1000 x 90

Today’s Email Announcements

1) Chamber to Host 28th Annual Business Expo at Boone Mall on May 14

Join the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce for its 28th annual business expo “telling and selling show” on Thursday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Boone Mall. More than 85 exhibitors will offer a wide range of products and services, as well as prizes and giveaways. Check out all that High Country businesses have to offer. This is your opportunity to get to know more of what these businesses can do for you. For more information, contact Barbara Armstrong at 828-264-2225 or barbara.armstrong@boonechamber.com or visit Boone Chamber online.

2) Sculptors Invited to Participate in Sept. 12 Competition in Lenoir

Calling all sculptors! The Caldwell Arts Council, a nonprofit organization, will host the 30th annual Sculpture Celebration in Lenoir on Saturday, Sept. 12. Sculptors are invited to bring up to three sculptures for this one-day competition for a chance to win an $11,000 cash reward. No commission in event of sales. The event brings sculptors from all areas east of the Mississippi River to Lenoir. Early registration discounts are available. For additional information, contact the council at 828-754-2486 or at info@caldwellarts.com or visit the organization online.

3) Audubon Society to Feature Research of Morgan Harris at May 19 Meeting

The High Country Audubon Society will host a meeting on Tuesday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone. Morgan Harris, the 2013 recipient of the Sue Wells Research Grant, will present his research on the competition during breeding season between Eastern Bluebirds and Tree Swallows. His presentation will show how male and female Eastern respond to the encroachment of Tree Swallows. After completing his graduate work, Harris moved to Kauai, Hawaii to study endangered seabirds. He will share some of his research on seabirds, too. HCAS invites the public to attend the monthly meetings and field trips. Announcements about the meeting and field trips are listed on the HCAS website.

4) ASU to Kick Off Summer Dance Series on June 2

The Summer Dance Series sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance begins June 2 at Appalachian State University. The series, which runs through June 25, will offer mixed beginning level classes featuring a variety of dance styles and bodywork classes. The classes are open to the public.

All classes will be held in the varsity gym room 208 with open classes meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Intermediate and advanced technique classes will meet Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to about 7 p.m.

The series will offer beginning level classes with rotating teachers, dance styles and bodywork classes. Classes will include African, hip-hop, modern, hula hoop, jazz, yoga, musical theatre dance, ballet, pilates, samba and more.

There is no obligation to attend all classes and many are kid-friendly. Children ages 10 and older are welcome and younger children are welcome with an adult.

In lieu of a class fee, donations are welcome.

Contact Regina James at jamesrg@appstate.edu to be included in the email list that will provide details and schedules.

4) VA Health Nurses to Host Free Seminars for Veterans in West Jefferson in May

The W.G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center’s rural health nurse educators will provide free classes on healthy living for all veterans and their families. The classes will focus on Metabolic Syndrome. IF you have high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugars or are overweight, you may be at a higher risk for Metabolic Syndrome. Come join us in learning how to reduce your risk by learning lifestyle changes for a healthier life.

Classes will be held at the Ashe Services for Aging, 180 Chattyrob Lane in West Jefferson, from 10 a.m. to noon on May 5, 12, 19 and 26.

All former and current military members are encouraged to attend. VA staff will also provide help with health care registration, education and information services. We can also assist with completing enrollment applications, requesting DD Form 214s and initiating MyHealtheVet online services for non-enrolled veterans.

Former military members who are not currently enrolled for VA health care benefits will need to bring a copy of their DD Form 214 to attach their application for VA health care benefits. Veterans who cannot locate their DD Form 214 can request a copy online.

For more information or to register, call 1-800-46-8262 exts. 4315, 4937, 4958 or 4960. Come join us in learning how to be healthy!

5) The Patterson School Announces Summer Schedule and Class Offerings

A schedule of summer classes at The Patterson School will include a week-long retreat, “Boot Camp for Healing at the Roots,” based on the renowned Rice Diet Program to promote health and reverse disease July 20–24. This week will include heart-healthy local organic cuisine, yoga, meditation and exercise. Also included are lessons in composting, identifying medicinal native plants and dehydrating and preparing fresh, nutrient-dense foods.

Two other major class offerings will instruct in farming and permaculture on the 1400 acre property bequeathed for educational purposes by Samuel Legerwood Patterson, North Carolina’s first Agricultural Commissioner. Located in Happy Valley between Lenoir and Blowing Rock, the School has taught thousands of students to be good stewards of its land and natural resources.

Instructor Chuck Marsh is a pioneer in ecological landscape design with a career in designing and installing productive, sustainable home and commercial landscapes.

“Growing Our Way Home Again” on July 18 will focus on learning simple permaculture design strategies and growing methods for creating family -scale home food production systems. “Land is Ecosystem” on July 19 will introduce landowners to regenerative land management and permaculture -based practices to build soil, conserve and manage water resources and heal damaged landscapes.

A series of shorter, daylong and half-day classes in homesteading will be offered as well. Dawn Matthews is founder and owner of The Thankful Goat, a micro-farm near Lenoir. Featured in Mother Earth News, Dawn home-schools, manages her micro-farm, and makes bread, cheese, soaps and other bath products.

On June 6, in a day-long “Bread and Jam” class, Dawn will teach students to make their own bread from whole- grain wheat berries, ground into flour for several loaves of fresh bread. Strawberry jam will also be made from scratch, and everyone will have bread and a jar of jam to take home.

On June 20, Dawn will teach three short classes. “Cheese Making” will demonstrate the production of mozzarella and chevre made in class with fresh goat’s milk. The different processes will be explained and a website will be provided for the purchase of required equipment.

“Soap Making” will review the 8,000 – year history of soap making and a fresh batch of soap will be made, with soap for everyone to take home. Precautions will be addressed and a variety of additives will be discussed.

“Drop Spindle Spinning” has been used around the world for thousands of years to process the wool of sheep, goat, llama and alpaca as well as cotton, flax and other natural fibers to create yarn for weaving, crocheting and knitting. The class will demonstrate the making of yarn from roving (a processed fleece), and spindles will be available for purchase.

Deneice Guest is co-author of the new book Drink the Harvest, which introduces the time-honored tradition of preserving food from the garden.

On June 13, in “Safe and Easy Home Canning,” Deneice will show students how safe, easy and economical it is to preserve food and beverages by canning, and will present imaginative ways to preserve garden favorites. The workshop will cover equipment, sanitation and step-by-step techniques.

Later on June 13, “Make Your Own Garden Wine and Mead” with Deneice will teach the little – known world of garden herb wines and honey meads, which combine health benefits with delicious flavor in a pure and long-lasting form. Students will learn which herbs are best to use as wines, how to harvest and handle them, and how to begin the winemaking process.

The Patterson School property offers walking and horseback riding trails from the Yadkin River to Ripshin Mountain, and the Equestrian Center’s barn manager Andy Carlton will be available for individual riding lessons and for leading trail rides.

For more information and to register for classes and retreats, please contact Kitty at 919-971-1348 or at kittyrosati007@gmail.com.