Hiking for Fall

As the weather gets colder, many people are beginning to board up for the winter. Don't let the weather affect your exercise! As a Fit Community, Central Park NC and STARworks NC supports activities that get people out doing healthy activities.

The Bear Creek Hiking Club, organized in 2009, was inspired by Bear Creek hiking trails in Robbins, North Carolina. They get together groups to go hiking on the many trails in our region. They promote low impact hiking that is great for the environment.

For more information, please go to www.bearcreekhikingclub.com.

Only Four Days!

October 29, 2009

There are only four days until Central Park NC's greatest event of the year, our Annual Gathering! This year's event is promised to be better than ever.

We are starting the day with a workshop by Michael Shuman, author of The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses are Beating the Global Competition, where he will be talking about how our communities can benefit from small, locally-owned businesses. In addition, Mr. Shuman will be doing a book signing.

For the evening event, there promises to be lots of food, drink, and merriment to be had by all. Music will be provided by a great jazz band, the Joe Robinson Quartet. There will be food and wine from all over the Central Park region, including Lexington barbecue.

Remember that registration is required at both events.

Register at www.centralparknc.org/AM2009Register.cfm.

See you there!

Want to Start a Small Business?

Starting a small business requires work and lots of knowledge. Many who have started small businesses can tell you that they learned many lessons while trying to start their business from marketing to business plans to legal matters. The Small Business Center at Montgomery Community College offers free classes and workshops that could help you fulfill your dreams of owning your own business.

Classes in October:

Legal Considerations for Small Business Owners
October 13

Tax Implications for Starting a Business
October 15 (Taught by the NC Department of Revenue)

Marketing Your Small Business
October 15

The Small Business Center also offers personal development classes to help make you stronger in the workforce.

Classes in October:

How to Write an Effective Resume
October 13

Get Ready, Get Set, Get S.H.A.R.P.!
October 15

Job Seeker Interviewing Skills
October 16

For more information about classes, please call The Small Business Center at 910-576-6222 or go to http://www.montgomery.edu/cesbc.htm.

1932 Video of Star and Fiddler's Convention

We received an email today with a very interesting video of Star from 1932.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1kqLYb6TeE

This is a short clip of supposedly authentic North Carolina Piedmont "Old Time Music" recorded in Star on April 3, 1932.

What I found interesting about this video is the building behind the fiddlers. It looks like the fiddler's convention was held at a schoolhouse. I believe that this might have been the school building that is at the center of our STARworks building. Let me explain more...

In the late 1800s, The Carolina Collegiate and Agriculture Institute was built in Star. The school housed students and included many buildings, including dorms and the president's home. The name changed to the Country Life Academy. The school existed until the early 1940s when the building was taken over and made into a hosiery mill.

We take pride in the history of this old building. Today the building sits in the middle of the mill. A new roof has been put on the building and Central Park NC and STARworks NC are hoping that with funding, we can one day tear down the offices in front of the building. This will allow the original building to be viewable from the street. I am personally excited for this renovation to take place. As a newbie in the building, I have only briefly explored all of the spaces of this huge former mill. I have gone into the school building and have fallen in love with the history that pours from every wall and floor.

I will leave you with some pictures from the Country Life Academy.

Looking forward to a great October

Wow, it is October. If you are like me, I am utterly amazed at how fast the year has gone by.

The hot days of summer are gone and now we have the crisp days of fall to look forward to. I will let you in on a little secret...I have never been a fan of fall. It is usually the end of beach season and golden fun. This year, though, some type of transformation is happening to me. I went out one morning to walk my dogs and it was cold and I found that I actually welcomed the change. I grabbed my favorite shawl and sat on my porch, listening to the wind go through the trees and enjoying the sun rising.

My only explanation of this change has to be the area that I am living in. I have now lived in the Central Park NC area for eight months. During this time, I have gone outside more than I have since I was a child. I have become interested in the culture of this area. I have gone to wine tastings in actual vineyards. I took a swim in a lake. I have watched pottery being made. And now I can say that I have learned to relax enough to enjoy a cool, fall morning. I have learned to love my region and everything about it.

Coming to the Central Park region, you will meet two types of people. The first is the native who has lived here all of their lives and can tell you about every town, secret fishing spot, and good restaurant. Their wisdom has helped me learn my way around so well in the time that I have been here. Their stories of the history of the region will keep you interested and make you want to explore more. They take pride in the region because they have roots that run deeper than any tree in the Uwharries.

The second type of person you will meet will be the new transplants. These people, like myself, have come to the region for some reason or the other. Some for new jobs, others are retiring to the area, and many just wanted to move somewhere for a quieter way of life. They have lived in big cities and small towns all over. They bring their knowledge to the area and have a fresh point of view that is always appreciated. They take pride in the region because they specifically picked the place to plant their roots.

No matter what type of person you meet, they will tell you about how much they love the area. With the leaves changing colors, I expect that the region that I love will become even more beautiful and as it does, my favorite shawl and I will be outside taking it all in.