I’ve started creating some widgets which will allow you to easily add MyWeaverville.com Headlines on your own website, blog, or social networking page. Widgets are small pieces of code you add to your site which are controlled by another party, in this case the headlines I post on MyWeaverville.com. Once you add the HTML code to your site you don’t have to do anything else — it’ll update automatically. You can get the code here: www.widgetbox.com/widget/weaverville-north-carolina-online-guide

Here’s what this widget looks like. It’s a working version, so you can play around with it to see how it works:

If you want to put this on your site but you’re having trouble getting it to work correctly, let me know and I’ll do what I can to help.

This week’s North Buncombe High School Sports Update, provided by Kim Morelock of the North Buncombe Hawk Club:

Tonight (Wednesday, April 30) Tomorrow (Thursday, May 1) is Senior night for girls soccer as they host Asheville High. JV starts at 5:00pm and Varsity at 7:00pm. There’s also a nice article on Kirsten Girardi in today’s Citizen-Times.

The three-day Mountain Athletic Conference baseball tournament kicks off Thursday with three games. Tuscola will travel to North Buncombe and Asheville High will host Erwin in two first-round games at 4:30 p.m., while Roberson plays Franklin in Skyland at 7 p.m. MAC regular-season champion Enka will face the North Buncombe-Tuscola winner on Friday at 4:30 p.m. followed by the second semifinal game. Both those games will be played at Roberson as will Monday’s championship game, which begins at 7 p.m.

Art Accents Frame Shop is offering a reduced price on Senior Memory frames for North Buncombe High School seniors and their families who order by May 10. Here’s the details:

Art Accents Frame Shop is offering a reduced price on custom “senior memory” frames to all NBHS seniors and their families. Order in advance to receive the special price of $65.00, with $10.00 of each frame sold going to support the NBHS Odyssey of the Mind team. This is a great way to preserve your senior memories for years to come. A sample is available for viewing in the school office. All orders must be placed and prepaid by May 10th to receive this special offer.

To order stop by Art Accents Frame Shop on 1 South Main Street OR call 658-9133 to order by phone with debit or credit card OR mail a check to Art Accents; 1 South Main Street, Weaverville, NC 28787.

Then, just bring your invitation and photos by the shop and we will take care of the rest. All orders will be finished before graduation.

This event is not taking place in Weaverville, but Weaverville resident (and Ingles dietitian) Leah McGrath will be part of the cooking demo. The event is a fund raiser for Mission Hospital’s Breast Program

Please join us for In Good Company, a day of events designed by and for women on May 12 at Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Whether you enjoy a healthier lifestyle by playing golf or tennis or cooking smart, we have an activity that may interest you.

Golfers – Enjoy one of the country’s best courses at the Grove Park Inn in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The day begins with an 8 AM shotgun start, 18-holes of Captain’s Choice golf, followed by an awards ceremony and lunch at the Club House. Fees are $150 per golfer. Reservations are limited and filling up quickly. Call 213-1009.

Tennis Players - Test your skills against area women in this doubles round-robin tournament. Tennis starts at 10 AM, followed by an awards ceremony and lunch at the Club House. There are only 24 openings for tennis. Fees are $100. Call 213-1009.

Cooking Enthusiasts - Join emcee Suzanne Hudson and learn how to make cancer smart meals from Grove Park Inn Executive Chef David Rowland, Executive Sous Chef Scott Schronce and Executive Pastry Chef Aaron Morgan and Ingles-Markets corporate dietitian Leah McGrath. Then while you enjoy your cancer-smart lunch learn about developments in breast cancer diagnosis and treatments from Kellie Condra, MD a radiation oncologist and medical director of the Breast Program at Mission Hospitals and Helen Wiest, MD, radiologist and medical director of Asheville Radiology’s Breast Center . The cooking demonstration starts at 11:00 AM. Fees are $50 per person. Call 213-1009 to make your reservation.

The Other Side of the Mountain is a once-a-month fine dining event brought to you by Blue Mountain Pizza. It’s always the third Monday of the month, has limited seating, and requires an advance reservation. Reservations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, and they’ve been selling out so if you’re interested I recommend making yours sooner rather than later. An online reservation request form and the monthly menu can be found on the Monday Dinners page of their website. The dinner costs $45 per person, excluding drinks, tax, and gratuity.

Here’s the menu for the May dinner, which will be held on May 19:

The Other Side of the Mountain Menu
May 19th, 2008
Seating between 6:30 to 7 pm

Appetizer
Beef Carpaccio with an Artichoke Anti-pasta in a cabbage wrap.

Salad
Tomato Mozz-Vine ripe tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, organic basil, and Theros extra virgin olive oil.

Entrée
Speckled Tout in Parchment served over summer ratatouille and wild rice cake.
or
Roasted Duck Breast over spinach and roasted red pepper orzo with fried portabella fingers and topped with a berry bordelaise.

Dessert
Chocolate Hazelnut Galette

The North Buncombe High School Blackhawk Band is hosting their 2nd Annual Car Show Saturday, May 17.  It will be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the North Buncombe High School (890 Clark’s Chapel Road).   Enter your car or truck for just $10, or come by and vote on your favorite in each class.  Donations will be accepted for admission, and all proceeds go the North Buncombe Blackhawk Band.  Visit www.blackhawkband.com/carshow.htm for more information or to pre-register or contact Bobby Collins at 216-7435.

Maggie B’s Wine & Specialty Store hosts a Spanish Wine Tasting 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 2.

This week we will have Dionysus Wine Distributors showcasing some of their wines. We just got in some absolutely delicious wines and can’t wait to see what you think!

For information call Maggie B’s at 645-1111.  They’re located at 113 North Main Street.

This morning I posted an alert from the National Weather Service about a frost advisory for our area. That has now been canceled and replaced with a Freeze Warning.

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a freeze warning, which is in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. EDT Wednesday for the mountains of North Carolina. The frost advisory is no longer in effect.

The center of a cold air mass will settle over the southern Appalachian region tonight. The combination of mostly clear skies, light winds, and dry air will allow low temperatures to fall to around freezing across the mountains of the North Carolina. A freeze warning means sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation.

There’s a Weaverville Town Council and Asheville City Council workshop scheduled for 5 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, April 29) at the Asheville Public Works Facility at 5 p.m. The Town Calendar has this as the agenda:

Weaverville Town Council and Asheville City Council Workshop will meet at the Asheville Public Works Facility located on South College Street in Asheville to discuss issue of common concern.

Word is those issues of common concern include growth issues, water issues and annexation. The Public Works Facility is located at 161 South College Street in Asheville.

From the National Weather Service:

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg has issued a frost advisory for Buncombe County, which is in effect from 1 am to 9 am EDT Wednesday.

The center of a cold air mass will settle over the southern Appalachian region tonight. The combination of mostly clear sky cover, light winds, and dry air will allow low temperatures to fall near record lows. Temperatures are forecast to range from 33 to 35 within the valleys and near freezing across the higher elevations of the North Carolina mountains. These temperatures will promote the formation of frost across the mountains and possibly a light freeze above 3500 feet.

A frost advisory means that frost is possible. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

UPDATE: The frost advisory has been replaced with a Freeze warning. Details here…

MegaVote is provided by Congress.org as a means of tracking your elected officials most recent and upcoming votes. To subscribe and receive this weekly vote monitor in your own inbox, sign up at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/megavote/.

Recent Senate Votes

Cloture Motion; Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 Vote Rejected (56-42, 2 Not Voting) The Senate fell short of the sixty votes necessary to proceed to debate on H.R. 2831, a bill that effectively overturns a recent Supreme Court decision concerning pay discrimination litigation. Sen. Richard Burr voted NO……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Elizabeth Dole voted NO……send e-mail or see bio Veterans’ Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007 Vote Passed (96-1, 3 Not Voting) The Senate passed this comprehensive veterans? benefits bill, which includes a provision to provide a limited pension for Filipino World War II veterans. Sen. Richard Burr voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Elizabeth Dole voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 Vote Passed (95-0, 5 Not Voting) The Senate unanimously agreed to a measure that would prohibit employers and health insurance issuers from discriminating against individuals on the basis of their genetic information. Sen. Richard Burr voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Sen. Elizabeth Dole voted YES……send e-mail or see bio

Recent House Votes

Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008 Vote Passed (349-62, 20 Not Voting) The House voted to place a year-long moratorium on the implementation of several new Medicaid rules. Rep. Heath Shuler voted YES……send e-mail or see bio SBIR/STTR Reauthorization Act Vote Passed (368-43, 20 Not Voting) The House voted to reauthorize through 2010 the Small Business and Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Rep. Heath Shuler voted YES……send e-mail or see bio Coast Guard Authorization for 2008 Vote Passed (395-7, 29 Not Voting) The House approved this $8.4 billion bill authorizing Coast Guard programs and spending. Rep. Heath Shuler voted YES……send e-mail or see bio

Upcoming Votes

FAA Reauthorization Act - H.R.2881 The Senate is expected to work on this bill to modernize the nation?s air traffic control system. Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Act of 2008 - H.R.5522 The House is scheduled to vote on this bill that would require occupational safety and health standards regarding worker exposure to combustible dust. Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act - H.R.493 The House is also likely to vote on this bill, which just passed the Senate last week.

If you’ve noticed more cyclists around the Weaverville area, they just might be training for the first annual Wheel Ride for Food. The event will benefit Meals on Wheels of Asheville-Buncombe County and riders will travel through downtown Weaverville, Reems Creek Road, and UP Ox Creek Road to the Parkway.

The first annual Wheel Ride For Food Cycling event to benefit Meals On Wheels of Asheville-Buncombe County will be held in conjunction with the Mountain Sports Festival on May 31 at 8:30 a.m. at Carrier Park in Asheville. The metric century (64 miles) and half-century rides will take both beginner and advanced-level cyclists on a challenging scenic tour through Asheville’s river district northward through Marshall, Weaverville, Woodfin, Ox Creek and downtown Asheville. The century ride features over 5,180 feet of climbing! Registration and further information can be found at our website www.WheelRideForFood.org or contact Development Director Terri Bowman at 253-5286.

They also need volunteers in Weaverville to man the rest stops during the event. Local stops will be located at the Weaverville Fire Department and at the intersection of Ox Creek Road/Blue Ridge Parkway. Volunteers will assist the cyclists as they arrive with refilling water bottles and replenishing the snacks, and the task of setting up and breaking down of the rest area. All snacks will be made in advance, though there may be some mixing of sports drinks volunteers will have to tend to. E-mail Aubry at aubry.good@mowabc.org if you’re interested in volunteering. You can also find all the volunteer opportunities available during the race on the Volunteer page of their website.

You may have noticed donation jars and flyers around town for a young girl named Alysa. Alysa and her family are actually in Virginia, but she is also the great niece of Weaverville resident Jessica Coates. Jessica is trying to help the family with a fund raising effort to assist with medical bills. Why do they need help? Alysa suffers from a rare genetic disorder called Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD). There is no cure at this time for MLD, only research involving bone-marrow transplant and stem cell. Children Alysa’s age with this disorder normally do not live past the age of 5.

Your thoughts, prayers, and, if you wish, your donations, are appreciated.  A website has been set up at www.caringbridge.org/visit/angels4alysa. For more information or if you’d like to help please contact Jessica at 230-8043.

Christ United Methodist Church hosts a Healing Prayer 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.  The church invites worshippers to come for the full hour or at any time during the hour.  Christ United Methodist Church is located at 81 Garrison Branch Road.

May happenings at the Weaverville Library. For more information about any event, call the library at 250-6482. They’re located at 41 North Main Street.

PM Book Club: Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight
Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m.
The book to be discussed is “Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight” by Alexandra Fuller. All interested readers are welcome to attend.

AM Book Club: The Pleasure Was Mine with Author Tommy Hays
Wednesday, May 7, 12:30 p.m.
The book to be discussed is “The Pleasure Was Mine” by Tommy Hays. The author will join us for this special book discussion. All interested readers are welcome to attend.

Mayan Culture: Then and Now
Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m.
George Stuart, president of the Center for Maya Research, will present a talk at the Weaverville Library on Mayan architecture and culture. Mr. Stuart was recently featured on the PBS series Nova’s documentary “Cracking the Maya Code” and has the largest library on Maya culture, archaeology, and literature in the world. He retired after 30 years at the National Geographic Society where he was an editor, designer and cartographer. Sponsored by the Friends of the Weaverville Library.

BIG Used Book Sale
Saturday, May 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Come to the Weaverville Library on Saturday, May 24 for a BIG library used book sale. The sale will be from 10am-3pm and feature a wide selection of books for adults and kids at great prices. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the Friends of the Weaverville Library.