It's Almost September Again...Are You Prepared?

After last year's hurricanes many residents realized that it doesn't take a winter storm to leave them without electricity or stranded in their homes.

Add Your Cell Number to the DO NOT CALL List

Cell numbers have been released to advertisers. If you want to prevent unwanted sales calls to your cell phone, just follow these easy steps.

Recycling Old Cell Phones Benefits Our Soldiers

Don't trash your old cell phone--recycle it at the landfill and a soldier could receive 30 minutes of free call time from overseas.

Play It Safe and Shred It

Debit cards are convenient, easy to use and safer than cash...if you take the necessary precautions.

Recipe of the Week

Congratulations to Ms. Sharon Stosich of Asheville for her submission of Apple Nut Squares.

Pet of the Week

Congratulations to Ms. Ali Norvell of Fletcher for her picture of Daisy.

Each year, more than 2 billion syringes, pen needles, and lancets, referred to as "sharps," are used by people for their own in-home medical care. All of these items have had contact with blood and are considered hazardous or infectious waste.

They can be disposed of at the County Transfer Station if the following precautions are taken:

• Make sure you place them in puncture-resistant containers.
• Label the container "Sharps."
• When the container is full, secure the lid with heavy tape then deliver to the Transfer Station, which is located on Brevard Road.

A food pantry is available to assist patients of the Buncombe County Health Center. Fresh produce is available to anyone who walks in. In addition, a registered dietitian provides Medical Nutrition Therapy to Health Center patients and those with health problems that are impacted by nutrition. The Buncombe County Health Center also sponsors the Bringing Nutrition Home Program which provides nutrition information and food visits to homebound residents of Buncombe County. 

The operating hours are:

• Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:30am - 5pm
• Monday and Thursday from 8:30am - 7pm

It is important to remember not to prune your shrubs in August because pruning this time of year can harm flower blossoms the following spring.

The time of pruning should be based on when a plant flowers. Spring-flowering (before May) shrubs such as forsythia, deutzia, lilac, viburnum, mock-orange, and spirea flowers on buds formed the previous summer or fall. If these shrubs are pruned during late summer, fall, or winter many of the flower buds will be removed. To ensure maximum flowering, these shrubs should be pruned as soon as possible after flowers fade in the spring. Little or no pruning should be done after the Fourth of July.

For more information, see the Pruning Shrubs section of the NC State University website.

The Health Center would be happy to send a Health Promotion Professional to your Health Fair. Please call us to schedule and discuss possible topics we can address: 250-5040.