Recently in Community Category

The Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival is now accepting submissions from regional artists for the 2011 festival poster. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 31. For the 2011 poster, the committee is encouraging work that reflects the beauty and heritage of the Blue Ridge Parkway to celebrate its 75th anniversary. The contest is open to any artist, and the work must reflect a wine theme. The committee will consider three-dimensional work. The winning work will be featured on the 2011 poster of the Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival, and the artist will receive either $300 in prize money or a 10-by-10-foot booth space at this year's Grand Tasting event on Saturday, April 17.

For the application rules and more information, click to the festival website at blueridgewinefestival.com or call the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce at 295-7851.

Registration is now open for Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation Department's Third Annual A Cool 5 Race. This five-mile race isn't your average footrace as the entire course is set above 5,000 feet. If the five-miler is a little too daunting, residents can register for the 1.5-mile fun run/walk. Officials said over the past two years, the race has raised over $60,000 for the Beech Mountain Parks and Rec. Department. This year's race will be held on Saturday, June 12.

You can find more information about registration online at ACool5.com.

The US Postal Service will move this month toward reducing mail delivery from six days a week to five, a change Postmaster General John Potter has said is critical to reducing its massive debt. Potter said Monday he'll submit a formal request by the end of this month to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which must issue an advisory opinion on any change in mail service that would have national impact.

As more people communicate and pay their bills online, Postal Service projections show Americans in the next decade will send significantly less mail than they do now, reducing revenue while labor and fuel costs increase. Potter says we're going to have less mail in 2020 than we have today. The Postal Service is nervous about its financial conditions and is making a lot of broad proposals. Some of the proposals, when they see the light of day may be very worthwhile.

Blue Ridge Electric's Board of Directors has approved a second month for a temporary rate reduction. BREMCO spokesperson Renee Whitener said the rate reduction was put in place as an effort to help members struggling from higher than normal winter electric bills due to this extended severely cold winter. Whitener said, "The board wanted to do something to help all of the members across the board and this temporary rate reduction was one of the ways they could do that without negatively affecting the physical situation of the cooperative." Whitener said March will be the second month of this reduced rate. She said the temporary rate reduction will trim about nine percent off customer's power bills.

ASU is hosting a wedding exposition in the Summit Trail Solarium this Sunday February 21^st for prospective weddings, receptions, and rehearsal dinners. You can visit the Solarium to view the facility, learn pricing details and sample reception delicacies and wedding cake from experienced caterers. Staff from ASU's Broyhill Inn and Conference Center will also be revealing wedding packages for their facility. Summit Trail Solarium will become available for weddings in May, with bookings beginning at the event on Sunday.

Tickets have been selling quickly for the performance of legendary actress and comedian Lily Tomlin. She takes the stage at 8pm Farthing auditorium on Saturday February 20 for ASU's 2009-10 Performing Arts Series. Tomlin's one-woman show will be an evening of classic favorites. According to the box office staff, there are only about 350 tickets left. Advance tickets for the show are $20 for adults, $10 for ASU students and students 18 and under, and $18 for seniors and ASU faculty and staff. Ticket prices will increase at the door on show night. For tickets or for more information, call the Farthing Auditorium Box Office at 262-4046.

The Best Dish in NC restaurant contest is calling for North Carolina chefs to enter this year's competition to determine which restaurant serves the best dish using products grown or produced in the state. The Best Dish in NC restaurant contest started in 2006 to bring awareness to the restaurants and chefs who feature local food products on their menus. The annual competition is open to any North Carolina restaurant or restaurant group. There are two categories in the competition: Fine Dining or Casual Dining.

Applications must be received by March 31 in order to be considered for this year's contest. A panel of judges will review the applications and announce the finalists in May. Judging will take place during the summer. Applications and contest guidelines can be found online at bestdishnc.com.

The annual Friends of the Watauga County Public Library Book Sale will be held Feb. 25, 26 and 27 in the center of the Boone Mall. The private pre-sale for Friends members begins Thursday, Feb. 25 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.  If you're not a member of the Friends of the Library yet, you can sign up on the spot and enjoy the benefits immediately. Membership begins at $5 and it not only allows you to shop early, but the membership donation supports many reading and literacy programs in Watauga County. The non-member book sale will be open to the general public on Friday and Saturday.

For more information, call Claire at 264-8958.

A kitchen fire on Tuesday will cause Glidewell's Restaurant in downtown Blowing Rock to close for an undetermined amount of time. Preliminary investigations indicate the fire occurred when a propane water heater malfunctioned. A representative with Glidewell's said he wasn't sure when the restaurant would be able to reopen. Glidewell's had a fundraiser scheduled for Thursday with the Western Youth Network. This fundraiser has been postponed, but a date has not yet been determined.

The annual Friends of the Watauga County Public Library Book Sale will be held Feb. 25, 26 and 27 in the center of the Boone Mall. The private pre-sale for Friends members begins Thursday, Feb. 25 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.  If you're not a member of the Friends of the Library yet, you can sign up on the spot and enjoy the benefits immediately. Membership begins at $5 and it not only allows you to shop early, but the membership donation supports many reading and literacy programs in Watauga County. The non-member book sale will be open to the general public on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call Claire at 264-8958.