Asheville Cabin Rental Blog

ASHEVILLE, NC – About 1,500 people attended a job fair sponsored by A-B Tech and the office of U.S. Rep. Heath Shuler Aug. 26 at the College’s Enka site.

“When we look at workforce development in the region, A-B Tech is the nucleus,” Shuler said. “What better fit, than to hold a job fair with the driving force behind economic development.”

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, JobLink and AdvantageWest were also partners of the fair, which featured 55 local businesses looking to fill 500 positions. Industries included education, construction, health care, manufacturing, hospitality, financial services, janitorial and retail.

A-B Tech President Hank Dunn welcomed participants to the event and introduced Shuler. “We hope you find what you are looking for. We’re here to help you,” he said.

C.J. Wolff of Asheville, a student at A-B Tech taking Human Resources Development courses, said she was looking for office work. “I am hoping to find something there that will be a fit,” she said. “I think you should always go to a job fair, even if the jobs aren’t what you are looking for. It’s good to network and to keep your face and resume out there.”

Joseph Scotto, A-B Tech graduate and Club Floor supervisor at The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa, was in attendance representing the hotel. “We have more than 60 positions we are hoping to fill. I love helping out at these events and to offer jobs.”

“If we can change just one family’s life, we have made a difference,” Shuler said. “Hopefully, with over 500 jobs available, we can change over 500 families. Even in this tough environment, these businesses have jobs available.”

ASHEVILLE, NC – The City of Asheville’s Comprehensive Bicycle Plan was adopted by Asheville City Council in 2008 after extensive involvement by the city’s bicycle community. But the input and participation from those active groups and other community organizations continues to be critical to making Asheville more and more bicycle friendly.

“The cycling community really is our eyes and ears,” says Transportation Planner Barb Mee. “We really listen to cyclists. They are the ones that know best what’s out there.”

Multiple resources are available for bicyclists, as well as walkers, to notify the City of Asheville of maintenance needs or improvement opportunities. The Asheville Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force (www.abptaskforce.org), an advisory group that meets regularly with Mee and tracks progress on the bicycle and pedestrian plans, hosts a maintenance request form on its website that Mee can forward to the appropriate city department. The site also hosts an incident report form for anyone who has been in a biking or walking related accident. The City of Asheville email addresses ibike@ashevillenc.gov and iwalk@ashevillenc.gov provide other opportunities for people to pass information on to the city.

The collaboration has resulted in steps from turning street-level storm grates so that they don’t hamper bikes to painting bike symbols on the asphalt at select traffic lights so bikers will know where they can stand to activate sensors that change a red light green.

Requests by bicycle commuters also resulted in the installation of bike lockers in four locations downtown: parking decks at the Civic Center, Rankin Avenue and Wall Street, as well as the alcove between Haywood Street and the Rankin parking deck. Each locker is divided into two storage spaces that can be rented for $10 a month. The lockers provide added security, room to store gear like helmets, and also keep seats dry in wet weather. In addition, there are extra bike racks in each parking deck to provide a free, dry place to leave bikes.

The participation of community members is also critical in fine tuning Asheville’s bike accessibility. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force is made up of community volunteers, and will be conducting a bike and pedestrian count in September to provide crucial data. Volunteers from the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club clean the Riverside/Lyman Street bike lane on a quarterly basis, an effort that accentuates the city’s regular street sweeping there. And Asheville on Bikes, a major voice for cyclists in Asheville, recently coordinated bike corrals at the Bele Chere festival and at Downtown After 5. The cooperation of multiple groups on education and advocacy makes the bike community one of the strongest voices in Asheville.

“The cycling community has really empowered themselves to be advocates and stewards of our infrastructure,” says Mike Sule, Executive Director of Asheville on Bikes. “They have gotten to like exercising their civic responsibility.”

Another service available to cyclists, runners and walkers is a special commuter pass available through the Asheville YWCA. The $200 annual pass provides commuters with access to showers, lockers and WiFi. Mee, responding to a growing buzz for such a service, approached the YWCA and says the organization responded quickly to the need.

“We were happy to step up to the plate on this,” says YWCA Marketing Director Ami Worthen. “Our location is such that we are convenient to get to downtown.”

This summer has already seen new bike lanes completed or nearing completion on key connectors like Coxe Avenue, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Kimberly Avenue, Asheland Avenue and Hilliard Avenue. And a climbing lane on Clingman Avenue is underway.

“The bike master plan is moving along at a fair clip,” Sule says. “Soon, bikers will be able to use bike lanes to get from one end of town to the other. I think that’s amazing.”

To see more about the City of Asheville’s efforts to enhance bike accessibility in the city, go to:  http://www.ashevillenc.gov/residents/transportation/default.aspx?id=450.

View pictures at: http://coablog.ashevillenc.gov/2010/08/participation-from-cycling-community-continues-to-help-improve-ashevilles-bike-access/.

ASHEVILLE, NC – Tupelo Honey Cafe recognizes there is a special need to educate kids about making wise food choices. As a response to a growing concern about childhood obesity, both nationally as well as locally, the restaurant has developed additional kids’ menu offerings that are fun, healthful and most important, tasty. Noted on the menu with a tomato icon, the newest fare includes an emphasis on whole grains, lean protein as well as fruits and vegetables. Examples include veggie sliders, grilled Mahi Mahi, free-range chicken and vegetable farm fresh sides- from which you can also create your own individual veggie plate.

The philosophy goes hand in hand with a partnership with Asheville Independent Restaurant Association and Earth Fare, where six area restaurants including Corner Kitchen, Bouchon, Green Sage, The Blue Ridge Dining Room at The Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa and The Laughing Seed Café are participating in the “Food Field Trip” program. Earth Fare and these AIR restaurants will offer area schools curriculum highlighting the importance of healthy food choices. Classes will compete for the opportunity to visit one of the participating restaurants for a hands-on learning experience about preparing nutritious food and the benefits of a healthy diet.

“Through these local collaborations we hope to do our part in offering additional choices as well as educating our youth on the value of a balanced, healthy meal,” says owner Steve Frabitore “We also plan to get involved on a broader level through the Chefs Move to Schools program developed by First Lady Michelle Obama, by participating in cooking demonstrations throughout our school system.” Tupelo Honey Café’s Executive Chef Brian Sonoskus, who is among 45 chefs committed to participating, plans to bring produce grown at the restaurant’s garden to local elementary schools to teach children ideas for recipes at home.

Tupelo Honey Café has two locations, 12 College Street in downtown Asheville and in South Asheville at 1829 Hendersonville Road. To view all menu options and any additional information visit, www.tupelohoneycafe.com.

ASHEVILLE, NC – On Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12, 2010, the Asheville Art Museum screens Microcosmos at 2:00 p.m. each day. This filmbscreening is at the Asheville Art Museum and is free with Museum Membership or admission.

Microcosmos is a documentary film that records the lives of insects through the use of microscopic cameras and microphones. Track the flight of a bee and see what life is like on the inside of an anthill in this fascinating — and completely non-creepy — film.

Viewers will be in awe, not only of the rare glimpse into this amazing side of nature, but also the technology that made the film possible.
This screening is held in conjunction with the exhibition Sallie Middleton: A Life in the Forest on view at the Asheville Art Museum through Sunday, December 5, 2010.

A local Asheville woman, Michelle Gibson Ryans trimmed off tickets from various scratch off games and glued them back together to build herself a winning lotto ticket. The North Carolina Lottery Commission called the Asheville P.D. after she took the ticket into their office to claim the price.

Police have discovered that she formally used the name Michelle Joyce Gibson and had also been charged with murder and child abuse charges in the death of her eight year old son, though she was later acquitted. The child died from heat-stroke will locked in the car while she was at work.

And I’m not sure what kind of sentence you can get for forging a lottery ticket, I’m sure its a relatively long one.

Cost increase in food, gas and labor have Asheville Public Schools hoping the state government will step in and increase money for school lunches. The state usually doesn’t offer much assistance but they are hoping for a change.

In WNC about 2,000 students eat school-provided lunch and with new health related rules the prices of school lunches are probably only going to increase.

One of I-40 East’s lanes will be closed today until 3pm today. The closure is on the south east side of Asheville. The blockage is due to the DOP removing some trees blocking the lane.

Droves of tourists will flock to Asheville, North Carolina this summer and many business owners are worried about the Pack Square Park construction project downtown. The owners had a meeting with the organization in charge to get updated on the project’s status. They are hoping to be able to stay open despite all the construction that surrounds the area.

The owners are anxious to see what impact the project will have on their business. A six-foot fence is to be erected around the area and bother Market Street and Spruce Street will be repaved. Though the details of when have not been released. The paving could substantially reduce parking around the concerned businesses.

Adding to delays in completion is the fact that no contract for building the park’s pavilion has been obtained. And construction time for that is estimated at about 10 months.

Many Asheville Entrepreneurs owners want to work with the local chamber of commerce to work out a plan that will include marketing to boost visitors to the struggling businesses.