You Erased a File - Is It Really Gone?

Unless you have taken the proper steps to make sure your hard drive, disk, or CD is erased, people may still be able to resurrect your files.

The public is invited to review and comment on the update to the local solid waste management plan.

Four great American leaders will appear onstage to tell about a national crisis that confronted them.

Buncombe County Commissioners will visit all six local municipalities in the fall.

Gary Roberts, Tax Collector for Buncombe County, was named Tax Collector of the year by the North Carolina Tax Collector’s Association.

Buncombe County Special Olympics is always seeking athletes to compete in the Special Olympic Games throughout the year.

The 4th Annual World Elder Abuse Awareness Day will be held on June 15, 2009. In conjunction with this event, Buncombe County Department of Social Services is launching an Elder Abuse Awareness campaign themed “Abuse Hurts at Any Age”.

As frustrating as identity theft can be for adults, it is nothing compared to a young victim turning eighteen and finding out that their entire credit file is fraudulent.

The public is invited to review and comment on the draft Surface Transportation Program – Direct Apportionment (STP-DA) funding list for the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The use of weed killers in gardens and landscapes can be tricky. It is especially important to read labels carefully.

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 Jan Gregory for her Cool and Fresh Ambrosia recipe!

Home Care:

In the absence of the fever, blisters, dizziness, and visual difficulties, home treatment is appropriate for sunburn. To treat sunburn at home, try any of the following:

• Apply cool compresses to the burned area to help cool the skin. Dip towels or washcloths into cool water to make a compress and gently apply it to the sunburned area.
• Soaking in a cool bath often helps relieve the pain of sunburn. Add one-half cup of baking soda to a full tub of bathwater, or use an over-the-counter bath product. Avoid products that leave your skin oily.
• Drink plenty of water, especially after participating in sporting or other strenuous activities.
• Rest in a cool, quiet room.
• For adults, age 20 and over, take acetaminophen or aspirin to relieve the pain. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for dosages. Do not give aspirin to persons under the age of 20; it can cause a rare but serious problem known as Reye's syndrome. However, ibuprofen and acetaminophen, as directed, are safe.
• Wear light-colored, natural fiber, and loose-fitting clothes to allow your skin to breathe as much as possible.
• Avoid more exposure to the sun. Wear a wide- brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants and wear sunscreen.
• Avoid products containing benzocaine. Though benzocaine will numb the skin, it can irritate the skin and delay healing of sun-damaged skin by triggering an allergic reaction.
• Nothing can prevent peeling after sunburn. Lotions, however, can help relieve itching.

Source:  www.realage.com

Read, write, paint, dance, sing, explore and create! Everyone can be creative this summer at Buncombe County Public Libraries’ summer reading program, Be Creative @ Your Library. Registration for the 2009 Summer Reading Program began on June 1 at all twelve libraries across Buncombe County.  

For a complete schedule of Summer Reading programs scheduled throughout the county library system, download the program calendar (PDF).

Branford Marsalis Promotes Summer Reading

Jazz musician extraordinaire Branford Marsalis invites YOU to the summer reading program at your local library.

Watch the video on YouTube.

The 3rd Annual Model Airplane Show is on Saturday, June 20, 2009. Join the Asheville-Buncombe Aeromodelers Flying Club at the Buncombe County Sports Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for this free event.

The club will put on an air show and display many of their models. Pilots fly various types of aircraft ranging from small electric to gasoline powered 33% size airplanes. Many of the members are master aircraft builders and have built their own model planes from balsa wood and plywood. The Club, collectively, has hundreds of years of flying and building experience. Helicopter, free flight and control line pilots are all represented at this Show.

Special activities are planned for the day. Children will have an opportunity to build and fly their own airplane. You won’t want to miss the mass launch of these hand made planes! It’s thrilling for everyone to see the airplanes actually take off. Adults may have the chance to fly an airplane by radio control. There will be a trainer system available and adults can try their hand at flying an actual model plane, weather permitting.

Bring a lawn chair, pack a picnic lunch and prepare for a day of high-flying fun. For more information, contact Jay Nelson at 250-4269 or jay.nelson@buncombecounty.org.

Running your ceiling fan continuously during the summer does not reduce the need for air conditioning and does not necessarily save you money. Like your lights, ceiling fans should only be used in rooms when they are occupied. Fans circulate the air and create a breeze, which makes the temperature feel cooler to your body, much like the wind chill in winter. Running the ceiling fan when a room is occupied can cool the occupant by approximately 6 degrees. Since the ceiling fan does not cool the room itself there is no need to have it operating when the room is unoccupied. Without occupants in the room, there is no one to sense the lower temperature. Fans that are kept running constantly will actually increase your energy consumption and could be a fire hazard.

An air conditioner that is sized properly will not only cool the home but will also act as a dehumidifier and remove the excess moisture from the air. An oversized air conditioner will cool your home too quickly to remove the moisture very effectively. This results in a home that is cool and “clammy.” If units are not providing sufficient dehumidification, the typical homeowner response is to lower the thermostat setting. Since every degree the thermostat is lowered increases cooling bills 3% to 5%, systems that have nominally high efficiencies, but inadequate dehumidification, may suffer from higher than expected cooling bills.

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