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Today’s Email Announcements

Boone Town Council Holding Special Meeting on April 26

Pursuant to authority granted under North Carolina General Statute 160A-71(b)(1), the Boone Town Council hereby gives notice to those concerns that a Special Meeting will be held Thursday, April 26, 2018 at 6 p.m. at the Town Council Chambers located at 1500 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC 28607.

The purpose of the meeting will be to hold a public forum to discuss the state of law enforcement in the Town of Boone.

Tri-Cities Region Will Graham Celebration Begins Friday in Johnson City

WHAT: After several months of planning and preparation, the Tri-Cities Region Will Graham Celebration begins on Friday. The family-friendly event will feature free concerts from Christian artists and inspiring messages from evangelist Will Graham. Volunteers from approximately 235 area churches are working together to make the Celebration a success.

WHO: William Franklin Graham IV (Will) is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Will is the grandson of Billy Graham and the oldest son of Franklin Graham. In addition to the Tri-Cities Region Will Graham Celebration, Will’s 2018 schedule includes international outreaches in Australia, Scotland, Canada and Thailand.
 
WHERE and WHEN:
Freedom Hall Civic Center
Johnson City, Tenn.
 
Friday, April 27: 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 28: 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 29: 4 p.m.

KidzFest: Saturday, April 28: 10:30 a.m. (with activities beginning at 9 a.m.)
  
ADMISSION: Admission is free of charge. No tickets are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
MUSICAL GUESTS:

Watauga County Gospel Singing Coming April 28

WHAT: Watauga County Gospel Singing       

WHERE: Mountain Dale Baptist Church – Mountain Dale Road, Vilas, NC

Pastor – Eric Cornett

WHEN: April 28, 2018, 6 p.m.

CONTACT: Clint Cornett – 828-297-3270 or Neil Oliver – 828-297-3653

We will be singing from the Red Book Hymnal.

Boone Area Lions Club to Host Blood Drive May 1

The Boone Area Lions Club is sponsoring a Community Blood Drive with the American Red Cross on Tuesday, May 1 from 1:30-6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone.

There is a critical need for healthy blood; don’t pass up this opportunity to help out. To make an appointment, call Louise at 828-262-0475 or go online to www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor code “Holiday Inn Express”. Drop-ins are also welcome.

Watauga Medical Center Awarded Chest Pain Certification from the Joint Commission

Appalachian Regional Healthcare System announced today that Watauga Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for Chest Pain Certification. Watauga Medical Center underwent a rigorous on-site review in February 2018. Joint Commission experts evaluated compliance with national disease-specific care standards as well as with chest pain-specific requirements. Clinical practice guidelines and performance measures also were assessed.

“Watauga Medical Center has thoroughly demonstrated a high level of care for patients with chest pain,”said Patrick Phelan, executive director, Hospital Business Development, The Joint Commission. “We commend Watauga Medical Center for becoming a leader in chest pain care, potentially providing a higher standard of service for chest pain patients in its community.”

Established in 2002 and awarded for a two-year period, The Joint Commission’s Disease-Specific Care Certification evaluates clinical programs across the continuum of care and addresses three core areas:

  • Compliance with consensus-based national standards;
  • Effective use of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to manage and optimize care; and
  • An organized approach to performance measurement and improvement activities.

“We are pleased to receive the Chest Pain Certification from The Joint Commission, the premier health care quality improvement and accrediting body in the nation,” added Kim Bianca, Senior Vice President for Hospitals & Acute Care Services for Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. “The certification recognizes our commitment to providing excellence in patient care for our community.” 

Relatives As Parents Program (RAPP) Coming Soon to Ashe County

Grandparents raising grandchildren and other kinship caregivers may face a variety of issues, including legal, social, financial and emotional struggles, in their efforts to raise a grandchild, younger sibling, niece or nephew.

RAPP is a leading resource for providing support and guidance to relative caregivers and their families.

Monthly RAPP sessions are coming soon to Ashe County. For more information, please contact Josh Poe or Angie Ritter at (336) 846-5644 or www.hccgf.org/programs.

 

Day Out with Thomas at Tweetsie Railroad June 8-17

Toot! Toot! Experience Day Out With Thomas like never before at Tweetsie Railroad. Ride the train behind Thomas the Tank Engine, meet Sir Topham Hat, play in Imagination Station, and enjoy storytelling and live music! PLUS have a full day at Tweetsie Railroad with amusement rides, deer park zoo, panning for gold, live entertainment and more!

This event takes place from June 8 to June 17, 2018. Tickets include one ride with Thomas the Tank Engine, Thomas & Friends themed activities and admission to the theme park. Free for children age 2 and under, $30 for children age 3-12, and $45 for adults age 13 and older.

Date/Time: Friday, June 8, 2018, through Sunday, June 17, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: Tweetsie Railroad, 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane Blowing Rock, NC 28605

Website: https://tweetsie.com/special-events/day-out-with-thomas/

Phone number: 828-264-9061

Tracy K. Smith, Poet Laureate of the United States, to be Featured at On The Same Page Literary Festival

Ashe County’s On the Same Page Literary Festival, celebrating eleven years of bringing the best in literary arts to the region, announces that the Poet Laureate of the United States, Tracy K. Smith, will be a featured author at the 2018 event.

“We decided to announce Tracy K. Smith’s participation in this year’s Festival to help celebrate Poetry Month this April,” said Ashe County Arts Council Executive Director, Jane Lonon. “When she was originally selected as Poet Laureate of the U.S., Smith stated one of her goals was to reach rural areas, places where you don’t usually find Poet Laureates…we immediately contacted her,” Lonon explained, “On the Same Page and Ashe County are a perfect fit.”

Smith will share a keynote reading and discussion with Festival attendees on Thursday, September 13, at the Ashe Civic Center. The event will be free and open to the public. On Friday, she will work in Ashe County public schools, interacting with local students. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for children and adults in our community to really engage with an internationally-recognized poet and teacher,” said Lonon, “It brings poetry out of the clouds and down to earth.”

In 2017, Tracy K. Smith was appointed the 22nd United States Poet Laureate. She is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir Ordinary Light (Knopf, 2015) and four books of poetry. Her collection Life on Mars won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book. Duende won the 2006 James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets and an Essence Literary Award. The Body’s Question was the winner of the 2002 Cave Canem Poetry Prize. In 2014 the Academy of American Poets awarded Smith with the Academy Fellowship, awarded to one poet each year to recognize distinguished poetic achievement. She is the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Professor in the Humanities, and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Princeton University. Her latest collection of poems, Wade in the Water, was released this month (Graywolf Press). 

In addition to Smith’s appearances in Ashe County, the Festival will feature her award-winning memoir Ordinary Light as its Festival Read for 2018. North Carolina’s former Poet Laureate, Joseph Bathanti, will kick-off the Festival Read for area readers in August.

Plans for the overall Festival are taking shape for September. Additional authors expected to attend include Georgann Eubanks, Phillip Lewis, Bryn Chancellor, Abigail DeWitt, Jim Minick, Frank X Walker, and Tommy Tomlinson. On the Same Page Literary Festival is sponsored by the Ashe County Arts Council and the Ashe County Public Library. Contributors include Skyline/Skybest, the Friends of the Ashe County Public Library, the Town of West Jefferson and County of Ashe, and the Page Turners – individual contributors who help make each year’s Festival possible with their continued support.

Reminder of Boone Town Council Monthly Meetings

The public will take notice that the Boone Town Council holds its regularly scheduled meetings at 6 p.m. at the Council Chambers, 1500 Blowing Rock Road, Boone, NC on the following dates: THIRD THURSDAY and the IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING TUESDAY OF EACH CALENDAR MONTH.

The Town Clerk shall provide notice each month of the deadline for submission of items requested to be placed on the agenda. Such notice shall be posted on the town’s website and on the town’s principal bulletin board at least seven (7) calendar days in advance of the deadline. No agenda item will be added for action after this time, unless approved by a unanimous vote of the Boone Town Council membership present.

Agendas are posted on the Town Hall bulletin board. Agendas and accompanying materials are also published to www.boonenc.iqm2.cm as soon as prepared.

NOTE: Special meetings are called as necessary and are posted and delivered to local news media 48 hours in advance.

Backpacker Magazine’s Get Out More Tour Stops at Mast Store in Boone

Get ready to get out moreBackpacker magazine ambassador Randy Propster will share information to inspire and motivate attendees to get out more at a FREE interactive seminar at the Mast General Store in Downtown Boone on Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 p.m.

Randy spends more than 200 days out of the year sharing his passion for and experience in the outdoors with everyone from novice hikers to seasoned mountaineers. His 90-minute presentation includes tips and techniques to help individuals of any level better enjoy the outdoors. From trip planning and choosing the right outdoor gear and apparel to staying safe on the trail, the information is shared from personal experience.

This year’s sponsors feature many familiar brands in the outdoor arena including Sawyer Products, Sea to Summit, Osprey Packs, Farm to Feet, and Eagles Nest Outfitters. “We’ll be offering information and inspiration to folks planning their first night out or their next night out,” said Randy, “and to add to the excitement and to stoke the desire to get out and apply their new knowledge, we’ll be giving away free gear.”

This stop is one of over 50 on this year’s Get Out More Tour crisscrossing the United States. As a brand ambassador for Backpacker Magazine, Randy embodies the publication’s mission: To give others the tools and inspiration to get out more. An event like the Get Out More Tour builds community and communication among passionate hikers, backpackers, and adventurers alike.

Come early on May 8 to visit with Randy before his presentation and bring your questions! Remember, parking in Downtown Boone is FREE after 5 p.m. on weekdays. You should find ample space on King Street or in the Town Lot (next to Town Hall), on Depot Street, or on Queen Street. For more information, call the Mast Store in Boone at 828-262-0000. If you miss this opportunity, you have one more chance at the Mast Store in Knoxville on May 15 at 6 p.m.