Tag Archive for: #wizsnews

Cooperative Extension with Wayne Rowland: Community Gardens

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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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TownTalk: Around Old Granville: Restoring Cemetery Monuments

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When it comes to maintaining cemeteries, we’re used to seeing landscape crews out with mower and weed eaters, making sure the grounds are manicured and neat for visitors and other passersby.

But just as important – maybe more so, says Hilary Verville of Verville Preservation in Oxford, is a bucket of water and a soft-bristle brush. You see, she and husband Michael have their eyes on cemeteries’ stone monuments and headstones.

Often, family members are the ones left to tend smaller family plots, Verville said on Thursday’s Around Old Granville segment of TownTalk.

“We love going into the family plots,” she said. And when they get calls from folks about what to do to clean or repair headstones, they’re happy to help.

“Documentation is absolutely the best first step,” she said – take photos of the stone in question, which will help position the stone properly if it has to be removed for repair.

There’s no replacement for proper maintenance when it comes to keeping headstones in good repair. She encourages individuals to become “citizen preservationists” in the fight to keep headstones and monuments in good repair.

“The best thing you can do is to keep it clean with water,” Virville said. “No chemicals, no soap – water and a soft-bristle brush” is the ticket to keep moss, lichens and bird poop from causing damage over time.

“You give it a good scrub. Don’t get super aggressive with it,” she continued. It’s kind of like brushing your teeth.”

And, she said, “never, ever, ever” use bleach or other abrasive cleaner. You WILL damage the stone. It may look nice in the short-term, but you’ll create pitting that will weaken the stone over time.

And if you need assistance, Verville said, “call us – we’re going to help you do it the right way.”

The Vervilles will come out and assess the site and the headstone or monument before coming up with a repair plan and next steps.

Verville Preservation is conducting a workshop at Oakwood Cemetery in Louisburg on Saturday, Apr. 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. for anyone interested in learning from the pros.

Register for the workshop at https://www.louisburghistoricdistrict.com/

 

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The Local Skinny! Pop The Hood: Extending Your Vehicle’s Life

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

With spring having officially “sprung,” folks are getting serious about the proverbial spring cleaning tasks at home and in the yard and garden. The folks at Advance Auto Parts have everything you need to take care of those spring cleaning projects with your vehicles that take place in your garage or driveway.

Vehicle owners can check off a good number of these tasks to extend the life of their car or truck, but there may be some that are better left to a professional.

Trust the team at Advance Auto Parts to help you make sure your vehicle is in top condition as warmer weather approaches. Whether it’s parts you need, cleaning supplies or a battery check, Advance is the place to make sure sure your car or truck remains road-worthy.

  • Check your tire pressure – improperly inflated tires affect gas mileage and can reduce traction in rain – April showers bring May flowers, but also slick roads.
  • Take a look at your tires – check the level of tread and for any cracks or other signs of wear or damage.
  • Replace wiper blades – get into the habit of replacing blades a couple of times a year.
  • Check the battery – who wants to be stranded in a parking lot, on the side of the road or anywhere for that matter. If you see corrosion around the battery’s connection points or cracks along the top or sides, it may be time to swap it out for a new one.
  • Change the Air Filter – just like your home’s air filters, your car or truck’s filters need changing periodically. The staff at Advance Auto Parts can help you determine which type of filter is best for your vehicle and your wallet.
  • Change the oil and the oil filter for maximum efficiency. The frequency, however, depends on the kind of vehicle you drive and how your drive it. Oil changes are necessary to reduce excess dirt and sludge that may build up inside the engine.
  • Take a look at belts and hoses – pop the hood and visually inspect engine belts and hoses to make sure they aren’t cracked. A leaky coolant hose, for example, can lead to an overheated engine. And when the belt that turns the water pump snaps, your car’s cooling system won’t work. If you hear a high-pitched whine or squeal, it may be a sign of a worn belt that’s losing its tension.
  • Check the A/C before outside temps get too hot to make sure the system is working properly. Don’t wait ‘til summertime – nothing worse than climbing into a hot car and not being able to cool it down!
  • Inspect the radiator and its rubber cooling hoses for any signs of cracking or swelling that could cause leaks.
  • Wash your vehicle. A shiny, clean car isn’t just for looks. Your vehicle’s paint and undercarriage need an occasional wash.

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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Cooperative Extension With Jamon Glover: Communication, Part 2

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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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TownTalk: MerleFest Takes Place April 25 Through 28

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About 100 artists and bands will take to the stage – 12 stages, actually – during the four-day run of MerleFest next month in Wilkes County and organizers anticipate more than 70,000 fans of bluegrass and traditional music will be there to listen and take in all the sights.

Festival Director Wes Whitson said he’d love to see attendance “north of 75,000” and said he and his team work throughout the year to secure acts from far and near to entertain audiences of all ages throughout the four days. MerleFest 2024 takes place on the campus of Wilkes Community College April 25-28.

MerleFest began in 1988 as a fundraiser to help improve the gardens at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, Whitson told WIZS co-host Bill Harris. Legendary musician Doc Watson started the festival in memory of his musician son Merle, who died in 1985.

Since then, the festival has grown and evolved, but Whitson said its roots still lie in being a fundraiser for the community college, providing money for scholarships, training and much more.

Among the acts taking the stage this year are Old Crow Medicine Show, Nickel Creek, Turnpike Troubadours, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Steep Canyon Rangers – just to name a few.

Visit https://merlefest.org/ for details about ticket prices, lineups, schedules and all things MerleFest. Or, Whitson said, the box office is open on weekdays, so feel free to call 800.343.7857. There’s also a MerleFest app.

From all indications so far, MerleFest fans approve of the musicians they’ll be listening to this year. “Our fans have really shown support for our lineup,” Whitson said. They conducted research will polls to make sure they were choosing artists that fans wanted to hear.

“I think that paid off,” he said, adding that they’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback.

Concert-goers come from all over to the small county in western North Carolina, and they bring their pocketbooks with them. Whitson said MerleFest infuses $10 and $12 million dollars into the local economy during the days leading up to – and including – the festival.

MerleFest’s artist relations team is continually looking and listening for local talent and scout around in local and larger venues all year to identify potential musicians to invite. “We seek and find and invite,” Whitson said. “We’re definitely paying attention and following the ‘buzz’ around.”

In its earlier days, organizers could start making plans in the summer for the following spring’s concert. But those days are over, Whitson said.

“It is a yearlong planning event – we work full time on this all year long…to make sure we’re putting out the best, safest, quality event. That takes a lot of time.”

He gives much credit to his festival team and extended network of partners – from the production company to the tent supplier to artist relations teams, “everybody pitches in and does a great job,” Whitson said.

“I’m surrounded by good people…we love doing it and it’s a lot of fun.”

 

WIZS will be giving away free tickets to MerleFest in the coming weeks – stay tuned for details!

 

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Home And Garden Show

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On the Home and Garden Show with Vance Co. Cooperative Ext.

  • Cleanup perennial flower beds. Cut back plants, pull weeds and refresh mulch
  • Finish up your pruning chores. Fruit trees,blueberries,grape vines, broadleaf evergreens and ornamental trees.
  • Increase pollination of your garden by purchasing Honey bees or contacting a beekeeper to place a hive on your property
  • Keep your garden notebook up to date
  • Check vegetable seedlings that you are growing indoors daily, light,soil moisture
  • Plan your spring garden on paper before planting your garden

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TownTalk: Henderson Spectacular Coming To SaddleRock Farm

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The upcoming “Henderson Spectacular” is sure to check a lot of boxes for folks in the community who want to visit a local farm, play games and enjoy the outdoors, but Larry Johnson and Emily Parker are weaving in a religious theme into all the activities that will be taking place on Saturday, Apr. 27.

And they want to spread the word, especially about The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Johnson owns SaddleRock Farm, and he and his granddaughter-in-law were guests on Tuesday’s TownTalk segment to talk up the event, which is completely free for everyone to attend. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the fun continues until 3 p.m. Come early, Johnson advised, so you’ll have a chance to enjoy all the activities that are in store.

“I’m blessed to be a part of it…I’m glad to have it at the farm –  it’s special,” Parker said.

“Our farm furnishes the location,” Johnson said, and New Sandy Creek Baptist Church is a primary sponsor for this year’s “Spectacular,” which will feature horse rides and hayrides, inflatables for the kids to play on, puppet shows and much more.

Then there’s the food – think carnival food like popcorn, sno-cones and drinks to go along with all the outdoor fun – “all for zero cost,” Johnson added.

Kids of all ages can enjoy visiting with some barnyard animals, including goats, sheep, a pig, chickens, ducks, geese, peacocks – even a turkey.

Not to worry, Johnson said, all these animals have names. And you can’t eat them once you give them names, he explained.

The farm is a for-profit endeavor, providing riding lessons, field trips and birthday parties throughout the year. But it’s important to Johnson to give back to the community, and hosting the event is his way of going that.

“When I bought that farm, I didn’t buy it for the public, I bought it for my family. Not too long after that, God spoke to my heart and said he had provided that farm…not just for my family but for other people. So when we opened in April 2010, we had a pretty big dedication service and we dedicated that farm to the Lord and his work. We do have to make a living – the farm does have to support itself, but it is dedicated to the Lord and every opportunity we have to provide any service that people can learn more about the Lord, we do that.”

SaddleRock Farm is located at 1786 Weldon’s Mill Rd., Henderson.

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