Weekly Village Update 9.10.20

 

Chamber News Grow With Google Fall Webinar Series Grow with Google Webinar Series Schedule All events will be held from 1-2PM on the date listed   September 22nd - Reach Customers Online with Google October 6th - Get Your Business Found on Google Search and Maps October 27th – Using YouTube to Grow Your Business November 4th - Make Your Website Work for You November 10th - Using Data to Drive Growth We’d Love to Hear From YOU! How are we doing as your Chamber of Commerce? Share with us and other members how membership in the Chamber has helped support and promote your business. Share your experiences with the Chamber or collaborations with other businesses that have been created by being a member. With your permission, we will then share these testimonials on our website and/or social media channels. Please reach out to Regina McCaughan at regina@blowingrock.com. In advance, thank you for sharing! Blowing Rock Young Professionals Are you a Blowing Rock Young Professional (ages 21-40) or do you know a young professional who is looking to get more involved? On Thursday, September 24th a few members of the BRYP will be at the Blowing Rock Farmers Market to meet new members & share more information on the group. Get connected with BRYP, buy some local products, listen to live music and hang out! NC Broadband Survey We urge all homeowners and businesses to complete the broadband survey below sent to us by Blue Ridge Energy from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. The survey will gather information on locations with adequate internet access and speeds with the results used to determine which communities receive future grant funding for high speed internet service. Click here for more information on how to take the survey. For homes or businesses WITH internet service, take the survey at NCBroadband.gov/survey For homes or businesses WITHOUT internet service, text "Internet" to 919-750-0553 Have you taken the Census? There are only a few weeks left to take the Census! The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. The Census only takes minutes to complete at https://2020census.gov/ Chamber Member Health Insurance Discount Aetna Funding Advantage (AFA) makes it easy for members of any Chamber of Commerce in 26 western North Carolina counties to save money on their benefits with up to 25% savings on monthly costs vs an ACA plan**. And now, these businesses can save on average, an additional 2% on monthly costs through Chamber Health Insurance for Western North Carolina. Learn more about Aetna here. To submit your news to our weekly newsletter, email Suzy@BlowingRock.com by Wednesday. Our newsletter reaches over 1,000 member contacts each Thursday! Upcoming Activities & Meetings Blowing Rock Farmers Market - Weekly on Thursday from 3-6pm Art in the Park- September 12th Concerts in the Park - September 13th Grow With Google Seminar - September 22nd Member News New Members! We've got several new members! Learn more about their businesses by click on their names. A Designers Touch by Lauren Beautiful Jewels (Coming soon to downtown Blowing Rock!) Hellbender Bed & Beverage Highland Limousine Service Sporting Clay Tournament The Hunger & Health Coaliton is hosting a Sproting Clay Tournament at the Chetola Sporting Reserve October 10th & 11th. All of their fundraising goes straight back into making these programs stay open, and continually able to help anyone in need. Give them a call at 828-262-1628 if you'd like to donate or join the team of amazing volunteers. Register online here. Walker College of Business Career Week Walker Business Connections Virtual Career Week from 9/30 to 10/2 includes workshops, panels and a virtual career fair. Register at https://businesscareers.appstate.edu/virtual-career-week High Country Breast Cancer Foundation Virtual 5K Walk your 5K any time from October 24-31 and tag HCBCF in your pictures on social media! Registration is $10 and every bit goes to helping those in need who have been affected by breast cancer right here in the High Country! You can also order a t-shirt for $20 which includes shipping. The shirts are already paid for, so the entire $20 also goes right to local patients in need! Shirts will ship in November after orders are in. Register online here. Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation Fly Fishing Tournament Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is hosting the 2020 Blue Ridge Parkway Masters Fly Fishing Tournament, on Thursday, September 24, to benefit the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation. The single angler event will be held on private trophy water near Boone, North Carolina, and hosted by Chetola Resort & Spa and its Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guides. Proceeds support the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. Registration is limited, and the fee is $500. Sign up today! More details at BRPFoundation.org/flyfishing. Visiting Scholar at Rumple Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church invites everyone to a lecture & discussion series on Zoom, September 13-14th. Visit www.rumplechurch.org for more information and to register! We'd love to see you! The Chamber Team is glad to see our businesses re-opening! Email Regina to let us know you're open and we will stop by for a socially distance visit. The Chamber got to help present $5,000 to The Children's Council of Watauga County, Inc. from the Famous Toastery soft opening weekend. Thank you to the community for showing amazing support of both organizations! Congratulations to Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation, Town of Blowing Rock and the Blowing Rock TDA and all those involved in completing the new playground in Memorial Park! A wonderful addition to our community. More events and updates can be found on our online calendar. To submit your news to our weekly newsletter, email Suzy@BlowingRock.com by Wednesday. Our newsletter reaches over 1,000 member contacts each Thursday! Thank you to our 2020 Chamber Partners!

Weekly Village Update 9.3.20

 

Chamber News Become a Chamber Board Member The Chamber has a few board vacancies to fill specifically in the retail, accommodations and professional services sectors. The Chamber board has a distribution of seats among business sectors. Terms are two years with an option of renewing up to three terms. If you are interested in serving along with other Blowing Rock business community leaders on the Chamber board, please email Charles Hardin at HardinCE@BlowingRock.com or call to get more information. Chamber members may nominate any other Chamber member or you may nominate yourself. If you nominate someone else, please let them know that we will contact them.  NC Phase 2.5 On Friday, September 4th the State of North Carolina will enter Phase 2.5 at 5:00pm. What does this mean? Playgrounds and Park can open Meusems can open at 50% - Stay up- to-date with BRAHM's opening Gyms can open at 30% Indoor gatherings of 25 people and outdoor gatherings of 50 people We’d Love to Hear From YOU! How are we doing as your Chamber of Commerce? Share with us and other members how membership in the Chamber has helped support and promote your business. Share your experiences with the Chamber or collaborations with other businesses that have been created by being a member. With your permission, we will then share these testimonials on our website and/or social media channels. Please reach out to Regina McCaughan at regina@blowingrock.com. In advance, thank you for sharing! NC Broadband Survey We urge all homeowners and businesses to complete the broadband survey below sent to us by Blue Ridge Energy from the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. The survey will gather information on locations with adequate internet access and speeds with the results used to determine which communities receive future grant funding for high speed internet service. Click here for more information on how to take the survey. For homes or businesses WITH internet service, take the survey at NCBroadband.gov/survey For homes or businesses WITHOUT internet service, text "Internet" to 919-750-0553 Blowing Rock Community Calendar It's time to gather details for the 2021 Blowing Rock Community Calendar! As always, our goal is to have the calendar printed and ready for distribution by Thanksgiving weekend. The calendar lists Town and civic events, as well as festivals, event series, and cultural programming. Please send your public events for inclusion by September 30. We know that 2021 may still warrant some tentative planning, so the usual scheduling disclaimers will reflect that. Photo submissions are also welcome! The image theme for 2021 is animals, so we're accepting photos of birds, deer, or other wild High Country critters, as well as pets enjoying mountain activities. Photos must be high resolution for printing, and the cutoff date is the same: September 30.   Send events and photo submissions to amanda@visitblowingrock.com.  Have you taken the Census? There are only a few weeks left to take the Census! The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. The Census only takes minutes to complete at https://2020census.gov/ NC Chamber Destination 2030 NC is facing a transportation funding crisis that is creating uncertainty for many businesses. The NC Chamber’s Destination 2030 Coalition is developing forward-thinking solutions to modernize transportation funding in NC. JOIN here: bit.ly/3g6QqXi #Destination2030 Chamber Member Health Insurance Discount Aetna Funding Advantage (AFA) makes it easy for members of any Chamber of Commerce in 26 western North Carolina counties to save money on their benefits with up to 25% savings on monthly costs vs an ACA plan**. And now, these businesses can save on average, an additional 2% on monthly costs through Chamber Health Insurance for Western North Carolina. Learn more about Aetna here. To submit your news to our weekly newsletter, email Suzy@BlowingRock.com by Wednesday. Our newsletter reaches over 1,000 member contacts each Thursday! Upcoming Activities & Meetings Blowing Rock Farmers Market - Weekly on Thursday from 3-6pm Town Council Meeting & Playground Ribbon Cutting September 8th Art in the Park- September 12th Concerts in the Park - September 13th Member News September @ Stick Boy! It's that time of year again... Vote for your favorite LOCAL NON PROFIT! Get a FREE raffle ticket with a $10 purchase or buy a ticket for $5. Help spread the word by sharing this post, and come in to vote or visit our online store! Learn more here! Providing a Splash of Happy: New Vibrant Turchin Stair Mural Needs a Name! A stunning site-specific art installation has just been completed on the outdoor grand staircase at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. The Turchin Center is situated on King Street and lies at the crossroads of Appalachian State University and downtown Boone and this staircase serves as a pedestrian connector between the two. Several years ago the staff and advisory board at the Turchin Center recognized the imposing concrete staircase as a “blank canvas” with potential to be transformed into something special. After considering a variety of artists, the dynamic duo of Jessie Unterhalter and Katey Truhn @jessieandkatey were commissioned to transform the stairs into what has become an eye-popping mural. Live Music at Egg Rollin Egg Rollin is hosting the Keith Stroud Band on September 4th from 4pm-8pm. Join them for great food, drinks and southern classic rock! Book Signing at BR Antiques Co-Op Enduring Southern Homes by Eric Ross Book signing at Blowing Rock Antiques Co-Op September 5th from 4-6pm September 6th from 1-3pm Visiting Scholar at Rumple Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church invites everyone to a lecture & discussion series on Zoom, September 13-14th. Visit www.rumplechurch.org for more information and to register! We'd love to see you! The Chamber Team is glad to see our businesses re-opening! Email Regina to let us know you're open and we will stop by for a socially distance visit. More events and updates can be found on our online calendar. To submit your news to our weekly newsletter, email Suzy@BlowingRock.com by Wednesday. Our newsletter reaches over 1,000 member contacts each Thursday! Thank you to our 2020 Chamber Partners!

NC Chamber Destination 2030

 

Blog Post Written by the NC Chamber

Did you know that North Carolina would need to carve out another $1.5 billion to $3 billion in annual transportation funding if we hope to see the American Society of Civil Engineers raise our infrastructure rating from a mediocre C to a B or an A? Did you know our failure to modernize our transportation revenue formula costs the average motorist more than a thousand dollars each year from driving on congested, inadequately maintained roads?

These are just some of the findings you can expect to read about in an upcoming NC Chamber Foundation report, Modernizing North Carolina's Infrastructure Through Sustainable and Diversified Revenue Streams, which was conducted on the Foundation’s behalf by NC State’s Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE). On Thursday, August 27^th, we’ll unveil the full report at the Chamber’s virtual Transportation and Infrastructure Summit. Among other solution-oriented goals, the report aims to identify four of the most viable funding options we could use to secure a more sustainable revenue stream for our state. By registering to attend the Summit today, you’ll be among the first to learn about these findings.

Summit attendees will also get the opportunity to learn more about the Chamber’s new transportation coalition, Destination 2030: The Road to a Stronger Transportation Future. With Destination 2030, we’re aiming to build a broad alliance of businesses and economic developers to sustain a multi-year conversation around one important question: How do we create a modernized, diversified transportation revenue formula for North Carolina that’s designed to grow and maintain our network at the pace of our fast-growing population?

In a COVID-19 world, a well-funded transportation network will mean recovery, resiliency, and security for North Carolina’s economy and the people whose jobs depend on it. But we’ll need the support of companies like yours if we hope to turn viable options into real solutions for North Carolina. If you have not already, we encourage you to join the Destination 2030 Coalition today by clicking here and adding your company’s voice to this growing movement.

We thank to those who have already joined this coalition. To learn more about the NC Chamber and NC Chamber Foundation’s focus on transportation issues, check out this recent article from the North State Journal.