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Today’s Email Announcements

Watauga Amateur Radio Club Participates in Annual Field Day, June 24-25

The Watauga Amateur Radio Club, an affiliate with the American Amateur Radio Relay League will join hundreds of other stations during Field Day 2017 on June 24-25th.

Field Day is a practice exercise that involves trained radio operators setting up temporary communications sites with antennas, emergency power and operating around the clock, as would happen during a local or national emergency, such as an earthquake, hurricane or tornado that disrupts normal communications. Field Day stations will be communicating with other stations around the USA, as well as other countries, over shortwave and VHF radios.

We will be operating from Blowing Rock Fire Station #2, at 5165 Hwy 221 South, near Holloway Mountain Road, and would like to invite the public to stop by to visit. Field Day communications will start at 2pm on June 24th, and the Field Day period ends at 2pm on Sunday the 25th.

New Radio Amateurs or others interested in Amateur Radio will have the opportunity to operate a Get On The Air Station (GOTA) with the help of a licensed station control operator.

If you would like to see the excitement of ham radio or if you have been thinking of getting a ham radio license, this is an opportunity to see how ham radio operators work together and how exciting a hobby ham radio is.  

For further information about enrolling in the course, please visit “wataugahamradio.net”, and “WWW.ARRL.ORG”

 

Award-Winning Pianist, Fidel Leal, to Perform in Blowing Rock, June 24

Award-winning pianist Fidel Leal will perform Beethoven, Prokoviev, and music from his native Cuba, in the next recital at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock on Saturday afternoon, June 24th, at 4 pm in the nave of the church.

Fidel Leal began studying piano in his native Cuba at age 7, and received his B.A. summa cum laude from the Higher Institute of Arts in Havana in 2013. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Music with Dr. Bair Shagdaron at ASU.

Leal debuted with the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba in 2006. He has performed with several symphonic and chamber orchestras in Cuba, as well as concertizing in Costa Rica, Switzerland, and France.  He took first prize in the IV Ibero-American Piano Competition in Havana, and the Musicalia 2011 International Piano Competition, as well as taking top prizes in other competitions in Havana, Costa Rica, and Mexico.  He has recorded for the Cuban label Colibri, and in 2014 won the Concert Soloist Prize at the Cuba-disco International Festival for his CD, Cuatro por uno.

For this concert, Leal will perform the Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 by Beethoven, Prokoviev’s Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83, and a selection of Cuban piano music from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Please come join us for this very special afternoon of music at St. Mary’s.

St. Mary of the Hills sponsors Saturday afternoon recitals by faculty and students from the Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University each month from May through September.  The church is located on Main Street in Blowing Rock.  For more information, please call the church office at828.295.7323, or visit MusicfromStMaryoftheHills on Facebook.

 

Vintage Valle Music at Baird’s Creek Presbyterian Church, June 18

Music!  Music!  Music!  Come, celebrate Father’s Day!  Join your neighbors and listen to some music of the mountains.  From brass to strings, pop to traditional, there’ll be music to suit your taste, and stories told ‘bout folks you know or wish you did.  It’s a leisurely afternoon of Vintage Valle Music at Baird’s Creek Presbyterian Church, June 18, 2017, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Kicking off the bill is an exciting duo, new to Vintage Valle Music but not to the High Country, Sound Traveler.  Their music is an innovative and unique blend of instruments – guitar, trumpet, bass, concertina, banjo, harmonica, percussion, melodica, and ukulele – and vocals.  Expect to hear classic rock/pop/country tunes, classy standards, light jazz, folk, traditional, gospel, and some originals.  Here’s a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8TMgm1jPDY

Returning this June are The Burnett Sisters, a bluegrass gospel and old-time band from Boone, ranging in age from 10 to 20.  All the girls have grown up under the instruction of local musicians such as John Cockman, Cecil Gurganus, and the Junior Appalachian Musician Program at the Jones House in Boone.  The girls play fiddle, guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin and they love to sing harmonies as well.  They compete and perform as individuals and in the bands Strictly Strings and the Tater Hill Mashers in festivals throughout the mountains of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee.  Just listen to this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXRplY7AmiM

Another new visitor to our Sunday afternoon guest list, is Reverand Percival Weeblemeyer, pastor of the Fort Lonesome Presbyterian Church, in Lithia, Florida.  Rev. Percy seems to have more than his share of troubles and strange escapades going on in his congregation and he can’t keep a secret.  So – come and join the fun!

There’s no admission charge.  However, we are collecting undies for kids at our local elementary schools.  If you will, bring new undies, socks, and plain tee shirts – any size – to help cover an accident or child in need.

Baird’s Creek Presbyterian Church is located at 2147 NC Hwy 194 S., Vilas NC  28692.  There’ll be no passing the hat, no preachin’ ‘n prayin’,  no dinner on the grounds; just pickin’ ‘n singin’, and lotsa grinnin’ at Vintage Valle Music, June 18, 2017, 4 to 6 p.m. 

Wordkeepers Event at the Ashe County Arts Council in West Jefferson, June 17

(West Jefferson) – The next Wordkeepers event will be held Saturday, June 17from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at the Ashe County Arts Council in West Jefferson (303 W. School Street)Wordkeepers is free and open to the public. 

 In conjunction with Wordkeepers a “write-in” will be held from 2:30 – 3:45 the same afternoon, also at the Ashe County Arts Center. Writers in any genre are invited to bring notebooks, pencils, pens, and computers to create work in the welcoming environment of Wordkeepers. Prompts will be provided and informal discussions between writers encouraged. Participants will have the opportunity to read their newly created work at the 4:00 p.m. Wordkeepers salon, should they choose.  Interested participants should let Chris Arvidson (chris@chrisarvidson.comknow of their plan to participate and contact her with any questions about the  Wordkeepers WriteIn. 

 Wordkeepers features writers reading their latest works in five-minute open microphone time slots. Refreshments are provided.  Writers interested in reading from their work should email Chris Arvidson at chris@chrisarvidson.com to secure their first-come, first-served spot on the bill, and to receive guidelines for reading. Wordkeepers was created by local writers Chris Arvidson, Julie Townsend and Scot Pope. 

 

Public Notice: ASU’s Board of Trustees to Meet June 22-23

The Board of Trustees of Appalachian State University and its several committees will meet on Thursday and Friday, June 22- 23, 2017, at the Plemmons Student Union (PSU) on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.  Meetings will be held according to the following schedule:

Thursday, June 22

12:00 p.m.                               Audit Committee
                                                Room 417 – Beacon Heights Room

1:00 p.m.                                 Athletics Committee
                                                Room 415 – Rough Ridge Room

2:00 p.m.                                 Academic Affairs Committee
                                                Room 417 – Beacon Heights Room

3:00 p.m.                                 Student Development Committee
                                                Room 415 – Rough Ridge Room
                                                 

4:00 p.m.                                  Business Affairs Committee
                                                 Room 417 – Beacon Heights Room

                                             
5:00 p.m.                                 Endowment Fund Board
                                                Room 415 – Rough Ridge Room

Friday, June 23

8:00 a.m.                                 Trustees’ Breakfast with Chancellor Everts
                                                Room 417 – Beacon Heights Room
 
9:00 a.m.                                 Board of Trustees
                                                Room 420 – Parkway Ballroom