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Today’s Email Announcements

1) Register Now for Yoga at the Senior Center

The next session of Yoga classes are scheduled to meet from 6:15-7:15pm at the Lois E. Harrill Senior Center on Tuesdays beginning January 5th. Classes will also be held at the Western Watauga Community Center (WWCC) on Thursdays starting January 7th from 11am-noon.  The instructor, Akal Dev Sharonne, has been a yoga practitioner and teacher for more than 30 years.  Her classes are a delightful blend of humor, challenge and wisdom.  The cost of each 12-week session is $74.00 per person.  Call Akal Dev to register, 828-264-1384.

2) WNCW to Broadcast Christmas Pre-Jam Live from Asheville on Friday

WNCW-FM 88.7 will broadcast the 17th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Pre-Jam live from The Orange Peel in Asheville, NC this Friday, December 11, 2015.    The live broadcast will begin at 6pm and will last for the entire Pre-Jam event.  The show will also be rebroadcast on WNCW-FM the night of New Year’s Eve.

The performers are always a surprise at the Pre-Jam, so no one knows for sure who will be on stage until that night, but possible guests include Gov’t Mule,Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bruce Hornsby, Dawes, the Doobie Brothers and more.

Listen to the live broadcast on WNCW by tuning in on the radio or online at wncw.org and join in the festivities that night as we discover what artists play in thisHabitat for Humanity benefit show.  Thanks to Highland Brewing Company, Luella’s Barbecue and WNCW members for helping to make this broadcast possible.

WNCW-FM is an independent public broadcast service of Isothermal Community College and broadcasts at 88.7FM with service in Charlotte, NC on 100.3FM, Greenville, SC on 97.3FM, Boone, NC on 92.9FM and on WSIF Wilkesboro at 90.9FM.  Stream online at www.wncw.org/listen-live.  For the past 26 years, WNCW has broadcast a variety of music, including rock, Americana, Regional, Jazz, Bluegrass, Blues, Singer/Songwriter, Celtic, Old-Time and more.  It is honored to support the musical traditions of local and regional artists.

3) Baha’i Devotional Set for Sunday on Lomax Street

There will be a Baha’i devotional meeting at 11 a.m. on Sunday 13 December at 167 Lomax Street in Chapel Hills Development off Brown’s Chapel Road. The theme will be “The foundation of true happiness and progress is spirituality.” All are welcome.   For more information and directions call 262 5857.

4) See “Bridget Jones’s Diary” at the Library on Dec. 14

Watauga County Public Library – Meeting Room High Country Lifelong Learners in association with the Watauga County Public Library invite you to join us for a movie viewing of Bridget Jones’s Diary on December 14th from 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm.

Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year’s Resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget’s band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance who Bridget cannot seem to stop running into or help finding quietly attractive.

This film has an MPAA rating of R and an approximate run-time of 97 minutes.

For more information please email high.country.lifelong@gmail.com, Attention: Deb Gooch.

5) Watch “Chariots of Fire” at the Library on Dec. 17

Watauga County Public Library – Meeting Room The Watauga County Public Library’s movie discussion group invites you to join us for a viewing of Chariots of Fire on December 17th from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm.

Director Hugh Hudson’s 1981 film Chariots of Fire is an inspirational look at the competitive spirit, featuring two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics.

This film has an MPAA rating of PG and an approximate run-time of 125 minutes.

For more information please call (828) 264-8784 ext. 2

6) Events This Week at BRAHM

Cedar and Shotguns: Old Christmas in Appalachia

Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. / $5 per person

Get to know Johnson City, Tennessee native, author and teacher Amy Tipton Cortner, who will intertwine personal recollections of childhood Christmases in the mountains of eastern Tennessee with an overview of Christmas traditions in different parts of Appalachia.

After the talk, enjoy some old-fashioned Christmas goodies, a stroll through the galleries and some lovely music in the atrium from the Shorthand String Band.

Cortner has authored two chapbooks, one novel and many essays. Her work has been published in anthologies including Appalachian Inside Out and Listen Here: Women Writing in Appalachia.

Coded Responses: A Talk with Artist Mark Nystrom

Thursday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. / $5 suggested donation

Artist and designer Mark Nystrom will show interpretations of wind, music and the news and discuss the processes that create them in this “Scholars with Scones” talk. Natural forces and data fuel Nystrom’s artistic practice. Hidden within them are patterns, forms and meaning ripe for extraction, analysis and interpretation. Like the translation of a text from one language to another, his work is a translation of information.

His work has been shown across the country and he is currently working as an associate professor of graphic design in the department of art at Appalachian State University.

Live Jazz Duo with Maureen Renihan and Mike Holstein

Saturday, Dec. 12 from 2:3-4 p.m. / Free

Experience the beauty of live jazz in BRAHM’s Atrium, with an informal performance by vocalist Maureen Renihan and bass virtuoso Mike Holstein. Just drop by or stay for the whole thing! Our galleries will also be open, with many brand-new exhibits. Get the details here.

7) Apply Now for ScaleUp WNC Cohorts Business Program

Starting a business is hard work. Scaling a business is equally hard, and often requires different strategy and skills than used in the startup phase. The ScaleUp WNC program works with existing entrepreneurs and small businesses owners from across western North Carolina that have demonstrated initial success and have potential for significant growth.

Using a cohort based approach, with 15 businesses accepted into each group, ScaleUp WNC provides mentorship, management training, growth capital connections and other critical resources to help companies achieve breakthrough growth and contribute to the small business-led economic development of western North Carolina. Cohort members also gain a strong peer CEO network within their cohort and with ScaleUp WNC alumni (listed below).

 Applications are now being accepted for the third and fourth ScaleUp WNC cohorts. The deadline to apply is January 31. Visit ScaleUpWNC.com for more information and to apply. Cohort 3 will begin in March, and Cohort 4 will start in June. Based on previous interest, Mountain BizWorks may fill both cohorts from applications received during this application window.

 “Spending the time and energy to develop and refine our ‘pitch’ was worth its time investment ten-fold.” – Adam Charnack, Hi-Wire Brewing (Cohort 1)

In addition to the caliber of companies selected, a strength of ScaleUp WNC is the diversity of companies participating. Industries represented in the first two cohorts ranged from food & beverage to outdoor industry, and from manufacturing to professional services. Accepted companies hailed from Boone to Asheville to Bryson City and places in between. Mountain BizWorks also strongly encourages applications from women-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned and rural-based businesses. Half of the 2015 participants met one or more of these criteria.

 “The community of like-minded entrepreneurs and small business owners created by ScaleUp is one of the most valuable and ongoing outcomes of being part of the program.” – Nikki Holder, Outrider USA (Cohort 1)

 Fifteen founders or executive managers of growth-oriented small businesses will be selected through a competitive, merit-based application process for each ScaleUp WNC cohort. Businesses must be based in Western North Carolina, have at least one full-time employee, and have identified opportunities for business expansion. Additionally, accepted businesses typically have been in for business for at least 2 years and have annual revenues between $150,000 and $750,000.

 This unique program is offered at no-cost thanks to funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration, however companies chosen are expected to make a firm commitment of time to participate in the program. Western North Carolina has been selected as one of the first eight places nationally to launch an SBA ScaleUp America program, a recognition of the vibrant entrepreneurial community in WNC.

 “We are thrilled to be launching the next round of the ScaleUp WNC program,” said Bill Carrington, chair of the Mountain BizWorks board of directors. “In the first year, we had the honor of assisting 30 great small business owners from across the region, many of whom are already creating new jobs, raising funding, and reaching new milestones. We expect another excellent and diverse class of entrepreneurial leaders in 2016.”

Mountain BizWorks also thanks our collaborating training partners which have included Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Ascent Business Network, Sequoyah Fund, Small Town Ventures, 1×1 Media, Lenoir-Rhyne University and AdvantageWest.

Additional program details, dates and the online application form are available atScaleUpWNC.com.

 ScaleUp WNC alumni companies include: Cohort 1: Brightfield Transportation Solutions, Carolina Native Nursery, Dieseljobs.com, Dolci di Maria, Equinox, Farm to Home Milk, Hi-Wire Brewing, Lusty Monk, Mother Earth Produce, New Appalachia, Outrider USA, SimpleShot Shooting Sports, Strivven Media/Virtual Job Shadow, The Filling Station Deli And Sub Shop, Ultimate Ice Cream. Cohort 2: APEX Brain Centers, Appalachia Cookie Company, BearWaters Brewing Company, Cab Hound, Covenant Health Products, Destination by Design, Dog Door Canine Services, eCBiz Solutions, Go Yoga, GoWorx, Heurista, Odyssey ClayWorks, Sherpa Hunting, Spectra3D Technologies, The Regeneration Station