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Henderson County News

CITY COUNCIL CHOOSES MILL DEVELOPER

The Hendersonville City Council on Thursday night chose a developer from Carrboro as a partner to transform the Grey Hosiery Mill into an upscale boutique hotel with 57 rooms, signaling that the city's 20-year quest for saving the historic structure could be near an end. The proposal to cooperate on a development with Belmont Sayre is not a done deal. The council authorized City Manager John Connet and the city's UNC School of Government-based consultant to draw up an agreement over the next 90 days and present it to the council on July 6. "We’ve been so excited," said Margie Bukowski, director of client services for WeaverCooke, the contractor for Belmont Sayre. "We've brought together a great team. Belmont Sayre is very familiar with buildings that have long histories." Although the proposals were less ambitious than the City Council's vision — calling for a 130-room hotel with a restaurant and an event space for 200-300 guests — council members said that after years of false starts and dashed hopes they would count the project as a victory if it quickly comes to fruition. "If we go with this recommended person, as long as they’re willing to start quicky, I think we’ve won, actually," said Councilman Steve Caraker, who admitted to being "underwhelmed" by the number and magnitude of the three proposals that were on the table. To make the project happen, the city would sell the property for $1 million and invest $850,000 in streetscape improvements to create a well-lighted attractive corridor from Grove Street to Main Street. The city projects that total revenue from the project would reach $1.98 million — $1 million for the property sale, plus $312,000 in interest for financing the sale plus $676,500 in tax revenue. Belmont Sayre, which redeveloped the American Tobacco Co. in Durham and is currently renovating the old Battery Park Hotel in Asheville, says it will use tax credits the state allows for redevelopment of shuttered factories. The city's consultant, Development Finance Initiative, put the total project cost at $13.5 million, with Belmont Sayre carrying the lion's share. The ratio of private investment to public money was 16 to 1, the report said, compared to six-tenths to 1 for a mixed use proposal and 7.5 to 1 for a proposal from a hotelier that would build a hotel on the mill property without using the old building. "This is going to be an upscale hotel," Bukowski said of the idea that ultimately won. "This is not your middle level type of hotel and we know how to do that." In response to a question from Councilman Ron Stephens, Bukowski said it's possible that the hotel could expand. A hotel market consultant advised her company to start with a modest number of rooms, given the demand in downtown Hendersonville, especially in winter. Council members liked that Belmont Sayre would convert the old stocking factory into a hotel, even if the plans lacked the restaurant, for now, and event space. The other contenders were an Erie, Pa., company that proposed a three-story Cobblestone hotel on the mill site and Josh Leder, a Brevard developer who transformed the historic Brevard Lumber Co. into an event space. In the end, council members liked Belmont Sayre's return on investment for the city's ante and liked the developer's pledge of quick action. Jerry Smith said that in almost eight years on the council he would be glad to tell constituents that "we actually know what we’re going to do this time." Caraker, a manager in construction, said speed is essential. "If we don’t save this building quickly, it’s done,” he said. With that, the council directed the staff to negotiate up an agreement that could turn the old mill into an asset that enhances downtown and creates a connection to the Historic Seventh Avenue District, which council members aspire to resurrect. "OK," Mayor Barbara Volk said after the unanimous council vote. "The clock is ticking."     Read Story »

Henderson County News

LOCAL BRIEFS: Coffee for cops, plant sale, library celebration, Train Tales

Slated to roll out this summer, the Henderson County school system’s “Meals On the Bus” mobile feeding site has already inspired community organizations to work together to feed students in need. Throughout the fall and spring, the vision of HCPS Child Nutrition Supervisor Amanda Stansbury has been taking shape, thanks to efforts from the school system’s transportation department, the Child Nutrition Department, the Correction Enterprises of the N.C. Department of Public Safety, the graphic design and carpentry classes at North Henderson High, Printville in Hendersonville, the Community Foundation of Henderson County and Gillilandscaping and Grading. A retired school bus was purchased earlier in the school year with a donation from Gillilandscaping and Grading and a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Henderson County covered the retrofitting of the bus interior to accommodate up to 15 students seated on benches at tables along either side of the bus. North Henderson High School’s carpentry class installed a plywood floor base in the bus. Stansbury Child Nutrition Director Robert Rolfe taped the interior windows so the Transportation Department could paint the inside walls a clean blue.The design for the bus was created by North Henderson High student Christian Martinez-Maya, who won a $100 scholarship from the Child Nutrition Department for his winning entry in the design contest.The “Meals On the Bus” will be a mobile addition to the three summer public feeding sites at King Creek, Edneyville Community Center and Patton Park, as well as 28 feeding sites at each elementary school and youth service organizations, which the school system already operates through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program to provide free lunches to children ages two to 18.The mobile food site will allow the school system to reach students where they are, Stansbury said. In the future, the retrofitted bus could also be used by partnering organizations to provide students with a mobile library book check-out, health screenings and dental checks. Law officers get free coffee at Black Bear Stand TALL (Thank a Local Lawman) will host the next week of free coffee, tea and soft drinks at Black Bear Coffee Co., 318 N. Main St., from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 10-15. Trinity Presbyterian sets Friends in Christ Trinity Presbyterian Church, at 900 Blythe Street, invites men of the community to join in meeting as Friends in Christ on Wednesday mornings at 10:30 in the church lounge. Friends in Christ offers men a time and place to get together to talk and share personal feelings with other men without fear of being embarrassed or judged. All are welcome. While Biblical scripture is a major source for closer connection with God and each other, Friends in Christ is not a Bible study group. Men show up because they enjoy being among friends or feel a need to be present where all are welcomed. Trust and honesty are expressed, heard, and felt among the men who become Friends in Christ. For more information call 828-692-6114 or visit www.trinitypresnc.org or the Facebook page. NAMI Connection meets on April 13 NAMI Connection, a free facilitator-led peer-to-peer support group for adults living with mental illness, will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, at First Congregational Church, 1735 Fifth Avenue West. For more information call 888-955-6264.   Congregational Church announces Sunday forums First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1735 Fifth Ave., invites the public to its weekly adult forums in the Felix Building at 9 a.m. Sundays. There is no forum on Easter Sunday. Here are the topics:• April 9 – Women’s March. The recent Women’s March on Washington and its more than 600 sister marches around the world was a powerful protest and advocacy event. People from FCUCC who participated, Maralee McMillan, Diane Rhodes and Dawn Kucera, will speak about their experiences. The male perspective will be given by Clay Edelman.• April 23 –Weapons of the Spirit. Rabbi Philip Bentley. Holocaust Remembrance Day begins at sunset. Rabbi Bentley will tell stories, including the one about the Christians in the French Protestant farming village of Chambon-Sur-Lignon who used non-violent resistance to save the lives of 5,000 Jews after France had surrendered to the Germans in WWII. “Weapons of the Spirit,” an award-winning documentary movie released in 1989, told the story to the world. Retired Rabbi Philip Bentley was recently named by Agudas Israel Congregation as Senior Rabbinic Scholar.• April 30 – Thrive and Nami, Kristen Martin and Lisa Wilt. Kristen Martin, executive director, will articulate Thrive’s position on the importance of mental health parity and the need to participate in preventative care that includes preventative mental health care. Wilt, president of the Henderson/Polk affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI Four Seasons, will describe how the agency is eradicating the stigma of mental illness, promoting recovery and optimizing quality of life for both individuals and families by providing information, promoting legislation and supporting community programs.• May 7 – The Body Code. Fran Westin. Developed by Dr. Bradley Nelson, the Body Code is a form of energy work that identifies and corrects imbalances that can cause emotional and physical problems for people. Westin, an Emotion Code and Body Code practitioner, was a social worker for 10 years working with parents’ and children’s intense emotional experiences before becoming a mother and grandmother. The experiences have given her deep understanding of how stored emotions affect our health and how the human body has a powerful ability to heal itself if conditions are right. County hosts ‘I Love My Library’ on Friday The Henderson County Public Library holds its third annual “I Love My Library” event at the main library from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, April 7. The event is intended to thank patrons, demonstrate library services, show how to get involved at the library and welcome new members. The event includes information tables, refreshments, prize drawings, giveaways and demonstrations of digital services. Henderson County Commissioner Grady Hawkins will host a special children’s story time and craft at 3:30 p.m. For more information contact Marcie Dowling at 828-697-4725 x. 2320 or mdowling@henderson.lib.nc.us. Bullington Gardens sets Mother’s Day plant sale Bullington Gardens, a horticultural education center and public gardens at 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, will hold a special Mother’s Day plant sale on Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.The sale features a wide variety of native and non-native perennials, hanging baskets, tomatoes and other vegetable starts, herbs, unusual annuals, and small trees and shrubs. Many of these plants were started from seeds and cuttings onsite in Bullington’s greenhouses. They’re perfect for Mother’s Day gifts, functional and decorative birdhouses, garden art and crafts created by volunteer artists will also be available. For more information, call Bullington Gardens at 828-698-6104 or visit bullingtongardens.org. AAUW invites public on Barter Theatre trip The American Association of University Women invites the public to join in for a Spring Fling to the see the hit musical “Footloose” at the Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va. The all-day trip on Wednesday, May 23, includes bus transportation, lunch, the play and a stop to browse the Heartwood Artisan Center, wine, snacks and soft entertainment on the return trip. The bus will leave from behind Belk at 9 a.m. and return at 7:30 p.m. The all-inclusive cost is $99 for the early bird special (until April 10) and $109 until the May 5 reservation deadline. For more information and tickets, contact Martha Rumbough at 828-595-2879. The trip is a fundraiser sponsored by the Hendersonville branch of the American Association of University Women. Proceeds will support women’s education. Galleries host receptions for ArtScape banner artist   The ArtScape Hendersonville Banners committee invites the public to celebrate the ArtScape banners recently installed in downtown Hendersonville during receptions at Art Mob Studios & Marketplace, 124 Fourth Avenue East, and at Art On Fourth Gallery & Studio, 125 Fourth Avenue West, from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 7. The two galleries are hosting the receptions with the artists and banner sponsors in attendance. The art reception and sale celebrates the first annual ArtScape Hendersonville banners. Artwork selected as a result of a jury process has been reproduced on 40 banners that will hang from lamp posts on Hendersonville’s Main Street, Seventh Avenue, and side streets for a year. The 40 artists will be at the opening reception, and are offering the artwork depicted on the banners for sale to the public. Live music, appetizers, and drinks will be provided at both locations. Led by Hendersonville artist Costanza Knight, the ArtScape Hendersonville Banners Committee is a collaboration of the Art League of Henderson County, the Arts Council of Henderson County and Downtown Hendersonville and received funding from the Community Foundation of Henderson County. For more information contact the Arts Council at acofhc@bellsouth.net or 828-693-8504 or visit www.acofhc.org. Pisgah Legal hosts ambassador training Pisgah Legal Services is hosting an Ambassador Training on Thursday, April 6, from noon to 1:30 p.m. to provide volunteers and supporters with an overview of key information about Pisgah Legal Services’ programs and plans. This is an opportunity for anyone interested in learning more, to get an insiders snapshot of Pisgah Legal Services. Participants will meet attorneys and key staff who are vital to the work of helping the most vulnerable escape domestic violence and child abuse, avoid homelessness and overcome the legal challenges of living in poverty. RSVP to eleanor@pisgahlegal.org or 828.210.3443 if you plan to attend and if you would like lunch.The Last Road performsat church’s Bluegrass BashThe Last Road will perform at Hendersonville Presbyterian Church’s monthly Bluegrass Bash at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 16. There is no charge and the public is invited to enjoy bluegrass favorites and free ice cream and cookies. Hendersonville Presbyterian is at 699 N. Grove St. For more information, call (828) 692-3211. Lifelong Learning program explores Rosenwald Schools Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning is sponsoring a program on “The Rosenwald Schools” from 10 a.m. until noon Wednesday, May 17, the Patton Building at Blue Ridge Community College.The course will provide a history about the Rosenwald Schools.Members and non-members are invited to attend. To register visit www.brcll.com, call 828-694-1740, or visit the BRCLL office on campus or register upon arrival at the course.On the same date from 1:15 to 3 p.m. there is a community event with alumni from the Mars Hill and the Flat Rock Rosenwald Schools will be present. Miss Hortence Potts of Flat Rock is the only known alumnus still living in Henderson County. The Flat Rock school was open to African-American students from 1922 until 1952.In the early 20th century, Dr. Booker T. Washington, prominent educator and founder ofTuskegee Institute in Alabama, and Julius Rosenwald, the president of Sears, Roebuck,and Co. and a wealthy philanthropist, developed “one of the most important partnershipsto advance African-American education.” Their plan for elementary schools to be built inrural areas included even the building blueprint. By 1932, there were approximately 5,000 Rosenwald Schools built in the South, including some 800 in North Carolina. Most of these community schools were neglected, abandoned, and/or demolished. Saluda Historic Depot announces Spring Fling SALUDA — The Saluda Historic Depot is kicking off its spring fundraiser with a fried chicken and shrimp gumbo “Spring Fling” at the Back Alley Barn behind Thompson’s Store/Ward’s Grill at 24 Main Street, Saluda, at 6 p.m. on April 22. The Radio Rangers will play from 7 to 9. The three-member band from Atlanta is performing for free to help the Saluda Historic Depot with its fundraising efforts to pay the mortgage on the purchase of the building. Inspired by the town of rich railroad history, Dan Foster wrote a ballad about the Saluda Grade. Dan arranged and performed the first version with the band High Cotton. The ballad has been arranged for the Radio Rangers and was released at the Saluda Historic Depot last November. The CD will be on sale during the Depot Spring Fling. Other band members are singer-songwriter Mark Ewald and Bryant Kachel, on electric bass. Attic and garage treasures will be sold in a Silent Auction. Auction items include antiques, paintings, glassware, furniture, plants, gift certificates to vacation spots and local adventures and more. Tickets are $30 and on sale at Thompson’s Store, the Saluda Historic Depot and at the door or through PayPal by visiting http://www.saludahistoricdepot.com/fundraisers/. Donations, which are tax deductible, to the Saluda Historic Depot in 2017 will enable the nonprofit to receive matching grant funds from the Polk County Community Foundation. For more information, please contact Judy Ward at 828-674-5958 or judyward@charter.net or Cathy Jackson at 828-817-2876 or cathy@saludalifestyles.com.   Lifelong Learning center announces summer talks Blue Ridge Center of Lifelong Learning announces the course offerings for the summer. For registration materials and more information visit www.brcll.com or call 828-694-1740.The Blue Ridge Center for Lifelong Learning, the only lifelong learning program presented at a two-year campus in the state of North Carolina, is a program of courses designed for those who are still interested in learning and enjoying talks on a variety of subjects. The courses are presented, usually in Room 150 in the Patton Building, on the Blue Ridge Community College campus. Parking is free.Courses are:• JOURNEY TO JORDAN - 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, May 4 and 11.• RELIGIONS OF APPALACHIA – 10 a.m.-noon May 8, 10, and 15.• SOUTHERN AUTHORS - 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays, May 16, 23, and 30; 1:00 - 3:00• ROSENWALD SCHOOLS - 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday, May 17. • PUBLIC TRAGEDIES - 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, May 25 and June 1. • CHINA UNDER COMMUNISM - 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 6, 8, 13, 15, 20, and 22. • TRIVIA WITH WILSON CASEY, THE “TRIVIA GUY” - 10 a.m.-noon Wednesdays, June 7 and 14. • BIRDING - 1-3 p.m. Mondays, June 19 and 26. • SAVING THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER - 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday, July 12.• GLOBAL CAPITALISM AND THE RISE OF ISIS - 1-3 p.m. Thursdays, July 13 and 20. • THE PROLIFIC PHOTOGRAPHER - 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, July 19. • USING REGIONAL (GEOLOGICAL) KNOWLEDGE TO SOLVE LOCAL (ENGINEERING) PROBLEMS - 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays, July 25 and Aug. 1. • MAH JONGG - 10 a.m.-noon Mondays and Wednesdays, Aug. 7, 9, 14, and 16. • LEGENDS AND LORE OF THE CHEROKEE - 10 a.m.-noon Mondays, Aug. 21 and 28. EdVentures (one-day fieldtrips) include: • Carolina Bison and Camels and Elk - OH MY! - Tuesday, May 9; beginning at 9:45 a.m. • Oak Ridge, TN: The Manhattan Project’s Secret City - Wednesday, May 24; beginning at 7:15 a.m. • Asheville Art Exploration: The River Arts District and Beyond - Monday, June 5; beginning at 10:15 a.m. • Mines, Minerals, and Much More! - Wednesday, June 21; beginning at 7:15 a.m. YMCA hosts Healthy Kids Day on April 29 The YMCA of Western North Carolina is hosting its annual Healthy Kids Day on Saturday, April 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Jackson Park.Healthy Kids Day is a free community event that focuses on improving the health and well-being of local kids and families. The public is invited to enjoy 5k runs, games, healthy snacks and fun for the whole family. The Healthy Kids Day initiative is a powerful reminder to encourage children to focus on physical and mental play instead of idling away their summer days. The event is expected to attract 1.2 million participants nationwide.The Healthy Kids Day in Hendersonville is presented by Pardee–UNC Health Care with additional support from Foot RX Running, Asheville, Hendersonville Pediatric Dentistry and LuLaRoe (Lisa M. Brown).   Transportation author speaks at Train Tales SALUDA — Terry Ruscin, author-historian-photographer, will be the guest speaker at Saluda Train Tales at 7 p.m. Friday, April 21, at the Saluda Historic Depot. His program includes a timeline of railroad history in the eastern United States with a focus on the Carolinas and on Polk, Henderson and Buncombe County railroad heritage. Personalities include railroad executives, innkeepers, townsfolk and celebrated figures that passed through our region or became part-time or fulltime residents here. Depot architecture will be illustrated and discussed through contemporary and vintage photographs, elevations and plans. Ruscin will pilot his audience through Landrum, Tryon, Saluda, Hendersonville and Asheville, including the breathtaking climb from Melrose to Saluda. The program includes a brief history of street rails and logging operations. Ruscin’s latest book, A History of Transportation in Western North Carolina (History Press), will be available for sale and signing. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7. There is limited seating.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Ask Matt ... whatever happened to Tom Apodaca?

Q. What happened to Tom Apodaca after he left the North Carolina Senate last summer? The seven-term Republican lawmaker from Henderson County resigned last July and Gov. McCrory appointed Chuck Edwards to the 48th Senate District seat. Apodaca formed Vista Strategies, with offices here and in Raleigh, and, after sitting out a required six-month quarantine, went to work reeling in business. He and his team assembled an impressive lineup of clients that includes Philip Morris, N.C. Beer & Wine Wholesalers, N.C. Cable Telecommunications, MAHEC, Rex Hospital, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and Tryon Equestrian Partners among others. You might notice some strange bedfellows there but I suspect that as long as you are fighting for your client, what difference does it make?Tom hasn’t missed the legislative routine.“I really love the lobbying work,” he says. “It’s different every day.”“Once you’re gone, you’re gone,” he adds. “They don’t know you anymore so you have to reinvent yourself.” He acknowledges that name recognition, and 14 years of service in the place, was still helpful in getting past the office door of a few legislators.Under current law a former legislator can’t register as a lobbyist for a six-month period after leaving office. A new bill (HB48) has recently been introduced which would extend the “cooling off” period by another six months. Most states have laws that require a one- or two-year cooling off period.I asked state Rep. Chuck McGrady, a co-sponsor of HB48, what he thought about its chances of passage. “If I were a betting man, I’d bet that it wouldn’t move,” he says. “The bill is in the House Rules committee which is often a place where bills go to die.” McGrady thinks that extending the cooling off period will give the voters more confidence in our state government. He adds, “As it is now, legislators can retire right after the short session one year and be back as a lobbyist in the long session the next year.”Remember Clark Plexico? He was another senator from Henderson County who “turned lobbyist.” In his re-election bid in 1996, Plexico garnered 60 percent of the vote in the five-county 29th District. He even won in Henderson County, which was becoming rare for a Democrat. A month after his victory, he shocked everyone by resigning to be a lobbyist for AT&T. After 10 years, he left lobbying and went global.Plexico’s website, International Strategies, Inc., touts his experience working for a global nonprofit group in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan to instill democratic principles and to help build democratic institutions in the post-Soviet states. Last October he wrote a column for the Raleigh News & Observer taking issue with partisan voting districts. A strong proponent of political compromise, Plexico believes that the way to eliminate frustration and gridlock is to take a non-partisan approach to drawing districts. Today the former lobbyist lives in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. * * * * * Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Donation moves Cancer Center close to $6M goal

Pardee Hospital Foundation moved closer to reaching its goal of $6 million with the news that it had received a $100,000 grant from the Cannon Foundation to support the hospital's new Cancer Center. Home to Pardee's medical oncology, radiation oncology, cancer navigation and cancer research, the Cancer Center has several unique features: an infusion bay with 16 private and semi-private rooms; advanced technology, such as the ultra-precise linear accelerator, a CT simulator that uses lasers to map tumors inside the body; and a phlebotomy lab that can complete tests in less than two minutes, all of which helps to reduce waiting and anxiety for patients. "We are so grateful for the generous support of The Cannon Foundation," said Kim Hinkelman, executive director of Pardee Hospital Foundation. "Their grant provided funding to help complete the new Cancer Center at Pardee, giving more patients access to advanced, compassionate cancer care.” The Cannon Foundation, Inc. is part of the philanthropic legacy of Charles A. Cannon, industrialist and humanitarian, who was president and chairman of Cannon Mills Company for more than half a century. The Foundation continues Mr. Cannon’s philanthropy through funding in health care, higher education, human services and community. The Pardee Foundation reported good news, too, on the philanthropy front. Hinkelman told the Pardee Hospital board last week that 270 donors have moved the foundation close to its $6 million goal for the Comprehensive Cancer Center. “The campaign was not just about raising money but also about planting seeds and preparing for what comes next,” she said. “It was a three-year campaign but we’re going to bring it in in two years. Half of the donors were first-time donors. That’s extraordinary.” Going into the campaign in April 2015, she predicted that most donations would come from “loyal donors and older donors.” Instead, donors skewed younger than the usual pattern, many in their 50s and 60s. “That’s great news for us. That gives us the opportunity to work with these people who continue to grow as donors and continue to support the hospital.” Pardee board Chair Bill Medina, who also serves as co-chair of cancer center fundraiser, praised the effort. “This has been one of the most successful marketing campaigns we’ve ever had,” he said. Pardee Memorial Hospital Foundation was approved as a nonprofit Foundation in January 1996. The Foundation exists to educate and inspire the community to support Pardee Hospital. Since its inception, the Foundation has generated more than $30 million in pledges and cash gifts for Pardee services. For more information, visit www.pardeehospitalfoundation.org or call (828) 233-2700. Pardee UNC Health Care is a not-for-profit community hospital founded in 1953 and is managed by UNC Health Care. The hospital is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, two urgent care locations and five orthopedic clinics. For more information or to find a physician, visit www.pardeehospital.org.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Don't miss this week's Hendersonville Lightning (126)

You won't want to miss this week’s Hendersonville Lightning.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Joseph's Center celebrates two years of helping needy

Joseph’s Center marked its second year of operation at 701B Seventh Avenue East on March 6, celebrating thousands of hours of volunteer help for needy people by more than 200 volunteers. “We started with a small group of neighbors in the area who came for a meal on Sunday evenings,” said the Rev. Phillip Allen of Providence Baptist Church. “We had been serving about 30 friends for over 5 years and had outgrown our space at Cherry Street Baptist Church.” Now, two years later, Joseph’s Center has four teams from First Methodist, Grace Lutheran, First Congregational, and Providence Baptist churches that take turns on Sunday nights to serve between 60 and 80 people with much of the food donated by Fresh Market.Joseph’s Center provides a place to be during the day for those who are out of work, disabled, or just having a string of bad luck. Guests can take a shower, wash their clothes, store their belongings and enjoy fellowship. Center volunteers refer guests to appropriate social services to help them find housing, get medical care and deal with their personal needs. Since opening in March of 2015, Joseph’s Center has served 1005 individuals, provided over 1838 showers and helped guests do 2074 loads of laundry on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.Some guests live in their cars, camp in the woods or move from place to place with friends. Says Terri, one of the Center guests, “Joseph’s Center is like coming home. Being homeless is bad enough, but if I can’t shower and be clean, I feel like I’m not human.”Austin Watson, Joseph’s Center board chair says, “We are a community of people who look after each other and care about each other. We are delighted when we can celebrate a guest moving to housing or getting a new job.” Joseph’s Center has trained 223 volunteers who logged 6,523 hours in 2016. Some guests come in for a cup of coffee or just have a place “to be” during the day. James says: “I had a stroke and seizures and lost my career as a truck driver. Joseph’s Center gives me a place to go where I can work on job applications. I plan to go back to school to learn a new trade.”Many volunteers tells us this is uplifting and rewarding for them. “I really did not understand homelessness. Now I have new friends who I care about.”Joseph’s Center is a non-profit organization and operates a community resource center for those in need. It was launched as a mission of First United Methodist Church. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.JOMMinistries.org or contact Robin Corbin at rrcorbin@morrisbb.net or Chuck White at chuck.white@jomministries.org.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Dollar Tree joins battle for shoppers at south gateway

Dollar Tree is coming to the old Food Lion space on Greenville Highway, adding a national discount retailer to a crowded corner offering a plethora of grocery and drug choices. “They’ve signed the lease,” said real estate broker Jimmy Edney. “They’re supposed to open in April.”The area where Greenville and Spartanburg highways meet contains six drugstores and three supermarkets and Publix plans to build a supermarket with a pharmacy across the road from the new Dollar Tree spot.Carolina Specialties Construction Inc. is renovating three side-by-side spaces containing 11,800 square feet each at a cost of about $50,000 each, according to building permits issued by Henderson County.Edney, who is handling the property for owner Tony Bloemsma and registered agent J.W. Davis, said he had not yet signed tenants for the other two spaces.“Dollar Tree is very particular about who they put in there,” he said. “We’ve got several people looking at it. Hopefully, we’ll have one in there in the next few weeks.”A sign on the window says the retailer is hiring three assistant managers and 30 sales people. It’s taking applications at the Dollar Tree in Highland Square.The company, which bought rival Family Dollar in 2015, reported net sales of of $5.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2016, up 5 percent over the previous year. It opened 104 outlets, expanded or relocated 27 outlets, closed 55 outlets and rebranded eight Family Dollar outlets as Dollar Tree stores in the fourth quarter. In 2016, the company opened 584 new stores, according to a report in Yahoo Finance from Zacks Equity Research.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

Former Sandburg chief in spotlight with Trump paycheck

Tyrone Brandyburg, who served as superintendent of Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site for more than four years, had a cameo in political theater Monday when he represented the National Park Service as it accepted President Trump’s donation of his first presidential paycheck.Trump received a paycheck for $78,333 for the period from his inauguration on Jan. 20 through March 31 and signed it over to the Interior Department. Critics pointed out that the donation would restore .005 percent of the $1.6 billion the Interior Department would lose if Congress enacted Trump's recommended budget. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said the money would go to the National Park Service to make a small dent in a big backlog of work. The park service has $229 million worth of deferred maintenance at 25 national battlefields, Zinke said.Brandyburg, a 32-year National Park Service veteran, left his Flat Rock post on Feb. 24 to take over as superintendent of the Harpers Ferry historic site in West Virginia.He stood between Zinke and White House press secretary Sean Spicer during the six-minute ceremony and held the over-sized check for a photo but did not speak.During the campaign, Trump vowed that he would not take the $400,000 annual salary as president if elected and repeated that promise after his victory in November. After consulting with legal counsel, Trump agreed to make the donation to a government agency.   Read Story »

Henderson County News

WHHS names women's basketball coach

The administration of West Henderson High School has named April Bryson – a ’93 West graduate and 3-sport Varsity standout – the new head women's basketball coach, effective immediately. In her first year of teaching at West, Bryson is joining the Falcons with years of head coaching experience in club and recreation sports.   Read Story »

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