Voices in the Laurel Youth Choirs is accepting registration for their annual music camp. This
year’s theme is “Be the Change,” with many changes in the format of the activities. Covid 19
has forced many changes in the way things are done all over the world. Recent racial tensions
have inspired a call for change in human relations. In response to these changes in the world,
Rising 6th– 12th graders will have camp July 20 – 24, from 10 am – Noon on Zoom.

Then, Be the Change Camp for rising 1st
– 5th graders will be July 27 – 31 from 10 am – Noon on Zoom.

The Blue Ridge Humane Society Thrift Store will begin accepting merchandise donations for resell from the public on Tuesday, June 30^th. Donations will only be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays between the hours of 10:30am-4:00pm. The Thrift Store remains open for shopping with the reduced hours of 10:30am-4:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday, and with a limited shopper capacity.

Donations will need to be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into the appropriately labeled bin to ensure a contact-free drop-off. This will also assist with ensuring that all items can be properly transported and quarantined before processing and placement for resell in the store. During drop-offs all donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask following state mandates. Donated items will be quarantined before processing by staff and volunteers to ensure that all items are safe for resell.

Staff and volunteers continue to adhere to additional cleaning, sanitizing, scheduling, and social distancing practices as recommended by the CDC and current safety regulations. The number of customers allowed in the store remains limited to reduce the risk of exposure. Markers are placed to designate 6ft spaced waiting areas for shoppers to enter the store or for waiting in line for check-out. Customers, as well as staff and volunteers, are required to wear a mask while on Thrift Store premises and shopping and follow CDC recommendations.

All customers will be required to follow the procedures listed below:

• All staff, volunteers, and customers are required to wear a mask while on the Thrift Store premises and during shopping.
• Store hours are adjusted; keep an eye on the website and Facebook page for current hours.
• The number of customers allowed in the store is limited. Please expect a wait and be patient with other shoppers while waiting, and our staff and volunteers managing the entrance and exit.
• Practice social distancing while shopping or waiting in line. Markers will be placed for checkout and entry lines.
• Shields are installed at checkout locations for the safety of our customers, volunteers, and staff.
• Hand sanitizer stations are available for customers, volunteers, and staff at stations located at each door.
• Anyone exhibiting signs of illness is asked to stay home, including staff and volunteers.
• Follow CDC recommendations at all times:
  • Three W’s: Wear a cloth mask, Wait 6’ apart and Wash your hands!
• Donations will be accepted on Tuesdays and Fridays only, between 10:30am-4pm. Items must be able to unloaded without staff assistance and placed into bins for quarantine. Donors are asked to practice physical distancing and wear a mask while on Thrift Store property.

If you believe in our cause, consider making a donation or learning how to volunteer by visiting the Blue Ridge Humane Society’s website at www.blueridgehumane.org or call (828) 692-2639.

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

During this 5-week online group class, Ben Brill will cover the fundamentals of ukulele and guitar and teach kids several cool-sounding songs they can play on the instrument right away. The group will even co-create an original song by the end of the class.

*For students interested in guitar, they’ll need to have a simple $10 device called a Capo to play along with the class.

This is a FUN, low-pressure way to have some enjoy music this summer. It’s great if students can attend all 5 classes, but they still can drop in any day and learn.

The event will happen weekly on Tuesday’s at 11 AM, starting July 7th, 2020. If you don’t yet own an instrument, Ben can make some suggestions. The cost of the sessions is $20 per class and can be paid upfront (all classes), OR per session.

If you’re interested in the group, send Ben a message so that you can receive the secure Zoom links to the meetings and farther instructions.

This year, we weren’t able to host our “Strolling through History” series of walking tours, but thanks to some awesome work by interns we hosted from UNC Asheville this spring, they will be partially available virtually!

Enjoy “Scrolling” through history from your couch, or grab your tablet or smartphone and follow the tour in real life. (Make sure to follow local safety guidelines!)

The tours will be posted as links in this event discussion. Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Join Leaflin for a Vinyasa flow practice designed to welcome the Summer season. Link movement and breath in the (spatially-distant) company of others, as we practice traditional sun salutations and an all-levels flow. Please bring a mat or towel to practice on, if you like. Breathe, move, and find your center under the solstice sun.

*This practice will take place in a PRIVATE OUTDOOR LOCATION in West Asheville . Exact location will be send after registration.
**In the case of rain, you may use the class pass purchased for future Outdoor Yoga class or any live stream yoga class.

Buncombe County Public Libraries will be opening three additional locations for curbside pickup service, the Fairview, Leicester, and Oakley/South Asheville branches. These locations will operate from 1-5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, in addition to our current curbside pickup service locations at the Black Mountain, North Asheville, South Buncombe, and West Asheville locations. For more information about library curbside pickup service or to place an item on hold for pickup, please call your local library or the Ask-A-Librarian line (828-250-4700) or visit buncombecounty.org/library. We hope to see you soon!

Together, we’ll explore the creative freedom and mental relaxation that comes from practicing hand embroidery without a preset pattern or design. We’ll set up our projects and free our minds to relax and wander while our hands create meandering designs. No sketching is involved, no hand sewing experience is required, and best of all, there’s no way to do it wrong!

See one possible result in this video: https://youtu.be/Rq9wzSWZsSM There will be a brief demonstration of this technique, and help getting started (for those who desire it). You are always welcome to go your own way and stitch what you wish.

We’ll gather around the virtual table to hand sew together on a series of Tuesdays:

July 7, 14, 21, 28 ~ 2020
from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and also
from 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Show up once or every time – whatever suits you and your schedule.

This casual workshop takes place on Zoom. It is available live only and will not be recorded. A free Zoom account is required to participate. Click “Find Tickets” at the top of this event page to receive login instructions.

Each session is stand alone with no formal intent. There’s nothing to fall behind on if you miss a time or two.

Supply list:
~ a piece of clothing or fabric to sew on (woven non-stretchy fabric will be easier than stretchy knit)
~ an embroidery hoop (whatever size is comfortable for you)
~ a hand sewing needle
~ embroidery floss (in several colors, if you like)
~ snips or scissors
~ reading glasses (if you’ve reached that age)
~ needle threader (ditto)

(If you have a hand sewing project in progress and would just like some company, you’re welcome to work on that instead.)

Ages 17+. No hand sewing experience required.

Suggested donation: $1 – $5 per session

Buncombe County Recreation Services will open its five outdoor swimming pools. Safety and sanitation measures have been taken to comply with Buncombe County’s Stay Safe, Stay Smart order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pool visitors will be required to practice the Three Ws: wear a cloth face covering when entering/exiting the pool and when not in the pool, wait at least six feet apart from and avoid close contact with anyone who does not live in your household, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer often.

Pool will open for two sessions Monday-Saturday, closing between sessions for a sanitation period that includes wiping down all common touch points. Sunday hours include one session. Admission for each session is $3 per guest. Due to limited capacity, guests are highly encouraged to purchase tickets online. If a pool is unable to open for any reason or is forced to close within the first hour of operation, all guests will receive a raincheck via the email address provided when purchasing the original ticket. Booking are currently available through July 10.

Monday-Friday
10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
2:15-5:15 p.m.

Saturday
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
3-6 p.m.

Sunday
1-6 p.m.

“While this summer is different in nearly every way for local families, we’re happy to safely and responsibly open our pools to the community,” said Josh O’Conner, Director of Buncombe County Recreation Services. “While we are not allowing toys, balls, noodles, dive sticks, and other communal items inside pools, the guest experience should be enhanced as visitors will be able to enjoy pools with a capacity limit of roughly 30% normal occupancy.”

Cane Creek Pool
590 Lower Brush Creek Road
Fletcher, NC 28732

Erwin Pool
58 Lees Creek Road
Asheville, NC 28806

Hominy Valley Pool
25 Twin Lakes Road
Candler, NC 28715

North Buncombe Pool
892 Clarks Chapel Road
Weaverville, NC 28787

Owen Pool
117 Stone Drive

Swannanoa, NC 28778

We have been working hard to establish Emergency Safety Guidelines in order to safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic.  It’s important for all to remember that we are able to be open because we are an open-air grocery store, not a social gathering.

The Buncombe County Board of Elections (BOE) is meeting on Tuesday, July 21, at 5 p.m. to discuss your Early Voting options for the 2020 General Election.

What do you ask for during the meeting’s public comment period?
Given the new realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, without a robust Early Voting plan, lines at the polls could be longer than usual, deterring voter participation and potentially endangering voters’ health. Strong Early Voting plans, with weekend voting hours and sites that work for your community, are the key to making sure this year’s elections run more smoothly.

As a reminder, you can use our Early Voting Advocacy Toolkit and Early Voting Advocacy Report Form so that you’re prepared before the meeting, and we can learn what happened. And don’t forget, meeting times and dates can change quickly. Call the Buncombe County Board of Elections to confirm the meeting at (828) 250-4200.

With COVID restrictions relaxing a bit, we are going to be starting a new round of group classes!

Our group classes will focus on basic obedience and will provide important information about your dog’s behavior so you can implement new practices at home. We cover topics such as leash manners, forms of stay, coming when called and more. Dogs four months and older are welcome!

Each class is followed by a brief, structured socialization period. Any dog enrolled is invited to stay after class for supervised social play opportunities.

Classes must have at least 3 dogs signed up for the class to be held. If more than 6 dogs are signed up, we will split in to separate time slots so that each individual will receive adequate attention from the trainer and maintain social distancing.

The class will meet every Tuesday at 6pm for 6 weeks and the cost is $180 or you can pay by the class for $35. Please arrive 15 minutes early for the first class to fill out paperwork as needed.

Please contact Ruff Life via messenger, email ([email protected]) , or phone (828-365-8244) with more questions or to reserve your spot.

In this FREE four-week long cohort, participants will learn about different aspects of starting a business, including identifying potential markets, writing a business plan, running the finances of a business, and marketing a business.

You’ll attend sessions online and work closely with mentors and peers in fun breakout activities designed to help strengthen your business ideas and prepare you for success.

If you are interested in learning more or signing up, click here: http://www.sbtdc.org/takingtheleap/july/

Together, we’ll explore the creative freedom and mental relaxation that comes from practicing hand embroidery without a preset pattern or design. We’ll set up our projects and free our minds to relax and wander while our hands create meandering designs. No sketching is involved, no hand sewing experience is required, and best of all, there’s no way to do it wrong!

See one possible result in this video: https://youtu.be/Rq9wzSWZsSM There will be a brief demonstration of this technique, and help getting started (for those who desire it). You are always welcome to go your own way and stitch what you wish.

We’ll gather around the virtual table to hand sew together on a series of Tuesdays:

July 7, 14, 21, 28 ~ 2020
from 1:30 – 3:30 pm and also
from 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Show up once or every time – whatever suits you and your schedule.

This casual workshop takes place on Zoom. It is available live only and will not be recorded. A free Zoom account is required to participate. Click “Find Tickets” at the top of this event page to receive login instructions.

Each session is stand alone with no formal intent. There’s nothing to fall behind on if you miss a time or two.

Supply list:
~ a piece of clothing or fabric to sew on (woven non-stretchy fabric will be easier than stretchy knit)
~ an embroidery hoop (whatever size is comfortable for you)
~ a hand sewing needle
~ embroidery floss (in several colors, if you like)
~ snips or scissors
~ reading glasses (if you’ve reached that age)
~ needle threader (ditto)

(If you have a hand sewing project in progress and would just like some company, you’re welcome to work on that instead.)

Ages 17+. No hand sewing experience required.

Suggested donation: $1 – $5 per session

Awakening Asheville

EVERY Tuesday at Asheville Music Hall! Tuesday Night Funk Jam has been a huge part of Asheville’s vibrant music scene since 2008 and is #Asheville’s hottest weekly concert. Tuesday Night Funk Jam is programmed and orchestrated by an evolved Legendary House Band with trombonist Derrick Lee Johnson at the helm. At 10PM sharp, the Legendary House Band kicks off the night