News

MARCH 23 CONFERENCE HALL BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE   

The inaugural Say I Do to Hendersonville Bridal Show will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2019 in the Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall from 10 am - 4 pm. The Bridal Show will feature select local wedding industry businesses all under one roof, to make wedding planning a breeze. Excited couples coordinating their big day will be treated to a myriad of wedding products and services for the perfect day. Bridal Shows are great place for brides, grooms and their families to learn about what local options are available to personalize their wedding. Guests will see, touch, taste, and hear all about how to make their day special. Admission is $5 per person at the door.

The wedding vendors on site will be able to provide one-on-one information from photographers, venues, florists, to planners and bakeries. Vendors will include Point Lookout Vineyard, Etowah Valley Golf & Resort, An English Flower Cottage, Thornhill Photography, Carolina Horse & Carriage, Chef Michael’s Catering, and Neil’s Fireworks, just to name a few.

The center piece of the day’s event will be a fashion show by Charles Josef Bridal. The show will feature wedding gowns, bridesmaids’ dresses, mother’s attire, and accessories. Charles Josef is a full-service bridal store offering ready to wear bridal gowns, alterations, and custom designs for the entire bridal party.

The Henderson County Tourism Development Authority’s (HCTDA) group sales coordinator will be available on-site to work with couples and offer suggestions tailored to specific needs, group size and budget. HCTDA has compiled a directory of professional services needed in planning a wedding or a special event. The directory includes vetted wedding related businesses such as: venues, caterers, accommodations, services, and event planners. Planning a wedding can be a bit intimidating and frustrating of where to begin, especially for bridal parties coming from out of town. HCTDA makes the planning process much easier by offering a free consultation to discuss the possibilities that are available in Henderson County. This amenity is available, by appointment, free of charge

The Say I Do to Hendersonville Bridal Show will help take the stress out of your wedding planning. For the couples who are looking for fresh designs or inspiration, there will be plenty of new ideas on display. It would take brides normally a month or more to visit all of the businesses that will be on hand, the show will reduce your time to just a few hours.

Make sure to register for the bridal gift basket to be given away!

For more information about the Bridal Show call 828-693-9708 or go to visithendersonvillenc.org/weddings. Check back often for an updated list of vendor

Smartrak Technologies on Cane Creek Road has expansion plans    

In Fetcher now, there’s an abundance of work going on in in the downtown Fletcher area and along Highway 25...all to give that part of Fletcher more of a legitimate downtown appearance. Mark Bieberdorf is the town manager and he tells WHKP News that the Highway 25 Improvement project through Fletcher includes new sidewalks from Howard Gap Roa to Cane Creek Road at the CVS Drug Store.   

There are two main goals, he says...one is to make the area look more like a downtown area and the other is “traffic calming”. The streetscape will include the new sidewalks, curbing, brick pavers, pedestrian street lighting, new trees, and monuments along that half mile stretch.

At the intersection of Highway 25 and Fanning Bridge Road, a clock tower is planned. The outer travel lane along Highway 25 on that stretch through Fletcher will be narrowed by about a foot to give a visual effect, says Bieberdorf, that you are coming into a downtown area...and at the request of DOT, the speed limit will be lowered from 45 miles per hour to 35 for at least that stretch of road.

All this, says Biebedorf, is to compliment their “town center” effort in Fletcher. The project should be done by May, he says...but with weather issues, it may be this summer before the project is fully finished.

The whole thing is a $2.1 million project project...with 80 per cent federal funding, and a 20 per cent local match.

Bieberdorf also told WHKP News that Smartrak Technology on Cane Creek Road is planning to expand...public hearings and possible incentive arrangements are being worked out at this time with Henderson County and with the Town of Flctcher to enable Smartrak to expand and create new manufacturing jobs for the area.

By Larry Freeman and Tippy Creswell

PLANNING IS UNDERWAY FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR'S TOWN BUDGET   

Property values increased in Laurel Park between 12 and 15 percent, Mayor Carey O’Cain recently reported, as a result of the latest re-valuation...meaning more income for the town.

The town’s tax rate of 43 cents per $100 of property value could see some adjustment with the new budget for FY 19-20, he said, noting that 9.5 cents per $100 of property value goes to Valley Hill Fire Department.

“Our goal is to keep the rate as low as reasonably possible,” O’Cain said.

According to O'Cain and the town council, the town will try to set a rate that can hold up until the next revaluation, set for 2023.

Road improvements are planned for Laurel Park.

O’Cain said the town is seeing an increase in road work needs, to the tune of about $250,000 or $300,000 annually, work that’s also been hampered by recent weather.

The town is continuing to try and get ahead on that schedule, but is still behind, he added.

And Laurel Park is continuing itsTown manager search

Interim Town Manager Michael Morgan reported on the search for a permanent town manager. The town has been advertising in several places for the new position, taking applications until March 14.

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FOR AGES 55 AND OVER     

At a recent town council meeting, Mills River rezoned a little more than 16 acres off Boylston Highway next to the former Food Lion and CVS pharmacy,...which will allow development to continue on a planned ages 55 and over housing development to continue. 

The council voted unanimously to approve a rezoning request from applicants Don and Judy Bradley, who were looking to rezone two lots totaling approximately 16.08 acres from general business to mixed use, which would allow housing developments.

The property, adjacent and to the south of the former Food Lion, has one single-family home, according to information provided with the meeting agenda. Town code states mixed use is “established to allow all uses (excluding hazardous waste disposal facilities and radioactive waste disposal facilities and adult establishments) but to regulate certain uses as to ensure that neighborhood impact is mitigated.”

Adjacent lots are general business along Boylston Highway, with mixed use to the west. Lots zoned mixed use, light industrial and neighborhood commercial are nearby.

HCPS Offering Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to Community

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (March 4, 2019) – Henderson County Public Schools is inviting community partners, faith-based leaders, medical providers, parents, and other concerned individuals to register for a Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training on Monday, April 1, at Mills River Academy.

Led by certified HCPS student services staff, YMHFA will help participants recognize, understand and support young people, co-workers, family, and friends facing a behavioral health concern or crisis.

Designed by the National Council for Behavioral Health to assist adults caring for young people at home, at school, at camp, at church, and in the community, YMHFA begins with a survey of the most common conditions facing youth, such as ADHD, anxiety and depression disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Participants learn to see the related signs, symptoms, and risk factors associated with mental illness, protect youth by establishing safe spaces and positive relationships, and intervene to help keep children, their families and others safe.

This community-focused training in April is follows comprehensive YMHFA and Trauma-Sensitive Schools trainings for child- and family-focused organizations that HCPS offered earlier this year, and is part of the district’s broader goal of building support networks for children and youth in the community.

Matt Gruebmeyer, HCPS Director of Student Services, said, “Those who work with children and young adults recognize that the road to success for our youth often requires that we build bridges over the mental health and trauma-oriented challenges they face.”

Cost to participants is $20 for the required manual. Space is limited, so registration at this link is required: goo.gl/gmxfB4 .

Mills River Academy is located at 96 School House Road, Mills River.

Commentary – By: Lloyd Eckberg – Thomasville GA

This article is by Lloyd Eckberg, who served as Head of the Thomasville, Georgia Chamber of Commerce for some 40 years. He still lives in Thomasville where he delivers commentaries on the radio.

Let's talk Socialism

Socialism...front and center! Bring it on. The time is now!
Since 1932 with the advent of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Administration, we have been bombarded with the drip, drip, drip of socialist theories and programs designed to implement socialism in place of capitalism. The drip has finally come to an end and we are now witnessing a flood of support for a system destined to fail.
If Socialism ever becomes law due to years of high taxes, mounting welfare, food stamp fraud and abuse and a lack of understanding of just how the capitalist system works in a democratic republic embodied by economic and personal freedom, the American system as we know it would cease to exist.
The Obama years were years of decadence for capitalism due to mounting regulations, bad trade agreements and a general feeling of mistrust by the administration toward business in general.
Following two years of extraordinary growth and economic optimism, Democrats have decided to go full bore to the far left wing of their party to push a full agenda of pure socialism on a group of citizens that are not clearly in accord with American values and mores.
It is quite mystifying to many just why Socialism is seemingly so enticing at this moment in time to Democrats, who have no purposeful agenda for a nation with low unemployment for minorities and an economy that is creating jobs and opportunities for those who are underemployed and not yet able to jump on the moving economy's train .
Today is a good time for every citizen having an interest in their community and in the American system of government as they know it, to get out a history book or two and study it and then listen to what candidates for office are proposing to see accomplished if they are elected.
It is important for all of us to learn just what Socialism is all about!

Week March 1 thru 7 WPAX and Times-Enterprise

– Blue Ridge Health (BRH) is pleased to announce the appointment of MaryShell Zaffino, MD, as its new Chief Medical Officer (CMO), effective immediately. She previously served as the Medical Director of BRH – Chimney Rock Road before being promoted to Assistant CMO in February 2017.

“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. MaryShell Zaffino as Chief Medical Officer. She is an excellent physician and a proven leader who is dedicated to fulfilling our mission and serving our community," said Dr. Richard Hudspeth, Chief Executive Officer and former CMO for BRH.

Dr. Zaffino received her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston before moving to WNC to complete her Family Medicine Residency with the MAHEC Family Medicine Residency Program in Asheville. She has special interests in prenatal care, rural medicine, and migrant health, and previously served as the Board Chair for the Western Carolina Medical Society Board of Directors.

In her role as CMO, Dr. Zaffino will advise and lead physicians and staff in supporting the mission and goals of BRH to provide quality healthcare that is accessible and affordable for all. Her role includes overseeing the implementation of innovative clinical programs to advance quality improvement and new models of care for best practices in medicine. She will also work alongside senior leadership to help define the business strategy and clinical direction within the changing environment and complexities of the healthcare system.

During her tenure as the Assistant CMO, Dr. Zaffino recruited new providers, improved clinical quality, and increased the organization’s ability to deliver additional services to existing practice locations, while continuing to see patients at the BRH - Chimney Rock practice.

"I look forward to continuing to work closely with all of our outstanding and talented physicians and colleagues at Blue Ridge Health in this new role," said Dr. Zaffino. "We have a long-standing commitment to serving the health care needs of our communities by providing skilled, compassionate physicians and access to quality care that people can trust. I welcome the opportunity to promote excellence in patient care and continued growth in pursuit of our mission."

Laurel Park was named a 2018 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.  

Laurel Park achieved Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

“Tree City USA communities see the impact an urban forest has in a community first hand,” said Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. “Additionally, recognition brings residents together and creates a sense of community pride, whether it’s through volunteer engagement or public education.”

Trees provide multiple benefits to a community when properly planted and maintained. They help to improve the visual appeal of a neighborhood, increase property values, reduce home cooling costs, remove air pollutants and provide wildlife habitat, among many other benefits.

More information on the program is available at www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa.

The Arbor Day Foundation is a million member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

The Center for Art & Inspiration at 125 Downtown Hendersonville opened to an enthusiast dinner-packed house on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Jeanie Linders, Founder and Kathy Wuttke, Executive Director welcomed the several hundred guests to revel in the newest Professional Arts Theatre in the area, which also contains a bookstore and coffee shop. 

The audience both nights were treated to an Italian dinner of pasta, meat balls, along with chicken and dessert with a wine and beer bar greeting them prior to the performances. 

It was a different theatre night in Hendersonville as it welcomed a new desitination for Art & Entertainment.  The entire team has worked to create a play house which will share their creativity and commitment to making 125 South Main Street a go-to place for theatre, music, books, great coffee and tea, which was held in the former location of the downtown Flat Rock Playhouse, which recently gave up their lease on the building. The theatre will feature professional talent, and inspiring classes and workshops, author lectures and book signings and just plain fun !

Theatre performances are scheduled for the balance of March and into April, May, June, July and August.  Exact performances will be promoted by the local media and through their telephone number at 828-697-8547 which the public is invited to call for more information on specific shows and dates.

INCLUDING THE CLIFFS AT WALNUT COVAE IN ARDEN    

An investment firm, South Street Partners, has purchased The Cliffs properties, a group consisting of seven private clubs and six private luxury real estate communities in WNC.

According to The Cliffs' website, the properties include The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Arden and six SC properties: The Cliffs at Keowee Falls, The Cliffs at Keowee Springs, The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards, The Cliffs at Glassy, The Cliffs at Mountain Park and The Cliffs Valley.

Another former Cliffs property, the formerly Tiger Woods-affiliated Cliffs at High Carolina in Fairview, was later re-named Majestic Highlands. In 2017, News 13 reported the property was listed for auction.

MajesticHighlandsOfAsheville.com shows the property still for sale in 2019, with a current price tag of $15.9 million.

The Majestic Highlands of Asheville from Michael Posey on Vimeo.

South Street Partners is a private equity real estate investment firm headquartered in Charlotte and Charleston. According to its press release on Friday, it's also one of the largest developers and operators of luxury residential private club communities in the country.

According to the release, South Street has acquired all of The Cliffs properties previously owned by Florida-based Arendale Holdings, LLC. South Street will now oversee development, management, operations, sales and marketing for The Cliffs and The Cliffs clubs.

“We are thrilled to acquire what is the premier collection of private mountain and lake communities in the Southeast,” said Patrick Melton, managing partner of South Street.

“These communities are well positioned to benefit from the unprecedented demand occurring in the Carolinas and offer everything future residents are seeking in a world-class community," Melton continued in the release. "We look forward to sharing our long-term vision for The Cliffs with our current and future residents in the coming weeks and months.”

The release further states that the firm previously acquired Kiawah Partners in SC, resulting in a significant increase in median pricing, low inventory levels, a record number of new homes breaking ground and sales topping $1.5 billion.

South Street says it also made a series of investments in the Kiawah Island Club that have "elevated the member experience and increased the value of the Club for all stakeholders."

It says it intends on rolling out many of these same strategies at The Cliffs.