Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

TownTalk: Garry Daeke Discusses ‘Week Of The Young Child’ Activities

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That group of shiny pinwheels planted out front of the Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start office is a visual reminder to us all of the joys that children bring into our lives.

The pinwheel gardens that may be seen in other places across the tri-county area are symbols of joy, happiness and fun, said Garry Daeke, development coordinator at FGV Smart Start. “That’s what we want our children to remind us” of, he said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

As part of The Week of the Young Child celebrations across the area, the FGV Partnership is hosting several events to promote awareness as it shows support for early learning, the healthy development of young children, as well as the adults – teachers, parents and caregivers – throughout the community.

Unfortunately, the main public event, Family Night, scheduled for Thursday at Vance-Granville Community College, will NOT be held as planned because of the risk of severe weather, Daeke said. It will be rescheduled.

He spoke by phone with WIZS from Sugar N Spice day care during Time Out Tuesday, when a group of select childcare advocates were “sent” to Time Out at as part of a fundraising effort. They could leave their time out spots when they’d reached their fundraising goal, Daeke explained.

It’s just one way the community bands together to support and promote child-centered programs in the three-county area, he said.

“It’s been a great morning so far for me,” Daeke said. Wednesday is Health and Nutrition Day, and he said he’d be at New Beginnings Child Care to enjoy some outdoor activities and healthy snacks with youngsters there.

Then, the 18-member staff will fan out across the three counties on Friday to visit different day cares and preschools for “Read to Young Children” Day. Daeke said staff will visit different classrooms to read with children – they’ll even bring along some books to share, he said.

 

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TownTalk: City Council Hears McGregor Hall Presentation

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The Henderson City Council held its regular monthly meeting Monday at McGregor Hall, giving Executive Director Mark Hopper an appropriate backdrop to emphasize the economic impact the performing arts venue has on the community as he asked the city’s elected officials for financial support.

In beginning his remarks, Hopper said he would try to condense six years of work into a 15-minute presentation. Using a multimedia approach, Council members heard from Hopper and saw videos recapping the significance of McGregor Hall in the larger community as well as on the lives of local performers.

With one full-time employee, five part-time employees and 300 volunteers, McGregor Hall has made quick work to become a stand-out venue in the greater Triangle area, Hopper said. McGregor Hall is under the governance of the nonprofit Embassy Cultural Center Foundation.

Through solid local partnerships and dedicated individuals and business sponsors, the venue has been able to accomplish a lot in a short time.

But, Hopper said, without some additional financial support from local government, the curtain likely will fall on McGregor Hall. One quarter of the venue’s total revenue goes to service the mortgage debt.

In a letter to City Manager Terrell Blackmon, and members of the City Council, Hopper outlined McGregor Hall’s needs – he’s asked the  Council for $75,000 to help keep the ship afloat. Hopper would like to get county leaders on board, too.

The cultural and artistic impact may be difficult to put a price tag on, but the most recent economic impact study shows that McGregor Hall has contributed $9.2 million to the local economy over the past four years – $5.1 in lodging bookings alone. McGregor Hall hosted more than 30,000 guests to its rental events, namely in the form of 15 weekends of spring dance competitions.

“What we need is help with our debt service,” Hopper told the City Council. “We will not survive 2025 without support.”

Hopper said that every single dollar of investment to McGregor Hall brings a return of $31 to the community.

About 40 percent of revenues come from ticket sales, which Hopper said is in keeping with the industry standard. Grant funding, rental fees and concessions each kick in 10 percent and 20 percent from local business sponsors.

It would mean a lot for local government leaders to put a price tag on what it means to have a top-notch venue in Henderson and Vance County that draws patrons from the Triangle to southside Virginia – both to watch performances as well as to be on stage for shows.

Hopper said McGregor Hall is helping to change the perception of Henderson and Vance County, one performance at the time.

“We’re bringing people together who otherwise wouldn’t interact on a personal level,” he said.

Following Hopper’s presentation, Council Member Garry Daeke said he hoped the full council would consider the request for funding as it continues through the budget process and “look at it in an affirmative manner.”

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TownTalk: County Commissioners April 1 Meeting Coverage

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Monday’s (4-1-24) Vance County Commissioners meeting was an example of local government at work: there was a little bit of everything, from employee recognition, a few zoning requests, a proclamation, a public comment period and some motions made and approved to keep things moving in the right direction.

Frankie Nobles introduced Michelle Green as the Employee of the Month and said she had received several different nominations from colleagues at the Emergency Operations Department. As a telecommunicator, Green goes above and beyond, Nobles told commissioners. With a mind on teamwork, Green’s initiative and motivation are ever-present when she steps in and steps up to cover shifts or lend a helping hand to colleagues.

Vance County Manager C. Renee Perry officially introduced Stephanie Williams as the county’s new budget and finance director. April 1 marked Williams’s first day on the job and she had taken her seat beside Perry.

As a formality, the board appointed Williams and it became official. Williams told commissioners that she is looking forward to working with the board and to help all the citizens of Vance County.

Commissioners observed April as National Fair Housing Month, and also reminded residents that the NC DOT Spring Litter Sweep runs from April 13-27.

One county resident signed up to address the board about concerns he has about people discharging guns in the vicinity of his residence.

View the meeting in its entirety on YouTube.

The next scheduled commissioners’ meeting is May 6.

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The Local Skinny! County Commissioners Discuss Unified Development Ordinance

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Vance County commissioners unanimously approved at the April 1 meeting a partnership with a company to help in the creation of a Unified Development Ordinance, or UDO, designed to bring consistency to county regulations with regard to property development.

The county’s Planning/Environmental committee reviewed a proposal at its most recent meeting in mid-March from NFOCUS, and County Manager C. Renee Perry recommended to the full board that NFOCUS be given the job of bringing under one “umbrella” document the various sets of regulations that govern development within the county.

Perry told the commissioners that funding the project is in the current budget, with the second half of the payment to be made next year.

A UDO is a comprehensive document that brings together the full complement of a county’s policies and regulations and works to eliminate conficting language among the various sets of rules.

Perry also told commissioners that part of the scope of work of NFOCUS would be to align county regulations with existing state regulations; NFOCUS, she said, had identified several inconsistencies in county documents that do not comply with NC General Statutes Chapter 160D that talks about minimum model regulations.

NFOCUS will provide support to the county for two years after completing the project.

According to information from the UNC School of Government, “Chapter 160D of the N.C. General Statutes consolidated city- and county-enabling statutes for development regulations and reassembled them into a more logical, coherent organization. While the new law did not make major policy changes or shifts in the scope of authority granted to local governments, it did provide clarifying amendments and consensus reforms.”

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Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Earthworms

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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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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Catalytic Converters

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For our sponsor, Advance Auto Parts, as part of a paid radio sponsorship on WIZS.

Ask a mechanic about your vehicle’s catalytic converter and you’re likely to hear about how it reduces pollution and toxic gases that come from the engine.

An environmentalist may tell you how essential this little piece of metal is to protect the air we breathe.

Ask an unscrupulous so-and-so and you’ll likely hear that they’re super easy to steal, strip of its precious metals and make some serious money, all at the vehicle owners’ expense.

This relatively small, but essential, piece of equipment has attracted thieves looking to make a fast buck. The National Insurance Crime Bureau says claims of catalytic converter thefts have increased by nearly 300 percent since 2020.

Vehicles can run without a catalytic converter, but legally, they’re supposed to have one. If you notice that your vehicle makes a very loud sound when you start it, you may want to check to see that the catalytic converter is there – if not, that 18-inch gap in your exhaust system where the converter used to be is the reason for the noise.

So, what’s a car owner to do? There are several suggestions to keep your vehicle safe:

  • Always park in your garage or a brightly-lit area, ideally in view of a security camera. At home, put in a motion sensor light that covers your driveway.
  • Install an anti-theft device that makes it impossible to cut off your catalytic converter. Several manufacturers sell shields, cables or plates that are bolted onto your car to cover the component.
  • Spray paint the catalytic converter a bright color with high-temperature exhaust manifold paint, which should alert a recycler that it could be stolen property.
  • Etch your license plate or vehicle identification number on the converter so it’s easier to track if stolen.

The information contained in this post is not advice from Advance Auto Parts or WIZS.  Safety First!  Always seek proper help.  This is presented for its informational value only and is part of a paid advertising sponsorship.

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