-Press Release, Granville County Government
The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System continues to offer innovative services by introducing a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens.
According to Adult Services Librarian Ashley Wilson, families can come in, browse through the “card catalog” that has been stocked with a wide variety of seeds, and select what they would like to grow. Collards, cucumbers, corn, melons, squash, tomatoes, peas, peppers, okra and other vegetable seeds have already been prepared and are available in starter packs, which include growing instructions.
The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System introduces a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)
With a limit of three packs of seeds per family, it is hoped that those who begin their own gardens will share seeds after harvest to keep the project ongoing from season to season.
“The community played a large role in the plant and seed selections at the library,” Wilson notes. “We asked what they would like to see growing – most said tomatoes – so we made sure we offered tomatoes. The library values community input in all our projects and this one wouldn’t have been possible without it.”
Packets offered were also selected based on local soil conditions and other criteria that would make them “region friendly,” with many of the seeds available being donated by interested community members in support of this project.
To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs.
“Visible and open access gardens are a way that my family has always enjoyed the growing season, especially when we didn’t have a place to grow ourselves,” Wilson explains. “Open gardens also gave us a chance to learn about new plants or varieties we may not have seen before.”
To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)
Through mulch donated from a local business and in garden beds constructed by library staff and volunteers, seedlings are just now peeking through the soil. Taller plantings and bush varieties such as tomatoes and blueberries can also be spotted along the library’s exterior walls and around the corner to the side entrance.
As these plantings grow and mature, community residents are encouraged to come by and keep track of the garden’s progress, and to share in the harvest once the produce has reached its peak.
To provide hands-on instruction in using fresh ingredients in the kitchen, cooking demonstrations and samplings have been scheduled at the Thornton Library during the month of May, with all ingredients provided. The “What’s Cooking at the Library” series kicked off on May 8 with a class on making homemade pasta. Demonstrations continue on May 15 with Sultan’s Pilaf, and on May 22 with Versatile Salads and Dressings. These programs are being held at 2 p.m. in the library’s large conference room.
The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford and is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System, which also includes the South Branch in Creedmoor, the Stovall Library and the Berea branch.
For more information about programs and presentations offered through the Granville County Library System, visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/ or call 919-693-1121.
Granville Co. to Hold Budget Work Session – May 14
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board/Assistant to the County Manager – Granville County
BUDGET WORK SESSION 2019
Granville County will hold a budget work session on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 8 a.m. at the Granville Expo Center located at 4185 Highway 15 South, Oxford.
Town Talk 05/10/19
/by LarryNews 05/10/19
/by LarryShort: Unpredictability of Recent Hurricanes Shows Need for Early Preparations
/by Kelly BondurantBrian K. Short, director of emergency operations for Henderson-Vance County Emergency Operations, was on Thursday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss North Carolina’s upcoming 2019 hurricane season.
All week long, WIZS, in conjunction with NC Hurricane Preparedness Week, has brought listeners and online viewers hurricane safety tips courtesy Short and the Emergency Operations Center.
Short said now is the best time to prepare for hurricane season, which begins June 1 and ends November 30.
“It is never too early to make sure you and your family will be taken care of when disaster strikes,” Short proclaimed.
While the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season is forecast to be slightly below average due to an expected weak El Nino effect, Short said it only takes one storm to wreak havoc on a community.
“It only takes one hurricane for your area to have a disaster with a lasting impact for months or even years.”
Short, who has worked with hurricane preparation and cleanup efforts for 29 years, pointed to recent hurricanes Florence and Michael as examples of how unpredictable storms can be.
“With Florence, the local area fared better than we thought; Michael ended up being a little worse than we expected,” said Short. “It goes to show that you can never let your guard down with these storms. You always have to be vigilant.”
Of all the safety tips and suggestions, Short believes the most important is to have at least a 72 hour supply of the essentials for all family members in your household, and to keep those essentials in a water-tight container.
Essentials include drinkable water, medications, eyeglasses, non-perishable food items, flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies and important home and health/insurance documents. With water, specifically, Short recommends three gallons per person, per day for three days.
Many people already have these items in their home, Short stated; it’s often a matter of getting all supplies together in one place and properly securing them against storm or water damage.
“If we are significantly impacted by a storm, we won’t be the only area nearby affected. If that is the case, Vance County and North Carolina resources will be spread thin and it may take at least that long [three days] for help to reach you. We ask you to be as self-sustainable as you can possibly be to protect yourself, your family and emergency personnel,” Short urged.
For additional tips on hurricane preparations and to stay up-to-date on the latest weather developments, please visit ReadyNC.org or https://www.vancecounty.org/em.
Smartphone users can also download a free app at https://www.readync.org/EN/DOWNLOADAPP.html. This app provides information regarding storm preparedness as well as current road conditions, local weather, power outages and storm shelters.
To hear the Town Talk interview with Brian Short in its entirety, click here.
H-V Job Readiness Program Offers Youth Summer Employment Opportunities
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Tara Goolsby, Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Facilities Supervisor, Aycock Recreation Center
The Henderson-Vance Job Readiness Program offers Vance County teenagers ages 14-18 job training and possible job opportunities.
All applicants must be enrolled in school and must register for and attend three days of unpaid training on June 17-19, 2019. The training will teach the job skills needed for HVRPD’s summer youth employment opportunities.
Please register at the Aycock Recreation Center, 307 Carey Chapel Road in Henderson.
Please contact Shantel Hargrove at 252.430.0382 or shhargrove@ci.henderson.nc.us or Gregory Kelly at 252.431.6099 or gkelly@ci.henderson.nc.us for more information.
Thornton Branch Introduces ‘Seed Library’ & Community Garden
/by WIZS Staff-Press Release, Granville County Government
The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System continues to offer innovative services by introducing a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens.
According to Adult Services Librarian Ashley Wilson, families can come in, browse through the “card catalog” that has been stocked with a wide variety of seeds, and select what they would like to grow. Collards, cucumbers, corn, melons, squash, tomatoes, peas, peppers, okra and other vegetable seeds have already been prepared and are available in starter packs, which include growing instructions.
The Richard H. Thornton branch of the Granville County Library System introduces a “Seed Library” and community garden to residents and library patrons. Now available to the public is a card catalog filled with vegetable seeds, as well as herbs and berries that can be “checked out,” taken home and planted in family gardens. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)
With a limit of three packs of seeds per family, it is hoped that those who begin their own gardens will share seeds after harvest to keep the project ongoing from season to season.
“The community played a large role in the plant and seed selections at the library,” Wilson notes. “We asked what they would like to see growing – most said tomatoes – so we made sure we offered tomatoes. The library values community input in all our projects and this one wouldn’t have been possible without it.”
Packets offered were also selected based on local soil conditions and other criteria that would make them “region friendly,” with many of the seeds available being donated by interested community members in support of this project.
To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs.
“Visible and open access gardens are a way that my family has always enjoyed the growing season, especially when we didn’t have a place to grow ourselves,” Wilson explains. “Open gardens also gave us a chance to learn about new plants or varieties we may not have seen before.”
To continue the message of sustainability through gardening, the Thornton Library also announces the addition of an on-site community garden. Planted just outside the front entrance and in the surrounding area, plantings include strawberries, peas, okra and other seedlings, as well as lavender, mint and cooking herbs. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt)
Through mulch donated from a local business and in garden beds constructed by library staff and volunteers, seedlings are just now peeking through the soil. Taller plantings and bush varieties such as tomatoes and blueberries can also be spotted along the library’s exterior walls and around the corner to the side entrance.
As these plantings grow and mature, community residents are encouraged to come by and keep track of the garden’s progress, and to share in the harvest once the produce has reached its peak.
To provide hands-on instruction in using fresh ingredients in the kitchen, cooking demonstrations and samplings have been scheduled at the Thornton Library during the month of May, with all ingredients provided. The “What’s Cooking at the Library” series kicked off on May 8 with a class on making homemade pasta. Demonstrations continue on May 15 with Sultan’s Pilaf, and on May 22 with Versatile Salads and Dressings. These programs are being held at 2 p.m. in the library’s large conference room.
The Richard H. Thornton Library is located at 210 Main Street in Oxford and is one of four branches of the Granville County Library System, which also includes the South Branch in Creedmoor, the Stovall Library and the Berea branch.
For more information about programs and presentations offered through the Granville County Library System, visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/ or call 919-693-1121.
Vance Co. Properties Committee to Discuss Relocation of Senior Center
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Kelly H. Grissom, Executive Assistant/Clerk to Board, Vance County Board of Commissioners
Vance County’s Properties Committee is scheduled to meet Friday, May 17, 2019, at 8 a.m. in the Administrative Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC.
The main topic to be discussed is the proposed relocation of the Vance County Senior Center.
E.M. Rollins to Offer STEM Activities for the Entire Family – May 25
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Veronica Young, School Counselor, E.M. Rollins Elementary
E.M. Rollins Elementary School and the Youth Connecting Foundation will host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Fair on Saturday, May 25, 2019, from 11 a.m until 2 p.m.
Events will be held at E.M. Rollins in Henderson and will include hands-on, interactive and educational features.
Bring the entire family. Refreshments will be served.
Former Congresswoman Clayton to Speak at Cotton Memorial Presbyterian
/by WIZS Staff-Information courtesy Carolyn Snipes, Cotton Memorial Presbyterian Church
Former Congresswoman Eva Clayton will be the speaker for the Mother’s Day Program at Cotton Memorial Presbyterian Church on Sunday, May 12, 2019. Mrs. Clayton will speak during the 11 a.m. morning worship service.
Please come and join the church in worship. All are welcome.
Cotton Memorial is located at 511 N. Chestnut St. in Henderson, NC.
‘Parent University’ Participants Treated to Youth Performances, Guest Speakers
/by WIZS Staff-Press Release, Granville County Public Schools
Granville County Public Schools’ “Parent University” kickoff on April 30, 2019, was a resounding success. The evening was punctuated by youth performances from around the district. When parents and special guests arrived, they were treated to the crescendo and raucous sounds of West Oxford Elementary students led by teacher Michael Epps.
Once inside, there was more musical excitement from the drumline of Mary Potter Middle School led by Mr. Detroit Yancey.
(Photo courtesy GCPS)
The special guest speakers were evangelist and former district and superior court judge Carolyn Thompson, founder of Abigail’s Ministry. Mrs. Thompson spoke about several child safety topics and gave parents strategies and best practices.
Our next guest speaker was Ms. Dedra Eatmon, founder and CEO of Tassel to Tassel. As a college transition strategist who imparts life skills and empowerment through her organization, she challenged our parents and kids to hold each other accountable and set goals for the destination of college.
The event also featured several choral selections from Stovall-Shaw Elementary and their choir, as well as Mary Potter Middle Schools’ Alyssa Hester who contributed beautifully to a great event.
After the event, there were community organizations and district student support departments represented to provide parents and guests with resources and support for their role as parents.
Granville County Public Schools extends a huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the event’s success!
(Photo courtesy GCPS)