1) High Country Workforce Development Board offers Business Grants
The High Country Workforce Development Board (HCWDB) is offering grants to businesses located in its seven-county region (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey) for training for existing employees. Grants are available in amounts up to $25,000 for training. Incumbent worker training (IWT) grants provide funding for training to existing for-profit businesses. Through this grant, the HCWDB is able to effectively retain businesses and help them stay competitive by supporting skills-upgrade training for existing full-time employees. IWT grants are structured to be flexible to meet the needs of the business’s training objectives. The business may use a public or private training provider, or may use an in-house training provider based on the nature of the training. Trainee’s wages have increased more than 25 percent on average within a year of completing IWT-supported training. Funding priority is given to businesses with 25 or fewer employees and who grant proposals represent a significant upgrade in employee skills. Reimbursable training expenses include salaries, tuition, curriculum development, textbooks and manuals. In recent years, grant recipients include Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, Carolina Timberworks, Phillips Appraisals, Carolina West Wireless, Southern Industrial Corporation and Amato Dentistry by Design. Grant applications are due on or before March 3. Information about grants including full guidelines and application can be found on the HCWDB wesbite at www.highcountrywdb.com in the Headlines and Upcoming events section. Please direct any questions to Adrian Tait at adrian.tait@highcountrywdb.com or at 828-265-5434.
2) App State Football Spring Game Set for April 4
Appalachian State University football will hold its 2014 spring game under the lights at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Friday, April 4, Appalachian State announced on Tuesday. Gates open at 6 p.m. and kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Admission to the spring game is free. Additional details, including parking and tailgating policies and special events associated with the game will be announced as plans are finalized. The spring game will be the culmination of Appalachian State’s 15 NCAA-allowed spring practices. Spring practices begin Feb. 28. All spring practices except for the spring game will be closed to the general public.
3) Black Sheep Theatre Premieres Political Satire
Black Sheep Theatre will perform Dennis Bohr’s newest play “BROWN: Jesus from Another Planet,” on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday March 2 at 2 p.m. in I.G. Greer Arena Theatre on Appalachian State University’s campus. Admission is $5 at the door. The play is set in the near future in the United States after cataclysmic earthquakes, fracking, flooding and other climate changes have reshaped America into separate states, ruled by Super Ted TExas, Mitt-King or Utah and Queen Sarah-Michele of Alaska among others. Texas has seceded from the union, New York is underwater but still open for business, and San Francisco is now the Floating Island of San Francisco. The play also hearkens back to Woodstock and the ’60s, telling the story of a kid born at Woodstock in 1969 and what has happened to him in the years since. The play satirically examines the United States’ propensities for war and its resistance to the realities of climate change, while also suggesting a new way of resolving conflict. The play uses strong themes and language that may not be suitable for all ages. The production is supported by a University Sustainability Arts Grant. Black Sheep Theatre was co-founded in Louisville, Ky. by Bohr, Georgia Rhodes and Mary Anne Maier. Bohr is a lecturer in Appalachian’s Department of English and Rhodes is coordinator of the Writing Across the Curriculum Program in the University College and a professor in the Department of English.
4) Running from the Cradle to the Grave Race Held May 17
The Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association (CFAIA) announces that registration is now open for the Cradle to Grave 30k and 5k in Pisgah National Forest. Both races will start and finish at the Forest Discovery Center on Saturday, May 17, 2014. The 30k will begin at 8:00 a.m. followed by the 5k at 8:30 a.m. Proceeds from the races will benefit the CFAIA, a local non-profit organization with a long-standing mission to promote educational, recreational, and interpretive opportunities about forest and water resources, natural history, and the Cradle of Forestry in America. Although the Cradle of Forestry Historic Site has been hosting a variety of outdoor events for over 40 years, this marks only the second year that the permitted trail races will take place. “Last year we set out to design a unique event that would appeal to serious trail runners as well as beginners and families,” says Devin Gentry, Director of Programming and Partnerships for the CFAIA. “The first-year event was a huge success. We had an almost sold-out field of 200 runners from 12 states run the 30k and 125 runners registered for the 5k – we couldn’t have asked for more. The feedback we received was great and we’re looking forward to hosting another exciting race that revolves around an entire weekend of fun and well thought out logistics.” The Cradle to Grave 30k and 5k Trail Races are being presented by Foot RX. Additional sponsors to date include Transylvania Regional Hospital, Looking Glass Realty, Oskar Blues Brewery, REI, Bracken Mountain Bakery, Food Matters Market, Nuun, Montrail, Foxworth Advisors, and the UPS Store Brevard. “We’re building a great lineup of partners that are going to make the entire race weekend a memorable one, and welcome any others that would like to join the mix,” says Gentry. In addition to some great trail running, an entire weekend of entertainment is being planned around the race. “ Participants will have the option to camp and will be treated to some amazing food and live music while getting to experience Pisgah National Forest and the town of Brevard at a beautiful time of year.” Early registration is highly encouraged and will be through Active.com. The early entry fee for the Cradle to Grave 30k is $65, and the 5k is $30. Both races are expected to sell out and will include a commemorative race T-shirt, race packet, post-race lunch, beer for those over 21, and music entertainment at the Cradle of Forestry’s outdoor amphitheater. Registration is limited. For more information or to register for either race, please visit www.cradletograverace.com. The Cradle of Forestry in America Interpretive Association (CFAIA), based out of Pisgah Forest, NC, is a 501c3 non-profit organization that strives to help the public better understand local ecology and the benefits of conservation through education and recreation. The CFAIA works to support their mission of recreation and education through campground and recreation area management, environmental education opportunities, the sale of forest-related gifts and educational materials, and by providing support to the Cradle of Forestry Historic Site.