Tag Archive for: #towntalk

TownTalk: Night Out Against Crime Event Coming To Downtown Henderson

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Like many other areas around the state and nation, Henderson and Vance County is no stranger to crime. Crime happens and law enforcement agencies need help to solve these crimes. That’s where Crime Stoppers comes in. They provide tips that can solve or even prevent crimes.

Cash rewards of up to $2000 are available if a tip results in an arrest and conviction. In order to make those rewards possible fundraisers need to happen.

The Night Out Against Crime here locally will take place on Breckenridge St. from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 21.

Tonya Moore and Lorraine Watkins of Henderson-Vance Crime Stoppers told WIZS’s Trey Snide on TownTalk there is important information to pass along to residents who attend the free event but plenty of fun and entertainment is to be had as well.  Event organizers are expecting around 500 people to attend on Tuesday and will be treated to performances by the Vance County High School Cheerleaders, the Clearview Church Praise Team, the High Grass Bluegrass Band and the gospel choir Work in Progress. At the end of the program a drawing will be held for a big screen TV.

One of the focuses of the event is to reach young people “We really, really need to get in touch with young people to get them pointed in the right direction,” Watkins said. “Not a day goes by without a shooting or a robbery,” Watkins continued.

Watkins also addressed the need for the community to step up and provide local law enforcement with the information they need to help solve or prevent crimes but pointed out that people are afraid to talk or give information to law enforcement agencies.  Crime Stoppers uses the P3 app for cell phones to make tips completely anonymous. With the app users can supply pictures, video and other information to police departments or sheriff’s offices and the use is completely anonymous. A code is used as calls and texts are routed across the country before arriving back in Henderson so the tips can be investigated. Watkins said that if someone sees a crime about to happen the P3 app can be used and law enforcement agencies will be able to intervene before the crime ever happens. “Proactive is better than retroactive everyday,” Watkins said.

According to Moore, those interested in finding out more about Crime Stoppers should follow them on Facebook. Crime Stoppers is composed of volunteers and Moore and Watkins say it’s all about making Henderson and Vance County a better place.

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TownTalk: FGV Ducky Derby Takes To Garnett Street Sept. 18

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If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to have 2,000 rubber duckies float down Garnett Street, then come out Saturday, Sept. 18 for the 12th annual Ducky Derby to benefit Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start.

Garry Daeke, FGV development coordinator, said he is looking forward to another successful fundraiser, despite some necessary adjustments because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sponsors have really stepped up to support the event, Daeke said. “Sponsorships have been off the charts,” he told John C. Rose on Wednesday’s Town Talk. With the promise of good weather and generous sponsors, Daeke said the event is shaping up to be the best yet.

The public is invited to come out for the noon event, he said. This year, however, all the ducks will have the name of a child care employee, whose names were submitted by more than 100 child care providers in the three-county service area.

The first prize winner gets $1,000, second prize is $500 and the last-place finisher gets $100.

Child care workers and providers have suffered financial hardships during the pandemic, and Daeke said FGV is pleased to honor these essential workers at the Derby.

“They’ve had a tough, tough year,” Daeke said. This is one way to “bring a little light into how much we depend on them to take care of our children and so parents can go back to work.”

All proceeds go back into program services.

The race starts at Garnett Street and Breckenridge Street and ends a couple of blocks away at the corner of Garnett and Orange. Spectators should expect to wear a mask and maintain social distancing safety protocols.

The FGV Smart Start provides services for families who may be looking for child care, as well as a wide range of services for child care providers.

“If we can get our children prepared and ready for school…that’s a key element in their success after school,” Daeke said.

The FGV helps to fund literacy programs that increase young children’s accessibility to books and reading. Having a caring support system around you, no matter what your resources are, helps children achieve their potential, he said.

Visit www.fgvsmartstart.org. to learn more.

Click Play for TownTalk Podcast

TownTalk: ACTS Makes a Joyful Noise with Benefit Concert

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Imagine hosting the biggest Thanksgiving meal ever, providing all the food for the biggest family imaginable. Every day. There’s the food preparation, then serving, then the cleanup. That’s how Lee Anne Peoples describes the operation at ACTS – the executive director said it takes dozens of volunteers to provide the hot meals five days a week for area residents.

It takes volunteers – and money – to feed sometimes as many as 200 people each day, Peoples told John C. Rose Tuesday on Town Talk.

Area Christians Together in Service is sponsoring a fundraiser on Sept. 25 at McGregor Hall that Peoples said will serve the dual purposes of raising money for ACTS as well as providing entertainment for the community.

“Make a Joyful Noise Unto the Lord” is set for Saturday, Sept. 25 at McGregor Hall and will feature local talent for an evening of inspirational entertainment for the whole family.

The doors open at 6 p.m. and the performance begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and children 12 years and under get in free.

Tickets are available from any ACTS board member or from the ACTS office at 201 S. William St. Tickets also are available at the door.

Anyone interested in performing for the concert can contact Peoples for details at  252.492.8231 or lapeoples@actsofhenderson.org.

There are several sponsorship levels that businesses or individuals can purchase, she said, adding that the community has long been supportive of ACTS and the work it does to feed hungry people. Sponsor levels are platinum ($1,000), gold ($500) and silver ($250) and include ads in the concert program.

In 2020, Peoples said ACTS served 25,527 meals. She’s done the math for 2021 and if the numbers continue as they are now, 2021 will top 30,000. In a city with a population of about 15,000, that’s a lot of meals, she noted. “I’m surprised at how the numbers have jumped up” in the past couple of years, Peoples said.

In addition to the hot meals, ACTS provides food boxes, dozens of Backpack Buddies (weekend bags of food for schoolchildren) and Mobile Meals for people who can’t make it to the ACTS location.

All these ongoing projects get done largely through the work of about 45 loyal volunteers who come on a regular basis. “There is absolutely no way we could do what we do without volunteers,” Peoples said. And there is always a need for more help, especially in the afternoons. Many of the volunteers leave at noon or shortly thereafter, but there are still things that need to be done in the afternoons. “Even if you just have a few minutes between 12 and 2, it would be a big help.”

Just like that gigantic Thanksgiving dinner – the food has to be put away, the kitchen cleaned up and ready for the next day.

For complete details and audio click play.

 

Town Talk: Kerr-Tar Loan Programs Help Homeowners With Repairs

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Homeowners in the five-county area that the Kerr-Tar Regional Council of Governments serves can apply for a couple of loan programs for repairs or improvements to their residences.

The deadline to submit applications is early November, and Kerr-Tar finance assistant Katie Connor said the loans are completely forgivable, provided the home remains the property of the homeowner for the life of the loan.

That’s free money, folks.

Kerr-Tar serves Vance, Granville, Warren, Franklin and Person counties and the Urgent Repair Loan Program that it is offering provides up to $10,000 over five years – $2,000 a year, Connor told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk. Applications are due in the Kerr-Tar office by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5.

As the name indicates, the repairs do need to be of an urgent nature – a leaky roof,  unsafe floors, ramp installation for the disabled, and HVAC repairs are just a few of the examples of acceptable repairs.

“There’s definitely some flexibility in the (type of) repair that can be done,” Connor said, “but they must be urgent.” The main goal of this loan program is to keep people in their homes, she added.

Visit kerrtarcog.org to see program criteria. There’s money for up to 20 houses in the five-county area, Connor said. This loan is considered an unsecured loan.

In general, homeowners need to be older than 62, and the home must be a stick-built structure – mobile homes and manufactured homes do not qualify. Veterans, disabled persons and families of five or more also would qualify, Connor said. Household income must be less than 50 percent of the median income in North Carolina, she added.

The other loan program is currently available for homeowners in Warren County. The Essential Single-Family Rehabilitation program offers $30,000 for repairs. This is a secured loan, Connor said, which means that qualified applicants would have a deed of trust placed on their property for the duration of the six-year loan. This also is a forgivable loan, which means that no money has to be repaid, provided the homeowner doesn’t sell the property during the life of the loan.

The criteria for both loan programs are very similar, but Connor said household income for ESFR program applicants must be 80 percent of the median income for the state.

Because of the larger amount of the loan, Connor said projects would have to be substantial enough to bring a home up to acceptable standards. “We can’t just do one thing for this house.” There is money for five houses, she said.

The deadline to submit applications for the ESFR program is Monday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. All applications should be submitted to the Kerr-Tar office, located at 1724 Graham Ave., Henderson.

The applications and related information are available at kerrtarcog.org. Connor said applications also can be mailed to interested applicants. Simply call 252.436.2040 ext. 6071 and leave your name and mailing address and Connor said she will put the paperwork in the mail. They also are available at area Senior Centers as well as county government offices.

As is often the case, demand usually exceeds the amount of money available, Connor said. And the Kerr-Tar COG must apply each year to receive the funds.

Click Play for complete details and audio.

 

Town Talk: Hot Sauce Contest And Other Events Provide Entertainment For All

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Fall is still a few weeks away, but this weekend kicks off a bevy of events in Granville County designed to bring guests from near and far to enjoy everything from classic cars to beautiful glass pumpkins.

It all starts with Saturday’s Hot Sauce Contest, and Granville Tourism Director Angela Allen said the 15th annual event is sure to please. She listed numerous events that will be going on throughout September and October on Tuesday’s TownTalk program with host John C. Rose.

Visit https://visitgranvillenc.com/ to find out about events in the county.

Several bands are scheduled to perform throughout the daylong event, and there will be plenty of food and beverage vendors sprinkled along the streets of downtown Oxford, she said.

Of course, one of the main events is the pepper-eating contest, which will take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Winners of the hot sauce contest will be announced at 11:30 a.m. at the Overton Main Stage. Then, Allen said, there will be a special memorial to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11. American flags are posted along the streets in Oxford already, she said, and after a moment of silence is observed to remember all those whose lives were lost in the terror attacks, local singer Jonathan Abbott will sing The Star-Spangled Banner.

“The cool part about the hot sauce festival,” Allen said, “is that there’s something for everyone.”

The classic car show will be on Little John Street between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., featuring vintage vehicles and souped-up, tricked out cars and trucks, she said. Children’s games and activities can be found along Williamsboro Street between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Vendors also will be selling their own hot sauces, and Allen said that she considers that to be one of the event’s biggest draws. “It’s just a really good foodie event,” she said. “People love that hot sauce.”

Check out all the details at nchotsaucecontest.com.

But Granville County events don’t stop with the Hot Sauce Contest, Allen said.

The Cedar Creek Gallery in Creedmoor has opened its pumpkin patch, she said. But these pumpkins aren’t grown on vines – they are made of glass and there are hundreds of them ready for purchase at the local art and pottery gallery.

Allen said there’s something for everyone, from traditional orange to beautiful blues and reds – a kaleidoscope of colors. Beginning on Oct. 1, about 100 limited-edition pumpkins will be available for purchase at the gallery or online. Glass blower Lisa Oakley, owner of the gallery, will sign, date and number each work.

Cedar Creek is open every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The pumpkin patch will be open through Nov. 7. And the gallery’s fall festival returns this year for the first two weekends in October, featuring live glass blowing and pottery demonstrations.

Events are planned for outside, she said, adding that face coverings and social distancing protocols will be observed inside the gallery.

“This is a really neat time to be surrounded by art and see how it’s made,” Allen said.

Visit cedarcreekgallery.com to learn more.

A short distance from Creedmoor is Butner and the annual Harvest Show, hosted by the Lord Granville Agricultural Harvest Association, will take place on Oct. 1 and 2 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event will be held at the corner of 12th and G streets in Butner and will feature displays of antique farm equipment, a working blacksmith and farm shop, and something Allen called “tractor games.”

Daily admission is $5 or $8 for a two day pass.

Back in the northern part of the county, the 6th annual military history show at the Henderson-Oxford Airport will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23. Proceeds go to the local Veterans Affairs committee, which provides advocacy, resources and services to local military veterans.

In addition to various military displays of uniforms, equipment and vehicles, Allen said there will be helicopter rides and reenactors, in period gear representing soldiers from various wars that the U.S. has been involved in.

And if you’re not too tuckered out from all the activity, this year’s edition of the Granville Haunt Farm is a destination that is a must-see – or a must drive-through.

Grey Blackwell said this year’s theme conjures up images from horror movies. “You’ll get to drive through their version of a gigantic movie screen,” Allen said, “as it comes to life on the other side.”

It’s a total drive-through event again this year, and there will be timed ticketing as well, eliminating long lines and traffic jams during the times that the haunt farm is in operation.

Beginning Friday, Oct. 1, the haunt farm will be open each Friday and Saturday in October.

Visit Granvillehauntfarm.com to learn more.

 

 

TownTalk: History of Kerr Lake

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(Photo courtesy R.F. Timberlake – Kerr Lake Park Watch on Facebook and Shutter Art Gallery)

It was the flood of 1940 that finally set in motion the creation of the reservoir and dam that we here in North Carolina call Kerr Lake, but our neighbors to the north in Virginia insist on calling Buggs Island Lake.

The Roanoke River has had 17 major floods since Europeans first arrived in this part of the world, said Mark Pace, local historian and North Carolina Room specialist at the Richard Thornton Library in Oxford. The 1940 flood put the Roanoke River a full 42 feet above its regular level, Pace said. If that type of flooding had occurred in downtown Henderson, for example, the only building that would not have been completely and utterly inundated would be the Vance Furniture Company building.

There had been a lot of talk about establishing some sort of flood control along the Roanoke River system for many years leading up to that devastating flood eight decades ago, but the talk turned to action after that event.

Pace and Bill Harris discussed the story behind the lake with two names, its economic impact and its future on the tri-weekly history segment of Town Talk Thursday.

Money to create the reservoir and dam was appropriated in the 1944 Federal Flood Act. Pace said the period between 1935 and 1975 saw the construction of many massive dams in the U.S. During that time, there was “a certain mentality that humans could control nature and use it to our own benefit,” Pace said.

Construction of the lake and dam began in 1947. Albert S. Bugg sold the land where the dam was to be built, a strategic location where the Roanoke River was quite narrow. It took 2,100 workers four and a half years of around-the-clock work to complete the project, Pace noted. That’s three shifts, day and night, 365 days of the year. The $5 million price tag then would be about $975 million in today’s dollars.

Workers excavated all the way to bedrock, placed concrete pillars and created what amounts to an earthen dam. There’s very little concrete in the dam, save the area around the hydroelectric plant, he added.

Longtime U.S. Congressman John H. Kerr from Warren County flipped the switch on Oct. 3, 1952 to officially open the dam and reservoir.

In an upset, Kerr lost his seat to newcomer politician L.H. Fountain in 1952. In a nod to his tireless efforts on the dam and reservoir project, Congress decided to name the reservoir and dam after Kerr.

Folks in Virginia had no problem naming the dam for the North Carolina politician, but they did have a problem naming the reservoir for him, considering three-quarters of the lake lies in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In fact, Pace said, 95 percent of the water in the lake comes from Virginia. “It’s their water,” he said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers claims the land under the water, the land around the lake shoreline and the flood plain, which totals about 110,000 acres. The Corps owns to the 320 mark – that’s 320 feet above sea level – all around the lake, and lake property owners must refrain from disturbing any Corps-owned property.

“It’s one of the truly significant things that’s happened in our area – the creation of the lake,” Pace said. The lake and dam provide flood control, its original purpose, as well as hydroelectric power. Dominion Energy buys about 58 percent of the electricity the dam generates for its Virginia customers; Progress Energy gets the balance for its North Carolina customers.

And recreation is what Pace called an unintended consequence of the lake. Boating, fishing and camping are popular activities all around Kerr Lake, which boosts the local economy.

But not everyone was initially in favor of building the lake, Pace said. Henderson officials originally were on record in opposition of the lake. Agriculture was king in Vance County back in those days and it was not appealing to think that 10,000 acres of good farmland would become a lake bottom.

“People did not envision what the lake could be,” Pace said. “They didn’t want to lose their homes and their land.”

Almost 400 families lost their homes to the lake. And more than 1,000 graves had to be removed and re-interred in nearby cemeteries.

The lake also took Occoneechee Island, which was located near Clarksville, Va. Pace said the Smithsonian Institution conducted an archaeological survey there before the land was swallowed up by the lake. “That island was probably the most significant Native American archaeological site from Richmond to Raleigh,” he said. In addition to a Native American fort that figured prominently in Bacon’s Rebellion, the trading path passed through that area, too.

The United States doesn’t build dams any more – they’re too expensive. The $100 million price tag for Kerr Lake in the early ‘50s would easily be $1.2 billion today. The life span of a hydroelectric dam like the Kerr Dam is between 100 and 150 years, Pace said. After that, equipment fails, cracks form in the dam, and then it becomes a question of whether it’s cost-effective to repair and replace.

Kerr Dam will celebrate its 69th anniversary next month.

TownTalk: History of Kerr Lake – Click Play 

TownTalk: Local Author Michael Elliott Has Faith In The Music Of John Hiatt

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His name may not be a household name, but John Hiatt is the force behind many popular singers and bands – and Mike Elliott has written a book of the singer-songwriter’s life.

For longtime WIZS listeners, the answer is yes, OUR Mike Elliott. The Oxford native and former program director and operations manager of the radio station, who spent more than a decade on the local airwaves, got caught up in a different medium – writing stories, reviews and now a book which chronicles the life of someone he has admired for many years.

The biography, Have a Little Faith: The John Hiatt Story, is set for release on Sept. 14, but pre-orders can be made now, Elliott told Bill Harris on Wednesday’s Town Talk.

“It’s great to be back on the radio,” Elliott said. He left in June 2001 to continue his career, which ultimately took a turn to print media on sort of a whim.

“I’ve always written for fun,” Elliott said. Then one night while writing, he decided to submit a story to Bitter Southerner, a nationally known online publication. A few months later, he got word that the story he’d written about growing up around music and loving music would be published as part of its folk life collection. That was a few years ago, and Elliott said he branched out from there to include album reviews, among other things.

The research for this biography was done by phone and Skype, Elliott said, thanks to COVID-19. Which turned out to be sort of a blessing in disguise – everyone he wanted to interview would normally have been on the road and hard to catch up with. But not during COVID-19.

“It made people slow down, take stock and reassess,” Elliott said of the pandemic. “And they were home – not touring.  So they said, yes, they’d talk to me.”

Elliott was a teenager when he first learned of Hiatt. He said he was probably watching the music video channel VH1 when he took note of Hiatt’s voice – it was an “amazing raspy, soulful voice,” Elliott recalled.

The more he listened and learned, the more he was enamored of this man called John Hiatt who was writing songs for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Suzy Boggus and many others.

“The man is a powerhouse – he’s writing all this stuff,” Elliott said, adding that the song “Have a Little Faith in Me” has been recorded by many singers and is considered a current standard.

And it’s that song that Elliott said encapsulates Hiatt’s story of resilience, hitting rock bottom and coming back better and stronger.

His first two records weren’t great, Elliott said, and his record label dropped him. From there, he got gigs playing at colleges – even standing atop a table in a cafeteria singing for students eating all around him.

There were some other twists and turns that brought him to seek treatment for substance abuse and addiction – read the book to find out details – and that’s when he wrote “Have a Little Faith in Me.”

Hiatt, sober since 1984, was writing it about himself, Elliott said. “(That song) gave him the strength he needed to go forward.”
Big-time names like Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy all have recorded Hiatt’s songs. And although his name may not be a household name, Hiatt’s songs are probably familiar to many.

Hiatt’s story isn’t the typical rags-to-riches type story of a musician who hit it big, lost it all, then climbed back up the ladder of success. No, Elliott said, Hiatt’s story is about someone who was “kind of fair to middlin’, cleaned up and became artistically huge.”

Elliott said he was very pleased when Hiatt’s management team helped clear the way to talk to the artist himself. “I was planning to write the book without him…but I did want his personal take.” He said he was indebted to the 69-year-old for his contributions to the book

“When he started opening up about his life, he gave me stuff that he’d never given anyone before. He felt like it was time to just tell it,” Elliott recalled, for which he is grateful.

You can place pre-orders for Elliott’s book from online retailers or visit michael-elliott.com to find a link to purchase. The book also will be available on Audible. Listeners to the audio format may recognize a familiar voice  – Elliott will be reading the introduction.

 

 

TownTalk: MerleFest Brings Music And Families Together

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It started as a simple attempt to raise money to build a unique garden on a community college campus in western North Carolina three decades ago, but it has evolved into a favorite event for music lovers all over the region.

TownTalk: Voluntary Ag Districts Benefit Local Farmers

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Statistics back up the anecdotal evidence – rural landscapes, once dotted with crops and livestock pastures, are changing. The seemingly endless rows of corn, cotton or tobacco have been replaced with homes and subdivisions right here in our own back yards.

North Carolina has a program that serves to protect and preserve existing farmland. Of the state’s 100 counties, 90 have established voluntary agricultural districts as a way to preserve farmland and to let prospective neighbors know what it means to live near a working farm.

Granville County is one of the newest participants in the VAD. Kim Woods spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s Town Talk to share details about the program. Woods said that North Carolina ranks in the top five states in the nation in terms of loss of agricultural land in recent years.

Woods is the livestock agent for N.C. Cooperative Extension in Granville and Person counties. The Granville office is the lead agency for establishing the VAD, she said. The former unit director started the process, and after he retired, Woods said she continued to work with the local advisory board to finish the process.

Many North Carolina counties have a rich history of agriculture and farming, and VADs are a way “for counties in North Carolina to promote and enhance agriculture,” she said. There’s a pride factor involved, too, in promoting the importance of agriculture.

“Agricultural land provides our food and fiber that we need to survive,” Woods said. It also preserves desirable greenspace in the landscape, she noted.

In addition, the VAD offers some protection of farmland, ensuring that it will remain in use as productive farmland. But a VAD also serves to inform people who may be looking to purchase property in the county just where those farms are located.

Woods has lived on a farm her whole life and she and her husband currently live on that farm in nearby Orange County. And she well knows that farming is not an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. proposition – the drone of irrigation pumps running late into the night to deliver crop-saving water, she said, is just one of the many sounds a farm may produce. The dust from tractors in the summertime, bawling calves at weaning and other sights, sounds and smells that emanate from a working farm are just part of the territory.

“I don’t see a negative to this program,” Woods said, adding that her Orange County farm is in the VAD. “I wouldn’t be promoting something I don’t agree with,” she said.

The enrollment process is simple. Landowners complete a basic application that is submitted to the local VAD advisory board. Upon approval, the application passes through a couple of other county groups – mostly a formality. There is no cost to enroll, but Woods said a VAD sign would be available for $25; additional signs to mark other tracts would cost $50 each.

Although the farmer agrees to keep his land in agricultural use for 10 years when he or she enrolls in the VAD, that decision can be reversed at any time, Woods said, without penalty.

Landowners also sign a conservation agreement that goes along with the application. Farmers enrolled in the VAD can get a higher reimbursement rate on cost-share programs to improve their land, such as fencing livestock out of ponds and creeks.

A VAD can reduce the possibility of new neighbors complaining about living too close to a farm – Woods said the county’s computerized GIS will let prospective buyers know if the land they’re interested in is within one mile of a VAD-enrolled farm.

According to its website, there are 12,000 farms currently enrolled in VADs across the state. Granville and Warren counties have “regular” VAD ordinances; Franklin County established an enhanced VAD, which means that landowners have the choice to upgrade their commitment to the VAD; they may not un-enroll within the 10-year period, but must wait until that time has elapsed.

Vance County does not have a VAD ordinance.

To learn more about the Granville VAD, contact Woods by phone 919.603.1350 or via email at Kim_woods@ncsu.edu. Visit http://www.ncagr.gov/Farmlandpreservation/VAD/ to learn more about the statewide program.

 

 

 

TownTalk: Vance GOP Chair Barrier Planning 9/11 Memorial Event

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So many Americans can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing on that morning almost 20 years ago when the 9/11 attacks occurred.

When Jimmy Barrier realized that there were no local plans to commemorate the 20th anniversary of that fateful day, he wasn’t about to let the day go unnoticed.

Barrier, chairman of the Vance County GOP, has planned a public memorial event on Saturday, Sept. 11 in Henderson to honor those whose lives were lost in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

“It was almost like war,” Barrier told John C. Rose on Thursday’s Town Talk, as he recalled the events of that day in 2001. “It was unfathomable to people – people were horrified by it and didn’t know what was going on.”

Anyone old enough to remember may have similar feelings as Barrier, but for those who may be too young to remember, Barrier said he wants to hear about what they think about the events of 9/11.

The public is invited to attend the event, which will begin at 10 a.m. and should run until about noon. It will be held outside the American Legion hut on Garnett Street and will include music and several different speakers, from local youth to state-level politicians.

Barrier said it’s actually an event for military veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers and other front-line workers – people in these fields “who right now are the backbone and strength of America.”

— TownTalk Audio, Click Play —

One of the speakers is Will White, a 15-year-old from Henderson. Barrier said it’s important to hear the perspective of someone who wasn’t even alive in 2001.

Although Barrier said he is still working out details of the morning’s agenda, he said local pastor Bruce LeGates will offer an opening prayer, and Stephanie Cole is scheduled to sing the National Anthem. Steve Wilson is set to sing the Lee Greenwood hit “God Bless the U.S.A.” and Ronnie Lassiter, a retired firefighter and Navy veteran also is scheduled to speak.

If his schedule permits, Trey Allen, a UNC law professor and a candidate for the N.C. Supreme Court, will pay a visit to the event, Barrier noted.

And he’s invited Police Chief Marcus Barrow and Vance Sheriff Curtis Brame, as well as members of all the volunteer fire departments to come and have a presence at the event.

WIZS will broadcast the event live.