Saturday, May 10 is the day of the National Association of Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. To participate, place a bag or bags filled with non-perishable food items by your mailbox for your letter carrier to pick up on May 10. Letter carriers will deliver your donations to local food banks.

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.

The North Buncombe High School Odyssey of the Mind team has rescheduled their car wash fund raiser for tomorrow (Saturday, April 26), weather permitting. It will be held 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the McDonald’s parking lot on Weaver Blvd. They originally scheduled this fund raiser for the end of last month, but it was rained out. They’re raising money to pay for their trip to the Odyssey of the Mind State Competition, held on April 5.

Blue Mountain Pizza, North Star Diner, and Stoney Knob Cafe are among the more than 100 restaurants participating in this year’s Dining Out for Life on Thursday, April 24. On that day participating restaurants will donate 20% of the day’s proceeds to the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP). WNCAP is “dedicated to providing HIV related services to the people of Western North Carolina through client support, prevention education and outreach activities.” More information and a full list of participating restaurants is available on WNCAP’s Dining Out for Life page.

End of Grade testing will take place on Thursday, May 15, Friday, May 16 and Monday, May 19 at North Buncombe Middle School.  They need Proctors for all classrooms for all 3 days. Proctors will need to be at North Buncombe Middle School at 7:40 a.m. each morning and they should plan to stay until 11:00 a.m. If you can come in to help on 1, 2 or all 3 days, please contact their PTO Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Orench, at 683-6472 or email her at nancyo@wncCabin.com.

Update from the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens regarding the rescheduled concrete plant hearing. For more information contact Aaron at 645-9291.  I will post the time and location as soon as it is made available.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,
 
Last Monday, the Concrete plant proponents “writ of mandamus” – was heard in Court. They were trying to force us and the County to rehear their case in early April. 
 
The judge found that there was no reason to force a meeting in April and required that the County set the meeting in May.
 
In short, the concrete hearing will restart from the beginning. It will be held early Wednesday evening, May 14th, probably at 5:30, at either the North Buncombe Middle School or the North Buncombe High School.
 
Since the date was mandated by the court, it will not be rescheduled!!!!
 
It is more important than ever that as many people as possible show up. Please circle the date and time and start telling your friends and neighbors.
 
It has been wonderful to work with our attorneys (Gary Davis and Jamie Whitlock) but their time is expensive – even though they have agreed to cut their customary rate. Thanks to the many who have already donated to the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens.
 
If you haven’t yet sent a check, or, if you can afford to give again, please make a tax deductible contribution to the North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens and mail it c/o Martha Claxton, 240 Upper Flat Creek Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787.  We need to raise approximately $8,000 more to put on an effective defense at the upcoming hearing. This will pay for printing, expert witnesses, legal fees, and other misc. expenses. All of the many non professionals who have so generously given of their time have been working for free.

The Annual Weaverville Garden Club Rummage Sale will be held 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at the Weaverville United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall.

The Garden Club requests donations of books, plants, household items, clothes, baked goods, small furniture, small appliances, or crafts for their fund raising event. You can drop off your donations to the Weaverville United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on Friday, April 25, between 8:30 a.m. and Noon. All proceeds from the rummage sale go towards beautification projects for the town of Weaverville.

If you have any questions or need more information, call Cindy at 658-3089, Mickie at 645-4444, or Anna at 658-1154.

North Buncombe High School is asking for donated prom dresses for those students who cannot afford one. The school can use dresses of all sizes, but especially need sizes 14 and larger.  They are also collecting jewelry and formal shoes.  Items should be in good condition and clean.

Donations can be dropped off at the office of the school on 890 Clark’s Chapel Road. Office hours are usually 7:15 a.m.-4 p.m.  You can also make a monetary donation.  Checks should be made payable to North Buncombe High School.  For information call 645-4221.

The NBHS Prom is April 25.

Since this volunteer workday was rained out last Saturday, March 15, it will now take place on Saturday, March 22, beginning at 10 a.m. All other details remain the same:

The goal is to save the great white oak which has overlooked the town for centuries but is now in competition for rainfall from invasive exotic plants and young saplings.

Volunteers will help cut and pull the English Ivy from the old tree and clear its root zone of the heavy undergrowth, giving it a better chance at another 100 years. Volunteers should meet in the lower Town Hall parking lot at 10 a.m.. Wear jeans and sensible shoes, and bring work gloves, your favorite pruners, and a bottle of water. Participants automatically become members of the Weaverville Weed Team and will receive a commemorative color group photo with the spruced up tree if name and address are provided.

This community activity is sponsored by the Weaverville Tree Board, the Weaverville Garden Club, the Weaverville Weed Team, and Quality Forward.

If you’ve been to Blue Mountain Pizza recently, you’ve probably noticed the Weaverville Elementary School / Weaverville Primary School PTO Fund raiser money jar next to the cash register. Blue Mountain put out the donation jar with an offer to match all donations made. No word on the tally so far but it was looking pretty full last night.

Blue Mountain Pizza is also donating 10% of their receipts on Thursday, March 20 to the fund raiser. Doesn’t matter if it’s for lunch or dinner, or if it’s one slice of cheese pizza or 5 extra large Weavervegas pizzas, 10% is going to the PTO.

If you’re looking for an excuse not to cook tomorrow night, this sounds like a pretty good one.

The Great Asheville Buncombe Cleanup Kickoff is 9 a.m.-Noon on Saturday, April 5. Grab a group and some trash bags and hit the streets for a litter roundup.

Quality Forward will be passing out supplies (gloves, vests, and trash bags) from five Bojangles locations in the area, including the Weaverville location at 164 Weaver Boulevard (Merrimon, Tunnel, Patton, Candler, and 1578 Hendersonville Road are the others). Supplies will be passed out from 9 a..m.-Noon and Bojangles will provide breakfast to volunteers.

The Great Asheville Buncombe Cleanup is Quality Forward’s month-long emphasis on cleaning up Buncombe County for Spring. Typically held in April, it consists of cleanups and awareness-raising events throughout the county.

If you’re checking out Quality Forward, also take a look at their free Walking Guide to Asheville & Buncombe County.  It lists 20 walking trails in the area, including Weaverville’s Lake Louise.

A Volunteer Workday will be held at Main Street Nature Park beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 15.  The goal is to save the great white oak which has overlooked the town for centuries but is now in competition for rainfall from invasive exotic plants and young saplings. 

Volunteers will help cut and pull the English Ivy from the old tree and clear its root zone of the heavy undergrowth, giving it a better chance at another 100 years.  Volunteers should meet in the lower Town Hall parking lot.  Wear jeans and sensible shoes, and bring work gloves, your favorite pruners, and a bottle of water.  Participants automatically become members of the Weaverville Weed Team and will receive a commemorative color group photo with the spruced up tree if name and address are provided.

This community activity is sponsored by the Weaverville Tree Board, the Weaverville Garden Club, the Weaverville Weed Team, and Quality Forward.  In case of rain, the workday will be held one week later, on Saturday, March 22.

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive 1:30-6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25 at the Weaverville Fire Department. All donors will receive a free t-shirt and can enter a drawing for a cruise for two. Before you can donate, photo identification is required, you have to be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good general health. Appointments are not required but are encouraged. For more information or to make an appointment call 231-6894. The Fire Department is located at 3 Monticello Road.

A community gathering to discuss plans for the upcoming concrete plant public hearing will take place Saturday, March 1, beginning at 4:30 pm., at the Pohl-Zaretsky home.  The concrete plant public hearing remains scheduled for Noon on Wednesday, March 12.  If you are concerned about the proposed concrete plant on Murphy Hill Road, you should consider attending this gathering.  Please RSVP and get directions by calling 645-9291 or e-mailing pohlzaret@aol.com. 

Here’s the information Aaron provided me about the March 1 gathering.  If you need further details please contact him at the number or e-mail address listed above:

1. We will smoke a large turkey, provide tabouli (a middle eastern salad), and some dessert. If you are so inclined, please bring some food or beverage to add to the “stone soup”! If you can’t, please just bring yourselves and share the food and drink which I am sure will be plentiful.
2. All are welcome, don’t hesitate to bring children.
3. If the weather cooperates, we will have an outdoor bonfire.
4. We have limited parking by our home.  If you are able, please park at the field to the right of the driveway (it will be marked) and walk up the hill to our house.   If you choose to drive, please turn around at the top of the hill and park facing down hill.  You might want to offer folks walking up the hill a lift. (Directions available when you RSVP).
5. Dress informally and prepare to meet your neighbors and have a great time.
6. Please RSVP and let us know how many are in your party so we can prepare.

Several of you have already made generous contributions to North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens. If you have not and would like to do so, please mail your tax deductible contribution to Martha Claxton at 240 Upper Flat Creek Rd., Weaverville, NC 28787. 
 
This upcoming public hearing is by far our best (and least expensive) hope for making sure that the concrete plant is not built on the Murphy Hill site. If we do lose, we will have to appeal, and we can only appeal utilizing the facts that were introduced at the public hearing.  Numbers do count at the hearing so it is important that EVERYONE come to speak to register your concern - if only for a few moments.

The latest edition of the Mountain Xpress (Vol 14, Issue 25) contained an interesting commentary from Weaverville resident Randy Bassham.  Bassham has announced an initiative to “bring to Weaverville and north Buncombe a multipurpose athletic complex/community center”.  Plans are already in place and a location has been chosen (the property at Murphy Hill Road, instead of the proposed concrete plant).  Now it’s time to gather more community support.  You can read the entire commentary here, http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2008/011608bassham.  For more information or to get on board, e-mail executivedirector@ncmaysa.com or call 645-2030.