Chetola Benefit For Emergency Services Was A Major Success

A dozen members of an inexperienced wait staff welcomed patrons of a special benefit for Blowing Rock Fire and Rescue last week at Chetola's Manor House Restaurant. The regular talented wait staff of Manor House and a dining room full of delicious food compensated for the shortcoming of the "waiters in training" pictured above. More on the total raised at the benefit St. Patty's Day benefit will be announced next week.

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Blowing Rock Rolls Out Red Carpet For National Symphony Orchestra Dignitaries

Karyn Kennedy Herterich, Crippen's Country Inn and dignitaries from across North Carolina turned out last Wednesday night to welcome the National Symphony Orchestra to Blowing Rock and the North Carolina High Country for An Evening in Honor of National Symphony Orchestra Music Director Leonard Slatkin. The festive evening at Crippen's Country Inn on Sunset Drive was a prelude to a Thursday performance of the National Symphony Orchestra at Farthing Auditorium in Boone, one of six stops in North Carolina during an American Residencies program sponsored by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. As a National Symphony Orchestra National Trustee representing North Carolina, Karyn Kennedy Herterich was host of the evening that also included a musical presentation by The Hayes String Quartet, under the direction of Dr. William Harbinson, Dean of Appalachian State University Hayes School of Music. Recognized as the world's leading orchestra conductor, Leonard Slatkin is pictured above with just a few of the dignitaries at CrippenÕs on Wednesday night. From left to right above are Karyn Kennedy Herterich, with National Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Rita Shapiro, Leonard Slatkin, and Mary B. Regan, Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council, who came up from Raleigh to attend the special evening and concert the following day.

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Call For Volunteers!

Are you a "people person"?
Are you passionate about your home town village?
Are you enthusiastic about sharing it's attributes with your family and friends?

"If you answered "YES", then you are just the person we'd like to invite to be the face of Blowing Rock, the first friendly face our guests see," said Susan Freshcorn, the new Executive Director of the Blowing Rock tourism Development Authority (TDA). "The busy travel season is right around the corner and we want to ensure visitors receive a warm high country welcome that makes them want to stay late and visit often. "

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Trout Derby Will Welcome Diana & The Vintage Boys On April 2nd

As a special feature of the Blowing Rock Opening Weekend Trout Derby, anglers and fans can join Diana and the Vintage Boys at the Meadowbrook Inn in Blowing Rock for a toe-tapping evening of bluegrass and country music on Saturday, April 2. Beginning at 7 pm and lasting 'til 9, this performance will include traditional, contemporary, gospel and instrumental music. Don't miss their rendition of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown." The band will feature several original compositions also.Tickets are available at the door for just $10 each. Meadowbrook Inn will also stock their pond for the Trout Derby and those who catch their trout there can even bring it by the Meadowbrook kitchen and have it cooked for dinner for only $11.99 per plate. Those without fishing gear may rent it from the Meadowbrook front desk. For more information on the 2005 Trout Derby contact the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 828-295-7851.

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Sunshine Artist Features Main Street's Ronnie Hughes

Ronnie Hughes of Main Street Gallery in Blowing Rock is featured on the march cover of Sunshine Artist, a national trade magazine. Ronnie's work is seen in juried shows throughout the east coast region, at Main Street Gallery, and at Blowing Rock's award winning Art in the Park, where he has been a featured artist for many years.
Hughes has been working with glass for 29 years. It was in 1980 that he walked upon a field full of breathtaking pink lady's slippers on the Blue Ridge Parkway and because of that he was inspired to change his subject matter completely. Today he uses clear glass to transfer the beauty of wildflowers, explaining that the clear glass amplifies the delicacy of the flower.

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Blowing Rock School Reunion Is Saturday, August 20 At Dr. Davant Field

Classmates whose friendships span well over half a century will come together in Blowing Rock on Saturday, August 20 for what has become the largest school reunion in the North Carolina High Country. Not content to simply see specific classes get together once a year, this reunion is for every person who ever attended Blowing Rock High School. Organized by former students Barbara Lentz Wright, Janice Coffey Herblin, Caroline Greene Robbins, and June Herring Turner, the reunion brings together hundreds of former students, many of them traveling great distances to attend. So popular and meaningful has the reunion become that the four organizers received the coveted "Spirit of the Village" award from the Blowing Rock Historical Society, only the second time that prestigious award has ever been presented. The reunion, which is held at the Dr. Charles Davant Athletic Field on Clark Street in the heart of the village, is a day along affair, with many staying around the whole day to enjoy good food and memorabilia provided by many of the former students and teachers. To help set the stage and to encourage everyone's attending, we share past photos each week in the rocket.

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Rotarian Virginia Vanstory Receives Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Pin

Virginia Vanstory was recognized this week as a Multiple Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International at the Monday meeting of the Rotary Club of Blowing Rock at Chetola's Manor House Restaurant.
The prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship honor is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary with three business associates 100 years ago in Chicago. Since then Rotary has grown to an organization of 1,219,532 members in 31,936 clubs in 166 countries.

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April 4th Is Last Day To Sign Up For First Baptist Church Day Camp

Parents have only until Monday, April 4th to sign up their children to participate in the First Baptist Church Day Camp for Kids.
The camp will operate from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Sunset Drive and the camp will operate June 13th through August 12th. The cost is $75 per child per week, and includes all activities, including field trips.
"Our day camp offers a wide range of fun activities such as water play, swimming, crafts, games, learning enrichment,and much more," said a First Baptist spokesperson. "Every week we will take a different field trip, and past events have included the Jonesboro Water Park, Linville Caverns ,and even Discovery Place."
Deadline for registration is Monday, April 4 and space is limited. Call 295-7715 for more information.

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Stage Company Adds Extra Show Performance To Meet Increased Fan Interest For The Taffetas

The Blowing Rock Stage Company announced this week that one additional performance of The Taffetas has been added to their 20th anniversary season, a change in schedules to meet fan demand for tickets. The additional performance will take place on Thursday, June 23rd at 2 p.m. (There is also an 8 p.m. show that day.)

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Parks & Rec Now Accepting 2005 Summer Day Camp Applications

One of the High Country's most popular day camps has announced registration dates for its 2005 Summer Camp programs.
Blowing Rock Park and Recreation is now providing applications for its summer day camp for rising first through seventh graders (birth certificates required). The camp will open on June 13th and continue through August 5th, according to an announcement his week from Amy Flieg, Assistant Director.
Young people or parents interested in having their children join Blowing Rock Parks and Recreation for another summer of fun, or even just a week or two of the eight-week program, should come by the Rec office on Wallingford Street at Park Avenue for more information. The Rec. office is located above the Emergency Services complex and adjacent to the Blowing Rock Police Department.
Registration for Blowing Rock tax payers began on March 1, with registration for non-tax payers starting on March 22. Space is limited. For more information call the Recreation office at 295-5222 or go to the Blowing Rock Recreation Department webpage at: www.townofblowingrock.com.

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