The Henderson Vance Downtown Development Commission newsletter is now available. Information includes grant opportunities for new and existing businesses, and upcoming events in downtown. Please like the facebook page at www.facebook.com/hendersonncdowntown and visit their website www.hendersonncdowntown.com Download the newsletter here: Clockworks Summer 2016.pdf
Vance County Board of Commissioners Called Meeting August 30th, 2016
Chairman Gordon Wilder has called a special meeting for Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. in the Commissioners’ Conference Room, Vance County Administration Building, 122 Young Street, Henderson, NC. The purpose of the meeting is to enter into closed session to discuss personnel matters.
Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board Meeting September 1st, 2016
The next meeting of the Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board will be held on Thursday, September 1st, 2 pm at the Farmers Market (210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC). Our meetings are open to the public.
Registration open for Backyard Famers Series
This Fall, Warren County Cooperative Extension will once again offer the Backyard Farmers Series. This educational program is designed for those who would like to learn how to make the most of their land. Whether you have a quarter acre, 25 acres or more, the Backyard Farmers classes will teach you how to make it more productive. Instructors will cover the basics of soil management, vegetable gardening, backyard poultry, fruit production, raising goats, and much more. For those who would …
Carowinds adding vintage fair rides, WinterFest holiday event
Carowinds is bringing back the 1950s with vintage rides and a Christmas event. Starting next spring, the theme park delves back to the past with four vintage rides as it opens its new County Fair section of the park. The rides are the result of an initiative by parent company Cedar Fair Entertainment to bring antique rides from Europe and the U.S. to the company’s theme parks. The holiday event at Carowinds will be called WinterFest and it premieres in November …
Vance County’s Planning / Environmental Committee Meeting Tuesday, August 30th, 2016
Please note that the County’s Planning/Environmental Committee (Taylor, Garrison, Wilder) is scheduled to meet Tuesday, August 30 at 3:00 p.m. in the administrative conference room. The purpose is to review an offer on a house in the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (661 Charles Street). All commissioners are invited to attend.
North Carolina Weekend
For the week of Aug. 25 on North Carolina Weekend, get revved up at Bull City Rumble Vintage Motorcycle Show in Durham. Get back to nature with Cape Fear River Adventures in Lillington. Find something unique at Pickers at the Old Tater Barn in Oriental. Lift a glass at Broadslab Distillery in Benson. And check out the scene at The Depot at Cody Creek in Dobson. (Please note: listings are subject to change.) North Carolina Weekend is underwritten by Visit …
Key Central N.C. Projects to Be Included in Next State Transportation Plan
The N.C. Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that several key transportation projects aimed at improving regional mobility and better connecting central North Carolina’s communities will be included in the state’s next draft 10-year transportation plan, which will be released in January 2017. The plan includes the years 2018 through 2027. “A strong transportation network is the backbone of the state’s economy,” Governor Pat McCrory said. “We took the politics out of transportation planning to ensure roads and other important infrastructure …
Thursday Open Line
The Smithsonian Institution, founded this month in 1846, is the world’s largest museum and research complex, with 138 million artifacts in its collection. One was donated to the museum in August 1985 to mark the 25th anniversary of its commercial debut — the original Xerox 914 copying machine. The principle of xerography — producing images on paper using electricity — was developed in 1938 by lawyer-scientist Chester Carlson, who saved future generations from having to deal with carbon paper and …
Troxler announces availability of bioenergy research grants
The N.C. Bioenergy Research Initiative is seeking grant proposals focused on research and development of agricultural and forestry-based feedstocks for bioenergy production, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced. The N.C. General Assembly approved $1 million in funding for the 2016-2017 budget cycle. Nearly $74,000 has been committed to multi-year projects that were started with the 2015-2016 grant cycle, leaving over $926,000 for new and existing projects. The grants are designed to focus on projects that boost energy production from North Carolina …
Kerr Lake Regional Water System Advisory Board Meeting Friday, August 26, 2016
The Kerr Lake Regional Water System Advisory Board will meet on Friday, August 26, 2016 at 11:00 in the Large Conference Room at City Hall, 134 Rose Avenue, Henderson, NC.
Allegheny, Ashe, Avery: Top Christmas Tree Producers
On August 23, 2005, the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) was adopted as the official state Christmas tree of North Carolina. The idea came from eighth graders at Spruce Pine’s Harris Middle School who petitioned legislators to bestow the special recognition upon the popular conifer after learning of the economic impact the tree had in the state. The bill was introduced by state Representative Philip D. Frye, also of Spruce Pine. A diagram of a Christmas tree from a 1979 state …
Vance County’s Properties Committee Meeting Tuesday, August 30th, 2016
Please be informed that the County’s Properties Committee (Brummitt, Kelly, Wilder) is scheduled to meet Tuesday, August 30 at 3:30 p.m. in the administrative conference room. All commissioners are invited to attend.
Transportation Secretary Visits Students and Staff at N.C. State
Fall classes are under way at N.C. State, and Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson paid a visit to campus Tuesday to encourage students to consider working toward a career with the department. Secretary Tennyson sat in on a civil engineering class in the school’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. He reminded students that the transportation challenges we face in the 21st century, coupled with Governor Pat McCrory’s emphasis on improving the state’s transportation infrastructure through his 25-year Transportation Vision …
Wineries celebrate N.C. Wine Month in September
Wine lovers will have plenty of ways to celebrate the state’s $1.7 billion wine and grape industry in September during North Carolina Wine and Grape Month. The annual celebration aligns with the traditional harvest season of grapes across the state. The N.C. Wine and Grape Growers Council, which promotes the industry, is encouraging consumers to visit local wineries during the month. “North Carolina is home to more than 180 wineries, and each one is as unique as the wines it …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates and Upcoming Events
FALL IS FOR FESCUE Tall fescue, being a cool-season grass, grows vigorously during the milder temperaturess of fall and spring. That means we need to do some things now to help it along. The first thing would be to get some slow release nutrients applied so they are in place when the turf needs them. We recommend a turf grade fertilizer that is low in phosphorous, applied at a rate of about 1 pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet. …
VGCC Culinary students teach kids about cooking
Vance-Granville Community College Culinary Arts students recently became teachers, as they helped youngsters explore the world of cooking. The City of Oxford Parks and Recreation department offered a week-long “cooking camp” twice this summer, and employed students from VGCC as basic culinary instructors during the morning hours for three days. In July, VGCC students Randy Bullock of Stem and Jasmyne Schmitt of Bracey, Va., taught some of the basics of cooking and baking to the campers, who ranged in age …
Wednesday Open Line
One of America’s favorite snack foods is said to have originated on this date in 1853 near Saratoga Springs, New York. The chef at Moon’s Lake House, George Crum, was irritated by a customer who sent back his fried potatoes several times, saying they were too thick and soggy. Crum decided to slice potatoes wafer thin and stir-fry them. The customer was delighted, and so-called Saratoga Chips became famous. The true origin of potato chips is unknown, but they are …
7th Annual Ducky Derby Festival in Downtown Henderson, Saturday August 27th
7th Annual Ducky Derby Festival Saturday, August 27, 2016 10:00a.m.- 2:00p.m. Breckenridge Street, between the library and the police department inDowntown Henderson FREE activities and games for children: *Bounce House *Fire Truck *Face Painting*Smoke House *Games *Music*Zumba *Dance Teams *Exercise* Free haircuts and free book bags, while supplies last by SBKD Entertainment Food Vendors Community Agencies Variety of other vendors Sponsored by: Franklin Granville Vance Smart Start, Inc.
Davis named to head VGCC Culinary program
Vance-Granville Community College recently named Chef Teresa Davis as the new head of its Culinary Arts program. The two-year Associate in Applied Science degree program, based at the Masonic Home for Children in Oxford, prepares students to assume positions as trained culinary professionals in a variety of settings, including full-service restaurants, hotels, resorts, clubs, catering operations, contract foodservice, and health care facilities. Davis has been an instructor for VGCC’s Culinary Arts program since August 2015, but her association with the …