Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
May 8, 2008 issue
Volunteer Opportunities
Elk Knob Needs Volunteers…
Elk Knob State Park at 5564 Meat Camp Road in Todd will hold a volunteer trail workday each Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. from March through August. Volunteers must bring work gloves (leather preferred), wear closed-toe shoes (no sandals or flip flops) and bring water and snacks for the day. If weather is questionable, call the park office at 828-297-3804 before 8:15 a.m. on Saturday.
Give Blood in Avery in May…
On Thursday, May 8, a blood drive will be held at Avery County High School from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Call the school office at 828-733-0151 to make an appointment. Avery County EMS in Newland will host a blood drive from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. Call Joielle Calhoun at 828-733-8286 to schedule an appointment. All donors can enter a drawing for a trip to Hollywood.
Give Blood in Watauga in May…
On Thursday, May 15, Laurel Springs Baptist Church in Deep Gap will hold a blood drive from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. Contact Kathy Idol at 828-264-5240 for an appointment. On Saturday, May 24, Deerfield United Methodist Church will hold a blood drive from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Contact Pat Cashwell at 828-268-0509 to make an appointment. On Thursday, May 29, Boone United Methodist Church will hold a blood drive from 2:00 to 6:30 p.m. Call 828- 264-6090 to make an appointment. And on Friday, May, 30, the bloodmobile will be at Earth Fare from 12:00 to 4:30 p.m. Contact John or Angela at 828-263-8138 to make an appointment. There is an urgent need for all blood types. As an added incentive during the month of April, the American Red Cross will award a trip for two to Hollywood with airline tickets and an Universal Studio tour. For an appointment or more info, call the American Red Cross Chapter office at 828-264-8226.
Volunteer Water Monitoring Training May 13…
On Tuesday, May 13, at 4:30 p.m. at Valle Crucis Community Park, volunteers will learn how to identify aquatic insects and the protocol to sample streams in the Watauga Watershed. Monitors are needed all over the watershed, and the training is free. Call Wendy Patoprsty at 828-264-3061 to register.
Crisis Line Training Begins May 17…
OASIS, Inc. is recruiting volunteers for its Crisis Line Training beginning Saturday, May 17. OASIS staff members and experts from the community will conduct the 20-hour training over two weeks. Following the training, volunteers will have the opportunity to answer crisis calls from their homes once or twice a month. The crisis line will be transferred to the volunteer’s home phone or cell phone at 6:00 p.m. and will be transferred back to OASIS at 8:00 a.m. the following morning. Volunteers are scheduled for evening and weekend hours only, and no prior experience is required. The registration deadline for this spring’s volunteer training is Wednesday, May 14. To register, call 828-264-1532.
Help Disaster Victims by Donating Shoes through May 31…
In 2004, just after the tsunami devastated coastal communities around the Indian Ocean, a loosely knit group of individuals and organizations came together to assist in the recovery effort by providing one of the most basic needs for people who have lost everything—shoes. By the time Katrina hit our own Gulf Coast, the group was more organized and through their efforts, almost a million pairs of shoes were collected to help those in Louisiana and Mississippi. You can help with efforts to aid victims around the world by bringing your gently used or new shoes to the Mast General Store or to Footsloggers now through Saturday, May 31. This is the second year for the Soles4Souls shoe drive at Mast Store. Last year’s efforts garnered more than 2,000 pairs of shoes. Representatives from Soles4Souls commented that they had never seen such a successful retailer-driven shoe drive. Soles4Souls can use just about any type of shoe, such as boots, sandals, dress shoes and work boots. Bind them together with rubber bands and place them in the Soles4Souls collection boxes at any Mast Store location. For more info, call the Mast General Store in Boone at 828-262-0000 or in Valle Crucis at 828-963-6511 or click to www.Soles4Souls.org.
Voices of Hope Dinner, Silent Auction and Rummage Sale Needs Donations…
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and the High Country chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness is hosting the third annual Voices of Hope dinner, silent auction and rummage sale on Saturday, May 31, at 6:00 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Organizers are looking for donations of silent auction and rummage sale items. Check out your closets, your basement and/or your attic for items that will make this event a success. Monetary donations are also welcome. Call Francine Barr at 828-262-4645 x 20 or email barrm@newriver.org for pickup of items.
Join the Club—Meeting Notices
High Country Writers Meets Thursday…
Susan Yergler Woodring, an award-winning short story writer and novelist, is the guest writer at the Thursday, May 8, meeting of High Country Writers at the Watauga County Library from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Woodring grew up in Greensboro, but also lived in California, Alabama, Illinois, and Indiana as a child. Upon graduating from Western Carolina University, she spent a year teaching in Vologda, Russia before moving to the foothills of North Carolina to teach middle school. She is a graduate of the Creative Writing MFA program at Queens University in Charlotte and is the author of one novel, The Traveling Disease. Her short fiction has earned many honors. To learn more about Woodright and her work, click to www.susanwoodring.com.
High Country Watermedia Society Meets Saturday…
The High Country Watermedia Society will meet on Saturday, May 10, at Cheap Joe's Art Stuff in Boone at 10:00 a.m. Refreshments will be served at 9:30 a.m. The demo artist will be Dottie McHugh. The meeting will be followed by an afternoon workshop on creating trading cards and altered books. An artist trading card is a 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" card designed by an artist and traded or given away. An altered book is a hardbound book that the artist makes his/her own by renaming it, gluing it, cutting it, pasting it, painting it and changing everything about it. The workshop fee for members is $25 and $50 for nonmembers $50. A position is guaranteed only upon receipt of payment. When you sign up, you will receive the supply list needed for the workshop. To enroll in the workshop, contact Kathryn Feierabend, 828-754-1543 or email fernhilldesigns@bellsouth.net.
High Country Newcomers Club Meets May 14…
On Wednesday, May 14, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., The High Country Newcomers Club will host a Mountain Stick-Doll Making Workshop led by local craft artist Anna Hammond at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church parish hall in Blowing Rock. Participants are asked to bring specific supplies, and the cost of the workshop is $20. Call Gail Lund at 828-264-1943 for craft details and reservations by Sunday, May 11. Afterwards, those who wish may gather at Storie Street Grill for lunch.
Retired School Personnel Meet May 15…
The Watauga Unit of Retired School Personnel will meet Thursday, May 15, at 12:00 p.m. at Deerfield United Methodist Church. Lunch will be served at a cost of $10. All persons who worked for any school system in any capacity are invited to attend. The program for the meeting includes induction of new officers, presentation of the unit’s scholarship to a prospective teacher and memorial service for members who have died during the past year. Prior to the meeting from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m., the unit is sponsoring a health fair presented by Watauga Medical Center, and all unit members, family and friends are invited to take part. Services offered will include free hearing screening; glaucoma testing; height, weight and body mass index; blood pressure and pulse; heart disease risk assessment; stroke information and other information pertaining to health and healthy life styles. For a small fee, participants may also have CBC (complete count of red and white blood cells) for $10; CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel that checks organ function and health) for $15; lipid panel (cholesterol check) for $15; PSA (prostate specific antigen – for men only) for $10. To ensure the accuracy of the CMP,CBC, and lipid panel, participants must fast for at least eight hours before being tested. The CMP, CBC and lipid panel are offered at a discount price of $35. For reservations, call Dot Barker at 828-264-3621.
General Interest—Opportunities
Low-Cost Spay/Neuter Program…
Schedule spay/neuter surgery before your pet dogs or cats, barn cats or strays become pregnant this breeding season. The Watauga Humane Society has a low-cost spay/neuter program that is open to everyone. The cost is $55 for male and female dogs, $50 for female cats and $35 for male cats. Rabies and other vaccinations are available at the time of surgery for $8 each. Humane Alliance in Asheville performs the surgeries, and animals are transported to and from Asheville at no charge. To schedule an appointment, call the Humane Society at 828-264-7865 between 12:30 and 6:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday or between 12:30 and 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Wanted: Pictures of Historic Boone…
Do you have pictures of historic Boone? The Jones House would like to display your pictures during its centennial celebration. If you would like to see your pictures of historic Boone on display at the Jones House, take them to the Jones House for scanning during office hours:Tuesday through Friday from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. For more info, call 828-262-4576 or email centennial@joneshousecommunitycenter.org.
Local Horticulture Hotline Now Available…
The Watauga County Cooperative Extension Service is now offering a Home Horticulture Hotline that residents can use for questions about gardening, lawn care, household insects and the like. Trained Master Gardener volunteers will assist with the hotline calls. Call the Extension office at 828-264-3061 during office hours. After hours, call the same number and access extension 16. If a volunteer cannot immediately help you during office hours or if you call after hours, leave a detailed message that includes your question, your name and your contact number. A volunteer will return your call as soon as possible.
Post Your Art Classes at the Watauga Arts Council Website…
The Watauga Arts Council has established a page on its website— www.watauga-arts.org/pages/workshops.html—for listing workshops, classes and lessons in the arts so parents and interested community members can locate these educational activities more easily. If you offer an arts-related workshop, class or lessons, contact the arts council at 828-264-1789 to provide the information for a listing.
Want To Be in the Blowing Rock Parade? …
Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation is organizing the town’s annual 4th of July parade that will take place on Saturday, July 5, at 2:00 p.m., with the lineup beginning at 12:00 p.m. Parks and Rec will accept only 100 entries for the parade. If you are interested in participating, call 828-295-5222 or click to www.townofblowingrock.com.
Help Transform a Woman's Life…
Lees-McRae College is currently accepting applications for the annual summer session of the New Opportunity School for Women. The program's mission is to improve the educational, financial and personal circumstances of low-income women—usually between the ages of 30 and 55—who live in or hail from the Southern Appalachian region. This summer's residential program is July 6 to 26. If you know a woman who is ready to make positive changes in her life and is looking for that next step to keep her going, consider referring her to the New Opportunity School for Women. There is no cost to the participants. For this three-week residential program, assistance with childcare costs and travel costs is available. Participants explore career, educational, personal and cultural development. Applicants should have a GED or high school diploma, be of low-income, and have an interest in a new career and/or higher education. For more info and to request an application, contact Director Lori Sliwa at 828-898-8905 or sliwal@lmc.edu.
Volunteers Sought for ASU Research Project…
ASU is seeking 500 individuals between the ages of 30 and 85 to participate in a study to determine the effectiveness of quercetin in reducing sickness from upper respiratory infections. Quercetin is a natural antioxidant derived from plants, such as red apples, red grapes and broccoli. Researchers also hope to determine if the substance will reduce disease risk factors associated with high blood lipids, high blood pressure and oxidative stress. Participants will be divided into groups and take either a placebo or a liquid quercetin supplement twice a day for 12 weeks. Participants won’t have to alter their dietary or exercise practices during the study. Those completing the study will receive $300 and results from an array of tests. Dates and times for the first test session will be 6:45 to 9:00 a.m., August 26 to 30, and for the second test session, same times on November 18 to 22. To participate in the study, email asuresearch@appstate.edu or call 828-262-3142 and state that you want to join the study. You’ll receive an email with further information.
AMY Regional Library Conducting Online Survey…
The four libraries in the AMY Regional Library System are conducting a survey to gather residents’ input. The survey is totally online and will take about five minutes to complete. The library staff wants to hear from frequent users, occasional users and those who don’t use the library at all. Four people who complete the survey will each win $50. To access the survey, click to www.amyregionallibrary.org or stop by the library in Newland, Spruce Pine, Bakersville or Burnsville. If you have questions, contact Dr. Daniel Barron at 828-682-4476 or director@amyregionallibary.org.
Spring Cleanup in Newland May 19 to 23…
The Town of Newland will conduct its spring cleanup from Monday, May 19, through Friday, May 23. If you have large items such as old appliances, call Town Hall at 828-733-2023 to arrange to have items picked up.
Horn in the West To Host Worship Services in July and August…
Would your church like to lead a morning worship service in July or August this summer? Horn in the West has offered the beautiful amphitheatre in July and August as the setting of morning worship services for the entire community. If you would like to be scheduled to lead one of the Sunday morning services, contact Pastor Wayne Brown the office of First Baptist Church of Boone at 828-264-2441 for more info and details.
Vendors Wanted for Grayson Highlands Fall Festival…
The Grayson Highlands Fall Festival Committee is seeking craft vendors for the 2008 festival on Saturday, September 27, and Sunday, September 28, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. both days rain or shine. Spaces are $35 for a 12’x12’ space or $70 for a 12’x24’ space. All crafts must be mountain or pioneer in style and show good quality and workmanship. No flea market-type items may be sold. T-shirts, sweatshirts, apple butter and molasses can’t be sold because the rescue squad sells these items as a fundraiser. Applications are not being solicited from food vendors either. The Rugby Volunteer Rescue Squad and Fire Department provides all concessions. Interested applicants can receive applications or more info by emailing ghfallfestival@yahoo.com, calling 276-773-3111 or clicking to www.graysonfallfestival.org.
Backyard Croquet League Forming…
Do you enjoy playing croquet day and night? Then you should become a member of the Watauga County Backyard Croquet League! Organizers are now looking for teams composed of family, club or office members, friends or anyone else who is up for a game on the uneven turf of the High Country. If you’re interested, contact Candice Cook at 828-719-8538 or CandiceLCookie@aol.com.
Provider Appreciation Day May 9…
Take the time to recognize childcare providers around the world on May 9, Provider Appreciation Day! Today's childcare professionals are the world's unsung heroes. This profession is one of the most underpaid occupations in the country, yet research shows that early childhood is the most critical developmental period in a child's life. It takes a special person to work in this field, and the contribution these individuals make to the quality of children’s and families’ lives too frequently goes unnoticed. Provider Appreciation Day offers a unique opportunity to recognize and commend the unselfish dedication, commitment and compassion that childcare providers demonstrate every day. Even the smallest efforts mean so much to those who have your children in their care. Your provider's smile will be your reward. For more information, ideas on how to celebrate, or ideas on how to promote this event, click to www.providerappreciation.org.