Buncombe County eGov Weekly eZine - Volume: 4 Issue: 52

December 29, 2008 - May 27, 2013

Don't Get Caught. Deadline for Tax Payment Approaching

January 5 is the last day to pay before 2% interest will be added to any unpaid balance on a tax bill and ¾% interest will be added each month thereafter. Payments postmarked by the US Postal Service on or before January 5, will be accepted as on time.

Payment options include:

• Mail (Post marked on or before the 5th)
• Drive-up payment box located at:
  • Buncombe County Health Center
    35 Woodfin Street
    (The payment box is located on the driver’s side of the driveway as you exit the Health Center.) Payments placed in our drop box on the 5th or the night of the 5th will be considered on time.
• Credit Card -- by phone (call 1-888-272-9829 (jurisdiction code 4301)) or the web. (There is a convenience fee for using a credit card—please see the back of your bill)
• Electronic Check (on the web)
• In Person at the Tax Office located on the third floor of the Buncombe County Courthouse. Office hours are 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.

If taxes are not paid on time and the taxpayer has not attempted to contact our office, forced tax collection measures may take place once the bill is past due. These measures can include attachment of the taxpayer’s bank account or wage garnishment. Additional fees are included for each of these measures. Banks also charge additional fees for processing bank attachments.

The Tax Office encourages taxpayers to contact the Tax Office if their taxes are delinquent.

• Tax Office number is (828) 250-4910.

There are several programs that can help citizens with tax payment including:

• Preauthorized debit program – payments deducted from a checking or savings account each month
• Prepay taxes -some taxpayers begin as early as January each year and pay monthly payments on their next year’s tax bill.

For automated information about tax bills and payments or other tax issues, citizens can access the Automated Information Line by calling 250-4910 and pressing the number “1.” Information on this line includes:

• office hours
• holiday schedule
• last day to pay before interest begins
• credit card information
• drive-up payment box directions
• print bills and receipts online

The tax website can be accessed at buncombecounty.org/tax, and offers many options for taxpayers such as, printing bills, printing receipts, and looking up your property information.

Funding Opportunity for Buncombe County Aging Services

Buncombe County and its Aging Coordinating Consortium (ACC) are seeking proposals and funding applications from agencies and organizations to provide aging services in conjunction with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Aging and Adult Services’ Home and Community Care Block Grant (HCCBG) Program, as well as for supplemental funds provided by Buncombe County for aging services.

Services eligible for HCCBG and/or County funding include, but are not limited to: Adult Day Care and Adult Day Health Programs, Care Management, Congregate Nutrition, Group Respite, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Health Screening, Home-Delivered Meals, Skilled Home Care, Housing and Home Improvement, Information and Case Assistance, In-Home Aide – Levels I and II, Mental Health Counseling, Respite Care, Senior Companions, Senior Center Operations, Transportation, and Volunteer Program Development. All services must support the recommendations contained in the Buncombe County Aging Plan.

Buncombe County Aging Plan

Any provider interested in this funding opportunity is required to attend one of the following provider orientation meetings, held in the Ground Floor Conference Room at DSS (40 Coxe Avenue, Asheville NC 28802):

• 1/08/09 @ 9am
• 1/09/09 @ 1pm
• SNOW DATE ONLY – 1/12/09 @ 9am

Providers will receive the application packet after attending the Provider Orientation.

The funding period is July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010. Proposals will be received through now January 31, 2009. Interested providers of aging services may obtain further information from Angela Pittman either via phone (828) 250-5749 or email - Angela.Pittman@buncombecounty.org.

Recalls & Product Safety News

All those gifts you and your children received for Christmas... are they safe?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products. You can find information on over 4,000 product recalls and recall alerts using the various searches on their website.

Keep your child safe by making sure his/her toys are not on the Toy Hazard Recall list.

Healthy Tip - Staying Motivated Through the Holidays

As the holiday season winds down, so does our motivation keep our holiday weight goals. We may already be packing away the holiday decorations, and our thoughts turn toward returning to work or school. Healthy eating and activity can fall to the bottom of the list as we box up the holiday season and re-open our day-to-day lives.

You don’t have to put away the progress that you’ve made throughout the holidays as the New Year approaches. By staying motivated through the final week of the season, you can see your goals through to the end and set yourself up for continued success in the New Year. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated for the final push.

Setting goals is important whether it’s large goals or small goals. To stay motivated, set small goals for each day. For example, if you have a general goal to walk three days this week, set specifics such as which days and for how long. Doing this will help you track your achievements.

Also, keep track of your activity and eating habits on an activity log and food diary. Using these tools helps you see progress each day. Along the same lines, remembering to schedule in time for activity and planning ahead for healthy eating will make achieving your goals a natural part of your day and will help you stay on track.

Find support with others by calling a trusted friend or loved one. Talking about your progress with others and allowing them to cheer you on helps keep you motivated. Gather a group to join you for outdoor activities or for a healthy lunch. Scheduling time with others makes it harder for you to skip out on your healthy activities and keeps you on track.

One of the fastest ways to drop your goals is by being bored with your activities. Try a new activity, a new recipe and vary your routine. Boredom creates a feeling that things are easy, unexciting and we wonder why we should even bother. New activities, a new walking route and new foods can create excitement in what was once a routine. This refreshes your mind and keeps you interested in sticking with your goals.

Also, find an activity that you think is fun and you’ll be more likely to stick to it. Including things that you find pleasure in takes away the sense that it’s something you have to do and instead turns it into something you want to do.

This far into the holiday season, you’ve probably come up with your list of excuses and reasons why today isn’t the best day for you to get in your activity or eat healthfully. Now that you’ve figured out where you are likely to talk yourself out of keeping your goals, counteract them! If there’s not enough time in the day for walking, pack your shoes in your trunk and take a short stroll on your lunch break. If you can’t find the time to prepare a healthy meal because you know you’ll be working late, prepare it ahead of time so you can just warm up your dinner when you get home.

It’s normal to have a drop in motivation from time to time. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Use these strategies to help counteract those days when you want to stop. Remember how far you’ve already come and that you can continue to succeed into the next year.

Attention Charlotte Bobcats Fans: Join Us on January 6th!

Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation is offering an exciting opportunity for Bobcat fans to attend a home game against the defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Bring your family or come with friends. You’ll enjoy a fun evening of camaraderie and cheering on your favorite team and someone else will do the driving.

The cost for the game, including transportation from our administrative offices, is $30.00 per person. The deadline to sign up for this event is January 2, 2009. Please contact Jay Nelson at (828) 250-4269 or jay.nelson@buncombecounty.org for more information. This trip requires a minimum of 12 paid fans.

Law Library Closing for Renovations

The Buncombe County Law Library will be temporarily closed for renovations beginning Monday, January 5. The renovations will probably take several months to complete. 

During the renovations, some of the library’s resources will be available in Room 315 on the Third Floor of the courthouse.  Marie Penta, Law Librarian, will work out of that office until the renovations are complete.

Ms. Penta can be reached by phone at 250-4734 or by email at law.library@buncombecounty.org.

Pet Pictures of the Week - Kitties Who Need Companions

This week we are featuring some animals available for adoption from FurEver Friends. Please consider making one of these animals your "FurEver" friend by giving it a loving home.

Meenie Breed: Domestic Short Hair - Black [Mix] Sex: Male Age: Adult Size: Large My name is Meenie, but I'm not a "mean-ie" at all. I just want a human to love on instead of this toy! Please give me a home! I was a featured pet once back in February, but I still haven't found a home. I've been neutered, vaccinated, and tested for FIV and FeLV and I'm already house trained. If you would like to meet me, call or email (828)-670-6723 / fureverfriends@att.net.

Melinda Breed: Dilute Calico Sex: Female Age: Adult Size: Large I'm Melinda. I'm a "well rounded" little Dilute Calico kitty. Truth be told, I'm a little shy, but I've been coming around of late and will probably be fine in a home of my own. There's just so much commotion here at the shelter and so many other cats! I'm a beautiful girl with lovely markings and would love to have a quiet place to take naps in the sunshine, watch the birds in the trees and have food, shelter, and love. I was a featured pet once back in March, but I still haven't found a home. I've been spayed, vaccinated, and tested for FIV and FeLV and I'm already house trained. If you would like to meet me, call or email (828)-670-6723 / fureverfriends@att.net.

Bonnie Breed: Gray and White Tabby [Mix] Sex: Female Age: Adult Size: Medium Hi. I'm Bonnie. I'm gentle and affectionate. The people here at FurEver Friends believe I must have belonged to someone at one time because I'm very sweet with humans. I showed up out of the blue one night at the home of a local family. I was hungry, pregnant, and living as a stray. They believe I must have been abandoned or lost. They took me in, but they had other animals and couldn't keep me. They surrendered me to FurEver Friends Animal Rescue Network, and I've been in foster care ever since. I love my foster dad, but there are just too many other cats here!!! I can hardly hear myself purr. I tolerate other cats, but I'd really love a home where I could be the only animal companion. I was a featured pet once back in March, but I still haven't found a home. I've been spayed, vaccinated, and tested for FIV and FeLV and I'm already house trained. If you would like to meet me, call or email (828)-670-6723 / fureverfriends@att.net.

If you are interested in adopting one of these pets, or would like to look at any of the other wonderful animals that need homes, FurEver Friends conducts a weekly adoption event every Sunday at the SuperPetz store located at 825 Brevard Road in Asheville (across from the Biltmore Square Mall) between the hours of 10:30am and 6pm. The volunteers can't transport all of animals to the adoption event every week, so if you would like to meet one, call or email ahead to make sure that it will be there: (828)-670-6723 / fureverfriends@att.net. Alternately animals may be seen by special appointment as time and scheduling permit.

Visit the FurEver Friends website to see more animals available for adoption.

Recipe of the Week - Breakfast Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork sausage
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
• 8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
5. Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

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!

Did You Know?

Buy Surplus County Property Via the Internet

Buncombe County now sells surplus property via the Internet. The property is auctioned through an online auction service called GovDeals. You might find an old filing cabinet, chairs etc.

In order to find out what surplus items Buncombe County currently has available for auction, simply visit the GovDeals homepage, select "click here to go directly to the GovDeals auction," choose "advanced search" on the next page, and then select Buncombe County from the list of sellers. If Buncombe County is not listed, there are no surplus items currently available for auction.

Holiday Hazards to Your Pets - New Year's

Have a safe New Year's -- for you and your pets! Keep in mind that the following could be hazardous to your pet/s:

• Balloons and Confetti - These fun New Year’s party decorations can cause your pets to choke or obstruct their intestines if ingested. Keep an eye on your pets when they’re around these items or move them to an area that is not decorated.
• Loud noises - New Year’s is typically a noisy holiday. Unfortunately, loud noises frighten pets and can cause them to run off. Keep your pets in a separate room, away from noisemakers, music, and other loud sounds that may startle them.

Source: ASPCA.org

New Year's Food Traditions

• Eating noodles at midnight is customary at Buddhist temples in Japan. 
• A German/Pennsylvania Dutch tradition is to eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day for good luck.
• It is the tradition of Bosnia & Croatia (both of former Yugoslavia) to eat what is called "Sarma" or beef wrapped tightly in cabbage to bring good luck in health and wealth for the upcoming year.
• It is a Cuban tradition to eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight. The 12 grapes signify the last twelve months of the year.
• German folklore says that eating herring at the stroke of midnight will bring luck for the next year.
• Eating pickled herring as the first bite of the New Year brings good luck to those of Polish descent.
• In the southern United States, it is believed eating black eyed peas on New Year's Eve will bring luck for the coming year.
• Also from the south comes the custom of eating greens such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach to bring money.
• One more from the Southerners: eating cornbread will bring wealth.
• The Southern custom of eating greens can be found in other cultures as well, although the cabbage can take many forms, such as sauerkraut or even kimchee.
• Boiled Cod is a New Year's Eve must in Denmark.

Is There a Sex Offender in Your Neighborhood?

It's easy to find out.  The FamilyWatchdog.us has made it very simple to find the offenders in your area. 

Simply go to their website and put in your address.  The offenders will be indicated.  You can select the red boxes to see their profile.