Weekly Village Update 10.7.21

 

Chamber News Upcoming Meetings & Events Town Council Meeting - October 12th at 6:00pm Blowing Rock Young Professionals - October 13th @ 5:00pm BR Chamber Membership Committee Meeting - October 14th at 4:30pm Business After Hours - SkylineSkyBest/BRAHM - October 19th at 5:30pm View a listing of Blowing Rock Seasonal Events here. Catch Cancer Early with Breast Cancer Screenings ‌ October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness of the impact of breast cancer and the importance of screening. Breast cancer screening can catch breast cancer early – when it is easier to treat and sometimes before it is even big enough to feel. You can get screened for breast cancer through a mammogram, an X-ray image of the breasts. Watauga Surgical Group’s, Dr. Anne-Corinne Beaver, recommends mammograms beginning at the age of 40. Early detection is critical.   Annual mammograms can save your life – Start or resume regular breast cancer screening today. Talk to your doctor about when you should start and how often you should have a mammogram.    Find guidance and screening resources for you or a loved one at apprhs.org/mammogram/. 2022 Membership Investment Dues are in mail! October is Introduce a Friend or Associate to the Chamber Month When you bring a new member to the Chamber it’s a WIN,WIN,WIN!!! They win by receiving the many benefits received as a member of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, 2020 CACCE Chamber of the year! They will also receive 2 months complimentary when joining in October! You win by receiving a $50 referral fee! The Chamber wins by gaining a new member referred by you! Download Application Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge Class of 2022 The Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge is an innovative leadership development program sponsored by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. This program is designed to meet our community’s future needs for the active participation of informed and educated leaders. The goal of the program is to identify potential leaders and provide them with the community information and encouragement needed to spur local action and involvement. Graduates are challenged to apply their talents throughout the community by becoming a part of local organizations, including public boards, nonprofit groups, civic clubs and the Chamber. Tourism Marketing Professional Amanda Lugenbell, Assistant Director at the Blowing Rock TDA has completed the three-year program of the Southeast Tourism Society Marketing College and earned certification as a Travel Marketing Professional (TMP). The 2020 graduating class was announced at the STS Connections conference in Spartanburg, SC last week. The program began in 1992 and has produced over 1,200 TMPs including TDA Director Tracy Brown, who completed the program in 2017. Instructors are travel industry professionals such as convention and visitor’s bureau executives, public relations practitioners, sales and marketing consultants, and research experts. Study topics include online marketing strategies, creating an eye-catching and engaging tourism brochure, social media content planning and distribution, Google analytics, travel and tourism research, community engagement, economic impact studies, and budgeting. Candidates Forum If you were not able to join us for the Blowing Rock Candidates Forum on Monday, October 4th you can watch the full forum online here. Restaurant Hours With unpredictable staffing and abrupt changes in travel patterns due to covid-19, restaurant hours have been changing often. The Chamber of Commerce is currently maintaining a listing of Blowing Rock restaurant hours. The hours are updated weekly. Bookmark this page for reference so you can help your guests and customers when they are looking for dining!  Restaurant Hours List Watauga Covid-19 Update  In areas with substantial and high transmission, the CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of the Delta variant, and to protect others. Watauga County is considered an area of High transmission. AppHealthCare offers COVID-19 testing by drive-thru Monday through Friday 8:30-10:00am at each of our clinic locations. No appointment is needed. Read the full weekly Watauga County Covid-19 Update here. Member News Career Opportunities First Citizens Bank of Blowing Rock - Bank Senior Sales and Service Representative Berkshire Hathaway HomeSerives Vincent Properties - Marketing Director Webinar with Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is providing an opportunity to learn more about the Parkway’s new top leader during the online presentation, A Conversation with Superintendent Tracy Swartout, at 11 a.m., Tuesday, October 12. Foundation CEO Carolyn Ward and Swartout, who is the first woman to lead the Blue Ridge Parkway in its 86-year history, will discuss Swartout’s tenure with the National Park Service and her goals and vision for its most visited park unit. The 30-minute webinar is free to attend. Swartout joined the Parkway team in May 2021 and is a 21-year veteran of the National Park Service. Most recently, Swartout served as the deputy superintendent at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Prior to moving out west, Swartout served as the superintendent for Congaree National Park in South Carolina. She was recognized as the southeast region’s Superintendent of the Year. The Zoom webinar is the latest installment of the Insider’s Report series, which highlights the nonprofit’s projects and ways to enjoy the national park unit.  To register, visit BRPFoundation.org/events. Book Signing at Blowing Rock Antiques Christopher Spitzmiller author of "A Year at Clove Brook Farm" RSVP slide presentation and Q&A Session at Blowing Rock Antiques on Saturday October 16th from 10am - 11am *(please call to reserve your spot...limited seating)* 704.960.7478 “A Year at Clove Brook Farm” book signing to follow from 11am - 3pm All are Welcome! Storyland at BRAHM Prepare for a reading adventure! The whole family will be able to travel into three popular stories this fall and winter! BRAHM (Blowing Rock Art & History Museum) is pleased to announce that Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites opened at BRAHM, located at 159 Ginny Stevens Lane in Blowing Rock, on Friday, October 1st. Storyland, a traveling exhibit created by Minnesota Children’s Museum and sponsored by First Citizens Bank, Tres & Beth Abernathy, Ralph & Elizabeth Patterson, Joel & Bernadette Hackney, and Janis & David Fite will provide imaginative, book-based experiences for children ages 2-8 years old. Learn more online here. Pumpkin Patch at Tanger Outlets There will be a pumpkin patch at Tanger Outlets every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in October from 12:00pm - 6:00pm. High Country Breast Cancer Foundation High Country Breast Cancer Foundation is hosting their annual fundraiser virtually this year on October 30th. Register online to participate. Festival of Trees Western Youth Network is looking for participants for their annual Festival of Trees event. Click here for more information and to register! All proceeds from the event support Western Youth Network. 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 2021 Chamber Partners!