Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews

TownTalk: Willard Haithcock Membership Scholarship

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Willard Haithcock wasn’t a gregarious person, according to his son Heath. He was quiet and soft-spoken, to tell you the truth. But he loved a good routine, you could count on him being at the Henderson Family YMCA at pretty much the same time every day of the week.

“You could set your watch by him,” he said of his dad, whom he described as the quintessential family man who provided for his wife and children

When Haithcock died in 2021, it made perfect sense to his family to establish scholarships in his memory to give others a chance to enjoy the benefits of the Y that he himself had enjoyed so much.

“My dad was not one to draw attention to himself,” Heath said on Monday’s TownTalk. But as the family considered how to best honor their loved one, a scholarship to the YMCA was what leapt to their minds.

“We wanted his life to stand for something,” Heath said, admitting that if his Dad could weigh in on the matter, he’d most likely call the idea the most ridiculous thing he’d ever heard.

His dad instilled in him to treat others the way he wanted to be treated. He taught by example – Willard treated everybody equally, his son said.

“That’s what the Y does,” Heath said. And the family chose to create one scholarship for an individual membership and one for a family membership, he said, because “they YMCA is all about inclusion.”

“He really wasn’t that into fitness,” Heath said. But those daily visits to the YMCA gave his father an outlet to reduce stress, get in a little physical activity and embrace a side of his personality that he may not have demonstrated in his business life.

“It became part of his routine…he was very regimented and routine-oriented,” he said.

He became a mainstay at the Y and Heath said the Y became one of the joys of his Dad’s life.

Sadly, Willard didn’t get to enjoy the benefits of retirement for very long. He died just a couple of years after he sold his business.

“It’s a shame he couldn’t have spent more time doing what he enjoyed,” Heath said.

There is no doubt that he would have stuck to his routine and been a 7-day a week YMCA gym rat.

“It was great that he had that venue and that outlet…to be his true self,” Heath said.

The deadline to submit an application for the scholarships is coming up this Sunday, Apr. 20. Find the application at https://www.hendersonymca.org/.

 

 

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Mini Gardens

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On the Vance County Cooperative Extension Report from Wayne Rowland:

Mini gardens can be grown in limited space and will help provide fresh vegetables for your family.

The Vance-Warren Beekeepers Association meeting will be on Monday, April 14, 2025 at 7pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market.

The Vance County Cooperative Extension is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536

The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536

Listen 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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Variety Wholesalers Launches First Wave Of Big Lots! Reopenings

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Henderson-based Variety Wholesalers is opening – or re-opening – on Thursday nine Big Lots! stores following a strategic acquisition of 219 of the retail stores across the South.

Variety Wholesalers, a leading discount retailer known for its “treasure hunt shopping experience, closeouts and unbeatable bargains,” plans to open more stores in the eastern market throughout May and June, according to information provided by the company.

The Big Lots! stores have been remodeled and will feature a large selection of closeout deals and new merchandise categories, including electronics and apparel.

Included in this first wave of re-openings is a store in Asheboro; the other stores are located in Roanoke, VA, Mount Sterling, KY, Metairie, LA, Tupelo, MS, Pearl, MS, Clarksville, TN, Gallatin, TN and Dickson, TN.

‘We’re thrilled to bring the Big Lots! brand back to life by offering more deals than ever, lots of famous brands and a new apparel department for the entire family,” said Lisa Seigies, president and CEO of Variety Wholesalers. “We’re opening stores quickly so we can serve the community. We know the stores won’t be perfect to start, but each week we’ll add more new products as we build towards the grand opening celebration in the fall. Every time a customer visits Big Lots! we want them to find something new and exciting!”

Variety Wholesalers will reopen the remaining acquired locations in subsequent waves, with approximately 55 stores in the second wave opening on Thursday, May 1. The remaining stores will open through early June and lead up to a grand opening celebration that will take place across all stores this fall. BigLots.com and Big Lots! social media channels will feature more news and updates on store announcements.

Variety Wholesalers’ acquisition of Big Lots! stores marks a significant expansion for the company, further solidifying its position as a leading discount retailer. The company’s portfolio includes well-known brands such as Roses, Roses Express and Maxway.

In addition to the initial nine locations, Variety Wholesalers plans to reopen Big Lots! stores in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia, among other states.

Variety Wholesalers is committed to providing customers with a wide selection of merchandise, including apparel, famous brands, home décor, health and beauty items, closeouts, seasonal products and more all at unbeatable prices.

The Local Skinny! County Attorney Explains ‘Design/Build’ Concept For Jail Repairs

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The Vance County Board of Commissioners have approved a pathway for county staff to proceed with a “design/build” process to make necessary repairs to the jail as it weighs further options for construction of a new detention center.

County Attorney Jonathan Care explained to commissioners at their Monday meeting why he recommends this “new” approach be used for the repairs and expressed the need to move quickly, based on a letter from the state citing, among other things, the poor physical condition of the jail.

Care spelled out options for the short-term repairs needed at the existing jail while pursuing design and construction options for a brand-new jail; the consensus at Monday’s meeting was to use the design/build process for the repairs. Care told commissioners staff could have everything in place by the next meeting, if not sooner, to put that plan in motion.

One of the main components of the design/build approach, he explained, has both the construction side and the design side collaborating on the project instead of hiring an architect to design and then a construction team to build.

“I think that is the absolute best way to move forward,” Care said, “and that is my recommendation to move forward with repairs to our current facility.”

The design/build approach begins with a request for qualification – an RFQ – instead of a request for proposals – an RFP, which often results in awarding projects to the company who submits the lowest bid.

He said the design/build process won’t be the cheapest way, but it should result in fewer change orders during construction and fewer issues that inevitably pop up.

With the repairs, however, “time is as much of a factor as cost is.”

A jail is not something that should be pieced out and parceled, Care said.

“We need to know, down the road, that we’re going to have a facility that isn’t such a unicorn that we’re reliant on one person” to come in and make needed repairs, he said, referencing the problem with broken doors at the jail.

“I can tell you, unfortunately, we’ve experienced some of that in our current facility with updating, remodeling and building…that isn’t working for us, and it’s costing us dearly now.”

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TownTalk: 3rd Annual Community Resource Festival Coming Up on April 16th

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Organizers of the 3rd annual Community Resource Festival are proof of just what can be accomplished when folks and organizations come together for a common goal.

More than 100 vendors have signed up to participate in the event, which will take place Wednesday, April 16 at the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the public is invited to stop in to learn more about the businesses, programs, local agencies, nonprofits and more that are located in Vance and Granville counties.

In addition to helpful information, there will be food trucks, giveaways and plenty of time for networking.

Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce President Sandra Wilkerson summed it up this way: Community means together, resources are assets and festival means fun.

Wilkerson joined collaborators Jennifer Cufalo, with the Granville County Chamber of Commerce and Michele Walker, with Huff Consulting, LLC on TownTalk to discuss the event’s origin – and the possibilities it holds for the entire community.

“There’s nothing that makes me happier than collaboration,” Wilkerson said.

And the Community Resource Festival all about collaboration, Walker said. “It’s grown to huge heights,” she said of the festival, which began as an idea simply to gather nonprofit organizations from across the two counties.

As Wilkerson explained, once Walker brought the idea to the Chambers, the idea grew to include businesses and other service-related organizations. Stay tuned, Walker said, because KARTS is working to designate “hotspots” to pick up individuals and transport them to and from the festival. She’ll share more information as it develops.

The local Chamber has been fielding calls about how to participate in the festival, some from people familiar to the Chamber and some she doesn’t know.

“I’m excited to meet them (and) talk to them about what they’re working on,” she said. Part of the mission of the resource festival is to show the community just how much the two counties have to offer – it’s just a matter of knowing the resources exist.

“This festival is just a great way to bring programs and services under one roof,” Cufalo said. Through networking, small businesses nonprofits can join forces with one another to extend their reach into the community. “Not everybody has the same supporters or collaborators,” she said. “That little bit of knowledge you have and be huge for somebody else” to learn.

The Community Resource Festival has looked a little bit different each year, but the common thread she recognizes is the level of communication and sharing of information among businesses and to the public.

“One thing that we have to do – make sure we’re talking to one another. We have to communicate,” Walker said. And who says you can’t do that AND enjoy each other’s company at the same time?

To learn more, visit

https://business.hendersonvance.org/events/details/community-resource-festival-2191

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Cooperative Extension with Jamon Glover: Quality Over Quantity

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Cooperative Extension Report with Jamon Glover

Listen 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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TownTalk: Commissioners Will Combine Committee Meetings, Work Sessions – On A Trial Basis

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The Vance County commissioners will begin holding committee meetings in conjunction with scheduled work sessions – in the commissioners’ meeting room – with an eye on more efficient scheduling and as a way to be available to the public.

Based on a recommendation from the county’s IT staff, holding the committee meetings in the main meeting space will allow the meetings to be livestreamed on the county’s YouTube channel.

Merging the committee meetings with the scheduled work sessions will be done on a trial basis, but it’s unclear just how long the trial period will last. The change takes place as a result of the March 17 work session.

Commissioner Leo Kelly said, “I think it’s a good way to handle it right now,” but Commissioner Dan Brummitt said the commissioners’ meeting room may not suit the format of the less formal committee meetings.

Commissioners take no action during committee meetings; rather, committees bring discussion and recommendations to the full board to make decisions. Board Chair Carolyn Faines reminded fellow commissioners that the decision to include committee meetings in the work sessions allows citizens to see this process – either in person, via livestream or by viewing the archived recording.

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