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.