Tag Archive for: #towntalk

Vance County Tourism

TownTalk: Catfish Drop for New Year’s by Vance County Tourism

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New York City’s Times Square has that iconic glittery orb. Raleigh has a giant acorn. Shoot, Mt. Olive has a giant pickle covered in lights. But this New Year’s Eve, families can head out to Satterwhite Point to witness a first: a giant blue catfish drop to usher in 2025.

It’s all part of a plan by Vance County Tourism and other partners, most recently the Vance County Board of Commissioners, who signed off on the event at their regular meeting held Aug. 5 meeting.

The idea has been in the works for a few years, said Pam Hester, Vance County tourism director. Hester and fellow tourism staffer Norman Dickerson were guests on TownTalk Wednesday to talk about the impact tourism and visitors had on the local economy in 2023, and to discuss how the county’s attractions affect the bottom line.

Adding another signature event like the New Year’s Eve catfish drop to the county’s calendar, she said, will only increase that economic impact. When families come out to the lake on Dec. 31, they can expect vendors, entertainment, fireworks and more before that big ol’ catfish is lowered from the sky to welcome the New Year.

Why a catfish? Back in 2011, a fisherman snagged a recod-breaking whopper from the lake – a 143-pound blue cat. Now, a local artist is creating another whopper, Hester said.

This one will most likely be hooked – by a crane – and dropped – not reeled in- on New Year’s Eve could be the next “big” thing to bring visitors – and their dollars – to the county.

Last year’s tourism numbers are impressive, and Hester said Vance County garnered $70.2 million in visitor spending. That’s an 8.1 percent increase in 2023 from the previous year, which surpasses both Granville and Franklin counties, but is not quite as much as Warren County, which saw a 10.8 percent jump in 2023 for a whopping $73 million in tourism dollars. Vance County is ranked 15th among the state’s 100 counties in terms of growth rate with that 8.1 percent; Warren (10.8 percent) and Franklin (10.6 percent) are ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.

Booked hotel rooms generate an occupancy tax that goes to county coffers. That money, along with sales tax that comes from restaurants and other retailers, creates revenue for the county – in 2023, that figure is the equivalent of $119.76 per resident in tax savings.

“We’re lucky to have McGregor Hall and we’re lucky to have Kerr Lake,” Hester said. “They are our main attractions,” Hester said. In addition to the New Year’s Eve event, there are plans to further capitalize on Kerr Lake by creating an event to celebrate Hispanic Heritage.

Visit https://partners.visitnc.com/economic-impact-studies to find a complete county-by-county breakdown of visitor spending in the state.

Here is a snapshot of the four-county area:

Vance County

Total visitor spending – $70.02 million

Lodging: $15.44 million

Food & Beverage: $23.13 million

Recreation: $9.5 million

Retail: $5.93 million

Transport: $16.02 million

Granville County

Total visitor spending – $60.98 million

Lodging: $13.31 million

Food & Beverage: $20.04 million

Recreation: $9.18 million

Retail: $4.49 million

Transport: $13.96 million

Warren County

Total visitor spending – $73.02 million

Lodging: $18.54 million

Food & Beverage: $21.28 million

Recreation: $10.41 million

Retail: $5.96 million

Transport: $ 16.83 million

Franklin County

Total visitor spending – $42.15 million

Lodging: $8.46 million

Food & Beverage: $14.55 million

Recreation: $5.81 million

Retail: $3.05 million

Transport: $ 10.28 million

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TownTalk: The Salvation Army’s Maj. Beth Mallard

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The Henderson Salvation Army’s new leader, Maj. Beth Mallard, is taking stock of the current programs offered to local residents and to those who live in all five of the counties served by the Ross Mill Road facility.

Mallard likes what she sees, and yet she sees more in her vision. It’s all about stewardship – taking care of what’s already here and putting plans in place to make the best use of available facilities.

Mallard comes to Henderson from Winston-Salem, and she said both locations have similarities that have proven helpful to her: Winston’s Salvation Army also serves five counties, so operating within a large geographical footprint is not a daunting task; it also has a large food distribution program. Mallard said the Henderson Salvation Army has already tripled its food volume since last year. There also was a vibrant senior adult program, which she also sees in the local Ageless Wonders program on Tuesdays for senior adults as well as for mentally challenged individuals.

Things are growing at the Salvation Army, she said, so she’s taken a bit of time to see what’s needed and planning for ways to adapt to the needs of the community.

When the Ross Mill Road facility was being designed, there was a vision to use the property for recreation, and Mallard said those plans are taking shape.

“One of the visions was to have these beautiful fields (become) soccer fields in the back of the building,” she said on Tuesday’s segment of TownTalk.

The money’s not there yet, but until it is, the fields have been mowed and some goals have been moved in, so the hope is that the Boys & Girls Club members can use them this fall.

Proper construction and field preparation can come later, but in the meantime, the field can be used.

Stewardship.

A Biblical definition of stewardship involves managing all resources that God provides for the betterment of His creation. Food is one of those resources, and Mallard said the food distribution program is one way to help those in the community provide for themselves and for their families.

“There’s been an uptick in people needing food,” Mallard said. So the Salvation Army stepped up its food distribution program, but it’s something to continue to work on and improve in the coming years.

Right now, Social Services Director Gina Eaves is the sole box packer, and Mallard said she’d welcome additional volunteers to come help fill boxes with canned foods, shelf-stable items and frozen meats.

If you need food, please stop by the Salvation Army location on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you have ID, that’s fine, but if you don’t, you won’t be turned away.

Stewardship.

Mallard and her team also are managing the Salvation Army’s resources in what is sure to have a win-win outcome. This Saturday, Aug. 17, there will be a big sale at the site of the former family store located at 222 W. Montgomery St. “There’s a lot of good pieces down there,” she said.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., they’ll be making cash and carry deals to empty the former store of amazing finds, old and new.

“No offer will be refused to help clear the building out,” Mallard said. “I have plans.” Not only will it be used for warehouse space, but she wants to use it as a distribution site at Christmas.

Visit https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/henderson-nc/ to learn more about the programs and services of Henderson’s Salvation Army, located at 2292 Ross Mill Rd.

 

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TownTalk: Phil Lakernick On Ballet Arts

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Ballet Arts has provided dance classes in Henderson for more than three decades, but don’t let the name fool you – students have a wide assortment of dance genres to choose from, from classics like ballet and tap to hiphop and even acrobatics.

“Ballet is the foundation of all dancing,” said Phil Lakernick, whose daughter Alecia had the vision for a dance studio way back in 1991.

Dance in general, and ballet in particular, helps students learn discipline as they learn the finer points of the art. For many students, dance is a pastime, a way to stay active and have fun. But that self-discipline? That’s a valuable asset that serves young dancers long after they’ve left the studios at Ballet Arts.

Lakernick said more than 7,000 students have come to learn about and practice various forms of dance in the studio’s downtown Henderson location.

There are four studios located in the historic three-story building, which probably sees 1,000 or so students over the course of a week. Ballet Arts offers more than 100 classes each week, so parents and their children have choices that best accommodate their schedules.

Most classes meet once a week, which is manageable for busy families who face logistical challenges with work, sports, school and more.

The kids who come in for weekly classes are considered “recreational” students, he explained. The students who make “company” are the ones that may have more rehearsals during the week.

Last year’s company won a spot at an international dance competition in New York City, where they placed seventh in the category of production performances. Seventh. In the world.

After performing a production number at a Durham competition earlier in 2023, the dance group earned a “golden ticket” from among close to 300 acts to gain admission to the international competition in July 2023.

The dance groups also compete at several of the events hosted at McGregor Hall throughout the year, Lakernick said. Having such top-notch venue so close by is a huge plus, he added.

“McGregor Hall is fantastic,” he said, adding that he was on the original design committee when the performing arts venue was just an idea on paper.

“Having McGregor Hall here is phenomenal,” he continued, because it gives young people a wonderful opportunity to perform in environs that professionals enjoy.

These days, Lakernick is the studio’s general manager, which includes everything from promoter to janitor and security guard.

But one of his favorite tasks has to be walking down the hallway lined with pictures of former students over the years. There’s not room for 7,000, but every now and then, LaKernick has occasion to recall some of those young people.

Ten or 15 years ago, he said, one student had said it was her goal to become a doctor. She was a hard worker in dance class, he recalled, and a few years ago, she came back to Ballet Arts to say thank you.

She’s an OB-GYN now, he said. But his daughter Alecia was puzzled about the reason for the thank you, so many years later.

“I want to give you some credit,” Lakernick said she told his daughter. It was the discipline she had learned through dance that kept her in the library instead of going out with friends, and the hours spent practicing her art that helped her achieve her goal.

Register for fall classes at Ballet Arts by visiting https://www.balletartsnc.com/ or phone 252.432.9308.

 

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Duke Energy

TownTalk: Duke Energy Progress

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As the wind and rain from Tropical Storm Debby continued to pelt the entire WIZS listening area Thursday morning, Duke Energy officials said power outages were limited at that time around Henderson and Vance County.

Duke Spokesman Garrett Poorman reminded customers to think Safety First. There are several ways to report a power outage in your area, but thanks to advances in grid technology, phone calls and text messages aren’t the only ways that the energy company is alerted to outages.

Report outages at www.duke-energy.com, text “OUT” to 57801 or download the Duke Energy app on a mobile device, he said on Thursday’s TownTalk. Of course, customers can dial 800-POWERON (800.769.3766) too, he said.

“The first priority is safety when it comes to storm damage,” Poorman said. That’s for crews and for customers.

Whenever winds are greater than 30 mph, crews are grounded from performing work in bucket trucks, he said.

And a couple of words of advice that bear repeating: if you see a downed power line, just stay away from it.

Even as forecasters were predicting the storm’s path, Duke was assembling 7,500 workers in strategic positions across the Carolinas, poised to fan out to areas affected by the storm’s damaging wind and rain.

Power restoration is a complex process, Poorman said, and Duke is continually upgrading the grid system to be able to automatically detect outages so crews can pinpoint the area that needs repair.

And then there are advances like a “self-healing network,” Poorman said, which works much like a GPS in your car. If there’s a traffic jam ahead, your GPS will likely reroute you to an alternate route. The self-healing network applies the same concept – it reroutes the energy to avoid the damaged lines.

“We’re able to reroute power around the outage,” Poorman said, “that will help us minimize the impact of a storm like this.”

Get updates at www.duke-energy.com.

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TownTalk: Proper Political Sign Placement

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With the upcoming election just more than three months away, Vance County Republican Party Chairman Jimmy Barrier reminds local residents that although political signs may be placed on private property, campaigners are supposed to wait until 30 days before early voting begins to place signs in public right-of-way spaces. That day for the Nov. 5 election is Thursday, Sept. 5.

“I am pledging that we will continue to follow the rules concerning the placement of signs” Barrier said on Wednesday’s TownTalk. “I just want everyone to play by the rules…as laid out by the state Board of Elections.”

Barrier challenged members of the Democratic Party to do the same, but he said he’s already seen some signs out ahead of the Sept. 5 start date, which Barrier called “blatant violations of the law.”

And although Barrier pledged that members of his party will not remove the offending signs, he said any private citizen is free to do so because the too-early placement of the signs is considered littering, a class 1 misdemeanor.

“We will not damage campaign signs,” Barrier said. “We’re not going to go out there and pull ‘em up – it’s not our job and not what we’re going to do.”

What he and others will do is notify local law enforcement officials including the county Board of Elections, Henderson Police Department, Vance County Sheriff’s Office and district attorney’s office to report violations. Each violation could bring a $50 civil penalty.

“If the signs offend you, people have the right to take them up,” Barrier said, but only from public rights-of-way – NOT from private property where the signs are placed with permission of the property owner.

The city regulates placement of campaign signs and its policies state that they can’t be placed on power poles, in cemeteries or in the grassy triangle northwest of the downtown underpass.

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TownTalk: Way to GROW! Festival

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Back for its second year as a way to build community with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and downtown development, the Way to Grow! festival is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 24 along Garnett Street in Henderson.

Gateway CDC Founder and President Heather Joi Kenney said the non-profit may have provided the impetus for the weeklong activities that will culminate with the daylong festival, but she wants – and needs – the community to participate.

The theme is “Bloom Together, Cultivate Community” and it’s a metaphor for how Kenney sees growth for Henderson.

“The more we come together, the stronger we’ll be,” she said on Tuesday’s TownTalk. She said everyone must be conscious about how the community gathers and how to show support for others.

“I can’t water one part of the garden and not the other,” she said. If you consider Henderson like a garden, each segment of the community needs to feel that nurturing from other segments. “It helps show our diversity,” Kenney said. A festival like Way to Grow! is one way to show support, she said. It’s a way to say, “We see what you’re doing and we’re going to support you,” she said.

There’s still time to register to be a vendor. Go to the Gateway CDC website at https://thegatewaycdc.org/ for details about becoming a vendor. Schedules will be posted soon on social media and the website to include scheduled events leading up to the festival, which will occupy Garnett Street, from around Montgomery Street all the way to Sadie’s Coffee Corner and Vance Furniture, where the main stage will be.

Live music will be performed throughout the day, including Real Entertainment featuring Willie Hargrove and other groups as well, Kenney said.

There will be a Youth Village, hosted by Henderson’s own Jayden Watkins, a teenage pastor, and author. It’s a way to show youngsters that their community values them and wants them to feel special.

There will be an opportunity to get creative, too, Kenney said. Stop by the lot between the Henry Dennis building and the Gateway building and spend a little time helping to paint a canvas that ultimately will be displayed at Gateway.

In addition to this project, local artists are invited to bring some of their finished works to brighten up spots along Garnett Street.

“We have a lot of things to offer in downtown,” Kenney said. She pointed out a couple of new restaurants that add to the fabric of Garnett Street.

It’s events like Way to Grow! that help bring attention to downtown, and Kenney is hopeful that growth will continue.

“I want more vibrancy, more life” for downtown, she said.

WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

TownTalk Airs on WIZS M-F at 11 a.m.

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TownTalk: William Coker, Vance County Animal Services Chief

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For Vance County Animal Services Director William Coker, the name of the game is cultivating partnerships. Community partners raise awareness when it comes to reducing the pet population. Corporate partners provide space for adoption and vaccination events. And, individual partners fall in love with the cutest little pups or kittens and give them forever homes.

Partnerships are what keep Coker and his staff hopeful that animals find their way out of the shelter and are adopted into households where they’ll get the care they deserve.

There are several upcoming adoption events at area retailers for prospective pet owners, as well as a rabies vaccination clinic where dogs and cats can get their annual – and state-mandated – rabies vaccine for just $5.

The first adoption/vaccination clinic will take place Saturday, Aug. 10 at Tractor Supply from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

“We have people who come every year to get their dog or cat updated on rabies,” Coker said on Monday’s TownTalk.

If you bring your pet for its rabies shot and want to take a look inside the adoption trailer, Coker said that’ll be just fine.

The next two clinics will take place on the same day – Saturday Aug. 24 – one at Cross Creek Outdoor Supply and another at Petco, located on U.S. 158 Bypass.

The Cross Creek clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Petco clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, Coker noted.

In addition to providing a location for the community clinics, Coker said he’s grateful to local retailers who donate pet food to the shelter.

“They’re a big help to us,” he said. “They donate to the shelter and in return, (we) donate it out into the community.”

It’s difficult to see pet owners surrender family pets to the shelter because they can no longer provide for them. Coker and his staff try to help in any way they can to keep pets out of the shelter. Sometimes, a donation of pet food is all they need.

“We do have a lot of people who are up against it,” Coker said of the financial strain that faces some pet owners. “We take each surrender case by case,” he said, adding that he and his staff can offer a solution for a short period of time, they’ll do it.

But they can’t do it alone. “We’re bringing in a lot of animals,” he said. Intake usually goes up in the summer months, but this summer has been unusually high. One recent day saw 33 animals come into the shelter. In July, the shelter took in 70 kittens alone.

Over the past few months, Ruin Creek Animal Protection Society has been able to remove 90 kittens and cats from the shelter and transport them to points North, where they can be adopted through a number of rescue organizations.

“Ruin Creek is my best friend,” Coker said.

RCAPS helps by physically moving dogs and cats from the Vance County shelter to rescues and adoption groups up the East Coast. Over the past few months, RCAPS has taken 90 kittens and cats on their freedom ride to forever homes.

It’s not a problem unique to Vance County, Coker said. The wave of kittens and puppies is a direct result of curtailed spay and neuter programs forced during COVID-19.

“We push our spay and neuter programs hard,” he said. Residents who receive any type of government assistance can have their pet spayed or neutered at the shelter free of charge.

Even if you don’t receive any government assistance, the price to spay and neuter is still reasonable, he said. Call the shelter to set up an appointment.

“That’s all we have to combat this,” Coker said, referring to the no-cost/low-cost spay and neuter program. “The main thing, though, is to stop the problem. Adoption clinics and rescue groups in other parts of the country are solutions to the ongoing challenge of pet over-population.

The Vance County Animal Shelter is open to the public Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and half-days every other Friday and Saturday. You can also call the shelter at 252.492.3136 on Mondays between 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to make a spay/neuter appointment.

WIZS Your Community Voice — 100.1 FM / 1450 AM

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TownTalk: Dementia Care Giver Conference

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The Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Government is hosting a conference on Tuesday, Aug. 6  designed to help caregivers – family members and professionals – gain awareness, education and resources about how best to deal with those living with dementia or other cognitive or memory issues.

Michael Patterson, KTCOG family caregiver specialist, will be one of the speakers at the conference, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Vance-Granville Community College Civic Center. Patterson was a guest on Thursday’s segment of TownTalk and said the conference will emphasize the importance of caregivers taking time out for self-care.

When Patterson joined KTCOG in 2022, he estimated that he fielded 4 or 5 calls a week.

But now, he said, that number has grown – a lot.

“I receive probably 10 to 20 calls per day,” Patterson said. That translates into 400 or 500 calls in a month, which he said is a “tremendous increase.”

Whether that rise in requests is attributed to people being more aware of how he can help find resources or to something else, Patterson said, at least part of it has to do with individuals recognizing that they can’t provide care alone. “And it’s best not to do it alone,” he noted.

Although dementia is most often associated with memory loss or Alzheimer’s disease, Patterson said it’s an umbrella term that includes numerous challenges of cognitive decline.

Self-care can take many different forms, and Patterson said it’s an important step to allow caring for a loved one with dementia “more rewarding than challenging.”

For some, self-care could mean spending time at a spa or getting a massage.

Those are great options, Patterson said, but it’s not realistic for many caregivers.

If a massage isn’t in the cards, don’t fret. Start with examining how you breathe.

In high stress situations, Patterson said, we often don’t realize that we aren’t breathing “completely.”

Be mindful of inhaling and exhaling completely. Congratulations! You just completed your first self-care activity.

The conference is presented by Dementia Alliance of North Carolina. Melanie Bunn, a registered nurse and dementia care specialist with the alliance, is one of the speakers along with Michael Patterson, KTCOG’s family caregiver specialist.

Family caregivers can register for $10; professional caregivers register for $25 and have the opportunity to earn three continuing education unit credits.

Visit www.DementiaNC.org/2024Henderson to register online or contact Lisa Levine  at 919.832.3732 to register by phone. Walk-in registrations are welcome on the day of the conference.

Visit www.kerrtarcog.org to find out about all the programs and services the KTCOG provides across Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties.

 

 

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TownTalk: Sheriff Brame Shares Latest Phone Scam

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Vance County Sheriff Curtis Brame wants residents to know, first of all, that neither he nor any personnel of the sheriff’s office will ever ask anyone via telephone call or text message for sensitive personal information.

Brame spoke with WIZS on Wednesday’s TownTalk to pass along information regarding just such a scam that has been brought to his attention.

Brame said he learned about the scam upon receiving a phone call from a citizen.

The woman said the person left a voicemail for her late husband on her home phone. The caller identified himself as being a deputy on Brame’s staff, and left a number to call for what was described as an important and time-sensitive matter.

“I looked at the number, and I knew it wasn’t a local number,” Brame said. Neither was there a deputy with the name that was given in the message.

“My staff…will knock on your door and ask you to come to our office,” the sheriff said, adding that deputies will provide badge numbers, call numbers and other official information identifying them as sheriff’s officers.

He urges members of the public to be vigilant to avoid being taken in by scammers.

“Never say the word ‘yes’ to these people,” he said. Never provide personal information like dates of birth and Social Security numbers to people via email or text message.

 

 

TownTalk: Vance Co. Community Foundation Awards More Than 12K To Local Organizations

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-information courtesy of the Vance County Community Foundation

The Vance County Community Foundation, a North Carolina Community Foundation affiliate, has awarded $12,050 in grants to organizations supporting the local community.

The board of advisors granted:

  • $2,000 to ACTS of Vance County, Inc. for food purchases for pantry
  • $1,000 to Community Partners of Hope, Inc. for Henderson Men’s Shelter expansion
  • $1,550 to Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, Inc. (doing business as McGregor Hall) for general operating support
  • $1,500 to Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start, Inc. for Adolescent Parenting Program
  • $1,000 to HubZone Technology Initiative for general operating support
  • $1,000 to Kearah’s Place for transitional housing program
  • $1,000 to North Carolina Symphony for ensembles in the schools for Vance County students
  • $1,000 to Spoken Existence Ministries for self-sustaining community garden beautification
  • $1,000 to Vance County Middle School (VCMS) Healthful Living for after-school program
  • $1,000 to Vision’s Educational Learning & Tutoring Services for general operating support

“We’re honored to support these organizations doing great wok in our community and grateful to our supporters who make this possible,” said Wendy Meyer-Goodwin, advisory board president of the Vance County Community Foundation.

Funds for 2024 grants came from VCCF’s community grantmaking fund, the Bobby R. and Griselle G. Woodward Endowment Fund, and the Edna Freeman Murray and Ralph Murray Charitable Fund. Each year, VCCF’s local volunteer advisory board uses dollars from its endowment funds to make grants to eligible local organizations, including nonprofits, local governments, schools and churches.

Visit nccommunityfoundation.org/vance to learn more about VCCF and its work in the community or make a tax-deductible donation.

VCCF advisory board members live and work in Vance County, positioning them to strategically leverage resources to meet local needs and access opportunities.

In addition to Meyer-Goodwin, board members include Sara “Bebe” Webster, vice president; Terri Hedrick, secretary; Sarah Baskerville, Nikki Cheatham, Lee Faulkner, Uriah Ford and Lee Christine Williams.

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