On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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There’s a movie being made right here in Henderson, and producers want to give locals first crack at a casting call on Saturday, Apr. 20.
Budding performers are encouraged to “bring your A game” – A for Acting – when they head over to Clearview Church to meet with producers of “Resurrecting Eden,” the setting of which is Back to Eden Plantation off Satterwhite Point Road.
According to information from the Rev. Dr. Almice Floyd Gill, pastor of Blessed Trinity Ministries, the film’s director and producers will be on hand at the casting call, looking for local talent to be part of the film.
Kenneth Spellman owns Back to Eden, and he’s been working for several years to create a living museum of sorts at the historical property, once owned by the Wortham family. Among the structures on the property is a house where enslaved people lived before the Civil War.
Clearview Church has partnered with Spellman and it’s there that anyone interested is invited to participate. The casting call will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Clearview Church is located at 3485 U.S. 158 Business.
“This is an exciting time – I can’t wait to see it unfold,” said Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson. “Kenneth is dedicated to Henderson and the community and insisted that the casting call start right here in Henderson prior to reaching out to larger areas of the country.”
Local businesses also have the chance to get their name up in lights, as it were, by becoming a film sponsor. Sponsorship levels range from the Bronze level – $500 – all the way up to Iridium – $20,000.
For more information and to register for the casting call, phone 252.572.2358.
-information courtesy of Vance County Schools
Vance County Early College is accepting applications for high school transfers for incoming sophomores and juniors through April 30. Interested students should complete an application and return it to the VCS district office by close of business on April 30, according to VCS Chief Officer of Communication & Innovative Support Aarika Sandlin.
Decision letters will be mailed out by May 15.
Visit the Vance County Early College website (vcec.VCS.k12.nc.us) for the application. Scroll down to Quick Access Information and click on the School Events icon.
The Henderson City Council voted unanimously Monday to create a downtown advisory board that will take responsibility for overseeing the city’s Main Street program.
This action was taken as a way to stay in compliance with the state’s Main Street program, given a decision in March by the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission to divest itself as the active board of directors and committees of the Main Street program effective June 30, 2024, according to information presented Monday by City Manager Terrell Blackmon.
One requirement for continued accreditation is that the program have a board of directors representing district stakeholders and
community members. The new advisory board will consist of between 5 and 7 appointed members who would be selected following an application process.
Blackmon said he has had conversations with state Main Street staff and they are aware of the changes that will be taking place. He added that city staff would continue to work in partnership with the HVDDC, but the city-appointed board would be responsible for the Main Street program.
The Main Street approach is centered around economic development strategies designed to transform the downtown area and revitalize and strengthen the downtown economy. Henderson re-established its Main Street designation in 2020 and uses a four-pronged approach to attain its goals: economic vitality, design, promotion and organization.
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That group of shiny pinwheels planted out front of the Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start office is a visual reminder to us all of the joys that children bring into our lives.
The pinwheel gardens that may be seen in other places across the tri-county area are symbols of joy, happiness and fun, said Garry Daeke, development coordinator at FGV Smart Start. “That’s what we want our children to remind us” of, he said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.
As part of The Week of the Young Child celebrations across the area, the FGV Partnership is hosting several events to promote awareness as it shows support for early learning, the healthy development of young children, as well as the adults – teachers, parents and caregivers – throughout the community.
Unfortunately, the main public event, Family Night, scheduled for Thursday at Vance-Granville Community College, will NOT be held as planned because of the risk of severe weather, Daeke said. It will be rescheduled.
He spoke by phone with WIZS from Sugar N Spice day care during Time Out Tuesday, when a group of select childcare advocates were “sent” to Time Out at as part of a fundraising effort. They could leave their time out spots when they’d reached their fundraising goal, Daeke explained.
It’s just one way the community bands together to support and promote child-centered programs in the three-county area, he said.
“It’s been a great morning so far for me,” Daeke said. Wednesday is Health and Nutrition Day, and he said he’d be at New Beginnings Child Care to enjoy some outdoor activities and healthy snacks with youngsters there.
Then, the 18-member staff will fan out across the three counties on Friday to visit different day cares and preschools for “Read to Young Children” Day. Daeke said staff will visit different classrooms to read with children – they’ll even bring along some books to share, he said.
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The Henderson City Council held its regular monthly meeting Monday at McGregor Hall, giving Executive Director Mark Hopper an appropriate backdrop to emphasize the economic impact the performing arts venue has on the community as he asked the city’s elected officials for financial support.
In beginning his remarks, Hopper said he would try to condense six years of work into a 15-minute presentation. Using a multimedia approach, Council members heard from Hopper and saw videos recapping the significance of McGregor Hall in the larger community as well as on the lives of local performers.
With one full-time employee, five part-time employees and 300 volunteers, McGregor Hall has made quick work to become a stand-out venue in the greater Triangle area, Hopper said. McGregor Hall is under the governance of the nonprofit Embassy Cultural Center Foundation.
Through solid local partnerships and dedicated individuals and business sponsors, the venue has been able to accomplish a lot in a short time.
But, Hopper said, without some additional financial support from local government, the curtain likely will fall on McGregor Hall. One quarter of the venue’s total revenue goes to service the mortgage debt.
In a letter to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, and members of the City Council, Hopper outlined McGregor Hall’s needs – he’s asked the Council for $75,000 to help keep the ship afloat. Hopper would like to get county leaders on board, too.
The cultural and artistic impact may be difficult to put a price tag on, but the most recent economic impact study shows that McGregor Hall has contributed $9.2 million to the local economy over the past four years – $5.1 in lodging bookings alone. McGregor Hall hosted more than 30,000 guests to its rental events, namely in the form of 15 weekends of spring dance competitions.
“What we need is help with our debt service,” Hopper told the City Council. “We will not survive 2025 without support.”
Hopper said that every single dollar of investment to McGregor Hall brings a return of $31 to the community.
About 40 percent of revenues come from ticket sales, which Hopper said is in keeping with the industry standard. Grant funding, rental fees and concessions each kick in 10 percent and 20 percent from local business sponsors.
It would mean a lot for local government leaders to put a price tag on what it means to have a top-notch venue in Henderson and Vance County that draws patrons from the Triangle to southside Virginia – both to watch performances as well as to be on stage for shows.
Hopper said McGregor Hall is helping to change the perception of Henderson and Vance County, one performance at the time.
“We’re bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t interact on a personal level,” he said.
Following Hopper’s presentation, Council Member Garry Daeke said he hoped the full council would consider the request for funding as it continues through the budget process and “look at it in an affirmative manner.”
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Monday’s (4-1-24) Vance County Commissioners meeting was an example of local government at work: there was a little bit of everything, from employee recognition, a few zoning requests, a proclamation, a public comment period and some motions made and approved to keep things moving in the right direction.
Frankie Nobles introduced Michelle Green as the Employee of the Month and said she had received several different nominations from colleagues at the Emergency Operations Department. As a telecommunicator, Green goes above and beyond, Nobles told commissioners. With a mind on teamwork, Green’s initiative and motivation are ever-present when she steps in and steps up to cover shifts or lend a helping hand to colleagues.
Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry officially introduced Stephanie Williams as the county’s new budget and finance director. April 1 marked Williams’s first day on the job and she had taken her seat beside Perry.
As a formality, the board appointed Williams and it became official. Williams told commissioners that she is looking forward to working with the board and to help all the citizens of Vance County.
Commissioners observed April as National Fair Housing Month, and also reminded residents that the NC DOT Spring Litter Sweep runs from April 13-27.
One county resident signed up to address the board about concerns he has about people discharging guns in the vicinity of his residence.
View the meeting in its entirety on YouTube.
The next scheduled commissioners’ meeting is May 6.
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