Buncombe County eGov Weekly eZine - Vol. 6   Issue 35
August 30 - September 6, 2010

Flooding is one of the most common disasters that occurs in Western North Carolina. Where will your family be if it floods? At work, at school, in the car? How will you find each other? How will you and your family keep safe?

Follow these steps to safely get through a flood.

Be Prepared

• Find out if you live in a flood-prone area. Ask your local Floodplain Administrator, Fire Department, or Buncombe County Emergency Services about local flood history.
  • Plan and practice more than one way to get to higher ground from home and work.
• Plan to call a family member or close friend if your family is separated.
  • Be sure your family knows how to call that person.
  • Choose someone who doesn’t live near you and let them know that they are your emergency contact.
• Everyone should have emergency supplies on hand. You can also use these for other emergencies such as a power outage, blizzard or pandemic.
  • Flashlights and extra batteries
  • Battery operated radio and extra batteries
  • First aid kit and medicines
  • Food, water, can opener
  • Cash, credit cards, important papers such as insurance information, mortgage, banking account numbers

During a flood

• Stay out of flood waters. They often carry illness-causing germs.
• Move to higher ground if you need to.
• Do not try to drive through flooded areas.
• If your car gets caught in rising water, get out of the car.
• Watch out for mudslides, downed electrical wires or fallen objects. Stay away and call 911.
• Report broken water or sewer lines to the appropriate utility company.
• Listen to local radio for information and updates from Emergency Services.

After a flood

• Continue to stay away from flooded areas.
• Keep listening to the radio for updated news.
• If you must walk or drive in areas that were flooded, stay on solid ground. Standing water may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
• If your home or work was flooded:
  • Contact your local building inspector to determine if it is safe to enter the building.
  • Use a flashlight to check the building. Do not use matches or turn on the electricity.
  • Have a licensed electrician, air conditioning or appliance repairman check before you turn power back on or use these items.
  • If you smell gas leave the house and call PSNC Energy or your local carrier.
  • Ask a licensed plumber or gas appliance technician to inspect your appliances and piping.

More information:

• buncombecounty.org
• Homeowners, Teachers/Parents, Special Needs, Animals
• Preparing your home or business 
• Responders

Stop unwanted phone calls by signing up for the Do Not Call Registry. It’s fast, free and effective. Telemarketers must stop calling your home phone or cell phone numbers in most cases if you add your numbers to the Do Not Call list.

How To Join the Do Not Call Registry

Call toll free (888) 382-1222 to add your numbers or join by email at www.donotcall.gov.

What If Telemarketers Keep Calling?

Stop telemarketers who keep calling you by filing a complaint with Attorney General Roy Cooper. If a telemarketer who shouldn't call does anyway, they'll hear from the Attorney General's office. 

The Attorney General's office has taken action against dozens of companies that have broken Do Not Call laws, winning more than $1 million from violators.

Telemarketing Fraud

Some telemarketers aren’t just a bother, they’re criminals out to steal your money and your personal information. If you or someone you know has been scammed by phone, report it. The Attorney's office works to shut down telemarketing fraud rings, and sometimes they can get your money back.

More Information

• DO NOT CALL Registry FAQ's
• Common Telemarketing Tricks

Source: NC Department of Justice website

Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services Department has contracted with McGill & Associates to renovate the Karpen Soccer Fields on Reems Creek Road in Weaverville.

Karpen Soccer Fields closed September 1 for renovations. The park will reopen in the Spring of 2011.

The park has suffered from persistent erosion and poor drainage which makes the soccer fields a muddy mess after a rain. The renovations require that the entire park be raised, graded and for a drainage system to be installed under the soccer fields. The soccer fields will have a sod layer installed and grass will be planted over the rest of the affected area.

In addition to the drainage renovations, Buncombe County will make much needed improvements to the parking area and build a walking trail around the soccer fields.

For more information, contact Lucy Crown with County Parks at 250-4260.

Progress information will be posted at buncombecounty.org/parks.

Buncombe County employees brought home two of the ten statewide Local Government Federal Credit Union (LGFCU) Employee Productivity Awards at the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual conference on August 27. Department of Human Services employees Jim Holland, Lisa Eby, Brent Deter, Erin Henderlight, Christina McEntee, Julie Montanea, Karan Smith, Rich Munger made up the team of winners. 

Their achievements increased the productivity of human service delivery through a process of strategic management focused on core services. Their work saved the County over $300,000 and increased the services available to the growing number of citizens in need.

In conjunction with and in addition to this work, Dr. Rich Munger was awarded for his work with crisis intervention and jail diversion which has lowered the number of mentally ill citizens in detention and trained law enforcement to handle citizens with a mental health crisis.

North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Local Government Federal Credit Union Employee Productivity Awards are given for productivity enhancements that improve the efficiency and sustainability of county programs, services and general administration. A productivity improvement is defined as achieving one of the following objectives:

• the same level of service delivered at a lower cost;
• a higher level of service delivered at the same cost;
• avoidance of future cost increases, and/or
  use of sustainable products or practices to provide a current, new or expanded service.

This year marks the Association’s 19th year in organizing the program, and the second year of LGFCU sponsorship. To date, the program has attracted 1,440 project applications representing more than $113 million in savings to our counties.

Join us for a trip to Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, on Thursday, September 16! When we get there, a guide will conduct a combination driving and walking tour of Jonesborough.

Enjoy stories of the past as we go by homes of frontier politicians and colorful characters. The tour continues with a stroll on brick sidewalks lined with fall flowers, cornstalks and scarecrows. We'll also have a personalized tour of the International Storytelling Center and Campus.

The tour commences at the Thistle Restaurant where we will enjoy a fabulous down-home lunch. There will be plenty of time for shopping in the quaint shops of Jonesborough, so be sure to wear your walking shoes and comfortable clothes. Sightseers will return to Asheville about 8 p.m.

The cost is $50 per person and includes transportation, tours and lunch. Other meals and food stops will be Dutch treat. Sightseers will depart from Administrative Office parking lot, 59 Woodfin Place at 8 a.m. on Thursday, September 16.  Registration and payment is due by Tuesday, September 7.

For a full list of upcoming events, check out our newsletter, Come Out and Play!

Autumn will soon be upon us with all the glorious hues and colors of the season. How do we encourage and grow those lovely fall plants in our gardens? Join the Sightseers workshop, The Fall Colors in Your Garden, to find out.

Retired Master Gardener, Peggy Calenda, will present a workshop that focuses on how to integrate fall colors into your garden.

The workshop will be held at the Administrative Offices of Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreations Services located at 59 Woodfin Place in Asheville from 9 - 10 a.m. on Monday, September 13 and is FREE. Please register by Wednesday, September 8.

For information or to register, please call Grace Young at 250-4260 or email her at grace.young@buncombecounty.org.

For a full list of upcoming events, check out our newsletter, Come Out and Play!

The Zeugner Center indoor pool will be open on Sundays beginning August 29. Family swim time is from 1:30 until 5 p.m.

The cost to swim is $3 per person. Swim passes are available at a cost of $20 for 10 visits and $40 for 25 visits. The Zeugner Center is located in Arden at 90 Springside Drive, behind T.C. Roberson High School.

For more information, contact Teri Gentile at the Zeugner Center, 684-5072 or email her at teri.gentile@buncombecounty.org.

On Thursday, September 9, the Buncombe County Sightseers will meet at Lake Julian Park in South Asheville for the 5th Annual Sightseers Picnic. The day will be filled with fun and great food.

Join in a game of horseshoes or volleyball, commandeer a paddle boat or canoe and explore the lake, bring your fishing pole and fish from the shore or just lounge in the shade and chat with old and new friends.

You won’t want to be too busy for lunch! The delicious meal will be prepared onsite by the renowned Lake Julian Chefs. The highlight of the day is a pontoon boat ride and tour of Lake Julian with Captain Bubba at the stern.

The fun begins at 10 a.m. and the cost is just $10. To register, call Grace Young by Tuesday, September 7 at 250-4265 or email her at grace.young@buncombecounty.org.

For a full list of upcoming events, check out our newsletter, Come Out and Play!

The Weaverville Library Friends will hold their annual used book sale on Saturday, September 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Books are individually priced and divided into subjects within fiction and non-fiction categories. Lots of children's books, audio materials, VHS and DVDs are available. All proceeds will benefit the Weaverville Library.

For more information, call the Weaverville Library at 250-6482 or email weaverville.library@buncombecounty.org.

Watch BCTV 2's Pet Adoption PSA. 

Please note:  If you click on a link to one of the pets below and it doesn't show a picture and description, the pet is no longer available for adoption.

Angus  Dog Male  Hound/Terrier, Pit Bull  4 years

If you are interested in adopting one these fabulous animals, or would like to look at any of the other wonderful animals that need homes, visit the Asheville Humane Society's website. Questions? Call the Asheville Humane Society at 828-253-6807.

Ingredients:

• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 can (14.4 oz.) hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 tsp. Chicken flavor Bouillon
• 1 Serrano chili, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wrap garlic in aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes or until garlic is very tender; let cool. Peel and mash.
3. Combine garlic and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Chill about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Please select the “Recipe of the Week” icon in the sidebar of the eZine if you are interested in entering the contest. If your recipe is selected you will receive a prize!

• County Offices to Close September 6
  

  All Buncombe County Government Offices and libraries will be closed on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day.

  Offices and libraries will re-open on Tuesday, September 7 on a normal schedule.

  Hazardous Waste Disposal Cancelled

  Household Hazardous Waste disposal at the Buncombe County Landfill will be cancelled on Friday, September 3.
  
  The Landfill and Transfer Station will be open on a regular schedule.

• Old Animal Shelter Closing August 31
  

  On August 31st at 5 p.m., Buncombe County and Asheville Humane Society are officially closing the doors to the old shelter, located at 72 Lee's Creek Road.  The shelter will be closed for one week to allow the employees time to safely transport animals and prepare the new facility.
  
  Be patient, the new Buncombe County Animal Shelter and Asheville Humane Adoption Facility on the joint Animal Care Campus are almost finished.

  The doors to the new Buncombe County Animal Shelter will be opening on September 7!  The Asheville Humane Society Adoption and Education Facility will officially open along with the Animal Shelter during a ribbon cutting on September 14 at 11 a.m.

  For more information or if you have questions, call Asheville Humane at 253-6807.

• Day of Caring Blood Drive at the Land-of-Sky Regional Council
  

  Every minute of every day, someone needs blood. That blood can only come from a volunteer donor, a person like you who makes the choice to donate. There is no substitute for your donation. When you make a blood donation, you join a very select group. Currently only 3 out of every 100 people in America donate blood.
  
  The Land-of-Sky Regional Council will host a community blood drive at their office in West Asheville, Thursday September 2, from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. as part of the United Way's Day of Caring. We invite you to join the staff of the Land-of-Sky Regional by giving blood. To book your donation time call LeeAnne Tucker at 251-7441 or leeanne@landofsky.org.
  

• Report Graffiti Vandals!
  

  If you see a graffiti vandal at work, call 252-1110. If your tip results in an arrest, you will receive a $200 reward!

  Asheville GreenWorks sponsors this reward.