Here’s our little photo-op from last week with Debbie Mowrey, Director of Programs and Development of Friends of the Blue Parkway. The whole gang of FRIENDS was in town to receive their donation for the fundraising events we held last year. By matching what you all contributed, we helped raise nearly $1500 for the charity last year. (Pop the Cap did, too.)

What else can you do for the Parkway?

Volunteer
FRIENDS needs money, but they also need manpower. Volunteer online and remember we’re in the Pisgah District. Also, the new Parkway Destination Center in Asheville is set to open soon and they need volunteers for thatas well.

Donate to Save the Parkway Views
A primary concern of visitors to the Blue Ridge Parkway is the loss of views. As the only authorized agency to restore Parkway views, where land trust groups cannot secure the land, FRIENDS must step in. The Park Service has identified over 50 views along the 469 mile parkway that need immediate attention. Each view restoration has a price tag of over $20,000. Through our Save the Views program, hundreds of mature trees and seedlings are planted to re-create the design elements of the original Parkway design strategy.

Donate while taking a drive
The Asheville Chapter has been actively preparing for the installation of 10 to 12 donation boxes along the Blue Ridge Parkway. With the first donation box at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, plus these additional boxes, they hope to receive $20,000 annually to be used toward future projects.

Pick-up the trash
The National Park Service has asked FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway to help them with a litter control problem they’re facing at four intersections of a commuter stretch of the Parkway. In addition, they hope Asheville volunteers will agree to adopt two overlooks that are collecting trash faster than the Park Service can collect it. If you’re interested in adopting an intersection or an overlook, please contact Gregory Brown at browngn@charter.net.

Adopt a Trail
The Blue Ridge Parkway has over 100 trails covering 350 miles that need your help!

The Great Western Brewing Co. of Saskatchewan, Canada, is ”calling for public submissions” to see what freezing does to its beer. Of course, this “research” is completely rational since many Canadians chill their beer in snow at parties. [StarTribune.com]

The folks on RateBeer.com speculate that the US will see some Black Albert this year. Black Albert was the highest rated beer in BeerAdvocate’s Beer in Review. Don’t hold you breath. We can’t even get Pannepot. [RateBeer.com]

Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners, says it’s not appropriate to drink out of the bottle. Even if you are 70 years old. Hear, hear! [ChicagoTribune.com]

TV, recliners, and pizza sales all go up during the SuperBowl, but it’s only the seventh-highest time for beer sales, which lag behind “periods preceding Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.” [StarTelegram.com]

Speaking of the SuperBowl, Clemson University says don’t double dip! [SoGoodBlog.com]

Homebrewers celebrate! Highland Brewing Co. is sponsoring the very first ever Highland Cup. Basically, similar to Sam Adams LongShot Contest, Highland will be holding a contest in which the winner of “Best in Show” will be sent to the Great American Beer Festival and even better—have their beer brewed commercially by Highland.

The “Best Of Show” winner will be brewed (under the homebrewer’s strict supervision) at our facility and distributed and sold commercially by Highland. The winning brewer will also earn a trip to the 27th annual Great American Beer Festival in Denver with Highland Brewing in October.

Dad A. shares this oh-so-true comic from Pearls Before Swine today.

Our friends at Free The Hops, Alabamians for Specialty Beer, called for a consumer boycott of Anheuser-Busch products sold in the Birmingham/Jefferson County area. “The group’s president, Stuart Carter, says his group is calling for the boycott because of the anti-craft beer lobbying efforts of Birmingham Budweiser and the distributor’s vice president, Pat Lynch.” [BeerAdvocate.com]