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Today’s Email Announcements

High Country Audubon Society to Host Speaker Amy Renfranz May 16

Join High Country Audubon Society (HCAS) for its program on May 16 at 6:30 pm at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone, where speaker Amy Renfranz will present “I Never Finished Walden and Other Confessions of an English Major Naturalist.”

Amy Renfranz graduated from Appalachian State University with a B.A. in English and from North Carolina State University with a Master of Parks and Recreation Management. She is a Certified North Carolina Environmental Educator and a Yellowstone Association Institute Certified Naturalist.

Amy was an interpretive park guide and environmental educator on the Blue Ridge Parkway for six years, and returned to the High Country after working in Yellowstone National Park and for the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. She currently works as the Director of Education and Natural Resources with the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation and also writes the award-winning “Dear Naturalist” column for The Mountain Times publications.

Her work reflects her commitment to connect people with nature and facilitate personal connections with it. Amy believes that a relationship with nature is possible even for those who “have not read Walden, do not own the best binoculars or camera, or did not go camping as a kid!”

Please join HCAS on the 16th to hear how you can be a naturalist too!

HCAS offers programs on the third Tuesday of each month, March through October, at 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, Boone. All HCAS programs and activities are free and open to the public.

Watauga Humane Society Launches Shoe Collection Drive May 15 – July 15

Shoe donations will also support micro-enterprises in developing nations and reduce what goes into landfills.

The Watauga Humane Society is conducting a shoe collection drive from May 15, 2017 – July 15, 2017  to raise funds for the care, feeding, love and medical needs of shelter animals. The Watauga Humane Society will earn funds based on the number of pairs collected, as Funds2Orgs will purchase all of the donated goods. Those dollars will benefit the Watauga Humane Society. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used or new shoes at the Watauga Humane Society or Bare Bones Boutique. Also, you can join the “One Bag Challenge.” Fill a bag with 25 pairs of shoes from friends, neighbors and co-workers and drop them off!

Blue Ridge Mountain Club to Host Free Live Music Event “Summer Soulstice” June 17

Summer Soulstice, a free outdoor live musical event hosted by Blue Ridge Mountain Club, featuring the sounds of the Red Dirt Revelators and the Shelby Rae Moore Band, starting with sets from Tony Bailey and 2 Crow Moon. Locally-made food and craft beer will be available for purchase. There will be ATV shuttles from free parking lots courtesy of Brushy Mountain Motorsports. A day of music and family fun, Summer Soulstice features al fresco dining, games on the lawn, a bonfire at Watson Gap Pavilion, an Open House tour of the new Craig Condominium and an opportunity for shooting at the new Chetola Sporting Reserve at Blue Ridge Mountain Club. This event is free and open to the public and serves as a fundraising effort to benefit Hospitality House, a Boone, N.C.-based nonprofit committed to breaking the cycle of crisis, poverty and homelessness by providing housing, prevention and nutrition.

WHEN: Saturday, June 17

Doors open at 3 p.m.

Music until 9 p.m.

WHERE: The Pavilion at Blue Ridge Mountain Club, located equidistant between Blowing Rock and Boone, N.C., just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. For directions, visit the event website here or paste this URL into your browser (http://www.BRMCSoul.com).

WHO: In the heart of the High Country of North Carolina, The Blue Ridge Mountain Club is, literally and figuratively, a community on the rise. Founded in 2008, it spans more than 6,200 acres and offers a sanctuary of picturesque mountaintop living amid the highest ridgelines at the crossroads of Blowing Rock’s charm and Boone’s conveniences. The mission of Blue Ridge Mountain Club is to continuously nurture the spirit of community by creating meaningful places that facilitate authentic family experiences that become the hallmarks of heritage and tradition across multiple generations. To learn more, call 828.414.3949, visit www.BlueRidgeMountainClub.com or visit the Blue Ridge Mountain Club Trailhead Welcome Center at 1116 Main Street, in downtown Blowing Rock, N.C.

PRICE: Admission is free. Donations, while not required, are encouraged, as this is a fundraising event for Hospitality House.

CONTACT: Call (828) 295-8667 for more information about Summer Soulstice or visit the event website at BRMCsoul.com.

Watauga County Public Library to Hold Showing of Ray May 18

Audience: Adults (18+)
Location: Watauga County Public Library – Meeting Room

Cost: Free

The Watauga County Public Library’s movie group invites you to join us for a viewing of “Ray” on May 18th from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm.

Director Taylor Hackford ‘s 2004 film, Ray, tells the story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.

This film has an MPAA rating of PG-13 and an approximate run-time of 152 minutes.

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

Free Skin Cancer Screening at Boone Dermatology Clinic May 19th

Boone Dermatology Clinic will partner with Appalachian Regional Healthcare System to offer a free melanoma cancer screening on Friday, May 19, 2017 from 10 am – 2 pm.

Participants may request either a full body exam or spot checks for suspicious areas. Screenings will be first come, first served, so please plan accordingly. Participants will be seen by the first available provider.

Boone Dermatology Clinic is located at 169 Birch St, Boone, NC. For more information, call Boone Dermatology Clinic at 828-264-4553. To learn more about Appalachian Regional Healthcare System visit https://apprhs.org/.

High Country Operation Medicine Cabinet to Kick off Pharmaceutical Drug Take-Back Saturday, May 13

When: Saturday, May 13th 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Where:

  • Food Lion, Boone (Blowing Rock Road)
  • Food Lion, Deep Gap (Hwy. 421)
  • Food Lion, Blowing Rock
  • Foscoe Fire Department

Help High Country Operation Medicine Cabinet keep pharmaceuticals and controlled substances off the streets and out of the area’s rivers. Turn in your unused or expired prescriptions, over-the-counter medication and medical supplies – no questions asked.

For questions or more information, please call (828) 264-3761.