Reems Creek Valley Nursery will be hosting Holiday Wreath Workshops 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, November 2.  Learn how to make a bow, a grapevine wreath or create your own simple swag.  Cost is $7 for materials, or you can watch for free.  Call 645-3937 to pre-register.  Reems Creek Nursery is located at 70 Monticello Road.

Beginning November 19, Ace Hardware will be open a little longer.  Their new hours:

Monday - Friday:  8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday:  8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday:  10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Ace Hardware is located at 61 Weaver Boulevard.

There’s just a few weeks left to donate to Weaverville’s Cops for Kids Toy Drive.  The Weaverville Police Department has partnered with businesses, schools, civic organizations, and citizens to help some needy families this Christmas season.  To donate, drop off a new, unwrapped gift to the Weaverville Police Department (30 South Main Street) before December 8.  You can drop items off during their regular hours, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or call 645-5700 after hours and an officer will meet you to accept your donations.

They will also be accepting donations December 8 at Ingles on Weaver Boulevard. A Police Officer will be there with the Police Department’s Crime Prevention trailer Noon-4 p.m.

For more information, call the Police Department at 645-5700.

Thursday, November 22 marks Blue Mountain Pizza’s 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Dinner. They will open their doors from Noon-3 p.m. to provide a free thanksgiving dinner for anyone who might otherwise be alone, in need or just looking for a social place to go on the holiday. Dinner includes turkey, dressing, and all the trimmings. They already have enough volunteers to work this year, but if you’re interested in helping in some way see one of their management team for information.  Blue Mountain Pizza is located at 55 North Main Street.

Preservation Hall has received another shipment of great doors from North East this week, and will have an inventory reduction sale on all doors through the end of the year.  They sent photos of a few of the new doors they’ve received, but there’s more to be found at the store.

If you want to check out their new shipment, stop by within the next few days, or you’ll have to wait a week.  They will be closed Sunday, November 18 - Monday, November 26 for the Thanksgiving holiday.  Darcy asked me to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving from the Willis family. 

View of the upcoming Northridge Commons development, taken from Hamburg Mountain. 

Christ United Methodist Church will host the annual Community Thanksgiving Service 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 18. The service will feature guests from Weaverville churches and a combined choir from the community will provide music.  Church United Methodist Church is located at 81 Garrison Branch Road.

Curtis Wright Outfitters will be running their Thanksgiving Sale starting Thursday, November 15 through Saturday, November 24.  All clothing and shoes will be 20%-40% off.  Curtis Wright Outfitters is located at 24 North Main Street.

If you don’t know what wine to pair with the turkey, sweet potatoes, and mom’s green bean casserole, Maggie B’s can help.  Their Thanksgiving Wine Tasting, featuring wines to go with your holiday meal, will be 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 17. 

Maggie B’s is located at 113 North Main Street.  They will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

A little late in getting this out, but the Salem United Methodist Church is having its Fall BBQ Fundraiser 4-6 p.m. today (Saturday, November 10).  Plates are $6.  Salem UMC is located at 9 Salem Church Road (in the Flat Creek area).

The Weaverville Music Study Club will present a free program, “Jane and Jerry: Recorder Duo” 7:30 p.m. Friday, November 16 at the Weaverville First Baptist Church fellowship hall.  For more information, call 645-5798.

The First Baptist Church is located at 63 North Main Street.

North Buncombe football hosts Franklin in the 3-AA Playoffs 7:30 p.m. tonight (Friday, November 9) at North Buncombe Blackhawk Stadium.  This is the first time since 1995 North Buncombe is hosting a playoff game.  If watching high school football in cold weather is your thing, this is definitely the game for you.  North Buncombe beat Franklin earlier this year 31-23.  Despite this, their regular season records (North Buncombe was 8-3, Franklin was 6-5), and their playoff rankings (North Buncombe is ranked #7, Franklin is ranked #10), the Citizen-Times is picking Franklin to win by 1.  My biased self picks North Buncombe by 7.

Update, as well as proof I should never bet on football: 
Franklin 21, North Buncombe 20.

You may have read last week’s article in The Weaverville Tribune about how Weaverville’s crime rate is higher than Woodfin’s (I would link to it, but the Tribune doesn’t post its articles online).  That news didn’t sit well with our Police Chief.  This week’s Tribune features an article about a letter Police Chief Greg Stephens wrote taking issue with those statistics and providing the true facts as reported by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.  It’s on page 8, but the entire letter isn’t visible on the page, so with his permission, I am linking to a copy of that letter here: Chief Stephens Letter about Crime Rate (PDF, 134kb).

In his letter Stephens references a specific section of the NCSBI website, which you can view here.

Another note about crime here: Chief Stephens said there was no vandalism, damage or other criminal misbehavior reported to them or detected by their officers on Halloween. He says this is the first Halloween in a long time so uneventful, which he attributes to the Department’s high visibility patrols. 

Ace Hardware is having a “Thank You Sale” on Saturday, November 10. When you go to the store you’ll get a 17″x11-3/4″ shopping bag. You receive a 20% discount on anything you can get in the bag, with some restrictions (of course). Details are available on their website, www.acehardware.com.

Our local Ace Hardware store is located at 61-C Weaver Boulevard.