Weekly Village Update 2.17.22

Chamber News Upcoming Meetings & Events Chamber Board Retreat - February 17th & 18th Blowing Rock Town Council - March 8th Hometown Harvest - March 13th Blowing Rock Chamber Annual Awards Luncheon Congratulations to Award Winners! Business of the Year The Speckled Trout Restaurant & Bottle Shop Outstanding Customer Service (Retail) The Mustard Seed Market Outstanding Customer Service (Service) Village Pharmacy Outstanding Customer Service (Hospitality) Sunny Rock Eggs & Things Community Impact Award Blowing Rock TDA Volunteer of the Year Joyce Zellner Read the full article about the Chamber's Annual Awards luncheon here. Appalachian Regional Healthcare System Initiates Process to Explore Options for the Future As part of its ongoing commitment to securing a healthy future for the region, the Appalachian Regional Healthcare System (ARHS) Board of Trustees announced today it is exploring a potential relationship with a like-minded, not-for-profit organization that would accelerate access to new technology and expand local healthcare services for the High Country.   “Our goal is to always do what’s best for the community and we know that meaningful relationships and a willingness to embrace innovative collaboration are often required to succeed,” says ARHS Board Chair Thomas Dale. “This decision comes on the heels of a robust strategic planning process and reflects the Board’s vision to deepen our primary care base, ensure accessibility, especially for our more vulnerable populations, and sustain and enhance the level of services we currently provide today.” Read the full press release here. It is important to note: This announcement comes after a 9-month strategic planning process and represents ARHS willingness to embrace innovative collaboration and align with others yet again, when it can improve their care and service for the community. The TDA is Hiring! The Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority is looking for a full-time Digital Community Manager. They'll be responsible for managing social media and online calendars. Please spread the word, and share the job info with anyone who may be interested in applying! View Job Description here. January Real Estate Report JANUARY 2022 MLS REPORT: Realtors® in the High Country are opening the year with properties “selling as fast as they come on the market”, according to local Realtor® Leslie Eason, and reports generated from the Multiple Listing Service. Inventory levels are lower than this time last year, but median selling prices are hanging steady, climbing to record highs for our area. Read the full report here. Hometown Harvet The Blowing Rock Hometown Harvest covered dish dinner will return Sunday, March 13, at the Blowing Rock Conference Center from 5:30pm-7:30pm. The event, which has not been held since 2019, is typically held in the Fall. Organizers delayed the 2021 event to the spring of 2022 hoping to be able to safely bring the community together. This year’s event will coincide with the Town of Blowing Rock’s 133rd Birthday. The Blowing Rock Historical Society will present this year’s historical markers during the dinner. Hometown Harvest is organized by: Blowing Rock Art & History Museum, Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, Blowing Rock Historical Society, Blowing Rock Rotary Club and Blowing Rock Parks & Recreation. Please call 828-295-7851 with any questions. 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 Welcome New Members! Say Cheese Opening in April, Say Cheese is an outdoor café located in downtown Blowing Rock in the SouthMarke shopping center. Each of our gourmet sandwiches has a melted cheese component and are toasted to perfection. It’s our version of comfort food. Open daily from 11 AM to 4 PM. Dogs are welcome. SouthMarke Shops, Pavilion 6, 1179 Main Street, Blowing Rock. 828-999-9630 www.saycheesebr.com. Our State Feature Blowing Rock's most recent "advertorial" with Our State Magazine was just published to the magazine's website! Artistic Appalachia: 5 Shops to Explore in Blowing Rock highlights Mountain Thread Company, McCoy Minerals, Bolick & Traditions Pottery, High Country Candles, and Unwound. This feature is a purchased advertisement for Blowing Rock, but the content was written by a professional writer who reached out to local businesses for the story. One of the best things about this kind of ad is that it functions like an article on the website, showing up in "You Might Also Like" recommendations for readers browsing a related topic. Many thanks to the businesses that worked with the writer to bring this piece to life! Spring into Art at the Turchin Center The community is invited to celebrate four new contemporary art exhibitions in the galleries of the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts at Appalachian State University during the Spring Exhibition Celebration on March 4 from 5-9 pm. This event is held in conjunction with the downtown Boone Art Crawl. Numerous exhibiting artists will be on-hand to meet visitors and provide insight into their intriguing work. The musical group Belleville Rendezvous will perform. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available. This event is free and open to the public. Read more here. ore 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 2022 Chamber Partners!