There are a lot of events geared toward school that will start back up soon for students in our area. The audio embedded below, as well as info at wizs.com/psas, includes Vance County Public Schools and numerous other local organizations.
CLICK PLAY!
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536
Click Play!
Kids are really gonna “dig” Bright Star Theatre Company’s program at Perry Memorial Library on Tuesday, July 28 when Dr. Sarah Tops brings her quirky curiosity to the stage as part of the summertime “Dig Into Reading” program.
Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters said this Asheville-based touring company performs all over the country and Tuesday’s show at 10:30 a.m. is going to be all about dinosaurs as a way to cap off the special summertime activities.
“Live theater is really great to be able to offer and show children,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
Later on that day, at 4 p.m., kids of all ages are invited to visit with North Carolina author Kamal Bell, who will share his book “Akeem Keeps Bees!”
“It’s just such a great story,” Peters said. The book is about a boy named Akeem who helps his dad with bees, from their arrival to finding the queen, and then harvesting honey and preparing the hive for winter.
Bell owns Sankofa Farms, LLC in Efland. Besides being a farmer and an author, he’s a motivational speaker who works to create and maintain a sustainable food source for minorities in and around Durham and Orange counties.
In 2025, the North Carolina Humanities selected the book for its Great Reads from Great Places program to represent the state in the youth category at the Library of Congress National Book Festival.
The library ends up the week with off-site activities, including a Read-Out at Chestnut Street Park on Wednesday, July 29 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Attendance was great at the last read-out, she said – between 30 and 40 people showed up to read together. In addition to free books and coloring sheets for the kids, there will be time to just enjoy the playground equipment at the newly renovated park.
The Mother Goose Story Time is convening at Kerr Lake State Recreational Area at Satterwhie Point at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, July 30.
It’ll be a Pops at the Park kind of a program, Peters said. Freeze pops, that is.
Come on out and enjoy some time at the Glass House on Kerr Lake.
To learn more about these programs and all the programs and services at Perry Memorial Library, visit www.perrylibrary.org.
CLICK PLAY!
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536
Click Play!
The Henderson City Council voted Monday to provide emergency cooling stations that will allow vulnerable residents to seek refuge – at least during the daytime hours – from the extreme heat.
When temperatures top 94 degrees, the mayor and city manager have the authority to choose to activate and operate cooling stations.
Council Member Michael Venable made the motion to approve adoption of the emergency facility policy, which was seconded by Council Member Tami Walker. The motion passed unanimously; Council Member Garry Daeke was not present at the meeting.
Interim City Manager Kendrick Vann explained that the cooling station would operate at the municipal building site at 110 Young St., in much the same way that “white flag” nights in winter provide shelter in extremely cold conditions.
The cooling station hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Vann said, and would not include any overnight stays.
In addition, he said the Henderson Fire Department is going to have bottles of water on hand for anyone who may need something to drink during periods of extreme heat like the recent stretch when temperatures were in the upper 90’s.
In a written explanation in the agenda packet, Vann stated that adoption of the policy “strengthens the City’s emergency preparedness and ensures staff and volunteers have clear guidance during hazardous heat conditions.”
CLICK PLAY!
Vance County Manager Renee Perry told commissioners Monday that there’s a new web page to visit that contains all relevant information about the detention center.
Perry said the web page came about from a request by Commissioner Yolanda Feimster, who wanted to see detention center-related issues in one location.
“It has all the jail inspection reports, the authority of the sheriff…all presentations that have come to the commissioners,” Perry said during her report at Monday’s regularly monthly meeting.
According to the agenda packet, the web page will include sections on:
Visit https://www.vancecounty.org/vcdc/ to see a broad range of information that pertains to the detention center.
CLICK PLAY!
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536
Click Play!
Books can transport readers to faraway lands, take them on fun adventures or lead them back through history. And now, with July’s heat cranked all the way up, Memorial Library Youth Services Director Melody Peters says the library is a very cool place – in every sense of the word – to enjoy the summer. Come and choose some books, then hang around for all the extra activities the library offers.
In addition to all the reading selections, children can enjoy movies – The Good Dinosaur is up this afternoon at 4:30 p.m., tying into the summer reading theme of Unearth A Story.
And the summertime STEAM activities continue next week with construction of catapults, Peters told WIZS’s Scout Hughes on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny!
STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math – and the activities are compliments of a partnership with Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina.
The first program was a big hit – making pens using 3-D printers – and Peters said the kids loved it. So did she!
“I had never used anything like that,” she said. “It was really exciting to be able to create something like that.” You don’t just flip a switch or press a button, she said. There’s a bit of a learning curve and it takes time to understand how those printers work.
But it’s not all 21st century technology at the library. Next Tuesday, July 14, come check out the ancient sport of falconry. Chip Gentry with Hawk Manor Falconry will be in the gallery at 10:30 a.m. with his birds of prey to give patrons some insight into falconry, which has been around for thousands of years.
Then Coleman Davis of the N.C. Fossil Club is bringing his extensive fossil collection for the kids to see at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14. “It is quite something to behold,” Peters said of the collection, which fits right in to the summer reading theme, too.
Then, on Thursday, July 16, visiting artist Michael Albert will lead a workshop from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for youth ages 10-16.
Albert creates collages and his medium of choice is cereal boxes! Workshop participants will create their own collages.
Space is limited, so please register using the signup link at www.perrylibrary.org.
CLICK PLAY!
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
The Vance County Cooperative Extension Building is located at 305 Young St, Henderson, NC 27536
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market is located at 210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC 27536
Click Play!
Thanks to some pretty cool collaborations, summertime activities at Perry Memorial Library are really heating up.
Whether you’d like to learn more about virtual reality robots or falconry, or if you just want to chill out watching a fun movie, there’s something coming up just for you, and Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters has all the details.
For kids 8 years and older, there also are STEAM activities planned, courtesy of Goodwill Industries of Eastern North Carolina.
In fact, there’s a session later today – from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. – to learn more about 3-D printing. Future sessions, also from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., include catapult building on Tuesday, July 14 and mini-robotics on Tuesday, July 21.
Want to learn more about falconry? Come to the library gallery at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 14 and learn about the ancient art that involves training birds of prey from master falconer Chip Gentry. He works with Hawk Manor Falconry in Lillington. He’s bringing some amazing birds that you’ll get to see up close and personal.
Come to the library on Tuesday, July 7 to catch the movie Hoppers at 10:30 a.m. Super Mario Galaxy will be shown on Tuesday, July 21. Feel free to bring your own snacks to enjoy while you watch the movie, Peters said.
And, of course, the summer reading program is in full swing, so remember to read, read, read! Come stock up on reading materials for the long holiday weekend – the library will be closed Friday through Sunday, July 3-5.
Visit www.perrylibrary.org for a complete schedule of programs, events and activities.
CLICK PLAY!
