Community Briefs

Have a Heart and Give Blood
Every two seconds, someone needs blood. Patients throughout our area are counting on the American Red Cross and generous sponsors and donors to make sure blood is available whenever it is needed.

You can also help make sure the blood supply continues adequate inventory levels by sponsoring a blood drive on weekdays or weekends. Churches, civic organizations and businesses are needed as blood drive sponsors to bring in more blood donors every month. All blood types are needed every day.

Sixteen year olds can now give blood. Click to www.wilkesredcross.org for the parental consent form needed for 16-year-olds to give blood and don't forget your identification.

Upcoming Ashe County blood drives will include: Friday, Feb. 6, at Carolina West Wireless from noon until 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, Feb. 19, at the National Guard Armory from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 22, at the New River VFD from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Until March 31, all blood donors can register to win one of three pairs of Delta domestic tickets.

For more information, call American Red Cross, Donor Recruitment Representative, Ashley H. Mills(336) 403-1770 or contact millsas@usa.redcross.org.

Mount Jefferson Announces February Programs
Mount Jefferson State Natural Area will hold Animal Adaptations on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. at the park office. Animal adaptations enable wildlife to endure the punishing winter on Mount Jefferson. Participants will learn how a bear and other animals survive the extreme conditions of the mountain. This program is free, open to the public and is indoors.

The Presidents Day Luther Rock Nature Winter Hike will be held on Monday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. at the picnic shelter. Now that winter is finally here, why not get out on the mountain for a winter nature hike. They will be starting at the picnic shelter and walking to Luther rock. This may be a cold weather hike as the group will be starting at 4000 feet above sea level. The destination is Luther rock. From this location you can often see Mount Rogers, Pilot Mountain and the meanders of the New River. Come see for your self why Dr. Elisha Mitchell said, "it is the most beautiful view I have ever seen." Bring appropriate clothing and shoes.

Mount Jefferson Sunset and Twilight will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:30 p.m. at the first overlook. Come up onto the mountain for a relaxing evening and enjoy the sunset. If the sky is clear, the group should be able to watch the granger of an Appalachian night sky. Bring a chair or a blanket and sit back and enjoy the view. They will also be exploring basic astronomy mountain history and the wonders of night sky. Rain or snow will cancel the program.

For more information or directions, call (336) 246-9653.

New River State Park Announces February Programs
Have you always wanted to put up a bluebird box, but were not sure what to do or when to do it? A 30-minute slide program, Eastern Bluebird, will be held at 2 p.m. at the visitor center on Feb. 7, located at the US Highway 221 Access to answer those questions.

Visiting New River State Park will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2 p.m. at the visitors center to learn more about what the park has to offer. Topics will include each access area and a brief introduction to the new reservation system. The program will last approximately 45 minutes.

A program entitled Forever-Green will be held Sunday, Feb. 15, at the US 221 Visitor Center, beginning at 2 p.m. The program will last approximately 30 minutes. Weather permitting, a short hike will follow. Wear warm clothing and appropriate footwear for walking on trails.

All programs are open to the public and free of charge. Call the park office at (336) 982-2587 for more information.

Community One Bank Sponsoring Relay Fundraiser
CommunityOne Bank will sponsor a Relay for Life fundraiser on Sunday, Feb. 15, at the new Hampton Inn in West Jefferson. General Resource Photography will do a photography shoot, featuring black and white photos with a sepia tone.

For the $10 donation to Relay for Life, individuals receive two 8x10 photos, four 5x7 photos and 16 wallets. Children ages three months to 10 years old can participate. The background theme is old timey with items such as guitars, old telephones, typewriters and a washtub.

All names of interested parties should register by Sunday, Feb. 15. For more information or to register, call (336) 246-9700.

Westwood PTO plans Musical Fundraiser
Westwood Elementary School will hold a fundraising concert on Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. The concert will feature Steve Lewis, Josh Scott and Scott Freeman. There will also be a special performance by WWES staff and faculty. General admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children. Tickets are available until Feb. 16 by calling (828) 964-3930. The concert is sponsored by WWES PTO.

Blueberry Pruning workshop to be held Wednesday

The Watauga and Ashe County Cooperative Extension Services are collaborating to provide a Blueberry Pruning workshop to commercial producers on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m. Bill Cline, NCSU Research Extension Specialist, and local Extension agents will be on hand to help answer questions and provide hands-on techniques for proper blueberry pruning.

Cline specializes in small fruits, working on IPM, cultural practices and disease resistance. The workshop will be held at Swinging Bridge Farm, located in Deep Gap off of Brownwood Road. Directions can be found at www.swingingbridgefarm.com or by clicking to the Watauga County website at www.Watauga.ces.ncsu.edu. Registration is required. To register, call (828) 264-3061 or (336) 846-5850.