The Learning Center! should be in every city in the United States.

The Learning Center! in Murphy, NC is one of the best schools I've seen. The Director, Mary Jo Dyre is to be commended on all she has achieved in this school that began as a Montessori school for young children.
Mary Jo was serving as Netwest Representative on the Board of Directors for NCWN, but had to resign because of such a heavy schedule recently with big things happening in her career and with the school.
Click HERE and learn more about the Learning Center!
If your child is attending The Learning Center, let us hear from you. what do you think of this school?

Gwendie Camp, chairman of Candy Fund and Cheryl Dietrich, visit Netwest members

Mary Ricketson, Mary Jo Dyre, Glenda Beall from Netwest on left.
On Right, Gwendie Camp and Cheryl Dietrich, from the Candy Fund.

The Candy Maier Scholarship fund is a non-profit organization that gives scholarships to western North Carolina Women to attend writing conferences, and programs to further their writing goals. It is the only program of its kind in this area. The scholarships are given because these writing experiences provide spiritual and emotional support as well as professional development. The fund was named in honor of Candy Maier who lived only a short time in Asheville before she passed away from cancer. It is in her spirit that this fund was developed.

To make a donation, contact thecandyfund@yahoo.com or mail your check to Candy Maier Fund for Women Writers, 4B Long Shoals Road #164, Arden, North Carolina, 28704-7781.

All gifts are tax-deductible.

Dinner with Paul, Lunch with The Candy Foundation

Below: Paul Donovan. Right: Mary Jo Dyre

This is a busy week. Tonight I join Paul Donovan in Murphy, NC for dinner with the winners of the Cherokee County Poetry and Essay contest for high school students. I was delighted to judge the essays this year. Selecting only three winners was most difficult. I do not yet know the names of the winning students, but I look forward to meeting them tonight at Shoebooties restaurant. Paul does a great job each year coordinating this contest. Local businesses donate money for the savings bonds Paul hands out to winners. Netwest is always a sponsor for one of those prizes.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, at 11:00 AM, the Candy Maier Scholarship Foundation Board and a number of interested writers and people from the community will have lunch in Murphy. Mary Jo Dyre, who was on the Board but now acts in a liaison position, I believe, has invited our Netwest members to join them at Shoebooties. I look forward to meeting the group of women who make funds available to western NC women who want to attend seminars, conferences, and workshops to improve their writing.
The Candy Fund was instrumental in my starting the Netwest Writers blog and connecting our members from all over the wide area of south western North Carolina. I appreciate the Foundation and the good work they do.