Did you know that monthly donations sustain the arts at Flat Rock Playhouse? Recurring, monthly donations ensure immediate support while sowing seeds for the future. Today, you can make an even greater impact through the Leiman Matching Gift Opportunity! Thanks to generous supporters, David & Sharon Leiman, your gift will be matched at $1.80 for every $1.00 contributed. To qualify, simply sign up for a monthly donation of $18.00 or more through the end of 2022. Today is your last chance to qualify for four months of support!
The donation amount of $18.00 truly gives life and vitality to the arts at Flat Rock Playhouse. In Judaism, it is common to give and receive gifts in multiples of $18 or “Chai”, which signifies a good omen for life. As we near the end of our first full season in two years, we’ll hope you’ll join us in giving life to the theater!

Buncombe County voters will have the opportunity to vote on two bonds in the upcoming election for open space and housing. If approved, the bonds would generate $30 million and $40 million respectively. With an eye toward oversight and transparency, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution at its Aug. 16 regular meeting establishing a general obligation bonds community oversight committee to monitor the investment of those bond dollars.

The Community Oversight Committee will review the investments made from the bond revenues to confirm that 100% of bond funds are invested in accordance with law and for the purposes indicated on the ballots. Committee members will serve until all bond funds have been committed.

The application process for the Community Oversight Committee is now open, although creation of this Committee is contingent on the bonds passing during the Nov. 8 election.

Community Oversight Committee Description: The Committee shall have five members comprised of one person with an accounting background, one person with a banking background, one representative of the affordable housing community, one representative from the conservation/greenways community, each to be appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, and one member to be appointed by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Committee members will serve until all bond funds have been committed.

Positions: 5

Term Length: Until all bond funds have been committed.

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.

Buncombe County and the NC Department of Health and Human Services are urging residents to properly prepare for severe weather!

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
People are cautioned against using gasoline-powered generators or tools, outdoor grills and camp stoves in enclosed spaces. These devices should be used outside only and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and air vents to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas produced whenever fuel is burned. In an enclosed space, such as a home, garage, car or camper, carbon monoxide can quickly build up to deadly levels within minutes — especially for children, pregnant women, older adults and/or those with chronic illness.

Even low levels of carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headaches, confusion or fainting. If you experience these symptoms, get to fresh air immediately and seek medical attention.

To protect yourself and your family, follow the guidelines at:

• www.ncdhhs.gov/carbon-monoxide-poisoning
• www.cdc.gov/co/default.htm

Preparing Private Wells and Septic Tanks for Floods
Excessive rains and flooding can cause water in your private well to become contaminated, which can cause illness if it is consumed or comes into contact with the skin. Flooding can also cause problems with septic tanks leading to contamination with human sewage.

Proper steps to prepare your well and septic tank ahead of time can be found at https://ehs.dph.ncdhhs.gov/oswp/docs/Septicsystems-and-wellinfloodingCondition-FACTSHEETS.pdf

Avoiding Storm Hazards
Take steps to avoid injuries from wind or flooding, including the following:

• Do not walk in, play in or drive through flooded areas (Turn around. Don’t drown). Flood water contains hidden hazards and may be deeper and faster moving than it appears. Wear shoes at all times.
• Stay away from downed power lines.
• If you get a cut or puncture wound, get a tetanus booster shot if you have not had one in the past 5 years.
• Standing waters are breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Use insect repellant, long sleeves, pants, socks and shoes, if possible. Empty standing water from containers inside and outside the home.

Stay Informed- Be Buncombe Ready!

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, information and knowledge can evolve as quickly as the event or disaster. It’s important to stay on top of new developments and information.

CodeRED Alerts allow Buncombe County officials to send emergency alerts to residents in real-time using email, phone, and text. All residents are encouraged to visit buncombecounty.org/codered or text BCAlert to 99411 to enroll in the CodeRED system.

Further information and resources to safely prepare for storms and for recovery after storms can be found at www.ncdhhs.gov/disaster-recovery.

 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.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, an award-winning, 513-room resort set in the idyllic Blue Ridge Mountains just minutes from downtown Asheville, N.C., is celebrating The 30th National Gingerbread House Competition™, which is the nation’s largest, hosted at the resort annually. Beginning July 6, 2022 the competition registration is officially now open here through November 14, 2022. The competition will be held and winners will be announced on November 21, 2022.

New elements for The 30th National Gingerbread House Competition™ include:

• Introduction of 10th Judge, Ashleigh Shanti, chef/owner of Good Hot Fish & 2020 James Beard finalist.
• Addition of six brand-new specialty awards and increased prizes (60% increase to years past) across the four age categories, which include Best Use of Sprinkles, Most Unique Ingredient, Longest Standing Competitor, Best Use of Color, Pop Culture Star, Most Innovative Structure, and Best Use of Spice.
• All registered competitors will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite piece of the entire competition to determine the winner of the new People’s Choice: Best in Show award.

The full press release announcing the official rules and entry forms can be found here and below, and a highlight reel and hi-res imagery from last year’s competition can be found here. Please let me know if you will consider the news on behalf of The Omni Grove Park Inn!

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.