Year-Round School Comes to Hendersonville

Today is back-to-school day for students of Bruce Drysdale Elementary School in Hendersonville, North Carolina, making it only the second school in Henderson County to utilize the year-round system.  This makes the start of the school year only four weeks after the end of the previous school year.  Rotating tracks will now have 3 months of school for every 1 month break instead of the traditional 9 months on and 3 months off.  Both teachers and janitorial staff have worked feverishly to get the school ready for the new year during the shortened summer break.  Luckily, many parents have volunteered to help as well, making the transition a little easier.

The reasoning behind having students on a year-round track instead of a traditional school year is so that students will retain more of what they learned over the previous year during the shortened time between studies.  Many school districts across the country are beginning to see the benefits of having a year-round curriculum for their students as opposed to the traditional school year.  Now, Hendersonville has joined them.  This should help our Hendersonville students be more successful in their academic careers.

Red, White & Blue Celebration in Hendersonville NC

Hendersonville will be showing its patriotic pride on Saturday, July 4th, in celebration of the birth of our country.  If you are a car enthusiast, head to Jackson Park from 2-9pm for the Fourth of July Cruise-in of antique cars sponsored by the Hendersonville Antique Car Club.  While you’re at Jackson Park, you can enjoy food, beach music by The Embers, crafts and fun for the kids.  Just make sure to bring a chair.  Jackson Park events will culminate in a fabulous fireworks display at dusk.

The Independence Day Parade will be held on Main Street at 11am, too.  Don’t miss it!  I’ll see you there.

Rich Cooke – The Cooke-Knapp Team, Keller Williams Realty – Mountain Partners

Summer Fun for Kids in Asheville NC

As both a father and a grandfather, I know that involving children in activities that promote their mind and their body’s health is a wonderful step in creating a thriving member of the community.  One great event that the Asheville City Market is hosting throughout the summer is the Kids Corner Market.  Hosted by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), the Kids Corner Market is a series of free activities to promote local farmers as well as a healthy, well-balanced diet and fun exercises for kids to enjoy.  It’s also a great way to connect with other members of the Asheville community.  The Kids Corner Market will be held every Saturday from 10am-12:30pm at the Asheville City Market (161 S Charlotte St) until August 29th and is absolutely FREE to the public.

The schedule of activities for the rest of the summer for the FREE Kids Corner Market is:

June 27: Cooking demo and food art
July 4: Transplant activity, Bountiful Cities Project
July 11: Flower press crafts and herbal tea tasting
July 18: Hands-on activity by a Parkway Ranger
July 25: No Market – Bele Chere
August 1: Obstacle Course
August 8: Healthy eating games
August 15: Scavenger Hunt
August 22: Cooking Demo
August 29: (Last Day of Market) Fun farm activities

Give Life, Give Blood in Hendersonville NC

The Henderson County chapter of the American Red Cross is holding its annual blood drive at Grace Lutheran Church in Hendersonville on June 25th all day long (7am-6pm).  All donors will receive a free Operation Blood Drive T-shirt and will be eligible to win a cruise for two in a special drawing.  The summer is an especially hard time for blood banks because many people are out of town on vacation.  Donors become scarce.  To put the importance of this event in perspective, the American Red Cross needs to have 1600 people donate blood as well as platelets every weekday to supply hospitals in the Carolina region alone.  You can give blood every 56 days and platelets every two weeks as long as you are in good health, weigh 110 lbs or more and are at least 17 years old (16 with a parent’s permission).  To schedule your appointment to donate blood or platelets, please call 693-5605 or visit http://www.membersforlife.org/cbsr/ and use code #6304 when logging in.  While walk-ins are welcome, we encourage you to make an appointment for less waiting time.  Make sure to give life by giving blood on June 25th (or anytime) in Hendersonville.

Hendersonville’s Music on Main Event

During the warm summer months, the Visitor’s Information Center in Hendersonville (201 S Main Street) will be hosting its “Music on Main Street” event every Friday evening from 7-9pm for free starting this Friday, June 5th, and continuing through August 28th.  All you need to do is bring the family, your dancing shoes and a chair to rest in between musical interludes.  No pets or alcohol are allowed.  Enjoy music of all kinds, including classic rock, oldies, big band, pop, beach music and even an Elvis tribute.  This year’s festivities will begin and close with the great Tuxedo Junction band, who will be performing hits from the 1940’s through the 1990’s.  The schedule for Hendersonville’s summer music series is:

June 5: Tuxedo Junction (music from the 1940’s-1990’s) and Classic Car Show
June 12: Tom Brown-One Man Band (oldies rock)
June 19: Night Crawlers (classic rock)
June 26: Sound Investment (oldies rock) and Classic Car Show
July 3: Special Edition (oldies rock)
July 10: Capital Sound-Army Band (patriotic, big band and pop), Classic Car Show
July 17: Caribbean Cowboys (beach music)
July 24: The Crew (Top 40) and Classic Car Show
July 31: Night Crawlers (classic rock)
August 7: Asheville’s Mix 96.5 House Band (dance)
August 14: Sound Investment (oldies rock)
August 21: Phil Urban & The TCB Band (Elvis tribute) and Classic Car Show
August 28: Tuxedo Junction (music from the 1940’s-1990’s)

So, put on your dancing shoes, kick up your heels and head on down to Hendersonville’s Visitors Center every Friday this summer to enjoy real music with real people.  I hope to see you there!

New Website and New Programs Added to BRCC

The offices at the Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock are buzzing with excitement over new programs added to their curriculum as well as a brand new website unveiled just this week.  In addition to the regular programs offered to their students, BRCC will now provide degrees in office administration/virtual office assistance as well as fire protection technology.  Three more programs (1-accounting, 2-film and video production technology and 3-simulations and game development) are now under review for approval by the Board of Trustees as of last Friday. 

The BRCC’s new website has been updated to make it easier for its visitors to navigate.  Current students, which include curriculum students as well as continuing education students, will find information on registration dates, child care, the college library, updated weather info, links to obtaining their transcripts and information to their online student programs called Moodle.  Prospective students can learn more about what BRCC has to offer, including student services, curriculum, registration dates and signing up for a campus tour of the Flat Rock facilities.  BRCC offers a Distance Learners program which allows students to attend from anywhere online.  There is a Henderson County JobLink Center, which offers students help to find what job fits them, assistance in searching for jobs, funding for job training and coaching to increase job seeking skills.  There are many more services and programs available through the BRCC website.  Stop by and take a look around.  You’ll be happy with what you find.

 

2 Days + 5 Easy Projects = Increased Curb Appeal

We all know that you won’t get a second chance to make a first impression when you go to sell your home.  Curb appeal is the first introduction any buyer will have to your home.  That’s why it’s important to dress your nest to its fullest potential from the outside in.  Here are some quick ways to boost your curb appeal that won’t take you longer than the weekend to accomplish:

1. Use symmetry – Symmetrical compositions are not only appealing to the eye, but they are easy to create.  Having identical floral arrangements on either side of a front door creates a lovely frame to your entryway.  Likewise, hanging identical light fixtures on either side of the door enhances the front door’s appeal.

2. Update the hardware – Kitchens and bathrooms aren’t the only places where fixtures need refreshing.  Doorknobs, door knockers, doorbells, house numbers and even mailboxes could use a freshening up as well.  Replacing the door hardware can make an old door appear new again and at much less of an out of pocket cost, too.

3. Garden in a box – Liven up the front entryway or windows instantly by adding flowers or plants to simple garden boxes or containers.  Visit your local garden center to get whatever flowers are currently in bloom, add them to a decorative container and place them around your front door, porch and windows.  This is a simple and quick way to brighten up a drab entrance.

4. Art isn’t just for your walls – Create a beautiful focal point by adding a water fixture, birdbath, sculpture or even wind chimes.  This is beautiful art for the outside of your home.

5. Frame your home - Replacing worn out shutters, repainting aging shutters or even installing shutters on the windows where there weren’t any before gives your home a nice facelift.  Paint the trim and shutters a bright color to make them pop out.

These are just a few of many quick and easy projects that you can do over a weekend to increase your curb appeal.  Even if you aren’t looking to sell your home soon, it’s a nice time of year to brighten up your home after the winter doldrums.  If you’re ever in the need for help with your Western North Carolina real estate needs, make sure to give me a call.  I’m always happy to help.

Highway Repaving Creates New Jobs in North Carolina

Thanks to $4.5 million provided by the government’s stimulus package, Western North Carolina will be able to employ 135 people by the end of this month to aid in repairing and resurfacing a large portion of the Spartanburg Highway.  This is just part of the $6.1 billion that will be pumped into the state’s economy for classrooms, energy, tax cuts for working families and financial aid for college students as well as road construction and repair.  While Senator Kay Hagen agrees that the stimulus bill is not the “perfect bill”, she is happy to get badly needed jobs into the area.  By creating these new jobs, more money will be kept within the local economy, creating a positive ripple effect in the economy.  Mayor Greg Newman, from Hendersonville, felt that the most pressing issue on the minds of Americans was jobs.  As a mayor of a small North Carolina town, he was grateful that the money would be used to help ease the pressure of unemployment that has fallen across the area.

Easter Weekend in Hendersonville

If you are in the Hendersonville area this weekend, there will be some wonderful events going on that you may want to take your family to enjoy.  Mountain Lore Books & More will be hosting an Easter Party from 1-4pm on Saturday, April 11th, at their Main Street store in Hendersonville.  This is part of their ongoing Second Saturday Kids progam.  For more info, please call 693-5096.

Downtown Hendersonville will be the scene for the Easter Bonnet Contest and Promenade from 11am-12pm on Saturday, April 11th.  Put on your best Easter Bonnet and take a nice little stroll starting from the gazebo located on the 400 block of Main Street for about five blocks, then go north to the 600 block and head on back to the gazebo to complete your promenade.  Narnia Studios will award the winner of the Easter Bonnet Contest with a fun basket of “goodies”.  For more info, please call 697-6393.  I hope to see you there in all your Easter Bonnet glory!

There will be several Easter Egg Hunts around the area on Saturday as well.  Henderson County Parks and Recreation have invited the Easter Bunny to visit with the kids at Jackson Park starting at 12pm.  There will be food, fun, music and prizes as well as inflatables for the kids.  The Easter Egg Hunt begins at 1:30pm.

The Easter Bunny will be busy this Saturday.  He will also be making an appearance with the Laurels of Hendersonville on Saturday at 1:30pm to participate in an Easter Egg Hunt, pictures, refreshments and prizes.  For more info, please call 692-6000.

Etowah will be holding its own community Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday from 3-4:30pm at the Etowah United Methodist Church.  You can register for the hunt at the church’s fellowship hall at 2:30pm.  Enjoy crafts, fun for the kids, an Easter Egg Hunt and a moving telling of the Easter story.

“Locked Up” for Charity

On March 25th, I was “locked up” at our local Hendersonville Outback Steakhouse to help raise money for the Muscular Distrophy Association.  This was a fun event where about 120 local business-people were thrown in a makeshift jail, complete with striped uniform, shackles and even a mug shot (you can see mine here).  Before I was picked up and taken to the association’s Maximum Appreciation Facility, I had raised $1500 for my “bail money”.  However, after making some phone calls from my “jail cell”, I helped raise even more.  This was a fun event that helped raise $45,000 for a great cause, which, even in these tough economic times, was $5000 more than last year.

Rich Cooke, Western North Carolina Real Estate