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Today’s Email Announcements

1) Mast General Store Opens 10th Location in Winston-Salem1) Mast General Store Opens 10th Location in Winston-Salem

On May 6, the Mast General Store, based in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, opened its tenth location in downtown Winston-Salem.

“This is our largest location,” said Fred Martin, president of the Mast General Store. “Guests who visit Downtown Winston-Salem will enjoy our same eclectic mix of goods, along with some very local products like Sunshine energy drink, cookies from Salem Bakery, and solid colognes from Fulton and Roark.”

Located at 516 North Trade Street, Mast Store’s new “old” location has an interesting history that mirrors that of Winston-Salem. It was built in 1928, and when it opened as Brown-Rogers-Dixson Hardware, it was the city’s largest retail floor, and one of the largest retail/wholesale operations in the South. The city is entrepreneurial and is always looking for a niche for which it can meet a need.

“We discovered the original wood flooring on the Trade Street level,” said Martin. “When we took up a piece that needed to be replaced and turned it over, it was stamped with Carr Lumber • Pisgah Forest • Biltmore Flooring. What a great connection to the mountains.”

The store employs 37 people with about 16 of them being full time. Four employees transferred from other locations to be a part of the excitement in Winston-Salem.

It is located in the revitalized arts district and has a vibrant community surrounding it filled with galleries, studios, and restaurants. Several events are hosted on a monthly basis, including First Friday Gallery Hops and Arts on Sunday (every Sunday in May through October).

“We are excited by the welcome we’ve received in Winston-Salem and are looking forward to becoming a part of this community,” said Martin. “The staff is energetic and already steeped in the traditions of an old general store.”

The Original Mast General Store was built in 1883 and is located in Valle Crucis, NC. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as one of the best remaining examples of an old country general store. The Mast Store Annex, once a competing general store, is also in Valle Crucis. Other locations are in Waynesville, Hendersonville, and Asheville, North Carolina; Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The Mast Store is an employee-owned company.

For more information about the Mast Store in Winston-Salem, click over to www.MastGeneralStore.com or call 336-727-2015.

2) The Kruger Brothers Live in Concert at Lees-McRae on Aug. 11

Check out the Kruger Brothers live in concert in the Hayes Auditorium at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk at 7 p.m. on Aug. 11. Tickets are on sale now at $30 per person through the Avery County Restore and the chambers of commerce of Avery County and Banner Elk. Originally from Switzerland, Jens and Uew Kruger began playing North American folk music at an early age, drawing on influences from Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe and many others. The two brothers performed throughout Europe in the 80s before comingto the U.S., where they were joined by bass player Joel Landberg. Now based in North Wilkesboro, this award-winning trio continues to provide a unique voice in the world of folk, Americana and classical music, often building on jazz and classical themes to create a sound all their own.

3) Author Visits and Book Signings in Downtown Boone June 20, 27

The Watauga County Public Library in downtown Boone welcomes two authors for presentations of their latest books, with an opportunity to meet each author, purchase their books and have books autographed.

On Saturday, June 20 at 10 a.m., author and Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Meachele Montgomery (Trail Name ”Mothership”) will hold a presentation and book-signing featuring her new book, healing, My Journey Home. Learn more at the author’s web site, atmothership.com.

On Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m., author Janice Cole Hopkins introduces her book Cleared for Planting, which is the first volume of her historical novel trilogy, Appalachian Roots. Learn more at janicecolehopkins.blogspot.com.

4) Weekend Culinary Classes Offered at CCC&TI

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute’s Continuing Education Division has announced that it will offer several weekend culinary classes this summer.

Knife Skills will be offered on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost of the course is $111 and includes registration fee, a culinary program apron and chef’s knife. The course will also be offered again on Saturday, July 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In this course, students will learn how to execute different knife cuts used in the culinary industry and how to apply them to different dishes, including French Onion Soup, Beef Burgundy and more. The course will include lecture, sanitation and safety, hands-on practice with basic knife skills and basic cooking fundamentals.

Cooking Creole Cuisine will be offered on Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost of the course is $121 and includes registration fee, a culinary program apron, chef’s knife and recipe packet. The course will also be offered again on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In this course, students will learn how to prep and produce classic dishes from New Orleans and Southern Louisiana, including gumbo, etouffee, shrimp creole and sweet beignets. The course will include lecture, sanitation and safety, basic knife skills and basic cooking fundamentals.

CCC&TI Culinary Instructor Chef Corey Hooks will lead each of these classes. Hooks is a Johnson & Wales trained chef with more than 10 years experience in the industry, including work as Executive Chef and Lead Chef at Bistro 127 and Youssef 242 in Hickory. Hooks also served on the culinary staff for the 2012 Masters Golf Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. He holds four national culinary certifications and is an American Culinary Federation Certified Culinarian. Chef Hooks also currently serves as the Corporate Chef for The Natural Olive, a gourmet oil and vinegar retailer in downtown Hickory.

These classes will be held in the professional-grade kitchen used by CCC&TI’s Culinary Arts students located in K Building on the college’s Caldwell Campus.

For more information or to register for these courses, call CCC&TI’s Continuing Education Division at 828-726-2242.