Weekly Village Update 4.25.19

Did you know... The Blowing Rock Chamber is the oldest Chamber in the High Country. Founded in 1927, Grover C. Robbins was the first President. He also founded Tweetsie Railroad and Hound Ears.

Welcome New Town Manager, Shane Fox! The Town of Blowing Rock has hired a new Town Manager, Shane Fox. Shane most recently served as the Cleveland County Chief Financial Officer. Fox has more than 15 years of experience in local government finance including auditing, financial reporting and executive management. He graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in accounting, and previously served as the executive director of the High-Country Counsel of Government in Boone.

Welcome to our newest Chamber staff member, Suzy Barker! We are thrilled to announce that Suzy Barker will be joining the Blowing Rock Chamber team today! Suzy will be working cross-functionally with Loni on events, membership, and all things Chamber! Email Suzy@BlowingRock.com to welcome her!

Chamber Events & News

Savor is one week away! ·     Tickets for the "Taste!" event on Thursday are almost sold out! ·     Savor Digest Festival Guides (printed by Mountain Times) are available at the Chamber. ·     Tickets for events can be purchased online at www.SavorBlowingRock.com, at the Chamber, or at the door of each event.

Advertise in our Mother's Day Gift Guide Mother's Day is just around the corner and we are once again putting together a guide to encourage folks to shop local and support small business! If you have a Mother's Day gift item, menu, service, etc. that you would like included in our guide, please send us the information by May 1st. Email Harrison the following: ·     brief description (just a sentence or two) ·     graphic (picture or flyer) ·     link (website or Facebook works great!)

Don't miss your chance for FREE promotion! We will e-blast the shopping guide on May 6th, it will be shared on social media, and a link to view the guide will be included in our May 9th newsletter. Deadline for inclusion is May 1st. Submit Your Item

Pictured above are some of our awesome trash pickup volunteers (left to right): Zika Rea, Sean Rea, Addison Kidwell, Pete Rea, and Elyse Rea.

Chamber Board Renews Adopt-A-Highway Agreement on Hwy 221 The Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce voted to renew our adoption agreement of Highway 221 (Blowing Rock section) for another 5 years with the NC DOT. We have scheduled trash pickup volunteer days throughout the year. Help us take pride in our area by encouraging your own groups to Adopt a Local Highway.

Register

Vision Northwest North Carolina Economic Leadership for 2020 and Beyond May 22, 8 am - 6 pm Register now for this one-day summit that will highlight local trends in economic, workforce and talent development. Featured panels include:  ·     Beyond Borders: lessons learned and opportunities shared from development-minded leaders in the region and beyond. ·     May the Force Stay with You: discussion regarding workforce development trends, employee retention and benefit strategies in the Northwest prosperity zone. ·     Build Your Future: focus on talent development and trends in training/education of the workforce of tomorrow.

Member Events & News

Coffee Club with Billy Chick Friday, April 26 from 8:30 - 9:15 am Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Join Billy Chick, Edward Jones Financial Advisor for a brief presentation on current events in the market and economy. An informal discussion will follow. Meet in the conference room at Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. Coffee and breakfast will be served. Questions? Call 828.295.6176

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Speaker Making Positive Changes in the World Friday, April 26 at 10 am The Schaefer Center Appalachian State University’s Walker College of Business welcomes Indian child rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize 2014 Laureate Kailash Satyarthi as the keynote speaker for a special co-presentation of the Boyles Distinguished Lecture Series and the Global Opportunities Conference. A reception will follow, and both lecture and reception are open to the public with no cost to attend. Learn More

6th Annual Wine for a Reason A fundraiser benefiting the Autism Society Saturday, April 27 from 12 - 6 pm Linville Falls Winery Enjoy a family-friendly day featuring "The Classics" Band, The Cardinal Burger Wagon, local vendors, and a silent auction -- all to benefit the Autism Society of NC. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available. Learn more or donate

Farm-to-Fork Wine Dinner Monday, April 29 from 6-9 pm The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop Call to make reservations:   (828) 295-9819

Image credit:  Ben Silbert (1893-1940). "Portrait of Frances Stern", 1935. Watercolor on paper. 27 ½ x 19 ¾ inches. Commissioned by Etta Cone. Collection of Jane and Richard Levy.

World-Class Exhibit Coming to BRAHM Bringing Matisse to the Mountains - "Modern Visions, Modern Art: The Cone Sisters in North Carolina" opens early August “Modern Visions, Modern Art: The Cone Sisters in North Carolina” brings together works by artists who drew the admiration and attention of Claribel and Etta Cone, including paintings, sculpture, and prints by Henri Matisse, and works on paper by Rembrandt van Rijn, Sarah Stein, Jacques Villon, Marie Laurencin, Ben Silbert, John Graham, and Everett Bryant. These works are presented alongside art and objects that Claribel and Etta gifted to members of their family.  Learn more about the exhibit

This week's job postings from our members: ·     Gallery C is looking for a part-time retail sales associate. Learn more. ·     Traditions Pottery is seeking a retail sales manager. Email Janet.

More events can be found on our online calendar. To submit your news to our weekly newsletter, email Loni@BlowingRock.com by Wednesday. Our newsletter reaches over 1,000 member contacts each Thursday!

Chamber Information and Meetings

Board of Directors Meeting: Wednesday, May 1st at 8 am Savor: Thursday, May 2nd - Sunday, May 5th, Downtown Blowing Rock, Various Locations Vision Northwest North Carolina: Wednesday, May 22nd at 8 am, Appalachian State University Art in the Park: Saturday, May 25th, 10 am - 5 pm, Downtown Blowing Rock All meetings are held in the Chamber Boardroom unless otherwise noted.