False alarm

A fire alarm was accidently set off around 9:30 am this morning at Weaverville Elementary School. WES employees and responders from the Weaverville Fire Department reported no signs of smoke.

Preparing for the holidays

The offices of the Weaverville Tribune will be closed from Wednesday, Dec. 24 through Sunday, January 4. We will still be able to be reached by email at wteditor@weavervilletribune.com. If you come across any good holiday pics, don't hestitate to send them our way.

Update on printing schedule

Just to clarify....

While we will be mailing on next edition to our subscribers on Dec. 23, the issue will not hit stands until Dec. 24. Sorry for the confusion.

An update on last night's breaking news

In today's edition of The Weaverville Tribune, we reported authorities were still searching for Jackie Elizabeth Rice in connection with a marijuana bust on Salem Acres Road on Wednesday afternoon.
After Alberto Wallace was placed into custody, authorities arrested Rice later Wednesday evening. She is charged with charged with one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a controlled substance, two counts of trafficking marijuana and one count of maintaining a dwelling, vehicle or place to use or store drugs.
Wallace is charged with two counts of trafficking marijuana, one count of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Leftover Woodfin town notes

* The town's police department will soon be fully intergrated with a Buncombe County computer system designed to provide more information on homes, cars or persons police are investigating. For instance, if the police arrive at address, they will be able to type in that address to see if any offenses had occured at the property previously.

* Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young expects the town's liqour store to sell in excess of $300,000 in December.

Upcoming paper schedule

Our printing schedule is going to alter slightly in the next several weeks because of the holidays. Here's when each of the next four issues will be hitting the stands:

Thursday, Dec. 18
Tuesday, Dec. 23
Wednesday, Dec. 31 (our annual year-in-review edition)
Thursday, Jan. 8

Afterward, we'll be back to printing every Thursday. With Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day all falling on Thursdays this year, this has been the perfect storm for wreaking havoc on our printing schedules!

Leftover Weaverville Town Meeting notes

* The town will consider adopting the future CVS site at the corner of Monitcello Road and U.S. Hwy. 25/70 into town limits at the January meeting;

* The Weaverville Tree Board planted 79 trees in 2008;

* A Dec. 1 blood drive at the Weaverville Fire Department generated 25 units of blood;

* Two hundred and fifty Weaverville senior citizens are expected at the annual senior lunch at noon on Wednesday (Dec. 17) at Weaverville Town Hall;

* The town will revisit in February a proposal to install gas storage tanks for emergency vehicles. The proposal began to gain traction in last summer's fuel shortage in the area. Weaverville Town Manager Mike Morgan said a quote on the construction listed the price as $68,000, but that quote expired Dec. 31. The council agreed it was important to install the tanks, which tanks about four-to-six weeks for construction, before next year's hurricane season.

Somewhere over....

A brief rainbow decorated the gloomy sky yesterday north of Weaverville. Today's skies are much clearer, but the temperatures are much cooler as well.

Back to business

Sorry we haven't posted in a while! We were off for the Thanksgiving holidays and then I left last week for a trip to Arizona. Now, we're back and promise to post with more frequency as we near the Christmas holidays.

Several Monday wrecks

Several wrecks cluttered the roads Monday afternoon in North Buncombe. A two-car accident around noon in the eastbound lanes of the future Interstate 26 East near the New Stock Road exit shut down one lane of the highway for some time. A truck involved in the accident landed on its top in the median.

Around 5 pm on Monticello Road, a truck collided with a moped. Terry Malone of the Weaverville Fire Department said the driver of the moped was taken to Mission Hospitals, although there is no update on the patient's condition.

Send in snow pics

The amount of snow in North Buncombe this morning has caught just about everyone by surprise, so be careful if you have to travel. If you have any good snow pictures, send them to wteditor@weavervilletribune.com and we'll get them in the paper.

Skate park still closed

The Woodfin Skate Park remains closed as investigators continue to look for individuals responsible for recent vandalism at the park. The park closed Nov. 2.

Extra notes from Weaverville Town Council

* Cindy Ward of the Weaverville Business Association presented the council with a framed poster of the second annual Art in Autumn festival as a gesture of appreciation for the town's support.

* The town received a plaque from the National Relay for Life committee for raising more than $1,700 during its Relay for Life campaign earlier this year.

* There was some initial dissension among the council members over proposed changes to the town's subdivision codes. The matter, which will be the subject of a public hearing before council discussion Dec. 15, would essentially place decision-making power in the hands of the zoning administrator on small subdivision issues concerning property less than five acres in size. Vice Mayor Dottie Sherrill stated her support of it while Councilman Gene Knoefel liked the idea of the town's planning and zoning board maintaining its ability to authoritatively review the land use plan on all subdivision concerns. More on this at next month's meeting.

More fire evacuation pics

More pictures from the mock fire evacuation at Emerald Ridge in Woodfin recently.

Grass fire

Personnel from the Weaverville Fire Department are currently battling a grass fire near Exit 19 off the future Interstate 26 in Weaverville. It appears to be safely contained.

Traffic moving OK

Traffic around the detour at New Stock Road and the future Interstate 26 West was flowing fairly smoothly this morning around 8:30 am with little stacked traffic. There was a reported accident in the area earlier in the morning, but it appeared to be cleared before 9 am. The detour route along New Stock and Monticello roads in Weaverville is adding approximately 10-15 minutes to morning commutes heading westbound.

The detour will end today at 11 am, but pick back up the following two weekends as crews from the North Carolina Department of Transportation fix the Aiken Road bridge.

McDaris Cove Road brush fire

Personnel from the Reems Creek Fire Department and the Reems Creek Beaverdam Fire Department battled a brush fire across approximately one acre Friday afternoon. Units put out the blaze and secured the scene by 3 pm.

Road closures

The North Carolina Department of Transportation will be closing both north bound lanes of US 19-23 (Future I-26 West) to repair the Aiken Road bridge, which was damaged earlier this year by an accident. The road will be closed on the weekends of Nov. 7-10, 14-17, and 21-23. The road will close on Friday afternoon at 8 pm and will reopen on Monday at 11 am except for the weekend of Nov. 21-23. On that weekend the road will reopen at midnight Sunday night the 23rd. Southbound traffic will not be affected during this closure. This work will all be contingent upon suitable weather. Please refer to: www.ncdot.org/doh/ and pick the road conditions tab for any updates.

Detour route is as follows:

Driving North on US 19/23 (Future I-26 West) traffic will take exit number 21, travel to bottom of ramp and free flow thru signal making a left turn onto SR 1882 (New Stock Road) and continue on New Stock Road to SR1727 (Monticello Road), free flow through this intersection and continue on Monticello road to its intersection with US 25-70. There will be an active traffic signal at this intersection. Turn right on US 25-70 go across bridge over US 19/23 (Future I-26 West) and turn left to on ramp for US 19/23 (Future I-26 West) and resume traveling on US 19/23 (Future I-26 West) at exit 19. All traffic traveling on US 19/23 Business will not be allowed to access New Stock Road. This is necessary to allow all the traffic from US 19/23 (Future I-26 West) to free flow through this intersection.

Huge turnouts

Roughly 71 percent of registered Weaverville voters have cast their ballots as of 12:30 pm Tuesday. Lunchtime lines at Weaverville Town Hall are sparse.

Voting going swiftly

As of 10:30 am, voting lines in North Buncombe, including those at Weaverville Town Hall and Woodland Hills Baptist Church, appear to be moving swiftly. A rush at lunch is expected, however.

Woodfin makes national news

The Weaverville Tribune reported on a story in Thursday's edition about Woodfin police shutting down a portion of Interstate 26 in order to remove a dead cub from the road and allow the mother bear to tend to its child. That story has been picked up by several national media outlets:

MSNBC: Momma Bear Retrieves Dead Cub Hit By Car

ABC News: Police Stop Traffic on NC Road to Help Momma Bear

Voting guide

Here are some quick tips for voting in North Buncombe:

* Early voting continues through Saturday (Nov. 1) at Weaverville Town Hall, located at 3o S. Main St. The poll is open 10 am to 6 pm the next two days, and 8:30 am to 1 pm on Saturday.

* Voting day is Tuesday (Nov. 4). Weaverville polling locations are:

Precinct 58: North Buncombe Middle School, 51 N. Buncombe School Rd
Precinct 59: Reems Creek Fire Department, 730 Reems Creek Rd
Precinct 67: Weaverville Town Hall, 30 South Main St
Precinct 71: Woodland Hills Baptist, 50 Woodland Hills Rd, Asheville

* Other polling locations can be found at by visiting http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/VoterLookup.aspx or calling Buncombe County Elections Services at 250-4200.

* Voting guides can be found here: NC State Board of Elections 2008 General Election Voter Guide.

* Board of Election Web sites:
Buncombe County: www.buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/election/
North Carolina: http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/

Thanks to myweaverville.com for putting this together. More can be found on their Web site here.

Winter arrives

A few flakes of wet snow continue to fall in the North Buncombe area. Snow is reportedly making for dangerous driving conditions in Madison County and near the Tennessee border. Schools and governmental agencies in the North Buncombe area are functioning as normal.

Wreck on Weaver Boulevard

Only minor injuries were reported during a wreck Friday afternoon (Oct. 24) at the entrance to Weaverville Plaza along Weaver Boulevard. The wreck occurred shortly after 1 pm and was cleared within the hour.

Safe trick or treat

Golden Living Center on Beaverdam Road in Asheville will be hosting a safe trick or treat celebration for children ages 0-13. The event will last from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Children will be able to go room to room for candy.

More pics from Homecoming Parade

Open for business

The Woodfin Skate Park, located at South Woodfin Park off Riverside Drive, is now open for business. It opens at 9 am daily.

Saving the trees

Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young reported Tuesday (Oct. 21) at the Woodfin Board of Aldermen meeting that the town's decision to add mixed paper recycling to its services redirected 27,911 pounds of would-be garbage to the landfill for the month of September. To look at it another way, the town saved 237 trees and 3,501 gallons of oil for the month.

The Town of Weaverville voted to add mixed paper recycling to its services at no extra cost to the residents Monday (Oct. 20). Here's hoping that municipality has similar success.

More images from Cops for Kids Bike Run

Local Allstate agent receives title

Weaverville agent Brian Davis is among an elite group of Allstate insurance agents who recently earned the “Personal Financial Representative” title. He will now be able to provide his customers variable annuity, variable life and mutual fund products, in addition to auto, homeowner and traditional life insurance products.

Davis received the Personal Financial Representative title after passing the Series 6 and Series 63 securities license exams and completing an extensive Allstate training curriculum. He is appointed with the broker dealer Allstate Financial Services, LLC. “Planning for the future is just as important as protecting yourself against a loss, which insurance is designed to do,” Davis says. “Our agency will continue to help people protect their autos, homes, lives and businesses. But now we can offer additional financial services products, like mutual funds, variable annuities and variable universal life insurance to help families plan wisely for the future.”

Located at the Tarrants Agency at 52 S. Main St, Davis can be reached by phone at 658-2295 or via email at a046044@allstate.com.

Sirens populating the evening

Emergency personnel from the Jupiter and Weaverville fire departments responded shortly before 7 pm on Wednesday (Oct. 8) to a structure fire off Murphy Hill Road. A witness on the scene stated they believed the source of the fire to be a small shed or barn below a residence at 121 Murphy Hill Road.

Be careful out there

Wet roads are contributing to a number of accident in the North Buncombe area this afternoon. Three have occurred in the past hour. A single-car accident (pictured) occured near the intersection of New Stock Road and Weaverville Road in the Woodland Hills area around 5:30 pm on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 8). At nearly the same time, one passenger was injured in an accident on Banks Town Road in Weaverville. A third accident with another single injury occured just minutes ago again on Banks Town Road. Emergency personnel from Woodfin, Weaverville and the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office have their hands full this evening in North Buncombe.

RiverSculpture churning along

The third-annual RiverSculpture festival will be continuing through January at Reynolds Mountain in Woodfin. Events will be continuing throughout the festival. Here are this weekend's events:

Saturday, October 11
Kids’ Dance: Asheville Contemporary Dance Theater Junior Company, 12:00-1:00
Music: One of A Kind String Band, 1:00-1:30
Puppetry: Red Herring Puppets, 2:00-2:45

For more on the festival, go to the festival's Web site.

The Woodfin Board of Aldermen voted to bring this festival in on a one-year trial basis. Since it is a three-month festival, it will be interesting to see how visitor traffic is maintained throughout the entire run.

Bredesen to appear at Obama rally

Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen will appear at the Mamas for Obama rally Saturday (Oct. 4) in Weaverville. Here's the updated press release that appeared in the Tribune this week.

"Along with the addition of music performed by Akira Satake, Tenn. Gov. Phil Bredesen will be visiting the MaMa’s For Obama rally this Saturday in Weaverville. He will arrive shortly after 4pm and stay an hour.
This is the schedule for the Lake Louise MaMa’s for OBAMA Event: 3:30 Volunteers gather to set up... bring picnic + extra snacks / bev’s.
4 - 4:15 Music Playing, arrive, mingle, gather near the big pavilion on lake
4:15 - 4:30 Michelle welcomes crowd, introduces Holly Jones
Holly Jones speaks, introduces David Gantt
David Gantt speaks, introduces Governor Bredesen
4:30 - 4:40 Gov. Bredesen speaks and takes questions
4:40 - 5:00 Gov. Bredesen mixes and mingles, departs
5 – 5:45 Parade around the lake
6 – 7-ish Parade Prizes & Picnic Supper... Bring picnic blankets & tarps
7:30 - 8 Break down the event before dark"

Worst of the gas crunch appears over

The Tribune has been following the past two weeks how the gas crunch is affecting the North Buncombe area. Thankfully, the long lines of desperate drivers that frequented the few North Buncombe stations with gas last week are gone. While shortages will still be an issue now (gas stations in the Woodland Hills area were dry as of Tuesday afternoon) and in the coming weeks, more and more stations in the area are currently selling at least one grade of gasoline. The Hot Spot is Woodfin is selling regular at 3.759 on Tuesday afternoon.

Gas trickling back in, pumps still running dry

As of noon, The Corner Store in Weaverville was among one of the select stations in North Buncombe with gas. The Ingles gas station along Weaver Boulevard ran out earlier this morning. Emergency personnel from area departments are working to keep traffic moving in stack areas.

"Everybody just needs to remember to stay calm," Weaverville Police Chief Greg Stephens said.

Tanker truck spotted

A tanker truck was spotted at the Shell gas station in the Roses parking lot along Weaver Boulevard in Weaverville. Lines were already forming as of 5:45 pm.

No gas along Reems Creek, Barnardsville roads

The Exxon station along Reems Creek Road outside of Weaverville reportedly had gas this morning. But even holding patrons to $25 purchases, the tanks appeared to run dry sometime before 12:45 pm. No gas stations along Barnardsville Highway had gas this morning. Tribune graphic designer Bob Leary is currently looking for gas and just called the office to report he could not find any gas in Weaverville, although he did see lines backed up on the future Interstate 26 south of town. Again, stay tuned and we'll keep posting throughout the day.

Where's the gas?

That's the question on minds everywhere in North Buncombe. This morning, lines were stretching up onto the Exit 23 off-ramps of the future Interstate 26 to get gas at The Hot Spot along Weaverville Road in Woodfin. A gas tanker was filling up the tanks as lines of cars were waiting to empty them. So far this morning, that is the only station the Tribune has seen with gas. If we hear of any more, we'll post them here.

Art in Autumn pics

If you attend the Art in Autumn festival this Saturday in Weaverville, be sure to email a pic to the newspaper. Include all relevant information along with the photographs. Email pics to reporter@weavervilletribune.com.

Update on 245 Weaverville Road

Town of Woodfin Mayor Jerry VeHaun said he was fed up with the number of emergency response calls (more than 230 since April 2, 2003) dispatched to a Woodfin trailer park at 245 Weaverville Road. He told Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young to start cleaning up the area at the August meeting of the Woodfin Board of Aldermen . The process has begun.

Young said he and his staff has already completed external inspections of each residence and plans to do internal inspections soon. The reason for the inspections is to determine which, if any, town codes are being disobeyed.

Woodfin police has also been walking through the area at various times at night in an effort to make the town's presence known.

Sales still booming at Woodfin ABC

Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young said at the Woodfin Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday night (Sept. 16) that Aug. 2008 sales at the town's ABC store are up 23.4 percent over Aug. 2007. That's an increase of more than $50,000. It is still early, but that puts the store on pace for a yearly sales mark of $3 million.

The Town of Weaverville announced its ABC Board at the town council meeting Monday night (Sept. 15). Smart move, because as evidenced in Woodfin, there is money to be had in North Buncombe liquor sales.

Cooler weather, more events

Fall is creeping around the corner, which is usually a big time for events in the North Buncombe area. Art in Autumn kicks off for the second year Sept. 20 in Weaverville. Big Ivy will be hosting an event at its community center Oct. 4. More on surely scheduled. The Weaverville Tribune will do its best to cover all of them, but feel free to snap pics from your events and email them with information to reporter@weavervilletribune.com.

Back to normal?

Did anybody Tuesday morning ride by Ingles Gas Station on Weaver Boulevard and notice the price? It was $3.61.9 per gallon. By the afternoon, it had soared to $3.85.9? What caused the surge? Due to late tankers refilling their pumps, Ingles gas stations in the area ran out of some grades of gas late Tuesday. The Weaver Boulevard station closed for a brief period of time before reopening Wednesday morning once tanks had been replenished. The price returned to $3.61.9 per gallon.

Area college student receives scholarship

Appalachian State University senior Catherine P. Chakales, daughter of Pete and Patty Chakales of Brank Insurance in Weaverville, has been awarded the John P. Young III Memorial Scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. Catherine is majoring in risk management and insurance in the Walker College of Business.

More on this achievement will be in a future edition of The Weaverville Tribune.

Scene secure on Indian Lane

A burning pile was the source of smoke Friday off Indian Lane in Weaverville. Emergency personnel responded to the scene around 12:30 pm to make sure the scene was secure.

School Spirit Business of the Week

One area business has already taken the opportunity to be featured in our North Buncombe School Spirit Business of the Week feature. To be profiled, give us a call at the office (645-8911) and tells us about your company's support of North Buncombe. Check out this Thursday's edition for an example.

Mars Hill College going green

An excerpt from a recent press release from Mars Hill College:

One of the most innovative aspects of the newest building at Mars Hill College hides deep underground, and will never be seen. Almost 300 feet below the surface, 96 closed loops of water gurgle upward to flow into the ducts of the Ferguson Math and Science Center, then through the building and down again in an endless cycle.

This continuous circulation of the same water may seem at first like an exercise in futility. In reality, it is part of a cutting-edge method of heating and cooling called geothermal engineering.
Depending on latitude, the temperature underground remains stable year-round at around 52 to 56 degrees. A geothermal system sends water in endless loops underground, then through the heating and cooling system of the building. The system uses the stable temperature underground to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the building. That in turn means less negative impact on the environment from the use of fossil fuels, with the added bonus of saving money over the long-term.

"It's really just a fancy heat pump," said Mars Hill College Director of Facilities Management Bill Lovins. "In the summer, when it's 80 degrees outside, instead of using 80 degree air to transfer heat, our system is using 52 degree water, and when it is 30 degrees outside we are still using the 52 degree water. This constant supply of 52 degree water makes this system much more efficient than a conventional one."

The geothermal heating and cooling system in Ferguson Math and Science Center is one of the more ground-breaking steps taken at Mars HillCollege recently to move toward more environmentally-friendly materials and practices. But according to Dr. Dan Lunsford, president of the college, it is only one of several ways in which the college has tackled the issue of moving toward a "greener" campus.

"We have done a number of things on campus over the past year or two designed to use energy more efficiently, to decrease our overall energy consumption, to reduce waste, and to reduce our effect on the green spaces on campus. And we have done this while increasing the square footage of space devoted to education," Lunsford said.

Labor Day events

The end of summer can't be here, can it? Sadly, yes. Get out and enjoy the weekend. If you have Labor Day off, there will be a few happenings in the North Buncombe area. The Town of Woodfin will be holding its annual picnic for town citizens from 11 am to 2 pm at Roy Pope Memorial Park. In Weaverville, Blue Mountain Pizza will be open from 11 am to 9 pm. The evening will be capped with a farewell musical performance from David Fields. If you know any other Labor Day events, post them here.

The editorial staff at the Tribune will be taking Labor Day off, so get back with us on Tuesday for any post-Labor Day reports or pictures.

Fay moving out

The remnants of Tropical Depression Fay are leaving the area Wednesday morning. Thankfully, most everyone just got a good 'ole soaking rain. Read more about the aftereffects of the storm in tomorrow's Weaverville Tribune.

Rain, rain keep on coming several more days

Tropical Depression Fay is continuing to saturate the arid North Buncombe landscape. Rain showers began Monday afternoon and are scheduled to continue through Wednesday, bringing several inches of much-needed rain to the area. A flash flood watch is in effect for the area today.

The rain is certainly a welcome sight to two area municipalities. The Woodfin Water District implemented mandatory water restrictions Aug. 18 after reporting its watershed on Blackberry Inn Road was more than 10 feet low. Weaverville Public Works Director Larry Sprinkle also reported to the Weaverville Town Council on Aug. 18 that the while mandatory water restrictions weren't currently necessary, the Ivy River was extremely low.

Hero of the Week nominations

Just a reminder ...

Anyone who would like to nominate a North Buncombe individual or group for the Tribune's Hero of the Week program may contact the office at 645-8911 or send an email to reporter@weavervilletribune.com.

Update on NBHS Band car wash

In the past two editions of The Weaverville Tribune, we have reported a notice of the North Buncombe High School's car wash Saturday (Aug. 23). In light of the drought facing the area, the band will now hold a "waterless car wash." Here is excerpts from the press release:

North Buncombe High School band will be holding a FREE WATERLESS Car Care-a-Thon.

North Buncombe originally scheduled a FREE Car Wash-a-thon for Saturday, 23 August 2008 at three locations in Weaverville. Ace Hardware and McDonalds located on Weaver Boulevard along with Tractor Supply located on Monticello Road.

During this type of fundraiser, students collect pledges of money per car washed, in this case cleaned, similar to a walk-a-thon. The band cleans X number of cars then collects the pledges based on the number of cars. The car care is FREE but a tax deductible donation will gladly be accepted at each of the three sites from 9-3 on Saturday August 23 or may be sent directly to the band at P.O. Box 1175 Weaverville, NC 28787

According to Johnny Grindstaff, Co-President of the North Buncombe Band Boosters, "We plan on holding a FREE Car Care-a-Thon from 9-3 on Saturday at the same locations listed above. During this event, we will wash your vehicle's exterior windows, clean the headlight and taillight lens with window cleaner and paper towels. We won't use a drop of water. The decision to go waterless was based on the premise that it was just the right thing to do."

For more information on the North Buncombe High School Band program, go to the band's website at www.blackhawkband.com.

VeHaun gets tough and more

Woodfin Mayor Jerry VeHaun expressed his exasperation with a Woodfin mobile home park at 245 Weaverville Road. He said since April 2, 2003, the Woodfin fire and police department have been called to the park 233 times. Ninety-four of those incidents have occurred this year.

"It's time to get this place out of here. I want to see this place shut down, bottom line," VeHaun told the Woodfin Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night. "It's time we clean this place up one way or the other."

Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young said his staff would begin to look at what ordinances the park is currently violating in the town's minimum standard housing and nuisance policies. He said the town would issue citations to each offense.

Other notes from Woodfin...

*The town will begin weekly recycle service Sept. 2. It currently picks up recycling every two weeks. Mixed paper recycling will begin shortly thereafter, said Young.

*The town's skate park at South Woodfin Park should be installed by middle of September.

*Many municipalities are following Woodfin's lead in banning registered sex offenders from town parks. In a landmark decision, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled in June that the town had legal right to ban sex offenders from its parks. Young said the cities of Hickory and Wilmington are several examples of municipalities following Woodfin's lead.

For more on the sex offender ban story, read the Tribune's articles here and here.

Wooly adelgid update

The Woodfin Water Board has talked about ways to solve its problem with wooly adelgids among the hemlocks around the district's watershed on Blackberry Inn Road. A wooly adelgid preys on the needles of a tree, sucking its fluids and eventually killing the specimen.

Trustee James Latimore worried the wooly adelgid population at the watershed would kill the trees and the loss of canopy would eventually raise the temperature of the water. Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District Director Joe Martin said during the board's monthly meeting Monday that any effect on temperature would be minimal.

Injecting chemicals in and around the trees base is tricky, Martin said, because of the proximity to the watershed. Both Latimore and Martin agreed releasing beetles to feed on the wooly adelgids would likely be the best, although not a permanent, solution.

For more information on the water district's current water restriction, click here.

Multiple I-26 accidents

Several accident along the future Interstate 26 in the North Buncombe area slowed traffic this morning.

Lt. Chris Dorsey of the Woodfin Fire Department said emergency personnel responded to a three-car pileup near Exit 23 on I-26 East shortly before 8 am. As a result of that accident, a two-car fender bender occurred a short time after. No injuries were reported in either accident, although traffic diverted to Weaverville Road/Merrimon Avenue, causing for some slow morning-time commute to Asheville.

Battalion Chief Tim Laster of the Weaverville Fire Department said personnel from his department responded to a two-car accident near Exit 19 on I-26 East around 8:30 am. No injuries were reported as a result of that accident.

First day of school pics

If you have any pictures from the first day of school in the North Buncombe area, email those to reporter@weavervilletribune.com. Please include name, grade, age and attending school of anyone in the picture.

Sign war?

A makeshift billboard reading "More Asphalt" has covered a portion of a sign promoting the arrival of Weaver Village in Weaverville for the past several days. The obstructed sign read "Coming soon: More Asphalt." The homemade contraption was removed midday Thursday (Aug. 14).

The 13-acre mixed-use Weaver Village project was met with careful consideration by both the developers, Weaverville Partners, and the Weaverville Town Council. At public meetings on the village in February and April, reaction from individuals in the community ran the gamut. The town council approved Weaver Village in May.

The makeshift sign, though, indicates there is still opposition to the long-gestating development of the McPhail property.

Developers have presented several different projects at the corner of Weaver Boulevard and North Main Street since 2005. The Weaverville Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a special exemption permit for one such project, a 96-unit housing development, which led to a nearly three-year legal battle between the town and developers.

Shortly before the North Carolina Court of Appeals' decision to uphold the developers' right to a permit in January, Weaverville Partners brought the re-visioned mixed-use development before the town council for consideration.

To read more on Weaver Village's approval, read our article here.

Impressive resume

Carrie Boren, the evangelist missioner who presented a workshop at St. Matthews Anglican Church this past weekend, has quite a resume for a woman of just 37 years of age. She graduated in 1993 from Yale University, where she was a legacy, with a BA in history. She received her MA in education from Harvard University in 2000. Then, she received another graduate degree, this one from Oxford University, in 2004 with a concentration in theology, evangelism and apologetics.

On top of that, she had a featured role in 1993's The Pelican Brief as well as roles in the ABC sitcom Over the Top and various movies of the week with actresses such as Faye Dunaway and Nicolette Sheridan.

"I don't know," she laughed about her education and career paths that have taken her across the United States and England. "It was just always a dream."

For more on her current evangelical career, visit http://www.episcopal-dallas.org/evangelism.html

For more on her acting career, visit www.imdb.com/name/nm0096352/

Council workshops

The Weaverville Town Council will hold an open workshop prior to its monthly meeting Aug. 18. The board will discuss, among other ideas, the establishment of an ABC board. Councilman Gene Knoefel first suggested holding a periodic public workshop so the council can have more time to work through its agenda. No motions will be passed. It is simply an opportunity for further discussion on town matters. While the workshops may not draw the same public interest of a meeting, establishing a forum for more discussion should be a benefit to both the council and the town.

P&Z project nears second phase

The Weaverville Planning and Zoning Board is nearing the second phase of its code revision and refining project. The town completed its revision of the zoning codes Tuesday (Aug. 5). After reviewing the town's planning and development codes, the board will then focus on several different discussions, including the recommendation of the establishment of a historical district and/or a Small Town USA distinction for the Town of Weaverville.

The door is always open

As a reminder ....

The Weaverville Tribune is always open to story ideas or content from its readers. Anyone interested may contact the office at 828-645-8911 or e-mail reporter@weavervilletribune.com

Football season is around the bend

It's hard to believe, but high school football is nearly upon us. The North Buncombe BlackHawks are looking to build on their 8-4 record of last season. The team will be anchored by dual-threat quarterback Randy Pressley and a strong senior class. The team's schedule can be found here.

The Tribune featured a story in its July 31 edition about the BlackHawks Extreme web site. The site's organizers are aggressively promoting North Buncombe football, from the Varsity team all the way down to the midget leagues.

Pictures, previews of NBHS Head Football Coach Carey Metts' team and more are in store for upcoming editions of the Tribune. Stay tuned.

Coldwell Banker update

Charlie Robinson, of Coldwell Banker Kasey and Associates, said the company had no further comment on the recent closing of its Weaverville office. The Tribune first reported on the branch's closing in its July 17 edition.

The office, which was described by broker-in-charge Michelle
Ranieri as a flagship office in the company's Western North Carolina chain, opened in January. It accompanied the mixed-use development The Village at Monticello. The first building of a planned five-building community opened in late 2007.

The group's contact information has been removed from the sign posted in front of The Village at Monticello. Keller Williams Real Estate is now handling the selling of the residential and commercial spaces available at The Village of Monticello.

The needle and no damage done

Tribune intern Megan Weaver shared this reflection after experimenting with acupuncture for the first time with Weaverville resident Brian Moran.

"After speaking with Moran, I decided to experience this practice first hand, and I was given an abbreviated treatment. After a quick health examination, my treatment began with a Chinese massage that focused on a rocking sensation. Then, 15 very thin needles were placed at various acupuncture points on my body. I felt no pain, and the increase in blood flow and energy was apparent at the acupuncture sites. I also felt very relaxed."

Weaver will have more on Moran in her feature, which will hit newsstands Thursday.

Blast from the past

This week's edition of The Weaverville Tribune featured snippets from several articles from The Weaverville Journal, the publication that predated the Tribune (and me!).

The issues have been fascinating to read, if only to see how the Journal's coverage differed from ours.

We've done several of these in the past, and we would like to continue periodically featuring these issues of the Journal. What do you think?

A giant dedication

Woodfin Water Board Trustee James Latimore presented a sequoia tree at the board's monthly meeting Monday night (July 21).

Latimore's wife, Kasha, bought the tree for the board to recognize the contributions of trustee Marjorie Meares, who has been battling cancer. She also thought the tree could honor the memory of former chairman Henry Chandler, who passed away in February.

The board discussed whether planting the tree at the district's watershed would be appropriate. Sequoias, commonly known as redwoods and popular along the west coast, can live up to 2,200 years and grow more than 350 feet in height. Latimore jokingly told the board he wanted to bore a hole in its base for a road to pass through after it matures.

The board will hold further discussions as to the appropriate home of the sequoia.

Birds of a feather ...

Four wild turkeys enjoyed an afternoon snack Monday (July 21) on the shoulder of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Craven Gap before deciding to return home. After the first turkey paved the path across the serene highway (albeit a path that involved narrowly escaping a run-in with an incoming vehicle), his friends soon followed.

No show for seminar

The Weaverville Police Department cancelled a drug awareness seminar Saturday (July 19) at the Weaverville Community Room due to a lack of participation.

Officer Andy Mace said the department handed out at least 150 notices of the meeting at the department's crime prevention booth during the town's Fourth of July celebration. The notice of the meeting ran in the pages of the Tribune twice, including the July 17 edition.

Officer Mace attributed the lack of attendance to the nice weather Saturday.

He said the department may try to reschedule the seminar in the fall when the weather conditions are not as favorable.

Listen to Bob Barker

In the 2006 comedy Talladega Nights, Will Ferrell, as NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, delivers a public service announcement about packs of wild dogs that control most of the major U.S. cities.

The announcement is, of course, a joke. But, Woodfin resident Susie Sloan said she has noticed a growing problem with feral animals, specifically cats, in the town.

Sloan told the Woodfin Board of Aldermen on Tuesday (July 15) that she has trapped 11 wild cats recently in her Martel Village neighborhood. She asked the town for an organized plan to keep wild animals off the streets of Woodfin.

Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young told Sloan he is currently investigating examples of the roles similar governmental bodies played in controlling animal population.

Need a ride?

The Asheville Transit System currently has a bus that travels from downtown Asheville along Merrimon Avenue/Weaverville Road, up Main Street Weaverville and ending at Arvato near U.S. Hwy. 25/70.

The bus makes several stops in Weaverville, but the only Woodfin stop is at the Food Lion shopping center.

In light of rising gas prices and tough economical times, one concerned Woodfin citizen asked the Woodfin Board of Aldermen on Tuesday (July 15) if a bus service could be expanded to include other regions of Woodfin, such as Riverside Drive and Elk Mountain Road.

Mary Castellaneta lives in Martel Village and said she would like to see more public transportation in the area. Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young said he has held preliminary discussions with the Asheville Transit System. He said if Castellaneta could provide a list of Woodfin residents who would be interested in the service, he could help the transit system see the economic viability of the route.

With help from state grants, the Town of Weaverville pays $10,000 a year for the bus route. Several councilmembers argued to end the service this fiscal year, but Councilman Walt Currie asked to postpone cancellation for one year until the council had an opportunity to review a report of bus participation in October.

The question lingers: If Weaverville cancels its route, would Woodfin be able to generate enough traffic, so to speak, to keep public transportation in North Buncombe?

We're not working on the roads

If you pass by a North Buncombe accident on the further Interstate 26 beginning in November, you'll likely see a photographer sporting a bright yellow vest. No, the Tribune staff won't be cleaning up the accident or directing traffic. According to an article in the July 2008 edition of The North Carolina Press Association magazine, federal law will require all reporters and photographers to wear safety vests when outside of their vehicles on federal-aid highways or their rights of way.

The article goes on to state that those not wearing the safety vests are subject to fines or arrest.

The regulation was finalized in November 2006, and the Department of Transportation has allowed for a two-year compliance period.

What's the verdict?

The Fourth of July celebration this year in Weaverville was held at Lake Louise Park instead of downtown. For those who've attended the celebration at both sites, which venue do you prefer? Let the Tribune know by either commenting on this blog, writing a letter to the editor (the Tribune's mailing address is P.O. Box 2293, Weaverville, NC 28787) or by calling the office at 828-645-8911.

A routine flush

Several callers phoned the Tribune office late last week to voice concern about a potential water spillage near the Town of Weaverville's water reservoir tank near Reems Creek Golf Club.

Weaverville Public Works Director Larry Sprinkle said the spillage was the result of a flushing incident, a normal procedure for water departments to maintain the quality of water. According to Sprinkle, water used for flushing the system is generally discharged from the drain valve. However, the flushing water last week discharged from the overflow valve.

Sprinkle said public works personnel worked with a SCADA system last week, which tracks and collects data for the department. The overflow valve was left on after the testings were completed. As a result, the water used for flushing emptied out of the overflow valve, thus dumping the excess in an unusual area.

How a 5K feels

The following is a first-person account of what it felt like to run in the 15th annual Kiwanis Club Firecracker 5K race in Weaverville from Tribune reporter Matt Tate.

7:55 am – We’re starting off at the RBC Centura. Bill Boughton of Edward Jones is using a bullhorn, but I still can’t hear what he is saying. I’m starting in the middle of the race pack, but I'm wishing I had the gumption to start at the front. This is my first race, and it would boost my ego a little to know that I was out front at least for a moment. But, nah, the competition looks pretty fierce up there.

8:00 am – We’re off. I’m trying to get my footing as to where I want to be. We turn up Weaver Boulevard, and I find an opening. I’m passing people at a pretty good clip. Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

8:01 am – I’m already coughing. Not a good sign.

8:08 am – I pass the first checkpoint at exactly eight minutes. I’m at least on target to meet my goal of 24 minutes. Members of the Kiwanis Club are passing out water, which is a nice touch. In the movies and television, they make the water cup "passoff" from bystanders look easy. It’s not. My cup plummets to the ground.

8:10 am – We’re headed down Church Street toward North Main Street. Everybody is turning right. Shouldn’t we be turning left back toward RBC Centura? Isn’t this thing almost over? Sadly, no.

8:11 am – People are gathered at Well-Bred Bakery and down Main Street cheering on the runners. I suddenly wish I were watching from the sidelines as well. I ran three miles at the beach two weeks ago, but flat, sidewalk beach running is a lot easier than trampling across the terrain of Weaverville.

8:13 am – My stomach drops as I see we’re heading up Brown Street. The staff at the Tribune takes an afternoon walk several times a week, and we all complain about the Brown Street hill. This is about to get ugly.

8:15 am – As I said, ugly. I don’t even know if what I’m doing right now constitutes as running.

8:17 am – I’ve passed by the second marker on South College Street shortly under 17 minutes. And I drop another water cup. My 24-minute pace is slipping, I’ll later find out people are currently finishing the race. It’s just not fair.

8:21 am – I turn up Main Street for the last incline of the race. Every part of my body is now officially aching. I keep floating to the outside to allow people to pass me. I fear my goal is now out of the question.

8:24 am – Turning down Weaver Boulevard for the home stretch. I’d like to think I’m one of those runners who saves a little gas for the end. It is obvious, however, that I am not that kind of runner. Runners near me are pumping themselves up by talking to themselves. Maybe a little bit of that will rub off on me.

8:26:30 – My wife, Ashley, and Tribune editor Clint Parker take pictures of me nearing the finish line. I can objectively say that those two pictures are the most unflattering portraits ever taken of me. Thanks, guys.

8:26:35 – It’s over. My legs feel like putty. And now I gotta go to work. There’s a lot of news in North Buncombe County on the Fourth of July. Even with some soreness that’s sure to last for a few days, I’m glad I got to be a part of it.

Teach your children well

The Woodfin Summer Camp was originally organized and maintained by the town's community center. When the center could no longer support the program, the Town of Woodfin stepped in and footed the entire bill.

For six weeks during the summer, kids aged 5-12 are eligible to enroll in the camp. The town takes the kids to the movies, to the pool and supervises various other activities, all free of charge.

Mayor Pro-tem Geneva Maney, a former teacher herself, has been a key figure in the town's "youth movement." Maney orchestrated the meetings between a group of teenagers and Mayor Jerry VeHaun which led to the approval of a skate park at South Woodfin Park.

Maney is regularly challenging the Woodfin Board of Alderman to find ways to engage the children of Woodfin. The town is responding favorably, and that bodes well for the future of Woodfin.

Movin' on

The Town of Weaverville is gearing up for its annual Fourth of July celebration this Friday. In hopes of alleviating crowd control concerns, the town announced in April that it was moving its celebration to Lake Louise Park from Main Street.

Weaverville Town Manager Mike Morgan told the Tribune, "We have come increasingly nervous and concerned about the number of individuals we have on Main Street in such a tight area."

The celebration at Lake Louise will stretch along the shore of the popular lake. Booths will open at 4 pm, opening ceremonies will begin at 6:30 pm and the fireworks will conclude the evening at 10 pm. Shuttle buses will transport guests from area parking lots to the lake.

Leaving Main Street upset at least one downtown business owner. Blue Mountain Pizza owner Matt Danford told the Tribune in April, "I don't see the reason for moving it. But it doesn't surprise me." Danford said the festival grew up on Main Street and was a celebration of, what is considered by most to be, the heart of the town.

Lake Louise is an attractive alternative, and the notion of watching the fireworks explode over the rippled waters is appealing. It will be interesting to see if the layout of the festival stretches beyond the proposed arrangements on Lakeshore Drive. Lake Louise has more room, but it will need to be utilized effectively in order to maximize space. Another question will be the amount of foot traffic the new venue generates.

Weaverville prides itself on its Fourth of July celebration. Let's hope this move pays off.

Somethin' in the soil

Claude Cochran, 71, says he has been farming all his life. But, he's never had the kind of success growing vegetables than the kind he's been having in his Ollie Weaver Road garden the past few years. Several years ago, he dug up a batch of 5-pound sweet potatoes. On Wednesday (June 25), he reached in the ground and pulled out something he had never seen before: a 1-pound, 5 oz. cauliflower.

"I can't explain it. It's the biggest I've ever had," Cochran remarked. There's some fertile soil in northwest Weaverville.

Old-time music in Mars Hill

Mars Hill College hosted Blue Ridge Old-Time Music Week the second week of June. The annual weeklong event provided amateur and accomplished musicians an opportunity to learn more about traditional Blue Ridge Mountain music through workshops, classes, concerts and jam sessions.

Some of the available classes included varying levels of banjo, fiddle, mandolin, upright bass, guitar and dulcimer as well as lessons in singing, rhythm and storytelling.


Mars Hill College submitted the following pictures.


Instructor Joe Newberry teaches an intermediate banjo class during Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week at Mars Hill College June 8-13








Afternoon jam sessions add to the fun at Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week at Mars Hill College June 8-13.

Headed in a new direction

James Latimore, chairman of the Woodfin Water Board, is looking toward the future. The board granted water service to a new development in West Buncombe County, but not before debating its merits.

The board passed a conservation resolution in 2007 that essentially stated that the board would grant water service to developers who practice in "green" building standards.

Latimore enforced this resolution when developer Jack Fisher (pictured) asked the Woodfin Sanitary Water and Sewer District for water service to an additional 42 units in his River Highlands project to be constructed off Olivette Road. The board approved water service for 168 units in 2007. Latimore wondered if the increase in density would also increase the development's impact on the surrounding environment. Latimore discussed the topic with the developers for two months.

"What we're trying to figure out is what we can do to make developers think more about conservation," Latimore told Fisher at a June 23 meeting of the board.

Fisher outlined preliminary plans for land easements, use of electric vehicles within the development, south-facing exposure and rain barrel distribution. The use of any solar power and low-flush toilets would be left up to the discretion of the homeowner, a point Latimore contended.

"I don't feel bad about using the water board as a sounding board for this concept," Latimore said of eco-friendly construction.

The debates indicate that Woodfin water growth will be carefully considered with Latimore as chairman.

Circle gets a square

The to-be constructed traffic circle at the future home of Reynolds Village in Woodfin brings up some interesting points.

1) In Europe, some traffic circles have different yielding laws including having the vehicles in the circle allow incoming traffic into the roundabout. At traffic circles in Asheville, the incoming traffic yields. Is it better to have traffic potentially stacking in the circle or on the thoroughfare? And of course, some traffic circles in Europe are nearly the size of a city block, which would dwarf the proposed Woodfin circle.

2) How will drivers using Merrimon Avenue/Weaverville Road as a means to get from North Buncombe County to Asheville react to slowing their drive in Woodfin. Currently, the stretch of Weaverville Road through Woodfin has a 35 miles per hour limit in sections, but traffic flows generally at a swifter pace. Will drivers react favorably to slowing around a traffic circle and potentially visiting the new village? Or will they choose to bypass Woodfin altogether for the nearby free-flowing future Interstate 26?

The Reynolds Mountain development team is transforming this growing town piece by piece. Woodfin as we know it won't be the same place in another five years. Is everybody on board?

Bus fuss

During the hearings leading up to the approval of the 2008-2009 budget, there has been much talk among the Weaverville Town Council and concerned citizens about the town's bus service. Currently, a bus from the Asheville City Transit System travels from Weaverville to Woodfin before concluding its route in downtown Asheville five times daily.

Council member Dottie Sherrill said she rarely sees more than two people on the route. Other council members expressed concerns whether the route was worth the annual price tag of $10,000.

At Monday night's (June 19) council meeting, Hamburg Mountain Road residents Susan Stuart and Richard Keene said the reason for the low numbers of riders on the bus was its infrequent schedule. The bus currently stops in downtown Weaverville around 7 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., and 7 p.m. Keene said a 30-minute doctor's appointment in Asheville would take six hours riding the bus.

Councilman Gene Knoefel said the bus service was a waste of tax dollars, while Councilman Don Hallingse said he wanted to wait for an origin and destination survey, which is scheduled to be released in September, before determining the fate of the bus service in Weaverville.

Church construction talk

Several callers have phoned The Weaverville Tribune's office to express concern over the large swath of trees currently being cut down near Reems Creek-Beech Presbyterian Church at the end of Reems Creek Road. The historic church is undergoing an expansion project, which the Rev. Dr. Henry Scoggins discussed during an interview with the Tribune last fall. He said the goal of the project will be to improve the church's parking and unusual layout. More on this story will be in an upcoming edition of The Weaverville Tribune.

Wildcat

D-Day veteran Delize O. Honeycutt said he has been a Woodfin resident nearly all of his life. True, he spent some time in Europe fighting Nazi forces during World War II. But, before even enlisting in the U.S. Army, he traveled and lived in the Western United States.

Honeycutt left home at 13 and took to hoping trains to get where he needed to go. "Where I could get a meal was home to me then," Honeycutt remarked. He eventually made his way out West, where he found odd jobs working on oil refineries and taking care of mules. "I like mules because they're lazy like me," he laughed.

Today, his Woodfin Avenue home is still decorated with pictures and portraits inspired from his time spent out West.

Vehicle graveyard

Each year, town budgets accommodate the costs of new vehicles for the town's fire, police, public works and various other departments. Weaverville and Woodfin are no different. When it comes time to decommission one of these vehicles, does the town get any return for it? Not much, according to Weaverville Town Manager Mike Morgan.

Morgan, Weaverville Public Works Director Larry Sprinkle and Weaverville Police Chief Greg Stephens responded to several questions on this matter during a public hearing on the town budget Monday night (June 9). Councilmen Walt Currie and Doug Jackson asked the department heads if they had investigated ways to get top dollar on the return of their vehicles. Sprinkle said his department had tried several avenues, including govdeals.com and Ebay, all with little success. Stephens mentioned that since the return is so low, he ensures he gets maximum use out of the vehicles by rotating older models to employees who may not use the vehicles for high-speed pursuits. Morgan said the town had sold several vehicles to a scrap metal dealer in Virginia.

"The market is just not there for selling old vehicles," Sprinkle told the council.

Herron Cove hubbub

Emergency personnel from the Weaverville and Reems Creek fire departments spent most of their day Monday (June 9) out on Herron Cove Road in Weaverville. Shortly before 1 pm, a small brush fire broke out in the back of home, igniting a portion of a fence. A teenage male at the house accidently started the fire. Personnel, including the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, were again called out to Herron Cove Road shortly after 3 pm to settle a domestic dispute. The domestic disturbrance broke out at a residence roughly 100 yards from the first call. A car was lit on fire during the dispute. The scene was finally cleared around 5 pm.

We're ready to blog

During the past several months, developing a sustainable web presence has become a priority at the Tribune office. To this extent, we've decided to add a blog feature to our website called "Dropped From the Headlines." In this space, we will feature news, notes and nuggets that just missed the weekly edition of The Weaverville Tribune.

We feel this initiative will enable the Tribune reporting staff to keep the readers of North Buncombe County better informed about the goings-on in their community. This will not be a forum for breaking news. Rather, this will be a place to find an interesting tidbit or element that we couldn't squeeze onto the page.

As we continue to develop this new venture, we encourage feedback from readers to help us cultivate what we hope will bring another valued dimension to the Tribune's coverage.