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Last Updated: 8:07 a.m., Friday, March 19, 2010
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Clint Holmes Comes to the Flat Rock Play House on March 31 Clint Holmes is more than a singer. Like a painter with a blank canvas, he makes every performance an original. His powerful voice and magnetic stage presence embrace the upbeat side of life. More details
2nd Saturday Artist Market Celebrates Earth Day on April 10 The 2nd Saturday Artist Market celebrates the talents and skills of local artists in an intimate venue inside The Rocket Club once a month, from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Market also celebrates community by hosting local organizations in The Community Booth. More details
FENCE Hosts 2010 Horse Trials & Training Three Day on April 2-4 Training three day to be held at FENCE on April 2-4, 2010. The event will kick off on Thursday with the barn inspection at 2 p.m. More details
UNCA's Center for Jewish Studies Hosts Acclaimed Jewish Author Howard Schwartz on March 27 UNC Asheville's Center for Jewish Studies will host an evening with acclaimed Jewish author Howard Schwartz at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center. Schwartz will give a talk on "Tales of the Great Jewish Mystics," which is his most popular program. More details
When a Stroke Strikes, Acting F.A.S.T. Could Save a Life Few Americans know the symptoms of stroke. Learning them and acting F.A.S.T. when they occur could save your life or the life of a loved one. More details
Its a Bird, Its a Plane, Its the FANATICON Poster Contest! Deadline on April 2 - Asheville.com is a Proud Sponsor Calling all artists, illustrators, painters and graphic designers: FANATICON needs you to create a poster masterpiece. The winning poster will be printed in full, glorious color and will publicize FANATICON in Asheville and throughout the universe. More details
Film Screening of the Award-Winning Documentary "How to Draw a Bunny" on April 8 John Walter and Andrew Moore's award-winning documentary tells the story of collage artist Ray Johnson, whose death was cloaked in mystery and whose life and art remain enigmatic. As one of the seminal figures in the Pop Art era, Johnson is known as the founding father of mail art and as a collagist extraordinaire. More details
Hands on Asheville-Buncombe Sees Disney’s Impact in Community Disney has reached its nationwide goal to engage one million people in volunteer opportunities through the “Give A Day. Get A Disney Day.” program. As a part of this program those who volunteered at one of the participating sites were issued a free day pass to Disney. More details
Introducing The First Annual Boone Handmade Market on March 28 The Arts Management Organization (AMO), an active ASU club, announces the first annual Boone Handmade Market. On Sunday March 28th, 2010 over 36 emerging and established artists of the High Country will make their way to Boone’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts to sell their locally handmade goods. More details
Celebrate Easter With Bojangles' Easter EGGstavaganza on March 27 Pack up the family, grab your baskets, and join Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department and the Easter Bunny for the area’s largest FREE Easter celebration at the Bojangles’ Easter Eggstravaganza! The day will be full of Easter fun with giant inflatables, crafts, face painting, balloon twists, and a performance by the Mountain Thunder Cloggers. More details
WNC Bike Expo at Blue Ridge Community College on March 27 Whether you are a novice or an expert cyclist, there will be something for everyone at the 2010 WNC Bike Expo on Saturday, March 27 at Blue Ridge Community College. Local experts in various fields of bicycling including fit experts, mechanic and technical experts will provide information on how to buy and maintain your bike along with tips on personal training. More details
Burton Street Community Center Rolls Out New Recycling Program The Burton St Community Center 21st Century middle school students are not just talking the talk they are walking the sustainable walk by developing a recycling program and center for the Burton Street Community Center. Students have been working with Rachel Doebber, the new Sustainability Outreach Specialist with the City of Asheville Office of Sustainability. More details
Asheville Fire Department Receives International Reaccreditation The Asheville Fire Department initially became the first department in Western North Carolina to receive international accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) back in 2005. The Asheville Fire Department is one of 138 fire/rescue agencies in the world to achieve the accredited agency status. More details
The North Carolina Stage Company Presents "Dead Man’s Cell Phone", April 7 - 18 Immediate Theatre Project and North Carolina Stage Company mark their second collaboration of the 2009-2010 Season with "Dead Man’s Cell Phone", the acclaimed comedy by Sarah Ruhl. "Dead Man’s Cell Phone" runs for two weeks, April 7 – 18, 2010 at North Carolina Stage Company’s theatre in the heart of downtown Asheville. More details
Asheville Art Museum to Screen Cult-Classic "True Stories" on April 3 & 4 The Asheville Art Museum invites you to a screening of "True Stories" on Saturday and Sunday, April 3 and 4, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. each day. This film screening is free with Museum Membership or admission. More details
Now is the Time to Prepare That Garden for the Growing Season Considering February’s weather, it was difficult to get the spring fertilizer application out on time. That does not mean it is a good idea to just do it late. More details
New Information Now Accessible at City’s Development Services Center The City of Asheville’s Development Services Center will introduce an enhanced customer service option for contractors and developers requesting water availability. Beginning Monday, March 15, all water availability requests will be processed at the Development Service Center located at 161 S. Charlotte Street. More details
The Grove Park Inn Invites You to Easter Weekend 2010 on April 2 Through 4 Create Easter memories at The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. The Grove Park Inn is welcoming spring! More details
The Blue Ridge Orchestra Presents Their Spring Masterworks Concert on Sunday The Blue Ridge Orchestra celebrates their 10th Anniversary with a Spring Masterworks concert on Sunday, March 21, 3:00 PM at Diana Wortham Theatre. Featured soloist will be violinist Amy Lovinger, performing in Vivaldi’s Concerto for Violin and Strings, “Spring” from “The Seasons.” More details
Kimberly Avenue Improvements to Get Underway The city of Asheville will make improvements to Kimberly Avenue over the next few months. Contract work on preliminary road repair began this week. More details
Asheville Middle School and Western North Carolina Alliance Cleanup Swannanoa River Eighth graders at Asheville Middle School have been studying water and the French Broad Watershed all year. They have learned about water pollution, water flow, groundwater, and have even put on a 5-k race. More details
The Fly Fishing Film Tour Comes to Asheville on April 9 In just the fourth year, The Fly Fishing Film Tour has become the fishing entertainment event of the year. The Film Tour will be seen in well over 80 cities in 2010 and will showcase some of the best independent outdoor film makers. More details
Asheville GreenWorks Partners with UNCA Students for Local Alternative Spring Break College students usually look forward to leaving Asheville and traveling to sunny shores during their spring breaks each year. However, this year a group of UNCA students decided to stay in Asheville to help improve the community through daily projects with Asheville GreenWorks through UNCA's Alternative Spring Break. More details
Hands of Hope Finale Concert Featuring Billy Jonas on Sunday Three schools come together with three service-learning projects and one idea: to learn to change the world. Join the the students and staffs of Maccabi Academy, Odyssey School, and Rainbow Mountain Children's School, as well as ChildrenFirst, River Link, and the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project for the Hands of Hope Finale Concert featuring Billy Jonas. More details
You’re Invited to Ladies Night Out! Ladies Night Out is a part of the Buncombe County Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP). Offered every month, the program provides FREE physicals, mammograms and health education to help qualifying women live a healthy life. More details
Asheville Art Museum Announces Summer 2010 Internships The Internship Program at the Asheville Art Museum offers participants "hands-on" training in the museum profession and a comprehensive overview of museum operations. Interns participate in the day-to-day activities of Museum departments, in addition to working on specific projects. More details
New Otter Debuts at the Western North Carolina Nature Center The Nature Center’s resident otter, Olive, now has a new companion! On Tuesday March 9th, a new male otter (yet to be named) was introduced into the Nature Center’s “Otter Falls” exhibit for the first time. More details
All Aboard for the "Peanuts™ Easter Beagle Express" at Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, On April 2 & 3 The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is pleased to announce the "Peanuts™ Easter Beagle Express" on Friday, April 2nd, and Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. Trains will depart the historic Bryson City depot at 10:30 a.m. More details
“Art on Transit” Bus Graphics Program Unveiling on March 27 The City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts Department along with the Public Art Board and the Transit Commission will be hosting the unveiling of the Art on Transit busses on Sunday, March 27 at 1:00 p.m. in City/County Plaza. Local artists Ray Noland, Naomi Johnson, and Nina Ruffini will each have their artwork appear on the busses as part of the City of Asheville’s “Art on Transit” Bus Graphics Program. More details
Asheville Based AvL Technologies Annouces Significant Expansion Plans, Could Create 75 Jobs AvL Technologies, in conjunction with the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC), proudly announces the expansion of its Asheville-based operations with a $5.9 million facility investment. The addition could create up to 75 high wage jobs over the next three years. More details
Tips for Gardeners on the Practice of Rain Recycling Right now gardeners may be more concerned about the garden soil being too wet to get the garden ready for spring planting. Memories of dry summers seem a thing of the past. More details
Peak Oil and Community Resilience on March 26 & 31 Cheap energy has fueled the production and consumption systems which provide the basic resources communities depend upon for survival. The challenge of Peak Oil will require us to rethink the current system and come up with alternatives that use less energy. More details
UNC Asheville’s Music Department Announces Three Concerts Set for March UNC Asheville's Music Department will continue its spring concert season with three performances in March, ranging from jazz to chamber music. Concerts will be held in Lipinsky Auditorium. Admission is $5 at the door. More details
Temperatures May be Rising, But Cataloochee is Still Keeping it Cool Spring is just around the corner, but skiing and Snowboarding at the Catalooche Ski Area is still in full swing! What better way to enjoy the wonderful mountain scenery and get some great exercise, than bringing the whole family out for some fun on the snow? More details
Asheville-Buncombe Youth Orchestra Spring Masterworks and Student Concerto Performance on Friday The Asheville-Buncombe Youth Orchestra, conducted by Ron Clearfield, will be giving a free concert on Friday, March 12, 2010 at 5:30 p.m. in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. The program will feature the annual concerto competition finalist. More details
Explore.org Teams With HATCHfest Asheville in Documentary Competition, Deadline on March 25 The explore/Hatch Award presented by explore.org will be given in Asheville this April to a filmmaker whose short film shows a group or individual hero striving for a better world. Winner of the first explore/Hatch Award presented by explore.org will be flown to HATCHfest Asheville on April 15-18. More details
Biltmore Announces 14th Annual Concert Series A mix of Grammy-winning artists, “American Idol” favorites and contemporary Christian artists highlight Biltmore’s annual concert series, which grows from a summertime event to one stretching from June to October this year. Grammy Award winners include Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kathy Mattea, who return to Biltmore, and well-known artists Steve Miller Band and The Legendary Temptations. More details
New Public Pool Safety Requirements The North Carolina Health Board has adopted rules that will give local health departments the authority to close public swimming pools with drains that don’t meet certain safety requirements. The new rule amendments apply only to public swimming pools. More details
Charlotte Street Computers to Host Easter Event on March 27 Charlotte Street Computers has partnered with the Asheville Tourists and WOXL for their annual Easter event to promote community outreach to the families of Asheville's public housing neighborhoods. The function will focus on education through entertainment for both parents and children. More details
BMW Group USA Reports February Sales BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) increased its February sales 13.7 percent selling 17,971 vehicles compared to the same month in 2009. Both the BMW and MINI brands improved performance with BMW reporting a sales increase of 16.3 percent to 15,100 units and MINI a 1.6 percent increase to 2,871 vehicles. More details
Sharing the Road Is Important in Our Community Our streets and highways are becoming more crowded every day. Therefore, it is necessary that you, as a driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, practice the rules of the road. More details
Regional Blood Supply Has Dropped To Emergency Levels; O & B Negative are Urgently Needed Specifically, there is an acute shortage of O and B negative blood types. The regional blood banks, represented by the American Red Cross, American Association of Blood Banks, and America’s Blood Centers, are asking for immediate blood donations to boost already critically low blood supplies. More details
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YWCA Tribute to Women of Influence on March 25 The The YWCA of Asheville is pleased to announce the Honorees for 19th Annual YWCA Tribute to Women of Influence (TWIN) Awards Banquet. The TWIN Awards Banquet will be Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 6:00 pm at the Renaissance Hotel. More details
Eat Smart and Move More in March March is National Nutrition Month®. This year eat better by focusing on the basics to build your health from the ground up. More details
Winners Announced for Chimney Rock Photo Contest Nearly 100 entries were received for the Share Your Favorite Moments themed contest. Contestants always surprise and delight with their creative and fun photos, making choosing the winners really tough. More details
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project Connects Kids and Farms In spring 2010, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) will launch new kid’s versions of its popular materials: the Local Food Guide and Local Food -Thousands of Miles Fresher bumper sticker. The sticker will be scaled down for a bike, and the kid sized guide will feature special contents and activities. More details
Flat Rock Playhouse Presents "Schoolhouse Rock Live" Through Sunday YouTheatre of Flat Rock Playhouse presents "Schoolhouse Rock Live!", the stage adaptation of the award-winning cartoon series that became a part of the consciousness of an entire generation. "Schoolhouse Rock" was famous for its clever and likable songs - songs that were so entertaining, kids didn't realize they were learning as they memorized the tunes. More details
Bring the Kids to "The Boxcar Children" at ACT, Now Through Sunday Generations of young readers have cherished the spirited Depression-era adventures of "The Boxcar Children". Now the story of the Alden children comes to life on stage March 5 -21 at Asheville Community Theatre in downtown Asheville. More details
Spring Session of Boot Camp for Runners, Now Through Wednesday The spring session of Boot Camp for Runners, sponsored by the Asheville Track Club, starts March 1, from 5:30 – 6:30 a.m. Classes for this session meet Mondays and Wednesdays through March 24 at the Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St., Asheville. More details
Watch Out for Toxins in "Everyday" Products In spite of the listing of ingredients and clearly marked warnings on many products, people often use cleaning agents, personal care products, pesticides, paints, hobby products and solvents without taking the time to read the labels. There are a multitude of potentially harmful chemicals found in these items. The average home contains some 45 aerosol products alone. More details
The City of Asheville is Seeking Entertainers for the 2010 Bele Chere Festival The City of Asheville is now accepting applications for entertainers to perform at the 2010 Bele Chere Festival being held Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 25, 2010. The application is available for download at www.belecherefestival.com. More details
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Announces Winter & Spring Excursions Through April 4 All Aboard for winter and spring journeys as the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad takes you through a remote corner of North Carolina into river gorges and tunnels carved out of mountains. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has adventures, excursions and special events planned throughout 2010, and is excited to announce our first quarter schedule. More details
Help Out by Donating Paper Towels to the Asheville Humane Society
The Asheville Humane Society needs paper towels! No - they're not using them just to clean up after messy lunches, they're using them to keep the environment at the shelter clean and safe for the animals. More details
Is There Hope for the Hemlock? The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid is in the mid to late stages of destroying the Eastern Hemlock throughout the Southern Appalachians. DuPont State Forest depends on both the Carolina and Eastern Hemlock to provide deep shade for its cold water trout habitat. More details
The Legacy Continues: SHCG New Members Exhibition at the Folk Art Center Main Gallery Becoming a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild is no easy task. The first criteria for membership is living in one of the mountain counties of the Southern Appalachians.More details
Feeding Bodies and Warming Hearts: Providing Safe, Nutritious Meals to Home-bound Seniors Meals on Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County, Inc. delivers hot and cold nutritious meals to 550 homebound seniors five days a week throughout the area. Each weekday, volunteers load up picnic coolers and deliver food and drink to clients on each of the 38 routes. More details
Enjoy a Walk through Asheville History on Urban Trail Asheville’s Urban Trail, an entertaining, informative, and artistic walk through Asheville history, is 1.7-miles of architecture and memories from earlier times in this engaging mountain city.Started in 1991 by a group of dedicated volunteers who were determined to put downtown Asheville’s best foot forward, the Urban Trail has evolved into a fairly complete walking tour of Asheville’s historic and present day world. More details
Legends and Geologic Facts Equally Intriguing at The Blowing Rock Legend has it that after a Chickasaw maiden’s warrior love had leapt from the Blowing Rock, she prayed daily to the Great Spirit to return her warrior beloved to her and was granted her wish when the brave was blown back up by the winds surrounding the rock. Geologists with the US Geologic Survey estimate the metamorphic igneous rock to be about 1,055 million years old and have determined the wind comes from a flume formed by the rocky walls which sweeps the wind up, along with any objects in its current . More details
The Horticultural Legacy At Biltmore Estate Having Lasting Impact on Forestry In the the shadow of Biltmore House, America’s largest private residence, are some of America’s finest formal and informal gardens. Here, too, is the birthplace of the first scientific school of forestry in the United States. More details
Explore the Great Outdoors at Chimney Rock Park Chimney Rock Park, located just north of Lake Lure, NC, in the stunningly beautiful Chimney Rock Gorge, is an ideal place to explore some of North Carolina’s most scenic mountain tracts – yet all within easy reach of the comforts of restaurants, cozy inns, and easy chairs. Chimney Rock Park has several outdoors activities in February and March that encourage visitors to get outside, breathe the fresh air, and stretch their legs. More details
Grandfather Mountain, a Globally Recognized Nature Preserve Most visitors to Western North Carolina probably recognize Grandfather Mountain’s famous swinging bridge, and more than likely enjoy visiting its restaurant and souvenir shop. Many thousands of travelers stop by Grandfather Mountain during the annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, one of the largest gatherings of Scottish clans anywhere in the country. What some visitors might not know, however, is that Grandfather Mountain has been a globally recognized nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary for over 100 years.More details
New Walking Trail Guide for Asheville and Buncombe County Now Available Online Quality Forward, Mission Hospitals Foundation, and Tortoise & Hare Running Outfitters have collaborated on a new walking trail guide for Asheville and Buncombe County, and the guide is now available both in print and online. The new guide, which contains information on 17 different walks, offers suggestions all over the city and county.More details
Folk Art Center Programs Share Simplicity of Traditional Crafts The Southern Highland Craft Guild, located in the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway just east of Asheville, is a membership guild of some of the finest craftspeople in the country. Some of these guild members generously share their knowledge of crafts and Appalachian culture with the public through a series of free educational events that take place year-round at the Folk Art Center. More details
A Tour of the Winery is a Great Addition to Biltmore Estate Visit The most visited winery in the United States isn’t located in the Napa Valley. Perhaps a surprise to some, it is at the Biltmore Estate, quietly nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina, where fine food and wine, paired with elegant entertaining, have been traditions since the end of the 19th century.More details
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