Posts written by Lynn Allred

Granville County students win national art contest

Two high school and one elementary school student from Granville County schools were recognized by the Granville County Board of Commissioners at their Sept. 7 meeting. These students joined almost 100 others across the county in participating in a student art contest sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo)

The contest was part of the national 2021 “Counties Matter” campaign, designed to introduce young residents to the responsibilities of local government. The theme of this inaugural contest was “I Love My County Because….” Student artists were asked to complete the sentence of why they “love” their county, and to accompany that sentence with a piece of original artwork describing the reason selected.

Artwork submitted by two students of Granville County Public Schools was selected to be included on the National Association of Counties’ 2022 calendar, with one honorable mention also singled out from entries from across the nation. All winning artwork will be published in NACo’s “County News” newspaper, which is distributed nationwide.

The following students were recognized:

• * Brim Royster, J.F. Webb High School – Winner
•   “I love my county for the family connections I have here.”

• * Elizabeth Gibson, Creedmoor Elementary School – Winner
•   “I love my county because of the beautiful architecture.”

• * Sofia Serba Davis, J.F. Webb High School – Honorable Mention
•   “I love my county because of the beautiful architecture.”

Art teachers for these students are Ophelia Staton of J.F. Webb High School and Leslie Nunnery of Creedmoor Elementary. Granville County Government partnered with Granville County Public Schools in coordinating this contest.

Book signing to be held at Granville County Museum

Granville County author Lewis Bowling will be available to sign copies of the commemorative 275th Anniversary book Looking Back: 275 Years of Granville County History during the annual Hot Sauce Contest in Downtown Oxford. The book signing will be held from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sept. 11 at the Granville County Historical Society Museum and is planned in conjunction with the Museum’s 275^th Anniversary Exhibit, now on display at the Harris Exhibit Hall.

Granville County’s history dates back to 1746, thirty years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Bowling’s book, commissioned by the Granville County Board of Commissioners and the 275^th Anniversary Planning Committee, follows the development of the County from its early history to present day, with a narrative that follows the author’s familiar story-telling style.

Bowling has already published a variety of books that spotlight the history of the area, including commemorative works for the City of Oxford’s bicentennial (2016) and for Camp Butner’s 75^th anniversary, (2017), as well as contributing regular columns to the Oxford Public Ledger and the Butner Creedmoor News.

“There is so much history here,” Bowling said of Granville County’s heritage. “Even with all my research I have not even come close to covering all of it.”

Copies of the book are being sold at key locations in Granville County and are also available for purchase online through the Granville County Government website.

Sites where the book is available include:

• Ace Hardware, 119 Hillsboro Street, Oxford
• Berea Library, 1211 US Highway 158
• Butner Town Hall, 415 Central Avenue
• Creedmoor City Hall, 111 Masonic Street
• Granville County Chamber of Commerce, 124 Hillsboro Street, Oxford
• Granville County Government Administration Office, 104 Belle Street, Oxford
• Granville County Historical Society Museum, 1 Museum Lane, Oxford
• Oxford Public Ledger, 200 West Spring Street
• Richard H. Thornton Library, 210 Main Street, Oxford
• South Branch Library, 1550 South Campus Drive, Creedmoor
• Stovall Library, 300 Main Street, Stovall
• This ‘n That, 125 Main Street, Oxford

The Sept. 11 book signing continues Granville County’s milestone anniversary observance and is sponsored by the 275^th Anniversary Planning Committee.

The Granville County Historical Society Museum is located at 1 Museum Lane in Oxford. Its celebratory exhibit featuring the history of the area will be on display until the end of the year.

For more information about the book or to order online, please click here. For questions about the book signing, please contact the Museum at 919-693-9706.

Commissioners to tour schools with Board of Education

Public notice: A quorum of the Granville County Board of Commissioners may be present at a joint tour of schools with the Granville County Public Schools’ Board of Education. 

Tours of J.F. Webb High School, located at 3200 Webb School Road in Oxford, and South Granville High School, located at 701 North Crescent Drive in Creedmoor, will take place on Thursday, Sept. 9 beginning at 9 a.m.

No action will be taken.

For more information, please contact the County Manager’s Office at 919-693-5240.

Granville County Board of Commissioners to meet on September 7

Notice of regular meeting:

The Granville County Board of Commissioners will meet at the Granville Expo & Convention Center, 4185 Highway 15, Oxford, NC on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. for the regular scheduled meeting, due to the Labor Day holiday on Monday.  

This will be an in-person meeting.  Any questions should be directed to Debra Weary, Clerk to the Board, at 919-603-1307 or emailed to  debra.weary@granvillecounty.org. 

To view the agenda, please click here.

Public Hearing Notice, proposal for grant application

Please be advised that a public hearing will be held on the proposed SFY2023 Section 5310 – Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program grant application, to be submitted to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The hearing will be held during the Sept. 7 Board of Commissioners meeting at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center 4185 Hwy. 15 South in Oxford. 

The goal of these funds is to provide transportation services that meet the special needs of elderly persons and those with disabilities for whom mass transportation services are unavailable, insufficient or inappropriate.

For more information, please click here.

Sheriff offers tips for safe Labor Day holiday

With the approach of the Labor Day weekend, Granville County Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr. asks all residents to join him in making this holiday a safe one.

Traditionally during the Labor Day holiday, North Carolina roadways experience one of the highest traffic flows of the year as families travel for end-of-summer vacations and a three-day-weekend. With some of the most heavily traveled highways located in or near Granville County, the Sheriff reminds everyone to follow these safe driving tips while on the road:

• Always shift attention every few seconds, constantly scanning the road ahead and behind. Never stare blankly ahead or fix your gaze on one point on the road.
• When passing a vehicle, always glance at the ground beside the front wheel of the car you intend to pass. That way, you will know instantly if the car is about to veer, giving you an extra few seconds to respond.
• Also when passing, pull out into the opposite lane of traffic while you are still well behind the car in front. This should give you some time and space to build up speed, and will enable you to pull back into your own lane, should the need arise.
• Never cut abruptly out of your lane into the opposite lane. Always signal your intentions with your brake lights, turn signals, horn and/or headlights so that other drivers will see you well before you change course.
• Always “aim high” in steering, glancing frequently at points well ahead. Not only will this help in steering, but will also help check the position of vehicles in front, as well as oncoming traffic.
• Never follow too close. Remember that, as speed increases, it takes substantially longer to stop. Also, remember that it’s good to have an extra cushion of space in front if you are being tailgated, on a slippery road, or in low visibility conditions.

“I would like to remind all drivers to also practice the ‘Golden Rule’ when driving,” Sheriff Noblin said. “Be courteous and tolerant of other drivers. Whether at home or heading to vacation destinations, let’s make this Labor Day weekend a safe one on our roads.”

Sheriff Charles R. Noblin, Jr.

The Granville County Sheriff’s Office is located at 525 New Commerce Drive in Oxford. For safety concerns or questions, please call 919-693-3213 or send emails to granville.sheriff@granvillecounty.org.

Labor Day fireworks show scheduled at Lake Holt in Butner

Granville County Government is proud to support the Labor Day fireworks show scheduled for Friday, Sept. 3. The City of Creedmoor and the Town of Butner, with assistance from Granville County, the City of Oxford and the Town of Stem, will host this event at Lake Holt, located on Old Highway 75 in Butner. 

The evening will include several fun activities such as a DJ spinning crowd-favorite songs and plenty of concession stand offerings. Everyone who plans to attend must be through the gates by 7:45 p.m. There will be no admittance after that time and vehicles will not be able to leave until the show is over.

Attendees are strongly encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket and a flashlight to assist them in the walk back to their vehicle after the show. Please note that alcoholic beverages and/or open flames will not be permitted on site. Event organizers also request that all pets be left at home, due to the loud nature of the fireworks.

Parking and security will be organized by officers of Butner Public Safety, the Creedmoor and Oxford Police Departments, the Granville County Sheriff’s Office, Creedmoor and Stem Fire Departments and the Junior Volunteer Fire Department.  Please see the map below for designated parking areas. 

Also note that there is no scheduled rain date. If inclement weather prevents the show from taking place, it will be cancelled.

For more details, please contact the City of Creedmoor at 919-764-1013 or the Town of Butner at 919-575-3109.

Click on image to enlarge.

Commissioner Tim Karan completes leadership training

Granville County Commissioner Tim Karan (District 6) has successfully completed Advanced Leadership Corps (ALC) training by the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The week-long residential program, offered annually to local elected officials, provides opportunities for participants to learn more about their own behaviors and practices while strengthening their abilities to lead and to govern.

“With the ever-changing political climate, it was important for me to take a deep and introspective look at my leadership style and personality traits to become an even more effective community leader,” Commissioner Karan said. “This course offered me the self-analysis to do that and helped me to learn more about topics that impact the lives, health and safety of those I serve. I am grateful to have had this opportunity.”

More than 140 local elected officials from across North Carolina have completed this leadership development training.

ALC is an intensive and selective program designed by the School’s Center of Public Leadership and Governance and is supported by generous donations from Prudential Financial. Through this financial support, participants are enrolled and can attend at little cost to the local unit of government. The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) also provides cost offsets for county elected officials to attend.

To learn more about this program, please visit https://www.sog.unc.edu.

Local volunteer fire departments receive state grant funding

Eleven local fire departments were recently approved for grant funding totaling more than $176,000 through the Volunteer Fire Department Fund. A ceremonial check presentation was held on Aug. 23 at the Granville County Expo and Convention Center, with awards ranging from $6,639 to $30,000. N.C. Insurance Commissioner/State Fire Marshal Mike Causey and Chief State Fire Marshal/Assistant Commissioner Brian Taylor made a scheduled stop in Granville County to officially announce the awards, which are part of a statewide program assisting more than 500 volunteer fire departments in North Carolina.

Granville County fire departments awarded grant funding through this program include:

• * Antioch-Fishing Creek Volunteer Fire Department, $11,000;
• * Brassfield Volunteer Fire Department, $18,450;
• * Bullock Volunteer Fire Department, $30,000;
• * Corinth Volunteer Fire Department, $6,639.31;
• * Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department, $15,927;
• * Creedmoor Volunteer Fire Department, $24,737.50;
• * Granville Rural Fire Department, $15,568.50;
• * Providence Community Fire Department, $8,629.12;
• * Stem Community Fire Department and EMS, $11,471.46;
• * Total Community Fire Department of Berea, $10,454; and
• * Virgilina Volunteer Fire Association, $23,608.37.

Grants awarded were 100 percent of the amounts requested by each fire department during the application process.

The Volunteer Fire Department Fund was created to assist North Carolina’s volunteer fire departments in purchasing equipment and making capital expenditures and is administered through the N.C. Department of Insurance/Office of the State Fire Marshal. Fire departments approved for funding are required to provide a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $30,000. Eligible volunteer fire departments must be rated/certified by the N.C. Department of Insurance.

Fire Services in Granville County are provided by 12 volunteer and two paid departments. Each department maintains and provides 24-hour fire protection services.

Notice of Special Joint Meeting on August 25

All interested persons please take notice that the Granville County Board of Commissioners and the Granville County Board of Education will hold a Special Joint Meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021 at 9 a.m. in the main gymnasium at South Granville High School at 701 North Crescent Drive in Creedmoor. The purpose is for an initial meeting regarding redistricting.

-Debra A. Weary, Clerk to the Board