Father/daughter dance for Girl Scouts

Release from Girl Scouts...

The Girl Scouts of Buncombe and Henderson County Service Units will be hosting their first father/daughter dance for local girls. Over 200 couples consisting of girls and their male role models will be attending the One Enchanted Evening at the Ball on from 6:30 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, Dec. 4 at the T.C. Roberson High School cafeteria. The cafeteria will be transformed into an enchanted ballroom where princess will roam making special appearances among the girl scouts and girls attending. All girls in attendance will receive a beautiful Enchanted Evening fun patch for their Girl Scout uniform. This is a special event that will make every young princess glow and the beginning of an annual tradition.

World's Best Carrot Cake mention on Huffington Post

The World’s Best Carrot Cake in Woodfin was spotlighted on the Huffington Post on Sunday (Nov. 28).

Columnist Sandy Henson Corso wrote about the bakery's delectable carrot cakes.

The article can be found at huffingtonpost.com/sandy-henson-corso/the-peace-list-cyber-mond_b_788217.html.

This week at NBHS

Monday
8 pm - Swim team - vs. Asheville and Erwin @ MHC

Tuesday
5:30 pm - Wrestling - at West Henderson, Tuscola and McDowell

Christmas in Big Ivy Craft Show

Christmas in Big Ivy Craft Show

Big Ivy Community Center
540 Dillingham Road
Barnardsville 626-3438

Saturday November 20 from 9 am to 3 pm.

Enjoy country hospitality as well as handmade crafts, aprons, soaps, jewelry, crocheted items, woodworking, glassware, pottery, quilts, paintings and much more..

Lunch items will be available, which includes pinto beans and cornbread.

There is no admission fee but if you can please bring a canned good to help the needy this Christmas. For directions and information, call Marcella at 828-231-8823 or the community center at 626-3438.

Christmas Story play coming to Asheville

Release from Asheville Community Theatre. A holiday staple...

Are you hoping for peace, harmony, comfort and joy this holiday? So is Ralphie Parker, at least in the form of a special Christmas present. But his dreams may just have to wait. ACT will present this American Christmas classic on Dec. 2 through Dec. 12, playing on Thursday and Fridays at 7:30pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2:30pm.

Tickets are $22 for adults, $19 for students and seniors and $12 for children.

A Christmas Story follows nine year old Ralphie Parker’s quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun as a gift for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case be­fore his parents, writes a paper on the subject for his teacher, and even enlists Santa Claus, himself, when he visits him at Goldblatt’s Department Store. Ev­eryone, however, just tells him: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Determined, Ralphie invents creative ways to keep the idea of the Red Ryder BB gun first and foremost in his parents’ minds. He refuses to con­sider the thought that he may not get what he wants, despite being constantly told “no.”

Based on the 1983 movie of the same name, which in turn was based on humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoirs and short stories, the adaptation of the play was written by Philip Grecian. All the elements from the beloved movie are included - from the family’s temperamental exploding furnace to the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a frozen lamppost. It even includes when Ralphie’s father finally wins one of the many contests he enters. The prize? A lamp shaped like a leg! Watching A Christmas Story every year is considered a tradition for many people across the country, and we hope that you’ll enjoy it, too!

Adapted by Philip Grecian from the story by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark Directed by Susan Dillard

Online at www.ashevilletheatre.org or by calling 828-254-1320.

Recycle your cooking oil this holiday season

Release from Blue Ridge Biofuels. Great idea...

Looking for ways to better the environment this holiday season while you munch on deep-fried turkey? Blue Ridge Biofuels invites you to bring your used cooking oil to us to be reprocessed into locally-made, sustainable biodiesel. Cooking oil and grease poured down drains can build up in pipes causing costly backups at home and in municipal water systems.

Dumping into a storm drain is even worse, because the oil will flow directly into rivers and lakes and pollute natural habitats. Instead, oil can be recycled and turned into biodiesel fuel! Simply strain the left-over oil to remove any batter pieces or other debris, place the oil in a clean, sealable container and bring it to the loading dock located at the rear of the Phil Mechanic building at 109 Roberts Street in Asheville. The loading dock is accessed via the dirt road running along the railroad tracks under the Haywood Rd/Clingman Ave bridge.

By bringing us your used oil you are making a big difference in the community by protecting the environment and supporting the local economy. Thank you so much in advance for your donations and have a safe and fun-filled holiday this year.

Whopping cough cases rise in Buncombe County

Release from Buncombe County...

Buncombe County has seen a significant increase in the number of pertussis (whooping cough) cases since August. Between August 1 and November 16, 2010 the Department of Health has received reports of 40 cases of pertussis, bringing the total to 44 cases for the year. This is more than four times the number of cases seen in the county last year. Many of these cases have been in school-aged children.

Pertussis is most serious for young infants under 6 months of age. For them, getting pertussis can mean the possibility of pneumonia and even death. Pertussis is a vaccine-preventable disease, meaning that it can often be prevented by receiving a vaccine. It is important that everyone be vaccinated to reduce the spread and risk of the illness, especially those around infants.

Tdap, the vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, can prevent a majority of cases of pertussis, but not everyone is vaccinated. This leads to a few cases of the illness every year. Buncombe County has the highest number of families in North Carolina claiming a religious exemption and not vaccinating their children. As we have more cases of the illness, more residents in our community are at risk of exposure and more will become sick. It is important to understand that anyone exposed to pertussis needs to receive antibiotic treatment to prevent the disease. If someone begins to show symptoms of pertussis, it is important that that person stay home for 5 days. Stronger control measures may be implemented by the Health Director including exclusion of an unvaccinated child from school for 21 days.

The Tdap vaccine is recommended for all children over 12 years of age as well as for adults, especially those who are in close contact with infants or older adults. Mission Hospital now provides Tdap for all new mothers who deliver there, and fathers and grandparents are strongly encouraged to get the vaccine from their doctor or the Department of Health at 35 Woodfin Street.

Anyone who experiences the symptoms of pertussis should stay at home and contact their doctor. Symptoms of pertussis may include:

Cold-like symptoms (runny nose, sneezing)
Cough that may have a “whoop” sound
Coughing until you vomit

Please help us stop the spread of pertussis by getting vaccinated. Protect yourself so you can protect others.


For more information about pertussis please go to www.cdc.gov or www.chop.edu

November is squash month

A release from the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project...

Area farmers are serious about their squashes. Of the dozens of varieties of winter squash out there, they grown them all—from A (Acorn) to Z (Zenith; a type of Butternut)—and offer them up at tailgate markets, groceries, and roadside stands into December.

What better time to highlight the winter squash than November, when the crop is abundant and sure to end up as a soup, casserole, or pie on the Thanksgiving table? Therefore, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) has selected winter squash as the local food of the month in their Get Local initiative. A year-round component of ASAP’s Local Food Campaign, Get Local brings together farmers, restaurateurs, chefs, and community members from around the region in celebration of a featured local food.

Area schools are also now a part of ASAP’s Get Local, and cafeterias, like restaurants, highlight a specific local food each month. This November, cafeteria menus feature locally grown potatoes.

For a list of Get Local restaurants cooking with winter squash this month, as well as more information about the initiative and a school cafeteria schedule, visit the Get Local page of asapconnections.org. Search for farm stands, groceries, and tailgate markets in ASAP’s Local Food Guide, online at buyappalachian.org. If you’re a chef or restaurant interested in participating, contact Marketing Coordinator Lee Seabrook at lee@asapconnections.org.

Coat drive at The Water Lily

The Water Lily is proud to be this year’s sponsor of “Baby It’s Cold Outside: A Coat Drive” for local families in need. In the past, over 350 coats were distributed locally.

Clean, gently used or new coats can be dropped off at The Water Lily, located at
7 Beaverdam Road in North Asheville, Tuesday through Saturday between the hours of 10 am and 5 pm. The coat drive began Nov. 10 and run through Dec. 10. All coats will be donated to North Buncombe Samaritan Ministries.

For more information, please call 505-3288 or email info@waterlily.com.

St. John in the Wilderness concert

On Sunday, November 14, 2010, The Episcopal Church of St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock, North Carolina will host three soloists and a handbell choir singing and playing music that emphasizes bell sounds and words. The concert, titled “I Can Hear the Bells!,” will begin at 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary, located at 1905 Greenville Highway in Flat Rock. A reception will follow in the Parish House across the street from the church.

Soloists are Katie Cilluffo Trani, soprano, from Hendersonville; Andrea Bailey, soprano, from Asheville; and Dominic Aquilino, baritone, from Asheville. They will be accompanied by Derrick Everhart on piano and organ and the Handbell Choir of Bright Hope Laurel United Methodist Church in Mars Hill, North Carolina.
Music will range from Mozart and Handel to songs from the musicals Beauty and the Beast and Hairspray.

A love offering will be accepted at the door. For further information, contact the church office of St. John in the Wilderness at 693-9783.

A fundraiser for the Masonic Temple

A Benefit Concert with Kaleo Wheeler & Friends. A concert of positive music & storytelling to support the renovation of a landmark building - the Masonic Temple - in downtown Asheville. Come celebrate Kaleo's return to Asheville with five other music artists for a delightful fun, and different kind of evening. Saturday, November 13; 7:30pm; The Masonic Temple 80 Broadway; Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door. For more information, call 866-581-4843

Barnardsville wants a Boy Scout troop

From the Big Ivy Community Center newsletter...

We have 15 young men who want to have a local Boy Scout troop. Can you help? We need leaders and assistant leaders. We hope to start the troop in January 2011 - but don't wait - let us know now so we can begin planning. Call me at 626-3438 or better yet - e-mail me (Bob Bowles) at bicc@barnardsville.com

Prematurity Awareness Month

November is Prematurity Awareness Month at March of Dimes...

More than half a million babies are born too soon each year and thousands don’t live to celebrate their first birthday as a result.
November is Prematurity Awareness Month, and the March of Dimes launched a new web site – marchofdimes.com/fight – where people can learn more about the seriousness of premature birth and create a personalized plan of action to help. They can volunteer, donate, or create a virtual band to celebrate, honor or remember a baby in their life.
On November 17, the March of Dimes will mark the 8th annual Prematurity Awareness Day by issuing its 2010 Premature Birth Report Card, which grades the nation and the states on their preterm birth rates. In an effort to promote awareness locally, we are proud to announce a poster competition amongst students at UNCA. These students will create posters to be displayed in the lobby of Mission Hospital and will be judged by the NICU staff. The winner will be announced on Star 104.3 during our Prematurity Awareness Day Ice Cream Social, when we will be taking time throughout that day to show appreciation to all of the amazing work that the NICU staff does every single day. We encourage the public to stop by and see the art display and to help show your support for our local NICU staff and UNCA students.

Boys' soccer makes playoffs

The North Buncombe High School boys' soccer team will host South Point at 7 pm on Wednesday in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 3-A playoffs.