High Country Press

June 19, 2018. The Blowing Rock Historical Society came together on Monday to host the annual Jerry Burns’ Day to honor the former editor of the Blowing Rocket who passed away in 2010. The gathering took place at the Edgewood Cottage with Blowing Rock Historical Society President Rita White serving as introductory speaker and moderator of the event. Each Jerry Burns’ Day has guest speakers to talk about not only their memories of Jerry, but also their own personal family stories. Speakers often answer questions from the crowd in attendance. Blowing Rock Mayor, Charlie Sellers, and his mother, Peggy Sellers, were the featured speakers for Monday’s event. Peggy is the daughter of the late Grover Robbins Sr., who leased and developed the land for the Blowing Rock attraction and the sister of the late Grover Robbins Jr., who purchased Tweetsie Railroad from actor and singer, Gene Autry. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 19, 2018. Team Sunergy, Appalachian State’s solar car team, will be unveiling their newest solar car, ROSE, on June 22nd before they head off to the races with her. ROSE, which stands for Running on Solar Energy, is the first solar car that Team Sunergy has built completely from scratch. She is 100% their own, and they can’t wait to take her to the two races that they’re competing in this summer, the Formula Sun Grand Prix and the American Solar Challenge. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 19, 2018. Daily Tunes will be bringing you live music performances in the High Country area for every day of the week. Get out there and enjoy the cool breezes and relaxing music of summer before it’s over! On Friday nights in the small town of West Jefferson, down the little road behind South Jefferson Avenue, nicknamed BackStreet, there’s a little park where all the action of the night is. Locals and visitors alike gather with chairs, coolers, and children in tow to spread out across the small park and listen to music from BackStreet Park’s summer concerts. There’s a little wooden pavilion where the band plays, and behind the pavilion is an interesting piece of decor—an entire train caboose. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 19, 2018. Imagine yourself as a frontiersman raising a family somewhere deep in the mountains of the High Country during the fight for independence. Starting this Friday, take a visit to the past when you watch Horn in the West. This 67-year-old production follows the harrowing story of the settlers who came to the Blue Ridge Mountains “seeking freedom and escape from British tyranny.” Specifically, this production follows none other than Dr. Geoffrey Stuart, a British physician, his wife, Martha, and their son, Jack. Watch as Horn in the West brings to life the story of Daniel Boone By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

June 19, 2018. A 100-mile bike ride and a 50-mile bike ride will start off Blood Sweat and Gears (BSG) at Valle Crucis Elementary School early Saturday morning. The High Country can expect a change from routine this day as cyclers and their families and friends flood in for the ride. With so many people coming to the High Country, residents can expect the usual boost to the economy that the Blood Sweat and Gears bike ride brings each year. By Hailey Blevins / Read more…

June 18, 2018. On Wednesday June 20, between 11 AM and 2 PM, all are welcome to join F.A.R.M. (Feed All Regardless of Means) Café at 617 West King Street as LifeStore Bank sponsors a ‘Buy Boone Lunch’ event. In sponsoring this event LifeStore has covered the café’s basic cost of operation on Wednesday. As is the case with F.A.R.M. Café’s regular lunch service, patrons will utilize the ‘donate-what-you-can’ model. Because of LifeStore’s generous support, each and every donation from patrons will be put to use by the café in its mission to fight food insecurity in the High Country.  / Read more…

June 19, 2018. Joe Shannon’s Mountain Home Music is pleased to announce as a part of its 25th Anniversary 2018 Season, the John Cockman Family will appear in special matinee concert on Thursday, June 21st at 2:00pm. The show is titled “The Family that Plays Together, Stays Together”. This performance will take place at the Harvest House Performing Arts Venue in Boone and it marks the opening of the JSMHM Matinee Series, which will feature four other afternoon concerts during this Silver Anniversary Season. / Read more…

June 19, 2018. Sugar Mountain Resort is revamping its mountain biking scene this summer. Its trail system has been undergoing a substantial expansion and will be opening on June 30 with new beginner and intermediate downhill mountain biking trails and rebuilt expert trails. The object is to make Sugar Mountain into a destination for downhill mountain biking in the region with trails accessible for all skill levels.“We’ve taken the old mountain bike trail system and expanded and rebuilt it,” says Sugar Mountain’s director of marketing Kim Jochl. The old mountain bike trail system was renowned back in the 1990s and early 2000s. It hosted two NORBA National Championships and one collegiate national championship race. By Joe Wiswell / Read more…

June 19, 2018  Although Pixar has never made anything I’d call a “bad” movie, they’ve had mixed results with their sequels. The second and third “Toy Story” movies are just as beloved as the original, and “Finding Dory” is the highest-grossing animated film of all time. But “Monsters University” was an addendum that seemingly nobody wanted, and the two “Cars” sequels are considered the black sheep of the studio. Still, fans were clamoring for a follow-up to “The Incredibles”, the 2004 family-of-superheroes adventure that opened the door to a world that clearly needed more exploring. It’s been a 14-year wait, but yes, this is every bit the sequel that fans have been craving. By Bob Garver. / Read more…

June 19, 2018. The 2018 Watauga County Home and Garden Tour on Saturday, June 30, will feature sites in Blowing Rock, including a hundred-year-old and well-preserved vacation property, a recently renovated and updated get-away, a 1,500-sq ft bungalow that became a 3,000-sq ft showplace, an imposing family gathering place that sits on the Eastern Continental Divide, and two abutting gardens that feature some of the finest in native plant material and original garden statuary. / Read more…

June 18, 2018. “It’s better here than there.” That’s the latest marketing campaign slogan from the Watauga County Tourism Development Authority used to hopefully fill the mountainsides full of people wanting to break away from the city life and enjoy a taste of Boone. The television commercials, which began airing roughly six months ago, are part of a new marketing campaign targeting areas across the region. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 18, 2018. Daily Tunes will be bringing you live music performances in the High Country area for every day of the week. Get out there and enjoy the cool breezes and relaxing music of summer before it’s over! The area surrounding the amphitheater is specifically landscaped for outdoor concerts, in layers almost like theatre seats, so you should bring your own lawn chair to listen to the live music. Although, a blanket might be better, so you can lay out and look up at gorgeous night sky dotted with stars as you listen to incredibly talented North Carolina and regional bands. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 18, 2018. Singing on the Mountain has been welcoming one and all for the past 94 years, and this year is no different. On Sunday, June 24, all are welcome to join in a free gospel music festival set in MacRae Meadows at the base of Grandfather Mountain. The 94th annual Singing on the Mountain will return to Linville, N.C., with a full lineup of gospel music sensations, including: The Collective, The Cockman Family, Michael Combs, Patricia Smith and New Covenant.  / Read more…

June 18, 2018. With high heat warnings across much of the state of North Carolina, it is the mountains that have a solution: Banner Elk’s Wildcat Lake! Bask in the sun on the beach, then dip your tootsies in the chilly waters of Wildcat. Enjoy a beach volleyball game, then rest under a shaded pavilion or giant tree with a picnic lunch. Watch the toddlers on the swings, catch a fish—little bass and bluegills for the kids, giant trout for dad. “Relaaaaxxx,” to quote a famous quarterback. Swim laps, cannonball off the pier, admire giant clusters of gorgeous pink water lilies. Pack up some charcoal and grill a couple ‘dogs for lunch (sorry, four-legged variety not allowed).   / Read more…

June 18, 2018.   The Avery County Commissioners have a proposed 2018-19 Fiscal Year Budget that they are considering for adoption. And as authorized by North Carolina General Statue. 159-12(b), the commissioners will conduct a Public Hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year Budget.   This Hearing will be held on Monday, June 18, 2018 at 4:30 p.m. in their Board Room in the Avery County Administrative Complex, 175 Linville Street, Newland. The public is invited to attend and comment. The June bi-monthly commission meeting will begin (3:30 p.m.) before the public hearing in the Board Room. The commissioners will vote to adopt or reject the proposed budget following the public hearing. If they reject adopting the proposed budget, they would have to revise the current proposed budget or compile a new budget. By state law, a 2018-19 fiscal year budget must be adopted by July 1, 2018.. By Tim Gardner / Read more…

June 18, 2018.  Tickets are now available online for the 2018 Lees-McRae Summer Theatre series which will kick-off on June 24 with several performances of The Wiz, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra and In the Heights. Individual show tickets range in price, per person, from $38–43 for adults, to $18–20 for students and/or children. Season ticket prices, per person, range in price from $114 for premium seating to $99 for general seating. The Wiz will be the first show to debut June 26, 27, 28 and 30 at 7 p.m. at the Lees-McRae Hayes Auditorium and Broyhill Theatre with additional shows on June 24, 29 and July 1 at 2 p.m. / Read more…

June 15, 2018. Hidden well off the beaten path lies one of the newest musical sensations in the High Country. Saloon Studios, located in between Fleetwood and West Jefferson in Ashe County, is an intimate, 100-seat mid-19th century saloon replica music hall that features some of the most high-quality sound and studio recording equipment you’ll see anywhere in the country. Owners Mike and Laura Jones moved from Florida to Ashe County and have lived here for 18 years. The saloon-style setting came about because of Mike’s enjoyment of watching Westerns and the memories of sharing those moments watching Westerns with his father. The project started in 2016. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 15, 2018. Daily Tunes will be bringing you live music performances in the High Country area for every day of the week. Get out there and enjoy the cool breezes and relaxing music of summer before it’s over!
On a radiant summer day down a country road in Banner Elk, excited music lovers begin to arrive for Grandfather Vineyard and Winery’s Music in the Vineyard. The band begins to play out of a small wooden pavilion attached to the winery, and the crowd gathers at tables both under and outside the pavilion. A few people sit on the grass around the winery, enjoying the immense volume of green surrounding them. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 15, 2018. When asked what lead Sarrah to choosing this topic, she responded, “I like to think of myself as a conservationist.” This past year, she also created a science fair project about alternative energy processes. “I want to see what I can do to help people and the environment. I’m interested in world problems.” Sarrah believes there’s plenty of food to go around—the same mindset that F.A.R.M. Café has. By Savannah R. Watts / Read more…

June 15, 2018. A look at the recent deed transfers in Watauga County. The information comes courtesy of the Watauga County Register of Deeds. Compiled by Debbie Carter / Read more…

June 15, 2018. From Market Manager Michelle Slaton: “It was the most amazing thing. All week I couldn’t help but hear from every father I spoke to that the thing he wanted most this Father’s Day was to go the Watauga County Farmers’ Market. Well you definitely don’t want to disappoint your dad do you? So we’ll see you Saturday! There is so much great stuff happening this weekend you will not want to miss it.”  / Read more…

June 15, 2018. Governor Cooper today announced $1.5 million in grant awards to 12 community partners to implement projects that combat the opioid crisis by advancing the goals of the NC Opioid Action Plan. The one-time, state-funded grants of up to $150,000 from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services enable partner organizations to implement activities in their community which improve access to harm reduction, treatment and recovery supports. “Community efforts to turn the tide on the opioid crisis deserve our support,” Gov. Cooper said. “These grants are another example of the collaborative effort we need to fight opioid overdoses, save lives, and connect people to treatment statewide.” / Read more…

June 11, 2018. Relay for Life returns to Watauga County for its 24th year this Friday, June 15. Starting at 6:00 p.m., Relay for Life will be held again at Watauga High School for an evening to honor and remember those who have battled or are battling cancer in their lives. Relay for Life has been bringing people together to honor anyone who has passed, survived, or is still battling from cancer nationally since 1985. This year is its 24th year dedicated to those in Watauga County. Relay for Life is a “grass-roots, community-based team event,” states their website. Relay for Life involves masses of support from the community as teams come together to raise money for the American Cancer Society’s efforts in fighting cancer through research and treatments, as well as patient care. By Savannah Watts / Read more…

June 14, 2018. Daily Tunes will be bringing you live music performances in the High Country area for every day of the week. Get out there and enjoy the cool breezes and relaxing music of summer before it’s over! The Cook Memorial park in Todd is an absolutely gorgeous scene, filled with plenty of open, green spaces and tons of lively people. The beautiful New River flows ever northward right beside it, and kiddos hop carefully across the stones, laughing with glee when their toes get a little soaked. The performers sing and play out of an elegant wooden gazebo, inviting the crowd to clap along. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 14, 2018. Community leaders and concerned citizens got together on Tuesday afternoon at the Best Western Mountain Lodge in Banner Elk for a special meeting to learn about and discuss the opioid abuse issues plaguing Avery County. The meeting was sponsored by the Kiwanis Club and Rotary Club of Banner Elk and had approximately 110 people there in attendance. A five-person panel as well as a special guest speaker, a recovering opiate addict, were there to share their thoughts on the opioid abuse problem in Avery County and some ways to start trying to fix the problem. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 14, 2018.      A great opportunity for North Carolina to make a unique mark on national history emerged on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 with the passage by Illinois of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Amendment states, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.” Illinois is the 37th state to ratify, following Nevada as the 36th in March 2017 – the first to do so since 1982, when the original ratification push died because of Congressional imposition of deadlines on the amendment process. No such deadlines are required by Article V of the Constitution. Now, only one more state is needed to ratify and position the ERA to become part of the Constitution. Currently one of the unratified states, North Carolina could secure a unique place in U.S. history as the state taking the Amendment over the finish line, especially with the General Assembly in session. By Bernadette Cahill / Read more…

June 14, 2018. Last weekend, June 6-10, the 95th Annual Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show (BRCHS) kicked off the summer’s three-event series with the Saddlebred Division. Since 1923, the Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show’s mission has been “supporting education and worthy charities by encouraging and preserving the tradition of horse sports.” This nearly century old Horse Show is the oldest continually run show in the Eastern United States, and still one of the oldest for the whole nation. The BRCHS has two more events lined up for later this summer. Hunter/Jumper Division Week I on July24-29 and Hunter/Jumper Division Week II on August 1-5. By Savannah Watts / Read more…

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

TODAY: Sustainability, Economics and Environment Committee Meets at 5:30 p.m.

Blowing Rock Town Council Holding Mid-Year Retreat on June 25

Beech Mountain Town Council to Host Meetings to Discuss Utility Terrain Vehicle Usage

Farm Program Outreach Workshop On USDA Initiatives and Cost Share Programs Taking Place June 28

Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

June 14, 2018. The eighth annual Doc Watson Day Celebration takes place at the Jones House Friday, June 15, starting at 4:00 p.m. with free performances by Brooks Forsyth, Presley Barker, Charles Welch and John Kirby, Jay Brown, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Crouch, and The Jeff Little Trio. In 2011, Mayor Loretta Clawson declared the third Friday in June as Doc Watson Day, and the downtown statue of Watson picking his guitar on a bench was unveiled. Watson attended and gave one of his final performances in Boone, passing away the following spring. / Read more…

June 14, 2018. Do you look forward to going to work in the morning? For most of us, the answer is sadly no, because we consider the daily grind of punching-the-clock and working for “the man” a necessary evil. But every once in a while we perk up and pay attention when we hear someone boldly proclaim that they love their job. We lean in and listen, almost as if to try to learn what well-kept secret they have discovered, in hopes that we can discover it, too.  After persevering through unimaginable trials, Holly Spencer BSN, RN, found her dream job as a registered nurse at The Foley Center at Chestnut Ridge in Blowing Rock, NC, a member of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS). By Josh Jarman / Read more…

June 14, 2018. This June, Grandfather Mountain is encouraging folks to embrace their inner eco-hero. To assist, celebrated conservationist, activist and writer Tom Butler will present at Grandfather Mountain on Thursday, June 21. His presentation is part of Grandfather Mountain’s after-hour lecture series, Grandfather Presents. / Read more…

June 13, 2018. Looking to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in your neighborhood? Want to keep an eye on criminal activity in your area? Take a look at these recent incident and arrest reports from the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office and the Boone Police Department. Read more…
Compiled by Nathan Ham

June 13, 2018. Daily Tunes will be bringing you live music performances in the High Country area for every day of the week. Get out there and enjoy the cool breezes and relaxing music of summer before it’s over! It’s a gorgeous sunny Wednesday at Sugar Mountain, and the Golf and Tennis Pro Shop, overlooking the golf course, is hosting the Sugar Mountain Summer Concerts on the Deck. Children play cornhole and ping-pong and stay out of trouble—for a little while anyway. Adults relax on the deck, with enough tables and chairs to seat about 80 to 90 people, and listen to some catchy tunes. By Elly Murray / Read more…

June 13, 2018. Graduating Watauga High School seniors got the chance to share one more evening together as high school students and friends at Saturday’s graduation ceremony held at the Holmes Convocation Center. Friends and family members packed the arena to pay tribute to Watauga High School’s Class of 2018. By Nathan Ham / Read more…

June 13, 2018. All aboard! Thomas the Tank Engine invites little engineers to join him for a day of friendship and family fun at Day Out with Thomas: Big Adventures Tour 2018. Children everywhere can spend a day with their friend Thomas when the #1 Engine pulls into Blowing Rock, North Carolina on June 8-17, 2018. Day Out with Thomas: Big Adventures Tour 2018 is presented by Mattel. / Read more…