Honor Our Veterans

Buncombe County and the City of Asheville, will host the annual Memorial Day ceremony at Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m. on May 25, 2009.

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.

Need a space to park downtown? Lease one in the County College Street Deck today.

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

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Here are some pointers on how to fly your flag properly.

Make sure your pet is up to date on its shots! Don't miss out on these low-cost shot clinics! Rabies shots are just $6!

Take 25 minutes to save a life.

Join us for a tour of the Hickory History Center. The Center consists of the Queen Anne style Harper House and the Craftsman style Bonniwell/Lyerly House.

Come see life through the eyes of the youth that have experienced foster care.

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

Congratulations to Robert Steiner for his Crockpot Beef Soup with Vegetables recipe!

All Buncombe County Government Offices will be closed on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day.

Household Hazardous Waste and Electronics recycling day at the Landfill will be closed on Friday, May 22 due to the Memorial Day Holiday. The Landfill and Transfer Station will operate regular hours on May 22.

HHW and Electronics recycling will resume as normal on Friday, May 29 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. For more information, call Solid Waste at 250-5460.

Inspect plants periodically so you can tackle pest problems before they get out of hand. Pesticides should never be applied randomly “just in case” there might be some insects in the garden. You may end up killing off more beneficial insects than pests.

Here are some insects to be on the look out for:

• Ornamentals: slugs, lacebugs on azaleas, rhododendrons, pieris, pyracanthas; spruce mites on spruce, hemlocks, fir, euonymous scale; hemlock wooly adelgids.
• Fruits and vegetables:  slugs, asparagus beetles, cucumber beetles, cabbageworms, aphids.

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

If you can’t grow all your own vegetables, the next freshest thing would come directly from a local farmer. In the Asheville area you have lots of options with the numerous wonderful tailgate markets opening now.

For a thorough list of local tailgates, visit the website of the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s Food Guide at www.buyappalachian.org.

Horseshoes is a game anyone can learn to play. It’s fun, it’s challenging and it’s good exercise. The annual Spring Horseshoe Tournament at Lake Julian Park is on Saturday, May 30, 2009.

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Over $1 million is available for North Carolina from the USDA to support growers who wish to improve their conservation practices and expand their organic system.

The deadline is coming soon!  The signup period for this organic initiative program ends on May 29, 2009.

The application is not long nor difficult and all categories of farmers should apply.  A more detailed workplan can be submitted if your contract is accepted.

Detailed information on the application process, who is eligible to apply, and what practices are eligible for payments are available on the CFSA website, www.carolinafarmstewards.org.

Please visit right away to learn more and determine if your farming operation can take advantage of this opportunity.  For more information about this program, call Buncombe County Soil and Water Office at 250-4785.