As an All-Pro linebacker for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, John Offerdahl ruled the gridiron. Now this 45-year-old retired pro rules the grill, as he and his wife Lynn operate eight quick-casual restaurants in Florida, aptly named Offerdahl’s Café Grill. You’ll score big, as Offerdahl takes us into the huddle and reveals some of his cooking magic. Read full article... (pdf format)

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More than a car race, the Chimney Rock Hillclimb brought together fans from all walks of life who gathered to cheer on their favorite “weekend warrior.”

In 1902, the magical beauty of Hickory Nut Gap enticed Dr. Lucius Morse on horseback to Chimney Rock. More than 50 years later, that same mystical lure may have also beckoned its park manager, Norman Greig, to sanction the first Chimney Rock Hillclimb, a race that would run 50 more times and become an important part of auto-racing legend in North Carolina. Read full article... (pdf format)

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Retailers are using new technology at checkout to increase accuracy issues between organic and conventional produce. With organics items on the rise at more grocery stores the ability for you to accurately ring in these items has become a major challenge. The solutions to this type of problem are numerous and varied in their complexity. Large amounts of revenue are being lost, but some new technologies are solving the problem.

New Technology: GS1 DataBar

The newest technology in solving this issue is the GS1 DataBar (formerly known as Reduced Space Symbology or RSS). Gary Fleming, Vice President of Industry Technology and Standards at the Produce Marketing Association in Newark, DE , explains that GS1 DataBar is a barcode that can be read by most scanners at a grocery retail store and is small enough to fit onto a PLU sticker that is found on most loose produce items (i.e., apples, pears, etc.). Read full article... (pdf format)

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(Waynesville, NC – August 12, 2008) – Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is selling Haywood County farm products at its North Carolina stores in Winston-Salem and the Research Triangle area. Farm products to be featured include: tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.

The partnership has developed quickly, from a suggestion and a phone number from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture to a meeting and farm tour in the Bethel area of Haywood County to detailed discussions at a recent Whole Foods Market summit in Raleigh.

“At each Whole Foods Market store, we emphasize buying high quality products from local and regional farms, and that’s what makes the Buy Haywood program such a good fit for us,” said Brent Demarest, Regional Produce Purchasing Team Leader for Whole Foods Market. “We see great potential here to grow together.”

The Buy Haywood marketing efforts are really beginning to pay off.

“This is very exciting news for our participating farmers,” said Bryan Sullivan, Marketing Specialist for the Buy Haywood program. “We’re thrilled to link up with such a strong leader in the retail marketplace. And, this would not be possible without the generosity of the grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.”

“This is very exciting news for our participating farmers,” said Bryan Sullivan, Marketing Specialist for the Buy Haywood program. “We’re thrilled to link up with such a strong leader in the retail marketplace. And, this would not be possible without the generosity of the grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation.”

Founded in 1980, Whole Foods Market now has more than 270 stores in 37 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Their market focus includes an emphasis on providing customers with the highest quality natural and organic products available.

The Buy Haywood Project supports farmers in Haywood County in Western North Carolina by promoting high-quality farm products to community-minded consumers. The project is managed by the Haywood County Economic Development Commission, and it receives support from the Golden LEAF Foundation.

For more information, visit: Buy Haywood at: http://www.buyhaywood.com/; and Whole Foods Market at: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/.

ASHEVILLE, N.C, Jan. 5, 2011 – So, what do Microsoft’s new Xbox Kinect, Nintendo’s Wii and SimplyHome have in common? SimplyHome’s assistive technology is bringing its clients to the next level in independent living and underlying innuendos in Wii and Kinect may also have impacts on helping seniors and those with developmental disabilities to age in place more gracefully and independently.

For instance, a recent health care blogger wrote that since Kinect’s camera is able to follow people as they move about the room that scenarios for home physical therapy or medical rehabilitation with expert avatars or live health professionals is not out of the question. And, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) also understands the potential significance here as well; its recent member newsletter gave Kinect front-page coverage.

In addition, Wii has been turning up in independent living and assisted living homes around the country as a way to keep seniors active and while at first look, many may have been reluctant, more and more are embracing technology in many senses of the word.

Enter SimplyHome – a company that offers cost-effective, innovative technological solutions to provide wellness monitoring, caregiver assistance, and in-home medical alert systems for elder care or for individuals with physical or developmental disabilities.

“Our health monitor systems are designed to be less invasive than many others on the market,” explains Allen Ray, CEO of SimplyHome. “No call to action is required of the person needing assistance which allows him or her to maintain their dignity and privacy. Technology is no longer the big elephant in the room.”

For seniors, SimplyHome provides support to help them live independently at home. So, how does it work? For example, if a senior leaves the stove on, a sensor detects a potential need. An option is available where the first alert may go to the person requiring support. If that is not a preferred choice, then the first alert is sent immediately through text message, phone call or e- mail to that person’s loved one. Additionally, there are also backup people built into a “calling tree.”

While this assistive technology cannot prevent accidents, choices or behaviors, family and caregivers are notified of actions or inactivity. The systems are unobtrusive, silent and require little or no maintenance. And, these safety monitoring systems are not just for seniors. They also benefit disabled and developmentally-disabled persons, home health providers, assisted living communities, and long- term care facilities.

“My brother has never been happier,” says one satisfied client. “He is living with greater independence and enjoys being with his roommate and friends.”

In addition to peace of mind, this assistive technology also provides financial relief. “The MetLife Market Survey of Nursing Home and Assisted Living Costs,” published in October 2010, reported that the national average for the base rate at a nursing home was $83,585, annually.

So, if a family plans today, they can save tomorrow. For instance, a study of nine consumers living independently with SimplyHome technology and staff support averaged a cost savings of $42,883.85 per person per year when compared to living at an intermediate care facility.

For more information, visit: www.simply-home.com .