Saturday, April 5th Town of Halifax Events

 SWING INTO SPRING with Town of Halifax FARMERS MARKET BAZAAR & Halicraft Art Festival!

The Town of Halifax Farmers Market will swing into Spring with our first annual Spring Bazaar.  The Indoor Market will be open on April 5th from 9am-3pm.

The Spring Bazaar welcomes our local farmers along with local artisans, crafters, and product/homebased businesses'. 

Fee for the Spring Bazaar is $12.  For more information or to become a vendor at our Spring Bazaar please call 434-476-2343 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Halicraft Art Festival, Saturday, April 5th, 9am-3pm. The historic Main Street of Halifax, VA will be transformed with artist tents, crafters, food and wine vendors, and more.

Stroll the lawn of our 176 year old historic courthouse while viewing fine arts including paintings and ceramics. Walk our landscaped sidewalks to visit craft vendors and sample delicious cuisine. Visit the wine garden for a wine tasting, or to relax with a glass of wine or two from your favorite local vineyard. Bring the entire family as children will have the opportunity to participate in creating their own works of art. Stroll down main street to the Town of Halifax Farmers Market where the Spring Bazaar will be taking place inside the Market building,with local farmers and more artist and crafters. We look forward to seeing you there!

For more information visit www.halicraft.wix.com/festival

Also mark your calendars for the 5th annual Earth Day Celebration on April 26th, 2014.

EVENTS COORDINATOR (PART-TIME CONTRACTOR) Position

Town of Halifax, Virginia

EVENTS COORDINATOR (PART-TIME CONTRACTOR)

POSITION DESCRIPTION:  On a contract basis working directly with the Town Manager and Assistant Manager, coordinating with the Halifax Village Association (HVA), volunteers and other organizations and reporting periodically to the Halifax Town Council.  Performs the development, planning, coordination, and implementation of a minimum of 3 annual events including administrative duties such as coordinating event mailings and managing invite list, website updates, promotion through traditional press and social media and various pre- and post-event responsibilities as needed.  Assists with the production, distribution and maintaining of correspondence related to events, including to/from sponsors, contributors, committee members, volunteers, vendors, employees, and guests.  Creates reports, articles, press releases and other materials.  Responsible for the accurate tracking and reporting of event budget expenses adhering to event budgets.  Recruits volunteers to assist with events and serve on event committees as needed, coordinationg event committee's logistics e.g. scheduling meetings, taking minutes, etc.  Responsible for sponsorship solicitations and follow-up.  Works with vendors on event specific arrangements, maintaining good relations with vendors.  Assists with fielding inquiries pertaining to events.  Communicates with the town staff and HVA to coordinate publicity and the creation of related materials for events.  Maintain the events' files.  Performs additional duties, as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:  3-5 years relevant experience.  Special events/events planning experience with a proven track record preferred.  College degree preferred.  Grant writing experience, familiarity with Virginia Main Street Program 4-Point approach, marketing/graphic art background a plus.  Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, Adobe Acrobat, Internet, and Social Media.  40-50 wpm.  Must be well organized, detail oriented, and able to effectively work independently and within a team framework.  Must be able to prioritize, manage a dynamic workload and meet deadlines.  Ability to handle confidential matters with a high level of integrity.  Should be proactive in coordinating and managing multiple events and be willing to take on additional responsibilities when needed.  Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills to deal courteously and tactfully with the public, area businesses and media, communicate well verbally, ability to follow written and verbal instructions, self-motivated and dependable.  Valid Virginia driver's permit.  Abiliity to lift 30 lbs.

Submit cover letter and resume and references: Carl Espy, IV, Town Manager, 70 South Main Street, Post Office Box 627, Halifax, Virginia 24558 or email to:

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Deadline:  January 17, 2014

Town of Halifax 2014 Tax Bills

The Town of Halifax would like to notify residents, businesses and property owners that 2014 taxes for real estate, personal property and machine & tool taxes are being mailed the week of October 27th.

This year, as an added convenience Halifax is pleased to continue offering the payment option for Real Estate and Personal Property tax bills using Paymentus Corporation, a third party automated payment service that accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and Electronic Check.  This payment plan can only be accessed online or by Phone using Paymentus.  This system will not be set up for payments in person at the Halifax Town Hall, although cash and check payments will continue to be accepted in person.  You may make your payment anytime, any day, 24/7.  Paymentus Corporation will charge a convenience fee for each transaction (the fee covers payment handling and processing charges).  Customers should be ready with the following information:

• For Real Estate, the 5-digit Tax ID number (locatd on your billing statement),
• For Personal Property, the 4-digit Tax ID number (located on your billing statement),
• Your Credit Card number or your Checking Account and Routing Number

To pay your bill by phone dial:  1-877-489-1674 to call a secure automated telephone payment system, powered by Paymentus Corporation.

To pay your bill online go to the Town of Halifax website http://www.townofhalifax.com, click on the "Pay Online Taxes" bar at the top and go to a secure third party website at Paymentus Corporation.

In response to taxpayers' preference, for those residents, businesses and property owners which owe both the real estate and personal property/machine & tool tax, separate tax notices will be included in the same envelope mailed by the town.  Checks for the total amount due should be made payable to Town of Halifax.

Please be reminded that the deadline for payment of total tax due (both real estate and personal property/machine & tool) is Thursday December 5, 2014.  If a receipt is desired, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope.  Payments made after the due date are subject to 10% Penalty and 10% Interest Per Annum.  In addition to applicable penalties and interest, after the second notice has been mailed in January 2015, late payments on personal property will be for 100 percent of tax due without regard to any former entitlement to state PPTRA relief.  Also any real estate or personal property taxes not paid after the 2nd notice will have a $15.00 administration fee added to the bill due.  If ownership of proerty has been transferred during the current tax year, the bill should be forwarded to the responsible party.  For information about the tax assessment of property, please contact the County Commissioner of Revenue's office at 434-476-3314.

If you have any questions about phone or online payments, please call Halifax Town Hall at 434-476-2343.

Garden Forum to Feature a Poet's Garden and US National Arboretum

     The Southside Master Gardener Association is presenting a Garden Forum on Saturday, November 2 at the South Boston - Halifax County Museum from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  Highlighted are the plant protection program of the National Arboretum and the Garden of Harlem Renaissance Poet Anne Spencer.  The forum is free and open to the public but registration is required.

     First on the agenda is Kevin Conrad, Curator, Woody Landscape Plant Germplasm Repository, United States National Arboretum.  His job includes collecting and conserving genetic resources and associated information for a broad spectrum of woody landscape plants and transfer technology in the form of genetic resources and associated information to researchers and breeders worldwide.

     Kevin is involved in plant expeditions that target natural areas in the United States or other countries throughout the temperate world.  Over the last several years a primary objective was to gather seed and plant material from Fraxinus (ash) to support conservation of this genus because of the potential loss caused by the Emerald Ash Borer.  Come out and hear about Kevin's fascinating research and other ways the National Arboretum works for you.

"Being a Negro Woman is the world's most exciting game of 'Taboo':  By hell there is nothing you can do that you want to do and by heaven you are going to do it anyhow".

"Earth, I thank you for the pleasure of your language".

     These snippets from two of Anne Spencer's poems clearly show what had value in her life.  Born in 1882, she came to Lynchburg in 1893 where she was enrolled in Virginia Theological Seminary, now the Virginia University at Lynchburg.  She worked as the librarian of the all black Dunbar High School.  A fierce believer in equal rights for all, Anne helped found the Lynchburg chapter of the NAACP and served on various community committees to improve all aspects of the African-American life.

     Having to fight for equal rights Anne made her garden a respite from the trials of the world.  The garden inspired her poetry and she often gazed out from her office cottage, Edankraal, onto the beauty of nature.   She and her husband Edward had a special relationship.  Edward was Lynchburg's first parcel postman and he loved to work with his hands.  He designed and built their house on 1313  Pierce Street and also Edankraal, a combination of Edward and Anne and kraal, the Afrikaans word for enclosure or corral.  Soon their house and gardens became a salon for intellectual conversation with such notables as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. DuBois, Marian Anderson, Thurgood Marshall, Zora Neal Hurston, Mary McLeod Bethune, Adam Clayton Powell, George Washington Carver, H.L. Mencken, Amaza Lee Meredith, Gwendolyn Brooks, and the Rev. Martin Luther King.  The Spencer house and gardens are now on the National Register of Historic Places.  More information can be found a www.annespencermuseum.com.

     An exhibit of artifacts and photos of Anne's life and gardens will be on display until November 2nd at the South Boston - Halifax County Museum.  There is no chasrge to visit the exhibit and the museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  On November 2 you can also hear a lecture about Anne and her gardens and the subsequent restoration of the gardens by Jane Baber White.  Jane wrote "Lessons Learned from a Poet's Garden" with pcitures of Anne's life and some of her poetry.  Copies of the book will be available for $45 with a book signing to follow the lecture.  This would make a great Christmas gift with 100% of sales going to the Anne Spencer Endowment Fund.  Cash and checks are accepted.

     Jane Baber White was the Restoration Chairman, Director, and is now Director Emeritus of the Old City Cemetery, where she was responsible for raising over $1.5 million to fulfill her vision of reinvigorating the 200-year-old National Historic Landmark into Lynchburg's leading historic visitor destination.  It is now an arboretum of 19th century plants and includes five museums.  The cemetery is in its glory in May with hundreeds of old roses in bloom.

     The second project involved the restoration of Anne's charming garden.  This has been a 28-year journey with the help of the Hillside Garden Club and the Garden Conservancy.  Every effort has been made to recreate the garden and the garden structures as they were in Anne's time.  The fascinating garden has received international recognition, but is still a hidden jewel in Lynchburg.  Come out and hear Jane bring Anne's garden alive.

     There is no fee for the Garden Forum but registration is required.  To register or for more information call the Halifax Extension Office at 434-476-2147 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  visit the Master Gardener website www.ssmga.org for more information about the Master Gardener program and the upcoming Fridays with the Master Gardeners educational program.  An application to become a Master Gardener is also on the website.  The South Boston - Halifax County Museum is located at 1540 Wilborn Avenue in South Boston.