Halloween safety tips from BCSO

Sheriff Van Duncan reminds all Buncombe County residents to follow these safety tips:

Motorists:

* Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.

* Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.

* Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.

* At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

Parents:

* Make sure that an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising the outing for children under age 12.

* Check the sex offender registry at www.ncdoj.gov when planning your child’s trick-or-treat route. You can view maps that pinpoint registered offenders’ addresses in your neighborhood, and sign up to get email alerts when an offender moves nearby.

* Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children's companions.

* Make sure older kids trick-or-treat in a group.

* Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.

* Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger's home.

* Establish a return time.

* Tell your youngsters not to eat any treat until they return home.

* Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian/traffic safety rules.

* All children need to know their home telephone number and how to call 9-1-1 in case of emergency.

* Pin a slip of paper with the child's name, address and telephone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

Costume Design:

* Only fire-retardant materials should be used for costumes.

* Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.

* Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard.

* Make sure that shoes fit well to prevent trips and falls.

* If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light colored materials. Strips of retro-reflective tape should be used to make children visible.

Face Design:

* Do not use masks as they can obstruct a child's vision. Use facial make-up instead.

* When buying special Halloween makeup, check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled "Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives," "Laboratory Tested," "Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics," or "Non-Toxic." Follow manufacturer's instruction for application.

* If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eye holes.

Accessories:

 * Knives, swords and other accessories should be made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.

* Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.

* Carrying flashlights with fresh batteries will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

While Trick-or-Treating:

* Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.

* Walk; do not run, from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards.

* Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.

* Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic if there are no sidewalks.

Treats:

* Give children an early meal before going out.

* Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.

* Wash fruit and slice it into small pieces.

* Throw away any candy that is unwrapped or partially wrapped, or has a strange odor, color or texture.

Homeowners/Decorations:

* Keep candles and Jack O' Lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame.

* Remove obstacles from lawns, steps and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.

* Keep candles and Jack O' Lanterns away from curtains, decorations and other combustibles that could catch fire.

* Do not leave your house unattended.

"Halloween is a fun time in Buncombe County,”  Duncan concluded, "But let’s make it a safe time as well. The major dangers are not from witches or spirits but rather from falls and pedestrian/car crashes"

Storyteller coming to Marshall

The Madison County Arts Council presents a special storytelling workshop and performance with renowned teller Connie Regan-Blake from 1 pm to 5 pm on Saturday, Oct. 29.  The workshop fee is $60 and includes a ticket to the evening performance. Madison and Buncombe County teachers can participate at a reduced fee of $50 and can receive CEU credits for attending.

Regan-Blake will be presenting her workshop entitled "Ghouls, Goblins, and Ghosts: A Workshop on Telling Scary Stories."  During the workshop you will learn a story to tell for Halloween or around the campfire, nurture deep listening skills, explore appropriate stories for different ages, practice ‘embodying’ your stories and discover your innate capacity as a storyteller. 

She will also be in concert that evening at 7:30 pm.  Tickets for the evening performance, Out of the Grave: Chilling Ghost Stories and More are $10.  She will be joined by performance poets Rodney Bowling and Cindy Trisler.  This show is recommended for teens and adults.  No children please!  Call (828) 649-1301 for more information or visit www.madisoncountyarts.com.

News from North Buncombe's FFA chapter

On Oct. 6-8, the North Buncombe Future Farmers of America chapter participated in the Madison County Fair. Members capitalized on an opportunity to show market lambs, dairy goats and beef heifers competitively.

Josie Johnson showed her Alpine Dairy Goat and finished second in her class. Natalie Ball, Caleb Gillespie, and Cole Gillespie participated in the beef heifer show will Ball winning her class. High school FFA members who showed market lambs included Taylor Bishop, Bailey Strub, Jennifer Lopresti, Jonathan Ball, Shane Sluder, Matthew Young, Justin Crain, Emily Sprinkle and Brynn Shaver. Middle school members were Jacob Burleson, Dylan Kiser, Brook Wheeler and Jarrett Meyers. Elementary school students Charlie Burleson, Caleb Gillespie and Cole Gillespie also participated. In Class 2, Strub placed first, Lopresti placed second and Crain placed third. In Class 3, Sprinkle placed first, Shaver placed second and Sluder placed fourth. In Class 4, Kiser placed first, and Meyers placed second. In Class 5, Charlie Burleson placed first, Bishop placed second and Young placed fourth. In Class 6, Jacob Burleson placed first. Jacob Burleson’s lamb was named Grand Champion Market Lamb and Wheeler was named Reserve Champion.

On Oct. 4, the North Buncombe High FFA Forestry Team went to Dupont Forest to compete in the 2011 Regional Forestry Career Development Event. The competition was segmented into four different parts, including tree identification, measuring for pulpwood cutting, measuring for saw log production and identification of tools used in the forestry industry. Students had to be able to identify 40 different species of trees, use a Biltmore stick for proper saw timber and pulp wood estimation and identify 40 different tools used in the forestry and natural resource industry.  The team placed 11^th out of 17 teams in the Western Region. Senior team members were Sluder, Bishop, Bill Barrett and Becca Pope. Julie Maxwell and Gaige Cassada participated as junior individuals. High scoring member of the senior team was Barrett, placing 11^th out of the entire region.

Local manufacturer gets national pub

Release from Mills Manufacturing...

North Asheville defense contractor Mills Manufacturing is featured on the cover in the fall Manufacturing Today trade publication. Manufacturing Today is a quarterly magazine with nearly 40,000 readers throughout North America. The magazine selected Mills for the cover story based on the company’s passion for quality and position as a world leader in production of military parachutes.

“We were honored when we got the call from the writer at Manufacturing Today,” said John Oswald, president of Mills Manufacturing. “And we were very excited that we were selected for the cover. It’s a testament to our skilled employees and our quality process.”

The article provides an overview of the company’s products such as parachute systems and ancillary items, and details production capabilities. A major focus is on Mills’ quality process—the company is ISO 9001-certified, following its own quality assurance program on top of protocols set by the US government. Part of the quality assurance includes lean manufacturing processes with continuous improvement goals.

Mills Manufacturing produces high quality parachutes and related components for military use, including airborne troop and cargo parachutes, extraction and deceleration parachutes and related components. The company—in business since 1935—serves all branches of the U.S. military and more than 65 foreign countries. For more information, visit www.millsmanufacturing.com.

Mars Hill College news

A number of area residents - including Weaverville's Walt Stroud, a 38-year employee of the college, were honored during a recent ceremony recognizing the longtime employees of Mars Hill College.

From the university:

Dr. Virginia Hart first came to Mars Hill College as a student in 1941, and except for additional studies, she has never left. She started teaching at the College in 1945, founded most of the College’s women’s athletic teams, and retired in 1985 after forty years. Bored and missing the vitality of the campus, she returned in 1998 to work part-time in the cafeteria where she quickly established herself as “The Omelet Lady.” Now, with over 90,000 omelets behind her–as well as another thirteen years–she is still going strong, holding the longest record of employment of any employee in the College’s 155-year history. It was to honor Dr. Hart and 62 other employees with thirty or more years of service that a reception–“They came and they stayed!”–was recently given on campus by Mars Hill College’s Board of Trustees and President and Mrs. Dan Lunsford. Only one full-time employee has ever reached the 50-year mark: Nona Moore Roberts, Professor of French, who was also the daughter of the College's longest-tenured president, Dr. R. L. Moore, 41 years. Second in longevity of service was Frances Snelson who served 47 years as Assistant to Presidents Moore, Dr. Hoyt Blackwell, and Dr. Fred Bentley. Closing in on those records are two current employees: groundskeeper Vernon Carver at 46 years and secretary Sylvia Murphey at 44 years. Murphey who came to the College at age 21 said she had no idea she'd spend her whole career in Mars Hill and then added, "My association with the people at Mars Hill College has been special. They care." Indeed, the caring atmosphere became a leitmotif of the program as each of the 63 honorees was recognized briefly by Paige Faircloth, president of the Student Government Association; Mike Groce, Chair of the Board of Trustees; Jim Brown, Chair of the Faculty; Cindy Frost, Chair of the Staff Personnel Committee; and by President Lunsford.

* Also, the school named its 2011 Homecoming Queen and King recently. Brittany Hazeldine replaced the 2010 queen, Weaverville resident Megan Weaver.

From the university:

Brittany Hazeldine of Huntington, WV has been selected 2011 Mars Hill College homecoming queen by the student body. Brittany was crowned during half-time festivities of the homecoming football game at Mars Hill College, held Saturday, October 8. Brittany is a senior musical theatre major, and is active in a number of campus activities including Student Ambassadors, Gamma Chi Epsilon Christian sorority, Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society, The MHC Outdoor Club and blueprint Christian club. Also at the homecoming game, Jameson Donnell of Greensboro, NC was crowned homecoming king. Jameson is a senior sociology major with a concentration in criminal justice. He is the Student Government Association Chief of Defense and a Student Challenger. He is also involved in Christian Student Movement and the Black Student Association. Jameson and Brittany were crowned by the 2010 homecoming king and queen: Christopher “Kit” Powell and Megan Weaver.

Flu clinic coming to North Windy Ridge

The Buncombe County Department of Health would like for everyone to get a flu shot wherever it is most convenient for them. To help make that a little easier, the Department of Health, in partnership with Maxim Healthcare, is taking flu clinics to seven schools throughout the county. Because of this, the Department of Health will NOT have a flu clinic at the mall this year. Flu vaccine clinics, for anyone 6 months of age and above, will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at the following locations: October 10 Owen Middle School October 11 AC Reynolds High School October 12 TC Roberson High School October 13 Asheville Middle School October 17 North Windy Ridge October 18 Enka Middle School October 19 Erwin High School Flu shots will be $24, and flu mist will be available for $29. Payment may be made by cash or check; however credit cards may not be used. Most insurance carriers will be accepted, including Medicaid and Medicare Part B, if the cards are presented. Children through 18 years of age, who are not covered by insurance, may qualify for a flu shot at no cost.

Gas prices lowering

Gas prices in North Buncombe and elsewhere have been trending down in recent weeks. The average price of gasoline nationwide $3.433 and $3.356 in the lower Atlantic region, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In Weaverville and Woodfin, gas prices are hover somewhere around $3.25 to $3.35. While those prices represent a nearly .70 cent drop for a high of roughly $4.00 in May of this year, it is still around 70 cents higher than prices at this time last year.

Local book is released

Tracey Pacelli, a Woodfin author featured in Vol. 9, No. 32 issue of the Tribune, is releasing her book Time Warped. It was just released by Gypsy Shadow Publishing (www.gypshadow.com) and can be purchased at your an ebook store or at her site at: www.timewarped.net. Print books will be available shortly It is also profiled through Oct. 7 at booksonboard.com. Time Warped tells the story of an angsty teen who finds herself in a time loop where she meets her mother in 1969 in an insane asylum.