There’s a deluge expected in downtown Henderson next month, but you won’t find details on any weather app or forecast – not even the farmer’s almanac. Flooding will be minimal and isolated to Garnett Street, officials say – just long enough for that last little rubber ducky to cross the finish line.
No need to gather your rain gear just yet – it’s just the 14th annual Ducky Derby!
This year’s event takes place Saturday, Sept. 16 in downtown Henderson, with the Henderson Fire Department supplying the water and Greystone Concrete Products pouring the ducks from one of its cement mixers.
The Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start hosts the annual fundraiser and Garry Daeke was on Tuesday’s TownTalk to share details and how to purchase tickets.
“We hope to have a good day and have fun – it’s always a blast,” Daeke said.
Ducks are $5 each, or you can purchase more than one and save a little cash – a Quack Pack is 5 ducks for $20 and a Flock gets you 25 ducks for $100. Tickets are available the day of the derby, too.
“I’m continually excited about how much fun people have” Daeke said. The fun includes children’s games, food trucks and music. This year, there’s a “blender bike” that kids can use to pedal their way to create their own smoothies.
And there are prizes for the top three finishers, as well as for that last little straggler to cross the finish line.
First prize is $1,000, second prize is Chick-fil-A for a year and third prize is a $250 gas card from Sheetz. The last duck wins $100.
Tickets are available from FGV staff or board members and by calling the FGV office at 252.433.9110. You can reach Daeke at the office or at 252.432.3145.
The event begins at 11 a.m. and continues through 2 p.m.
The race begins at Garnett and Breckenridge streets and the finish line is at Orange Street.
Sponsorships are available; contact Daeke to become a sponsor.
“We get new folks every year that want to be a part of what’s going on downtown,” he said.
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WIZS Radio Local News Audio 09-05-23 Noon
/by Bill HarrisClick Play to Listen. On Air at 8am, 12pm, 5pm M-F
WIZS Radio ~ 100.1FM/1450AM
N.C. Symphony To Perform Sept. 9 At JPAC In Louisburg
/by WIZS StaffThe Seby Jones Performing Arts Center in Louisburg is the place to be this Saturday evening to hear the N.C. Symphony perform a concert called A Little Night Music.
The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the JPAC, located on the campus of Louisburg College.
In addition to Mozart’s “A Little Night Music,” the symphony will perform other selections, including works from Rossini’s’ “The Barber of Seville” and Bizet’s “Carmen” as well as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma.”
Tickets are $40 for adults. Seniors and teens, $35 children 6-12 are $10 and children 5 and under get in free.
Purchase tickets online at www.jpacarts.com, by phone at 919.497.3300 or 866.773.6354 or stop by the box office Monday-Friday between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
The Jones Performing Arts Center is located at 501 N. Main St., Louisburg.
Cooperative Extension with Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden
/by Bill HarrisListen live at 100.1 FM / 1450 AM / or on the live stream at WIZS.com at 11:50 a.m. Mon, Tues & Thurs.
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N.C. Rep. Sossamon To Sponsor Sept. 18 Meeting To Learn About Broadband Progress In The Area
/by WIZS StaffWant to learn more about the state of broadband internet access in your area?
Rep. Frank Sossamon has organized a community forum to share information about what may be in store for the area with regard to broaband internet access.
The meeting will take place on Monday, Sept. 18 at Perry Memorial Library, 205 Breckenridge St. and will begin at 6 p.m.
Staff from the N.C. Department of Information Technology are scheduled to be present to provide residents with the most up-to-date information about this issue.
VGCC To Host Community Engagement Nights
/by WIZS StaffVance Granville Community College has scheduled a series of “Community Engagement Nights” through its four-county service area to allow individuals to partner with school leaders and plan for the future. The first one is Thursday, Sept. 7 in Warrenton; please RSVP to let college officials know you’re planning to attend.
The discussions will be from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., according to information from VGCC Public Information Officer Courtney Cissel.
VGCC strives to be a catalyst in developing strong communities where everyone can experience a fulfilling quality of life, which comes “through educating, inspiring and supporting a diverse community of learners to achieve professional and personal success.”
VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais and attendees of the events will engage in strategic planning activities, which will help leaders make recommendations about various areas of the institution. Light refreshments will be served.
Attendance at each event is limited; sign up at www.vgcc.edu/events.
Below is a list of the Community Engagement Night sessions:
TownTalk: The 2023 Ducky Derby is Here!
/by Laura GabelThere’s a deluge expected in downtown Henderson next month, but you won’t find details on any weather app or forecast – not even the farmer’s almanac. Flooding will be minimal and isolated to Garnett Street, officials say – just long enough for that last little rubber ducky to cross the finish line.
No need to gather your rain gear just yet – it’s just the 14th annual Ducky Derby!
This year’s event takes place Saturday, Sept. 16 in downtown Henderson, with the Henderson Fire Department supplying the water and Greystone Concrete Products pouring the ducks from one of its cement mixers.
The Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start hosts the annual fundraiser and Garry Daeke was on Tuesday’s TownTalk to share details and how to purchase tickets.
“We hope to have a good day and have fun – it’s always a blast,” Daeke said.
Ducks are $5 each, or you can purchase more than one and save a little cash – a Quack Pack is 5 ducks for $20 and a Flock gets you 25 ducks for $100. Tickets are available the day of the derby, too.
“I’m continually excited about how much fun people have” Daeke said. The fun includes children’s games, food trucks and music. This year, there’s a “blender bike” that kids can use to pedal their way to create their own smoothies.
And there are prizes for the top three finishers, as well as for that last little straggler to cross the finish line.
First prize is $1,000, second prize is Chick-fil-A for a year and third prize is a $250 gas card from Sheetz. The last duck wins $100.
Tickets are available from FGV staff or board members and by calling the FGV office at 252.433.9110. You can reach Daeke at the office or at 252.432.3145.
The event begins at 11 a.m. and continues through 2 p.m.
The race begins at Garnett and Breckenridge streets and the finish line is at Orange Street.
Sponsorships are available; contact Daeke to become a sponsor.
“We get new folks every year that want to be a part of what’s going on downtown,” he said.
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Brodie Road Convenience Site Now Open On Sundays
/by WIZS StaffThe Brodie Road waste convenience site will be open on Sundays beginning this Sunday, Sept. 3, a move that county leaders hope will be helpful for residents and also reduce the amount of illegal dumping that occurs in the area.
The site is located at 900 Brodie Rd.and will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays throughout the year, according to Jason Falls, county solid waste director.
“This is a service improvement approved by the Vance County Board of Commissioners to improve access for customers as well as a way to decrease illegal dumping in the area,” Falls said in a press statement. This is the only change planned in operating days/times, he noted. All other convenience center hours of operation remain the same.
Falls also reminds residents to secure their loads when hauling trash to the convenience centers. Call Falls at 919.691.0928 if you have questions.
Municipal Election Candidates’ Forum Set for Sept. 7
/by WIZS StaffThe Henderson-Vance Leadership Caucus has scheduled a “Meet the Candidates Forum” next week in advance of the upcoming nonpartisan municipal elections on Oct. 10.
The forum will take place Thursday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young St., according to information from Terry Garrison, caucus president.
All candidates on the ballot have been invited to participate, Garrison stated.
“The forum is intended to allow the candidates an opportunity to give their platforms and answer prepared questions of importance to many voting citizens,” Garrison said.
The event is open to the public and is sponsored by the Henderson Vance Black Leadership Caucus, the Vance County branch of the NAACP and the Vance County Democratic Party.
Local GOP Hosts Candidate Meetings
/by WIZS StaffThe Vance County Republican Party is hosting a series of meetings designed to hear from candidates in the upcoming nonpartisan municipal elections.
Jimmy Barrier, local GOP chair, told WIZS News Wednesday that the Ward 1 candidates will be the focus of the meeting on Thursday, Aug. 31. The meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and will take place at Tony’s Automotive on Raleigh Road.
Mayoral candidates were invited to participate in the first meeting held Tuesday, Aug. 29, Barrier said. Candidates Sara Coffey and Greg Etheridge attended; Melissa Elliott and Jason Spriggs did not participate.
Barrier said the meetings are a chance to learn about the candidates and their platforms.
“We’ve invited them to come to us,” Barrier said, “to speak to us and tell us why we should vote for them.”
The meetings are open to registered Republicans, Barrier said. “We want to be what’s best for Vance County and the city of Henderson,” he said, adding that the objective is to inform voters.
The candidates receive a list of questions in advance of the meetings, Barrier said, so nobody is caught off guard and can prepare their responses.
“We want…what’s best for Vance County and the city of Henderson,” he said.
“We’re not going to sit on the sidelines. We’re going to get in the game,” Barrier said.
Former Granville Street Library To Get A Historical Marker
/by WIZS StaffA new historical marker is set to be unveiled to designate the site of the former Granville Street Colored Library in Oxford.
The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will take place Friday, Sept. 15 at 12 noon at 314 Granville St. Former U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield is scheduled to attend and give remarks during the ceremony, according to information from Granville County Public Information Officer Terry Hobgood.
The Granville Street Colored Library opened its doors to the African American community on June 12, 1942. Maude Warren Lassiter served as the library’s director for many years and she and the library hold a special place in the history of Oxford and Granville County. The Granville Street Colored Library received visits from numerous African American leaders throughout its history including poet and social activist Langston Hughes,
educator and President of Howard University Mordecai Johnson, and historian and longtime Duke University professor John Hope Franklin.
In 1965, the Granville County Library System integrated and added the Granville Street Library as a new branch. Helen Currin Amis served as branch manager until 1975 when the Granville Street branch closed and was merged with the Richard H. Thornton Library.
The historical marker was made possible by a partnership between the Granville County Library System Board of Trustees and First Baptist Church of Oxford. Funding for the marker came from the Granville County Library System Memorial Fund.
For more information about the event, contact the Thornton Branch Library at 919-693-1121.