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Email Announcements Received Today: See What’s Going On Around The Community

1) Photos Needed for 2015 Blowing Rock Community Calendar

The Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority is issuing a call for images to be included in the Town’s 2015 Community Calendar. The calendar’s photo theme will be “flora and fauna” and will include images of flowers, plants and animals that are primarily native or unique to the Blue Ridge. Sixteen images submitted for the publication will be selected; one photo for each month, one for the calendar cover and three smaller images for the information sections and back cover. Photographers of all levels are welcome to submit. Calendar images will be selected by vote of Town employee and all submitting photographers will be notified of results by email or phone. There is no payment or prize available for inclusion, though photographers will be credited along with the title of their choosing for the images. Blowing Rock Community Calendars feature festival dates and local civic events. They are distributed free around Thanksgiving each year and will be available at Blowing Rock Visitor Center and Blowing Rock Town Hall. For more information, call the Blowing Rock Visitor Center at 828-295-4636.

2) Watauga Humane Society’s Fifth Annual Best Ever Plant Sale Held Sept. 6

Save the date! SNIPS Fifth Annual Fall Perennial, Herb, Bulb, Seed, Cut Flower, Garden Treasure and Yard Art Sale will be held Saturday, Sept. 6 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. in the parking lot of Precision Printing located at 1302 Blowing Rock Rd. in Boone. All growing things come from the well-established gardens of the SNIPS Committee members who also create garden treasures and everything will be priced to sell. All proceeds will fund the low-cost spay/neuter specials offered regularly at WHS. There will be a wide variety of perennials, herbs, perennial seeds, bulbs, cut flowers, house plants and for the first time ever, fresh vegetables: corn and green beans! Plus, the SNIPS crafters will have beautiful, handmade garden treasures on display. It’s almost time to plant perennials, seeds and bulbs for blooms next spring and it’s never too early to go gift shopping. For more information about the plant sale, call 828-406-0827.

3) Last Chance Golf Tournament Held Sept. 22

The 23rd annual Boone Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Last Chance Golf Tournament on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Linville Ridge Country Club. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The tournament will be a Texas Scramble with 2 net best balls. Entry fee is $200 per player which includes green fees, cart, range balls, golf shirt, 2 mulligans, lunch on the course, two beverage tickets and pub grub after you play. To register visit BooneChamber.com/golf. For more information please contact Barbara Armstrong at barbara.armstrong@boonechamber.com or call 828-264-2225.

4) Baby Otters Arrive at Grandfather Mountain

The pitter-patter of little feet – little webbed feet to be exact – can be heard again at Grandfather Mountain. Two North American river otters, a brother and sister duo, have arrived at Grandfather Mountain in Linville from a wildlife rehabilitator after being orphaned at a young age. The otters, who have been named Oscar and Emmy, are expected to join another young otter, Nova, in the Grandfather Mountain Animal Habitats this fall. “We are so thrilled to be able to offer these pups a lifetime home,” said Habitats Curator Christie Tipton. “The otters always steal the scenes in the animal habitats, especially the young and active ones, so we’re glad our guests will be able to enjoy their antics and learn from their behaviors.” The otters were born in North Carolina in February and were located after a dog destroyed their den, killing another of their siblings. They were placed in the care of a wildlife rehabilitator after the incident. Because they have been raised in the presence of humans, they cannot be released back into the wild. Now six months old, the otters have been placed in the permanent care of Grandfather Mountain. They arrived at the mountain on Aug. 4 and spent several weeks settling in before being introduced to Nova, a 1-year-old female, at a private habitat called The Plaza on Wednesday. “We were especially relieved to see positive, playful interactions occurring instantly between Nova and Emmy, as female otters often do not get along,” said Emma Schlagal, assistant habitats curator. “They were excited to be together.” Habitat staff will keep Oscar, Emmy and Nova together in The Plaza for a few more weeks to bond before they relocated to the public habitat. The mountain’s current otters, Luna and Nottaway, will then retire to The Plaza, where they will receive more privacy and the same level of care and attention. Fifteen-year-old Nottaway has developed arthritis and will benefit from the flatness and lack of stairs at The Plaza, according to habitat staff. Fans of Luna and Nottaway can still see the two on Behind the Scenes Tours, offered by reservation on Saturdays and Sundays through October. Grandfather Mountain opened its otter habitat in 1996 and is also home to black bears, cougars, white-tailed deer and bald eagles.

5) Beginning Pastured Pork Workshop Held at Springhouse Farm

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) announces a workshop and potluck focused on Pastured Pork production at Springhouse Farms. Farm Owner, Amy Fiedler, and Watauga Extension Agent Eddy Labus will give an introduction on how to produce pastured pork on a small scale for your farm or your family. The workshop and potluck will take place from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 7, at Springhouse Farm in Vilas. Springhouse Farm is a certified organic farm in Vilas. Amy received a Mary Boyer Sustainable Food and Agriculture grant from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture this spring to diversify her farm after intense flooding wiped out most of her crop in 2013. She intends to offer an alternative to factory-farmed pork with her own Certified Humane pastured pig and pork operation. Springhouse Farms aims to become a premier local source of feeder pigs and an instructor to local farmers on humane pastured prok production. This informational workshop will be a comfortable setting for those who are new to pastured pork production to learn more about how it can be done on a small scale. Whether you want to raise a handful of pigs for your family or a larger number for sale, this workshop will introduce you to the important aspects that need to be considered. Watauga Livestock Extension Agent Eddy Labus will join us out on the farm to incorporate additional information on incorporating pastured pork in your farm operations or at your home. Don’t miss this opportunity to see how an area farmer has integrated pork production into other farm activities. This workshop is free but attendees are encouraged to bring potluck food items to share. The workshop will begin Sept. 7 at 4 p.m. at Springhouse Farms at 433 Silverstone Rd. in Vilas. Please RSVP to Suzanne Fleishman at programs@brwia.org or 818-386-1537. More information about BRWIA’s summer workshop series and other programs can be found on BRWIA’s website (www.brwia.org).