Get the fACTs!

Get the fACTs!

In order to provide the best quality service to the community and be an active, engage citizen, you must "Get the fACTs" about social issues that affect our area! Before going out there to serve the community, we encourage you to discover more about the issues & populations that we work with...

Animals/Wildlife

Appalachian Culture

Elderly

Environment

Mental & Physical Disabilities

Poverty

Women's Issues

Children/Youth

ENVIRONMENT

  • Each American produces an average of 4.3 pounds of trash per day and 52 tons over a lifetime.
  • The United States creates 80% of the world's waste.
  • Over four million trees are used to produce junk mail in the US and 40% of it ends up in the trash unopened.
  • To stop junk mail visit: www.junkbusters.com or write to:
    Mail Preference Service, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008
  • 1/5 of America's waste is from product packaging.
  • Americans only recycle about 10% of their waste today

Where Does All The Hazardous Waste Go?

Many different types of businesses and homes produce hazardous waste. Restaurants, nuclear plants, and most businesses produce some sort of hazardous waste. Between 1991 and 1995, the amount of hazardous waste produced in Watauga County dropped from 57 tons per year to a little over 5 tons. This says a lot about the environmental consciousness of Watauga County. Keep up the good work!

How clean is the water?

  • 50% of United States lakes are unfit for swimming and fishing
  • 40% of United States waterways are polluted
  • 35% of United States sewage ends up in marine waters
  • 218 million people in the United States live within 10 miles of a polluted river, lake, stream, or coastal area.
  • The EPA estimates that at least a half-million cases of illness annually can be attributed to contaminate drinking water.
  • If all of the world's water were fit into a gallon jug, the amount of fresh water available would be just a tablespoon.
  • You need 25 gallons of water to produce a pound of wheat and 2,500 gallons to generate a pound of meat.

Is Our Mountain Air Clean?

  • Did you know that in the year 2000 Watauga County ranked in the nation's highest 20% in relation to an individual's added risk of cancer from air pollution?

  • Are you aware that the air quality on top of Mount Mitchell on the average summer day is comparable to the air quality in Los Angeles
  • Have you heard that the rain in Watauga County often has a lower Ph than lemon juice?

  • Despite the fact that air pollution emissions decreased nationwide due to Clean Air legislation, the Appalachians are seeing higher rates because the demand for electricity has increased and because the high smoke stacks of the midwestern utilities spew their pollution to the East.
  • In fifty years, visibility in the Southern Appalachians has decreased from an average of 93 miles to 22 miles due to human activity.

  • With the present legislation, it will take 300 years to return to normal visibility.


There seems to be a problem here... To find out what you can do to help minimize air pollution, check out the EPA website at http://www.epa.gov/airnow or Appalachian Voices at http://appvoices.org

Where was this info obtained?



What can I do to help the environment?


Adopt-a-Highway

Removing and recycling litter from roadsides. A group or individual is responsible for the highway for a term of one year, with at least four cleanups in the year.


City Seeds of Boone

A non-profit chapter that educates the public through design and implementation of model projects like community ecological parks and edible plant landscaping. Their work is done to encourage the creation of sustainable energy and food systems within urban and suburban development.


Mountain Alliance

Provides students with a safe and supportive experiential learning environment, in which they can develop, an increased sense of self, community, life-long learning, and environmental stewardship.


Mountain Mission Farms

A contemporary, planned community that is being developed in a sustainable manner. The homes will be constructed from "green" materials, and solar, wind, and hydroelectric power will provide "off grid" electricity. Restoration of land heavily damaged by timbering will incorporate sustainable agriculture and permaculture techniques in order to create a minimal impact on the landscape. It is the hope of this organization that this "sustainable community" will serve as a model for replication worldwide.

"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only hope of survival."-Wendell Berry


ANIMALS / WILDLIFE
How many species in North Carolina are threatened and endangered?

  • species of plants that are threatened: 27
  • species of animals that are endangered: 36



Some Recent Genesis Wildlife Sanctuary Statistics:

  • Number of Total Animals Admitted: 71
  • Number of Animals that Died in Care: 23
  • Number of Animal Released: 53

Here's a thought...

"Of the estimated 500 million species of plants and animals that have existed since life began on earth, only about 2 million are here today. This means that about 99.5 percent of all species have become extinct."

How Can You Help Protect Our Wildlife?

  • Rescue a wild animal only if the parent is dead or if the animal is cold, weak, injured or in obvious danger.
  • Myth-the mother of an animal will smell a human scent on the baby and then reject it. Give animals' parents a chance to take their offspring back!
  • Do not handle, feed, or water wildlife until a trained wildlife specialist can be contacted.
  • Prevent pets from attacking or playing with wildlife.
  • Alert birds to large expanses of glass in your home
  • Educate children to respect and care for all wild creatures.
  • Pick up litter that could harm wildlife.
  • Be alert when driving.
  • Do not touch infant wildlife.
  • Place camps over all chimneys and vents.
  • Do not leave fishing line or fish hooks unattended or lying about
  • Before mowing your lawn or rock tilling your garden, walk through the area first to make sure rabbits or ground-nesting birds are out of harms way.
  • Before cutting down trees, check for active nests.
  • Use non-toxic products on your lawn and garden.
  • Do not leave motor oil in unattended pans.
  • Do not attempt to raise or keep wildlife.


DOMESTIC ANIMALS

What is a Domestic Animal?
Any animal can become a pet. Some examples would be...

  • Dogs
  • Cats
  • Birds
  • Fish
  • Gerbils
  • Hamsters
  • Guinea pigs
  • Reptiles
  • Even farm animals are considered to be domestic

"Without habitat, there is no wildlife. It's that simple." -Wildlife Habitat Canada

General Pet Care Tips

  • Mmm... all that chocolate! None for your pets please! Chocolate contains a toxic substance, Theo bromine, which is harmful to pets. So, just say NO!
  • Is it an emergency? A pet exposed to bitter cold that becomes lethargic, depressed, and weak, could be hypothermic. Call your veterinarian immediately.
  • Did you know that by shivering, a pet that is cold or recovering from anesthesia is trying to warm its body back to normal temperature?
  • The sweet, lovely green pool of antifreeze on the driveway is an often-deadly drink for dogs and cats. Even a small lick by a small pet is enough to poison it. Clean up those spills fast!
  • Did you know that some caged birds are afraid of the dark? Try a night light or leaving the front of the cage uncovered.
  • Before traveling with your pets, make sure they have all required vaccinations and health papers. If they are on medications, have enough to last through the trip.
  • When traveling by air, be aware of airline restrictions regarding outside temperature and number of animals allowed per flight. Someone may have already booked a pet and there are no more allowed. Check with the airline reservations or travel agent.
  • Remember that even the most gentle and trusting pet may bite when in pain. If you must muzzle, use a soft towel or cloth strips and remove it as soon as possible so the pet can breathe more easily.
  • If you must transport an injured or ill animal, a blanket, vinyl mat, and even a door make excellent stretchers. The trick is to immobilize the animal to avoid further stress.
  • Moving from a cold climate to a warmer one? Do not forget to have your dog tested for heartworm disease BEFORE beginning preventive medicine.


    • Do's and Don'ts of Transporting
    DO: Place the animal in a secure cardboard box with small holes placed in the side or lid. The box should be just big enough for the animal to stand and turn around, to prevent the animal from thrashing around and hurting itself. Place paper towels or a soft cloth on the bottom of the box.
    DO: Keep the box in a warm, quiet, dark place, away from family pets. Many times wild animals are in shock and at the very least scared. The best thing to do is to keep them warm and quiet until they get help.
    DO: If the animal is injured, cold, or featherless/hairless, put a heating pad on LOW under half of the box, with a folded towel in between the heating pad and the box. Small creatures that cannot move need to be checked to see that they do not get too hot. Call a rehabber for guidance if you're not sure this is necessary.
    DO: Try to get an animal help as soon as possible. Some birds need to eat every 1/2 hour. If you cannot get an animal help in 2 hours, call a rehabilitator.
    DON'T: Keep peeking at the animal or handling the animal. The more you look at an animal or handle it, the more you stress the animal and reduce its chance of survival. Resist the temptation to put an animal inside your shirt. Cute little squirrels are notorious for being covered with fleas.
    DON'T: Put green grass under an animal. It takes the heat out of them. Drying grass can be toxic to rabbits.
    DON'T: Give any animal anything to eat or drink, especially cows milk. Baby birds can't digest milk and may die. Many baby mammals are lactose intolerant and may develop diarrhea.
    DON'T: Handle raccoons, skunks, fox, or bats. If anyone gets bitten, scratched, or licked (hence, possibly exposed to rabies), that person may need to get expensive rabies shots. In addition, the animal is at risk of being euphemized to be tested for rabies. **For your sake and the animals, please bring them to, or contact a wildlife rehabilitator ASAP.

    Did You Know?
    The Watauga County area is home to many endangered animal species. Most of these can be found in the Grandfather Mountain Biosphere Reserve. Grandfather Mountain is a very ecologically diverse biosphere that contains 16 different ecosystems within 5,000 acres. Since this is an "International Biosphere Reserve," wildlife continues to exist and propagate with as little human interference as possible.

    The species of endangered wildlife found on Grandfather Mountain include:
    • Heller's Blazing Star

    • Blue Ridge Goldenrod Rock Gnome Lichen
    • Mountain Bitter cress
    • Trailing Wolfs bane
    • Spreading Avens
    • Carolina Saxifrage
    • Manhardt's Sedge
    • Gray's Lily
    • Bent Avens
    • North Carolina Funnel web Tarantula
    • Peregrine Falcon
    • Roan Rattlesnakeroot
    • Core's Starwort
    • Azalea vaseyi
    • Tall Larkspur
    • Wretched Sedge
    • Virginia Big-eared Bat
    • Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel
    • Hermit Thrush
    • Magnolia Warbler
    • Ground Beetle
    • Lophozia hatcheri (liverwort)
    • Mylia taylorii (liverwort)
    • Plagiochila austini (liverwort)
    • Matted Feather Moss
    • Grandfather Mountain Leptodontium
    • Pale-margined Leptodontium
    • Hemlock Parsley
    • Rosefoot
    • Mountain Bluet
    • Canada Reedgrass

    Were it not for programs such as the International Biosphere Reserve, many of the endangered species found on Grandfather Mountain would now be extinct. For more information on the biosphere reserves, contact The Nature Conservancy, NC Chapter, 4011 University Drive, Suite 201, Durham, NC, (919) 403-8558

    Where Can I Volunteer?
    • Genesis Wildlife Care:
      Rescues injured and orphaned wildlife and rehabilitates them in order to release them back to the wild. In addition, they educate the public on wildlife issues through the community and schools.
    • Humane Society:
      Provides stray animals with shelter and adoption, as well as veterinary services such as spading/ neutering, rabies shots and much more
    • Wildlife Care Center of the Blue Ridge:
      Provides care for wildlife in the Blue Ridge area, predominately birds.
    Information taken from:



    ELDERLY

    • Nearly 25% of all American households are involved in care giving to persons aged 50 or older.
    • Among people aged 70+ who require care:
      • Caucasians are the most likely to receive help from a spouse;
      • Hispanics are the most likely to receive help from their adult children;
      • African Americans are the most likely to receive help from a non-family member.
    • The south will overtake the northeast sometime after 2010 and will have the largest percentage of elderly in 2020; 17.5% of the southern population will then be considered elderly.
    • 59% of the over-age-65 populations in 1998 were women, and 71% of the over-age-85 populations were women.

     

    Who Are Our Elderly Citizens In North Carolina?

    • Out of the 6,781 elderly populations over 60 years of age, 82 residents are minorities.

    • Out of the 82 minority residents, 10 of these residents are Native Americans.

    • Out of the 82 minority residents, 11 of these residents live in poverty.

    Has The Elderly Population Grown?
    • Between the years of 2000-2025 this population number will double.
    • In 2025 there will be more older adults than children.

    Myth Or Fact?
    Older Americans and their caregivers sometimes fall victim to myths that become self-fulfilling prophecies. One is that being old means being sick. But, old age and sickness are not synonymous. The majority of older people are healthy, and, if they are not, many chronic conditions and illnesses can be controlled and or corrected. The other is that old age and dementia go hand in hand. While the incidence of dementia does increase as people age, the majority of older people score well mental functioning tests those who do not often have underlying medical problems that account for decreases in mental functioning. The truth, however, is far more positive.

    How can I help?
    • Spend time with your elderly relatives.
    • Volunteer at a local hospital or nursing home.
    • Offer to help an older person cross the street.
    • Adopt a grandparent.
    • Show general respect for people who are older than you.


    Where Can I Volunteer?
    • Project on Aging:
      Serves as a focal point for Aging Services including, but not limited to: arts, educational and health activities; volunteer support; in home aid, transportation, meals information & referral; coordinates with Appalachian District Health Department to provide nursing services, medical supplies, and therapies.
    • Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation:
      An extended care facility that provides skilled nursing care along with skilled speech, occupational, and physical therapy.
    • Hospice of Watauga County:
      Works with the terminally ill. Provides RN visits to home, social worker assessment and assistance, volunteers for families, emotional support, bereavement services, and on-call RN's.
    • Appalachian Brian Estates:
      Residents at Appalachian Brian Estates enjoy an exceptional sense of community and family by being surrounded with a devoted, dependable staff and truly caring neighbors. They share in a full calendar of monthly events.
    • And countless other agencies can use your help, as well. Please stop by the ACT office for more information.

    Where Was This Information Obtained?
    • Administration on Aging www.aoa.gov
    • UnderStanding- The Markle Foundation (A book in our resource library.)
    • The Family Caregiver Aliiance www.caregiver.org

      • "I promise to keep on living as though I expected to live forever. Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up interest wrinkles the soul."-Douglas MacArthur
      MENTAL & PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

      What does disability mean?
      A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. In the United States...
      • An estimated 48.9 million people have a disability.
      • An estimated 24.1 million people with a disability can be considered to have a serve case
      • 11.5 million people are unable to perform their major activities
      • 14.3 million people are limited in the kind or amount of major activity they can perform, and 11.9 million are limited in activities other than their major activity

      What Is Long Term Care (LTC)?
      LTC is help from another person to take care of basic needs, such as dressing or bathing for a disabled person.
      • 12.7 million Americans need LTC.
      • 29.7% with disabilities receive LTC.
      • 262,000 children are included in the LTC population.
      • 5.1 million of the LTC population are non-elderly adults.
      • 7.3 million elderly need LTC.

      How Important Is Language?
      It is important to remember that those with disabilities are people first...
      • Do not use the term disabled or handicapped person: instead use "person with a disability."
      • Do not use the term blind or deaf person: instead use "person who is visually or hearing impaired."
      • Do not use the term-paralyzed person: use "person who is paraplegic or mobile impaired."
      • Do not use the term slow learner or retarded: instead use "person with a learning disability."

      What Can You Do To Assist Someone Who is...?
      Though it is important to treat people with disabilities just like every other human being, it is important that you are cognizant of their specific disabilities. Here are some tips:

      Visually Impaired
      • Don't raise your voice, they can't see you, but they can hear you.
      • Give instructions and descriptions in terms of what something feels like, sounds like, or smells like.
      • When providing directions, describe things in terms of distance and direction, not landmarks. Offer to walk with them if the situation is appropriate.

      Hearing Impaired
      • Speak loudly and clearly (unless the person is completely deaf).
      • Face the person that you a talking to so that they can read your lips. Repeat things to them that others have said that they were not able to understand.

      • Write down specific instructions or directions that could be misunderstood.

      Mobility Impaired
      • Never push or grab a wheelchair without permission.
      • Using words like "walking" or "running" are inappropriate.
      • If a conversation held with an individual in a wheelchair lasts more than a few minutes, sit down and share at eye level.

      Where Was This Information Obtained?
      "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."-Walt Disney



      POVERTY
      • Worldwide 19,000 people die daily from malnutrition
      • More than 60% of children under the age of 5, living in South Asia suffer from malnutrition.
      • 34% more women live in poverty than men; their risk of poverty is 28% greater.
      • There are 35 million poor persons in America, including 14 million children.
      • Almost 100 billion pounds of food is wasted in America each year. 700 million hungry humans in different parts of the world would have greatly appreciated this surplus.
      • According to research conducted by the Urban Institute, 1.9 million senior citizens must choose between buying food and medicine.
      • Approximately 28% of all emergency food clients have missed meals within the past month.
      • Additional research has estimated that 1.1 million senior citizens have skipped meals because there is no food in the house.

      Poverty in North Carolina
      • 1,025,249 or 13% of people living in North Carolina live in poverty, (compared to 11.3% nationwide).
      • 354,572 or 19% of children living in North Carolina live in poverty (compared to 16.2% nationwide).

      • 159,000 people are unemployed in the state of North Carolina alone.

      Poverty in Watauga County
      • 21% of people are below the poverty line in Watauga County. That's close to 7,000 people in our area. This means that 7,000 people are lacking the basic material goods we take for granted every day.
      • 1066 or 16.1% of children in Watauga County are poverty stricken.
      • 1 out of 4 homeless people are either a full time or part time employee. At minimum wage ($5.15) working 40 hours a week averages to be $824/ month. After taxes, that is roughly $700/month, which isn't enough to support a family or pay rent in Boone, let alone a major city. And, many of these jobs are without health benefits.
      • The threshold (qualifying income for 1 year) for poverty in Watauga County for a 4-person household is $16,000. Compare this with the cost of education for an in-state resident at Appalachian State University, which is approximately $6,000 a year. This means that in 3 semesters, you will have spent almost as much as one family's income for 4 people on your education alone.

      Where Can I Volunteer?
      • The Hospitality House: Provides a daily community meal, short-term homeless shelter, sleeping place, winter shelter, and adult education assistance (GED, job skills).
      • The Hunger Coalition: Serves our low-income population by providing them with food, a pharmacy where they can get their prescriptions filled at no charge, disability advocacy assistance, and financial assistance for gas and electric bills.
      • Head Start: Provides preschool education for low-income and disabled children.
      • Department of Social Services: Provides services of adoption, foster care, protective services (adults & children), homemaker, day care subsidy (children, elderly, and disabled persons), medical transportation, family planning, work permits for minors, etc.
      • Habitat for Humanity: A group volunteer organization which builds homes for low-income families throughout the High Country.
      • Resort Area Ministries (RAM's Rack): Sells used clothing and other items and provides assistance with setting up households.

      Where Was This Information Obtained?

      A few more words regarding poverty...
      "It's only people with money that say you don't need money to be happy. Money can quash your basic anxieties. Alleviating physical poverty can be the first step towards self-discovery."

      Poverty excludes you from spiritual growth. So that you will never really know joy or contentment. You try to fill your emptiness with things. Those things usually bring transient relief. Thus is born addiction and so slavery to the very thing that makes you empty. Poverty."

      -Des Dillon, Author



      WOMEN'S ISSUES

      Note: It is important to keep in mind that these issues are prevalent among women, but they affect and are affected by men as well.

      How Common is Rape?
      • Only 16% of rapes are ever reported to the police. In a survey of victims who did not report rape or attempted rape to the police, the following was found as to why no report was made: 43% thought nothing could be done, 27% felt it was a private matter, 12% were afraid of police response, and 12% felt it was not important enough.
      • A woman is ten times more like to be raped than to die in a car crash.
      • 78% of rape victims know the attacker. 1 in 4 college women have either been raped or suffered attempted rape.
      • One woman is physically abused every eight seconds and one is raped every six minutes.

      How Common Is Domestic Violence?
      • Battering is the major cause of injury to women, resulting in more injuries to women than auto accidents, muggings, and rapes combined.
      • More than half of battered women stay with their batterers because they do not feel that they can support themselves and their families.
      • 50% of the homeless women and children in the U.S. are fleeting abuse.
      • Domestic violence is the number one cause of emergency room visits by women.
      • Women are most likely to be killed when attempting to leave the abuser. In fact, they are at a 75% higher risk than those who stay.
      • Battering often occurs during pregnancy. One study found tat 37% of pregnant women, across all class, race, and educational lines, were physically abused during pregnancy.
      • 2/3 of all marriages will experience domestic violence at least once.

      What Health Issues Affect Women?
      • In some African countries, more than half of all women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation and its prevalence is not declining.
      • Women now account for almost half of all cases of HIV/AIDS, and in countries with high HIV prevalence, young women are at a higher risk than young men of contracting HIV.
      • Women are having fewer children on average but with more women of reproductive age, world populations continue to grow.
      • Osteoporosis afflicts more than 25 million Americans - 80 percent of who are women. By the time women reach 75 years of age, 9 out of 10 are affected by osteoporosis.
      • Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Although it is typically viewed as a man's disease, more women actually die each year than men.
      • Breast cancer is the second leading cancer killer among women, striking 1 in 8 women. This is a significant increase from the 1 in 20 risk two decades ago.
      • Since 1987, lung cancer has been the top cancer killer among American women, with an estimated 66,000 deaths in 1999.

      Miscellaneous Information:
      • Out of 1.3 billion people living in absolute poverty, 70% are women.
      • Two thirds of the world's 876 million illiterate people are women, and the number of illiterate people is not expected to decrease significantly in the next twenty years.
      • Women have made significant gains in higher education enrollment in most regions of the world; in some regions, women's enrollment now equals or surpasses that of men.
      • At the current rate of progress, it would take 475 years for women to reach equality with men as senior managers.

      Statistics Obtained at the Following Websites:

      Where Can I Volunteer?
      • Birthing Center Education (Watauga Medical Center):
        The Maternal/Child Care office of the Watauga Medical Center provides care to expecting mothers and children. This particular program is an outreach to teenagers to prevent teen pregnancy. This is a pregnancy prevention program used in Healthful Living Classes at Watauga High School. Students take battery/computer operated dolls home for a weekend. The computer records how "baby" was cared for in the student's car.

      • Boone Crisis Pregnancy Center:
        Guidance and Christian support for women who are experiencing crisis pregnancies, including pregnancy testing, educational facts and options, housing and clothing, childbirth and prenatal classes, support, referrals and counseling.

      • OASIS, Inc.:
        Provides a 24-hour crisis line for family violence and sexual assault; shelter for abused women and children; short-term counseling and support; advocacy and companionship for victims needing assistance through medical examinations, law enforcement, and court procedures; information and referrals; educational programs to schools, camps, church, civic and professional groups.

      • Western Youth Network
        Governor's One-on-One Program:         Big brother/sister type program for adjudicated youth; Youth Resource Center: After school and summer programming provides recreation, academic support and peer interaction for at-risk youth aged 10-15. Support Our Students: "Something to Do!" programs for 7-8th graders county-wide; Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Project: Community based substance abuse initiative.

      Mark Your Calendars...
      March is National Women's History Month
      April is Sexual Assault Prevention Month
      October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month









      CHILDREN/YOUTH

      Every Day in America (2002):
      • 77 babies die
      • 367 children are arrested for drug use
      • 1,329 babies are born to teen mothers
      • 2,019 babies are born into poverty
      • 2,861 high school students drop out
      • 7,883 children are reported abused or neglected
      • 180 children are arrested for violent crimes
      • 9 youth under the age of 20 die from firearms


      Key Facts about American Children (2001):

      • 1 in 6 is poor NOW
      • 1 in 8 is born to a teenage mother
      • 1 in 12 has a disability
      • 1 in 24 lives with neither parent
      • 1 in 1,056 will be killed by guns before age 20
      • 1 in 7 has no health insurance
      • 2 in 5 never complete a single year of college
      • 1 in 3 will be poor at some point in their childhood


      Did you know?

      • In 1999, 63% of youth (age 15-20) who died in passenger vehicle crashes were not wearing seat belts.
      • 80% of unmarried teen mothers will end up on welfare.
      • Alcohol use is the number one drug problem among young people.
      • During a typical weekend, an average of one teenager (aged 15-20) dies each hour in a car crash. More than 45% of those crashes involved alcohol.
      • One million teenage girls will become pregnant this year.

      • Child abuse cuts across all socio-economic groups, races, and religions.
      • Children who are abused are at a higher risk to commit crimes, substance abuse, dropping out, teen pregnancy and a host of other social ills.
      • The homeless youth population is estimated to be approximately 300,000.


      What Issues Affect Children In North Carolina?

      • 102,158 children were reported as abused and neglected. Of these, 32,581 of these children were confirmed as victims, and 30 died from abuse.
      • With 1 being the best and 51 being the worst, North Carolina ranked 30th in children living in poverty and ranked 45th in infant mortality.
      • Over 25,240 teens became pregnant in 2000.
      • Adolescent Pregnancy cost North Carolina Taxpayers $832,000,000 in 1999.
      • Estimated cost to care for a child from birth to age 17 is $262,000.

      Moments for North Carolina Children
      • Every 5 minutes a child is reported abused or neglected.
      • Every 23 minutes a baby is born into poverty.
      • Every 34 minutes a baby is born to a teenage mother.
      • Every 9 hours a baby dies during the first year of life.
      • Every 21 hours a child or youth dies by accident.
      • Every day a child or youth dies in an auto accident.
      • Every 3 days a child or youth is murdered.
      • Every 5 days a child or youth commits suicide.
      • Every 3 days a firearm kills a child or youth.


      How Are Youth In Watauga County Affected By These Issues?

      • 16.1% of children are living in poverty (2001).
      • 322 were reported as abused or neglected (1999-2000). Out of those 322 children, 22 were between the ages of birth to 6 years

      How Can I Help?


      Department of Social Services:
      Children Are Our Future. Our Duty Is To Protect Them! To report child abuse contact the Department of Social Services
      @ 265-8100 or (800) 354-KIDS (5437)

      21st Century Learning Program:
      Help tutor the youth of Watauga County in an after school program.

      Landship House/Watauga Avery Youth Service: A residential treatment center whose purpose is to help youth who are having troubles at home.

      Watauga Medical Center's "Baby, Think It Over" Program:
      Provides educational sessions to Watauga High School freshmen in preparation for smart sexual decisions.

      Watauga Youth Network:
      Programs include Governor's One-on-One program, Big Brother/Big Sister program, After school program, Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Project

      Where Was This Information Obtained?

      • www.childrensdefense.org
      • www.preventchildabusenc.org
      • www.childabuse.org
      • www.candiesfoundation.org
      • www.teenpregnancy.org

        • "Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

        -Lady Bird Johnson

        APPALACHIAN CULTURE



        How far does the Appalachian Mountain Range span?

        • 195,000 square miles
        • 397 counties
        • 13 states including: West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
        • Over 20 million people live in the Appalachian Mountain Range.

          • For information visit: www.wataugacounty.org


        Appalachian Stereotypes
        "Hillbilly" stereotypes have gone unchallenged and remain more widely accepted than other minority stereotypes. People living in the Southern Appalachian region are seen as wearing the obligatory floppy hat, raggy shirt, and tattered baggy overalls. He cradles a moonshine jug and smokes a corncob pipe and is seen as slovenly, snoozing, barefoot and lanky, with long, unkempt beard. Jokes often refer to incest and ignorance making the image of mountain people as incestuous, lazy, and dumb ingrained into the mainstream culture.


        Wham, Bam, Thank you, SAM: Critical Dimensions of the Persistence of Hillbilly Caricatures by: Gary Foster and Richard Hummel


        Despite this stereotype, the people of the Appalachia region have brought a great deal of their culture to the world.


        What Is The Blue Ridge Music Trails Project?
        • Southern Appalachia's musical tradition is composed of blue grass, string-band music, un-accompanied ballad singing, blues, rockabilly, mountain swing and religious music.
        • In 1998, a $225,000 grant from the National Endowment of the Arts was put aside to plan, develop and market a heritage tourism trail that would specifically highlight the unique music traditions of the Blue Ridge.
        • The Blue Ridge Music Center will document and interpret the traditional forms of music of the Blue Ridge Mountains, offer opportunities for people to hear these types of music and learn about their cultural contexts. It will be located on the Blue Ridge Parkway, 12 miles east of Galax and 35 miles South of Mabry Hill.
        • It includes everything from weekly blue grass jams sessions to anniversary concerts to gospel quartets- the real people playing the real music!

        Who Is Doc Watson?
        • Born in Deep Gap on March 23, 1923.
        • Musician with blue grass, country, gospel and blues roots that virtually invented the playing of mountain fiddle tunes on the flattop guitar.
        • Recipient of the National Medal of Arts, National Heritage Fellowship and five Grammy Awards- all achieved despite being visual impaired.
        • Host for the past several years of the Merle Watson Memorial Festival in Wilkesboro, in memory of his son and long-time musical partner who died in 1985 in a tractor accident.
        • The Doc Watson Museum recently opened in nearby Sugar Grove to honor and provide information on the local Southern Appalachian musician and celebrity.

        What is the Appalachian Heritage Museum?
        A home built in 1903 for the founding fathers of Appalachian State University, B.B. and D.D. Dougherty. Authentic turn-of-the-century decor. Visitors learn how mountain families lived in the early 1900's. The first house in the county to have electricity and running water. A non-profit organization formed to preserve and protect the culture of the Appalachian Mountain region.

        What Arts Programs Are "Native" To This Area?
        • The Appalachian Summer Festival, right here in Boone, is regarded as one of the most acclaimed cultural arts series in the South East. For information visit appsummer.org
        • "Unto These Hills," an outdoor drama in Cherokee since 1950, has the highest attendance of any outdoor historical drama in the country. For information visit www.untothesehills.com
        • Regional Artists Program was the first of its kind in the nation and served as a national model to encourage communities to give local support and recognition to their artists. For information visit www.theartscouncil.com
        • The North Carolina Art Council's Grassroots Art Program was the first in the country to fund local arts initiatives and allow decision making for the spending of funds to remain on the local level. For information visit www.theartscouncil.com

        • The North Carolina Writer's Network, with 1800 members, is the largest statewide organization for writers in the country. For information visit www.ncwriters.org
        • The Toe River Arts Council Annual Benefit is composed of 80 professional artists selling more than 100 lots of artistic expression. For information visit http://main.nc.us/TRAC/
        • Watauga County Arts Council supports art education and awareness in Watauga County by coordinating the Mountain Arts Program in schools, touring programs, concerts, on the lawn of the Jones House on King Street, Grassroots grants and three art galleries comprising local artists.

        What Is Significant About Grandfather Mountain?
        • Believed by many geologists to be the oldest mountain in the Appalachians- the oldest mountain chain in the world.
        • Supports 16 different habitat types and is home to 42 rare and endangered species in less than 5000 acres.
        • Part of the Man and Biosphere program, sponsored by the United Nations to help foster a healthy relationship between human beings and their environment.
        • One of the 352 sites in 87 countries to be part of the UN project.
        • In residence are 10 United States scientists and 5 international scientists conducting research atop Grandfather Mountain.
        Where was info obtained?

        How can you help?
        • Watauga County Arts Council

          Supports art education and awareness in Watauga County by assisting with the coordination of the Mountain Arts Program in schools, concerts on the lawn, grassroots grants three art galleries comprising local artists, and other opportunities.
        • Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club

          Manages and maintains 127 miles of the Appalachian Trail, between Spivey Gap, North Carolina and Damascus, Virginia. In addition, TEHCC maintains numerous A.T. side trails to springs, shelters, and scenic views. The Club has spent over 30,000 hours during the past five years keeping the A.T. clear and safe for hikers.

        "Take only pictures, leave only footprints, and kill only time."


        -Unknown







 

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