The Weaverville Police Department is hosting  a Drug Awareness Seminar Thursday, August 26, 2010 in the Community Room at Town Hall (30 South Main Street). Info:

WPD Hosts a Drug Awareness Seminar Aug. 26
You are invited to attend the First Annual Weaverville Police Department’s Drug Awareness Seminar to be held at the Weaverville Community Room located at 30 South Main Street beginning at 6 p.m.  August 26, 2010.

The officers will speak about several different aspects of illegal drugs and the effect it has on people and the Community. They will cover how to identify illegal drugs in the home or workplace, signs to look for if you suspect someone that you know are using drugs and what you can do to help them. Prevention of drug use is the best answer however; early intervention is the key to help people that have already experienced illegal drug use.

There will also be plenty of time for questions and answers so make plans to be a part of this program and together we will make Weaverville a safer place to live, work and play.

If you have any questions you may contact Sergeant Stacy Wyatt or Officer Andy Mace at (828) 645-5700.

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.

The Weaverville United Methodist Church (85 North Main Street) Fellowship Hall is the location for a Health Fair and Flu Shot Clinic on Saturday, October 17, 2009.  The clinic, sponsored by Weaverville UMC’s Care Network and Mission Hospitals, will be held 8 a.m.-Noon. More info:

Health Fair and Flu Shot Clinic
Saturday, October 17, 2009, 8 a.m.-12 noon
Weaverville United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall

Featured screenings:

• Asthma (free)
• Complete Lipid and Glucose ($20.00)
• Bone Density ($15.00)
• Flu shots – routine flu ($24.50). Pre-registration is required

Checks or cash will be accepted.  Insurances will not be billed.

Also featured:

• Pharmacist “Brown Bag” consultations – bring your medications for review.
• Nutrition – pediatric obesity
• Breast and Prostate Health
• Stroke Awareness
• Five Wishes – advanced care planning
• Smoking Cessation
• Low Vision
• H1N1 Information
• Weaverville Police Dept. – fingerprinting for children
• Weaverville Fire Department

To register for a flu shot, call or email Robin Shepherd, Faith Community Nurse, at (828) 645-5380 or parishnursecoord@yahoo.com.

The 5th Annual Cops for Kids Bike Run is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009.  The bike run is the kickoff event for the Weaverville Police Department’s annual Cops for Kids Toy Drive, which is used to help Weaverville/North Buncombe children and families.  This year’s run is in memory of former Weaverville Police Officer Andy Cody.  Registration begins at 9 a.m. and the 40-mile fun ride starts at Noon at the O.T.S. Parking Lot (220 Merrimon Avenue).  Admission is an unwrapped new toy worth $10 or more or a $10 donation, with all going to the Toy Drive.  Food, door prizes, and music will follow the ride. For information, contact Office Andy Mace at 645-5700.

Have old medicines you need to get rid of?  Take them to the Weaverville Ingles (140 Weaver Blvd. ) this Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., so they can be disposed of safely.  Details about “Operation Pill Crusher”:

Did you know that prescription drugs should not be flushed down the toilet or thrown in the trash? Drugs can kill helpful bacteria in septic systems and pass largely untouched through sewage treatment facilities. Children and animals can get into drugs discarded in the trash, and once in landfills, drugs can trickle into the groundwater.

To give residents an opportunity to dispose of their old, unused and expired medications in a safe manner, several agencies have organized Operation Pill Crusher. The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration, SBI, Asheville Police Department, Black Mountain Police Department and Weaverville Police Department will be at the following Ingles Grocery Store locations on April 18, 2009 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., to accept the voluntary disposal of prescription medications.

• Ingles Grocery Store, 29 Tunnel Road, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 301 Long Shoals Rd., Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 575 New Leicester Hwy., Leicester
• Ingles Grocery Store, 7 Leicester Highway, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 225 Charlotte Highway, Fairview
• Ingles Grocery Store, 915 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville
• Ingles Grocery Store, 500 Highway 9, Black Mountain
• Ingles Grocery Store, 140 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville

For more information, contact the Drug Enforcement Administration at 828-350-3440 or the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office at 828-255-5555.

This is the last week of the Weaverville Police Department’s Cops for Kids Toy Drive.  This is the 6th year the department has partnered with local businesses, schools, civic organizations and citizens to provide toys, clothes and other various needs to underprivileged families during the holiday season.  If you would like to help, you can donate a new, unwrapped toy on or before Monday, December 8.  Donations should be dropped off at the Police Department (30 South Main Street ) between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., or you can call 645-5700 and one of the officers will arrange a meeting so they can collect the gifts. Police Officers will also be on hand at Ingles (140 Weaver Blvd. ) 4-7 p.m. on Monday, December 8 to collect toys and donations.  For more information about the Toy Drive, call 645-5700.

The Cops for Kids Bike Run takes place Saturday, October 11, 2008.  This event is the official kickoff for the Weaverville Police Department’s annual Toy Drive.  Money raised and toys donated during the Bike Run and Toy Drive go to needy children in the North Buncombe area during the Christmas season.

If you want to participate in the Bike Run, registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at the OTS Corporation Parking Lot (220 Merrimon Avenue ), and the bike run begins at 11:30 a.m.  Entry fee is $10 or a new, unwrapped toy valued at $10 or more.  With your donation, you are eligible to participate in the Bike Run, plus you have a chance to win some of the thousands of dollars worth of door prizes to be given away (including Myrtle Beach and Gatlinburg vacation packages).  Breakfast and lunch will also be provided for all participants.

If you cannot attend, but would still like to contribute, contact the Police Department at 645-5700.  Organizers would also love to see a great crowd cheering on the bikers as they ride up Main Street.  If it’s like last year, they should be on Main Street around 11:45 a.m. 

The Weaverville Police Department is hosting a Drug Awareness Seminar on July 19. Here’s the details:

WEAVERVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
DRUG AWARENESS SEMINAR
July 19th, 2008
2:00 p.m.
Weaverville Community Room (30 South Main Street)

This FREE seminar will help concerned parents or anyone that wants to learn more about illegal drugs.

It will provide you with information to:

• Recognize illegal drugs
• Understand the life destroying- long term effects of drug abuse
• Recognize the different signs of drug abuse
• How you can help someone recover from drug abuse

Working TOGETHER we can help those that are suffering from DRUG ABUSE!

We look forward to seeing you on July 19th at 2:00 p.m.!

Questions? Call 645-5700

Don’t forget to “buckle up” when you’re driving or riding in a car over the next two weeks, or it will cost you. Beginning Monday, May 19, the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety “Click It or Ticket” seat-belt and child safety seat program begins.  It runs through June 1. The Weaverville Police Department is participating in the program and will be conducting patrols and check points throughout town in search of violations.

If a person is found not wearing their seat-belt, they could receive a citation, which carries a $25 fine and a $75 court cost. If a passenger under 16 years is found unrestrained, the driver could receive a citation which carries a $25 fine and a $120 court cost. The same fines apply for child safety seat violations and both will result in 2 points added to your driver’s license if convicted. If you have any questions regarding seat-belt laws, contact the Weaverville Police Department at 645-5700.

Today, Saturday, December 8, is the last day you can donate to the Cops for Kids Toy Drive.  They will be at Ingles on Weaver Boulevard from Noon until 4 p.m. today to accept your donations. 

If you missed the earlier post about the Toy Drive, you can read it here.

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.

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. 

Here’s another new happening in Weaverville that the organizer is hoping will become an annual event. Starting this Saturday, Weaverfest will feature an event each Saturday in October. There’s a Car Show on October 6, the Cops for Kids Bike Run on October 13, and a Craft Fair on October 20, all of which lead up to the big event, a BBQ Cook-Off on October 27. The Cops for Kids Bike Run is a fund raiser for needy families in Weaverville and North Buncombe. Proceeds from all other events will go to the Buncombe County Schools Scholarship Foundation (specific to North Buncombe High School), and the Eblen Foundation.

This year’s event is in memory of LeeRoy Maney, who passed away this past July. Though I know other family members, I unfortunately never had the chance to meet Lee. Everyone I’ve talked to who knew him thought the world of him, and it’s obvious his presence in this community is going to be felt for years to come.

More information, applications, sponsorship and volunteer forms are all available on the Weaverfest Event Page, www.myweaverville.com/weaverfest. You can also call 645-9534 for additional information or questions.

It’s time for the 3rd Annual Cops for Kids Bike Ride, this year happening on October 13.  Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. at the O.T.S. Parking Lot, 220 Merrimon Avenue.  The Bike Run starts at 11:30 a.m.

This event is sponsored by the Weaverville Police Department and benefits needy children in the Weaverville and North Buncombe area during the Christmas season.  This year’s event is also in memory of Lee Maney, who sadly passed away in July.

This is a great event in memory of a great person, so please support it.  To participate, simply bring a $10 donation or a new, unwrapped toy worth $10 or more.  With your donation you can not only participate in the event, but enjoy a free breakfast and lunch, and be eligible for door prize drawings.   If you cannot attend and would still like to contribute, contact the Weaverville Police Department at 645-5700.

For more information, check out their event page at www.myweaverville.com/copsforkids, or call coordinator Andy Mace at 645-5700.