Concrete plant gets a leg up

In tomorrow's edition of the Weaverville Tribune, read more about the Superior Court's decision to require county officials to give permits for the construction of a concrete plant in Flat Creek. What are your feelings on the decision? Do you think the area will become a hazard or more dangerous if a concrete plant goes in on Murphy Hill Road? Or will it not have the impact many in the neighborhood fear?

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy hike

What: Guided Hike in the Spring Creek Community
Who: Maxine and Jack Dalton, Hike Leaders and Landowners Kristina Tarasan, PR and Outreach Americorps Member, Co-leader
Where: Spring Creek Community, Madison County, NC
When: October 3, 2009 at 10:00 am
Cost: FREE to SAHC Members; $10.00 Non-Members
Description: Join members and friends of SAHC on October 3 for a challenging hike in the Spring Creek Community. The hike will begin at the home of Maxine and Jack Dalton at 10:00 am. The Dalton's place (75 acres), formerly the Spring Creek Tomato Company, has been in a conservation easement with SAHC since 1999. We will walk along the ridge top between the valleys of Spring Creek and Meadow Fork and enjoy beautiful views of Bluff Mountain and Max Patch. This a 4 to 5 hour strenuous hike on both private as well as national forest service land. The hike will end at the Dalton home at the top edge of their conservation easement.
Please Bring: Warm clothes (it gets chilly on the ridges), hiking shoes, rain gear, water bottle, backpack lunch, and a camera plus a hiking stick as it is very steep in places. Hikers should NOT bring their dogs to this trail.
Please RSVP: By October 1 to SAHC at kristina@appalachian.org or 828-253-0095 x 205. When you RSVP please include your telephone number so that you can be contacted in case the hike must be canceled due to inclement weather. Group size is limited to 10 people.
Directions: Will be sent upon RSVP.

Trail ride and hike benefit

This trail ride and hike in Dupont Forest on Saturday (Oct. 3) is to benefit 3-year-old and Asheville resident Kali Holderfield who is suffering from seizures. Her father works at Accu-Care in North Asheville and another benefit was held at Weaverville Community Center this summer. You can read her story here

More on this Saturday's ride and hike
Guion Farms in Dupont State Forest
Ride and hike begins at 10 am
$25 suggested donation for rider; $10 suggested donation for individual hiker and $25 for family
Hamburger or hot dog lunch served at 3 pm for $5 donation
Music by Sons of Ralph from 2 pm to 5 pm

Woodland Hills annexation

The Weaverville Town Council will hold a public hearing on the town's bid to annex portion of the Woodland Hills neighborhood Oct. 8. A vote may come at the council's regular monthly meeting in October.

Where do you come down on the town's latest annexation bid? Good idea or bad idea?

UNCA meeting tonight

Appalachian State University proposes to offer a master of arts degree in geography with a concentration in planning beginning August 2010 on the UNC-Asheville campus. An informational meeting about the proposed program will be held at 6 pm on Monday, Sept. 28 in Karpen Hall’s Laurel Forum Room on the UNCA campus. For directions, go to unca.edu/campusmap. This degree program offers those with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution the opportunity to attend Appalachian classes at UNCA.

This week in sports at NBHS

Monday
3 pm: Girls' varsity golf - Reems Creek
5 pm: Boys' junior varsity soccer @ Clyde A Erwin High School
7 pm: Boys' varsity soccer @ Clyde A Erwin High School

Tuesday
5 pm: Girls' junior varsity volleyball @ Enka High School
6 pm: Girls' varsity volleyball @ Enka High School

Wednesday
4 pm: Girls' varsity tennis @ Clyde A Erwin High School
5 pm: Boys' junior varsity soccer vs. Asheville High School
7 pm: Boys' varsity soccer vs. Asheville High School

Thursday
3 pm: Girls' varsity golf - Reems Creek
4 pm: Girls' varsity tennis vs. Clyde A Erwin High School
5 pm: Girls' junior varsity volleyball vs. McDowell High School
6 pm: Girls' varsity volleyball vs. McDowell High School
7 pm: Boys' junior varsity football vs. McDowell High School

Friday
7:30 pm: Boys' varsity football @ McDowell High School

Saturday
9 am: Coed varsity cross country - Wendy's Invitational @ McAlpine Park, Charlotte

MAHEC Health Careers

A release from MAHEC...

"MAHEC, in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America, Mission Hospitals and the Health Adventure, has formed a new Explorer Post focusing on health careers.
“ 'We plan to provide exposure and hands-on opportunities for young adults in our area,' states Bob Henderson, MD. 'Careers in health- related fields have been some of the fastest growing in the past decade and will continue to boom as our population ages.'
"An informational meeting will be held from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm on Oct. 8 at MAHEC, 501 Biltmore Ave. in classroom 4. The group will meet monthly in various healthcare settings. Young adults aged 14-20 are welcome to attend. For more information, call Amy Heller at 254-6186 ext. 26 or Carolyn Crook at 771-4227."

New shopping center brings in commerce, crime

Weaverville Police Chief Greg Stephens said last night at the council meeting that his department has seen an uptick in crime since Northridge Commons officially opened for business earlier this summer. While he declined to give specifics, Weaverville Town Manager Mike Morgan did say the town's decision to hire additional police officers several years ago when the project was approved has helped with the increase in activity.

What do you think? Are a few more arrests (and accidents as well) worth bringing shoppers and larger retail stores into Weaverville?

News from Big Ivy

The first annual Big Ivy Bluegrass Festival, held in August, pulled in about 400 guests during the daylong event, pleasing the organizers of this first-time event. More than a half-dozen bluegrass bands took the stage outside the Big Ivy Community Center.

This week's schedule at NBHS

Monday
4:30 pm - Girls' junior varsity volleyball @ East Burke High School

5 pm - Boys' junior varsity soccer vs. T C Roberson High School

5:30 pm - Girls' varsity volleyball @ East Burke High School

7 pm - Boys' varsity soccer vs. T C Roberson High School

Tuesday
4 pm - Girls' varsity tennis vs. McDowell High School

5 pm - Girls' junior varsity volleyball vs. Asheville High School

6 pm - Girls' varsity volleyball vs. Asheville High School

Thursday
TBA - Coed varsity cross country - ATC Fall Classic @ Carrier Park

4 pm - Girls' varsity tennis @ T C Roberson High School

5 pm - Girls' junior varsity volleyball @ A C Reynolds High School

6 pm - Girls' varsity volleyball @ A C Reynolds High School

7 pm - Boys' junior varsity football @ Enka High School

Friday
7:30 pm - Varsity football vs. Enka High School

ABC sales in Woodfin hold strong

Woodfin Town Administrator Jason Young said sales at the town's ABC store dipped .8 percent last month, although sales at Asheville area stores dipped by more than 5 percent. A late Labor Day in September contributed to the only slightly sluggish August sales, he said.

Art in Autumn

Rain or shine, Art in Autumn kicks off tomorrow in downtown Weaverville. Got images, reports, stories? Send them to us at wteditor@weavervilletribune.com or give us a call at 645-8911.

Woodfin water board meeting moved

The monthly meeting of the Woodfin Water Board will be held at 4 pm on Sept. 28 at the district offices, moved from its traditional date of the third Monday of every month.

Volunteer at NBHS game tonight

Hawk Club is looking for volunteers to help out with needs at tonight's NBHS football game. Kickoff is still scheduled for 7:30 pm

This week's NBHS athletic schedule

Monday
5 pm - Boys Junior Varsity Soccer vs. Enka High School

5 pm - Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball @ Pisgah High School

6 pm - Girls Varsity Volleyball @ Pisgah High School

7 pm - Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Enka High School

Tuesday
4 pm - Girls Varsity Tennis @ A C Reynolds High School

Wednesday
5 pm - Boys Junior Varsity Soccer @ McDowell High School

5 pm - Coed Varsity Cross Country - Owen Invitational @ Black Mountain Park

7 pm - Boys Varsity Soccer @ McDowell High School

Thursday
4 pm - Girls Varsity Tennis @ Enka High School

5 pm - Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball @ Clyde A Erwin High School

6 pm - Girls Varsity Volleyball @ Clyde A Erwin High School

7 pm - Boys Junior Varsity Football @ Mitchell High School

Friday
7:30 pm - Boys Varsity Football vs. Mitchell High School

Local farms, federal nutrition

A release from One Tray...

"One Tray, the national campaign to improve child nutrition by encouraging a more direct connection between local farms and federal nutrition, today launched two short videos depicting the cafeteria tray as the centerpiece for a reformed school food system that supports healthy children, local farms and smart schools.

" 'Lunch Encounters,' a spoof of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and 'Priceless,' a MasterCard parody, were created by three of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy’s Food and Society Fellows, Shalini Kantayya, Nicole Betancourt and Debra Eschmeyer, to raise awareness of Farm to School programs for the upcoming reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act.

"The Child Nutrition Act, which expires Sept. 30, determines what more than 30 million children eat at school five days a week, 180 days a year, making school meals a critical entry point for improving children’s health. The Priceless video communicates that more than 30 percent of these children are overweight or obese, and for some low-income children, school food accounts for more than half of their daily calories. The videos explain the significance school food has in their diets and seek to ensure that those calories consumed are healthy ones."

"The One Tray campaign advocates for that future tray of Farm to School policy solutions that support:

Mandatory Funding for Farm to School Programs
Increased Reimbursement Rates
Strengthened Nutrition Standards for School Meal Programs and Competitive Foods

To show support, sign on to the petition at onetray.org."

Two bits of info from Barnardsville

Bee Keeping and Honey Making.
Monday, Sept. 14, 7:00 pm,Big Ivy Community Club 540 Dillingham Rd, Barnardsville

Have you noticed that the vegetable and fruit crops are doing poorly this year? One of the reasons could be the lack of local honey bees to pollinate these crops. Learn about keeping bees on your property and how to safely harvest honey.

Here are some things you can do to prepare.

1.Visit the Buncombe County Beekeeper's booth at the Mountain State Fair starting this weekend. We are located in the "new" Expo/Educational Building.
2. Buncombe County Beekeeper's meet the first Monday of each month at Groce United Methodist Church in East Asheville, 7pm-9pm. At 6:30pm, come with questions and talk to experienced beekeepers.
3. Please check out our AWESOME website- www.wncbees.org The website gives details about our meetings, upcoming events, publications on keeping and managing your bees, videos, etc.
4. Buncombe County Beekeepers are sponsoring "An Introduction to Beekeeping" at the Folk Art Center in November. Details and registration on our website, www.wncbees.org or call the Extension Office, 255-5522. 5. Buncombe County Beekeepers are sponsoring "Intermediate Beekeeping School" at Warren Wilson College in Jan-Feb 2010. Details and registration on our website, www.wncbees.org or call the Extension Office, 255-5522.


Annual Chef's Dinner to raise funds for 2010 Big Ivy Tailgate Market

The Big Ivy Tailgate Market's 2009 season is winding down (the market will be open through October) and we are starting to make plans for next year. To help improve and expand the market in 2010, we are applying for a matching grant through ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project). To raise our half of the grant, we are offering a Chef's Dinner fund raiser. Chef Matt Adams will prepare applewood-smoked chicken kabobs and grilled veggies, using local Big Ivy foods. Chef Joseph Lamarca will prepare a scrumptious dessert. Plus, there will be an Auction of wonderful Big Ivy specialty food products, crafts, and other items.

Please join us! Saturday September 19 in the picnic shed on the grounds of the Big Ivy Community Center at 540 Dillingham Road in Barnardsville. 5:00-6:00 pm is social time. Dinner will be served at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $15/person or $25/couple; $5/child under 12.
To reserve your place(s), send a check payable to "Big Ivy Tailgate Market" and mail to Chef's Dinner, P.O. Box 189, Barnardsville, NC 28709. Or call 828-626-3101 to make a reservation. Reservation deadline is September 16.

Breaking news on Woodfin annexation

Go to our Web site for more on Woodfin's upcoming decision to suspend the Leicester annexation proposal...

http://www.weavervilletribune.com/breakingnews.html

Ethical society meeting

A release from the Ethical Society of Asheville...

" 'Nickel and Dimed - on (not) getting by in America' will be presented by Ethical Society member, Jane W. White with updates and hope at the September 20th meeting of the Ethical Society of Asheville, 2:00-3:30 at the Botanical Gardens Visitor Center, 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

"The presentation is based on a book of the same title written by Barbara Ehrenreich in 2001. Mrs. White feels deeply about the subject of "not getting by" on minimum wage salaries and believes it is even more difficult now than it was ten years ago. Solutions to alleviate this problem will be explored. There will be a discussion period following Mrs. White's presentation and, following the meeting, there will be time for informal conversation. All are welcome! For more information contact: asheville@aeu.org, www.aeu.org or 687-7759."

Juggling your money

Here's a release from Edward Jones...

"A new study by financial services firm Edward Jones found that nearly a third of parents (29 percent) have it covered and are saving equally for retirement and their child's college education. About another third (31 percent) are favoring one over the other and 26 percent aren't saving for either.

"The survey, which reports on parents-savings strategies, showed that younger parents ages 35 to 44 are more likely to save equally for retirement and college education (37 percent), than older parents ages 55 to 64 (23 percent).The study of 1,497 parents, which was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of Edward Jones, revealed men are slightly more likely than women to save equally for both retirement and college (31 percent and 27 percent respectively), while a higher percentage of women (29 percent) revealed they are not saving at all for retirement or their child's education, compared with 23 percent of men.

"More respondents are choosing to only save for retirement (22 percent) rather than just their child's college education (9 percent). The survey also showed 37 percent of parents ages 18-34 are not saving for retirement or college at all.Differences in household income also had an impact on responses. Higher earners are primarily saving for retirement (33 percent) over saving for their child's college education (10 percent).

"Not surprisingly, higher earners are more likely to save equally for both retirement and college than lower earners. Nearly half (44 percent) of respondents who make less than $35,000 annually are not saving at all.Based on educational history, college graduates are more likely to save equally for both retirement and their child's college education than high school graduates (40 percent and 24 percent respectively).

"Forty percent of high school graduate parents are not saving at all, compared with only 12 percent of college graduate parents.Edward Jones provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the types of investment options offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work.

"The firm's 12,000-plus financial advisors work directly with more than 8 million clients to understand their personal goals -- from college savings to retirement -- and create long-term investment solutions that emphasize a well-balanced portfolio and a buy-and-hold strategy. "

NBHS atheltic schedule this week

Cross Country: Tuesday @ Home 5:00

Football Varsity: Friday @ Pisgah 7:30
JV: Thursday @ Home 7:00

Soccer Boys: Wednesday @ Home 7:00
JV: Wednesday @ Home 5:00

Tennis Girls: Tuesday @ Home 4:00

Volleyball: Wednesday @ Home 6:00; Thursday @ Home 6:00
JV: Wednesday @ Home 5:00; Thursday @ Home 5:00

Girls Golf: Tuesday @ Forest City 3:00

Solar panels going in at Mars Hill College

News for Mars Hill College....

"The project involves installation of 75 solar thermal collectors to serve three important college facilities: Pittman Dining Hall, Gibson Residence Hall and Brown Residence Hall. Panels are already in place on Brown Residence Hall, and today’s work will center on Gibson.

"The solar thermal systems are designed to generate energy to provide more than 3,000 gallons of hot water per day to meet the domestic hot water requirements for these facilities.

"The solar project at Mars Hill will be one of the largest in the state and will generate more energy than any solar project yet developed for a college, school or university in western North Carolina. That results in considerable environmental benefits. The project will prevent the release of more than 44 tons of carbon dioxide pollution into the atmosphere each year. This is the equivalent of taking 20 cars off the highway or planting 43 acres of trees.

"During the academic year, the three facilities involved use approximately 3,400 gallons of hot water per day. Beginning immediately after its installation, the project is expected to reduce the costs for the college to heat this water by 10%. Over a ten year period, Mars Hill is expecting a total reduction in costs of between 20% and 28% compared with using natural gas, a fossil fuel."