Town Talk (07/22/19): 10th Annual Community Day to Offer Entertainment, Free Food

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Chalis Henderson was on Monday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss the upcoming 10th Annual Community Day hosted by Oasis of Hope Ministries and Turning Point CDC.

Slated for Saturday, August 3, 2019, the event will be held at 2495 US Hwy 1 – 158 Business in Henderson from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

A community yard sale will begin earlier in the day at 7 a.m.

The public is invited to enjoy fellowship, games, food, entertainment, giveaways and plenty of activities for kids.

Event sponsor Microsoft will host two STEAM tents involving digital arts and coding & gaming for interested participants.

According to Henderson, Betabox Labs and zSpace Labs will also be on hand to provide 3-D and virtual reality demonstrations.

Activities include:

Yard sale – begins at 7 a.m.

Community Day events – officially begin at 10 a.m.

Line dancing – 11 a.m.

Performance by the Vance County High School Band – 11:45 a.m.

Zumba – 1 p.m.

Comedy by Ms. Annie Perry – 1:30 p.m.

Free hot dogs, chips and water will be available to all participants. Lawrence Perry BBQ will also be on-site with meals available for purchase.

A backpack and school supply giveaway will also be held; the student must be present.

To hear Henderson’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk 07/19/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church

Town Talk: SHPHC Announces ‘For Unto Y’all’ Christmas Production – 07/18/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

The holidays may still be months away, but for Pastor Rhonda Pulley and South Henderson Pentecostal Holiness Church, now is the time to prepare for the 12th annual Christmas Dinner Theatre.

This year’s production is titled “For Unto Y’all,” and is a retelling of the traditional Christmas story set to a Western theme.

“We’re going to use our imaginations to wonder what if Jesus was born not quite so long ago and not quite so far away in the Old West,” explained Pulley. “We’re not changing the biblical story, just changing the setting in a fun and imaginative way.”

With past Christmas productions being sold-out events, Pulley said the church included six performance dates for this year’s show. Performance dates and times include November 30, 6 p.m.; December 1, 6 p.m.; December 5, 6:30 p.m.; December 6, 6:30 p.m.; December 7, 6 p.m.; December 8, 6 p.m.

In addition to the performance, guests will enjoy a dinner consisting of prime rib, baked potato, garden salad, dinner roll, dessert and beverage – all prepared by church members. Cost per person for dinner and show is $30.

“The prime rib alone is worth the cost; it’s the best,” Pulley said.

To reserve your tickets to what is expected to be another sold-out season, please call the church office at (252) 438-3322.

The church is located at 905 Americal Road in Henderson.

To hear Pulley’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk: Weekend Full of Events Planned for Mary Potter Reunion – 07/17/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Town Talk listeners were in for a treat when Susan Rose, president of Rose Farms and Rentals, Inc. (DBA WIZS Radio) hosted today’s episode with special guest Rosalyn Green, event organizer for the upcoming Mary Potter reunion.

Founded by Dr. George C. Shaw, a Louisburg native, in 1889 to educate African Americans, Mary Potter Academy began as a boarding school before becoming a public high school, intermediate school and, most recently, middle school.

Reunion events will kick off on Friday, July 19, 2019, with a “Meet and Greet” event at Mary E. Shaw Gymnasium on Lanier St. in Oxford. The gymnasium was one of the original buildings of the Mary Potter School.

According to Green, Friday’s event will include food, music, good conversation and lots of former alumni.

Reunion festivities will continue with a parade through downtown Oxford on Saturday, July 20 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The parade is open to the public and will start and end at the George C. Shaw Museum located at 202 McClanahan Street in Oxford.

The parade will follow Williamsboro, Hillsborough and Broad Street and will have appearances by “local officials, local talent, bike clubs, car clubs and a few surprises,” according to Green.

Events will conclude with a church memorial service on Sunday, July 21 at the Timothy Darling Presbyterian Church, an establishment that also traces its roots back to Dr. Shaw, founding pastor. The church is located at 123 W McClanahan St, Oxford.

Green said Sunday’s memorial service will pay homage to those who have passed away since the last reunion, as well as recognize alumni who are veterans.

An active member and former president of the National Mary Potter Club, Green is a 1970 graduate of the last class of Mary Potter High School.

According to Green, this weekend’s bi-annual reunion will be even more poignant for alumni in light of news that Mary Potter Middle School will no longer be in operation effective with the 2019-20 school year.

For more information on reunion events or to RSVP, please call Rosalyn M. Green (301) 351-4850, Gloria G. Hawkins (919) 691-1291 or Janet Baptiste Jones (240) 447-2014. Green asks that all interested participants RSVP no later than Thursday, July 18.

To hear Green’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

 

Town Talk: Friendly Barber Shop Celebrates 55th Anniversary – 07/16/19

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In honor of Friendly Barber Shop’s 55th anniversary, owner and barber Gene Fisher was interviewed for Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk.

Located at 1003 Nicholas Street in Henderson, both the shop and Fisher have been offering haircuts to residents since 1964. According to Fisher, the shop was located in a building across the street for six years before moving to its current location in 1970.

“Out of the 55 years, I’ve been here every day except for deaths, vacation and sickness,” Fisher reported.

In honor of Friendly Barber Shop’s 55th anniversary, owner and barber Gene Fisher was interviewed for the July 16, 2019, edition of WIZS’ Town Talk. WIZS photo.

Fisher said he has worked with many barbers over the years including Lou Pearce, Randolph Edwards and Dave Loughlin.

“We even had a couple of young boys that got in trouble with the law and Lou gave them a chance,” said Fisher. “They came over here and did a very good job before moving on to other fields.”

Of course, another change over the years has been the price of services. Fisher said haircuts were $1.25 when the shop first opened and slowly increased to $16 today.

When Town Talk host John Charles Rose, who was getting a haircut while interviewing Fisher, joked that the price of the shop’s soft drinks hasn’t increased in over 25 years, Fisher said he wasn’t in it for the money.

“I don’t care anything about making money. I just want to keep customers happy. I don’t want them to leave my chair until their hair is right,” said Fisher.

Fisher said the best part of his job is the great conversations he has with customers, “I just like to talk to people and to see how they are doing, how their families are doing, what church they go to and things like that.”

Fisher, who takes pride in his work and pride in his community, was asked how he felt about recent shootings in Vance County and offered these suggestions:

“I think it’s terrible. They need to put prayer back in school; that is one thing that will really help this country. I think they need to reestablish a draft system for all boys coming out of high school and require at least two years of service to cut down on the drug problems.”

With a sanitation grade of 100, 55 years of haircutting experience, good conversational skills and a dose of wisdom, Fisher and Friendly Barber Shop continue to serve the community.

(This is not a paid advertisement)

To hear Fisher’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

Town Talk: Garrison Discusses DHHS Move, Medicaid – 07/15/19

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Town Talk 11 a.m., M-F, 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

In the continuing discussion about the proposed move of The Department of Health and Human Services administrative offices to the Triangle North Corporate Park in Granville and Vance Counties, NC House 32 Representative Terry Garrison says, “If we can get true bi-partisan support on the relocation, I think that provides the greatest opportunity for sustainability.”

Garrison says the majority of the people in the House 32 district have asked him to “vote against the veto on the one hand, but on the other hand, those persons who have been my staunch allies and those who have been in the trenches and have been my front-line workers and sergeants for the campaign of a democratic party, each one of them has strongly advised me to sustain the Governor’s veto, not to override the Governor’s veto.”

Garrison has been told to his face, he said, that his allies plan to run someone against him if he does help override the Governor’s veto.

That type of pressure speaks to the level of pressure Garrison is under, both locally and from Raleigh. And from his Town Talk interview (listed in full below), one conclusion you could draw is that he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

Garrison is under a lot of pressure with this, and he said, “I want these jobs to come here as much as anyone, perhaps more than anyone.”

Another conclusion and Garrison agrees, the DHHS move is being used as a pawn in a chess game. So much so, Garrison indicated he thought if it were back to the days in North Carolina that the Governor did not have veto power that the State would already have an approved budget and much of this DHHS move may have never come about.

Along those lines, politics got us here and politics is the only way out.

As the Town Talk interview begins, the first two questions are:

WHY NOT JUST VOTE TO OVERRIDE THE GOVERNOR’S VETO OF THE BUDGET, WHICH IS THE GUARANTEED WAY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO LOCATE IT’S ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES IN GRANVILLE COUNTY?
YOU’VE SAID YOU WANTED TO NEGOTIATE THE MATTER OF MEDICAID EXPANSION SOME. WHAT WILL MEDICAID EXPANSION DO FOR THIS AREA THAT THE JOBS AND GROWTH OF DHHS MOVING TO THE TRIANGLE NORTH PARK WILL NOT DO?

Town Talk 07/12/19

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Town Talk: The Cabin Pickers’ Stephanie Cole On Air – 07/11/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Stephanie Cole, a singer with local group The Cabin Pickers, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss her background and to perform one of her favorite songs, “The Promise” by The Martins.

To hear Cole’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

McGregor Hall

Town Talk: Study Reveals Extent of McGregor Hall’s Economic Impact – 07/10/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Mark Hopper, chairman and operations director for McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center, was on Wednesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk to discuss the recently unveiled results of the Center’s economic impact study.

Conducted by researchers at NC State University, the months-long study found that McGregor Hall has a significant impact on Henderson, contributing $2.3 million to the local economy in the past 12 months alone.

According to lead researcher Dr. Jeffrey Diebold, who stated that one common criticism of studies is that numbers can often be skewed to the desired outcome, the McGregor Hall figure represents a conservative estimate.

“This [study] was as conservative as it could possibly be; we took no liberties. We wanted to represent the benefits as accurately as we could, so at every juncture where we had to make an assumption, the assumption was as conservative as we could make it,” Diebold reported to WIZS.

For Hopper and others associated with McGregor Hall and the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, the results are confirmation of years of working to make a shared vision a reality for the community.

“We are thrilled we were able to accomplish what we said we were going to accomplish. The visionaries for the project said 15 years ago that they wanted this kind of facility to be an economic engine to revitalize Henderson,” Hopper said. “It’s a very proud moment for our Board and volunteers that we have done what we promised to do.”

The $2.3 million represents new spending from non-resident visitors flowing into the local economy, spending that was deemed by the NC State team to be a direct result of events hosted at McGregor Hall.

According to the study, the majority of this spending is associated with the emergence of Henderson as a destination for regional dance competitions. Each of these dance events brings thousands of visitors from states across the southeast for weekend-long competitions.

Ultimately, this weekend of travel means the dancers, their family members and supporters boost the local economy by purchasing hotel accommodations, meals, entertainment and more.

McGregor Hall also hosts a number of local performances, touring Broadway productions, musical and comedy acts, social events and more.

As part of their study notes, researchers indicated that the relationship between McGregor Hall, Vance County and the City of Henderson should be “one in which funding the theater is a key component of the county and city economic development, tourism and cultural budgets.”

Currently, McGregor Hall is operated through private funding and does not receive financial support from the City or County.

“To my knowledge, McGregor Hall is the only venue of that size – 1,000 seat category – that does not receive city or county support or have a connection with an educational institution,” Hopper stated.

In fact, Hopper said the arts center is “writing the book” on operating without public funding.

“Most of the colleagues we have in the industry are surprised we are able to make a go at it the way we are. Most facilities have their staffing, and many have a significant portion of their facility, covered by public funds.”

Hopper is hopeful that study results will help pave the way for future funding discussions.

“We feel like we can make an even bigger contribution economically if we are able to staff adequately,” said Hopper. “We want to expand our programming to where it needs to be to have the full impact of a real world-class venue.”

To hear Hopper’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.

City of Henderson Logo

Town Talk: Henderson City Manager Announces Retirement Date – 07/09/19

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

Following Monday night’s Henderson City Council meeting, City Manager Frank Frazier spoke with WIZS on his upcoming retirement from the City of Henderson.

“I’ve been with the City for almost 35 years and I figured it was probably a good time for me to retire,” said Frazier.

With a month-to-month contract extension approved by the Council, Frazier said his retirement date is currently set for the end of January 2020. Prior to the extension, Frazier’s annual contract was set to expire at the end of July.

In the six month interim, Frazier said he will be working with the Council and with Mayor Eddie Ellington to select a successor.

Ellington had this to say, in part, about Frazier’s retirement:

“We are at a significant moment for the City of Henderson. Frank Frazier and I started just a few months shy of each other, with myself as mayor and him city manager. I am pleased with what we have accomplished in our years together, but there is still work that must be carried out for the betterment of our city. The most important is finding the right person to succeed Mr. Frazier. This is a charge that I must lead, for this is our future and I know the citizens of Henderson share my concerns.”

Frazier, who said he never imagined that he would one day be city manager, said his years with the City have been time well-spent.

“I’ve been very fortunate to work for the City and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.”

To hear Frazier’s Town Talk interview in its entirety, including discussion on the City Manager’s report as presented at Monday night’s meeting, please click the play button below. Listen live to WIZS’ Town Talk Monday-Friday at 11 a.m. on 1450AM, 100.1 FM or online at www.wizs.com.