1) Tree Board Meeting May 15
A meeting of the Town of BooneTree Board will be held on Thursday, May 15 at 6 p.m. in the Planning and Inspections Department upstairs conference room located at 680 W. King Street.
2) Sup Race Challenges Athletes in Tricities
Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is the hottest water sport craze sweeping the nation, and people in Tricities are ready for the action. As the sport has grown in participants, the first competitive paddleboard regional race is coming to our area Memorial Day Weekend with the Warrior Challenge at Warrior’s Path State Park on Saturday, May 24. SUPing began in Hawaii not long ago and spread quickly to the West Coast. The first SUP race was held in Tahoe City, Ca. in 2007 and has become a frequent sight on both coasts in the last few years. It was only a matter of time before the activity found its way to the beautiful lakes of our region. The race was created by a new organization called Southern Stroke Paddle Series (SSPS) a ten-race series that stretches from Tennessee to Alabama to Georgia to North Carolina. Two of the ten races will be in our area: the Warrior Challenge on May 24 in Kingsport on Patrick Henry Lake and the Appalachian Challenge on Aug. 23 in Butler on Watauga Lake. It is sponsored locally by Tricities Stand Up Paddleboard store located in Bristol, Tenn. For more information, visit www.TriSUP.net. TriSUP is located at 514 State Street in Bristol.
3) Fun in the Sun Summer Day Camp Held Beginning June 23
Fun in the Sun Summer Day Camp dates have changed. Fun in the Sun will now be held beginning June 23 for six weeks ending Aug. 1. Watauga County Parks and Recreation offers two summer day camps for rising first through seventh graders. Summer Adventure is held at Watauga High School June 16-Aug. 1 and Fun in the Sun is held at Hardin Park School June 23-Aug. 1. Registration has begun for both camps. Space is limited s0 register soon. The registration fee for Summer Adventures is $95 per week. The registration fee for Fun in the Sun is $85 per week. Fun in the Sun is a licensed day camp and subsidies can be obtained through DSS for qualifying participants. There may be additional fees for weekly field trips. Both camps are open from 7:30-5:30 p.m. weekdays for the duration of the program. registration is ongoing at Watauga County Parks and Recreation. For more information or to register call 828-264-9511.
4) Grandfather Mountain State Park Family Day Event Held Aug. 23
Save the date! The fourth annual Grandfather Mountain State Park Family Day Event will be held Aug. 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Foscoe Grandfather Community Park. Participants will be engaged in a variety of activities and programs which will be fun for children and adults alike. This is a great opportunity to learn about your state park. We are looking for volunteers too; from environmental educators to those who would like to help us set up for the event and everything in between. Please contact the park office at 828-963-9522 for more information.
5) Mills Named American Council on Education Fellow
Professor Suzi Mills from the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University has been named an American Council on Education Fellow for the 2014-15 academic year. The ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing emerging leaders for senior positions in college and university administration. Mills is among 31 fellows nominated by the senior administration of their institutions who were selected for the fellowship following a rigorous application process. During the fellowship, Mills plans to focus on her interests in international education by studying the intersection of issues of diversity and globalization, issues of the 21st Century campus and how to address those issues at Appalachian. Those issues, she said, include creating and maintaining a climate of inclusion for students, staff and faculty, balancing quality education with demands for more online course offerings, supporting research endeavors and eliminating barriers for transfer students pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Nearly 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program since its inception, with more than 300 Fellows having served as chief executive officers of colleges or universities and more than 1,300 having served as provosts, vice presidents and deans.