Tag Archive for: #granvillecountynews

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.

George C. Shaw Museum Open Monthly for Special Presentations

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-Information courtesy Angela Allen, Director, Granville County Tourism Development Authority

The George C. Shaw Museum, African-American History in Your Community, is open monthly on the third Saturday from 1 – 5 p.m. and is located at 202 E. McClanahan Street in downtown Oxford.

Upcoming presentations include:

“The Life of Rev. Martin V. Marable of Granville County” on Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m.

“Cedar Law Plantation from Two Perspectives” on Saturday, August 18 at 2 p.m.

Both presentations feature Guest Artist/Speaker Sallyann Marable Hobson.

For more information on special tours or programs, please call 919-690-8055.

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/.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Board of Education to Hold Special Called Meeting Mon., June 11

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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet for a special called meeting Monday, June 11, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. at the Granville County Public Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford.

The board will also meet in a closed session for Personnel/Attorney-Client Privilege in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 on this evening.

The next scheduled meeting will be Thursday, June 28 at 6 p.m.

City of Oxford Public Works Committee to Meet Thurs., June 14

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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The Public Works, Water, & Infrastructure Committee for the Oxford Board of Commissioners will meet on Thursday, June 14, 2018, at 1 p.m. The meeting will be held in the First Floor Training Room, City Hall, 300 Williamsboro Street in Oxford.

The purpose of the meeting is to hear a presentation on Automated Water Meters, hear a presentation on the City of Oxford Road Condition Survey, and to discuss the existing downtown trash compactor.

All those interested are invited to attend.

Granville County Public Schools

Granville Co. Board of Education to Meet Mon., June 4

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-Information courtesy Dr. Stan Winborne, Public Information Officer, Granville County Public Schools

The Granville County Board of Education will meet in regular session Monday, June 4, 2018, at 6 p.m. at the Granville County Public Central Office, 101 Delacroix Street, Oxford, North Carolina.

The board will also meet in a Closed Session for Personnel/Attorney-Client Privilege in accordance with N.C. General Statute 143.318.11 (a)(6), 143-318.11 (a)(3), 143.318.11 (a)(5) and Section 115C-321 on this evening.

The next scheduled meeting will be Monday, June 11, 2018, at 5:30 p.m.

Granville County Logo

Granville Co. Board of Commissioners to Meet Mon., June 4

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-Information courtesy Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board, Granville County

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet Monday, June 4, 2018, at 7 p.m. at the Granville Expo and Convention Center, 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford.

Agenda items include:

– FY 2018-2019 budget matters

– Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) – Corner of Highway 15 and Hoerner-Waldorf Road

– Granville County Land Development Code Text Amendment Petition

– Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee – subcommittee update

Oxford Board of Commissioners to Hold Agenda Meeting Mon., June 4

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-Information courtesy Cynthia Bowen, City Clerk, City of Oxford

The City of Oxford Board of Commissioners will hold an agenda meeting on Monday, June 4, 2018, at 5:30 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall.

Among the agenda items:

  • Report from the Airport Authority Chairman, David Thomas
  • Budget amendment for the final payment on the WWTP Lagoon – consider authorizing a budget amendment in the amount of $30,000 to cover the change order previously approved by the Board on April 30, 2018. Monies will be moved from the Water Fund to the Fixed Asset Over $5,000 fund. This budget amendment will allow the City to make final payment to Vance Construction for the WWTP Lagoon.
  • Set the agenda for the Tuesday, June 12, 2018, regular session

The regular monthly Board meeting will be held Tuesday, June 12, 2018, at 7 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Board Room, City Hall.

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Granville Co. Library System Announces Summer Programming

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-Information courtesy Angela Allen, Director, Granville County Tourism Development Authority

The Granville County Library System will sponsor several programs this summer, including:

“Master of Mayberry” the Miraculous Life of Andy Griffith at the Thornton Library in Oxford

Tuesday, June 5 from 6 to 7 p.m.

The library will host Dr. Elliott Engel to speak on Andy Griffith and his life as an actor as well as little known facts about Griffith. Using anecdotes, analysis and a large dose of humor, Engel will share the story of the immortal Hollywood actor.

GSK “Science in the Summer” at the South Branch Library in Butner/Creedmoor

June 18 – 22 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

GSK “Science in the Summer” at the Thornton Library in Oxford

July 30 – August 3 (Level I & II offered July 30 – August 3; Level III offered August 1 – 3)

For more information and registration CLICK HERE for South Branch and CLICK HERE for Thornton Library.

VGCC Basic Skills Graduates Encouraged to Dream of Better Futures

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-Press Release, Vance-Granville Community College

Graduates of Vance-Granville Community College’s Adult Basic Skills programs received a double dose of encouragement to dream of better futures and work to make those dreams come true at their commencement exercises on May 3.

The honorees were among those students who have completed either the Adult High School Diploma program or the High School Equivalency program in the past year.

The principal commencement speaker for the ceremony was Dr. Dorwin L. Howard, Sr., retired superintendent of Granville County Public Schools. The Oxford native followed at the podium a presentation by Jennifer Pascual of Henderson, speaking on behalf of the graduating students. A native of Vance County, Pascual completed her High School Equivalency in April after attending classes on the main campus.

Above: Retired Granville County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dorwin Howard of Oxford addresses VGCC Adult Basic Skills graduates. (VGCC photo)

“Do you have a dream?” Dr. Howard asked the graduates. “Do you have a vision of what your future could look like? If you’ve not begun to dream already, I urge you to do so right now. The truth of the matter is that you cannot afford not to dream.”

Citing his work as a school administrator, Dr. Howard recalled student-athletes who had size, speed, strength and a natural talent for athletics. Those attributes, however, were inadequate without an initiative to work, the discipline to practice and the humility to follow the guidance of coaches, he said. “Champions are not born. They are made,” Dr. Howard said, noting the process begins with a dream.

Citing Amos 6:1 from the Old Testament, Dr. Howard urged the graduates to apply themselves. “Woe unto you who will not apply yourself in order to make yourself better. Woe unto you who are looking for the easy way out,” he said.

“I dare you to dream tonight. Dream of entering the workplace. Envision yourself climbing the ladder of success. Dream of continuing your education to help you advance in your career. Dream of earning well. Dream of living well…. But note that dreams don’t become reality by chance. They don’t happen by luck. Dreams begin in your head and heart and become real as you work to make them come true.”

He encouraged the graduates to explore possibilities by reading about what they would like to become and do in life, to be willing to take risks to succeed and to continue to be diligent and work hard. “Dreamers make things happen,” he said.

“Like your parents, relatives and friends, like your instructors and counselors who worked with you and the administrators here at Vance-Granville Community College, I too believe in you and I believe that one day you will make your dreams come true,” he concluded.

Above: Jennifer Pascual of Henderson addresses her fellow VGCC Adult Basic Skills graduates. (VGCC photo)

Student speaker Pascual described for her fellow graduates what had not always been an easy road in life because of family and financial challenges. She described having a dream as a 12-year-old of being a pediatrician; however, that dream faded when her mother and father separated, her family faced the future without a father, her mother battled diabetes while working for 25 years in the tobacco fields, and a brother was deported.

“I gave up on my dreams. I also wanted to give up on life,” she said. “But then I had to think about my mother and what she would go through.”

“While it’s not been easy for my family, I’m glad I made it this far to get my High School Equivalency diploma. I didn’t think I would be able to graduate this year because of financial struggles,” she said. “This program got me focused on my future, a better future for myself and family…. As this program has come to an end for me, I want to make my dreams a new reality by becoming a registered nurse.”

She praised her instructors, including Glenn Alston whose teaching helped her “get the hang of math,” and the department chair for Basic Skills, Dr. Greg Nash, who encouraged her to pursue the curriculum nursing program at VGCC now.

“I now realize not to let fear stop me from pursuing my dreams,” she said. “If I can do this, you can, too. Dream big! Chase your dreams until you catch them!”

Dr. Levy Brown, VGCC’s vice president of academic affairs, announced a special incentive to the graduates to continue their education at Vance-Granville. “Commencement, as you know, does not mean an ‘ending.’ It means a ‘beginning,’ and that is especially true on this occasion tonight,” he said. “The diploma that you will receive will allow you to achieve your dreams wherever you may go.”

As an extra incentive for graduates to begin their collegiate studies, Dr. Brown announced that each graduate would receive a certificate worth free tuition and fees for one semester of courses in curriculum programs or continuing education courses at VGCC, absorbing costs not covered by federal financial aid. “This certificate for tuition and fees is our way of saying ‘congratulations’ and ‘keep going,’” he said.

In conferring diplomas to the graduates, Dr. Stelfanie Williams, the president of VGCC, praised the graduates and applauded the Basic Skills faculty for preparing students to succeed.

After Dr. Nash announced the candidates for graduation, Dr. Brown assisted Dr. Williams in presenting diplomas.

Also on the program were Tiffany Hunter and Owenwiston Raymond III, both 2018 HSE diploma graduates, who provided the welcome and introduced the student speaker, respectively; Michael Young, an instructor in Basic Skills, who introduced Dr. Howard; Dawn Michelle Tucker, dean of Continuing Education and Basic Skills, who offered remarks; and the Rev. Terry Huffines of First United Methodist Church of Henderson, who provided the invocation and benediction.

More photos: Check out VGCC’s album on Flickr!

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