Garrison Keillor has his Prairie Home Companion and Lake Wobegon
and Banner Elk has its One Stoplight Dairies and Historic Mill Pond.
Ever once in a while check out Garrison's joke page. Here's one:
If there is H2O on the inside of a fire hydrant,
what is on the outside? Answer: K9P.

Click here to see more on the joke page
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014
Volume III Issue 390
Ron Johnson, Publisher
Email Ron: ron@bannerelkmagazine.com
Home Page: BannerElkMagazine,Com
Copyright 2012-'13-'14 All Rights Reserved
Following the snows, Saturday is gonna' be a great day in Banner Elk!
Here are some "Saturday" lyrics by Rebecca Black

"Call everyone you know

Turn up the radio
'cause this is our song
We can do no wrong

Are you ready, are you ready to go?


This saturday, we gon' party all night

One we will remember for the rest of our lives
 
This saturday, we gon' do it bigger than, we ever had before."
 
One thing though .....
. We're going to have to figure out where can we party all night in Banner Elk.
 

 
A salute to our Banner Elk Kiwanis Club educators
More than 300 years of combined experience 

Britt Springer, Chief Prosecutor of the 24th Judicial Circuit, back row middle, spoke to the Banner Elk Kiwanis Club yesterday about issues confronting our youth including bullying, the rise of heroin and sexting. She is delivering her message to the high schools in the area.

Following the meeting a group of educators that are Kiwanians gathered for a photo with Ms. Springer and Avery County School Superintendent David Burleson (second from right in the front row). These folks have a combined teaching experience of more than 300 years.

Left to right, back row: Fred France, Cyclone Brett, Ms. Springer, Mary Jo Brubaker, Roy Krege, and Adam Binder, president of the club. Left to right, front row: Rev. Dan Brubaker, Karen Brett, Susan Staton, and Marion Krege. (Photo by Ron Johnson)
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One of the great movies of all time 
I just happened to land on the Facebook page of "All The President's Men"
which is one of the great movies of all time. With the Academy Awards
coming up on March 2, it is noted that this film won four academy
awards in the 1976 competition. For a wonderful journey back in time,
click here to see more photos and quotes from the movie. -Ron
Oscars.Org is a fascinating look at the events that go on surrounding
the awards TV show. Can you see some stars in the Nominee 
Luncheon Highlights? I can't, but click here. -Ron
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In this video, he talks about his upbringing in Pittsburgh, his work with Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) which brought him to North Carolina. Click here
 

North Carolina Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti will 
read from his award-winning work on 
Thursday, February 27 at Lees-McRae College

It is part of the Stephenson Center for Appalachia Lecture Series. Beginning at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium, the program is free and open to the public.


A poet, novelist and short story writer, Bathanti has created a rich body of work that depicts life in the America where he has grown up. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he came to North Carolina in 1976 as part of Volunteers in Service to America (Vista) to work with prison outreach, a mission he has followed ever since.

Today, Bathanti teaches at Appalachian State University, where he is Director of Writing in the Field and Writer-in-Residence for Watauga Global Community.

In 2012, Governor Beverly Perdue appointed him as North Carolina's seventh Poet Laureate, saying: "Joseph Bathanti is an award-winning poet and novelist with a robust commitment to social causes. . . As North Carolina's new Poet Laureate he plans to work with veterans to share their stories through poetry - a valuable and generous project."

In his role as poet laureate, Bathanti has continued to speak and teach widely, holding writing workshops across the state to help veterans put their stories into the written word. He has also published poetry celebrating their experiences. He has become an important proponent and resource for his adopted state.

"I can't imagine a better place in the United States to be a writer than North Carolina," Bathanti says. "There is no place richer in literature, and no place that has celebrated writers in quite the same way as our state does."

The Stephenson Center for Appalachia at Lees-McRae College invites everyone to enjoy this evening with the Poet Laureate.

"Joseph Bathanti's readings both entertain and enlighten. His accessible poems and fiction reveal the poet's insights and experiences while shedding light on the joys and turmoil of contemporary life," said Dr. Michael Joslin, director of the Stephenson Center. "We welcome the community to share with our students and the Poet Laureate this special evening."

Joseph Bathanti's program will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Evans Auditorium of the Cannon Student Center on the Lees-McRae Campus. For information, contact Megan Hall, director of communications, at 828.898.8729.

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Lees-McRae College is a private, four-year college offering diverse baccalaureate degrees, strong athletic programs and outstanding faculty. With 850 students hailing from 40 states and more than 10 countries, Lees-McRae's broad core curriculum is enhanced by field-specific career preparation and experiential learning with an emphasis in leadership and service. For more information, please visit www.lmc.edu or call 828-898-5241.
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1,000 WOOLLY WORM PHOTOS

In the boxes are Woolly Worms and many are traded like
baseball cards in an attempt to win huge cash prizes for the winning worm.

Mary Jo Brubaker, Chairman of the annual Woolly Worm Festival in Banner Elk,
is looking for Woolly Worm photos to use in promotional materials for the
upcoming October 18-19 festival so here are links to some of the 1,000
photos I have taken at the last two festivals. -Ron 

Album 1 - Click here

Album 2 - Click here

Album 3 - Click here

Album 4 - Click here

Album 5 - Click here

Album 6 - Click here
Speaking of Woolly Worm, it's always good to make your reservation now
at a Banner Elk B&B or hotel for the Woolly Worm Festival.
Click here for live links to each Banner Elk accommodation.
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Photo and article by Banner Elk Kiwanian Jim Swinkola

Problems with bullying and sexting have prompted Britt Springer, assistant
district attorney for the 24th Judicial District, to bring warning messages to schools and civic groups about the serious consequences of those behaviors.  
 
She spoke on February 18 to the Banner Elk Kiwanis Club to highlight the problem behaviors and the legal consequences to the young people who don't understand the seriousness of their activities.  Springer also is chief prosecutor for the district and a candidate to replace retiring DA Jerry Wilson as elected District Attorney.
 
For more about issues facing our kids, click here  
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The charm of growing up in Banner Elk
Check out 13 signs you grew up in a small town
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