County Buys Electric Hybrids

The County recently purchased 8 new hybrid cars. Ever wonder how those new hybrids work? Check out the County's instructional video to find out.

Preschoolers We Love You!

Librarians are practicing animal noises and silly songs in preparation for the 22nd anniversary production of “Preschoolers We Love You!”

West Asheville Library Expands Schedule

Due to an increasing demand for library services, West Asheville Library is expanding their hours and adding another day to their schedule.

Garden Chores for February

Time to start getting ready for spring! Be prepared by doing these garden chores for February.

Read to Feed at the Swannanoa Library – Winter Reading Challenge

This year a different approach will be used to encourage children discover the world by using Heifer International’s reading incentive program, “Read to Feed.”

Are You Using Your Child Safety Seat Correctly?

Most experienced parents are surprised to find that their children are not buckled in correctly.

Pet Picture of the Week

Congratulations to Renee Garcia of Weaverville for the pictures of her dog, Jack-Jack.

Recipe of the Week

Congratulations to Sheila Bentley of Burnsville for her Chicken – Chipped Beef recipe!

Chopped, sautéed, roasted, or caramelized . . . onions liven up the flavor of your foods and boost your cancer-fighting defenses.

The bonus: Onions are a low-calorie veggie bursting with flavonoids, vitamin C, and chromium. Why not make an-onion-a-day a habit? If teary eyes stop you, chill the onion before cutting. Stinky fingers a problem? Swipe your digits with a slice of lemon or a splash of vinegar. Bad breath? Nibble on parsley or apple slices. Or cook the onion first, to release some of the sulfur compounds.

To ancient Egyptians, the onion was a symbol of eternity, and that belief may not have been far from reality. Today, scientific evidence is showing that onions -- and garlic, another vegetable-like herb in the Allium family -- may promote longevity by keeping cancer from gaining a foothold.

Studies in China, France, and the U.S. have shown that onions protect against different cancers, and a large Italian and Swiss study has confirmed those results. By comparing the onion and garlic habits of cancer-free people to those hospitalized with a malignancy, researchers found that the more often a person ate the bulbs in any form, the lower the cancer risk. And the benefit was good for many types of tumors, including those of the mouth, throat, esophagus, colon, kidney, breast, and prostate.

Take your onions full strength, or roast them up and toss into soups. Roasting releases some of the smelly but healthy sulfur compounds and makes the onions sweeter. Caramelized onions mix well with broccoli. For even more antioxidant protection, combine onions with garlic and tomatoes in a zesty salsa.

Get your onion fix with this Roasted Onion Soup recipe from EatingWell. It's bursting with rich onion flavor and has only 183 calories per serving. Find more onion-based recipes at EatingWell.com.

The Asheville Humane Society is holding a special spay/neuter event February 5 - 16. During the event, Buncombe County residents can get a cat spayed for $35 or neutered for $20. 

• When: February 5 - 16
• Where: Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic (231 Haywood Street, Asheville, 252-2079)
• Cost: Special rate for Buncombe County residents -- Spays $35/ Neuters $20 (this includes a rabies shot!)

Please contact Humane Alliance directly to schedule an appointment, as spaces are limited. Humane Alliance Contact Number:  (828) 252-2079.

• Date:  February 10 from 10am - 12noon (snow date: Saturday, February 17) 
• Location:  The Botanical Gardens at Asheville in the Butler Room
• Cost:  $5 for BGA members; $8 for nonmembers. Includes a useful informational handout that provides on-going reference.
• Registration:  For additional information and/or to pre-register, call (828) 252-5190 or email bgardens@bellsouth.net. 
• Presenter:  Glenn Palmer, President Emeritus of BGA, Master Gardener, and Lead Gardening Writer for the Asheville Citizen-Times.

This timely workshop will explore pruning of trees and shrubs the natural way including a hands-on demonstration in the Gardens.

• Date:  February 13 - 10am
• Location:  NC Arboretum
• Cost:  Free admission on Tuesdays.
• Contact:  Linda Blue at 255-5522 or linda_blue@ncsu.edu.

Extension Master Gardeners will present this informative program on backyard composting.  If you have always wanted to see what composting is all about, and would like to have some tips on getting started, this program is for you!

Remember...STR.

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify.  Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.  If you think someone might have suffered a stroke, doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S = Smile: Ask the individual to SMILE.

T = Talk: Ask the person to TALK or to speak a simple sentence (Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today.)

R = Raise both arms.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.  With proper medical assistance, stroke damage can be stopped and/or reversed. 

_{Source:  www.strokeassociation.org}