BuncombeCounty.org Gets A New Face

BuncombeCounty.org has a whole new user friendly format.

County Outdoor Pools Open Memorial Day Weekend

Cool off in one of Buncombe County's outdoor pools!

Free Downtown Health Clinic Planned for May 21

Don't have insurance? Come to the free downtown Health Clinic.

GrowSmarter with Buncombe County Public Libraries as You Age

As we grow older, our bodies grow less limber & we need to keep moving & stretching to stay strong. Brains are the same.

Baby Your Lungs with This Kind of Bean

Imagine slashing your risk of lung cancer – no matter what your health history – by 50 percent.

Take A Kid Fishing: Free Fishing Events Scheduled for Late May, Early June

Kids can fish for free & register to win prizes at one of more than 40 kids’ fishing events conducted across NC in late May & early June.

Social Security Office Saving Paper

Social Security statements will no longer be mailed.

Spotlight: Little Bluestem

One of the low maintenance native grasses that can be selected for the landscape is little bluestem.

Pets of the Week

Wanna see lots of cute kittens? Come to Petco to check them out Thursdays from 5-8pm or Sundays from 10:30am-6pm.

Recipe of the Week - Tomato Zucchini Casserole

Congratulations to Nanette Tenant for her Tomato Zucchini Casserole recipe!

On Thursday, May 26 from 6 - 8 p.m., Buncombe County DSS will be hosting an Information Session called “How to Become a Foster Parent.”

We will talk about the steps needed to become a foster parent in NC and will leave plenty of time for questions.

This session is FREE. To sign up, please call Erica Jourdan at 250-5868 or email familiesforkids@buncombecounty.org. Everyone is welcome!

As the weather warms, black bears sightings increase. And, although it may be tempting to feed them, it’s not a good idea.

The Wildlife Commission is cautioning people to take care not to feed bears that wander into yards, parks, onto sidewalks or in other residential areas. Feeding a bear rewards it for coming near humans and their homes and increases the likelihood that the bear will approach again.

For more information on living with bears, read the “Wildlife Commission Offers Tips on Coexisting With Black Bears” on the Commission's website or view the Bears in Buncombe video provided by www.bearsmart.com.

The Extension Master Gardener Hotline is open for the season. Volunteers are available to answer your gardening questions on the phone, or you may bring problem samples into the office for diagnosis.

Call 255-5522 or visit 94 Coxe Avenue, Asheville:

• Monday -Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Friday: 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.

These volunteers are also available to answer questions at the Saturday Plant Clinics, the second and fourth Saturdays each month until October. You will find them set up at the WNC Farmers’ Market, in the breezeway between the retail buildings from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

The current federal grant for water quality projects in Newfound Creek will expire in August of this year. The Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has successfully applied most of the grant funds set aside for best management practices, but some funds are available for farmers and others who want to install
measures on their property that will improve water quality.

Some examples of past projects include livestock watering tanks, livestock trails and walkways, cropland conversion, livestock feeding pads, and seeding of eroding areas around farms and residences.

The program provides a cost share of 75 percent of the average or actual costs depending on the type of best management practice installed with the landowner’s contribution at 25 percent.

If you are interested in having a soil conservationist visit your property to discuss the grant program, call Gary Higgins at 828-250-4786.