Sculpture on display February 11-26, 2023
Audio visual projection on Saturdays, February 11, 18, & 25; 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Project Type: Sculpture
Project Sponsors and Collaborators: Collaborators include Tiffany De’Bellott and Shuvonda Harper with Center for Participatory Change, Catherine Mitchelle, Executive Director with River Front Development Group; and Brian Randall with Hall Fletcher Elementary
About the Project: Speculative fiction and science fiction are genres that probe into the future with the imagination. They ask “how might we live differently?” Briar’s sculpture will do the same representing a monument commissioned in the year 2523, five hundred years from now. They plan to install a transparent, nine-foot-tall obelisk that will be filled with swirling fog that will slowly disperse into the atmosphere through small holes in the top of the obelisk. Text and images will be projected onto the fog that represent what a monument could possibly be and say in 2523. The text will come from extensive interviews they will do with youth and leaders from the Asheville community. Briar’s project will collectively envision a future Asheville that has gone a long way to heal from its past, one that is not just equitable, but deeply flourishing. With the removal of the Vance monument, Asheville is now at a crossroads in its memorialization and has a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and heal.
About the Artist: Instagram @oikos_umbra

North Carolina’s Annual Conference of Art & Action April 17, 2023 – Conference Day at the McKimmon Center, Raleigh April 18, 2023 = Legislative Day at the NC General Assembly, Raleigh ARTS Day is a gathering of artists and arts leaders from across the state to convene as peers and prepare for action, then meet with their elected representatives at the NC General Assembly to deliver a message about the ARTS that is simple, inclusive, and positive. But ARTS Day is more than a collection of speakers and meetings with lawmakers, it is the annual culmination of a movement. The mission of Arts NC is to unite people and communities to strengthen and celebrate a creative North Carolina, an idea that is embodied in our annual two-day conference.

DAY 1 – CONFERENCE DAY

9:00-11:00	Registration and Networking
9:30	Advocacy 101 – Nate McGaha, Executive Director, Arts North Carolina
11:00	Welcome – Nate McGaha
11:20	Rissi Palmer
11:40	Performance – Rissi Palmer
12:00	Lunch
12:30	Arts NC State & Federal Updates – Ken Melton, and Nate McGaha
1:00	Alan Brown
2:00	Networking Break
2:20	Update on the NCAC – Jeff Bell
2:50	Lenora Helm Hammonds
3:10	Performance – NCCU Jazz Ensemble
3:30	Networking Break
3:50	Arts NC Organization Updates – Nate McGaha
4:20	Liza Roberts
4:40	A Conversation with Ben Folds
5:00	Performance – Ben Folds

 

DAY 2 – LEGISLATIVE DAY

8:00	Convene
8:00-1:00	Legislative Appointments
8:30	Advocacy 101 (condensed) – Nate McGaha
9:00	Legislative Kickoff
10:30 – 1:00	Performances – TBA
12:00	Lunch (Included in Ticket Price)

Asheville Outlets will again team with MANNA FoodBank to hold a Food is Love Food Donation Drive during the month of February 2023. The drive will focus on collecting healthy, nonperishable foods for distribution to those in need in western North Carolina. Items of need include low-sodium canned vegetables, canned tuna and chicken, low salt nuts, no sugar added fruits, shelf stable milk, whole grain pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, canola & olive oil, peanut butter, low sodium soups, canned and dried beans, and low sugar cereals Collection bins will be in the Asheville Outlets food court. Monetary donations can be made at MANNAFoodBank.org. For more information, visit ShopAshevilleOutlets.com.

Registration is now open for the next session of youth tennis classes starting March 3rd at Hendersonville Racquet Club.  Kids are put in groups based on age and ability with seven levels available.  The session is six weeks long and is $79 for members or $99 for non-members for one class a week.  Two days a week (12 sessions) is $139/169.

“Our youth tennis program has something for any child who wants to play.  From beginner to high performance player, we put them into situations where they will be challenged and can succeed while having a fun time doing it.” stated HRC Junior Tennis Academy Tennis Pro Cre Still.

The format for this session is having classes once or twice for six weeks. All classes are taught by certified tennis professionals and will be held on HRC’s arena courts.  For more info go to www.hvillerc.com or contact 828-693-0040 or [email protected].

Hendersonville Racquet Club is a six acre complex that includes 6 outdoor tennis courts, 3 arena tennis courts, four racquetball courts, 7 pickleball courts, an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, group fitness room and outdoor leisure area by Shaw’s Creek and pond.

SCHEDULE

Age 4-7 (RED) Beginners meet Fridays 4:15-5, Saturdays 12:15-1:00pm, Sunday 3:15-4pm

Age 7-10 (ORANGE) Beginners meet Fri 5-6, Sat 1-2, Sun 4-5

Age 9-15 (GREEN) Beginners meet Fri 6-7, Sat 2-3, Sun 5-6

Age 9-15 (YELLOW) Intermediates meet Sat 2-3, Sun 5-6

HRC Youth Performance Elite (HYPE) Intermediates and Advanced ages 8-18 meet Monday through Thursday 4-7pm

· Classes for all ages and ability!  Open to the public. Call for advanced and tournament/elite class session times.  All classes taught by certified tennis professionals

· Six class (session) package – One day/week – $79 members/$99 for non-members.

· Two days/week $139 /$169.  Drop-In (single) class – $15 for members, $20 for
non-members.  Private lessons may be purchased separately.

Join us throughout February as we celebrate Black Legacy Month with programs and events for all ages! In addition to the programs listed below, we will have special story times and exhibits at most of our libraries.

• Bright Star Touring Theatre: African Folktales – February 1 at 4pm at the Weaverville Library (for children ages 3 and up)
• Book Club: Jazz by Toni Morrison – Thursday, February 2 a 3pm at the Weaverville Library
• Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – Tuesday, February 7 at 6pm
• Book Club: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict Tuesday, February 14 at 1pm at the Leicester Library
• Book Club: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland – February 16 at 2:30pm at the Skyland/South Buncombe Library
• Book Club: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett – February 21 at 7pm at the Fairview Library
• Black Experience Book Club: The Furrows by Namwali Serpell – February 23 at 6:30pm at the Noir Collective, co-sponsored by the East Asheville library

Drop by your local library and check us out. Email or call if you have any questions.

Our librarians have also put together a Black Legacy Month reading list for all ages.

Black Legacy Month Reading List 2023

Books for Adults

Adult Fiction

• Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
• On Girlhood: 15 Stories from the Well-Read Black Girl Library edited by Glory Edim
• What the Fireflies Knew by Kai Harries
• Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois by Honoree Fannone Jeffers
• How Long ‘Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemison
• Deacon King Kong by James McBride
• Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
• Black Bottom Saints by Alice Randall
• The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
• Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
• Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson

Adult nonfiction

• Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
• Carefree Black Girls: A Celebration of Black women in Popular Culture by Zeba Blay
• The 1619 Project edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones
• Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
• Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby*
• The Sum of Us by Heather McGhee
• All That She Carried by Tiya Miles
• Please Don’t Sit On My Bed In Your Outside Clothes by Phoebe Robinson*
• You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin*
• Counting Descent by Clint Smith
• The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
• Here For It by R. Eric Thomas*
• Koshersoul: the faith and food journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty

*especially good on audio because the authors read their work!

Picture books for families to share

• My Heart Flies Open by Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
• Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe by Kate Messner
• My N.C. From A to Z by Michelle Lanier
• Shhh! The Baby’s Asleep by JaNay Brown-Wood
• Curls by Ruth Forman
• Fly by Brittany J. Thurman
• Opal Lee and What it Means to be Free: The True Story of the Grandmother of Juneteenth by Alice Faye Duncan
• Build a House by Rhiannon Giddens
• Bright Brown Baby, A Treasury by Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Born on the Water by Nikole Hannah-Jones and Renee Watson

Chapter books for older kids

• Isaiah Dunn is My Hero by Kelly J. BaptistBlended by Sharon Draper
• Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
• Tristan Strong Trilogy (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, Tristan Strong Destroys the World, and Tristan Strong Keeps Punching) by Kwame Mbalia
• From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks
• Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood edited by Kwame Mbalia
• Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
• Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
• The Door of No Return by Alexander Kwame

Books for teens

• Quincredible by Rodney Barnes
• The Legendborn Cycle (Legendborn and Bloodmarked) by Tracy Deonn
• All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
• You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
• Survive the Dome by Kosoko Jackson
• Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon
• Ain’t Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds
• Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
• On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
• Okoye to the People by Ibi Zoboi

The City of Asheville wants to hear from you! We are kicking off our Fiscal Year 2023-24 (FY24, which runs July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024) budget development process by seeking feedback from the community.

The first way to engage is to participate in our budget priorities survey. This short survey should take less than ten minutes to complete and will ask residents to rank between City services and categories of capital investment to help guide Council and Staff as they make decisions about what to prioritize in the FY24 budget.

The survey is available in English, Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian starting on Monday February 6, 2023 and will close on Friday, March 3, 2023 at 11:59 pm.

The second way to engage is through a public comment session to be held during the regular meeting of the Asheville City Council on Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 5:00 pm. Similar to other public comment sessions, residents may comment at the Council meeting in person, by voicemail or by email. Voicemail and email information will be released when the agenda for the February 28 meeting is published on Friday, February 24.  You will be able to find more information on the Virtual Engagement Hub when the agenda is released.

Feedback received during the public comment session and from the survey will be compiled, analyzed, and presented to City Council during their budget work session on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. Staff will also share results with the community, as well as updates on how community priorities are reflected in the FY24 budget when it is proposed in May.

Presenter: Bruce Appeldoorn – Appeldoorn Landscape Nursery

Bruce Appeldoorn, a life-long nurseryman and the owner of Appeldoorn Landscape Nursery, will share with us some of the best conifers for Western North Carolina gardens. You will see his favorite low-maintenance, long-lived choices based on his 45 years of nursery experience.

The Go Local Card celebrates the interdependence of our businesses to each other, public education and to the youth in our community.

Our community values equitable educational opportunities for everyone and the Go Local Card is an annual fundraiser for Asheville’s city public schools.

Since inception, we have raised nearly $220,000 for our schools. This program connects 4,000 children and their families to a healthy local economy and locally owned businesses that support their school.

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.

The Asheville Downtown Association’s (ADA) Wristband Partner Program provides an opportunity for local nonprofits to sell wristbands at ADA events. The selected nonprofit receives a grant of $2,000, as well as the opportunity to share their program of work with the large audiences at these events. Deadline to apply is Friday, February 24, 2023.

The addition of preservation grants to our existing efforts in advocacy, technical support, preservation easements, and education, will allow us to reach a new and diverse audience.  This program will allow us to support both large and small projects from downtown Asheville to our rural and under-served communities.

Click here for the Grant Application

We look forward to helping with emergency stabilization projects and restorations of important places, to helping neighborhoods receive designations such as recognition on the National Register of Historic Places and to encouraging and supporting new and unique education and research opportunities.  We want to be surprised and humbled by the projects our community asks us to support!

As our city faces the inevitable challenges of growth, PSABC’s voice and reach must expand.  The important addition of this Preservation Grant Program comes in response to the needs of our community.

Preservation grants from $500 – $5000 will be offered to the public in three categories:

1. Bricks-And-Mortar

Rehabilitation, restoration and repair of structures that are 50 years of age or older

Some examples: Windows and doors • Exterior painting • Porches • Roofs and gutters • Electrical and plumbing • Hardscaping • Foundation • Original exterior or interior details

2. Public Education

Development of educational materials and programs that advance knowledge of our shared history

Some examples: Research and documentation • Oral histories • Installations specific to buildings, place history, and culture • Exhibitions • K–12 educational publications • Seminars and lectures • Documentary films

3. Planning, Survey and Designation

Planning and design for building rehabilitation and restoration projects, historic resource surveys and local or national designations

Some examples: Historic building condition reports • Engineering and rehabilitation plans • Feasibility studies • Historic resource surveys • Updates of previous surveys • Local and national historic designations

Read about our past winners here!

Register for our Cuba Agroecology Tour! April 4-13, 2023 Want to learn from farmers and food activists about Cuba’s transition to agroecological farming practices and its national policies that prioritize sustainable farming and hunger remediation? This is your opportunity to join our 9-day tour of Cuba’s sustainable farms! On our tour, we visit with farmers, NGOs, policymakers, and experts to learn about the history of Cuba, their transition to organic agriculture, and ongoing initiatives to support farmers and expand agroecological practices.

For the past 30 years, the Organic Growers School Spring Conference has served as a gathering place for growers in Appalachia to connect, learn from one another, and deepen connections to land and community. The Spring Conference began as an entirely volunteer-run and free event and has expanded to support an organization of ten staff with year-round programming. As we have grown, we have experimented with different approaches to keeping the event affordable and accessible while also working on compensation for our speakers and supporting our growing staff. We encourage you to check out our recent blog post exploring this in more depth. This year, we are excited to be experimenting with sliding scale ticket pricing for the first time, and we wanted to take some time to explain how this works and why we decided to implement it this year.

Looking beyond scholarships

Over the past several years, we have started implementing different scholarship options. We have set aside around $3000 in our internal budget for scholarships, and we have increased our outreach to other groups in the area who have funding to support individuals to attend conferences. We also offer work-trade opportunities for people who are interested in helping out with our event in exchange for attendance. We have around 100 work-traders access the conference each year through these opportunities, but we have never used up our entire scholarship fund for the event. We know that there are many individuals in our community that we are not reaching through our scholarship opportunities. We began to wonder if scholarship applications were creating a barrier to participation and started researching other options, landing eventually on sliding scale as our preferred model.

How alternative pricing models address accessibility

The sliding scale model, which offers the opportunity for participants to select a price to pay for their ticket, meets several of the parameters we were looking for in an accessible pricing model. Most importantly, it is a seamless way for attendees to access the price that meets their needs. So many things are means-tested in our society, and it can be exhausting to justify why one needs a more affordable price point. While many of our community members need financial support, there are also members of this community who have more than enough to share and are excited about supporting their fellow co-learners. These attendees can select the higher end of the sliding scale, which will be set at a price to offset the lower price paid by other attendees. We trust our attendees to select the option that best works for them while also considering how their selection would affect the ability of other participants to access a lower price point.

Accessibility is a priority for OGS, and implementing it is a risk for us as a small non-profit, given that we rely on our large events like the Spring Conference to support our year-round programming and staff salaries. This will certainly be an experimental year, and if we are not able to secure enough income through sliding-scale registrations, we will have to rethink our approach to pricing. We trust that our community will be thoughtful in thinking about the value that this conference has to them and about what they are able to pay for at this time. Thank you for being on this journey of discovery with us!

Registration for Asheville’s premier ten mile road running race is now open. We hope you can join us on June 3, 2023 for another day of fun on our hilly and beautiful ten mile course. Our non-profit beneficiary is once again the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. Please click here to register Please click here for more information Event Current Price New Price Current Price Valid Until The Flying Squirrel Ten Miler $55 $65 March 1, 2023 at 11:59pm EST

Experience some of the best road running in Asheville with The Flying Squirrel Ten Miler, Asheville’s premier 10 Mile road race. Enjoy the ease and convenience of a road race with the spectacular views and seclusion of a mountain race. The race starts and finishes just blocks from downtown Asheville and then promptly takes runners on the winding roads of Town Mountain. Participants will enjoy shaded mountain roads typically only used by locals, such as the beautiful Sunset Drive and Patton Mountain Road. One thing about The Flying Squirrel Ten Miler is sure: you’ve got to “earn” those views. The Southern Appalachians are hilly and so is The Flying Squirrel Ten Miler.

Course

The course features five miles of gradual uphill and five miles of gradual downhill with a bit of flat at the beginning and end. Runners will gain over 1,400′ and lose over 1,400′ throughout the 10 mile long course. Check out our Course Description for a course map, elevation profile, and turn-by-turn instructions.

Start

The race will Start at 8:00AM on Saturday June 3, 2022. The race also Finishes at this same location. Click here for map.

Wildlife

Asheville is home to an amazing diversity of wildlife, including white squirrels, black bears, and fox. Yes, there are white squirrels that live on the course that sometimes make an appearance. A portion of race proceeds to go towards conserving the endangered Carolina Flying Squirrel.

About Us

Brought to you by the same race organizers that bring you the Asheville Turkey Trot (now in its 20+ year) and the Shut-In Ridge Trail Run (now in its 40+ year), The Flying Squirrel Ten Miler is committed to providing the absolute BEST experience for each and every participant!

Aid Stations

Our Aid Stations will have water. Cross the finish line and you will be greeted by spectators and a bunch of other runners.

Finish Zone

Post-Race: Once you catch your breath you’ll enjoy post-race refreshments.

There are several great places to grab a late breakfast or early lunch within a short walk of the Finish Zone including Liberty Coffee (fresh and healthy seasonal plates and full coffee bar – all Ten Mile participants get one free coffee!), City Bakery (classic Asheville bakery and cafe serving up sandwiches and soups), and Pulp + Sprout (juice bar and vegan cafe).

What’s Included With Your Registration?

Registrants are guaranteed the following:

• Custom Flying Squirrel Ten Miler Shirt
• Legit Post Race Food
• Post Race Food
• Coupons/Giveaways from our sponsors
• Custom Race Bib
• Professionally Timed Chip Time
• Spectacular Views of Asheville (weather permitting)

 

RACE BENEFICIARY

 

 

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) permanently protects and stewards our region’s most beloved natural areas. Since 1974, over 80,000 acres of unique plant and animal habitat, clean water sources, farmland, scenic beauty, and places for people to enjoy outdoor recreation have been permanently protected in the mountains of North Carolina and Tennessee. SAHC is committed to creating and supporting equitable, healthy and thriving communities for everyone in our region.

We value our local Western North Carolina community and are committed to giving back. A portion of our race proceeds go towards our charity partner for that year. For the inaugural Flying Squirrel Ten Miler we are proud to be supporting a Western North Carolina based non-profit who is helping to conserve the endangered Carolina Flying Squirrel. The Carolina Flying Squirrel is a subspecies of the Northern Flying Squirrel and requires high elevation habitat to thrive. Read more about the Carolina Flying Squirrel here: https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/mammals/carolina-northern-flying-squirrel/

After six years of hard work, the dream of using The Learning Garden as a hub for public gardening education is finally a reality. The Learning Garden, located at the Extension Office, 49 Mt. Carmel Road, is offering the public the opportunity to Visit and Learn in the garden on selected 2nd and 4th Thursdays, February – October. The Thursday in-person programs will consist of five garden-specific series. Visitors can walk around before or after the program and soak in our lovely gardens. Our gardens will open at 9:00 a.m. and all the demonstration programs run between 10-11:30 a.m.  To ensure a good learning experience, attendance will be limited and registration will be required.

Dahlia Series
February 23 – Getting Your Dahlias Ready for Planting
August 3 – Disbudding Dahlias for Better Blooms
October 26 – Dividing and Storing Dahlias

Dye Garden Series
May 4 – Planning Your Dye Garden
June 22 – Introduction to Natural Dyeing
July 27 – Fresh Indigo
August 24 – Botanical Printing: Printing with Leaves and Flowers
September 28 – Dyeing with Hopi Black Sunflower
November 9 – The Magic of Indigo

Rose Garden Series
March 9 – Pruning Roses
April 6 – Climbing Roses
April 13 – Rose Pests and Pathogens
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses (Saturday Seminar)

Sun & Shade Garden Series
May 11 – Planting a Native Butterfly Host Plant Garden
June 29 – Foodscaping Edible Plants in Flower Beds
August 31 – Dealing with “the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” Plants
Sept 14 – Native Butterfly Life Cycles in the Fall Garden

Vegetable Garden Series
March 23 – Building an ADA Compliant Raised Garden
April 26 – Planting Root Crops: Leeks, Onions, Carrots, Parsnips
May 25 – Planting a Seed Saving Garden
June 8 – Common Vegetable Garden Pests
July 13 – Kid Friendly Gardening
                                       August 10 – Preserving Your Vegetable Harvest

In addition to the Thursday programs listed above, The Learning Garden will present a series of ninety minute (+/-) hands-on seminars covering various gardening topics. These in-person programs will be held at The Learning Garden on selected Saturday mornings, February – September.

Saturday Seminars
February 18 – Tool Selection and Sharpening
March 18 – Pruning Trees and Shrubs
April 22 – Gardening for the Birds
May 20 – Growing Beautiful Roses
June 17 – Pollinator Plants in The Learning Garden
September 16 – Bulbs for All Seasons

Each of the programs in The Learning Garden will be announced individually through this blog and on our website two weeks before each program.  Each announcement will include instructions on how to register. Mark your calendar and register to attend as many as you can.

Members of Boys & Girls Club of Henderson County created original pieces of artwork and the finalists drawings that you will find attached were chosen by Club staff.  The finalists’ artwork will be digitally displayed at UScellular’s Hendersonville location at 1900 Hendersonville Blvd.

The winners will be announced in March and prizes include gift cards in the following amounts:

• $250 for 1st Place
• $150 for 2nd Place
• $100 for 3rd Place

The public can vote for their favorite artwork by going to newsroom.uscellular.com