1) Fourteen Mountaineers Playing Summer Baseball
Fourteen Appalachian State University baseball student-athletes are participating in NCAA-sanctioned collegiate summer leagues across the nation this offseason. The Mountaineers playing summer ball stretch fro New Hampshire to California and North Carolina to Alaska. Four highly talented Mountaineers have traveled cross-country to participate in prestigious leagues on the west coast. Outfielder Jaylin Davis and infielder Dillon Dobson are with the Santa Barbara Foresters of the California Collegiate league and Dallas DeVrieze and Sean Mason are pitching for the Peninsula Oilers of the Alaska Baseball League. Four more mountaineers have taken their talents to New England. Three – outfielder/pitcher Brian Bauk, outfielder/pitcher Matt Brill and infielder Michael Pierson are playing in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League while pitcher Robert Whaley is with the Ocean State Waves of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. Catcher Zach Hummel has also gone north for the summer as a member of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League’s Hamilton Joes. Closer to home, pitcher Caleb McCann, infielder/outfielder Bradley Morton, outfielder Tyler Troup and Pitcher Taylor Thurber are playing in the Coastal Plain League and outfielder Drake Zupcic is playing in the All-American Collegiate Baseball League.
2) Next Howard Street Exchange Held July 20
July 20 is the date of the next Howard Street Exchange Fair, and we’re holding a Plein-Air art contest in conjunction. Artists can enter into a 48 hour paint-off for cash prizes to be announced the day of the fair. Want to get a bit of the energy we’re bringing into downtown even sooner? Grab a date and come out to the Hullabaloo at Galileo’s on Saturday, June 14.Upstairs, downstairs and outside will be filled with art of all sorts and music to enjoy. The $5 cover charge goes to the cost of the July fair.
3) Jackson Joins Women’s Basketball Staff
Appalachian State University head women’s basketball coach Darcie Vincent announced the addition of Jessica Jackson as the new assistant basketball coach on Wednesday. “We are extremely excited about welcoming Jessica to our family,” said Vincent. “She comes highly recommended from a variety of people in the women’s basketball community. She has been waiting for an opportunity to take the next step in her career and we are fortunate she found App State to be that place. Her energy is contagious and our ladies will benefit tremendously from her knowledge of the game as well as her competitive speirit. Additionally, she was born and raised in Georgia and played for one of the top AAU programs in the state. In fact, our own Katie Mallow played for her dad. Our program and our team just got that much better with the addition of Jessica.” Jackson joins the Mountaineers after spending two seasons as the Director of Operations for the women’s basketball team at Kent State.
4) June Programs at Grandfather Mountain State Park
- TRACK Trail Grand Opening: On Friday, June 6 at 3:30 p.m., the park will celebrate the grand opening of the TRACK Trail. The Kids in Parks TRACK Trails program is a network of family-friendly trails in public lands designed to get kids “unplugged” outdoors and reconnected with nature for their health and for the health of our parks. Each TRACK Trail is a series of self-guided adventures that will turn an ordinary hike into a fun-filled outdoor experience. Kids can earn prizes for tracking their TRACK Trail adventures in an online nature journal. The Grandfather Mountain State Park TRACK Trail follows the first mile of the Profile Trail and is appropriate for children. The Grand Opening event will include ranger lead hikes on the TRACK Trail. The event will begin at 3:30 with hikes beginning at 3:45 and 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
- Nuwati Trail Hike: On Saturday, June 7 at 2 p.m., join a ranger for a hike on the Nuwati Trail. Details of the event will be posted closer to the date of the hike.
- Twilight Hike: On Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m., join a park ranger for an evening stroll through the Southern Appalachian Forest and see the woods come to life after the sun sets. Experience the park from a different prospective and learn about nocturnal wildlife. Participants must bring flashlights or headlamps and are encouraged to wear hiking boots.
- To Build a Fire: On Friday, June 13 at 3 p.m. Fire is one of the cornerstones of human civilization that many of us take for granted in today’s modern lifestyle. Could you build a fire if necessary? Join a park ranger at Grandfather Mountain State Park to learn techniques on fire building and emergency fire starting for camping, heating and survival. Participants will learn about fuel sources, alternative fire starters and some of the science behind fire. This program will last approximately one hour.
- Great Outdoors: On Saturday, June 14 at 2 p.m., join a ranger for National Get Outdoors Day. Details of the program will be posted closer to the program date.
- Stream Ecology: On Friday, June 20 at 4 p.m. join a ranger to learn about the living and non-living things that interact in mountain streams. What are all of those bugs and other critters swimming and crawling through the creek? We will catch and identify the creatures and what the species can tell us about water quality. Nets will be provided.
- Volunteer Trail Work Day: On Saturday, June 21 at 9:30 a.m., join a ranger for a day of trail maintenance and get a feel for what goes into managing a highly popular hiking destination. Volunteers will learn how to safely and effectively use tools, be shown sustainable trail design techniques and become familiar with trail labor. Work will be based on experience and skill level of volunteers and will range from easier to advanced construction.
- Fields to Forests: On Saturday, June 28 at 10 a.m., join a ranger for a walk around a field to discover what utilizes this environment and see the wealth of plant and wildlife diversity.
5) Get Your Taste of Avery Tickets Today
Get your Taste of Avery Tickets Today. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door if tickets are still available. Call us at the Avery County Chamber of Commerce at 828-898-5605 or drop by the office at the Shoppes of Tynecastle. Make your payment over the phone. This is a fun-filled night of food samplings, come out and find your new favorite restaurant.