Calendar of Events

While Omicron Surge Shows Signs of Decline; Hospitalizations and Deaths Remain High in Buncombe County

The Omicron surge has been rapid in its climb and intense in the burden of cases. About 12,700 new cases were added to our total number of cases in the last month, averaging out to around 410 cases per day and almost 3,000 cases per week. With this recent surge, Buncombe County has now reached 46,000 total cases of COVID-19 identified since March 2020. However, we are beginning to see a decline in new cases and percent positivity. As of yesterday, we have seen the case rate decrease from 907 new cases to 875 new cases per 100,000. This decline appears to be continuing today. Additionally, the percent positivity has declined for the first time since mid-December. For the last week or so, we have been experiencing percent positivity well over 25% and now, we find the percent positivity at around 24%.

Western North Carolina regional hospital data shows continued increase in inpatient beds occupied with COVID-19 and a steady increase in ICU utilization. For the Mission Hospital system, inpatient beds with COVID-19 have experienced a high stabilization. Sadly, 13 new deaths have been reported for the dashboard and this brings our death rate from 4.2 deaths per 100,000 per week to 5 deaths per 100,000 in this last week. There have been a total of 488 COVID-19 related deaths in Buncombe County.

Public health officials are hopeful that these trends will show a more prominent decline. Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County Public Health Director says, “We expect cases to continue to decrease, it is likely that the hospitalizations and deaths may also begin to see a decrease in the next several days to weeks. That being said, we are clearly still a community with high transmission and it’s important to continue to take the basic steps to protect yourself with the tools that we have to fight COVID-19.”

Over the last few weeks, Public Health and Emergency Management have been working to obtain and allocate at-home test kits to the community to create a temporary bridge for the community to access at-home testing while testing demand was high. Through parallel paths of distribution dedicated to equity and general population distribution, 34 unique organizations were allocated about 5,100 test kits and 15,000 masks, and 18 fixed sites distributed over 6,600 test kits and 12,000 masks.

If you are having symptoms consistent with COVID-19, stay home and contact your provider or visit a testing provider to get tested. Many community partners are providing testing, and home kit options are available. These locations and resources are listed at ncdhhs.gov/GetTested.

Our county saw slower uptake of vaccines with holidays and winter breaks from school. At this point, 72% of the eligible population has received at least one dose and 69% of our eligible population has received their full primary series. Over 94,000 individuals have received their 3rd or booster dose, which is about 55% of the of the fully vaccinated eligible population. Vaccination is encouraged for those who still need it and it is not too late. Saunders says, “With the holiday behind us and still high transmission, now is a good time to start your series if you haven’t or to give your new year a boost.”

Buncombe County Health and Human Services will partner with Buncombe County Schools to host school-based vaccination clinics. All vaccines will be available and are free. Please check www.buncombeready.org for confirmation of these events as the weather forecast in the coming weeks may necessitate rescheduling clinics.  This Saturday, the vaccination clinic will be located at TC Roberson High School on February 5, 2022 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Vaccination Clinic at 40 Coxe Avenue is in operation Tuesday – Friday from 9 am – 4 pm. You can also visit www.yourspotyourshot.nc.gov for a vaccine provider near you.

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!

This year will feature an exhilarating blend of beloved productions, including Million Dollar Quartet, West Side Story, and Mamma Mia! The popular Music on the Rock® series, Studio 52 Family Programming, and a brand new Black Box series round out the 2022 season and mark a renewed beginning for FRP after a long pandemic shutdown.

Season subscriptions are on sale now. Music on the Rock® single tickets go on sale on January 24, 2022, and single tickets for all remaining shows go on sale on February 14, 2022.

The Music of Tom Petty

Feb. 24-March 5

Two Jews, Talking

A Hilarious Staged Reading

March 17-19

A side-splitting piece written by Ed. Weinberger, our characters take us on a rollicking romp through time! The two-act story brings Lou and Bud together in the Biblical past, and Phil and Marty together in contemporary Long Island. They philosophize about women, sex, food, the divine, and destiny in this tale of companionship and friendship.

The Music of Elton John

March 31-April 2

The Music of Neil Diamond

April 7-10

Catch Me If You Can

April 28-May 14

This comedy thriller is a classic gem with exciting twists and turns from beginning to end. “The final 15 minutes will reward you like a murder mystery should.” The New York Times

Million Dollar Quartet

May 20-June 19

Back by popular demand, the musical celebrates the historic Sam Phillips studio recording sessions of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.

The Music of the Eagles

An Outdoor Stadium Concert

June 18

Join Flat Rock Playhouse for another rockin’ evening of outdoor summer fun at West Henderson’s Athletic Stadium, Johnson Field.

West Side Story

July 1-30

The Romeo and Juliet inspired love story of Tony and Maria amid the Jets and Sharks gang rivalry. Ranked #1 in the most recent survey of theatre patrons.

Mozart to Pop Chart

The Musical Story Continues

August 5-13

Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis/Amadeus) is back to whisk you away on an all-new musical journey through the history and triumphs of music from Mozart to today’s current hits. Featuring many of the local region’s best rock and symphonic musicians!

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

August 19-Sept. 4

Don’t miss this fresh and relevant stage adaptation of the iconic film that starred the inimitable and great Sidney Poitier.

Introducing The Black Box Series.

September 15-October 9

 You’ve never experienced a play on The Rock like before. The audience and artists share the MainStage for an intimate and immersive theatre experience.  The Black Box Series will feature contemporary works, classics, and stories and playwrights from around the globe. Be among the first to join us on this new and exciting theatrical journey!

God of Carnage

Sept. 15-Oct. 8

A triple-Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation the New Yorker called “laugh-out-loud hilarity,” and “ninety minutes of sustained mayhem.”

Blood Knot

Sept. 16-Oct. 9

A play that asks us to dig beneath the surface of what makes us kin and what happens when we don’t like what we find there. By renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard.

Mamma Mia!

Encore Performance

Oct. 21-Nov. 13

The hugely popular mega-Broadway hit featuring the music of ABBA is back for an encore performance. Featuring songs like “Dancing Queen,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!,” “Honey Honey” and so many more.

A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas

November 25-December 22

The WNC tradition continues. Same great show, all new material. A Playhouse favorite that will leave you feeling merry and bright!

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Studio 52)

December 1-4

Everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a spectacular new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story the whole family can enjoy. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas!

To learn more about the 2022 lineup and how to purchase your tickets, please visit the website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post-war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds “locals” and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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• Restoration
• Rehabilitation
• Adaptive Re-use
• In-fill Construction in Historic and Traditional Neighborhoods
• Research, Publication and Education
• Stewardship
• Preservation

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.

The 2022 appeal period is open now. During the year of the reappraisal, or any year of the reappraisal cycle, a taxpayer may appeal the appraised value of their property. No matter how thorough and fair a reappraisal may be, there are still instances when only the property owner has all the information necessary for an accurate appraisal. Informal appeals for 2022 can be filed anytime between Jan. 1-April 20, 2022. Additionally, anyone receiving a change of value notice after April 20, 2022 has thirty days from the date of the notice to file an appeal.

Step One: Starting an Informal Appeal

An informal appeal is the first step in the appeal process.  Buncombe County Property Assessment has created a new suite of online tools to help make the appeal process easier. A taxpayer may begin the informal appeal process now by clicking on this link taxappeal.buncombecounty.org.

According to NC General Statutes, the property owner has the burden of proving that the property under appeal is incorrectly valued. The amount of your tax bill or ability to pay the tax cannot be used as a valid reason for submitting an appeal. The value of your property has been developed from sales and cost data within your local area. If the you believe this value is incorrect, please provide our office with a valid reason(s) to adjust the assessment (i.e. recent appraisal within the last 2 years, comparable sales of similar homes in the neighborhood or surrounding area, photos of the dwelling to show repair/maintenance issues, etc.).

A property owner appealing the property value of the property should start the appeal process online, or contact our office at (828) 250-4940 to request an appeal form by mail. The appeal form must be returned and/or postmarked, including your supporting documentation, within 30 days of the date listed on the appeal form. The appeal should include information to support the property owner’s opinion of value. Our appraisal professionals are here to help you through the appeal process. For appraisal purposes, Buncombe County is divided into multiple geographical areas. You can find the contact information of the appraiser for your area on the notice of value letter received in the mail, or by calling our office at (828) 250-4940.

The health and safety of our community and employees is our priority, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, assessment staff is available via Live Chat, or you can schedule a phone conference or virtual appointment by calling (828) 250-4940. Your concerns and questions are important to us, and our team is committed to handling your appeal as quickly as possible.

Should a property owner have any additional questions or need help with a property appeal, please contact our office at (828) 250-4940 or email [email protected].

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]

The survey will remain open until Feb. 20. 

Do you own your home or property? Have you ever appealed or considered appealing the value of your house? The Ad Hoc Reappraisal Committee wants to hear from you. Buncombe County has launched a short survey to gather homeowner input. As community members, your feedback on the reappraisal process can provide valuable insight to questions and concerns for the Committee to consider.

In September 2021, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners established an Ad Hoc Reappraisal Committee after hearing resident concerns following the 2021 Reappraisal. The goals of this committee center on three areas:

• Identify homeowner concerns about the reappraisal process
• Provide guidance for future assessments
• Equity concerns

Take the reappraisal survey here.

All feedback will be compiled and shared with the Committee, County staff, the public, and the Board of Commissioners. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with the reappraisal and appeal process. Follow the Committee’s progress at engage.buncombecounty.org/reappraisal.

Public Comment

Stay tuned to the Ad Hoc Reappraisal meetings and share your voice. The committee hears public comment at the beginning of their meetings. The next meeting is Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 5-7 p.m.  Register here.

Various times

His masterworks have been displayed around the world for over a century… but never like this. Described as “an unforgettable multi-sensory experience,” Van Gogh Alive is a powerful and vibrant symphony of light, color, sound, and scent that compels you to leave the world behind and immerse yourself in Van Gogh’s paintings. Simultaneously enchanting, entertaining, and educational, Van Gogh Alive stimulates all the senses and opens the mind.

Board of Commissioners’ Regular Meeting – February 1, 2022

The Board of Commissioners’ Regular Meetings take place on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. at 200 College Street in room 326 in downtown Asheville. To view the agenda, previous meeting videos, or to view future meeting agendas – you can visit buncombecounty.org/commissioners. Click on the agenda item below to jump to that section of the meeting. Click “Read More” to connect to a news article about the agenda item.