WIZS Radio Local News Audio 03-29-23 Noon
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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.
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Vance-Granville Community College is offering several Open House opportunities for students to learn more about a variety of program opportunities available, especially for those non-traditional students who work during the day and need to take classes in the evening or online.
Stephanie Tolbert is VGCC’s dean of Business, Applied Tech and Public Services, was a guest on TownTalk and shared just a few of the programs and classes that are available.
“We know life is busy,” Tolbert said, but especially in this post-COVID world, “people are juggling things in their personal lives. By creating night programs and online programs, student can learn at their own pace or when they have the time, whether that’s early in the morning or late into the evening.
Nighttime welding classes are available at the Main Campus in Henderson, and a new evening welding class has opened up on the Franklin Campus. South Campus in Butner has revived its HVAC class as well, Tolbert noted.
These classes typically meet in the evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., which gives students a bit of time to finish their jobs, grab a bite of supper and then head to class. They fall under the category of Applied Technology, which means they are held in person and involve a lot of hands-on learning.
But there also are a wide variety of classes that are 100 percent online, she said. Students can learn medical coding and supply chain management, among others, at “any time that fits their schedule.”
The Open House offers students and prospective students an “all-access pass ” to VGCC campuses, Tolbert said.
The upcoming schedule is as follows:
During these open houses, school representatives will be available to speak with attendees about anything from admission requirements to particular degree programs and financial aid.
Unsure about a career path or need to change course? Then Linda Fletcher, director of Career Services, may be the person to speak with.
Whether you’re interested in taking a single class to learn about, say, small engine repair, or are interested in a certificate program or an associate’s degree, VGCC is a good resource for the community.
“As life changes, our needs, interest levels, goals change,” Tolbert said. VGCC can help students who may begin taking a single class develop a program that could ultimately become that career path or completion of a higher degree.
“We’re dedicated to meeting students where they are and helping them get to where they want to go,” she said.
Visit www.vgcc.edu to learn more and to register to attend one of the upcoming Open House events.
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There’s still a sliver of time left to purchase a ticket for the upcoming fundraiser event sponsored by the Humane Society of Granville County. “Paws for Granville” takes place Saturday, April 1 from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $35, but Humane Society President Anne Crews said there’s little time to waste.
“Ticket sales have been brisk,” Crews said on Tuesday’s Pets and People segment of The Local Skinny! If you’d like to purchase a ticket, find Humane Society of Granville County on Facebook before Wednesday, Mar. 29.
The dinner and silent auction event at the Barn at Vino I Stem is the group’s major fundraiser, and the proceeds are split between the Humane Society and the Granville Animal Shelter, both of which use the money to spay and neuter dogs and cats.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun,” Crews said. This year’s selection of silent auction items includes a yearlong pass to any N.C. state park, jewelry from Diamonds Direct, Durham Bulls tickets and a VIP 4-pack to see ‘Six’ at DPAC, just to name a few.
The Humane Society partners with the shelter to help provide services, including spay/neuter programs for low-income pet owners and support of several feral cat colonies across the county.
Cats can have several litters of about kittens a year, Crews explained, so trapping and returning feral cats helps to reduce the cat population. “Before you know it you’ve gone from two feral cats to 40 in one year. We believe in getting in there and spay and neuter” the cats, remove those who are candidates for adoption. A small snip made in the neutered cat’s ear indicates that the animal is “feral but sterile,” she said.
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It’s only a few weeks away, but there’s no need to purchase tickets or send an RSVP with the number of people who will be attending – the Embrace Henderson Family Spectacular takes place on Saturday, April 22 and it’s free, free, free.
As the name implies, this is an event for the entire family, said Kevin Kilgore, one of the organizers. The event will again be held at SaddleRock Farm, 1786 Weldon’s Mill Rd., Henderson. Whether the little ones want to ride a horse or prefer to go on a hayride, there surely will be plenty to do between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to keep everyone entertained.
“Hopefully the weather will be good…to come out to an outside event,” Kilgore said. There also will be a variety of inflatables for the youngsters to enjoy – slides, bounce houses and games, he said. And not to overstate it, but it’s all free.
Want some popcorn? Free. Choose a fruity sno-cone? No charge.
There IS one particular ride that requires a wristband to ride, but Kilgore said it’s not to check minimum height. That wristband indicates that you’ve passed through the Tent of the Wordless Book to hear the Good News from Christians ready to share information about their faith.
It can be a long day for the teams of volunteers who work hard to keep things going smoothly. Kilgore said Pam Wilder is helping to coordinate the groups of volunteers that will be needed, especially for set up and take down, and to man the inflatables.
“There’s pretty much something for everyone” to help with, Kilgore said.
The goal of the event is to make sure everyone feels welcome, he added.
The three ingredients for another successful event, he said – in no particular order – are good weather, volunteers and prayers.
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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 what she’s calling a community social on April 12.
Southern Charm Event Venue is the gathering spot, and Kenney said on TownTalk that the social will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“We’re hoping to see everyone come out and talk about Henderson,” Kenney said. Of course, it’s always good to hear what’s great about a community, but Kenney said it’s important to know what’s not so great, too. If the community can observe problems and look at them as opportunities to improve, that’s half the battle.
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 is long gone, but Kenney said 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.
“It’s important to get our act together…when we support these businesses, it shows them that we care.”
She applauds local governments for the support they’ve given. “They are doing great work,” but she’d like to see them give “a little bit more” in more tangible ways to promote building ownership and pride in the community.
Gateway’s Small Business Development program helps aspiring entrepreneurs and existing small business owners learn about and access resources that could prove helpful to them.
Providing support and a desirable atmosphere to encourage small business owners goes a long way toward giving the community places to eat, shop and relax. But it also is a way to attract visitors. Visitors, tourists and guests who spend money here, adding to the local tax coffers.
“Henderson IS the destination,” Kenney said, an upbeat note in her voice. “We just have to make sure that other folks know that as well.”
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Maria Bailey is a champion for downtown Henderson. Folks who work, visit and shop in the downtown area no doubt enjoy the result of countless hours she has spent to make the heart of the city more beautiful. Whether serving on boards and committees or getting out and volunteering, Bailey is dedicated to making her community better.
She was recognized for her efforts at the recent statewide Main Street Conference with an official designation of North Carolina Main Street Champion. She is the first person from Henderson to receive this honor.
Downtown Development Director Tracy Madigan, along with City Manager Terrell Blackmon and Mayor Eddie Ellington, issued a joint press release announcing Bailey’s award, presented during the annual conference held in Statesville Mar. 13-17.
She said Monday she didn’t really know what was going to happen at the conference – all she knew was that she and a friend visiting for Bailey’s birthday left early for Statesville to arrive in time to receive the award.
Back in 2014, Bailey accepted an invitation to join the board of the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Commission. Once on the downtown design committee, she zeroed in on the parking lot beside Sadie’s Coffee Corner and said, “I’d like to design that parking lot and see if we can do something with it,” Bailey recalled on Monday’s TownTalk. There were about a dozen Bradford pears languishing in planters and buckling the nearby sidewalk, and branches were known to fall on parked cars. It was a mess.
Bailey described the collaboration required for the project. Vance-Granville Community College created a 3D rendering. The city agreed to remove trees and replace damaged sidewalks. Civic groups donated money. Schoolchildren helped create the mural on the side of the building. And Bailey may have been the energy behind the project – planning, designing, raising money, getting volunteers to help keep the garden beds planted and weeded – but she also wanted to create sustainability.
For her, involving young people was the key ingredient. She wanted to schedule different youth groups to come once a month for a botany lesson before turning their new-found knowledge into action by cleaning the gardens, removing weeds and trash.
“The main idea with youth groups was to get them involved,” Bailey said, which means they’re “more likely to stay in Henderson and do other things to make Henderson better.”
Young adults seem to have turned their attention to the leisurely vibe in downtown areas, whether it’s strolling the sidewalks to visit shops or enjoying the slower pace often not experienced in shopping malls.
“As we’re building businesses, little stores are opening,” Bailey said. “A lot of young people are coming in and starting these businesses.”
Bailey was recognized for her commitment to downtown improvements and developing a strong community. Along with the other Champion award recipients, she was honored for contributions to the Main Street program and to downtown. She has been a volunteer and served downtown Henderson for many years.
Over the years, Bailey has been instrumental in getting volunteers to take part in downtown beautification projects. In the past five years she has personally contributed more volunteer hours to downtown than any other volunteer.
The North Carolina conference is recognized as the largest Main Street conference in the country. The Champions Recognition Ceremony celebrated the 2022 Honor Roll of Main Street Champions took place in the Statesville Civic Center in the historic downtown.
Liz Parham, director of the N.C. Main Street & Rural Planning Center at the N.C. Department of Commerce, issued a welcome to the invitation-only group of several hundred in attendance.
“Main Street Champions are the key to success in downtown revitalization,” Parham stated. “They possess courage to move downtown forward; they fight for positive change and do that with creativity and innovation; and they actively get things done, while staying focused on the downtown’s economic development strategies.”
According to Kenny Flowers, assistant secretary of Rural Economic Development at the N.C. Department of Commerce, “There are three common elements that are found in successful communities. These elements are asset based economic development strategies, public and private partnerships, and local champions.”
Keynote speaker for the event was N.C. Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker-Sanders, who spoke of growing up in small town North Carolina. The downtown area was the focal point of the community, she said. She cited the national trend of towns and cities revitalizing their downtowns and how once again they are serving as the center for community activities.
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Paul Ross, director of the Henderson Family YMCA, spoke to the West End Community Watch and shared expansion plans for what is shaping up to be a bright future for the Ruin Creek Road facility.
Henderson is the smallest city in the state to have a full-service YMCA, Ross told the group at the monthly meeting. The Y now owns 10 acres, having purchased the former county-owned Department of Social Services building, thanks to a generous $1 million donation from Dr. Khanh Vu and wife Elmira Choopani.
Plans are underway to create a “new and improved Y,” which include enlarging the walking track and playing field and building a new swimming pool.
Ross said the old DSS building will be torn down, but when the work is completed, the Y will either have a new or an updated Wellness Building. Ross said the plan is to be able to remain open during all the construction.
About 4,000 members currently enjoy all the programs and benefits the Y offers, but Ross said he projects that number will double once the new Y is finished.
The Y offers a wide variety of activities and classes, including diabetes prevention,drowning prevention for every second-grader in the county, pickle ball, lap swimming, water aerobics and other water activities, Silver Sneakers’ classes, child care, after-school program, a summer youth program as well as access to exercise equipment.
Want to learn more about membership in the Henderson Family YMCA? Simply stop in and discuss different options, including a variety of financial plans. Or visit the website, https://www.hendersonymca.org/
Henderson City Manager Terrell Blackmon is scheduled to speak at the April 18 meeting of West End Community Watch. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall of West End Baptist Church.
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