Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

|| High Country Press Newswire

Aug 28, 2008 issue

Skateboarders Get A Chance To Follow Rules

At their meeting Monday night, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners voted to extend the hours at the Appalachian Skatepark in a 30-day pilot program to determine if skaters will abide by the park rules when the security guard is not present. For the next month, the park will open at 10:00 a.m., and the security guard will come on duty after school. Parks and Recreation staff will periodically and randomly monitor skaters during the unattended hours in the park, and the security guard will keep track of the number of skaters who are not wearing protective gear, if any, when he arrives. The commissioners will reassess the situation at their meeting in mid-September. (Full Story)

September Is Watauga Reads Month

Activities planned for the annual Watauga Reads program began last Monday with a panel discussion at the Watauga County Public Library, but most of the events in the countywide reading initiative are still to come. In support of this literacy and education program, at their meeting on August 25, the Watauga County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a proclamation declaring September as Watauga Reads Month in the county. (Full Story)

The View Stories

Goodwill on the Green—Several Charity Golf Tournaments Scheduled for September

A player prepares his swing at the 2007 Walker College of Business Beroth Scholarship Golf Tournament at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. This year’s tourney takes place on Wednesday, September 10. Photos courtesy of Walker College of Business Golf, great weather and a good cause—three reasons to register for upcoming charity golf tournaments taking place in the High Country and beyond.

Combine your love of the game with the spirit of giving, compete for prizes and seize the opportunity to tee off on some of the mountains’ finest private and public golf courses on a beautiful autumn day. (Full Story)

ASU vs. LSU: Where To Watch—Saturday, August 30
5:00 p.m. ET ESPN

Finally, finally, finally—it’s here. Since the exciting football matchup between 2007 FCS Champion Appalachian State University Mountaineers and the 2007 FBS Champion Louisiana State University Tigers was announced this winter, fans haven’t stopped talking about this game. Still basking in the glory of its upset of Michigan a year ago, the ASU football team will meet yet another top-ranked program on Saturday, August 30—this time in Death Valley. (Full Story)

Shelter Stories

Gimme Shelter—Hospitality House Unveils Plans To Become a Home

A 100-year-old house can definitely have its charms. But the tradeoffs for anyone who lives in a century-old structure that hasn’t been renovated from the shingles to the basement drains are the countless maintenance problems that old plumbing and old electrical and heating systems present, as well as significant structural deficiencies, fire dangers and a total lack of energy-efficient features.
Problems like these can present challenges enough for the average family, but when a 100-year-old structure is providing crisis beds for individuals and families who have nowhere else to go, these shortcomings and maintenance emergencies add an entirely new level of difficulty to an environment that’s already stressful and emotionally charged. (Full Story)

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Check out highlights from ASU Mountaineer's Three-Peat season on www.biggestupsetever.com

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