Blood drive on Saturday for the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross:

Walmart-Weaverville Blood Drive
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Walmart-Weaverville Blood Drive (146 Monticello Road)
11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Call 645-5028 for further information or to schedule your appointment.
All presenting donors will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a $1000 gift card!

To be a donor, you must be 16 years old with parental consent or older.  You must weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health and must not have donated blood in the past 8 weeks.  Most medications won’t cause you to be deferred as a donor.  Other conditions will be evaluated by staff at the collection site or you can reach a Record Review Coordinator at 1-866-562-7156 for further information regarding eligibility.  Photo ID is also required.

The North Buncombe Association of Concerned Citizens (NBACC) is sponsoring a Community Yard Sale on Saturday, February 27, 2010 at the Tri-City Plaza parking lot on Main Street from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.  The sale is a fundraiser for the group in their ongoing battle to keep a cement plant off Murphy Hill Road. In case of inclement weather, they will postpone the sale to the following Saturday, March 6.  If you have items you’d like to donate for their sale you can drop them off, already priced if possible,  7-8:30 a.m. the day of the sale.

A donation barrel is located at Ingles (140 Weaver Blvd) through Saturday, February 27, 2010:

Area doctors are holding a medical supply drive at area Ingles stores through Saturday.

Items collected will aid in the disaster relief efforts of doctors, nurses and therapists from Mission Hospital, the Batey Relief Alliance and its NY-based partner medical group, the Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad, who will be providing medical assistance in Haiti from March 27-April 5.

Donation barrels will be placed at the front of the Ingles Markets at 29 Tunnel Road in Asheville and at 140 Weaver Blvd. in Weaverville.

Medical supplies being collected are: gauze; alcohol; pain relievers; bandages; band-aids; soft casts for wrists, elbow, arms and knees; antibiotics; topical antibiotics; antifungal creams; antiparasitics; antimalarials; steroid creams; antihypertensives; diabetic medications; antiacids; antidiarrheal rehydration salts; and IV sets.

Girl Scout Cookie time!  Throughout February you can buy some for yourself and/or for military troops serving in combat zones overseas.  Weaverville Girl Scout Troop 26 will be at various locations in Weaverville and WNC starting this Sunday (see below for times and locations).  Here’s more about “Operation Cookies for Troops”:

Operation Cookies for Troops

The Weaverville Girl Scout Troop 26 and other troops in Western North Carolina are providing Girl Scout Cookies to the US Military Troops serving currently in Combat Zones.  Their goal is to send thousands of boxes overseas to these brave men and women.  The general public can also get involved.  People can purchase a box of cookies for the normal price of $3.50.  They can even write a message on the box and the Girl Scouts will take care of the rest.  A partnership with Give to the Troops will provide shipping to those combat zone troops.  Feedback we have received from the organization is that the service men and women particularly love the Thin Mints and Carmel Delights (who doesn’t?).

You can purchase cookies for yourself or ones to be shipped to the troops at the following locations:

Sunday, February 7
2-6 p.m. – Lowes, Weaverville
2-6 p.m. – Walmart, Weaverville

Saturday, February 13
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Ace Hardware, Weaverville
9 a.m.-Noon – Lowes,  Tunnel Road

Sunday, February 14
3-6 p.m. -  Lowes, Tunnel Road

Saturday, February 20
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Lowes, Weaverville
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Walmart, Weaverville

Friday, February 26
3:30-6:30  p.m. – CVS, Weaverville

Saturday, February 27
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Ace Hardware, Weaverville
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Autozone, Weaverville

Friday, March 5
5-8:30 p.m. – Blockbuster, Merrimon Ave

Saturday, March 6
10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Walmart, Weaverville

Weaverville Girl Scout Troop 26 is hosting a free soup dinner and offering a drop-off point for donations for Haiti on Thursday, January 21, 2010.  Info:

Weaverville Girl Scout Troop 26 will be hosting a free soup dinner for the community on Thursday, January 21.  Soup will be served from 6-7 p.m. at the Weaverville Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on Main Street.

We will also be taking up donations of the following items to give to Hearts with Hands to send to Haiti.

Hearts With Hands website is www.heartswithhands.org and right now the list they are asking for the following donations:

• Rice and beans
• Bottled water
• Non perishable foods
• Baby formula/foods
• Convenience type foods
• Paper goods
• Camping supplies
• Flashlights and batteries
• Shovels
• Cooking oil
• First aid supplies
• Energy drinks
• Diapers/wipes
• Tarps/plastic sheeting
• Camping supplies
• Picnic supplies
• Gloves
• Rope

North Buncombe High School (890 Clark’s Chapel Road) needs proctor to oversee End of Course exams on Tuesday, January 26 and Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Exams will be held in the morning and afternoon and last approximately 3-3 1/2 hours. Morning proctors will need to be at the school at 7:45 a.m. and afternoon proctors at 11:45 a.m.  If you’re interested in helping or need more information, contact Vickie Smith at 645-4332.

North Buncombe High School needs volunteers, 90 of them, to help judge Graduation Project Presentations in January. The presentations are part of a project requirement seniors have to complete in order to graduate. Projects can be about anything, and the presentations are actually pretty interesting (I helped last year). Please considering volunteering if you can. More info:

NBHS Parent Connection, working with North Buncombe High School, is asking for the Weaverville community to come volunteer to be a judge of NBHS Graduation Project Presentations, Thursday January 14, 2010. This fun and rewarding evening begins at North Buncombe High School with refreshments being served from 5-5:30 p.m. An orientation meeting will take place from 5:30-5:45 p.m. to go over judging guidelines and the scoring Rubric. Five students per room will present their project in 20-minute time intervals beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. Four to five judges per room are needed – 90 judges are needed at this time. You will enjoy your time with the students, and you will be very much appreciated!

For more information, or to sign up to be a Graduation Project Judge, please contact Beth Fiore Kral, NBHS Parent Connection, at 645-0434 or at bfiorekral@verizon.net.

Pictured above are Weaverville Business Association board members Jennifer Jenkins and Cindy Ward presenting a check to Officer Andy Mace of the Weaverville Police Department. The donation was for the department’s Cops for Kids Toy Drive, which ends tomorrow (Tuesday, December 8, 2009). I’ve heard many local groups stepped up and donated, especially after hearing about the slow start the drive had (their big kick-off event, the Cops for Kids Bike Run, was marred by bad weather this year).

If you would like to donate, Tuesday’s the last day to do so. New, unwrapped gifts for kids ages infant-teen will be accepted at the Police Department during the day or officers will also be at the Ingles on Weaver Blvd. from 4-7 p.m. (look for the Police truck in the parking lot). All donations go towards making the Christmas season a happy one for needy children in the Weaverville/North Buncombe area.

North Buncombe High School has placed a Manna Food Bank bin at the Weaverville Library (41 North Main Street) for their food drive. Canned goods, diapers, hygiene products, etc. will be accepted. The bin will be at the library until December 16.

There’s a few things happening during the holidays at North Buncombe Elementary School (251 Flat Creek Church Road) right now, including their Annual Cookie Dough Sale and the 2nd Graders performance of The Nutcracker. Information from North Buncombe Elementary PTO:

Cookie Dough Sale
North Buncombe Elementary School is currently doing our annual Cookie Dough Sale again. We decided to do it prior to Christmas this year so people could buy cookie dough for their holiday baking and Christmas gifts.  We are still selling the cookie dough, coffee, cocoa, brownies, and candles.  In addition, this year we have Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels and pretzel dogs and Country Creations Gourmet Pumpkin Cake Rolls.  The sale will run through Monday, December 7, 2009.  Anyone interested can contact the school at (828) 645-6054.   All proceeds will go towards the PTO Budget for this year.

The Nutracker
The second grade will be performing The Nutcracker next week at the school.  The evening performance will be on Thursday, December 10, 2009 at 7 p.m. and it is always a packed house. They will also be doing performances on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 9 a.m.  There is no admission to any of the performances.

Used Shoe Drive
We are also conducting a Used Shoe Drive at NBES.  The shoes that we collect will be sent overseas to the needy.  The Preferred Shoes are Children’s/Women’s/Men’s Shoes and Sneakers.  Unacceptable Shoes:  NO Bedroom shoes, Golf shoes, flip flops, steel toe shoes, women’s boots, or women’s heels greater than 3″.  Shoes may be dropped off at North Buncombe Elementary School or the collection box at Food Lion (130 Weaver Blvd).

Lowe’s (24 Northridge Commons Parkway) is hosting a blood drive for the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 25, 2009. It’ll take place 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and all presenting donors will receive a holiday ornament and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of three pairs of Delta Airlines tickets.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 782-9020.

Just an FYI if you would like to donate blood:  you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. Positive photo identification is also required.

I’m told the Weaverville Walmart is one of the stores accepting food and financial donations for the 3rd Annual Harvest of the Heart (food drive for Hearts With Hands). Donations can be dropped off on Friday, November 13, 2009, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. or Saturday, November 14, 2009, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Salem United Methodist Church (9 Salem Church Road) hosts their fall barbecue fundraiser this Saturday, November 14, 2009, 4-6:30 p.m.. Info:

Salem UMC Semi-Annual Barbecue
Saturday, November 14, 2009
4-6:30 p.m.

Barbecue, slaw, baked beans, bread, drink & dessert
$7
Dine-in plates or Containers To Go

Canned goods will also be collected for North Buncombe Samaritan Ministries in an effort to help those who are in need in our community. Your donations will be appreciated.

Salem United Methodist Church is also collecting gently used coats and blankets for the needy. Donations will be given to Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry. They can be dropped off this week at the Reems Creek Food Market (Exxon Station) at 444 Reems Creek Road.

Buncombe County Schools “Eat Out for Education” fund raiser is Tuesday, November 10, 2009. Participating restaurants will donated 15% of the proceeds from all meals served on Tuesday, which will go directly to classroom grants and scholarships.

You can download a list of all participating restaurants here (pdf).  In Weaverville, Blue Mountain Pizza and Bojangles (for lunch only) are participating.

Main Street Nature Park workday on Saturday, October 24, 2009. Info from the town newsletter:

A workday in the Main Street Nature Park is scheduled for Saturday, October 24.  Volunteers are needed. We will meet in the parking lot behind the Town Hall at 9:30 a.m. Landscape Architect Randy Burroughs will be on hand to direct the work. For additional information about the workday, call Mayor Bett Stroud at 645-3912 or Town Hall at 645-7116.  This park workday is provided by the Weaverville Tree Board and the Weaverville Garden Club.

You may have heard about the recent bear problems at Craggy Gardens (Milepost 364 on the Blue Ridge Parkway), which actually caused the closing of the picnic area around the Labor Day weekend. If you haven’t heard about it, you can read this Asheville Citizen-Times article for info.  The Park Service is now seeking volunteers to work weekends in October to help spread the word about bear activity so they can keep the site open.  A training session will be held October 1 or 2, 2009 in Oteen.  More information about what they’re looking for from Bambi Teague of the National Park Service:

We are hoping to get 6-8 volunteers to work on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) in October to rove the Craggy Gardens Picnic Area from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.  If we can get enough people, they will only need to work one-half day each weekend.  Without a volunteer crew to help us spread the word about bear activity and how we can prevent bear/human conflicts, we will not be able to open the site at all.

The expectation is that volunteers would rove the picnic area, talking to everyone who is there explaining about bears and their potential to become habituated to humans and human food.  If bear turn up while visitors are there, they will monitor its activity, and advise ranger staff if the bear starts going up to people and picnic tables.  They will be instructed how to evacuate the site, if needed.

Volunteers must be 18 or older and will be required to wear a volunteer uniform (primarily volunteer shirt and cap).

We plan to have a training session for all who are interested on Thursday, October 1 or Friday, October 2, 2009 at the Oteen maintenance area.  If anyone is interested in helping us, they should call me at (828) 271-4779 ext. 209 or email Bambi_Teague@nps.gov.

Weaverville United Methodist Church (85 North Main Street) is hosting a blood drive for the Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross on Sunday, September 20, 2009. Details:

Weaverville United Methodist Church Blood Drive
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Noon to 4:30 p.m.
85 North Main Street, Weaverville
If you would like to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. Positive photo identification is also required. All presenting donors may enter a drawing for one of three $1000 gas gift cards.  Please call 658-9908 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

The Asheville-Mountain Area Chapter of the American Red Cross reports that the local blood supply has dropped to critical levels. Want to help?  There is a Blood Drive scheduled at Lowe’s on Wednesday, August 26, 2009. Details:

Blood Drive
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Lowe’s of Weaverville, 24 Northridge Commons Parkway
11 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
If you would like to donate blood, you must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in general good health. Positive photo identification is also required. Donors will receive a Red Cross t-shirt and can enter a drawing to win 1 of 3 $1000 gas gift cards. For more information or to schedule an appointment call Lowe’s at 782-9020 (ask for Debra Kilby).

Regular donors might also want to put Wednesday, November 25 on their calendar. Debra tells me Lowe’s will be having another Blood Drive that day (the day before Thanksgiving), 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Added a new opportunity to the Volunteer page for Girls on the Run of WNC. According to their website, the program combines training for a 5K (3.1 miles) running event with healthy living education and serves girls in the 3rd through 8th grades in Western North Carolina. The 12-week program takes place at participating schools in the area. Although locations are not yet set for the Fall 2009 session, North Windy Ridge and Weaverville Elementary both participated in the Spring session, so I expect one or both schools will participate again this Fall.  Here’s info about the volunteer opportunities they have available:

Girls on the Run
Girls on the Run of WNC is a non-profit working to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. We are currently seeking volunteers in the following areas: Head and Assistant Coaches, Running Buddies, 5K Team, Outreach Team, Development Team, and People/Programming Team. For more information and to download a Volunteer application, please visit our website at: www.gotrwnc.org/volunteer.html

Help Meals on Wheels restock their pet food pantry at the Weaverville Library (41 North Main Street ) this summer:

Buncombe County Public Libraries are having a summer pet food drive to help Meals on Wheels restock their pet food pantry. Please bring unopened dog, cat or bird food to any Buncombe County Public library in June, July or August. For more information call the Swannanoa Library 250-6486 or email library@buncombecounty.org