Archive for May, 2019

Coming soon to your local library

The four branches of the Granville County Library System have a full slate of programming and scheduled events for the first week of June.

On June 1, Dr. Elliott Engel will bring to life “The Inimitable Winston Churchill.” Engel has researched numerous biographies to discover virtually unknown details of the career of this twentieth century giant. Using large doses of humor, Engel  – a resident of Raleigh and a former teacher at the University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University and Duke University –  will make his presentation at the South Branch at 3 p.m. The award-winning lecturer has published several books and magazine articles and has written four plays, which have been produced over the past ten years. Best known for his service in promoting the life and work of Charles Dickens, Engel has also been inducted into the Royal Society of Arts in England and has been President of the Dickens Fellowship of North Carolina since 1980. The public is invited to attend this presentation meet Mr. Engel and to learn more about the life and career of Winston Churchill. The South Branch is located at 1550 South Campus Drive in Creedmoor.

Also on June 1, “Teen Time” is scheduled for 2 until 4 p.m at the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford. Participants can enjoy Wii games, board games and refreshments. And immediately following at 4 p.m., those interested in attending a meeting of the recently-formed “Teen Club” will have an opportunity to offer suggestions to make their local library the place they would like for it to be. Anyone interested is asked to contact Amy Carlson at 919-693-1121, ext. 212.

A “Safe Space” for teens is held on the first Monday of each month in the small conference room of the Thornton Library. This mental health support group is offered from 5 until 6 p.m. For more information, contact Teen Librarian Amy Carlson.

Teens who enjoy cooking are invited to participate in the “Iron Chef Teen” Cooking Competition. The “Dessert Edition” of the challenge will be held on June 21 from 2 until 5 p.m., but now is the time to prepare. Those interested are invited to choose a partner and join in the high-stakes cooking competition that will involve cream cheese and cash prizes. All cooking levels are welcome. Register in person or online at granville.lib.nc.us.

Every Friday at 10 a.m., the Thornton Library offers a free computer workshop for those needing assistance with basic computer skills. For more details, contact Ashley Wilson at 919-693-1121. And Story Times are offered for young children at all library branches – The Stovall Library (Mondays), the South Branch Library (Tuesdays), the Berea branch (Tuesdays) and the Thornton Library (Wednesdays). All story times are scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

Students in kindergarten through 5^th grade are invited to participate in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) every Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. at the Thornton Library. Hands-on activities and learning experiences are planned each week. Those interested in participating should call the library at 919-693-1121.

And prepare for the Summer Reading Program, which kicks off on June 20 with the theme “A Universe of Stories.” More details will be coming soon.

There are four branches of the Granville County Library System, which includes the Richard H. Thornton Library in Oxford, the South Branch in Creedmoor, the Berea branch and the Stovall Branch. For a complete listing of events for the month of June, visit https://granville.lib.nc.us/.

Workshop scheduled for managing public records

Local government employees and elected officials can learn how to manage public records in the digital age when a workshop is held at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center from 1 until 4 p.m. on June 5. Presenters from the State Archives of North Carolina will facilitate the session, which covers topics such as public records laws, key principles of records management, using a records retention schedule and managing electronic records such as email, social media and other forms of digital communications.

This free workshop is open to all employees and elected officials from county and local municipal governments. Registration is required for each individual who plans to attend. To register for this workshop, or for more information, contact Whitney Ray at whitney.ray@ncdcr.gov or 919-814-6907.

The Granville County Expo and Convention Center is located at 4185 US Hwy 15 South in Oxford.

Granville County considered for new DHHS location

Granville County Administration learned Tuesday that a proposal was included in the N.C. Senate budget for site selection in Granville County for the relocation of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).  Section 39.2(1) of the Senate Budget directs the Department of Administration to “select land located in Granville County suitable for the relocation of the Department of Health and Human Services facilities at the Dix Campus in Raleigh.” The Dix campus was sold to the City of Raleigh in 2015 and is to become a park. The proposal authorized $250 million to build a new facility.

To show support for the project, Granville County responded quickly by preparing a letter that was sent to Governor Roy Cooper, DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and a number of legislators. While the State of North Carolina currently owns land in the southern area of the county, the letter of support highlights the Triangle North – Granville site. Triangle North Granville is a 527-acre business park located in Granville and Vance Counties with approximately three miles of frontage on Interstate 85. If selected, DHHS will be the first tenant on the site, which is marketed as a Life Science and Technology Park.

“This state office would be a great addition to the park,” County Manager Mike Felts remarked, “and the project would be transformative to Granville County and to the region. We are excited about the prospect of DHHS locating in Granville County.”

An emergency meeting was scheduled by the Granville County Board of Commissioners for further review and discussion of the proposal. The meeting will be held on May 29 at 5 p.m. at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center.

SBA loans available, Granville County is eligible

WASHINGTON: Low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to North Carolina small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small aquaculture businesses and private nonprofit organizations affected by the gas leak explosion on April 10, 2019.

Acting SBA Administrator Christopher Pilkerton made the loans available in response to a letter from Gov. Roy Cooper on April 19, 2019, requesting a disaster declaration by the SBA. The declaration covers Durham County and the adjacent counties of Chatham, Granville, Orange, Person and Wake in North Carolina.

“The SBA is strongly committed to providing the people of North Carolina with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist small businesses with federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans,” said Pilkerton. “Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”

“The SBA can help affected small businesses and nonprofit organizations overcome their economic losses by offering working capital loans, but the help cannot start until they submit an SBA disaster loan application to us,” added SBA’s North Carolina Acting District Director Michael Arriola. 

Eligible entities may qualify for loans up to $2 million. The SBA offers economic injury loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. The rates on theses loan are 4 percent for small businesses and 2.75 percent for nonprofit organizations with terms up to 30 years. Eligibility for these working capital loans are based on the size and type of business and its financial resources. These working capital loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that could have been paid had the disaster not occurred. The loans are not intended to replace lost sales or profits. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure website at DisasterLoan.sba.gov. Businesses and individuals may also obtain information and loan applications by calling the SBA’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), or by emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be returned to the center or mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

The deadline to return economic injury applications is Jan. 30, 2020.
 

Board of Elections schedules meeting for June 4

A Board meeting to discuss and approve changes in polling locations will be held on Tuesday June 4, 2019 at 9:30 a.m. at the Granville County Board of Elections located at 208 Wall Street, Oxford, NC.  These moves are necessary due to requests from some polling places, and an effort to make voting more efficient for voters and poll workers. 

Election Day Precincts:

Proposal: The following precincts would remain at the same facility but the room where you vote would change.

Creedmoor Precinct  located at Creedmoor Elementary School, 305 East Wilton Avenue, Creedmoor

Proposal: Open partition in the music room and use the large open area in the music room.

Mt. Energy Precinct located at Mt. Energy Elementary School, 2652 NC Hwy 56 East, Creedmoor Proposal: Move from the gym to the Media Center.

West Oxford Elementary Precinct located at 412 Ivey Day Road, Oxford, NC

Proposal: Move from the library to the gym. 

One-Stop Site:

Proposal: The following One-Stop site would remain at the same facility but the room where you vote would change.

Wilton One-Stop Site located at Tar River Elementary School, 2642 Philo White Rd, Franklinton, NC

Proposal: Move from multipurpose room to the gym.  The gym is across the hall from the multipurpose room where voting currently is held (building to the left of the school.)

Election Day Precincts:

Proposal: The following precincts would move to another location and address.

Oak Hill Precinct

Proposal: Move from Toler-Oak Hill School located at Toler-Oak Hill School, 8176 Hwy 96 North, Oxford, NC  to Camp Oak Hill & Retreat Center located at 1528 Oak Hill Road, Oxford, NC

–          Voting will be in the last room on the right down the sidewalk.  There will be a separate entrance for voters to enter and exit. 

Salem Precinct

Proposal: Move from the Oxford/Henderson Airport located at the Oxford/Henderson Airport, 6514 Airport Road, Oxford, NC to Oxford Preparatory School located at 6041 Landis Road, Oxford, NC

–     Voting will be in the gym.  This will allow more space for voters and will have a separate entrance for voters to enter and exit.

Sassafras Fork Precinct

Proposal: Move from Sassafras Fork Elementary School located at Stovall-Shaw School, 7696 US Hwy 15 North to the Stovall Library located at 300 Main Street, Stovall, NC

–           Voting will be in the conference room.  This will allow more space for voters.

Tally Ho precinct

Proposal: Move from Stem Fire Station located at the Stem Fire Station, 100 Franklin Street, Stem, NC to Granville Central High School located at 2043 Sanders Road, Stem, NC

 – Voting will be in the band room. This will allow more space and parking for voters.

For more information about this meeting, please contact Tonya Burnette, Granville County Director of Elections, at 919-693-2515.

Notice of Public Hearing

The Granville County Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Monday, June 3, 2019 will hold a public hearing at 7:00 PM or later in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room in the Auditorium at the Granville Expo and Convention Center at 4185 US Highway 15 South, Oxford, N.C. 27565.  

The purpose of the public hearing is to hear public comments on the following land development code text amendment petition:

Granville County Land Development Code Text Amendment Petition

AMENDMENT TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE (LDC) THAT WOULD ADD SENIOR CITIZENS’ CENTER (NAICS 624120) TO THE LIST OF INSTITUTIONAL LAND USES IN THE CODE.

Changes may be made in the advertised proposal, which reflect debate, objections, and discussions at the hearing. Any interested citizen is invited to attend.

For additional information or public examination, contact the Granville County Planning Department, 122 Williamsboro Street, P.O. Box 877, Oxford, NC 27565; phone 919-603-1331 or fax 919-693-6794.

Granville Athletic Park reaches 15-year milestone

On May 21, 2004, Granville Athletic Park (GAP) was dedicated to the citizens of Granville County after a hard-fought battle to keep out a hazardous waste incinerator. Fifteen years later, the GAP is now the area’s largest recreational area and environmental preserve, serving as a “third home” for thousands of residents and visitors. What happened to change the intended use of this site is the result of many concerned people – from near and far – coming together to make a difference in their community.

In 1989, North Carolina joined a five-state compact that would commit the state to site and build five hazardous waste incinerators for a private company called ThermalKEM. In May of the following year, the list of 18 potential locations had been narrowed to two sites – one on the Rowan/Iredell County border and one near Oxford in Granville County. Land for the incinerator site totaled 580 acres off Belltown Road, which was combined from nine different land owners.

When Granville County residents learned of the plan to locate the toxic waste incinerator in their area, they took action. In addition to multiple local protests, Oxford attorney John Pike secured a loan from Adams Tobacco Company to purchase the 48-acre Ellok Jones farm, one of the tracts of land in the middle of the 580-acre proposed incinerator site. Pike then sold $5.00 ownership shares of the newly-acquired farmland to approximately 8,000 people, most from Granville County but some from as far away as the Soviet Union and South America. The intent was to make it so difficult to negotiate with the large number of shareholders that the state would eventually abandon the project. The idea worked. Facing multiple lawsuits and the publicity that resulted, the state was deterred from their original plan.

In March of 1999, a partnership was forged between Jonesland Environmental Park, Inc. and Granville County. According to the deed between the two partners, 48.28 acres of the land was to be used for recreation and environmental park purposes;  the forestland was to be preserved in a natural state (no clear cutting); the grounds were to be maintained by organic methods defined by the National Organic Standards Board; and the Jones family’s cemetery plot was to be maintained.

On May 21, 2004, the Granville Athletic Park and Jonesland Environmental Preserve was dedicated, with many supportive residents in attendance. The Granville County land that had once been envisioned as a site for the burning of toxic waste is now Granville County’s largest recreational area, covering more than 60 acres as it grows to meet the needs of its residents. Due to continued efforts by county staff, local organizations and volunteers, today’s park includes walking trails, baseball/softball diamonds, soccer fields, picnic areas, open play spaces, playground equipment, pickleball courts, a disc golf course, basketball goals, an educational Kids TRACK trail, an outdoor classroom space, a splash pad, a butterfly garden and many more amenities.

Phase III of the GAP’s expansion is to begin soon, which will include tennis courts, fitness stations, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, an all-inclusive play area, a sound garden and other additions.

Granville County Government has been observing the 15^th anniversary of Granville Athletic Park with an online “Fifteen Day Countdown” and will soon be introducing “Fifteen for 15,” which details 15 sponsorship/giving opportunities to kick off this milestone celebration. More details will be coming soon. For more information about Granville Athletic Park, contact Management Analyst Charla Duncan at charla.duncan@granvillecountygovernment.org. To reserve specific time periods for field play, picnic shelters, etc., contact Raymond Allen, Granville County’s Parks and Grounds Director, at 919-693-3716.

Pictured below: (Top left) A protestor stands her ground at the Belltown Road site that was once considered for a hazardous waste incinerator; (top right) Comm. Tony Cozart, Carolina Sunrock owner Brian Pfohl, Comm. Hubert Gooch, Oxford Attorney John Pike, Commissioners Dave Currin and W.E. “Pete” Averette are shown at the GAP’s dedication 15 years ago; (bottom row) Dedicated to the citizens of Granville County, the GAP is now the area’s largest recreational park and environmental preserve.

Notice of Public Hearing on the Proposed Budget for FY 2019-2020

All interested persons, please take notice that the Granville County Tourism Development Authority will meet on Thursday, May 30, 2019, at 2:00 p.m. to conduct regular business and hold a public hearing on the proposed budget for fiscal year 2019-2020 at the Tobacco Wood Brewing Company located on 117 Wall Street in Oxford.

Angela Allen

Tourism Development Director