Today’s Email Announcements

Beech Mountain Academy is an inclusive team of young athletes dedicated to ski racing, free skiing and snowboarding. We are located in the North Carolina High Country and our athletes range in age from 5 to 18. Many of our families travel from cities all around North Carolina and Tennessee.

Beech Mountain Academy is supported by a non-profit 501-C organization, BMSEF, that is managed by the families that make up the team. Without the help of the parents of these young athletes, our programs would not be possible.

We have a passion for winter sports through programs that instill the values of goal setting, discipline, sportsmanship, work ethic, determination, commitment and fun. Our athletes are prepared for local, regional and national events through the Academy’s affiliation with the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the Southern Alpine Racing Association (SARA), as well as the High Country Junior Race Series (HCJRS). We are inclusive of all athletes with the desire to learn and grow.

Please download and complete the registration form. Once completed, please turn the registration into Administration Building or email info@skibeech.com

Our monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 9, at the Holiday Inn Express, 1943 Blowing Rock Road in Boone. The meeting room will open at 6:30 p.m. and we’ll start the meeting at 7.

This month, Dr. Matt Estep from Appalachian State University will present on his lab’s research in plant conservation genetics and give us an update on his Liatris helleri project.

A reminder about winter weather: If the Watauga County schools are closed for the day on our meeting date the meeting will be canceled for that month!

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx will host a benefits workshop for senior citizens on October 11, from 1-3 pm, at the Watauga County Public Library.

“As the open-enrollment period for Medicare approaches, this workshop will include timely information for beneficiaries and their families,” Foxx said. “Seniors in North Carolina’s 5th District are invited to learn about opportunities to help them live healthier and happier retirements.”

The open-enrollment period for Medicare beneficiaries will start October 15 and end December 7. This is the only time during the year, except in unique circumstances, when current Medicare enrollees are able to make changes to their existing coverage.

Local organizations as well as state and federal agencies will be available to answer questions and provide information on Medicare and a number of other benefits available to seniors.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Rep. Foxx’s Boone District Office at 828-265-0240.

Blowing Rock Art & History Museum’s Special Topic Tours in October

Torch Club to Meet October 14

Blowing Rock Highway 321 Visioning Workshops Begin October 15 

Three North Carolina teachers will get Governor’s Educator Discovery Awards to help strengthen their work in the classroom, Governor Roy Cooper and the North Carolina Business Committee for Education announced. Shirley Pyon from Mills Park Elementary School in Wake County, Julie-Kate Hazelrigg from Garner Magnet High School in Wake County, and Genal West from Watauga High School in Watauga County will each receive a $1,000 award to pay for professional development. 

“Giving teachers more opportunities to develop their skills will benefit those teachers and their students for years to come,” Governor Cooper said. “Professional development helps teachers connect what they’re teaching in the classroom with the skill students will need to succeed in their future jobs.”

The Governor’s Educator Discovery Award provides a stipend of up to $1,000 for PreK-12 traditional public and public charter school teachers to pursue a professional development experience of their choosing. This is the third round of teachers to receive the award and brings the total number of grants awarded to nine. Winning teachers are selected from an impressive and growing applicant pool, demonstrating a strong interest in the program and the opportunities it provides.

The latest teachers to receive grants will use their Governor’s Educator Discovery Award in the following ways:

Shirley Pyon, K-5 Stem educator in Cary, will attend the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Creative Constructor Lab. ISTE works to engage and empower a community of global educators who believe in the power of technology to transform teaching and learning, accelerate innovation, and solve problems in education. The conference provides teachers with strategies and tools that can be used to help engage elementary schoolers in project-based learning activities.

Julie-Kate Hazelrigg, a high school theater educator in Garner, will attend the Broadway Teacher’s Workshop in New York City. This conference features three days of masterclasses on contemporary theater and theater-education topics. The Broadway Teacher’s workshop will provide tools for preparing students for college auditions and connecting the concepts they learn in a fine arts classroom with cutting-edge performances in professional theaters.

Genal West, a high school visual art teacher, will be attending the North Carolina Art Education Association conference in Raleigh. The conference features over 100 workshops and presentations offered over three days. Educators will learn modern artistic techniques, working styles, and gain insight from other educators to develop new projects for their students.

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE) is a business-led, education non-profit (501-c3) that operates out of the Office of the Governor. Since 1983, NCBCE has provided a critical link between North Carolina business leaders and the state’s education decision-makers, helping to create connections between the education curriculum and the overall work readiness of people across the state. 

 “All NCBCE members know and strongly support the importance of professional development for teachers across our state. This award makes it possible for educators to bring new tools and techniques into their classrooms. Through their conferences, recipients of this award will be able to apply classroom standards to real-world applications and increase the work-based learning opportunities available to their students,” said NCBCE Board Chair, Albert Eckel.

To be eligible for the Governor’s Educator Discovery Awards, teachers submit a proposal with details about their teaching experience and the professional development activity they wish to pursue and how it would enhance their efforts to create a work-based learning activity for their students. 

Teachers can apply for the next round of grants through November 1, 2019. Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of business leaders and educators. Awardees will be notified of their selection via the phone number or email address provided in their application. 

To learn more about the Governor’s Educator Discovery Awards or submit an application, click HERE. 

The Governor’s Educator Discovery Awards are funded by NCBCE member companies. As interest in the program has grown with each cycle, NCBCE hopes to raise additional funds to expand the program in future years.

Charles Hardin Named Chamber Executive of the Year for the Carolinas

The Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) recognized the 2019 North Carolina Chamber Executive of the Year at their Annual Management Conference held today at the Embassy Suites Oceanfront Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC. Charles Hardin with the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce was honored as the recipient of the prestigious award.

The CACCE Executive of the Year Award recognizes long-term executives who have excelled over a period of years in leading and innovatively building their chamber. The award is based on the demonstration of excellence in areas of chamber leadership, organizational management, service to the profession, community reputation/involvement, and personal attributes.

Here’s an excerpt from the essay regarding Charles:
Often times, the most powerful Chamber leaders tend to be peacocks. The bright stars in the room, the lead singers in the band who love to see and be seen, much like the Mayor.  When the Blowing Rock Chamber Board of Directors selected Charles Hardin as President, many people in our town said, “he’ll never make it! He’s way too introverted”.  But that’s exactly why Charles has been the best Chamber leader Blowing Rock has ever seen.   Charles is not the obnoxious lead singer in the band, but he’s a symphony conductor. He recognizes the beauty and importance of each individual instrument (voice) and is able to bring them all together harmoniously to create all sorts of different songs (projects, outcomes).  This style of leadership is essential to our Chamber’s success. 

CACCE is the professional development organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities for chamber of commerce executives and staff members in North Carolina and South Carolina. CACCE equips chamber of commerce professionals with leadership skills and tools to build innovative chambers. The organization was formed in 1994 when the North Carolina and South Carolina state chamber associations merged. For more information on CACCE, or any of CACCE’s conferences or programs, contact Tiffany Fulmer Ott at (404) 312-0524.

Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) Recognizes Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients for 2019

The Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (CACCE) recognized two new Lifetime Achievement Award recipients at their Annual Management Conference held today at the Embassy Suites Oceanfront Resort in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Two former chamber professionals were honored as recipients of this prestigious designation for 2019:

• Ben Haskew, formerly with the Greenville (SC) Chamber of Commerce
• Dan Meyer, formerly with the Boone Area (NC) Chamber of Commerce

This pinnacle award – formerly known as Honorary Lifetime Membership – is bestowed by CACCE on individuals who have retired after respectable and stellar careers in chamber leadership.

Qualifications for nomination include five continuously active years of membership in CACCE at the chamber where the candidate most recently served; was a chamber professional for a minimum of ten total years, and honorably retired from the chamber profession for at least two years.

CACCE has bestowed this award on 34 professionals over the years, and we are honored to add Ben and Dan to this prestigious list.

CACCE is the professional development organization dedicated to providing educational opportunities for chamber of commerce executives and staff members in North Carolina and South Carolina. CACCE equips chamber of commerce professionals with leadership skills and tools to build innovative chambers. The organization was formed in 1994 when the North Carolina and South Carolina state chamber associations merged. For more information on CACCE, or any of CACCE’s conferences or programs, contact Tiffany Fulmer Ott at (404) 312-0524.  

Carolina Renaissance Festival Record Opening

Over 25,000 attendees enjoyed the magic, mirth, and merriment on the opening weekend of the Carolina Renaissance Festival. 

A welcomed break in the recent hot weather attracted the larger than average crowds – according to Festival management. Opening Weekend also offers discounted admission for adults.

“The Renaissance Festival has always been a place where people can go to set aside their daily cares while experiencing unique entertainments, shopping, and food. The turnout this past weekend shows that at the Renaissance Festival – escapism reigns!” says Matt Siegel, marketing and entertainment director.

The Festival has seven more weekends remaining – each with its own promotional theme to accompany the usual array of amusements.  It is Halloween at the Renaissance Festival on October 26 and 27 as children enjoy free admission, trick or treating at over 100 locations inside the park, costume contests, and a Zombie Joust.  Visitors attending November 2nd & 3rd will enjoy Celtic music all weekend long and a Man of Skills contest.  Pirates invade November 11th and 12th to plunder the artisan market for booty. Those that spend over $250 in the Fairhaven Village Marketplace receive a free pair of tickets to return. 

The Carolina Renaissance Festival is a medieval amusement park, a 14-stage theater, a twenty-five-acre circus, arts and crafts fair, a jousting tournament, falconry, swimming mermaids and a feast – all rolled into one, non-stop day-long adventure.

Dates: The Carolina Renaissance Festival is open every Saturday and Sunday, now through November 24th.

Hours: 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. rain or shine.

Location: Just north of Charlotte between Concord and Huntersville on Highway 73 at Poplar Tent Road (between I-77 and I-85). Exit 25 on I-77 or exits 52 or 55 on I-85.

Parking: FREE, courtesy of Harris Teeter.

Advance Discount Tickets: $25 for adults, $15 for kids ages 5-12, available at Harris Teeter Stores region-wide. Children under 5 are always free. Tickets purchased at the gate are $1 more. Print your own tickets online at RenFestInfo.com.  Senior discount tickets (60 and over) and military discount tickets are $23 at the gate.

More Information: Visitors should call (704) 896-5555 or visit the Festival web site at www.RenFestInfo.com.