Stop Telemarketers

If you want to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive, add your phone number to the Do Not Call Registry at no cost.

School Starts August 25th. Do you have a place for your child to go when school is out in the afternoons, holidays, teacher workdays and snow days?

Adjusting to start of the school year can be hard for the whole family. Adults and kids in the family will usually have to make changes to their schedules.

Need information about the services in our community?

Need to polish up your resume? Need help accessing job information on the internet? Come and get lots of tips!

Special Olympic cheerleaders are a precision team that competes in local and state competitions.

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 Gary Johnson for his Broiled Orange Chicken recipe!

Many people are trying to find more “natural” ways to treat chronic diseases or even minor ailments. When you decide to use herbal supplements remember that just because they are “natural” or come from nature they may not always be safe.

Herbal supplements can contain ingredients that affect our bodies and our body functions. In many cases they may work similar to medications. In some cases there can be life-threatening problems such as liver or kidney damage, uncontrolled bleeding, or heart arrhythmias. Some herbal supplements may also alter or affect other medications you are taking or impact the safety of surgical procedures.

The bottom line is that if you are considering taking or are taking herbal supplements, you need to know how they can affect your body and how they interact with other medications and/or supplements. You also need to make sure you discuss any herbal supplements, teas or tinctures you are using or thinking of using with your health provider. This will ensure that you use them safely and that you are not putting yourself at risk for other health problems.

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

It’s not easy being a parent. In fact parenting is probably the most challenging job most of us will ever have. Come to this eight week, hands-on creative learning program for parents who want to make a difference in their child’s life and improve their parent-child relationship.

You will learn how to manage stress, improve your communication skills, avoid power struggles with your child, and build a support system to help you. The series will meet on Tuesdays, August 18 - October 6 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required and there is a fee of $10 for materials.

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

Give your motor oil a second chance. If used motor oil ends up on the ground or worse, down storm drains, it works its way into our ground and surface waters, causing serious pollution. A single gallon of used motor oil is capable of contaminating 1 million gallons of fresh drinking water.

By recycling your used motor oil, you not only preserve a reusable resource, you also protect our water supplies. Motor oil is easy to recycle. When you change your vehicle’s oil, drain the used motor oil into a clean container, seal the container well with a lid, and bring it to the Buncombe County Landfill, which is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Be sure that your used motor oil is not mixed with other substances, such as antifreeze, solvents, gasoline, or water.

In seasons with regular rainfall, it is not unusual for homeowners to be alarmed by the appearance of colorful slime molds growing on landscape mulch. The most common description is “something that looks like bright yellow dog vomit.” After wondering what their dog eats, we calmly explain that what they are seeing is a slime mold that grows on mulch (most often hardwood) and is harmless to people, pets and plants. Occasionally it will climb up a plant or even a structure.

There is no way to prevent or treat slime mold. The organism is a simple part of the natural cycle of decay. After starting out bright yellow, by the next day the color fades to a dull orange, then to tan. If the yellow blobs are objectionable they can be removed by scooping them up with a shovel, or dissolved with a good spray of the garden hose.

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