News

LOCAL BRIEFS: Garden Jubilee, Holocaust Remembrance, Edwards's committees, Dr. Zia

By Lightning Reports, Published: January 25, 2023

Friends of Downtown to run Garden Jubilee

Garden Jubilee, one of the largest gardening shows in Western North Carolina, is back this year under new management. The Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, which currently runs Rhythm & Brews, the Hendersonville Farmers Market and the Bearfootin’ Artwalk and Auction is taking over the management of the festival with the full support of the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.

The 31^st annual Memorial Day weekend festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28. More than 200 plant and craft vendors will transform the historic downtown into a garden wonderland. Local and regional nurseries, orchards, and crafters will offer a wide variety of plants and handmade delights and gardening experts will be on hand to share the latest gardening tips and techniques.

Applications for returning vendors have been sent out and the deadline for returning vendor’s applications is Feb. 13. Any new vendors interested in being a part of this wonderful event will be able to apply online starting Feb. 14.

There are still opportunities to be a Garden Jubilee sponsor. With an estimated attendance of 200,000, the two-day festival is the perfect opportunity to promote a business or organization. There are several sponsorship levels available and with this being the Friends of Downtown’s first year managing the event, sponsor benefits are flexible. We are happy to make a sponsorship package that is the most beneficial to you!

For more information on the festival or sponsorship package information email garden@downtownhendersonville.org or call Terrye Jacobs at 828-233-3205.

Holocaust survivor to speak on Remembrance Day

A second-generation Holocaust survivor will be the featured speaker at an International Holocaust Remembrance Day program at noon Friday, Jan. 27, in the Killian Building at Blue Ridge Community College.

The Library of Blue Ridge Community College invites the community the free event featuring a talk by F. Ari Landau. All 46 members of Landau’s family perished under Nazi control, leaving only his father and his half-sister as survivors.

“It is crucial that Holocaust education is continued through the next generation and that the stories of the survivors and their families be passed on as oral history, as a learning tool, and as a warning of what can happen when hatred claims power,” said Anthony Baltiero, BRCC’s director of library services. “We at the library are very excited to offer this free event to our college and local community.” 

The event’s title is “The Impact of Hatred and the Struggle for a Better Tomorrow: One Family’s Story of the Holocaust.”

“For some, this may be the first and only time that they will get the opportunity to interact with the family of Holocaust survivors and to be a part of the conversation about the Holocaust and its impacts on society then and now,” “ Baltiero said.

A ‘workhorse,’ Edwards gets three committee seats

U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards has been recommended for seats on three committees during the 118^th Congress, a rare workload for a freshman.

The newly installed congressman from Flat Rock was recommended for the assignments by the Republican Steering Committee. The group made up of Edwards’s GOP peers and Republican House leadership also granted a waiver allowing him to sit on a third committee. 

Assuming the Steering Committee’s recommendations are ratified by the House Republican Conference, Edwards will serve on the influential House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.


“I am honored to serve on these three committees that will make a tangible and meaningful difference in the day-to-day lives of Western North Carolinians,” Edwards said.

“During my time in Raleigh, I was known as a workhorse,” he said. “In recommending me for three committees with heavy workloads and hefty responsibilities, my colleagues in Washington recognize that I’m there to work hard for the people of WNC and for all Americans. 

“This is a chance to help strengthen transportation and infrastructure in our mountains, which I hear about frequently when traveling around the district,” he added. “It’s also a chance to tackle our ever-increasing debt and deficit, and to help make government more transparent and accountable.”

Pardee oncologist to serve on state advisory committee

 S. Yaseen Zia, a radiation oncologist with Pardee UNC Health Care, has been appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to serve as a member of the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control.

The mission of the Advisory Committee is to facilitate the reduction of cancer incidence and mortality for all North Carolinians, enhance statewide access to quality treatment and support services and maximize the quality of life for all North Carolina cancer survivors, patients and their loved ones through educating and advising government officials, policymakers, public and private organizations and the public. Zia’s appointment is effective immediately and will last through Aug. 31. 

“During my tenure at Pardee, I have communicated with the statewide leaders on the need to amplify our efforts in cancer care, prevention and research in Western North Carolina,” Zia said. “It is my hope that in this new role, I can bring the challenges that we face here in oncologic care to the state level.”

A board-certified radiation oncologist who has been with Pardee since 2018, Zia is passionate about incorporating the latest technologies in the treatment of cancer as well as developing a strong relationship with his patients through honest and open dialogue allowing them to make the best healthcare decisions for themselves. He earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine and completed his residency training at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. 

“Dr. Zia is an exceptional radiation oncologist and highly-regarded provider among patients and medical staff,” said Dr. Greg McCarty, Pardee’s chief medical officer. “We are proud that the governor sees the same passion we do that Dr. Zia has for improving cancer care and we look forward to supporting him as he takes on this new role to serve our community.”