Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Spiders
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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Tag Archive for: #thelocalskinny
The Local Skinny! Commissioner Balks At City’s Reimbursement Request For Displaced Families
In her report to the Vance County Board of Commissioners last week, County Manager C. Renee Perry said she had received a letter from Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon that formally requested $22,000 to reimburse the city for money it gave to families displaced when the place they were living in was shut down back in May.
Perry, however, reminded commissioners that county funds had been used to house the families to the tune of $26,905.67. “My recommendation is …there should be an offset to the cost that the county incurred,” Perry stated during the commissioners’ July 1 regular monthly meeting.
If the city and the county were to split all costs 50/50, the city and county would each pay $22,000 for the $2,000 vouchers provided earlier by the city to the displaced families AND the city would put up $13,452.84 to take care of half of the almost $27,000 that the county incurred while the shelter was in use.
According to Perry’s calculations, 8,547.16 is the more accurate number that should be considered – $22,000 minus the $13,452.84.
The commissioners ultimately took no action at the meeting.
Commissioner Yolanda Feimster expressed concern over the request. When the incident with (Motel) 121 occurred, the county provided the shelter, and all the things that went along with it – water and electricity – not to mention portable showers, toilets and overtime pay for law enforcement officers to make sure the area was safe.
“And we were never reimbursed, not one dime,” Feimster said.
She went on to call the $2,000 payment to the families who had to spend a week in the former Eaton Johnson gym-turned emergency shelter a “band-aid” approach that would have little long-term effect.
Feimster said she was sympathetic to those who had to move out of the motel that they called home, but she expressed concern that the city is asking for reimbursement for something that the county was not first consulted about.
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Vance County Regional Farmers Market
Calvin Adcock has been a vendor at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market for 27 years. He’s set up shop on William Street, the YMCA, the old Lowe’s building and now at the market on Southpark Drive.
Manager Pat Ayscue calls Adcock a “one-man band” because he’s got “a little bit of everything that everybody wants.”
He fills his corner spot with canned tomatoes, chow-chow relish and more. Everybody comes in to see what he’s got for sale, Ayscue said during a special segment of the WIZS Home & Garden show Wednesday.
Adcock was certified to can tomatoes back in 2004, he said during the show, which was recorded at the market.
“Few tomatoes taste better than his,” Ayscue said.
Whether it’s canned tomatoes, canned green beans or freshly picked produce from other gardens from across the county, customers have their pick of anything from watermelons to eggplant now as the vendors bring a wide selection to the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
G & G Farms is a recent addition to the market, and Gian Jefferson said she and husband Gregory are enjoying being market vendors. They have different chicken breeds that lay all colors of eggs, Jefferson said.
Vance County Ag Agent Michael Ellington said helping new farmers get established and find their markets like the Jeffersons have is a highlight of his job.
Bob Parks of Parks’ Blackberries out on Bearpond Road brings his Natchez blackberries to the farmers market this time of year. The newer variety of blackberry ripens a little bit later, Parks said, helping to extend the season. Snack on fresh berries or bake them in a cobbler or dumpling for a super sweet treat.
Adcock, who will celebrate his 86th birthday later this month, said he thinks this farmers market is wonderful. “I appreciate it and like it – it’s really helped the community,” he said.
“Most people have got most anything here you want,” he said.
Click Play to Hear the Full Special Broadcast from the Vance County Regional Farmers Market!
The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library
If you grew up in Henderson and you’re of a certain age, you may have fond memories of spending summer afternoons in the children’s section of the H. Leslie Perry Memorial Library. The children’s section was in the basement, and you could either go in at ground level or climb those impressive front steps and then head down the metal stairs just beyond the main Circulation Desk.
Either way, you ended up in a cool, quiet spot and peruse books to your heart’s content.
“Cool” is about the only similarity between the old library and the new Perry Memorial Library, however.
There are still plenty of books to choose from, and the AC is a welcome relief from the recent early-summer heat, to be sure.
But chances are good that there was NEVER an obstacle course set up for children to enjoy at the old library. It’s just one of the activities that Youth Services Director Melody Peters and team have planned, all in the name of summer fun.
The obstacle course, “Adventures in Imagination,” kicked off at 4 p.m. today, and Peters said she wanted to tap into children’s different learning styles. Some kids are tactile learners and like to touch and feel things to help them learn. Kinesthetic learners are active, so there’s a place for them to crawl and jump around as they progress along the obstacle course, picking their way across a river filled with crocodiles. This is where Peters stresses the word ‘imagination’ – the crocodiles, rocks and river are made of paper, she said.
The topic moves from imagination to science for the next couple of weeks, when participants will get to do some STEM activities with N.C. Cooperative Extension staff on Tuesday, July 9 and then on July 16 a geologist from the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences is going to come talk about rocks. There will be some geodes to crack, so if your kids have never done that before, bring them to the library that day.
Family Story Time takes place on Sunday, July 28 and Peters has planned a special version of the Olympic Games for that afternoon event, complete with edible medals – think Oreos and Twizzler ropes.
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about all the programs and services available at your local library.
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Cooperative Extension with Michael Ellington: Drought
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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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Spotted Lanternfly
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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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Cleaning Engine Compartment
For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.
Here’s a question for you: When was the last time you cleaned your car or truck?
If your answer is within the last month, give yourself a pat on the back. Good job keeping your vehicle looking nice.
Here’s another one for you: When was the last time you cleaned the engine?
Yep. The engine.
It’s important to keep the engine compartment clean for a couple of reasons, and the professional staff at Advance Auto Parts can help you select the products you need, from a quick rinse-off to a degreaser to go after some major build-up.
A clean engine helps keep your resale value high – what prospective buyer wouldn’t love to pop the hood and see a gleaming engine? As the vehicle owner, keeping the engine compartment free of dirt and grime also cuts down on premature wear of belts, hoses and gaskets.
And it helps the engine stay cooler and operate efficiently, too.
Cover the battery, alternator and carburetor with plastic and take care around coil packs and fuse panels. And the engine should be cool before you spray it with a particular product or with water.
Go after the dirt a little at the time, rinsing with low-pressure water and checking progress regularly.
Hand clean around the areas that you covered with plastic with soap, small brushes or a hand mitt.
The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS. Safety First! Always seek proper help. This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.
Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Bedtime Problems, Pt. 5
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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Home And Garden Show
On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
Wayne Rowland of the Vance Co. Extension Service passes along information for gardeners.
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The Local Skinny! County Budget Includes $60K For McGregor Hall
The newly adopted FY 2024-25 Vance County budget includes a $60,000 appropriation for McGregor Hall, which represents the full amount requested by the performing arts venue. Executive Director Mark Hopper told WIZS News earlier today that he is “absolutely elated” with the commissioners’ action.
“It’s the first step toward making this facility function in a way that every other facility functions in the state,” Hopper said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning. “It’s a really important first step.”
Commissioner Archie Taylor is also on the board of the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation. He said Tuesday that McGregor Hall attracts tourism dollars to the county each time an event is held there.
“As a commissioner, I look at our community as a whole, what is beneficial for Vance County, not for any particular organization,” Taylor said. He referred to a recent economic impact study completed by N.C. State University, which concluded that McGregor Hall has a multi-million dollar impact on the county, bringing outside dollars through sales tax and hotel/motel tax revenues.
The Henderson City Council included a $5,000 one-time grant to McGregor Hall in its recently adopted budget, representing just more than 6 percent of the total amount – $75,000 – that was requested.
City leaders have discussed the purchase of a downtown property currently owned by McGregor Hall for a price in the range of $255,000. When asked whether the sale would move forward, Hopper said “the city has not contacted us.”
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