Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

The Local Skinny! Camping, Hiking And More At Kerr Lake

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Bill Stanley says if you just want to throw a line in the water at Kerr Lake, Satterwhite Point and Nutbush are pretty good spots to head to. Now, if you’re headed out in a boat for a day of fishing, there are really too many good spots to count.

Stanley, superintendent of the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area, said that no matter what you choose to do lakeside – camping, fishing, hiking – there are plenty of opportunities awaiting. He spoke with Bill Harris on The Local Skinny!

The COVID-19 pandemic created a ripple effect among camping enthusiasts, which has resulted in a higher volume of campground reservations.

“It seemed like everybody got a camper and wanted to be outside” during the pandemic. As a result, “the campgrounds are staying a little fuller…it’s harder and harder to get a campsite during the week” and especially on weekends.

Reservations are made online through ReserveAmerica Inc.at

https://www.reserveamerica.com/

J.C. Cooper and Hibernia are probably the two most popular for campers. Cooper is located near Satterwhite Point, but Hibernia has more sandy beaches and upgraded campsites, he said.

Stanley said he expects there will be more building projects and upgrades begun in the near future – better campsites and renovated bath houses – that will give Kerr Lake campgrounds “a little facelift in the next few years.”

Maintenance crews manage the “to-do” list – from facilities upkeep to building new trails in different areas. The overall feel of the lake is a little slower pace than other lakes that either have more developed shorelines or are closer to big cities.

There’s a half-mile or so of new ADA-accessible paved trail, as well as hiking trails at Hibernia and J.C. Cooper that campers and locals alike enjoy

“It’s not as busy as Falls or Jordan or any of the other lakes closer to Raleigh,” Stanley said. “Things are not right on top of you (here)…we’re still a little bit of a hidden gem.”

He credits the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the quieter atmosphere. “The Corps has done a good job of protecting the shoreline as best they can,” he said. Fewer homes lakeside makes for quieter surroundings.

Things ramp up, however, when there’s a fishing tournament on the lake. Stanley said there already have been four so far this year, and summer will bring more fishers in search of striped bass and catfish, not to mention prize money and bragging rights.

However you enjoy fishing – whether from shore or in a boat, Stanley reminds everyone they need to make sure they pack one essential item in their tackle box: a current fishing license.

 

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TownTalk: City Manager Blackmon on Community Wide Cleanup And Other Topics

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As drivers make their way through the city on the morning of Friday, April 21, chances are they’ll see some roadside crews picking up trash. It’s all part of the Community Cleanup event, scheduled to coincide with NC DOT’s spring Litter Sweep and Earth Day.

City Manager Terrell Blackmon invites business owners, employees and other individuals to join in the larger community cleanup event when they reach their morning destinations, whether it’s their road front footage once they get to work or back in their neighborhoods after dropping the kids at school.

Crews from the city will be joined by business people, school groups and others beginning at 8 a.m. next Friday, strategically scheduled to coincide with the statewide cleanup effort, Blackmon explained.

Blackmon was a guest on TownTalk and spoke about the upcoming cleanup effort as well as several items presented to the City Council during the Monday evening meeting, including recommendations from the Public Safety Committee, which met April 5 to discuss several topics, including using opioid settlement funds, construction of a communications tower and grant funding to reduce gun violence.

Community Cleanup Event

The cleanup effort does more than simply get trash off the street, Blackmon said.

It checks off a box of one of the city’s strategic goals, for one. “We want to improve the image and perception of our city,” Blackmon said.

The cleanup also builds community among its businesses and residents who are “working together to make our community a more aesthetically pleasing community,” he said.

Groups will be venturing out into the West End area this time, and Blackmon said any individual or group is welcome to participate “to just clean up in your neighborhood or in front of your business,” he said.

The middle and high schools will be participating, as well as several elementary schools.

The decision was made to move the cleanup event from Saturday to Friday to give more business people a chance to participate, but also to provide a “visual” for weekly commuters.
“What an impact it could be, doing it on Friday during rush hour,” Blackmon said.

Visit henderson.nc.gov for details of the cleanup event or contact City Clerk Tracey Kimbrell at 252-430-5705 or traceykimbrell@henderson.nc.gov.

City Council action

Three items on the consent agenda included information from the Public Safety Committee, and Blackmon said all three were approved at the April 10 meeting.

  • The city will participate in the second-wave allocation from the multi-billion-dollar opioid settlement. Henderson is one of just a few municipalities that applied for, and received, funding. North Carolina will divvy up the second allocation of about $600 million, and Henderson will get another $166,000 over a multi-year period aimed at reducing the opioid epidemic.
  • The city also approved working with N.C. Central University to request a grant from the Homeland Security’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant to focus on reducing gun violence, which the City Council identified as a public health crisis in 2022. A group of community representatives studying gun violence supports a variety of awareness and prevention activities in schools and other places to educate youth and the community as a whole.
  • The city approved a $3 million grant application through U.S. Rep. Don Davis to install a communications tower behind the North Henderson ballparks. If selected, the city will partner with Vance County to come up with a 25 percent match for the project, or about $375,000 each. The proposed location would provide close to a 100-mile radius coverage area, which local law enforcement and first responders sorely need to have effective, reliable communication when responding to emergencies. The project could be completed as early as 2024.

 

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Cooperative Extension With Paul McKenzie: What Works in the Garden

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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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VCHS Junior Selected For 2023 Governor’s School

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Vance County High School junior Thuy Nguyen will represent Vance County at the 60th annual N.C. Governor’s School, a prestigious summer program that provides a unique enrichment experience for rising high school seniors from across the state.

Nguyen has been selected to participate in the four-week summer residential program, according to information from VCS Director of Communication & Marketing Aarika Sandlin.

This year, 650 students were selected by a state committee named by the State Board of Education and NC Department of Public Instruction. There are two Governor’s School locations –  one at Meredith College in Raleigh and the second at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem.

During the monthlong program, students attend classes that integrate their selected discipline – which includes English, Spanish, Mathematics, Natural Science, Social Science, Art, Choral Music, Instrumental Music, Dance and Theater – as well as other courses that encourage them to explore and ask questions.

The 2023 session is June 18 – July 15, 2023.

Learn more about Governor’s School at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/students-families/enhanced-opportunities/north-carolina-governors-school

Gateway CDC April 12 “Social” Is A Time To Celebrate, Envision Henderson’s Future

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Any type of social gathering is likely to create opportunities for folks to take part in conversations on a variety of topics and to share their unique and collective perspectives. Heather Joi Kenney, president and CEO of Gateway CDC in Henderson, wants the entire community to come out to an informal “social” from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12.

Southern Charm Event Venue, 200 S. Garnett St., is the gathering spot, and Kenney said the event is open to all in the community. In fact, there needs to be a good representation from the community, she said, to hear a variety of perspectives about what’s working well and what could use improvement.

On a recent TownTalk segment, Kenney said it’s good to hear what’s great about a community, but it’s also important to know what’s not so great. The April 12 gathering is a time to celebrate and imagine the bright future that awaits Henderson.

Surely one of the positive points within the community include events that take place in and around the Breckenridge Street area, bordered by Perry Memorial Library, McGregor Hall and the police department.

Attendees to the April 12 event who come early and sign in will get a $5 coupon to use at the Soulbachi food truck, which will be parked nearby on Breckenridge from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Kenney is a real “glass half full” person, and she and her organization are interested in revitalization – of properties, of mindsets, of attitudes – that have a real impact on Henderson and its future.

“The Henderson Vision” is one tangible facet of this revitalization. Established through $25,000 in grant funds from Duke Energy’s Hometown Revitalization program, Gateway was able to help downtown businesses with microgrants to pay for façade improvements, as well as some interior renovations, Kenney said.

 

That money has been spent, but she expects more money will be coming in, through grantors like Duke Energy, but also from local government support and from collaboration with other community partners.

Downtown revitalization has been a recent focus, but Kenney said it’s important to include areas near the city’s heart as well – William Street, Chestnut Street, as well as areas like Flint Hill and West End.

“We are working to raise some more funds so we can help additional businesses,” she said.

Kenney challenged city and county officials – as well as absentee landlords – to step up to show support for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

American Legion Post 60 Plans April 21 Chicken Plate Fundraiser

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The Henderson American Legion Post 60 will have a chicken plate fundraiser on Friday, April 21.

Pickup is from 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Post 60 Building, located at the corner of Garnett and Spring streets in Henderson.

Plates are $10 and include grilled chicken, boiled potatoes, green beans, bread, dessert and barbecue sauce.

Orders of 10 or more plates can be delivered, according to Post Commander Ted Grissom. Tickets are available from any Post 60 member or by calling Grissom at 757.968.6346, post Historian Edward Woodlief at 252.767.4044, or Andy Roberson at 252.432.2432.

The local post supports veterans and their families, as well as the community. Grissom welcomes veterans from any branch of military service to attend monthly meetings at Post 60 held the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m.

SportsTalk: Mize Leads The Fun In Fungo Baseball

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Brad Mize, the son of the late Howard and Lisa Mize of Oxford and former student at J.F. Webb in Oxford, certainly has his hands full.  He is an assistant baseball coach at Heritage High School in Wake Forest and the General Manager for Wake Forest’s Fungo Baseball team which will begin its season on May 27th.  Fungo features college players from a variety of colleges including UNCW, UNCG, College of Charleston, Hofstra, Elon, Mt. Olive, Louisburg and more.

“Between June 2nd and July 28th we will play fifty games,” Mize said on Thursday’s SportsTalk.  That’s a lot of baseball.  The team plays in Flaherty Park in Wake Forest and Mize said it’s a great fun atmosphere and cheaper than seeing the Mudcats or the Bulls play.  “Tickets are only $7 and kids under 12 get in free,” Mize said.  Special events are scheduled throughout the season like Thirsty Thursday, Hometown Heroes honoring local police and fire departments and the Centennial Weekend June 23rd through June 25th celebrating 100 years of baseball in Wake Forest.

It’s not all about baseball for Mize as part of his job is helping players find housing for two months.  “We are blessed to have local families that support us and take in players during the season,” Mize explained.

The first game for Fungo is an away game on May 27th.

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The Local Skinny! Granville License Plate Agency To Open

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The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will open a new license plate agency on April 11 in Granville County. That’s the good news – but wait, there’s more!

The agency will be located at 120 Roxboro Rd. in Oxford, which is the same location as the previous office, according to information from NC Department of Transportation spokesperson John Brockwell.

Linda Jordon is the new owner/operator. The office will be open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, except on state holidays.

Granville County residents have been without a license plate agency since November 2022.

The NCDMV oversees the 127 license plate agencies across the state, but the offices are actually run and managed by private businesses or local governments.

In addition to license plate renewals, the local agencies offer vehicle registration services and title transactions, replacement tags, handicap placards and duplicate registrations.

Services including property tax payments and registration renewals can also be completed online at www.MyNCDMV.gov.

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The Local Skinny! Reflecting On The Chamber Banquet

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Commentary: There is more going on in this speech than just the business portion that’s on the surface.  And while it’s about business and was offered in a business setting and in a business context and does in and of itself have deeper business significance than just what is on the service, is this message not also about life itself?  Should each person everywhere not hear it?  Listen in and decide for yourself.

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2023 Chamber board chair Bert Long, of HG Reynolds, spoke at the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce annual membership meeting and banquet on Thursday, March 30, 2023 and said each chamber year has a theme. He spent some time pondering to help come up with this year’s theme, naming 2023 “A Year of Collaboration.”

The idea is to propel the business community forward, work together or cooperate.

Long said, “In the current environment, working together can go a long way. We need conflict, but hear me out. We need healthy conflict. We must have conversation and spend time to understand each other, and we can’t learn and grow without it.”

“How,” he asked. “It starts by listening. Sometimes business leadership is looked to for answers, but there also needs to be respect. Once we listen, we must respond in a respectful manner. The tone is important.”

Rather than saying “Yes, but…” Long said, “What if we could say ‘yes and.’”

That could make a difference because as Long noted, everyone has a unique perspective but may need to put themselves in the other person’s shoes because that person has also had defining experiences and perspective as well.

We must work at it, he said, and celebrate the success of others.

Long concluded, “Take some time to connect. Explore how you can collaborate. It could be with someone in this very room.”