Pick Up Your Copy of Buncombe Life

Where do my tax dollars go? Who do I call about a junk car? Find the answers to these questions and more in Buncombe Life.

Are you thinking of renovating your kitchen or just updating a few appliances? If so, you may want to take advantage of the sales tax holiday for certain Energy Star qualified products coming November 6 - 8, 2009.

Mountain Mobility will implement changes to its North Buncombe Trailblazer route and schedule in order to help fill the gap in public transportation services left by the discontinuation of Asheville Transit's Route 54 serving the Weaverville area.

All members of the community concerned with affordable housing issues are invited to attend this meeting and express their views about the housing needs and possible solutions in Buncombe County.

Children who age out of foster care without being adopted have a very high chance of ending up homeless or in the prison system within a year after leaving foster care. Come learn how you can change a child’s life forever.

From heartwarming to hilarious, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas productions are sure to have something for everyone.

Come to a free screening of the cult classic Thunder Road which was filmed in Asheville and the surrounding area.

The Asheville Humane Society needs paper towels! No - they're not using them just to clean up after messy lunches, they're using them to keep the environment at the shelter clean and safe for the animals.

Join us at the East Asheville Public Library for games, crafts, and family fun at the second annual Family Harvest Festival.

Please consider giving a home to one of these wonderful pets! The shelter is okay, but they would love to have a home of their very own!

Congratulations to Cathy Jones of Alexander for her Cornbread Stuffing recipe!

Light a candle on November 5 to remember someone with Alzheimer's. November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Family Caregiver Month. The Land-of-Sky Regional Council, Area Agency on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association, Western Carolina Chapter invite caregivers to attend a Candlelight Reflections program on November 5, 2009.

Caregivers across North Carolina will light candles on this day to honor, hope and remember their living or deceased loved ones. A short program including music, poetry and sharing will follow.

Candlelight Reflection programs are free, open to all and will be held at two locations in Asheville on Thursday, November 5: 

• 2:30 p.m. -- Senior Opportunity Center at 36 Grove Street
• 6:00 p.m. -- Mission Health Systems, St. Joseph’s Chapel at 428 Biltmore Avenue

Please contact Land-of-Sky Regional Council at 251-6622 or Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter at 254-7363 for more information.

The next program in Cooperative Extension's Gardening in the Mountain Series is Heathers for the Garden. The program will be presented by Extension
Master Gardeners at the NC Arboretum on November 10 at 10:00 a.m. 

On Tuesdays admission to the Arboretum is free, and no registration required for the class. For more information, call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522.

The 2009 National Adoption Month website from Child Welfare Information Gateway is now live. The website provides resources to assist professionals and families in planning activities for November which is National Adoption Month. The goal is to raise awareness about the need for adoptive parents for children and youth in foster care. The website features National Adoption Month highlights, proclamations and an activities calendar, and includes links to many AdoptUsKids and Child Welfare Information Gateway materials.

The National Adoption Day is November 21, 2009. Please see the website for more information: 

More information about adoption in Buncombe County:

• Children and Families/Adoptions 
• DSS Adoption Services brochure (PDF)

Have you always wanted to create your on wreath, but just needed a little guidance? Here is your chance.

For only $5, you can attend this program on November 5 from 10 a.m. - noon. Just bring a wreath 12, 16, 18 inches or larger -- it can be straw, grape vine, fake evergreen, etc.

Select a theme for your wreath such as autumn or Christmas. You will need at least 3 feet of ribbon, more if you would like a larger bow or if you want a long streamer. A complete list of materials will be mailed out to you once you have registered. It is a good idea to bring more items than you think you may need.

Class will be held at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Center. Register by calling 255-5522.

The Commissioners will have a regular meeting on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 in the Commissioners Commission Chambers, 30 Valley Street in downtown Asheville. The meeting will begin at 4:30 p.m., with general public comment at the end of the meeting during the designated public comment period.

November 3, 2009 Agenda

For more information, contact the Clerk to the Board at 250-4105 or e-mail her at kathy.hughes@buncombecounty.org.