Bakersville Creek Walk Arts Festival

The Bakersville Creek Walk Arts Festival Organizing Committee and the City of Bakersville, NC are happy to announce the seventh annual Bakersville Creek Walk Arts Festival on Sept. 24 in historic Bakersville. The festival will feature juried exhibitors from North Carolina and throughout the southeastern United States and will further establish Bakersville as a destination for individuals seeking fine art and craft.

We would like to invite local artists and craftsmen to apply for space at this year's show. Spaces are $75 and the application fee is $10. The jurying committee will require a CD with three images of your work and one of your booth set-up. Tents are recommended in the event of bad weather.

Entry deadline is Aug. 15.

You may obtain an application via:
Email: bakersvillefestival@gmail.com
Or by contacting our Festival Coordinator: Dawn Dalto at 828.216.9929

Rooster adoption

"An Enchanted Animal Affaire," the Weaverville Business Association's spring/early summer campaign that will see locally crafted roosters populate area storefronts, gets under way tonight.

Monday, April 18, 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm, Weaverville Town Hall (Light snacks and beverages will be provided)

Rooster adoption – Artists will drop by to pick up roosters from Weaverville Town Hall from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm. Sponsor businesses will also congregate to draw from a deck of cards that will determine which rooster will reside in their business from mid-May to mid-June.

Shakespeare auditions

The Montford Park Players, North Carolina’s longest running Shakespeare Festival, is pleased to announce that auditions for The Asheville Shakesperience, our resident repertory company, will be held Saturday, April 30, from 10-1 and Sunday, May 1 from 1-4 at the Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre.

According to Kirstin Daniel, this year’s director: “The 2011 Asheville Shakesperience will be an exciting journey of the human spirit. We will present famous and maybe some not-so-famous scenes and monologues of William Shakespeare’s women. From being young and in love, to mature love. We will explore familial relationships, the growth and potential of men and women, retribution and regret, to motherhood and finally redemption and the potential of each human life. I hope you will consider auditioning for this exciting and deeply personal work to share with the Western North Carolina community!”

Looking for: 5 women and 5 men:
1-2 women age 40+; 1-2 men age 40+
3-4 women age 18+; 3-4 men age 18+ …(No children for this show)

Come prepared (memorized) with a Shakespearean monologue of your choice. 10-20 lines is all you need. Be prepared to work on this, and possibly some cold readings. Bring your headshot and resume if you have them; if not, don’t worry; it’s not required. Reservations for audition times are not required.

If you have further questions, contact us at info@montfordparkplayers.org or call 254-5146.

Shuler release on possible government shutdown

If Congress fails to pass a Continuing Resolution prior to midnight April 8, 2011, appropriations will lapse and the federal government will shutdown.

The possibility of a governmental shutdown has left millions of Americans with questions about what a government shutdown means and how it will affect them.

The District and Washington, DC offices of Rep. Shuler will remain open and staffed to assist constituents with any questions they have regarding the shutdown or and to resolve any problems that arise due to the shutdown to the best of our ability.

While there are still many questions regarding how each federal agency and department will operate during a shutdown, we can provide the following information.

Why Would the Federal Government Shutdown:

If a funding bill is not signed into law by midnight, April 8, there will be a “lapse in appropriation,” which means there are no appropriated funds to pay for an agency or program.

What Federal Services will be Affected:

During a shutdown of the federal government all functions not essential to the protection of the safety of human life and property – like the military, the FBI, and air traffic controllers – are required to cease operations or limit them to a minimum operational level.

How May a Shutdown Affect You:

While federal agencies are required by law to have “draft” shutdown plans in place, these plans have not yet been made public. However, with guidance from the Congressional Research Service and experiences from previous shutdowns, we can provide the following information:

Social Security: Social Security does not rely upon annual appropriations for funding, so Social Security payments will NOT be affected by a shutdown. However, the processing of new claims will likely be delayed.

IRS: Tax forms must still be postmarked by Monday, April 18th. Refunds may be delayed.

Medicare: Medicare benefits will NOT be affected during a shutdown, so those currently participating in the program should not see a change in services. The processing of new claims will likely be delayed.

VA Services: VA Hospitals and Clinics will remain open and disability payments will still be paid. The processing of new claims will likely be delayed.

National Parks: The National Park Service will be affected by a shutdown. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway may be impacted. Those with trips to Washington, DC planned should expect museums and monuments to be closed.

Passports and Visas: It is likely that requests for passports and visas will NOT be processed during a shutdown of the federal government. U.S. Embassies abroad will remain open to serve American citizens.

Dangers of Tobacco seminar

Buncombe County Schools is the recipient of grant funding from the Health and Wellness Trust Fund for tobacco prevention. As part of that grant, the schools will be hosting Rick Bender, an oral cancer survivor, as a guest speaker at several schools on April 5 & 6. Bender is a dynamic national speaker and former major league baseball player who travels talking mainly to school kids on the dangers of using tobacco, especially spit tobacco. He will speak at 8:15 am on Wednesday (April 6) at North Buncombe High School.