It is our hope that the many accomplishments that Black people have made, and continue to make in this country, are celebrated every day of the year as Black history IS American History. Beyond that, we challenge everyone to consider, not just the momentous, exceptional, or singular figures but to truly celebrate Blackness. Visit our blog post designed with our partners at Read2Suceed that includes a children’s reading list of both historic characters and Black characters to add to your child’s library.

1. Bricks-And-Mortar

2. Public Education

3. Planning, Survey and Designation

Are you looking for a great way to get involved with your community and make a difference? Board, committee, and commission members aid the governing process by keeping Buncombe County in touch with the ideas and attitudes of our community. They help provide direction for the allocation of funds, the provision of human services, protection of residents, property, and our natural resources.

Public input is vitally important to the success of our County, and right now Buncombe County has vacancies on a number of boards and commissions. Learn more about vacancies, deadlines to apply, and the application process at buncombecounty.org/transparency.

Featured Board & Commission vacancies

Justice Resource Advisory Council: Leveraging best practices to increase system efficiency, promote public safety & community wellness.

Are you interested in the inner workings of Buncombe County’s criminal justice system? The Justice Resource Advisory Council (JRAC) is seeking one at-large community member.

JRAC is a collaborative initiative and advisory body with leadership from Buncombe County and representatives from the criminal justice and court system focusing on systemic planning and coordination for crucial needs in the criminal justice system. JRAC examines potential improvements to the system, sets priorities, makes recommendations, and guides their implementation. Top priorities are:

• Jail population reduction
• Diverting individuals with mental illness and substance abuse into treatment
• Increasing court efficiency
• Data integration
• Community engagement
• Addressing racial and ethnic disparities
• Juvenile justice
• Re-entry support

The JRAC meets the first Friday of February, April, June, August, October, and December at 12:30 p.m. at 200 College Street Ground Floor, unless otherwise announced.  Apply online here.

Current Buncombe County Boards & Commissions vacancies

• Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee: 1 vacancy, Deadline Jan. 11, 2022
• Agricultural Advisory Board: 1 vacancy, Until filled
• Justice Resource Advisory Council: 1 vacancy (community member at-large) Until filled
• Homeless Initiative:  1 vacancy; Until filled
• Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC):  1 vacancy (1 person under the age of 21 years or a member of the public representing the interests of families of youth at-risk of justice involvement); 1 vacancy (member of faith community); 1 vacancy (community member at-large); 1 vacancy (representative of Parks & Recreation) Until filled
• Nursing Home Community Advisory Committee: Ongoing need
• Adult Care Home Community Advisory Committee: Ongoing need

Asheville Gallery of Art’s February show, “Time for Renewal” will feature works by three new gallery members: Kathy Goodson, Margie Kluska, and Johnnie Stanfield. The show will run February 1-28 during gallery hours, 11am-6pm. An event to meet the artists will be held at the gallery on First Friday, February 4, from 5-8pm at 82 Patton Avenue.

This show represents a seasonal reset. What is to come will be better. We have had our time to pause, and now it is time to refresh. For the earth, this is Spring, a time for new growth. In February, the light begins to change, and shadows shift. Underlying it all is the promise of our renewal.

Kathy Goodson
Color is one of Kathy’s visual languages. She captures the drama of her botanical flowers and leaves so they appear to leap off the painting…a visual feast in silk and dye or encaustic. The thrill of creating something unexpected is an elixir to her, with reds and fuchsia being her favorites. When creating an abstract, she begins by thinking about color, then a story begins to grow, which leads to a visual symbol or image, loaded with meaning related to the story. All of this happens before she puts the first brush stroke on the silk or
the wood. Her process is interactive, and she lets the painting create, then lead her.
“Color captivates me especially when winter begins to change into spring. The Lenten Rose is the first to emerge in late winter, with subtle and muted colors…unlike the later flowers of spring and summer.”

Margie Kluska
Margie has been drawing since she was a child. She enjoys studying the works of the classical artists and Hudson River School painters, and she has only recently taken up oil painting. Her inspiration is taken from nature, landscapes, wildlife, and flora. Living surrounded by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains has inspired her to paint views that take one’s breath away. Distant mountain ranges, glorious sunsets, soaring hawks, and ever-changing weather patterns offer her extensive references which she captures on canvas. Her style, “loose realism”, captures the reality of each scene with a slight bent towards Impressionism.
“Light affects our moods. Whether it’s a sunrise, sunset, or storm clouds parting to expose a blue sky, our moods are instantly transformed.”

Johnnie Stanfield
An award-winning artist, Johnnie is known for her colorful, vivid watercolor and acrylic paintings of horses, fishing lure studies, and local landscapes. She is inspired by the emotion created when she sees an object or something in nature that recalls a past memory. She is then compelled to paint it, to convey and share that feeling with the viewer. Johnnie will paint a subject in watercolor to give it a softer feel so the viewer can devote their own emotion to the painting or add to the emotion she has created. If it is detailed, she will usually use acrylic or oil. Her paintings hang in private collections throughout the Southeast.
”Sheltering in Place” was inspired by my cat, during the shelter in place mandate in Spring, 2020. Like all of us, we waited for the sunshine, to renew our spirit and celebrate its warmth, while wondering when we could go back out into the world and resume our life as usual.”

For further information about this show, please contact the Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery’s website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery’s Facebook page.

Thanks for Supporting Asheville Outlets’ Virtual Food Drive for MANNA FoodBank

We’re looking for a team of dedicated volunteers to commit to monthly service days at the site of the future Karen Cragnolin Park. Volunteers will work outside at a safe social distance to remove invasive species. We will be working in groups of 15 or less and wearing masks to ensure the safety of everyone involved.

If you are interested in helping please fill out this survey (link below) so we can determine the best day and time to offer this monthly day of service.

Karen Cragnolin Park Update: We are delighted to report that the remediation of Karen Cragnolin Park (KCP) – named in honor of our visionary founder – is complete, and that we are initiating the first phase of the project by constructing the park’s greenway and an accompanying landscaped corridor. This will activate and connect the park (to the two adjacent greenways) and continue the journey of bringing the park fully online. Our goal with this phase is to create a beautiful aesthetic corridor with carefully selected plantings and design elements accompanied by educational, cultural and historical signage for people to experience as they move through the park. This phase is projected to cost approximately $1 million and will be achieved through individual donors and institutional and grant funding. Construction will begin when funding commitments are secured. To learn more about supporting our efforts please contact me at [email protected].

As background, the 5.3 acre site was formerly home to the EDACO junkyard for over 50 years. Located adjacent to the French Broad River and bounded by Amboy Road, the car crushing operation contaminated the land and water with oil, gas, grease and antifreeze. RiverLink worked with experts to implement an extensive soil remediation process to restore the land.

Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architecture’s vision for KCP is bold and transformative. Upon full completion, KCP will serve as one of the missing links in the larger open space and greenway system, connecting Carrier Park to French Broad River Park. KCP will offer a contemplative and rejuvenating space that honors the natural and cultural history of the site while providing access to the water’s edge. The park will also stabilize riparian edges, collect and slow stormwater, and promote a wide range of habitats. The completed project will embrace the concept of a “living laboratory” – an outdoor classroom that makes the dynamic riparian and ecological processes visible. An educational, stimulating, and enjoyable park experience will cultivate a community invested in the long-term stewardship of the river and the park system for generations to come. Please see our website for the Master Plan and complete vision.

Buy one of these murals for yourself or to donate to a local organization (make sure you check with them first), and keep the good work going! All proceeds from this auction will be split evenly between The Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County’s COPE Program and the Asheville Area Arts Council’s Arts Build Community Grant. Auction ends February 28.

GEORGE FLOYD

Auction, Faces, Lexington Ave, Names

BLACK POWER MATTERS

Black Lives Matter, Lexington Ave

END THE WAR ON BLACK PEOPLE

Lexington Ave

BLACK LIVES

Black Lives Matter, Lexington Ave

FISTS

Fist, Lexington Ave

DEFUND POLICE

Defend Black Lives, Lexington Ave

SAY THEIR NAMES

Lexington Ave, Names

JERRY WILLIAMS & AHMAUD ARBERY

Auction, Black Lives Matter, Faces, Fist, Lexington Ave

#BlackHerstoryMonth is this month!  The perspectives of #BlackFeminists have consistently transformed the fights for gender equity and racial justice to ensure we can continue to build a world of equity, justice, and freedom for all. That’s why, all month, we’re celebrating Black feminism and centering the work of powerful Black sheroes past and present doing the critical intersectional work to #EliminateRacism and #EmpowerWomen. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram all month long as we center the unsung legacy of Black feminism: from Jane Crow to Intersectionality.

In February, we honor and recognize Black Legacy Month at Buncombe County Public Libraries. We will be celebrating throughout February through several online events, staff-curated booklists, and a collection of online resources and exhibits.

Virtual book clubs will discuss On Girlhood by Glory Edim and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. You can register for either book club on the library calendar.

When you visit your library, look for special Black Legacy Month displays and book selections.

Below, you will find our Librarians’ reading list highlighting Black authors that include selections for all ages.

We look forward to seeing you at the library!

Black Legacy Month Reading List

Books for Families to Share

My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander

The Electric Slide and Kai by Kelly J. Baptist

Soul Food Sunday by Winsome Bingham

This Is Your Time by Ruby Bridges

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes

Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Hubbard

Recognize! An Anthology Honoring and Amplifying Black Life Edited by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson

Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons

My Hair Is Magic by M.L. Marroquin

M is for Melanin by Tiffany Rose

Exquisite: the Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Buckingham Slade

Nina: a Story of Nina Simone by Traci N. Todd

Dream Street by Tricia Elam Walker

Chapter Books For Older Kids

Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. Baptist

Blended by Sharon Draper

The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

New Kid by Jerry Craft

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia

Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Books for Teens

The Skin I’m In by Sharon G. Flake

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

March by John Lewis and Andrew Ayden

Revolution in Our Time: the Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon

Loving vs. Virginia by Patricia Powell

Dear Martin by Nic Stone

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi

Books for Adults

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet

The Yellow House by Sarah Broom

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown

You Are Your Best Thing edited by Tarana Burke

Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia by Thomas Healy

All About Love by bell hooks

Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women that Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall

400 Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Disha Philyaw

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

This month, Explore Asheville is focusing on Black community leaders who honor and shine light on Asheville’s Black past while working to create a brighter future. Sourcing from local content creators, we’re sharing these individuals’ stories on our social channels and on ExploreAsheville.com, posting one new video each week during Black History/Black Legacy Month.

A look at amazing community leaders who honor and shine light on Asheville’s past while working to create a brighter future.

Our RiverRATS program teaches students all sorts of fun vocabulary about river ecology. These terms provide crucial information needed to protect and steward the river. This month’s crossword is going to quiz you on the vocabulary that we teach the kids in our stream table lessons! Let’s see how well you can do in our take on the game show, Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader!

Go Local Asheville organization–which supports local
independent businesses and its customers–has announced the historic launch of a
first-ever app to better serve Asheville area business and card members,

The free digital app is now available on Apple Store and Google Play for
both Apple and Android smartphones. While the app is free and downloadable for
everyone to conveniently find and support local independent businesses, only Go
Local Asheville cardholders can take advantage of the discounts and perks
offered by the over 500 participating local independent business members. To become
a cardholder, cards can be purchased for $20 each at 30 different businesses
throughout Asheville or on the Go Local Asheville website. To become a business
member, there is no charge. The only requirement is to offer a discount or perk to Go
Local Asheville cardholders.

Join the team: Hiring a RiverCamp Counselor

We are now hiring for our summer camp counselor position. Come spend the summer on the river with some awesome kids and prepare them to be the next generation of river stewards. Click below to learn more.

Position description and application instructions.

Each year, the Asheville Downtown Association selects local nonprofits to sell wristbands at its events. The nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000 and has the opportunity to display marketing materials to share their program of work with large audiences.

Nonprofits provide 30 volunteers over 18 to work in two shifts between 5 and 9:30pm. Volunteers check IDs and sell wristbands to patrons. The nonprofit will also have an opportunity to receive its check on the stage and share remarks with the crowd. Applications are due by March 1 and selections will be made around March 9.

Click here to access the application form. Please communicate with your colleagues to ensure only one form is submitted per nonprofit.

Each year at the OGS Spring Conference, we recognize a local leader for their dedication, steadfastness, civic commitment, and responsibility for organic education. Last year, Tamarya Sims from Soulfull Simone Farm and Patryk Battle from Living Web Farms won the Organic Educator Award!   In the last few years, we’ve given the Organic Educator Award to folks who have been at it for decades, but this year, we wanted to recognize those folks who may be just getting started but are already making a profound impact.   This award honors the individuals in our midst who have made ongoing and important contributions to the sustainable agriculture community in Western NC and the Southern Appalachians.    Have someone in mind?

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s to be ready…
Sign up for BC Alerts, and you’ll get emergency information sent directly to you in real time.

Buncombe County residents have a new, customizable solution for receiving notification and emergency alerts. Buncombe County Government is in the initial phase of migrating to the CodeRED community notification system to send important alerts and time-sensitive messages to staff members and residents. Along with emergency and critical messages, the CodeRED notification system will also enhance community engagement via the release of important but non-emergency information such as vaccine site notifications, inclement weather closures and schedule changes, and other county service information.

Sign up for BC Alerts by texting BCAlert (not case sensitive) to 99411 or visit buncombecounty.org/codered to sign up for the new system.

Notice: If residents have previously signed up for BC Alerts, they will need to re-register in order to continue receiving notifications after June. If you have Spectrum as your wireless provider please select Other from the provider list, and scroll down for more frequently asked questions. 

“Upon evaluating our previous notification system and other available options, we chose CodeRED for its innovative features, user-friendly platform, and wide-spread adoption rates across the country,” said Communications and Public Engagement Director Lillian Govus. “Their company-owned redundant data centers help ensure every resident’s data is safe and that messages are delivered quickly and reliably to thousands of individuals within minutes. We’re excited to expand our communication channels with residents to include text, phone, email, and social media platforms, providing the information they need to know to make better informed decisions during an emergency.”

CodeRED Key Benefits

CodeRED will deliver several benefits for residents and enable staff to more efficiently manage and distribute notifications before, during, and after emergency and non-emergency events:

• Registration for this notification service is customized, allowing residents to choose which alerts they’d like to receive, as well as their preferred channel.
• Residents can select several different methods including landline, cell phone, email, text message, TTY, or even a combination. These alerts can be specific to streets, neighborhoods or regions, so individuals within affected areas are sure to receive relevant information.
• Residents and visitors can keep track of alerts in Buncombe County with the CodeRED Mobile App, which notifies smartphone holders of real-time alerts in the area. Similar to the online registration, users choose which notifications they’d like to receive via the app.
• Staff members can also use the system to communicate emergency information with one another. This will help us ensure our emergency response and daily operations are even more efficient.

All residents are encouraged to visit buncombecounty.org/codered or text BCAlert to 99411 to enroll in the CodeRED system. For more information on the CodeRED notification system or registration, please contact [email protected]. or call CodeRED support at 1-866-939-0911.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s to be ready…
Sign up for BC Alerts, and you’ll get emergency information sent directly to you in real time.

Buncombe County residents have a new, customizable solution for receiving notification and emergency alerts. Buncombe County Government is in the initial phase of migrating to the CodeRED community notification system to send important alerts and time-sensitive messages to staff members and residents. Along with emergency and critical messages, the CodeRED notification system will also enhance community engagement via the release of important but non-emergency information such as vaccine site notifications, inclement weather closures and schedule changes, and other county service information.

Sign up for BC Alerts by texting BCAlert (not case sensitive) to 99411 or visit buncombecounty.org/codered to sign up for the new system.

January through April

Actors portray characters from Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Story “Three Boys with Jugs of Molasses and Secret Ambitions.”

NPS Photo

Educators in grades 3-12 are invited to submit original poems written by their students in February. The poems will be judged and winners announced in April. Find the 2022 Poetry Contest Information and submission guidelines here. The theme “Ambition” is from one of Carl Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories, to celebrate it’s 100th year of being published. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.”

Students are invited to submit a poem to Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site’s annual Student Poetry Contest. The contest encourages youth to explore writing their own poetry, and is open to students nationwide!

Submissions are accepted from grades 3-12 and must be postmarked by March 1, 2022. See below for submission rules.

Winners will be notified by April 8, 2022, and will be invited to participate in a special virtual program on April 22.

2022 Contest Rules

Theme – “Ambition”
Carl Sandburg wrote millions of words reflecting on the American experience of the 20^th century. Though his words often focused on war, labor, and social injustice, as a father of three, he also wrote imaginative, zany, and fantastical children’s stories, called “Rootabaga Stories.” Carl Sandburg’s “Rootabaga Stories” were first published in 1922 and celebrate 100 years of entertaining readers of all ages this year. The theme “Ambition” is from one of these stories. “An ambition…creeps in your heart night and day, singing a little song, ‘Come and find me, come and find me.” Read the story here.

Poems submitted for the 2022 contest should reflect the theme of “Ambition.” By definition, a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work. Or setting goals to achieve success.

Submission Rules

• Poetry accepted from 3-12th grades only. Poems will be grouped for judging by 3-5th, 6-8th, and 9-12th.
• Poems must be submitted by a teacher (traditional classroom or homeschool teacher).
• No more than three poems per class. Teachers with multiple classes, can submit up to three poems per class period.
• Poem will be judged on its ability to communicate the theme.
• Poem can be written in any style, but must not exceed one-page in length. No illustrations.
• Poems must be typed, no handwritten entries, using standard computer fonts, like Times, Arial, etc…
• Do not place any identifying information (name, school, grade, etc…) on poem sheet, that will go on the accompanying submission form.
• Submission form must be complete to be accepted:
  • Paperclipped to poem, no staples
  • Must be signed by parent, student and teacher
  • Submissions must be postmarked, faxed, or e-mailed to [email protected], by March 1, 2022. Emailed submissions must be docs, .pdfs or scans. Low resolution pictures of the submission will not be accepted.

Judging
Judges from the literary community will make the decision for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place within each grade category (3-5th, 6-8th, 9-12th).

Poetry Partners
The 2022 Poetry Contest is a result of tremendous community support including the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, and literary volunteers who serve as judges. Thank you.

Poetry Resources
You may also find curriculum resources to use in the classroom at the park’s website: www.nps.gov/carl/learn/education/index.htm.

Send Submissions to:
Carl Sandburg Home NHS
Attn: Poetry Contest
81 Carl Sandburg Lane
Flat Rock, North Carolina 28731
Fax 828-693-4179
Email: [email protected]