Weekly Village Update 9.16.21

 

Chamber News Upcoming Activities & Meetings Blowing Rock Farmers Market - Today from 3:00pm - 6:00pm Business After Hours at Mystery Hill with Boone Area Chamber - TODAY at 5:00pm Ribbon Cutting: Blowing Rock School Playground Restroom - September 20th at 5:00pm BR Chamber 221 Litter Sweep - September 23rd at 3:00pm Art in the Park - October 2nd from 10am - 5pm Concerts in the Park - October 3rd from 4:00pm - 6:00pm Blowing Rock Candidates Forum - October 4th at 5:30pm BR Chamber Board Meeting - October 6th at 8:30am Blowing Rock Candidates Forum October 4th, 5:30pm, Blowing Rock School Auditorium   The Blowing Rock Candidates Forum is open to the public and will provide the community an opportunity to meet and hear from the Candidates for Town Council and Mayor. Do you have questions or important discussion topics you'd like to see covered at the forum? Email Hardince@BlowingRock.com.   This event is hosted by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce Leadership Challenge Alumni. Candidates   Mayor Charlie Sellers, un-opposed (I)   Town Council Candidates Nancy Collins Pete Gherini Dough Matheson (I) Melissa Pickett Polls will be open from 6:30am - 7:30pm on the day of the election, Tuesday, November 2, 2021 in Blowing Rock Town Hall.   Click here for early voting and absentee voting information. Membership Survey Through this survey the students at Appalachian State in the strategic management class will be gathering data to analyze from internal stakeholders (you) in an effort to create a useful strategic plan for the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce. This is an early data gathering tool that will aid in determining strengths and growth opportunities from members' opinions and feelings. This survey is anonymous and the information will not be shared or sold to outside parties in any capacity. Take Survey Here Restaurant Hours With unpredictable staffing and abrupt changes in travel patterns due to covid-19, restaurant hours have been changing often. For example, Village Cafe was open for Labor Day, but will be closed this Wednesday as a result. 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 Career Center Resources Is your businesses hiring? Try these local career center sites: Appalachian State Career Center CCC&TI Career Center Blowing Rock Job Opportunities Facebook Group Employee Retention Tac Credit (ERTC) Does your business qualify for the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC)?As a credit, business owners do not have to pay this money back, nor do they have to apply for forgiveness. Congress may vote as early as late September to end this tax credit and reallocate any remaining funds for federal infrastructure, so time is of the essence.    If you qualify for the ERTC, your business may receive anywhere between $5,000 and $33,000 per employee. Please do not leave this stone unturned. The ERTC is just one tax credit among many that small business owners may qualify for. Please consult with your accountant to develop a thorough tax planning strategy that makes sense for your business needs. Small Business Survey The Federal Reserve Banks invite you to take our annual survey of small business owners and the self-employed. The Federal Reserve works to understand how local and national economies, including small businesses, are functioning. This survey was created to track small business conditions and capital needs across the nation. Your confidential answers will provide critical information that service providers, policymakers, and lenders use to improve programs for small businesses.   Please click here to take the survey.  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 Watauga County Covid-19 Update here. Blowing Rock School Playground Restroom The Blowing Rock Leadership Challenge Class of 2019 has finally completed their class project! The Restroom at the Blowing Rock School Playground is open from 9am-6pm seven days a week. The restroom will be maintained by Blowing Rock School and the Town of Blowing Rock. Please join the Chamber on Monday, September 20th at 5pm for the official ribbon cutting. Member News Blowing Rock Civic Association is Hiring Executive Director The Blowing Rock Civic Association is transitioning from an all-volunteer organization to a sustainable organization led by an Executive Director. The Executive Director will become the key person to develop and maintain relationships with town and community leaders to serve as a bridge representing the voice of homeowners. The Executive Director will be the face and often the spokesperson of BRCA at all public and key community meetings. The Executive Director will be the chief communication, fundraising and administrative person for the organization. The position offers flexible scheduling for a full-time or part-time position. Attendance at evening Town Council and advisory board meetings will be needed. Living in or near Blowing Rock is required. Review our website at www.brcivic.org. Send your resume to Tim Gupton, President at info@brcivic.org Community Care Clinic Community Care Clinic is seeking art submissions for their online Art Auction. CCC is looking for original art pieces (all mediums) by October 5th. The Auction will run Oct. 15th - Nov. 15th. Community Care Clinic is a free clinic for low-income people in our region who are uninsured. The clinic serves around 900 patients in the High Country. The majority of the CCC patients are dealing with chronic illnesses like diabetes or hypertension. Without the CCC a lot of patients would not be able to afford to prioritize their health over taking care of their family's basic needs first. We allow them to have a medical home without the financial burden, helping them to become healthier individuals who can thrive in life. There are no qualifications to become a patient other than being uninsured. This also allows the CCC to serve people who fall through the healthcare gaps, ie: someone who doesn't qualify for Medicaid but can't afford marketplace insurance.  For more information contact Caitlin Massey at caitlinm@ccclinic.org Daniel Boone A Long Hunter & More Daniel Boone – A Long Hunter & More presentations by Robert Alvin Crum At Hickory Ridge Living History Museum, Boone, NC 11:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. – September 18, 2021   Daniel Boone was born in Pennsylvania in 1734 and arrived in North Carolina with his parents in 1751. He learned to hunt as a young boy and was such a great shot that he became a commercial hunter in North Carolina. By 1767, he moved farther up the Yadkin River to live with family and friends in what is now Wilkes County and began his long hunts into areas we now know as Kentucky and Tennessee. Learn more about Daniel Boone from his direct descendant, Robert Alvin Crum, who is a writer, public speaker, and visual artist. He tells the stories about his Boone and Bryan ancestors living in North Carolina in the eighteenth century. Mr. Crum will do two presentations, at 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM about his direct ancestor Daniel Boone. The topic of discussion is “Daniel Boone – A Long Hunter & More.” The location will be Hickory Ridge History Museum in the Daniel Boone Park adjacent to the “Horn in the West” amphitheater. This takes place during the museum’s “Fall High Country Rendezvous”, featuring Open Hearth Cooking, Tavern Talks, and a Long Hunter Camp, which runs from 10 AM to 2 PM! The cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children 5 to 12. Frank and Kay Golf Classic Get ready to tee off on Monday September 27, 2021, 1:30 p.m. at Hound Ears Club for the annual Frank and Kay Golf Classic to benefit Hospitality House of Northwest North Carolina. This signature event honors the legacy of philanthropy and leadership that former Appalachian State University Chancellor Frank Borkowski and his multi-talented wife Kay have bestowed upon the High Country since their arrival in 1993.  Prior to hitting the links, golfers may arrive as early as 12:00 noon outside the Tee House Grill for a catered cookout lunch from Chef Micheal Armes. At the tournament’s conclusion, the awards ceremony will be held outside on the putting green, with beer, wine and catered hors d'oeuvres. Registration is $150 per person or $600 for a team of four. Participants are encouraged to register online at HospHouse.org/golf.  There will be no onsite registration, traditional check-in, or exchange of monies. Gift bags, water and snacks will be pre-loaded into golf carts, along with face masks and hand sanitizer.   Artist in Residence The 2021 Artists in Residence series wraps up this week with painter Zan Thompson. Zan paints strictly in watercolor, is a signature member of Watercolor Society of North Carolina, and teaches classes in watercolor. Zan’s themes include landscapes, seascapes/fishing, botanical, still lifes, and abstract art.   Artists in Residence at Edgewood Cottage is open every day through September 19.   All dates and artists here>> 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!