Do You Have YOUR Copy of Buncombe Life?

Where do my tax dollars go? Who do I call about a junk car? Find the answers to these tantalizing questions and more in Buncombe Life - available in all Buncombe County offices and libraries now!

On April 24, Buncombe County Government received 5 “Best of the Mountains” awards at the Public Relations Association of Western North Carolina’s annual awards ceremony.

The NC Cooperative Extension – Buncombe County Center is offering a free workshop on “Getting Rid of Clutter”.

Do you have students interested in continuing into environmental/natural resource/ag sciences? Send them to camp for free!

The Council on Aging has applied for “Step it Up” funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC. The funding would enable us to create walkability routes for seniors’ downtown & aid in gaining access to local food.

Electronic waste, or e-waste, contains several potential toxins, such as lead and mercury, as well as reusable and recyclable parts. So, these items should not be mixed with household trash.

On April 9th, 2008 Buncombe County, in addition to the 18 other counties in WNC participated in an emergency drill involving the activation of the Strategic National Stockpile.

If not, here are some tips to get you started.

Fill out this survey to help us determine whether there is adequate demand for locally produced milk to merit local packaging options.

These animals are available for adoption from FurEver Friends. They have been in foster care for a long time!

Congratulations to Julia Boone of Weaverville for her Crockpot Wild Rice Casserole recipe!

With the Spring weather abounding, take the time to enjoy a good walk. Want to lose fat, get fit and have more energy? Want to improve your blood pressure, blood sugar, blood cholesterol and reduce your risk of disease? Amazingly, you can get all these benefits (and many more) from just putting >one foot in front of the other!

1. WALK regularly
   The key to fitness is consistency. Start by picking a walk (or several small walks) that fits into your schedule. A walk to work, a walk to school, a walk at lunch or a walk around the block. Make your walk a top priority and aim for walking at least five days a week.
2. WALK 10,000 steps a day
   Research shows that walking 10,000 steps a day is all it takes to reduce stress, improve health and reduce the risk of disease. With an inexpensive pedometer, it’s fun (and easy) to see how quickly your steps add up from simple changes like taking the stairs.
3. WALK for transportation
   Using your legs instead of a car is one of the most efficient ways to fit fitness into your day. Try walking to the grocery store, the post office or the restaurant. If walking all the way takes too long, park in a central location, then walk back and forth to your car.
4. WALK for fun
   Walking + friends or kids or dog = FUN! A daily walk can do double duty as a daily dose of companionship with friends, a time to connect with family or a way to keep your pets strong and healthy. It can also be a relaxing solo time to think or listen to music.
5. WALK outside
   In almost any weather, walking outside is possible with the right clothes and shoes. Look for safe sidewalks, country roads and parks. Athletic fields are also fun to walk around. The ground is usually smooth and watching a practice or game makes the time fly by.
6. WALK inside
   Remember, every steps counts - every step around the house, around the office or around the mall. You can walk around the house during TV commercials, walk around the office during break time and walk around the mall before or after a shopping trip.

For more tips on walking or links to suggested routes to take, visit www.healthybuncombe.org.

There are three ballots in May 6th Primary election – Democrat, Republican and Nonpartisan.

For a partisan primary in North Carolina, you must vote on the ballot of the party you are registered in as of April 11th, 2008. Also in North Carolina, anyone registered as Unaffiliated can select any one of the three ballots -- but if there is a run-off they can only participate in the Party they chose in the Primary.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the Board of Elections at 250-4200.

View the Primary election sample ballots.

The Buncombe County Law Library is a public law library. It is part of the Asheville-Buncombe Library System and is located on the 10th floor of the Buncombe County Courthouse.  The Law Library is open to the public and exists to serve the legal needs of the general public and the legal community.

The Library's collection contains approximately 20,000 volumes with an emphasis on North Carolina materials. The collection includes reported state and federal appellate cases and a representative collection of statutes, local ordinances, regulations, treatises, periodicals and law reviews, form books, directories, and commentary.

It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm. The phone number is 250-4734.

We are a beautifully rustic co-ed camp about 15 minutes outside of Asheville. We are nestled in the foothills of the Great Craggy Mountains and are a perfect backdrop for an amazing week at camp. You will get to climb a 40 foot wall, shoot an arrow, take a hike, sleep in a cabin, go swimming every day and that is just the beginning!

Here are the camps we have left for 2008:

• Traditional Camp $375 = Ages 8 - 12  Dates: June 29 thru July 4 and July 6 thru 11
• Trekker Camp $395 = Ages 13 - 15  Dates: June 29 thru July 4 and July 6 thru 11
• Cloverbuds Camp $175 = Ages 5 - 8  Dates: July 13 thru 16
• Forestry Camp $225 = Ages 8 - 12  Dates: July 13 thru 16

Contact Mary Clayton-McGlauflin at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension 828-255-5522 or mary_clayton-mcglauflin@ncsu.edu.

Do you know how to cook? Do you want to learn or learn more? Then this series of classes is for you!

Four classes will be held:

• Basic Cooking 101
• Basic Sauces, Marinades and Soup
• Basics of Bread Making
• Cooking with Herbs

Complete schedule and details.