Calendar of Events

What makes a place idyllic?

Start with an emerald river that flows from ancient mountains. Add an abundance of living creatures that co-evolved over millennia. Bring in humans who honor their place in the interconnected web. And rebuild a vital stream that supports us all.

Your support and engagement helps ensure the health of this watershed for the ages! We can’t do it without you.

The Artist Support Grant provides funding emerging or established artists to create work, improve their business operations, or bring their work to new audiences. Grants range from $500-3,000.

The Asheville Art Museum is pleased to announce that people world-wide can now explore more of the Museum’s diverse Collection of 20th- and 21st-century American art online from the comfort of their homes, on the go with their smart phones, or from their favorite coffee shop.

“This was a massive undertaking, and it’s a tremendous accomplishment,” says Executive Director Pamela Myers. “I cannot express my gratitude to the Museum’s talented curatorial team. They’ve dedicated so much time, energy, and thought to enable these artworks to be experienced and enjoyed on an easily accessible, international platform.”

To date, the curatorial team has meticulously digitized approximately 20 percent of the Museum’s Collection and uploaded it to the online database. “Our evolving Collection has grown to nearly 7,500 works, with 1,500 of them already available online,” says Associate Registrar and Project Lead Chris Whitten. “We’ve already devoted several years to reach this point in the process,” he says, “and plan on regularly adding hundreds more each quarter until the entire Collection is online.”

A Robust, Expanding Collection 
Associate Curator Whitney Richardson says the Museum’s Collection has experienced dramatic growth in the past five years. In fact, it has almost doubled in size and keeps expanding. “Like most museums, we have more art in our Collection than we can show at any one time. With the Collection growing at the rate that it is, this digital platform allows us to share more of what is in our holdings.

Official 2022 Raffle Rules

PROCEEDS

This raffle is a fundraising event, and all net proceeds benefit the Brevard Music Center (BMC). Brevard Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. EIN# 56-0729350

DRAWING

The drawing will take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 at 3:00pm EDT. All mail, phone, and internet orders must be received by 11:59pm EDT on Monday, November 14, 2022.

TICKETS

The cost to purchase a single entry (“Ticket”) for the Raffle is $125 (U.S. Funds only) and is not tax deductible.

DETAILS

1. By entering this raffle, entrants accept and agree to be bound by all the rules, limitations and restrictions set forth here and that their names and/or likenesses may be disclosed to and used by the news media and may otherwise be used by BMC for publicity purposes.
2. The winner may choose a new 2022 Volvo, Subaru, or Hyundai prize vehicle from Hunter Automotive Group of Fletcher, NC with an MSRP up to $50,000.
3. Vehicle choice will be subject to the current available inventory of the dealer. BMC reserves the right to substitute a Volvo, Subaru, or Hyundai model of equal value.
4. The winner is responsible for all taxes, delivery costs, dealer fees, and any options he or she may choose above the vehicle’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) greater than $50,000.
5. The gross winnings of the raffle will be reported to the federal and state tax authorities at the MSRP and the winner is responsible for income tax withholding prior to taking title to the prize.
6. Individuals may purchase as many tickets as they wish; however, only 1,500 tickets will be sold.
7. Participants must be 18 years old or older.
8. BMC employees, faculty, and students 18 or older are eligible to participate.
9. Winnings are not redeemable for cash.
10. If a minimum of 600 tickets is not sold, all ticket holders will receive a full refund and the raffle will not occur.
11. BMC does not make or provide any representation, guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, in connection with the car and accepts no liability or responsibility regarding the construction or condition of the car.

WINNINGS

Once the winner has selected a prize vehicle, the Dealer will notify BMC of the award vehicle’s MSRP. BMC will calculate the required federal income taxes due. The raffle winner is responsible for remitting the funds to BMC for the federal income tax. Brevard Music Center is required by law to report the base MSRP of the vehicle the winner chooses as gaming income to federal and state authorities and to withhold and deposit federal income taxes equal to 25% of the MSRP less the wager (raffle ticket). The winner’s payment of the federal taxes to BMC will be deposited with the US Federal Treasury and the winner will receive credit for the taxes remitted. In order for the dealer to release the winner’s vehicle, the winner will need to provide the following to BMC:

1. A completed form W-9.
2. Payment to BMC of the appropriate amount of federal tax withholding in cash or certified check.

Once both of these are received, BMC will authorize the dealer to release the vehicle. The winner will receive a Form W-2G by January 31, 2023 to use in preparing their 2022 income tax return.

 2022 Buncombe voter guide is published online & in paper!

These handy non-partisan guides provide you with important election dates, tips on how to make sure your vote counts, and responses from your local candidates with their stances on important issues heading into the midterm.

Click here to view the digital version and share it with your friends & family.

If you’re interested in distributing paper voter guides to your neighbors or community members, please reply back to me here.

Voting details for the 2022 General Election:

• Early voting runs Thursday, October 20 through Saturday, November 5 (at 3 PM)
• Election Day is Tuesday, November 8.

Find early voting sites by selecting your county on the lookup tool at demnc.co/voteearly.

You can also check your voter registration status, Election Day polling place, and possible sample ballot at demnc.co/poll.

Food Makes a House a Home

Every October, Asheville-area REALTORS® join together on a month-long campaign to help feed thousands of families that face hunger everyday across Western North Carolina. With each house closing in October, a participating REALTOR® will make a $100 donation to MANNA FoodBank in honor of their client, in lieu of a traditional closing gift, providing 400 meals to our WNC Community. Participation in this campaign elevates the REALTOR® within industry by demonstrating the appreciation for their client in a way that has a tangible impact in their community. Realty firms may match their REALTORS® donation, stretching the impact of the gift even further. Every dollar raised in this campaign helps provide food for 4 meals to our WNC community.

There are two ways to download ebooks and audiobooks from Buncombe County Public Libraries.

All library card holders can download books from the North Carolina Digital Library with the Libby app. In addition, you can now download the Hoopla digital mobile app or visit Hoopla from our web page to begin enjoying thousands more items available to borrow 24/7. Your User ID is your library card number with no spaces, and your PIN is the last four digits of your phone number.

If you don’t have a library card, you can contact your library to get one free of charge. Use your library anytime, anywhere with our digital resources.

October 1 – November 3, 2022

Eliada works hard to make the holidays a special time for the children in our care. You can help bring a smile to their face by fulfilling their holiday wishes! Sponsor a Child: When you sign up to sponsor a child for the holidays, you’ll receive a Wish List that a young person created. Wish Lists include their favorite things, clothing sizes, and most needed and wanted items. The value of a Wish List is around $150. You can divide that cost with friends, or even sponsor several children. For most of Eliada’s children and youth, the gifts they receive from sponsors are the only gifts they will get during the holiday season. To sign up to sponsor, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at [email protected]. Sponsor Multiple Children: We also have Wish Lists which include items that children will need here at Eliada depending on what program they are in. Cottage wish lists for youth living at Eliada, for example, include toiletries, bedding and towels, books, games, art supplies, suitcases and kitchen utensils. Many children come to Eliada with a few clothes in a garbage bag. Together we can provide them things that every home should have! Other wish lists are for our Child Development programs, Foster Care program, Farm program, Summer Camp program, and Recreation programs. Our Equine Therapy program also has some needs this holiday season! We never know when we’ll get a call for a child in Foster Care who needs a home immediately. Let’s help Foster Parents provide these children everything they deserve! Sponsor a last minute wish: Some youth living at Eliada won’t arrive until right before the holidays! We won’t receive their wish lists until mid-late November. Can you sign up to help one of these teens at the last minute? If you don’t have time to shop, Eliada will use your donation to purchase gifts for children who may arrive at Eliada very close to Christmas or right after Christmas. It shouldn’t matter when you arrive at Eliada–your wishes should be fulfilled! You can make a donation here. In the comment field, write “holiday wishes.” To sign up to sponsor multiple children or a teen at the last minute, please contact Rebecca Boline by email at rboline@eliada.org or by phone at (828) 254-5356, ext. 306.

the City of Hendersonville will begin their fall bulk leaf collection service for City residents. Bulk leaf collection will continue throughout the fall season and conclude on December 30.

During bulk leaf collection, City residents should pile loose leaves as close to the street, curb, or sidewalk as possible without placing the leaves in the roadway or on the sidewalk. Leaves should not be bagged by City of Hendersonville residents.

Residents can help prevent safety hazards by keeping leaf piles out of the sidewalks. Obstructed sidewalks may force people to walk into the street and pose a danger for pedestrians and motorists. Keeping leaf piles out of the roadways and sidewalks also helps prevent debris from being washed into the storm drains which can cause flooding.

The bulk leaf collection process is separate from brush collection crews; therefore, residents will need to keep their brush and leaves in separate piles until bulk leaf collection has concluded at the end of the year. Leaf piles should be free of tree limbs or other objects that may damage collection equipment. Spring bulk leaf collection typically occurs during the month of March.

It is not necessary for the public to contact Public Works with leaf pick-up requests as this service is automatically provided to City residents. Leaf piles are picked up from homes every ten to fourteen days but, depending on the volume of leaves placed out for collection, the piles could be picked up sooner or later than that time frame.

After hearing feedback from the public on its Early Voting Plan around locations and weekend hours, Buncombe County Election Services has finalized 12 in-person early voting sites.

Early Voting Locations:

• Black Mountain Library – 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain 28711
• Elections Warehouse – 50 Coxe Ave., Asheville 28801
• East Asheville Library – 3 Avon Road, Asheville 28805
• Enka-Candler Library – 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler 28715
• Fairview Library – 1 Taylor Road, Fairview 28730
• Friendship Community Center – 142 Shiloh Road, Asheville 28803
• Leicester Community Center – 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester 28748
• North Asheville Library – 1030 Merrimon Ave., Asheville 28804
• South Buncombe Library – 260 Overlook Road, Asheville 28803
• Weaverville Community Center – 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville 28787
• Wesley Grant Southside Center – 285 Livingston St., Asheville 28801
• West Asheville Library – 942 Haywood Road, Asheville 28806

North Carolina’s in-person early voting period begins Thursday, Oct. 20, and ends at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5. See the attachment for dates, times, and locations in English, Spanish, and Russian.

Check Out the Wait Map before you head out for Early Voting

During scheduled Early Voting, Buncombe County offers a tool that tells you in real time how many voters are in line at each location. The wait map will only be available during Early Voting. Check it out here before you head out the door.

The General Election is Tuesday, Nov. 8 – here’s what you need to know

Absentee by mail

Voters may request absentee ballots any time through Nov. 1. Requested absentee ballots will begin going out in the mail on Friday, Sept. 9 and must be returned by Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 5 p.m. in person or Nov. 14 by mail (postmarked by Nov. 8). Request an absentee ballot at www.buncombecounty.org/vote.

Voter Registration

The deadline to register or change party affiliation for the midterm election is Friday, Oct. 14. Same-day registration will be available at in-person early voting locations. National Voter Registration Day is Tuesday, Sept. 20. Election Services Director Corinne Duncan will join the NC Trusted Elections Town Hall at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, 6:30 p.m.

I Voted Sticker Contest

We’re extending the deadline for our I Voted sticker contest to Friday, Sept. 9, and the contest is now open to all Buncombe residents under age 18. Read more here.

Pollworkers Needed

Are you interested in earning money while helping support the democratic process? Being a poll worker is a rewarding way to help our community while supplementing your income. If this sound interesting, click here to learn more about the perks of working the polls, eligibility requirements, pay scales, and more.

Elections Q&A Sept. 29 at East Asheville Library

The Buncombe County Board of Elections, Election Services, and Buncombe County Public Libraries are teaming up to offer free Voting Q&A sessions.

• Thursday, Sept. 29 – 5 p.m. at the East Asheville Public Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville
• Tuesday, Oct. 4 – 5 p.m. at the Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester
• Thursday, Oct. 6 – 5 p.m. at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road, Asheville

If you have questions about the voting process, we have answers. How can I find my polling place? What’s the difference between a primary and a general election? How do I find a sample ballot? Do I need an ID to vote? Get answers to these questions and more. Learn about how elections work, how to exercise your right to vote, and tips to make the process faster and easier. Add the event to your calendar and get updates here.

For more information about voting in Buncombe County, go to www.buncombecounty.org/vote.

Five Pathways to Becoming the Best Version of Oneself: Social, Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Meaning-Based

Please refer any calls with questions regarding the seminar registration, certification, content, etc, to the IBP Registration Department at 866-652-7414.

Institute for Brain Potential (IBP) is the leading provider of programs on the brain and behavioral sciences. Our non-profit organization has presented cost-effective, informative and practical seminars by outstanding speakers since 1984. IBP is approved or accredited as a provider of continuing education by various national and state agencies. A list of our provider approvals is available here. Please consult our course brochures to view approval information for our program offerings.

The Journeyperson Program is designed for farmers who have been independently farming for three or more years and are serious about operating farm businesses in the Southern Appalachian region. This program will give you the space and time to work on your business while making connections that deepen your peer-to-peer support. Early bird discount: $100 off if you apply by September 1st, 2022.

Listen. Dance. Feel the music and that will answer, “Why the “Legends of Africa?” Africa is the core and essence of where so much of humanity and music has originated. It has forever influenced music and cultures throughout the world with the diaspora of its people. Over the years, LEAF has connected deeply with many African artists and presented artists from 32 of the 54 countries on the continent. These bonds and our love of Africa, bring us back the magic of not just the continent, but its people, our family. So join us for a true gathering of friends and the rekindling of traditions that have made the past 27 years of LEAF memorable.

“The shortest distance between two people is a story, a song, or a dance.”
Masankho Banda from Malawi.

Who is an African Legend you admire? Chinobay of Uganda said he’s been inspired by the music he listened to during Apartheid. He spoke of Miriam Makeba (nicknamed Momma Africa) a South African singer, songwriter and activist whose music was socially responsible and carried so much power for the people. What makes you a Legend is the MESSAGE you carry to the world.

In flow with Chinobay’s reflection, the artwork is a masterpiece created by legendary artist Trek 6 inspired by his work in South Africa while producing a documentary. Trek spoke about how the sunrises and sunsets in Africa were surreal, thus he began with a beautiful sun design.  A wall of drums in South Africa, where they host people from different tribes bringing food, song and art inspired the drums. In Trek’s own words, “Africa is cosmic, colorful, and the center to our past. From it we radiated.”We are honored by his artistic vision.

• Sale!

  

  Festival Weekend PLUS Pass

  $175.00 – $203.00

  October 20-23, 2022 *Must be purchased by LEAF Member* Thursday 4:30pm to Sunday 7pm including overnight tent camping.

• Sale!

  

  Festival Weekend Pass

  $135.00 – $159.00

  October 21-23, 2022 Fri 9am – Sun 7pm. Includes overnight camping

• Sale!

  

  Festival Community Pass

  $95.00 – $105.00

  Fri 4:30pm – 2am, Sat 9am – 2am, Sun 9am – 7pm. No overnights / camping. No Thu. access. Must have alternate overnight accommodations nearby

• Sale!

  

  Festival Saturday Pass

  $53.00 – $59.00

  Saturday, October 22, 2022, 9:00 AM to 2:00 AM. No overnight camping.

Have you ever wondered how the team at Flat Rock Playhouse creates our unique productions like

West Side Story or Million Dollar Quartet?

Did you know that Flat Rock Playhouse provides arts education experiences to thousands of local students?

Would it surprise you that we maintain 12 acres of property and 12 working buildings?

Check out our Gift Registry for a back-stage sneak-peek of what goes into
building a show from scratch.

Our registry includes everything from hair products to lumber, class supplies to monthly utilities, laundry detergent to airline

tickets. We hope you’ll consider making a one-time, 100% tax-deductible donation to support these resources that truly make the magic happen. As a non-profit organization, Flat Rock Playhouse depends on ticket sales and meaningful gifts to bring you the thrill and joy of live theater.

Your unrestricted gift supports these example expenses as well as many, many more!

We couldn’t do it without you!

If you’re behind on your water bill or afraid your water might get cut off, a new resource might be able to help you. On Jan. 4, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved more than $450,000 in federal funding for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP). The initiative is aimed at preventing water disconnections and helping reconnect drinking and wastewater services.

The LIHWAP will be administered by Buncombe County-based Eblen Charities. The nonprofit will make payments directly to utilities on behalf of qualifying households. The program is slated to run through Sept. 30, 2023 or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility requirements

Households that currently receive Food and Nutrition Services (FNS), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Work First services, or those that received Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) services from Oct. 1, 2020-Sept. 30, 2021, are automatically eligible to receive this benefit if their water services have been cut off or are in danger of being cut off.

For additional eligibility information or to apply, please contact Eblen Charities at (828) 255-3066.

Have you ZOOMed yet? Buncombe County Public Libraries give library card holders access to free passes for local museums and attractions. It’s called a ZOOM pass, and you can check one out with your library card.

Starting in September, the library has two new and one returning ZOOM pass attractions for library card holders of all ages.

The Asheville Art Museum has returned to ZOOM. We’re excited to add Team ECCO Aquarium and Shark Lab in Hendersonville, and thanks to our partnership with Buncombe Parks & Recreation we are now offering free paddleboat and launch passes for Lake Julian Park. These new partners join the other popular attractions like the Nature Center and the Arboretum on our ZOOM pass team.

We have an online reservation system at the library website you can use to reserve a one-day pass for the location of your choice. Passes may be reserved up to one month in advance and most passes are family passes that will admit several adults and children. You can pick up your pass at any library up to one week before your reservation.

There’s so much to do in Buncombe County and you can now use your library card to do it! If you have any questions, ask at your library.

Are You Ready to Take the Challenge? Are you looking for a challenge that will build your sustainability skills while helping the world around you? You’re in luck, October is Zero Waste Month! As defined by the Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA), “Zero Waste is the conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.” These lifestyle changes and policy updates can not be implemented without special regard to social equity and environmental justice issues, so now is our time to fight with compassion and understanding for systemic change. Here are your three easy steps to take the Zero Waste Challenge: Sign up by joining the challenge Subscribe to the Race to Zero Waste YouTube Channel to get action ideas from our expert interviews Share your zero waste actions on social media using the hashtag #ZeroWasteMonth

• Recognition in our Pebbledash Newspaper, reaching 7500 homes twice a year
• Recognition in our monthly eBlast, reaching 2500 people
• Listing and link on PSABC website
• Early invitations and discounts to PSABC events

Join us for a relaxing ride through quiet countryside on your way to small town life in western North Carolina on the Tuckasegee River Excursion. Departing from Bryson City, this 4 hour excursion travels 32 miles round-trip to Dillsboro and back to the Bryson City Depot. Pass by the famous movie set of The Fugitive starring Harrison Ford!

The Tuckasegee (tuck-uh-SEE-jee) River Excursion includes an 1 hour and 20 minute layover in the historic town of Dillsboro, where you’ll find more than 50 shops, restaurants, a brewery, and country inns. There is time to shop, snack, and visit the many unique shops before returning to Bryson City.