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Today’s Email Announcements

Domestic Violence Includes Elder Abuse, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

[Jennifer Stuart, Attorney, Senior Law Project]<http://www.legalaidnc.org/PublishingImages/Pages/about-us/news/jennifer-stuart-print-resolution.jpg>RALEIGH, October 24, 2017 – October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. When most people think of domestic violence, they probably picture violence among couples or towards children. But what about abuse of senior citizens by their families or caretakers, is that domestic violence? Yes. North Carolina’s domestic violence law, General Statute 50B, often referred to simply as 50B, covers more than just romantic and parental relationships. It offers important protections and forms of relief for elderly victims, too.

50B lists the types of “personal relationships” that qualify under the law. Parent-child and grandparent-grandchild relationships are specifically mentioned, as are “current or former household members,” which could include any family member, friend, caretaker or roommate who has lived with the victim. And of course, abuse in romantic relationships is possible at any age, whether the relationship is new or decades old. An elderly victim in one of these qualifying relationships may obtain the same types of relief through a protective order as a younger victim abused by their spouse. However, relief under 50B is only available if the abuser is over the age of sixteen, regardless of the relationship.

Relief under 50B can include a court order to keep the abuser away from the victim’s home. Unfortunately, such a measure is sometimes the only way to keep an abusive family member away, given family dynamics and routine access that caretakers, children or grandchildren may have to the victim’s residence. A protective order can trigger legal safeguards including mandatory arrests when certain terms of the order are violated – for example, when the perpetrator refuses to stay away from the victim’s home.

When a family member is abusing an elderly person, the close relationship may make it difficult to contemplate seeking a protective order against the abuser. Whether to take such action should always be the victim’s decision, but there is always help and support available even if they are not ready to take action. The resources available to younger victims in married or dating relationships are also often available to elderly victims. The North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence<https://nccadv.org/> lists shelters and advocacy organizations by county on its website. These organizations can often provide shelter, counseling, safety planning and other supportive services to victims, regardless of whether they wish to pursue criminal charges or seek a protective order.

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Jennifer Stuart is an attorney in Raleigh with Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Senior Law Project (SLP)<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/projects/Senior-Law-Project.aspx>. She writes monthly articles about legal issues affecting seniors. The SLP provides free civil legal help to North Carolinians who are 60 or older. To contact the SLP, call 1-877-579-7562 (toll-free), Mondaythrough Friday9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m.

More by Jennifer Stuart

  *   Seniors: Know your rights in nursing homes<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/news/know-your-rights-in-nursing-homes.aspx>

  *   For seniors, joint bank accounts should be a matter of trust<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/news/joint-bank-accounts.aspx>

  *   Seniors in nursing homes are at risk of sexual assault<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/news/Sexual-assault-in-nursing-homes.aspx>

  *   Powers of Attorney: Only YOU have the power<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/news/powers-of-attorney-you-have-the-power.aspx>

  *   Spot and stop elder abuse during National Senior Independence Month<http://www.legalaidnc.org/Pages/about-us/news/spot-and-stop-elder-abuse.aspx>

 

Poetry Reading by Lees-McRae Professor, Melissa Mercer: A Lees-McRae College Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture, 10/31      

 
If you are looking for a safe way to spend Halloween, sheltered from ghosts and goblins, come to Lees-McRae College for a poetry reading by English professor, Melissa Mercer, as part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series.

Mercer will read her work starting at 7 p.m. on Oct. 31 in Cannon Student Center’s Evans Auditorium.

Mercer, who is also the director of learning systems and research at Lees-McRae, earned her MFA in Creative Writing and Poetry from West Virginia University where she won the Russell MacDonald Creative Writing Award in Poetry for two years running.

She has published a poetry book, Saint of the Partial Apology this year, and several chapbooks, Star-Blind in the Family of Fortune Keepers, My Own Strange Beast, and Storm Was Her Voice.

Her second full-length poetry book, Knock, will be available next year.

“We invite everyone to join us for an evening with this talented young poet. Her work evokes strong emotions through vivid imagery that is sure to enlighten and entertain you,” Director of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia, Dr. Michael Joslin, said.

Stephenson Center lectures are free and open to the public. For information, contact Michael Joslin at joslin@lmc.edu.

 

Greenway Baptist Peewee Basketball Sign-Up Open Now – 12/3

Greenway Baptist Peewee Basketball sign ups are underway! 1st-4th grade boys and girls are admitted. Sign ups are available on greenwaybaptist.com, and in person at our church office on 880 Greenway Rd.

Sign ups have already started and are available until December 3rd.

 

WCEA and the Watauga Humane Society Adoption Event, Sponsored by S.N.I.P.S. 10/31

On Tuesday, October 31 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join us for a day of fun and woofs! 

We will have candy, dog treats, a S.N.I.P.S. craft table, and an opportunity to donate pet food. 

610 State Farm Rd, STE A 

Boone, NC 28607

Call 828) 264- 0042 for more information. 

 

Children’s Book Author Visits ASU and Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Speaks on the Uses of Fantasy, 10/29

 

When twelve year old Kinchen, an Islander, discovers her younger brother Pip has been taken by the Raft King, she is furious and determined to rescue him. Pip has face blindness and has always been protected by his sister, but he also has a special gif that makes him valuable to the Raft King: he can talk to fish. Thus begins Heather Bouwman’s  acclaimed

middle-grade children’s novel A Crack in the Sea, (Putnam/Penguin Random House, 2017). What follows is an adventure involving a world parallel to our own but peopled by characters whose lives intersect with some very painful real history. There is also a glimpse of Amelia Earhart and sea monsters in love. Author Bouwman is visiting Boone for the Children’s Literature Symposium at Appalachian State University and will be speaking at the Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (381 E. King Street) on Sunday, October 29th at 11 am. Why We Need Fantasy” Sunday, October 29.

The well-reviewed novel combines stories of characters grappling with historical tragedies including the murder of enslaved Africans on the Dutch ship the Vong in 1781 and Vietnamese boat people escaping the fall of Saigon in 1978 with a fantasy involving a “Second World” parallel to our own. In a genre often criticized for being overwhelmingly white, A Crack in the Sea “touches on sensitive and tragic moments in history and gives them fantastical remediation for a provocative, immersive read” (Kirkus).  

Bouwman will visit Banner Elk and Bethel Elementary Schools on Thursday and Friday and speak with authors authors Allan Wolf, Alan Gratz, and storyteller Donna Washington at the Children’s Literature Symposium in the Reich College of Education on Saturday, October 28 and will participate in a book signing at 3:05. For more information on the symposium, see https://imc.library.appstate.edu/symposium.

Bouwman will discuss why “Fantasy stories—fairy tales, mythology, dystopian tales, and fantasy novels of all kinds—can force us to see the world in a new way and help us to develop empathy” as part of the 11 am Sunday morning service at Boone Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. She’ll argue that “fantasy stories can give us tools to resist oppression and to question the status quo. . . . I’ll offer some thoughts on how we can take fantasy back to the real world—and why we’d want to.” For more information about the church, see http://www.buuf.net/.

 

Watauga County Gospel Singing, 10/28       
 
WHERE:              Mountain Dale Baptist Church
Mountain Dale Road, Vilas, NC
Pastor B Eric Cornett
 
WHEN:                October 28, 2017
6:00 p.m.
 
CONTACT:          Clint Cornett – 828-297-3270
 

The Walker Center presents “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage” on Friday, 11/10

 

WILKESBORO, N.C. – “Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage” brings an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance, and sensationally sexy dancing, to the Walker Center on Friday, November 10, 2017. Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent, young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.

On vacation with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities. Instead, she discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters during an all-night dance party in full swing. Baby’s life is about to change forever when she is thrown into the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off with breathtaking consequences.

“Dirty Dancing” features hit songs “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart-stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” You will laugh; you will cry; you will want to dance; and you will have the time of your life!

Showtime is 8:00 p.m. and doors will open at 7:30 p.m. This performance is sponsored by Wells Fargo.

A limited number of tickets are available for this performance. Advance purchase tickets for this performance are $48 and $46 for seniors; individual ticket prices increase by $5 on the day of show. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Walker Center Box Office at 336-838-6260, emailwalker.boxoffice@wilkescc.edu or visit www.walkercenteronline.org. And be sure to follow the Walker Center on Facebook.

The John A. Walker Community Center is dedicated to being this region’s primary venue for cultural experiences and to serving as the preferred gathering place for meetings, receptions, conventions, banquets and parties for our community.

The Walker Center and Wilkes Community College are 100% Tobacco Free.

Wilkes Community College, a member of the North Carolina Community College System, is a public, two-year, open-door institution serving the people of Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties and beyond. Established in 1965, WCC continues to build on a strong history of meeting the educational needs and cultural interests of our students, community and workforce. WCC prepares learners for success in a dynamic world.

 


National Parks at the Crossroads, 11/2


Thursday, November 2

5:30 pm

Evelyn Johnson Memorial Meeting Room

Watauga County Public Library

140 Queen Street, Boone, NC 28607

 

Join Jeff Hunter of the National Parks Conservation Association for a talk on the future of America’s National Parks. Jeff Hunter is the Asheville-based North Carolina Program Manager for National Parks Conservation Association. Jeff grew up in the lower Hudson Valley of New York State where he learned to hike, fish and forage. He has a B.A. In Environmental Studies from SUNY Empire State College. Seventeen years ago, a 2167-mile walk of the Appalachian Trail served as a catalyst for leaving a 20-year career in telecommunications. Since then, Hunter has worked on conservation and recreation projects throughout the southeast and in the west. Prior to joining NPCA, Jeff and his wife Caara lived in California’s Eastern Sierra where Sage Grouse habitat restoration was the focus of his work.

 

Call the Library at (828) 254-8784, Extension 2, for directions or other information.