The summer heat will soon be here, and eligible senior residents can be ready for soaring temperatures by taking advantage of the FREE fan promotion through Granville County Senior Services!
Thanks to contributions from Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Carolinas, fans have been made available to distribute to Granville County residents this summer. You are eligible to receive a fan if:
(1) You reside in Granville County
(2) You are 60 years of age or older
(3) You have a disability (proof of disability required)
(4) You have a heat situation at home that is a threat to your health or well-being.
If you need a fan, or have a family member or friend who does, please contact the Granville County Senior Center in Oxford at (919) 693-1930, the North Granville Senior Center in Stovall at (919) 693-3383 or the South Granville Senior Center in Creedmoor at (919) 528-0848.
Vance-Granville Community College recognized 37 students who graduated this spring from the Associate Degree Nursing program with a pinning ceremony in the college’s Civic Center on May 8.
Among those honored with distinctive nursing pins at the ceremonies were nine who graduated through the LPN to ADN Transition Program, which helps Licensed Practical Nurses to continue their education and then become Registered Nurses. Those graduates were: Lakeisha Scott of Bullock; Catherine Bullock of Butner; Lilian Schleifer of Cary; Christine Atieno of Durham; Frances Beddingfield, Joseane Buckley, Teresa Coley and Wanda Davis, all of Oxford; and Leslie Judd of Raleigh.
Above: members of the 2019 Associate Degree Nursing class at Vance-Granville Community College who received their nursing pins on May 8 included, on front row, from left: Ashton Hobgood, Lakeisha Scott, Rachel Munson, Chelsea Ray; Frances Beddingfield, Emily Padgett and Katie Lee; second row, from left: Michelle Madison, Abigayle Edwards, Rhonda Williamson, Catherine Bullock, Hellen Mbuya, Wanda Davis and Melissa Ramos; third row, from left: Joseane Buckley, Keyona Bullock, Ashley Flynn, Vanna Farrar, Teresa Coley, Tuesday Mathews, Jessica Honhart and Maritza Vazquez; fourth row, from left: Leslie Judd, Phylicia Wimbush, Allison Stell, Shanae Rhoades, Takera Green, Angela Talam and Caitlin Pernell; back row, from left: Kaylin Gibson, Moses Onchonga, Tyler Thorp, Ashley Sawyer, James Temple, Brandon Smith and Christine Atieno; not pictured: Lilian Schleifer. (VGCC Photo)
The graduates who took courses in the traditional five-semester sequence included: Tuesday Mathews of Angier; James Temple and Rhonda Williamson, both of Bullock; Emily Padgett of Butner; Kaylin Gibson of Creedmoor; Takera Green and Moses Onchonga, both of Durham; Vanna Farrar and Ashley Sawyer, both of Franklinton; Katie Lee, Allison Stell, Tyler Thorp and Phylicia Wimbush, all of Henderson;
Keyona Bullock, Jessica Honhart, Rachel Munson, Caitlin Pernell and Chelsea Ray, all of Louisburg;
Ashton Hobgood, Hellen Mbuya and Shanae Rhoades, all of Oxford; Abigayle Edwards, Angela Talam and Maritza Vazquez, all of Raleigh; Michelle Madison of Selma; Ashley Flynn and Brandon Smith, both of Wake Forest; and Melissa Ramos of Warrenton.
Welcoming remarks for the ceremony were offered by Dr. Rachel Desmarais, VGCC President; Dr. Anna Seaman, Associate Degree Nursing Program Head; and Ashton Hobgood, president of the graduating class of 2019.
Academic honors were presented to graduates who completed the program with at least a 3.5 grade point average: Angela Talam, and Tyler Thorp, who was recognized for having the highest GPA in the class.
Cords were presented to students who participated as members of the National Student Nurses Association, which sponsors community service projects and professional development. These students included Bullock, Coley, Davis, Farrar, Flynn, Gibson, Hobgood, Honhart, Mathews, Munson, Padgett, Pernell, Ray, Rhoades, Sawyer, Smith, Stell, Talam and Thorp.
Instructor Brande McIlroy described the significance of the nursing pin. The unique green and gold pin identifies each nurse as a VGCC graduate and indicates that the graduate has the training and competence to serve as a professional nurse. During the ceremony, graduates were pinned by Dr. Anna Seaman and received lamps from instructor Patsy Pegram. Meanwhile, Nursing Department Chair Erica Jastrow read their biographies.
After all graduates had received pins, the lights in the Civic Center were lowered, and instructor Crystal Senter led students in reciting the “Nursing Pledge” by lamplight.
Granville County Tourism Development Director Angela Allen is attending the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College May 12 through May 17. The session covers a broad-based curriculum of courses designed to teach marketing techniques from all facets of the tourism industry.
Allen was named the recipient of a full scholarship through the Miles Partnership, a worldwide marketing services team which helps promote travel experiences, to attend this session. A selection committee comprised of industry professionals notified Allen in February that she had been chosen for this scholarship, which covers tuition and accommodations.
“The scholarship selection committee recognizes your hard work and dedication to the tourism industry in North Carolina,” Allen’s award notification read. “We are pleased to offer you this scholarship in support of your continued success.”
This is the second time Allen has received this scholarship from the Miles Partnership. The 2017 “Rising Star” of the North Carolina Tourism Industry Association continues to gain leadership and marketing skills at this training session, which is being held on the campus of the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA.
Granville County Tourism Development Director Angela Allen is attending the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College May 12 through May 17. The session covers a broad-based curriculum of courses designed to teach marketing techniques from all facets of the tourism industry. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Govt.)
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On Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 6 p.m., Granville County native R F Timberlake will call bids and will auction off two, first edition art prints of Kerr Lake at a fundraiser for the Grassy Creek Community Building.
Myrtle Reams, the coordinator for the fundraiser said, “Frank Timberlake will deliver a double whammy to help out his native Grassy Creek! First, he agreed to be the auctioneer for our fundraising event. Second, and we could hardly believe it, Frank, who I went through school with, agreed to donate two of his Kerr Lake prints that are from a new collection that’s never been seen. He’s putting the new collection of prints together this spring and summer.”
On Saturday, May 18, 2019, at 6 p.m., Granville County native R F Timberlake will call bids and will auction off two, first edition art prints of Kerr Lake at a fundraiser for the Grassy Creek Community Building. (Photo courtesy R F Timberlake and Shutter Art Gallery)
Timberlake, who rarely calls bids anymore, and then only for charities, won the 1990 North Carolina Rookie Auctioneering Championship. The former radio broadcaster turned ad agency executive hails from Stovall and Grassy Creek and operates an almost thirty-year-old advertising and PR firm that is renowned for client success and winning national awards and recognition.
In 2016, after attempting to learn to paint realism and even with advice and help from a famous cousin artist, Timberlake introduced his patented creation of a slightly different art form, PhoArt®. The term PhoArt® tells the story of the process: taking a photograph in the raw and then turning up some or all of its aspects, and finally running it through proprietary software which Timberlake helped finesse.
“It will be great to spend a few days at home, see a lot of old friends, watch their reactions to some of my new artwork, and then at the auction, to actually pick their pockets for a good cause,” remarked the jovial artist and entrepreneur. The retail value of the two Kerr Lake prints is over $300.
The auction, touted to have something of interest for everyone, will start at the Grassy Creek Community Building at 6 p.m. Hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, snacks, desserts and soft drinks will be on sale. Assisting Timberlake with auctioneering will be Harry Jones and Marty Ayscue.
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Twenty-two new graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s two-year Radiography program were honored in a May 6 pinning ceremony in the college’s Civic Center.
The Radiography Class of 2019 included Frantz Alexis, Jr., of Chapel Hill; Shanice D. Alleyne, Karene Anderson, Matthew Battistel, Kristen Bowman, Starsha M. Hargrove and Dwayne Huneycutt, all of Creedmoor; Allison Weaver Wiggins of Franklinton; Samantha Pierce and Paige Snider, both of Garner; Brooklyn Rooker and Ashley Bobbitt Ward, both of Henderson; Angela Basili of Hillsborough; Shayla A. Cash and Dulce Santillan, both of Louisburg; Megan Irene Proctor of Macon; Crystal Sorrell and Megan Whitman, both of Oxford; Rubi Judith Coyote Baizabal, Celeste Evans and Treva Gordan, all of Roxboro; and Marina Rombout of Stem.
Above: members of the 2019 Radiography graduating class at Vance-Granville Community College who received their pins May 6 included, on the front row, from left: Marina Rombout, Megan Whitman, Angela Basili, Shanice Alleyne, Shayla Cash, Treva Gordan and Brooklyn Rooker; second row, from left: Ashley Ward, Paige Snider, Samantha Pierce, Dulce Santillan, Crystal Sorrell and Rubi Coyote; third row, from left: Karene Anderson, Matthew Battistel, Dwayne Huneycutt, Allison Wiggins and Kristen Bowman; back row, from left: Megan Proctor, Starsha Hargrove, Frantz Alexis and Celeste Evans. (VGCC Photo)
Angela M. Thomas, the Dean of Health Sciences/ Interim Program Head for Radiography, presided over the ceremony. She encouraged students to “love what you do or you will not give it your best; enhance your passion for giving and dream bigger than Disney World.” The ceremony featured live entertainment by Detroit Yancey, an Oxford native, who sang “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was Lewis Daughtry, Jr., one of the instructors for the program. He advised the students, “Do not think future opportunities are going to stop and wait for you. You must be ready.”
Rubi Judith Coyote Baizabal gave an address in response on behalf of her classmates. A Dean’s List student and Phi Theta Kappa inductee, she has served as one of her program’s representatives in the VGCC Student Government Association.
“Remember, do not bury your failures, let them inspire you,” Baizabal told her fellow students.
Lindsay Hinkle from the VA Medical Center in Durham was chosen by the graduating students to receive the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Certificate of Excellence for Clinical Educators. The students voted for Tabitha Owens from EmergeOrtho William Penn Plaza in Durham as the top technologist at the clinical sites in which they received their 900 hours of practical training, while the Clinical Affiliate Award of Excellence went to the EmergeOrtho William Penn Plaza in Durham.
Receiving the JRCERT Certificate of Excellence for Students was Megan Whitman, who also received the VGCC Radiography Academic Award. In a first-ever tie, the VGCC Radiography Clinical Excellence Award was presented to two students, Megan Proctor and Brooklyn Rooker.
Instructor Anthony Twisdale shared the history of the Radiographer’s Pin before he and Angela Thomas awarded the pins to each graduate. Thomas led the graduates in reciting the Radiographer’s Pledge as the ceremonies concluded.
Granville County student Yosselin Baylon Alvarez was recognized with a proclamation for volunteer service at the May 6 meeting of the Granville County Board of Commissioners. The twelve-year-old was honored for her assistance to staff and other volunteers of the Granville County Animal Shelter during a spay/neuter event held in a targeted Butner area.
According to Animal Management Director Matthew Katz, Yosselin’s efforts were instrumental to the success of the project as she voluntarily offered Translation and transcription services in communicating with Spanish-speaking residents, helping to share information about the recent spay/neuter event. The bilingual sixth-grader also acted as a community liaison, encouraging resident participation while translating information and helping answer questions for those who struggled with the English language.
Yosselin Alvarez receives a congratulatory hug from Granville County Commissioner Sue Hinman while Animal Shelter staff members and volunteers look on. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Government)
On March 8, the day of the scheduled event, Yosselin was excused from school to continue her volunteer service by helping gather animals from residents who needed additional assistance. As a result of her work, 24 animals in the targeted area were successfully spayed/neutered. Yosselin continued to be a contact between the community and the Granville County Animal Shelter over the next few weeks, proving to be a vital link in every facet of the spay/neuter event.
“Yosselin invested many hours to assist volunteers in canvassing, follow-up and completing all the required paperwork,” the proclamation reads. “This level of participation from the community could not have been achieved without Yosselin bridging the different cultures and acting as an advocate for the event.”
Yosselin was accompanied by her family to Monday night’s Commissioners meeting and says she has dreams of becoming a medical doctor after completing her education. She is currently a student at Butner-Stem Middle School.
The McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center will feature The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Show starts at 2 p.m.
A Part of the Music at McGregor Series
The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers, founded in 1998 by Joel F. Reed, promote choral artistry by modeling the highest quality choral standard and performing a breadth of literature, including music from the southern Appalachian region.
The McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center will feature The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers on Sunday, June 9, 2019. Show starts at 2 p.m. Photo courtesy the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center.
The Southern Appalachian Chamber Singers are currently 25 singers who rehearse monthly in preparation for the ensemble’s performances. Many of the members are professional musicians, working in public and private schools, colleges and churches. Others are professionals from the business and medical communities who reside in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia, and are, for the most part, alumni and retired faculty of Mars Hill University.
The ensemble has performed regularly in the North and South Carolina areas including conferences of North Carolina American Choral Directors Association and National Association for Music Education.
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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford
The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall in Oxford.
Agenda items include:
May Yard of the Month – Douglas & Dot Adcock of 114 Maluli Drive.
Proclamation for National Police Week.
Annual Historic Preservation Presentation – Anthony Armento.
Consider calling for a public hearing to be held at the June 11, 2019, Board meeting to consider a request by Lynwood Roberts Jr. to amend the Zoning Ordinance under sections 302.1 & 720 to convert an existing single-family dwelling into a two-family dwelling unit.
Receive proposed budget from City Manager Thornton. (A copy will be available on meeting night.)
Consider calling for a public hearing for the June 11, 2019, meeting to hear public input on the FY 2019-2020 budget.
Consider correcting journal entries to the Asset/Liabilities accounts.
Consider placing four portable crosswalk signs in the downtown area.
Consider adding two additional No U-Turn signs in the downtown area.
Consider authorizing the city manager to negotiate and sign a task order with Withers Ravenel for the 2019 City Resurfacing Project.
Consider authorizing a budget amendment to purchase a street sweeper.
Consider approving a budget amendment for $39,950.00.
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With more than 100 tractors, North Carolina food and beverages, music, a carnival and kids’ activities, the Got to Be NC Festival promises to be a not-to-be-missed event at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, May 17-19, 2019.
“The antique tractor and farm equipment display, featuring a daily tractor parade, and the Food Lion Local Goodness Marketplace are two of the unique highlights of the festival,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “We have one of the largest antique tractor displays in the Southeast, and the marketplace features around 80 North Carolina companies offering the opportunity to sample the delicious food and beverage products they offer.”
Hours for the Food Lion Local Goodness Marketplace are Friday from noon to 8 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $3.
Visitors can see and hear tractors parade around the fairgrounds each day at 1 p.m., with all makes, ages and restorations of tractors featured.
New entertainment this year includes Danny Grant’s Cowboy Circus & The Soap Bubble Circus, both roving grounds acts; and a Feeder Pig display at the Pig Patch Birthing Center. Returning favorites are the racing pigs of the Hogway Speedway, Lauryn Zepeda with Gringo the Trick Pony, Ready, Set, Grow! Agri-tainment Magic Show, the Pig Patch birthing center, Agri-plaza, tractor pulls and the Kidz Corral activity area.
Tractor pull events are planned for Saturday and Sunday. A Kids’ Pedal Tractor Pull will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, with the Antique Tractor Pull later from 2 to 8 p.m. A Garden Tractor and Lawnmower Pull will be held Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m.
The carnival features one price, ride-all-day wristbands on Friday and Sunday. Cost is $20 for wristbands. In addition, a fireworks show will be held Friday and Saturday at 9:15 p.m.
On May 18, the festival will host the Carolina Bluegrass Battle. Traditional and contemporary bluegrass bands will compete for bragging rights and prizes. Also on May 18, the 14th Annual Masonic Carolina Pig Jig BBQ Cook-off will be held, with more than 20 Masonic chapters competing for top honors. At 11 a.m., the event opens to the public for an all-you-care-to-eat barbecue buffet. Guests make their way through the line-up of competition cookers to sample different styles and vote for their favorite. Cost is $15 for adults, $5 for ages 7-10 and free for kids 6 and under. Proceeds from the cookoff benefit the Masonic Home for Children at Oxford.
If you are planning to attend the 2019 State Fair, you can take advantage of the Casey’s Big Ticket Weekend offer and buy 2019 State Fair tickets for 2018 prices. Tickets are being sold at the Waterfall ticket booth. Cost is $8 for adults and $3 for children. Prices at the gate for 2019 will be $13 for adults and $7 for kids.
Festival hours are Friday, May 17, from noon to 10 p.m.; Saturday, May 18, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, May 19, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free. More information is available at www.gottobencfestival.com.
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A total of 219 student-athletes from all over North Carolina and their chaperones were among the participants in the 2019 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Salute To Student-Athlete Program.
The program recognizes students from across the state and exposes them to the many positive lessons to be learned from North Carolina’s outstanding sports heritage.
A total of 31 different schools from 21 different counties across the state were represented by the student-athletes who attended the program. Eight students from JF Webb High School attended the event and were sponsored through the Oxford Rotary Club on behalf of Bart Cleary, DDS and Joe Johnson of Builder’s Services.
Eight students from JF Webb High School attended the 2019 North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Salute To Student-Athlete event. The participants were sponsored through the Oxford Rotary Club on behalf of Bart Cleary, DDS and Joe Johnson of Builder’s Services. (Photo courtesy Granville Co. Public Schools)
The two-day event included a special reception and attendance at ceremonies where the newest class of inductees to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame was inducted at the Raleigh Convention Center. The following day, the student-athletes toured the state’s hall of fame exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of History and participated in a seminar involving some of North Carolina’s most celebrated sports figures.
Speakers at the seminar included former UNC-Chapel Hill basketball star Phil Ford and current major league baseball umpire Joe West. There was also a special panel discussion featuring several members of the NCSHOF, including Ford, West, Dee Kantner, Eddie Bridges and Paul Miller.
The student-athletes were invited to sign up for Hall Pass, a free program that offers special opportunities. Each Hall Pass member receives interesting information about the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the state’s sports heritage, including a monthly newsletter and special features in advance before the general public. Any student-athlete can sign up to become a Hall Pass member by visiting www.ncshof.org and clicking on Hall Pass.
North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame members inducted this year included golfer Davis Love III, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Jr; former pro football player and renowned artist Ernie Barnes, former high school coaches Thell Overman and Willie Bradshaw, hunting and fishing icon Eddie Bridges, college football coach Rod Broadway, athletic administrators Gene Corrigan and Neill McGeachy, high school and college wrestling coach Steve Gabriel, basketball official Dee Kantner and college football standout Paul Miller.
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