The North Buncombe Optimist Club is selling Christmas trees again this year at the ACE Hardware Shopping Center on Weaver Blvd. Hours are Monday-Friday, Noon-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sundays, 1-8 p.m. Trees cost $35-$55 each. They’ll be there until the last tree is sold. Proceeds go towards scholarships for North Buncombe High School students.

Several area World War II veterans left this morning for Washington, DC on a chartered jet to tour various sites, including their memorial (pictured above) and Arlington National Cemetery, as part of the HonorAir program. The Weaverville Rotary Club, along with other area Rotary clubs, is providing this opportunity, at no charge to the veterans, to honor these individuals for their service. Funds for the 9 WWII veterans and 3 guardians sponsored by Weaverville came from the Rotary Club’s flag program.  The Asheville Regional Airport (708 Airport Road, Fletcher ) has invited everyone to meet these Veterans at the airport to welcome them back home. Visitors may park in Short-Term parking (the first 20 minutes are free) and greet the Veterans in the main airport terminal. Estimated arrival time is 7-7:15 p.m.

North Buncombe Optimist Club President Wayne Higgins stands in front of some of the trees the club is selling in this year’s annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the Christmas Tree Sale go towards scholarships for North Buncombe High School students. The Club will be selling the trees every day, including Thanksgiving Day, until they’re all gone. You can find them in the front of ACE Hardware parking lot on Weaver Blvd, and hours are Monday-Friday, Noon-8 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Sundays, 1-8 p.m. Trees cost $35-$55 each.

The North Buncombe Optimist Club, in existence since 1970, meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month at the Masonic Lodge. Anyone interested in becoming a member should contact Wayne at 645-4021.

The Weaverville Rotary Club asked me to publish this thank you to those who sponsored the 2008 American Flag Program.  The club, through this program and its sponsors, lines Main Street and Weaver Blvd with American flags on certain holidays and special occassions, including today, Veteran’s Day.

The Weaverville Rotary Club wishes to thank the various businesses, groups & individuals whose 2008 sponsorship of the flags make this program possible, please let them know you appreciate their support. Their contributions will also be used to help sponsor some WWII veterans from the North Buncombe area on a planned Honor Air Flight to Washington DC in the spring of 2009.

Ace Hardware – Weaverville
Beverly-Hanks & Associates – Weaverville
Blue Mountain Pizza
Bojangles’ – Weaverville
Bolinger Dentistry
Brank Insurance Agency
Brown’s Floral Design
Crystal Vision
Cole Vending
Curtis Wright Outfitters
De La Terre
Dr. Nicole Ogg
Dry Ridge Appraisal & Central Barber Shop
Dry Ridge Inn
Edward Jones – Weaverville
General Equipment Rental
HomeTrust Bank – Weaverville
Joe & Sue Wheeler
Locus Grove Ladies Friendship Class
McMahan & Associates
MyWeaverville.com
Peregrine Properties
Plaza Xpress Lube – Weaverville
Preservation Hall
Quality America
Robert & Priscilla Sheppard
Rodney’s Auto Service
Secret Garden Inn & Spa
Subway – Weaverville
SunTrust Bank – Weaverville
Tammy Allison – State Farm Ins.
Weaverville Drug Company
Weaverville Eye Associates
Weaverville Tribune
West Funeral Home
Wilder Wadford & Bill Barnes

The program is open to individuals, groups or business sponsors. If you are interested in sponsoring a flag, please contact Darcy Willis at Preservation Hall, 115 N. Main Street, 645-1047, or the Weaverville Rotary Club at PO Box 283, Weaverville, NC 28787. Contributions are tax deductible and support various activities for our local schools & the community. First time sponsorship is $100/year and ongoing support is $75/year.

On Friday, September 19 the Weaverville Rotary Club will be hosting its 12th Annual Golf Tournament, to be held at the Reems Creek Golf Course (36 Pink Fox Cove Road ).  Registration begins at Noon with a 1 p.m. shotgun start.  Cost is $100 per person with a generous portion of this year’s proceeds going to North Buncombe Samaritan Ministries.  For more information, please contact LaNita Cloninger 658-0649.

The Kiwanis Club of North Buncombe presents the Fifteenth Annual Firecracker 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk, to be held on Friday, July 4. The 5K Run starts at 8 a.m. and the 1-Mile Fun Walk begins at 8:30 a.m. The start and finish lines for both is at the RBC Centura Bank on Weaver Blvd.

Each participant who pre-registers will receive a specially designed, 100% cotton T-Shirt. 5K awards will also be presented to overall Male and Female Finishers and to the top three Males and Females in each of the following age groups: 12 and under, 13-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70 and over.

Proceeds from the race provide scholarships for North Buncombe Students planning to attend a College or Technical School. Entry fees are $20 before June 4 and $25 after June 4. You can register online or download the registration form and mail it to the Kiwanis Club of North Buncombe (their address is on the form). For more information, call Pete at 645-0332 or e-mail KiwanisRace@att.net.