as quickly as possible, it’s important to note that, for employee safety, Duke Energy line technicians cannot perform elevated work in bucket trucks when winds (sustained or gusts) are above 30 miles per hour. Rest assured, however, we will work until every customer is restored.
As of 2 p.m. on Friday, February 7, there are approximately 60,000 customers without power across the state. In our region, the following counties have significant outages:
Franklin – 5,715
Nash – 2,417
Granville – 1,873
Person – 726
Until the winds completely subside, we expect these numbers to continue to fluctuate. For the most current update and further detail, please visit our outage map.
We understand our customers are anxious to have their power restored. Please encourage anyone who is experiencing an outage to report it. We have several options to do so:
- Use the Duke Energy mobile app – Download the Duke Energy App from a smartphone via Apple Store or Google Play
- Visit https://duke-energy.com on a desktop computer or mobile device.
- Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply).
- Call the automated outage-reporting system at DEP: 800.419.6356 or DEC: 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766)
Finally, please be cautious if you venture out:
- Stay away from downed lines and any storm debris that could conceal downed power lines.
- Report hazardous situations/lines down at 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766).
- Never drive through standing water.
- Take care around our crews: The “move over” law requires drivers to move over one lane when two or more lanes are available in each direction to make way for emergency responders, tow trucks, DOT incident management assistance patrols, and roadside work crews, such as utility crews. On roads with only one traffic lane in each direction, drivers must slow down and be prepared to stop. Violators could face fines.
From High School Dropout to First-Generation College Graduate, Through VGCC
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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
“I was 16, and I was done.” That is how Samantha Huffman recalls thinking back in 2004. She was “done” with education, in her mind. Feeling depressed and awkward at her high school, Huffman dropped out. “I had nothing to look forward to when it came to school, so what was the point?” she said. “It’s not like I was going to go to college. I couldn’t afford it. No one in my family had made it through high school, much less gone further.”
Samantha Huffman poses in her cap and gown at Meredith College. (Photo courtesy VGCC)
Sixteen years later, Huffman actually has gone further, with a pair of college degrees to her name, thanks to her experience at Vance-Granville Community College.
The story of how she went from high school dropout to college graduate essentially starts with a tragedy, Huffman said. “In 2011, my world was turned upside down,” she reflected. “I lost my best friend, who was also my cousin and my confidant, in a car accident where she was hit head-on and killed instantly. She believed in me and pushed me to do better. At that moment, I made a promise in her memory to change.”
The sort of change she intended to make required education in order to obtain more than what she called “dead-end” jobs. One day in 2012, Huffman heard that Vance-Granville Community College offered night and online class options to prepare for the GED High School Equivalency diploma. “I went, signed up, and took the pre-test,” she said. “I passed the pre-test, and the teacher looked me dead in my eyes and asked me what in the world I was doing there. I did not test like a person with only a 10th-grade education.”
With a level of natural ability that surprised her, Huffman quickly completed her studies and obtained her high school diploma by passing the required test. “My first thought was, ‘Well, that was easy,’” she recalled. “I almost immediately signed up for college classes at VGCC.”
She took her time because she was working two jobs and raising a child while going to school. Finally, in 2016, she graduated from VGCC with an Associate in Arts degree, as a member of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and a senator in the Student Government Association.
Soon, Huffman transferred her community college credits into Meredith College, with approximately half her tuition covered by scholarships. In December of 2018, she graduated from the four-year college with a bachelor’s degree in English. Now, she works full-time in a job in which she uses her communication skills to create marketing and promotional materials to increase her company’s client base.
“For anyone who thinks school is too hard or takes too much of a commitment, I urge you to walk into any VGCC campus and talk to an advisor,” Huffman said. “They will coach you, mentor you, comfort you, and guide you through schooling that anyone can do and help you achieve any goal you set your mind to completing.”
Town Talk 02/05/20
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Reminder: Registration Deadline for Focus 20/20 is Feb. 13
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-Press Release, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments
The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments announces Focus 20/20, a Regional Economic Development Summit to be held at the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center in Henderson on February 20, 2020. The summit kicks off at 9:30 a.m.
Keynote speaker for the event is Doug Griffiths, author of the bestselling book, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community. Doug works with communities across the US and Canada to identify and overcome challenges that prohibit their ability to become thriving, sustainable, and desirable.
Other featured speakers for the Summit include ● Dr. Michael Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor and Extension Economist at North Carolina State University ● Hillary Sherman, NC Economic Development Representative, US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration ● Thom Ruhe, President & CEO, NC IDEA ● Jennifer Lantz, Executive Director, Wilson Economic Development Council ● Dr. Jenni Harris, Executive Director of Business Services, North Carolina Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions ● Dawn Michelle Tucker, Dean of Continuing Education and College & Career Readiness, Vance-Granville Community College ● Dr. Pamela G. Senegal, President, Piedmont Community College ● Judy Bradsher, M.Ed., Director, CTE Programs/GEAR UP Liaison, Person County Schools ● Rhonda L. High, Customized Training Director, Halifax Community College.
“This Summit is a timely and relevant event for citizens who seek to learn more about the advantages and challenges of preparing their communities for economic development success. It will provide best practices and examples that can be applied locally.” -Diane Cox, Executive Director, Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments.
Summit presentations will focus on the following: ● Setting the Stage for Economic Development in Your Community ● Advancing Entrepreneurship ● Talent Development-Best Practice Workforce Initiatives ● 13 Ways to Kill Your Community – lessons on what really makes the difference between a prospering community and a failing one.
The event is complimentary, but registration is required and limited to the first 400 registrants. If you are interested in attending, please register at www.kerrtarcog.org. The deadline for registration is February 13, 2020.
Warren Co. Memorial Library Celebrates African-American History Month
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-Press Release, Warren County Government
Warren County Memorial Library celebrates African-American History Month through literacy, culture, and the arts. The highlight will be two special programs featuring scholars with local connections. In addition to these programs, the library will have celebratory book displays, bookmarks, reading lists, and activities.
Dr. Carlton Wilson
African Americans and the Vote – February 17, 2020 – 2 – 3 p.m.
Dr. Carlton Wilson, historian and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at North Carolina Central University, will examine Black History Month 2020’s theme: African Americans and the Vote. This presentation will cover the struggle of African Americans to gain and maintain the right to vote, emphasizing the importance of exercising a constitutional right that is the most important element of freedom and equality.
How Sweet It Is: The Musical Story of Marvin Gaye – February 29, 2020 – 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Musicologist Howard Burchette will present a look into the musical history of Marvin Gaye. Burchette has over 23 years of broadcast experience on Public Radio. Currently, he hosts The Funk Show from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturdays on 90.7 WNCU FM. This presentation will cover the phenomenal career of the Prince of Motown and will include music and images.
To learn more about African-American History Month 2020, visit the official website: https://www.africanamericanhistorymonth.gov/.
Howard Burchette
To view the writings, notes, and photographs that comprise the Library of Congress’s Rosa Parks Collection, go to https://www.loc.gov/collections/rosaparks-papers/about-this-collection/.
For more information about library programs, go to www.wcmlibrary.org for event details and additional programs offered. All library programs are free and open to the public. Visit the library for more information and resources at 119 S. Front Street, Warrenton, NC 27589. Phone: 252-257-4990.
Town Talk 02/04/20: Jobs, Removing Barriers Focus of Desmarais’ First Year
THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY
Dr. Rachel Desmarais, president of Vance-Granville Community College, appeared on WIZS Town Talk Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Desmarais, who celebrated her one-year anniversary with the college in January, said she is pleased with the recent strides the college has made in workforce development, marketing and removing “barriers” to education.
Making it her mission from day one to “find the programs that could get people into jobs more quickly,” Desmarais and VGCC staff have worked with EMSI, Inc., a national firm that reviews job data, to provide information on the most needed types of employment in the local area.
“The number one and number two jobs of availability in this area were truck drivers and heavy equipment operators,” Desmarais explained of EMSI’s findings.
In response to the community’s need for truck drivers, VGCC, in partnership with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, now offers a truck driving program that gives students the training required to operate tractor-trailer rigs, obtain a Class A commercial driver’s license (CDL) and become professional truck drivers.
Orientation for the first nine-week program was completed last week with classes to begin Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Students will participate in a combination of classroom instruction, range driving and road driving.
According to Desmarais, 17 students are currently participating in the program and a waitlist has been started for others who are interested. “Local companies that need truck drivers are very excited about the opportunity to have local folks who can take those jobs.”
For more information on the truck driving program, please click here.
By changing the way the college approaches marketing, including getting back to basics with “going out, talking and listening to the people in the community,” Desmarais said the college is learning what local organizations and residents need while strengthening existing partnerships and creating new alliances.
“We are going back to some of the things we use to do such as offering classes out in the community,” said Desmarais. “We have started a new partnership and are offering classes at the Mary Potter School in Oxford, for example.”
Desmarais said VGCC staff are also focused on removing what is frequently considered “barriers” to education, with the recent announcement of the college’s partnership with public and rural transportation service KARTS being a prime example of this commitment.
“This program removes one of the larger barriers of education – students getting to and from college,” Desmarais said.
Thanks to a combination of grant funds and VGCC Endowment Fund donations, the KARTS service is provided free-of-charge to students attending all four VGCC campus locations – Henderson (Main), Louisburg (Franklin), Creedmoor (South) and Warrenton (Warren).
Students can make appointments for KARTS by calling (252) 438-2573 and then dialing “0.” Appointments can be made up to two weeks in advance. For more information on the KARTS program, please click here.
VGCC is currently piloting and tracking the success of another program aimed at reducing perhaps the largest barrier in education – the financial barrier.
“We know that students who get Pell Grants have a lot going on in their lives,” Desmarais stated. “They have a lot of challenges in terms of working and going to school, transportation, living arrangements, and sometimes they aren’t as successful at the school part as they’d like because life gets in the way.”
Explaining that students have to maintain a certain grade point average (GPA) to keep their financial aid, Desmarais said the college is offering a “Second Chance Scholarship” to those that may have fallen below the required GPA.
“We [VGCC] help connect them with other agencies to help them solve non-school problems that are getting in the way of them being successful here. Once we do that, we provide what we call a second chance scholarship for them to improve their GPA so that they can get back on financial aid.”
With all of this, Desmarais said the college is writing its narrative as a student-ready college. “We are going to be here for the students that we have. We are not a selective institution, but we are a quality-proud institution.”
To learn more about VGCC, please visit the college’s official website at www.vgcc.edu or visit its YouTube channel by clicking here.
To hear the interview with Desmarais in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.
‘ABBAMANIA’ Taking Over McGregor Hall This Valentine’s Day
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-Information courtesy McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center
Celebrate Valentine’s Day at McGregor Hall with a night of “ABBAMANIA: An ABBA Tribute” on Friday, February 14, 2020. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m.
Come enjoy a rock musical which takes you back to the disco era with one of the best pop bands in history, ABBA. “ABBAMANIA” features nine incredible musicians and singers performing 21 of ABBA’s hits, with all the costume changes, choreography, live band, backup singers and the big studio sound.
Tickets for this event may be purchased by:
DROP-IN: 201 Breckenridge Street, Henderson, N.C. Monday – Friday 1:30 – 5:30 p.m
CALL: (252) 598-0662 (M-F 1:30 – 5:30 p.m.)
CLICK HERE: www.McGregorHall.org (Use the eTix official site, online fees apply)
(This is not a paid advertisement)
VGCC Set Stage for Graduate to Succeed in Nursing Career
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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College
Brittni Griffin had a career goal in mind from a young age. “In the fifth grade, I decided what my purpose in life was,” Griffin said. “I was determined to become a registered nurse.”
Brittni Griffin graduated in May of 2015 with her Associate Degree in Nursing from Vance-Granville Community College. Today, she is employed as a clinical team lead for a unit at Duke University Hospital. (Photo courtesy VGCC)
She eventually learned that her local community college could help make that dream a reality. In her senior year of high school, Griffin was accepted to Vance-Granville Community College and soon began taking the prerequisite courses that she would need before entering the selective Associate Degree Nursing program.
“In the spring of 2012, I had completed all the required courses that were needed for the ADN program, and I applied for entry into the program,” she recalled. “I was one person away from being able to enter the program, which meant I had to wait until the following year to try again.” Despite her disappointment, Griffin persisted and was accepted into the college’s ADN program the following year.
“I graduated in May of 2015 with my Associate Degree in Nursing,” she said. Griffin also served as president of her graduating class. Now, she could finally achieve her longtime goal of becoming a registered nurse. Griffin had accepted a job offer in nursing from Duke University Hospital even before she graduated.
“I started my career at Duke in August 2015,” she said. “In January of 2016, I jumped into taking one course at a time to start my Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.” The additional degree would allow Griffin to advance in her career and actually brought her back to VGCC to take courses that would transfer to the four-year university level. She was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Charlotte BSN program in 2017 and graduated in May of 2018.
“In October 2018, I accepted a job offer as the clinical team lead of another unit at Duke University Hospital,” Griffin said. “As the clinical team lead, I act as the assistant nurse manager. I complete payroll, conduct counseling with employees, develop educational material for staff, and much more. Thanks to Vance-Granville Community College’s outstanding Nursing program, I was set up for success upon graduation. I am proud to tell people that I graduated from VGCC’s ADN program and refer people to apply often.”