Deadline to Pay Property Taxes - January 5

January 5, 2012 is the LAST day to pay your BC Property Tax before 2% interest is added on January 6, 2012.

“Free” Airline Tickets Lure Facebook Users

FB users who respond to an offer for free airline tickets are in for a crash landing.

County Blood Drive - January 18

The Red Cross needs all types of blood - especially O negative.

Garden Chores for January

Garden chores in January? Of course! We have to start getting ready for spring!

Pets of the Week

Looking for a dog to adopt? A cat? A rabbit? A horse? Asheville Humane has them all.

Recipe of the Week - Classic Italian Pasta Salad

Start the new year right by trying this healthy Classic Italian Pasta Salad recipe!

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling and the North Carolina Association of CPAs Western Carolina Chapter are partnering to present "Ask a CPA Day". The day is possible thanks to generous CPAs who are donating their time to help people start the new year off with information they need.

Advance registration is required and space is limited. Appointments are available for one hour time slots from 9am - 3pm at OnTrack WNC's office at 50 South French Broad Avenue, 2nd floor.

Call 255-5166, ext. 3 to schedule your appointment for "Ask a CPA Day".

Whether you are a small business or have questions about your personal finances, "Ask a CPA Day" appointments are available as a FREE, private, and confidential service to the community.

Be a friend in 2012. Join the Friends of Buncombe County Public Libraries and support your local library.

Proceeds from Friends memberships, book sales, and sales of book bags are used to support programs and events at the Library. The Friends are the main source of funding for the children's summer reading program and have purchased furniture, books, audio books and movies for libraries all across the county. Friends also volunteer at book sales and other events, as well as support the mission of the library in Buncombe County. 

The memberships are $15 for one year and can be purchased at any library. Dues go directly to the library where you sign up, so the money will stay in your community. You will also get a subscription to the library newsletter and early admission to most library book sales. The Friends of Buncombe County Libraries, Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

If you’d like to be an advocate and a supporter of your library, please consider joining or renewing your membership in the Friends of BC Public Libraries for 2012.

For more information, contact your friendly neighborhood library.

If you have been using a fireplace or woodstove this winter, you probably have plenty of ashes to dispose of by now. Wood ashes can be spread around garden areas, with some care.

The nutrient content of wood ashes varies, depending on the types of wood burned. They usually contain approximately 2% phosphate and 5 -10% potassium.

But the more important quality of ashes is their alkalinity. They are about 1/3 to 1/2 as strong as lime in neutralizing soil acidity. This means you should treat them like lime and only apply ashes to soil where the pH is below 6.

You would also never want to spread ashes around acid-loving plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons and blueberries. If you have been applying wood ashes to garden areas it would be wise to have the soil pH tested before applying more. You do not want to get the pH of the soil above 7.

For more information, contact Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.