Thursday, May 17, 2018

Weekly Village Update 5.17.18

Edition: May 17, 2018




Chamber Events & News

It was a Perfectly Framed Business After Hours Event...
Tim Miller was an outstanding host, giving away $2,500 in cash and prizes. And delicious catering was provided by Jessica Clearwater of Moondance Catering.



Farmer's Market Opens May 24th for the Season!
Thursdays beginning May 24th, 4 - 6 pm
Park Avenue, Downtown Blowing Rock

The Blowing Rock Farmers Market includes farm raised produce, meats, cheese, honey, eggs, plants, fruits, vegetables, flowers, artisanal breads and desserts, natural body products, and whole foods from local farms, growers, and whole food producers. Parking is available at the American Legion.


Art in the Park Season Begins
May 26th!
Saturday, May 26th, 10 am - 5 pm
Park Avenue, Downtown Blowing Rock
RAIN OR SHINE!

Art in the Park is host to 90 artisans at each show. Some of the best local and regional artists and craftspeople showcase their handcrafted jewelry, pottery, fiber, glass, photography, painting and more.

Free trolley from Tanger Outlets and Food Lion. Free parking downtown on the street and in the parking decks on Wallingford St. and at BRAHM. 

Follow Art in the Park on Facebook


Concerts in the Park Season Begins May 27th!
Sunday, May 27th, 4 - 6 pm
Memorial Park, Blowing Rock

Blowing Rock’s Concert in the Park Series is an annual set of free outdoor concerts. Always on Sundays following Art in the Park, the performances offer entertainment from a variety of musical genres.

Family-friendly and casual; bring a lawn chair or blanket! The season kicks off with The King Bees!



What You Need to Know Before Hiring Teens for Summer Jobs
Before hiring teens, employers should be educated about both federal and state youth employment regulations. Work hour restrictions, the basic rules for when and where a youth may work are…
Photo: Highwaystarz-Photography/iStockphoto




Member Events & News


Volunteers Needed!
The National Park Service needs volunteers at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park to assist staff with greeting guests and sharing stories about the historic Flat Top Manor and beautiful Cone Estate.

Interpretation/Education Assistant at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park: Volunteer provides interpretation to thousands of park visitors at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park. Click here to read the full volunteer job description. 

Visitor Service Assistant at Moses H. Cone Memorial Park: Volunteer greets visitors at Flat Top Manor House. Click here to read the full volunteer job description. 
Contact Clary Pickering at cpickering@brpfoundation.org to sign up. 


Job Opening
Christmas in Blowing Rock is looking for a part time sales associate to join our team. Associates responsibilities include customer service, cashier work, product merchandising and restocking, and general store maintenance.

Associates welcome customers by greeting them and offering assistance, provide information on products (open to learning about different products sold in the store), help customers make selections by building customer confidence, and offering suggestions and opinions.
Part-time employee must have open availability. Please send a resume to Christmasinblowingrock@yahoo.com.


S-O-S (Sharing Our Shoes)
Answer the S-O-S call! Mast General Store is sending out this message urging you to give your gently-worn shoes new life! During the month of May, all Mast Store locations are collecting footwear for our annual Sharing Our Shoes drive.

Just bring your shoes that are still in good, wearable condition to any Mast Store location. Tie the shoe strings together, or put a rubber band around them to keep mates with each other, and put them in the Sharing Our Shoes bins.

Stores in Valle Crucis and Boone are working with the Hunger and Health Coalition.


Jerky Outpost Comes to Tanger Outlets
Friday, May 18th, 9 am - 9 pm
Jerky Outpost, Tanger Outlets

Come check out Jerky Outpost's second and newest location at Tanger Outlets Blowing Rock!
Choose from 100's of varieties of jerky; everything from beef to exotic ostrich, buffalo, eel, even vegan. Free taste testing every day! The extremely knowledgeable staff will educate you so bring your questions! You will walk away with not only great jerky knowledge but also a new favorite snack! Take advantage of the Grand Opening specials!
Outlet hours: 
Mon-Sat: 9 am - 9 pm; Sun: 10 am - 7 pm


15th Annual Midnight at the Oasis
Friday, May 18th, 7 - 11 pm
Meadowbrook Inn

Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres with Middle Eastern themed food, cash bar, live music, a photo-booth, and more!

Tickets are $40, and all attendees will receive a commemorative wine glass. Proceeds from this event are used to operate OASIS’s confidential, emergency shelter for victims and families fleeing intimate partner violence.


Party with a Purpose
Sunday, May 20th, 2 - 5 pm
Inn at Crestwood

Enjoy an afternoon of scrumptious hors d'oeuvres, games, and a double silent and live auction! Proceeds benefit the Children's Council of Watauga County.

Tickets are $40 and must be purchased in advance! This event sells out year after year; purchase your ticket early! 



Summer Exhibition Celebration
Thursday, May 24th, 5 - 7 pm
Blowing Rock Art & History Museum

Hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and music are offered throughout the evening. You’ll have the chance to meet museum staff, exhibiting artists, featured historians, and fellow cultural enthusiasts from across our High Country community. Every reception is free, family-friendly, and always a party you don’t want to miss!



Do you have an event or announcement to include in an upcoming newsletter? 
Click the submit event button for our policy and instructions.


Newsletter items must be submitted no later than 5 pm Tuesday.


computer_sky.jpg

Our website calendar is packed with local events! Visit this calendar often to be in the know about the latest happenings around our area. Click here to check it out!


Chamber Events, Information & Meetings

Executive Board Meeting: Tuesday, May 22nd at 8 am
Art in the Park: Saturday, May 26th, 10 am - 5 pm, Park Avenue, Blowing Rock
Concert in the Park: Sunday, May 27th at 4 pm, Memorial Park, Blowing Rock
Board of Directors: Wednesday, June 6th at 8 am
Business After Hours: Tuesday, June 19th at 5:30 pm, The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop

All meetings are held in the Chamber Boardroom unless otherwise noted.




Connect with us:



Share our newsletter:



Chamber Partners



 Important Contacts

NC DOT Project Hotline
Caprice Cheek
828.964.3260

NC DOT Assistant Residential Engineer
Doug Eller
828.965.5088

NC Governor
Roy Cooper

US Senator
Tom Tillis
US Senator
Richard Burr
          burr.senate.gov         

NC Senator
Deanna Ballard

US House Representative
Virginia Foxx

NC House Representative
Jonathan C. Jordan

US President
Donald J. Trump

The articles linked in our newsletter come from many sources and are provided for informational purposes only. We do not endorse information or opinions appearing in the various articles linked in our newsletter. The articles selected are not sponsored or endorsed and we assume no responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in articles linked in our newsletter. Copyright for linked articles belongs to the linked source.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Business After Hours Recap: Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery


We enjoyed an outstanding Business After Hours event at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.  Host Tim Miller gave away $2,500 in gifts and prizes to various attendees, including a cash prize for his most loyal customer in the room, two paintings, and $50 gift certificates to anyone who hadn't done business with him before. There were many smiling faces, in the packed house with over 70 attendees!

The gorgeous and delicious catering was provided by Jessica Clearwater of Moondance Catering.






Tuesday, May 15, 2018

What You Need to Know Before Hiring Teens for Summer Jobs



As the longer and warmer days of springtime begin knocking on our doors, so too will teenagers seeking summer jobs. Before hiring teens, employers should be educated about both federal and state youth employment regulations.

Contrary to what many may think, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not actually set the standards for young workers. Employers often believe that OSHA regulations cover worker age limits, however, it is the Department of Labor’s Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that sets these guidelines.

FLSA prohibits workers under the age of 18 from operating hazardous equipment — including forklifts — in non-agricultural operations. Under the FLSA, the age of the young worker typically determines which child labor rules apply. In particular, the age of the worker determines how many hours in a day or week, or what hours during the day, they may work.

Work Hour Restrictions The basic rules for when and where a youth may work are:
• Youth 18 years or older may perform any job, whether hazardous or not, for unlimited hours.
• Youth 16- or 17-year-olds may perform any non- hazardous job for unlimited hours.
• Youth 14- and 15-year-olds may work outside school hours in various non-manufacturing, non-mining, non-hazardous jobs.

They cannot work more than:
• 3 hours a day on school days (including Friday);
• 8 hours a day on non-school days;
• 18 hours per week in school weeks;
• 40 hours per week when school is not in session.

Also, 14- and 15-year-olds may not work before 7:00 am, nor after 7:00 pm, except from June 1 through Labor Day, when their permissible hours are extended to 9:00 pm. Under a special provision, 14- and 15-year-olds who are enrolled in an approved Work Experience and Career Exploration Program may be employed for up to 23 hours during school weeks and three hours on school days (including during school hours).

Hazardous Job Restrictions In addition to restrictions on hours, the Labor Department has determined that certain jobs (outlined in the FLSA’s prohibited occupations section) are too hazardous for anyone under 18 to perform.

These rules must be followed unless one of the FLSA’s child labor exemptions applies:
• 18 years or older may perform any job, whether hazardous or not.
• 16- or 17-year-olds may not perform any hazardous job.
• 14- and 15-year-olds may not work in the manufacturing or mining industries, or in any of the following hazardous jobs:
   ◊ Public utilities jobs;
   ◊ Construction or repair jobs;
   ◊ Driving or helping a driver;
   ◊ Manufacturing and mining occupations;
   ◊ Power-driven machinery or hoisting apparatus other than typical office machines;
   ◊ Processing occupations;
   ◊ Public messenger jobs;
   ◊ Transporting persons or property;
   ◊ Workrooms where products are manufactured, mined or processed;
   ◊ Warehousing and storage.

Parents who employ their own children are subject to these same rules. Some of these hazardous occupations have definitive exemptions. More information about exemptions can be found through the U.S. Department of Labor, https://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/cl/exemptions.asp.

For more details about work hours and hazardous occupations, see the child labor regulations for North Carolina at https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace‐rights/youth‐employment‐rules.


Disclaimer: This article is meant to demonstrate basic principles and ideas regarding insurance coverage. These are not recommendations as to coverages your business may need or require. Please consult your insurance agent for a needs analysis based on your specific business operation.
First Benefits Insurance Mutual, Inc. is a member service offered by your Chamber. For more information, contact Richard Suddarth at rsuddarth@firstbenefits.org or Peg Pirrotta at ppirrotta@firstbenefits.org.