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Historic 1830’s Grape Hill Home in Need of a New Location

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Craig Hahn, Executive Director ~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

Here’s what they have to say on the Preservation North Carolina website about Grape Hill: (you can also see plenty of great interior pictures here)

“Built during the agricultural boom years of the 1830’s, Grape Hill is an unusual blend of sophisticated interior woodwork emblematic of Antebellum Warren County architecture within an exterior of elegant simplicity.

Architectural & Historical Information

Built for the Joshua Davis Jr. family near Locust Grove, the seat of his parents’ plantation, it appears to be a simple two-story Federal-Adamesque I-house, but on a much grander scale. Archival photographs show its original entry porch was more Greek Revival in style with a pedimented portico supported by a Doric entablature.

The tall five-bay façade with side addition accommodates two stories of nine-over-nine windows, a molded box cornice, tall stone chimneys stuccoed and scored to give a refined ashlar finish, all resting on a high stone foundation under which is located a basement with summer kitchen and workspace.

The double-leaf entry doors lead into a wide highly ornamented hallway with tall marbleized baseboards, heavily molded door surrounds with bullseye corner blocks and a low wainscot. The stairway is located at the back of the wide center hall and features a single-run stair with ogee bracket ends and marbleized risers. The enormous main parlor shares similar woodwork to the center hall including marbleized baseboards, low wainscot with a heavy band creating a chair rail.

The highlight of the main parlor is a mantel which shares intricate detail with some of the finest early houses in Warren County showcasing wide molded engaged pilasters supporting a multi-paneled frieze topped by a delicately carved lozenge band below the deep molded shelf. Both parlor mantels were stolen years ago, but happily, the mantel from the main parlor was recovered and has been safely stored off-site. The remaining first floor rooms share more simplified versions of the parlor and center hall woodwork such as a low wainscot, six-panel doors and a post-and-mantel with molded detailing in the side addition. Plaster walls and beautiful wide board wood floors can be found throughout the house. The former gabled rear porch located at the back of the center hall was enclosed decades ago and includes a bathroom.

Second floor details are fine yet predictably more modest and include simple paneled mantels, six-panel doors, chair rails, and a simplified version of the first-floor stair that continues up to two large attic rooms. The second story is also divided by a stair hall with one large bedroom on one side and three rooms on the other side of the hall. Much original paint remains on doors and trim (red and blue-gray).

Grape Hill has been vacant for many years and has been used for storage for the surrounding farm. The house must be moved or it will be lost to demolition. The house appears to be very sturdy, but will require a complete rehabilitation once moved to its new site.”

Click here for interior pictures available at the Preservation North Carolina website.

Grape Hill – Structure Only – 1471 U.S. Highway 1 North Norlina, NC 27563 Warren County

$10,000    2,900 square feet    Lot Size: N/A acres / Zoning: N/A

Contact: Cathleen Turner, Regional Director Preservation NC, Piedmont Office 919-401-8540, cturner@presnc.org

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Our State Magazine Announces Third Annual Made in NC Awards

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Craig Hahn, Executive Director ~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

“Show us what you’re made of, North Carolina.” Prouder words were never spoken. Our State magazine, now in its 85th year, and presenting sponsor Mast General Store are celebrating the astounding talent of the people who make North Carolina so special with its third annual Made in NC Awards. In the Our State tradition of spotlighting the best creators, makers, designers, and chefs across this amazing state of ours, the Made in NC Awards supports local businesses, highlights artisans and entrepreneurs, and celebrates North Carolina-made products. For the full details on the Made in NC Awards, visit madeinncawards.com.

Our State and Mast General Store will honor unique makers and business owners in four categories: Home & Garden, Style, Food & Drink, and Art. All products must be able to be reproduced for sale. Submissions will be judged upon quality (50%), innovation and creativity (25%), and the tie to North Carolina (25%).

Representing the 2018 panel of judges are: Lisa Cooper, president of Mast General Store; Nicole Bogas, Our State Store manager; Bradley Rhyne, cofounder of Ole Mason Jar; Bob Page, founder and owner of Replacements, Ltd.; artist Patrick Doughtery; and Van Eure, owner of The Angus Barn. Judges from the Our State Store and Mast General Store will consider all submissions for merchandising opportunities.

This distinguished panel of judges will select one winner and two honorable mentions for each of the four categories, and an overall winner will be selected from among the four category winners. Each category winner will receive email and social media promotion; a short feature on madeinncawards.com and ourstate.com; and a quarter-page ad, valued at $2,000, in the December 2018 issue of Our State magazine.

The overall winner will receive an additional $500 prize. Category winners will also be featured at the Made in NC Awards Celebration Event on October 13, 2018, at Mast General Store’s location in downtown Winston-Salem. Winners will be announced on August 23, 2018.

“We are very excited to announce the third annual Made in NC Awards as an extension of the Our State brand,” said Bernie Mann, the publisher of the magazine. “There are so many amazing business owners and entrepreneurs in North Carolina, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase them and our great state.”

Entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. EST on July 18, 2018. To submit your entry or to find answers to any of your questions about the Made in NC Awards, visit madeinncawards.com.

About Our State

Each month, Our State celebrates the very best of North Carolina from the mountains to the coast through lively storytelling and stunning photography. Published by Mann Media, Inc., the award-winning magazine reaches more than one million readers each month with subscribers in every state and 15 foreign countries.

About Mast General Store

The Original Mast General Store opened in 1883 in the rural community of Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Downtowns in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee offer the same friendly and knowledgeable service that welcomed neighbors in Valle Crucis more than 100 years ago.

Kerr Lake Park Watch Asks ‘Are the Days of the Park Ranger Numbered?’

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Frank Timberlake, lead of public affairs for the Kerr Lake Park Watch (KLPW), was recently on Town Talk to discuss what is, in his and other Park Watch members’ opinion, the troubling trend of the dwindling role of the park ranger position at Kerr Lake.

Timberlake has been with the KLPW for eight years and has seen its ranks grow from six to almost 600 concerned citizens. He said the group’s mission is “to promote, to protect and improve all of the public facilities around Kerr Lake.”

Timberlake believes today’s park rangers are expected to act predominantly as law enforcement officers while ignoring traditional ranger duties such as protecting the environment and educating the public, specifically youth, on preservation efforts.

In documentation provided to WIZS, Timberlake states:

At Kerr Lake, the park rangers for the US Army Corps of Engineers parks still adhere closely to [a] broad range of duties, with only a few designated as full law enforcement officers. The rangers, including the Chief Ranger, wear Federal badges and can issue citations. That may sound mild but be assured those citations land accused violators in Federal court because those parks are on Federal land. Those arrested on the say-so of Corps rangers are hauled before a magistrate or to jail.

 In Virginia, the two parks on Kerr Lake have law enforcement officers. There is no “split” in Virginia having parks versus recreation areas; they are all parks. Some current and former Virginia State Parks employees believe that the tilt of the park ranger job is going too far towards law enforcement and leaving behind the resource, the park’s other employees and the visiting public.

 The KLPW recently conducted their own 30-day investigation into the role of park ranger and the visiting public’s opinion of ranger responsibilities. The results of this investigation were documented in a five-page report that was sent to the NC Division of State Parks and Recreation in Raleigh.

“One reason we’ve taken it public is that we don’t want to bring this issue out, bring it to the forefront, and then it be swept to the back when something else comes along,” Timberlake said.

Among the findings, the KLPW cites a lack of understanding of ranger roles other than as a law enforcement entity, the public’s unawareness of who the rangers are, a high turnover of rangers at Kerr Lake leading to inconsistency in leadership, the lack of an official park manager role to keep parks organized and a prevailing “that’s not my job” attitude among park officials.

“Part of the problem is that there is nobody assigned to the duty of being a park manager, so to speak,” said Timberlake. “There is nobody to fill in on those interpretive services that were done previously. The park rangers use to take pride in their part. What’s been mutilated in all seven parks is the team spirit.”

Timberlake said part of the KLPW’s proposal to NC State Parks and Recreation included a recommendation that entry stations built at each park in recent years be made the rangers’ offices. “The State of NC spent $250,000 on entry stations that are unmanned most of the time,” Timberlake said. “There is a missed $6 entry fee for every person who drives through. Why not make those booths the park ranger’s office?”

In the report, the KLPW invite the administration to “leave Raleigh and get out to talk with the park – public and employees.”

Timberlake said he was recently told by some of the leadership of NC State Parks and Recreation that the department is taking into consideration several points mentioned in KLPW’s report and that meetings have previously been held to discuss issues related to organizational structure.

While the KLPW finds this encouraging, Timberlake warns that “the wheels of government grind slowly.”

*For more information on the Kerr Lake Park Watch Association, including a more detailed summary of their report on Kerr Lake’s park ranger role, please visit their website at https://kerrlakeparkwatch.org/.

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market

Vance Co. Regional Farmers Market Now Open on Wednesdays!

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The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is now open on Wednesdays!

You now have two days to shop at the Market – Wednesday & Saturday – 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On Wednesdays, there will be produce vendors, craft vendors and a food truck serving breakfast.

Location:

Vance County Regional Farmers Market, 210 Southpark Drive, Henderson.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

Spay/Neuter Program to Help Qualifying Warren Co. Pet Owners

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-Information courtesy Mary Cervini, founder of Community Partnership for Pets

The Warren County Animal Shelter, Community Partnership for Pets and Warrenton Animal Clinic are announcing a new spay/neuter program to help qualified, low-income families in Warren County get their dogs and cats fixed.

Families must provide proof of income and can purchase their voucher at the Warren County Animal Shelter, 142 Rafters Lane, Warrenton. The cost of the vouchers is $10 for cats and $20 for dogs. The voucher will cover the pet’s surgery, rabies and distemper vaccinations and pain medication.

For more information about this new program, please contact the Shelter at 252-257-6137.

Please help reduce the number of unwanted animals in Warren County by opting to get your pet fixed. If you would like more information about Community Partnership for Pets and their statewide spay/neuter initiatives and/or to donate to spay/neuter pets in your county, please visit www.communitypartnershipforpets.org.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

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Warren County Commissioners’ Meeting (Tonight) 6-4-18

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The Warren County Commissioners will meet tonight at 6:00 (June 4, 2018).  The meeting will take place in the Armory Civic Center Meeting Room located at 501 US Hwy 158 Business East in Warrenton.

A group of citizens in Warren County has reached out to WIZS News and asked that this meeting time and location be announced on air and published on WIZS.com.  The full agenda of the meeting is available publicly online by clicking here.

There are 12 total items on the agenda, and the group of citizens wants the public to be aware of item 9 in particular, County Attorney Concerns, which is made up of three parts: A. Amendments to the Noise Ordinance; B. Racing Moratorium; C. System Development Fees.

The citizens group comprised of Daphene Herring, Karen Lawton, Wadie Ryan, Deborah Ferruccio and Ken Ferruccio emailed WIZS News and stated item 9 was “crucial to the county’s future.”  The email submitted to WIZS News from the group also said, “Important countywide high impact land use precedents are being set. So, please ask family, friends, neighbors, and members of your community to attend the meeting. Item 9 is nearly at the end of the meeting; come late if necessary.”

WIZS News spoke to Deborah Ferruccio by phone is addition to receiving her email.

Register Now for Annual Warren County Farm Tour

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-Information courtesy Paul McKenzie, Agricultural Extension Agent, Vance/Warren Counties – NC Cooperative Extension

The annual Warren County Farm Tour will be held on Saturday, June 16, 2018.

This year’s tour will feature produce processing, a well-established produce farm and also an up-and-coming operation. We will also have a few minutes to shop and meet the vendors of the Warren County Farmers Market.

Aspiring and experienced farmers will see what it takes to build a successful operation, and non-farmers will get a behind-the-scenes peek into the life of a farmer. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the farms that contribute so much to the community, and learn how they operate.

School-aged children are welcome to attend if accompanied by a supervising adult. The tour is made possible through the generous support of AgCarolina Farm Credit.

The day begins at 8 a.m. at the Warren County office of NC Cooperative Extension, concluding at 2 p.m. The cost is only $5 which includes lunch and transportation. Registration required by noon on Wednesday, June 13.

For details call 252-257-3640 or click https://go.ncsu.edu/wcfarmtour.

(Photo courtesy Paul McKenzie and NCSU)

Dr. Ray Spain Appointed to Governor’s Early Childhood Advisory Council

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Dr. Ray Spain, superintendent of Warren County Schools, was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve on the state’s Early Childhood Advisory Council.

Gov. Cooper issued an executive order in February to reauthorize North Carolina’s council. Federal law requires each state to establish an early childhood advisory council. North Carolina’s Early Childhood Advisory Council provides leadership in the development of a premier learning and development system for children birth to age 8.

“Investing in early learning and development is essential to building a better future for our children and our state,” Gov. Cooper said in a press release. “Quality early learning gives children the opportunity to succeed in school and life, helps produce the workforce we need to drive our state’s economic prosperity, and saves taxpayers money in the long run.”

The council will focus on creating and guiding a bold early childhood action plan that aligns with other efforts to advance the state’s early childhood system; building awareness of the importance of high-quality early childhood experiences to future education and career success to ensure young children in North Carolina are learning and thriving; and recommending and advocating for policies and funding that improve equitable access to high-quality early childhood services and better outcomes for young children and families.

Dr. Spain was appointed superintendent of Warren County Schools in 2003. He began his career as a teacher’s aide in Halifax County and served as a classroom teacher, coordinator for education-related programs, and principal before becoming superintendent.

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Norlina Market Festival Rescheduled For Sat., June 16

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— courtesy The Chamber of Commerce of Warren County | Craig Hahn, Executive Director ~ 252-257-2657 ~ info@warren-chamber.org ~ Facebook

The Norlina Market Festival is the biggest celebration to come to Norlina to highlight and celebrate farming and agriculture! Rain dampened most of the originally-scheduled day on Saturday, May 19, so the organizers rescheduled the event for Saturday, June 16.

There will be fresh foods, produce, goods & services available from local and neighboring county farms. The celebration includes live music, fun & exciting games, arts, crafts, food trucks, vendors, fresh locally grown fruits, fresh locally grown vegetables, locally raised meats, and more!!!

This family event will take place on Saturday, June 16 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Norlina Junction Park on Liberty Street near the Norlina Post Office.

If you’re interested in setting up goods for sale or to educate the participants…or if you have a food truck looking to set up at the event, please contact Latarshia Turner-Brothers via Facebook or call her at (252) 425-9845. You may also email her at newlifeofwellness@gmail.com!

This Festival is the first event as a result of the Revitalization & Planning Committee for the town of Norlina. Headed up by Norlina resident Latarshia Turner-Brothers, this committee is designed to give local families an opportunity to attend events without having to leave the county.

VGCC Class of 2018 Receives Encouragement from Meredith VP, SGA Leader

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Dr. Jean Jackson returned home to offer inspiration to Vance-Granville Community College’s newest graduates, encouraging the Class of 2018 to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead.

“In many ways, you are Vance-Granville Community College,” the Middleburg native told members of the 49th commencement exercises on May 11. “You are the very best advertisement of what is possible from work done here and how you apply that work as you go forward in your lives.”

Members of the class were joined by hundreds of family members and friends at the outdoor ceremony in front of the gazebo on Vance-Granville’s main campus.

“You’ve been prepared professionally,” Dr. Jackson said. “Now it’s up to you to see what will make you feel successful and be happy in life. You have all of the tools that you need, and it’s up to you to write the rest of your story.”

Currently serving as the vice president for college programs at Meredith College in Raleigh, the principal commencement speaker became a member of the English faculty at the Raleigh college in 1983 and continues to teach courses on English poetry of the Romantic Period, in addition to overseeing planning and budgeting for offices such as Academic and Career Planning, Athletics, Campus Police, the Dean of Students and Student Leadership and Service.

A 1971 graduate of what was Vance County High School, Dr. Jackson recalled the early days when VGCC was first called Vance County Technical Institute. Her family’s telephone

Above: Meredith College Vice President Dr. Jean Jackson delivers the commencement address at Vance-Granville Community College on May 11. (VGCC Photo)

number was only one digit off from that of the new college, she remarked, which led to “a lot of calls for the new college!” in apparent misdials.

 

“Your school work may be done, or done for now, but work will change and demand your ingenuity and skills and grit for the rest of your lives,” Dr. Jackson said. “All of us still have much to learn, even those of us who graduated long ago because the world is changing much more rapidly than are our institutions of higher learning.”

“What you have learned here — your writing and research skills, your organizational skills, your collaborative skills and dozens and dozens of other skills that we could name — will help you whatever you choose to do in your work life…. Education, inspiration and support have served you well at Vance-Granville and, if you give them the opportunity, will serve you as guides for the rest of your long, happy and successful lives.”

Also offering inspiration to the Class of 2018 was the student speaker, Sovanny “Sophie” Taylor of Louisburg, speaking on behalf of her classmates.

Above: Sovanny “Sophie” Taylor of Louisburg speaks on behalf of the graduates at Vance-Granville Community College on May 11. (VGCC photo)

VGCC, like the virtual assistant “Siri” of Apple’s phone and computer devices, can serve as a GPS, Taylor told the graduates. “We’ve made it to this day. Don’t look back and wonder what you could have done better or regret a road you didn’t take…. When we take a detour or meander away from our path, Siri says, ‘rerouting,’ and that’s what you have to do.”

“You’re a Vanguard, so I know everyone here is going to go on and do great things in their own way. Vance-Granville has prepared us for that,” she said. “Even if you miss a stepping stone, Vance-Granville will help you find your footing.”

A Franklin County Early College High School student, Taylor is only the second student from an early college program to serve as president of the VGCC Student Government Association and student member of the college’s Board of Trustees. She plans to continue her education this fall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Following the speakers, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, president of VGCC, applauded the graduates for their achievements, announcing that 487 degrees and diplomas were being awarded to the Class of 2018. “You are to be commended for your dedication and achievement,” she told the graduates. “You are surrounded by your loved ones, family and friends and I know that they celebrate your success.”

Above: Vance-Granville Community College President Dr. Stelfanie Williams places a medallion around the neck of Academic Excellence Award recipient Andrew Lynam of Youngsville, right. (VGCC photo)

The president added that the Class of 2018 includes 65 inductees into the Phi Theta Kappa honor society and one-third of the class has been recognized as honor graduates. She noted the diversity of the class, who included not only young Early College High School students, but also “others who have attended college while taking care of families, and others who are the first in their families to earn a college degree.”

“You graduates truly reflect the living mission of Vance-Granville Community College,” Dr. Williams said.

Dr. Williams recognized Andrew Lynam, recipient of the North Carolina Community College System’s Academic Excellence Award, during her remarks. During the procession of graduates, the president paused to place a medallion on Lynam to honor his outstanding achievement. One student from each of the 58 colleges in the state system is honored with the award each year. Lynam graduated with an Associate in Applied Science degree in Welding Technology. A home-schooled student, he first enrolled at VGCC at age 16 through the college’s Career & College Promise program.

After Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Levy Brown presented the candidates for graduation, Board of Trustees chair Danny Wright and President Williams presented degrees and diplomas and congratulated the graduates.

Above: Meredith College Vice President Dr. Jean Jackson delivers the commencement address as the students await the presentation of degrees and diplomas at Vance-Granville Community College on May 11. (VGCC Photo)

Members of this year’s class, including those predicted to graduate at the end of the summer term in July, were awarded 207 Associate in Applied Science degrees in a variety of curriculum programs, 153 Associate in Arts degrees, 60 Associate in Science degrees and 53 technical and vocational diplomas. Many students graduated with more than one credential.

SGA President Taylor led the new graduates in ceremonially turning their tassels as the ceremony concluded. Music was provided by the Vance-Granville Community Band, conducted by Brian Miller. Bearing the ceremonial mace for commencement was Science Department Chair Steve McGrady, the college’s 2017-2018 Faculty Member of the Year. The invocation was given by Deborah F. Brown and the benediction by Donald C. Seifert, Sr., both members of the Board of Trustees.

 

More photos: Check out the VGCC Commencement 2018 album on Flickr.

Video from the Ceremony: Click here to watch the video on YouTube.