Tag Archive for: #warrentonnews

TownTalk: Warren Farmers Market Opening Day Saturday, Apr. 26

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The Warren County Farmers Market opens Saturday, Apr. 26 and judging from the volume of phone calls Tamara Small has been getting from curious customers, it won’t be a moment too soon.

People are looking forward to starting their Saturday mornings at the farmers market, Small said. She said it’s a great atmosphere, with vendors’ produce and other goods under pop-up tents dotting the parking lot of the Warren County Health Department on Ridgeway Street.

Small said the farmers market folks are fortunate and grateful to have had that central location to set up shop, but next year the market will be located at its new permanent location just a block or two up the road.

The engineering firm that’s been working on the project expects the new farmers market to be ready in March 2026. Passersby can expect to see some groundbreaking and construction work as early as June or July, she said.

Until the new market is ready, Small said residents can stop by the health department parking lot on Saturdays between 8 a.m. and 12 noon to pick up local produce and other products like eggs, honey, local beef and pork and so much more.

“Everything comes together beautifully,” Small said. “It is hard work, don’t get me wrong…

but it always ends up being beautiful.” She recalls only one rainy market day last season, and she hopes fair weather prevails this season, too.

Many vendors are returning from last year, but there will be some new faces in the mix, too.

And thanks to a $10,000 grant from Triangle North Healthcare Foundation, senior adults can take advantage of Double Up Food Bucks again this year.

Visit the market manager’s info table on market day to get signed up for the program.

“We’re putting more food on people’s plates” and increasing access to healthy, nutritious local food, Small said.

You’ll find Small on market days taking photos to post on the market’s social media platform as one way to get younger people’s attention.

“Hey, we’re here and we’re a great place to shop,” she said. “I want to show people this is the place to be,” Small said. Vendors interact with customers and answer their questions, which builds community and strengthens relationships, she added.

In addition to familiar vendors, customers can look for new vendors that include Happy Chaos Homestead and Coley’s Vegan Treats, among others.

Special Opening Day activities include live music a 10 a.m. butterfly release to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and there will be a special stationary exercise bike with a paint attachment for people to “pedal paint” butterfly pictures.

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Warrenton PD: No Curfew, Travel Questioning or Issuing of ‘Essential’ Letters

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100.1 FM ~ 1450 AM ~ WIZS, Your Community Voice ~ Click to LISTEN LOCAL

-Information courtesy the Warrenton Police Department

On Friday, March 27, Governor Roy Cooper ordered people in the state of North Carolina to stay at home for thirty days, until April 29, 2020, in another step to slow the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Governor Cooper’s Executive Order No. 121 took effect on Monday, March 30 at 5 p.m. and reduces the size of gatherings to 10 people. This order limits citizens and businesses to ONLY conduct essential activities. This DOES NOT limit citizens and those working within the essential business parameters to a curfew.

While we encourage our citizens to abide by the governor’s order and limit to ONLY essential trips to stop the spread, the Town of Warrenton does not have a curfew issued at this time. You may continue to go out for your essential needs with no time/curfew restriction.

In addition, the Town of Warrenton is not issuing letters to businesses declaring their essential status.

In addition, Warrenton officers will not be stopping legal, non- traffic violating persons for the purpose of questioning their comings and goings.

Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Warrenton Police Department at 252-257-3123.

Warrenton to Offer Free Showing of ‘Incredibles 2’ in Courthouse Square

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100.1 FM / 1450 AM WIZS; Local News broadcasts M-F 8am, 12pm, 5pm

-Information courtesy the Warrenton Festivals Facebook page

The Town of Warrenton will hold a family movie night on Saturday, July 13, 2019, starting at 8:45 p.m. in the Historic Courthouse Square, 109 S. Main St., Warrenton. Disney/Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” (rated PG) will be the featured presentation.

Admission is free; popcorn and refreshments will be available for purchase. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy an evening of family fun.

Spring Fest, 5K Run to Offer Something for Everyone in Downtown Warrenton

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-Information and flyer courtesy the Town of Warrenton, NC’s Facebook page

The Warrenton Revitalization Committee presents the annual Spring Fest to be held in the Historic Courthouse Square in downtown Warrenton on Saturday, April 27, 2019.

Crafts, artisans, exhibits, food, music, fresh local vegetables and more will be available to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Live entertainment will be provided by T-N-T and the Backyard Bluegrass Band.

The 7th Annual Warrenton 5K will also be held on April 27 in downtown Warrenton. Registration begins at 8 a.m. in front of the Warren County Courthouse at 109 S. Main St., Warrenton, with the 5K beginning at 9 a.m.

To register, visit www.athlinks.com/event/190857.

 

Women With Children Needed as Health Focus Group Volunteers

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-Information and flyer courtesy NC Cooperative Extension – Warren County Center

The Warren County Cooperative Extension Office is looking for local women with children to participate in a volunteer focus group on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Participants will provide the Poe Center, a health education organization, with feedback related to nutrition and physical activity in the community. Feedback provided will help prepare programs and health messages for Warren County.

The focus group will be held at the Warren County Cooperative Extension Office located at 158 Rafters Lane in Warrenton, NC.

Participants will receive a water bottle, tote bag, cooking magazine and magnet.

 

Inaugural Movie Night – Sat, Sept 23

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The Town of Warrenton is proud to announce its first ever Family Movie Night on the historic courthouse square.  The event begins about 7 p.m. Saturday.

The feature film will be the 2016 Disney feature “The Jungle Book.”

In an email to WIZS News, Mike Coffman, Town of Warrenton Commissioner, said the town recently bought a projection system featuring a 16 foot screen for this purpose.  He said, “We will get started around 7:00 p.m. with “Sidewalk Chalk Expressions” presented by our partners at the Warren County Arts Council (@WarrenCountyArtsCouncil). Chalk will be available to children (and adults) to draw on the sidewalks near the courthouse while waiting for the movie to begin. Templates will be provided to give them a little guidance. The movie should get started around 7:30 pm.”

Admission is free.  Refreshments will be sold.  Donations welcome.  Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Learn more on Facebook @WarrentonFestivals

VGCC announces free Small Business Summit with holiday focus

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The Vance-Granville Community College Small Business Center has scheduled its sixth annual Small Business Summit for Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m., at the Lake Gaston Lions Club in Henrico. Entitled “Making the Holidays Pay Off,” the free event is designed to help local businesses plan ahead for the upcoming holiday season with innovative marketing practices.

CenturyLink is the presenting sponsor for the event. Local partners helping VGCC to organize the summit are the Chamber of Commerce of Warren County, the Warren County Economic Development Commission and the Lake Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center.

Business representatives and interested members of the community are invited to attend. Registration is now open at tinyurl.com/holiday-summit.

The day starts off with registration and networking with attendees and vendors at 8 a.m. The first hour-long seminar will be “Shop Local — Buy Local — Invest Local to Gain More Business for You and Your Area” at 8:30 a.m. Presenter Martin Brossman will help participants get the most out of a “Shop Local” program, including the use of social media.

“Holiday Event Planning for the Small Business Owner” follows at 9:45 a.m. with Lisa Gingue of Vino Oasi in Stem. Gingue will discuss planning events that attract holiday shoppers.

At 11 a.m., Brossman will present “Take Photos like a Pro to Get More Business with Your Social Media.” This session covers the basics of low-cost photography techniques to attract more customers with social media and web marketing.

The keynote presentation, from noon until 1 p.m., will be “Get Social! Grow Your Business!” with Kristen Baughman and Stacey Price Sprenz, both of Raleigh-based Tabletop Media Group. Baughman, the founder of the agency, and Sprenz, a photographer, will teach attendees how to take their social media to the next level using photos and videos. They will offer a few tips and tricks on how to promote participants’ businesses and unique holiday offerings to media outlets and social influencers in their community. Tabletop Media Group is a boutique agency serving clients in the food, beverage, agriculture and lifestyle industries.

Lunch will be provided free of charge to the first 100 registered participants by CenturyLink. For more information, contact VGCC Small Business Center Director Tanya Weary at (252) 738-3240 or smallbusiness@vgcc.edu.

–VGCC–

Warrenton Revitalization Presents Family Movie Night

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by Craig Hahn

Come join us September 23rd at 7:00 p.m. on the courthouse square in Warrenton for a viewing of 2016’s “The Jungle Book!” Free Admission. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket.

Refreshments will be sold…start a new family tradition and join us for this classic movie under the stars.

A huge thank you to our local grocery stores, Just Save and Food Lion for donating hot dogs! So, hot dogs, popcorn and beverages will all be sold! Y’all come on out and enjoy the evening with us!

Five VGCC Students Participate in Signing Ceremony for Apprenticeship Program

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Five students from Vance-Granville Community College were among a dozen who committed to participate in the North Carolina Triangle Apprenticeship Program (NCTAP) at a signing ceremony in Wake Forest on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

The students are now apprentices with eight industries in Granville, Franklin and Wake counties as they finish high school and earn their associate’s degrees at either VGCC or Wake Technical Community College. VGCC students Baylor Chapple and Sebastian Hughes, both of Louisburg, will be working at CaptiveAire in Youngsville, Xavier Durham of Warrenton with Dill Air Controls Products LLC in Oxford, and Zach Willey of Raleigh and Micah Peters of Youngsville with Revlon Inc. of Oxford.

Working through Wake Tech, the signees and the other companies were: Spencer Downing, Accu-Fab Inc. of Raleigh; Ben Elkins and Rhett Keaton, Bühler Aeroglide Corp. of Cary; Daniel Benson, Schmalz Inc. of Raleigh; Brennan Burns and Reily Rhoades, Schunk Intec Inc. of Morrisville; and Nathaniel “Nate” Corl, Superior Tooling of Wake Forest.

Parents of the apprentices and employers from the participating industries joined the students on stage for the signing ceremony as each made a commitment to follow the program. 

“We are grateful to NCTAP for providing the leadership to foster the collaboration between public and private partners that makes this effort successful,” VGCC President Dr. Stelfanie Williams shared with the students, their parents, industry representatives and guests at the dinner and ceremony in the Wake Forest Renaissance Center.

“Apprenticeship is a proven strategy to close the skills gap and meet the workforce needs of industries while at the same time making education more affordable for promising young students,” Dr. Williams added. “To our apprentices, the benefits of this wonderful program are nothing short of life-changing, and that’s why we are so excited to be an educational partner for NCTAP.”

“To our new apprentices, I want to extend congratulations and a warm Vanguard welcome, on behalf of Vance-Granville,” Dr. Williams added. “You are truly ‘Vanguards,’ because you are leaders and pioneers, and you will lead the way for many more apprentices in the future. You will also develop into leaders for your industries.”

NCTAP is a partnership that seeks to provide new opportunities for local students and to prepare a skilled workforce. Typically starting in the junior year of high school, NCTAP is a four-year program that leads to a student obtaining an associate degree at the community college and paid, on-the-job training at the participating employer. Eligible students’ tuition is covered by a waiver from the state of North Carolina. After they graduate from high school, students in the program will be employed full-time by the company.

“Apprenticeships are not exactly what people think they are,” said Marc Bertoncino of Bühler Aeroglide, chairman of NCTAP and master of ceremonies for the event. “This is a very beneficial program for the companies. This is a very beneficial program for young people starting their careers.”

Dr. Stephen Scott, president of Wake Tech, cited the importance of apprenticeships, internships and cooperative education in “bridging the skills gap,” adding, “Parents, we want to tell you that your kids are going to have a job for the next couple of years. They are going to graduate from either Wake Tech or Vance-Granville Community College. And they will have a good paying job and zero debt when they come out (of college). They will have the opportunity to further their education even beyond where this program takes them. So that is a win-win for everyone in this room.”

Bertoncino praised N.C. Sen. Chad Barefoot, R-Wake, for his help in getting legislation changed to boost the apprenticeship program. Whereas companies previously had to pay the state to have an apprentice, Barefoot helped enact legislation that now has the state providing reimbursement for tuition.

“There are apprenticeship programs across the state of North Carolina, but this particular group (NCTAP) has played a really important part in where apprenticeships are today,” Barefoot said. “This continued growth and expansion reaching into new communities will ensure that NCTAP remains the model apprenticeship program for the State of North Carolina.” He added, “Apprenticeships are the key to a successful future for the manufacturing industry of our state.”

Also speaking were Kathryn Castelloes, apprenticeship director for the N.C. Department of Commerce, and Wake Forest Mayor Vivian Jones. Robbie Earnhardt, owner of Wake Forest-based Superior Tooling and former chairman of the apprenticeship program, was recognized by Bertoncino for his vision, leadership and passion in guiding and promoting NCTAP. In attendance also were representatives of the offices of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC, and U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC.

Representing VGCC’s NCTAP participating industries were Chris Clough and Cindy Walsh of CaptiveAire, Stephen Tsotsoros and Vanessia Alvarado of Dill Air Controls, Sean Anderson and Pat McKinney of Revlon, and Shaler Chewning of Glen Raven in Norlina. The latest industry to join NCTAP, Glen Raven will be taking its first interns in the coming year. Also present from the VGCC TechHire program were Ken Wilson, project manager, and Tiffani Polk, academic and career coach.

All schools participating in NCTAP can send students to the educational partner institution that best meets the needs of the industrial partner, Wilson said.

VGCC offers Fall Mini-Term classes

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Although the Fall 2017 semester at Vance-Granville Community College is underway, there are still opportunities to register for a variety of classes offered during “mini-terms.” These sections start later during the semester, but end on Dec. 11, at the same time as the full 16-week courses, and they include just as many hours of instruction as under the traditional schedule.

The Fall 12-Week Mini-Term begins on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The complete list of courses is available by visiting schedules.vgcc.edu and clicking on the printable “Fall 12-Week Mini-Term” schedule.

VGCC has scheduled more than 30 curriculum classes on the 12-week schedule. Most are online, while others are offered in a hybrid format that combines online and traditional on-campus instruction. The courses include not only College Transfer general education courses in subjects such as English, Humanities, Sociology or Spanish, but also courses required for associate degrees such as Paralegal Technology.

Certain 12-week Criminal Justice courses are scheduled through the “Vanguard Online Learning through Technology,” or VOLT, initiative, which allows students to complete an entire associate degree online.

There are also a few courses offered during the Second 8-Week Mini-Term, which starts Thursday, Oct. 12.

Not only current VGCC students, but also new students are welcome to enroll. New students will need to complete a VGCC application for admission first. Financial aid is available for qualified students. For more information, contact the VGCC Financial Aid Office at fao@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3280.

For registration information, visit the Student Learning & Success Center on any VGCC campus or call (252) 738-3330.

–VGCC–