Inaugural 5K To Fund Eagle Habitat Renovations!
Since Grandfather Mountain added eagles to their showcase of indigenous North Carolina wildlife in 1981, these majestic birds-of-prey have been housed in an open-topped enclosure. All the eagles that have called Grandfather Mountain home were injured by gunshot, resulting in a full or partial wing amputation and leaving them completely flightless.
Their enclosure has remained beautiful and well maintained during this period, but several problems arose as a result of the absence of a fully enclosed habitat. Ravens, bears and other animals can enter the eagles’ home, stealing their food and posing a serious threat to their well-being.
Another drawback stemming from the park’s lack of a fully enclosed eagle habitat, is Grandfather’s inability to adopt other eagles that may be partially or fully flighted. Even though these eagles may have the ability to fly normally, other injuries, such as eye problems, could render them unable to hunt for food and survive in the wild.
The park’s habitat staff has been tirelessly fund raising for over a year in hopes of renovating the enclosure and their efforts are continuing this May with the first annual “Critter Crawl” at Grandfather Mountain. This 5K race begins in MacRae Meadows and ends at the top of Grandfather. It is a charity event where runners pay a $30 admission fee to participate. All of the money generated will directly benefit these pending renovations.
“We’ve been actively raising money for a year now in the community. We’re excited because the hope is that this race will finally allow the improvements to begin,” said Christie Tipton, Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation habitat manager. If the Critter Crawl is a success and all 500 running spots are filled, the renovation process will begin on the eagle habitat.
The $30 cost per runner includes: a “Critter Crawl” t-shirt and a free day-pass for the following weekend. T-shirts are only guaranteed for participants registering before April 19. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female competitors.
The “Critter Crawl” race is very similar to the popular “Bear Run” held each year during the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, but is unique in that it loops through the animal habitat pathways, giving runners the opportunity to view the eagle habitats they are helping to renovate. Online registration for the event begins March 1.
For registration information, please visit www.grandfather.com and for more information about the “Critter Crawl” or the eagle habitat renovation project, call 828-733-8715.
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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First Annual “Critter Crawl” Set For May 3rd at Grandfather Mountain!
This May, the inaugural “Critter Crawl” kicks off at Grandfather Mountain. The 5K race begins in MacRae Meadows and ends at the top of Grandfather. All proceeds will directly benefit upcoming renovations to the Grandfather Mountain eagle habitats.
The race will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 3. To accommodate runners and race spectators, the park will end ticket sales at 4 p.m. and close at 5 p.m.
Online registration for the “Critter Crawl” begins March 1 with 500 spaces for runners available. The cost per participant is $30 and includes: a “Critter Crawl” t-shirt and a free day-pass for the following weekend. T-shirts will not be guaranteed for participants that register after April 19. Awards will be presented to the top three male and female competitors.
Parking passes, available during registration, are $10 per car. Spectators will be able to park in designated parking lots on Grandfather and MacRae Meadows on a first-come, first-serve basis. Shuttles will transport spectators to the top from each parking area.
For registration information, please visit www.grandfather.com and for more information about the “Critter Crawl” or the eagle habitat renovation project, call 828-733-8715.
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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High Country Host Welcomes New Member: Florence Thomas Art School!
Inspiration and creativity flourish on the beautiful 10-acre campus of Florence Thomas Art School, located along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Glendale Springs, North Carolina, and just minutes from the New River. Here, visitors can attend half-day to five-day workshops in the fine arts, master crafts, and heritage crafts led by regional and national artisans. Affordable on-site lodging, nearby area attractions and cultural events make this the perfect vacation for individuals as well as families.
One student recently commented: ” The setting of the school and the little touches by the staff create an atmosphere where creativity can really blossom.” Another agreed, adding, ” I feel refreshed, relaxed and blessed for having the opportunity to be here.”
There is something for everyone at all artistic levels. Workshops in painting to weaving are hosted from May to October and include special programming such as Fiber Arts Heritage Craft Week and an Intergenerational Workshop in July.
For more info, visit: http://www.florencethomas.org
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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Watauga Medical Center Among Top 10% Nationally for Patient Experience for the 4th Year in a Row
For the fourth straight year, Watauga Medical Center has received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award from HealthGrades. This distinction ranks Watauga Medical Center among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide based on an analysis of patient satisfaction data for 3,797 U.S. hospitals. In addition to the Overall Patient Experience Award, HealthGrades also named Watauga Medical Center among the top 5% in the U.S. for Overall Pulmonary Services in 2012.
“This is something for the community, the patients and the staff to be very proud of,” said Richard Sparks, President & CEO of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, “Earning positive feedback from our patients is one of the highest honors.”
HealthGrades analyzed HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) hospital survey data obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and identified those hospitals performing in the top 10% in the nation for patient satisfaction, based on survey responses from patients treated at those facilities. Hospitals had to meet bed size, survey-response size, and clinical-quality thresholds in order to be eligible for the award.
When making healthcare decisions, patients consider not only the outcome of a procedure or treatment, but the kind of experience they can expect to have at a hospital. A recent McKinsey & Co. study found that 20% of a patient’s choice is based on a hospital’s clinical reputation and 41% of patients consider patient experience measures to be an important factor in choosing a hospital. This is in sharp contrast to the conventional wisdom that such considerations are much less important.
According to HealthGrades, 80% of patients treated at the nation’s best-performing hospitals would definitely recommend the hospital compared to only 55% of patients who received care from the poorest-performing hospitals.
The more information consumers have about the health care choices available to them, the more confident they can be in selecting the best medical care for themselves and their loved ones. The Outstanding Patient Experience Award is a distinction generated by patients for patients.Information on award recipients and the ratings methodology is available, free to the public, at www.healthgrades.com.
“It’s clear that patients are driving higher quality in our nation’s hospitals,” said Dr. Rick May, HealthGrades Vice President of clinical quality programs. “Hospitals like Watauga Medical Center take HCAHPS survey results very seriously and invest time and resources to ensure each patient’s experience is the best possible. This is yet another example of how transparency in health care drives quality.”
When compared to hospitals performing in the bottom 10% for patient satisfaction, HealthGrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award recipient hospitals are attributed with the following:
- 45% more patients gave the hospital an overall rating of a 9 or a 10 (10 being the highest possible)
- 34% more patients responded that they always received help from staff quickly
- 24% more patients reported that the staff always explained their medications to them prior to administering them
- 19% more patients felt their pain was always well controlled
- 45% more patients reported that they would definitely recommend the hospital to their family orfriends.
About Watauga Medical Center
Watauga Medical Center, part of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, is fully accredited by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and licensed as a 117-bed regional referral medical complex, offering both primary and secondary acute and specialty care. In addition to the main hospital, the campus of the medical center includes The Cardiology Center of ARHS, The Sleep Center of ARHS and the Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center, offering both radiation and chemotherapy on an outpatient basis. The Cancer Center is recognized as an approved Community Cancer Care Center by the American College of Surgeon’s Committee on Cancer.
Other units are: The Paul H. Broyhill Wellness Center, The Rehabilitation Center, The Wound Care Center, ARHS Home Health, which provides a full range of home care services, Appalachian Regional Pain Clinic, and a branch of the Northwest Area Health Education Center.tauga Medical Center has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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The High Country Host Welcomes New Member, Blue Ridge Dinner Theater!
The Blue Ridge Dinner Theater is owned and operated by Dick and Linda Copus of Winner’s Circle Restaurant & Steakhouse and former owner’s of Greenfield Restaurant. Dick and Linda have been in the restaurant business since 1990. The opening of the Blue Ridge Dinner Theater has given them the opportunity to take their restaurant experience to the next level by combining good food and good entertainment!
With the conception of the Dinner Theater, Dick and Linda strive to offer name-brand as well as local entertainment to Ashe County. It is their wish to provide something unique and different to the High Country that will bring more visitors to our area.
The Blue Ridge Dinner Buffet is included in your ticket price and provided by Winner’s Circle Restaurant & Steakhouse and is the same great buffet you new and loved at Greenfield Restaurant. You’ll have your pick of mouth-watering entrees and side items including pan-fried chicken like Grandma used to make, roast beef, baked ham, real homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, homemade biscuits and gravy. And you’ll not want to miss the homemade baked apples and cobblers. Buffet meal also includes coffee, tea, and water. Soft drinks sold separately.
Although our mailing address is 9331 Hwy. 16 S., West Jefferson, we are actually located in the small town of Glendale Springs at the old Mountain Music Jamboree.
For more info, visit: http://blueridgedinnertheater.com!
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile coming February 17th!
Event Location
Farthing Auditorium
733 Rivers Street
Boone, NC 28607
Contact Information
800.841.ARTS
“As complex as it gets, the music remains direct, intensely expressive–with melodic passages that stay in the memory–and reaches a satisfying, powerful climax…” – Chicago Tribune
“…expands the frontier of an emerging style of what might be called American country-classical chamber music.” – The New York Times
As performing and recording artists, composers and interpreters, technicians and stylists, the Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile have established their place among the most dynamic and talented musicians across contemporary music. These five individuals continue to push the boundaries of possibility while maintaining an unerring devotion to the basic audience experience.
Punch Brothers first came together for the making of the 2006 album, How to Grow a Woman from the Ground, which earned them a Grammy nomination for the song “The Eleventh Reel” and contains a mix of covers and original songs. From there the band began touring and adopted the name Punch Brothers before releasing their second album, Punch, in 2008. Their most recent album, Antifogmatic, includes a set of collectively written material that ventures where no string band has gone before and continues to push the boundaries of their creativity.
More info, visit: http://pas.appstate.edu/schedule/id/punch-brothers
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High Country Host Welcomes New Member: Boone Independent Restaurants!
The mission of Boone Independent Restaurants is to unite the independent restaurants in and around Boone, NC to preserve the individuality of the community served by each member establishment; improve quality, service, and social responsibility of each member restaurant; and ensure the longevity of our member establishments.
Our Objectives:
- Market member establishments effectively
- Generate excitement around independent restaurants
- Sustain an effective non-profit organization
- Educate member establishments on responsible business practices
- Make the public aware of the benefits of dining locally
To learn more, visit: http://booneindependentrestaurants.org/
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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High Country Host Welcomes New Member: Grapevine Properties!
Coming to visit Appalachian State is a big step in the right direction! Whether you’re coming for your first visit through the admissions office or coming back for homecoming to that BIG game where you’ll see people you haven’t seen in years; finding a convenient, comfortable place to stay is important…after all this location will be part of the memory of Parent’s Weekend or Graduation!
Remember when you were in college, how great was it to have a home cooked meal and have Mom do your laundry! Stay at our house…the perfect way to bring the family together and still be close to the FUN at ASU.
For more info, visit: http://www.goapprentals.com/
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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Mark Your Calendars For Blowing Rock Winterfest, 2012!
Join the Village of Blowing Rock as we celebrate the fun side of winter at the 14th Annual Blowing Rock Winterfest! From the Chili Cook-Off to WinterPaws, from the icy Polar Plunge to WinterFeast, there’s something for all age groups at Blowing Rock Winterfest.
- Shop with Blowing Rock Merchants
- Dine in our cozy restaurants!
- Free Hot Chocolate & Hayrides!
- FREE SNOW!
For more, visit: http://www.blowingrockwinterfest.com!
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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Holiday Inn Express of Wilkesboro hires new Director of Sales!
As the new year approaches, the Holiday Inn Express Wilkesboro is very excited to welcome Laura Virto as the new Director of Sales for the hotel. Laura possesses over eighteen years of proven successful sales and marketing experience along with an incredible enthusiasm, contagious to all those that meet her.
Prior to joining the Holiday Inn Express, managed by Coakley & Williams Hotel Group, Laura held the position as the Director of Membership for the Cascade Highlands Regional Tourism Association, where she was first introduced to the Wilkes County market. Her love and appreciation for the area, now home, combined with her commitment to providing exceptional customer service, is sure to take our team to the next level.
To contact Laura regarding hotel rooms, meeting space and tourism, please call, 336-838-1800. We look forward to another year working together to make Wilkesboro a destination of choice!
The High Country Host is a regional travel promotion organization. For more information on accommodations, attractions, dining or shopping in the area please visit www.mountainsofnc.com or call 800-438-7500.
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