Local election fields set for fall elections

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

The field is set for the fall municipal elections in Henderson County led by a crowded field vying for two seats on the Hendersonville City Council and a three-way race for mayor of the county's largest city.

Across the county generally, incumbents chose to seek another term. In Fletcher, incumbent mayor Bill Moore and  council members Sheila Franklin and Eddie Henderson will go back on the board unless someone were to mount a highly unusual write-in campaign. No one filed to oppose them. Filing closed at noon Friday.

The exception to incumbents signing up was Flat Rock, where three incumbents are all retiring and three newcomers have signed up for their seats. That means Sheryl Jamerson, Anne Coletta and Albert Gooch will be the three new Flat Rock Village Council members. . .

Here is a list of candidates who have for the 2013 election. (I) denotes incumbent.

Flat Rock Village Council

District 1: Ronald Davis (I), not running.
Sheryl Jamerson, filed.

District 2: David Bucher (I), not running.
Anne Coletta, filed.

District 3: Jim Wert (I), not running.
Albert Gooch, filed.

Read it all.

Community invited to 'Shakespeare and Friends'

From the Times-News:

Shakespeare and Friends at The Cove, as the troupe calls themselves, will perform an outdoor reading of “The Sonnets of Shakespeare” at Highland Lake Cove Retreat and Learning Center.

Written by another local, William H. Logan, a veteran of the Vietnam War as well as the stage, the performance includes readings of some of the 154 sonnets penned by the Bard of Avon and is billed as a “brief tour of the sonnets.”

The narration, read by Bryan Byrd, explains the literary elements of sonnets, since as Logan said, he wrote the play one weekend years ago after a co-worker who was an English literature major asked him what a sonnet was. Byrd feels that having narration interwoven with the sonnets is a way of opening up the language of Shakespeare to those who may think of it as difficult. . .

Throughout the reading of Logan's play, five actors take turns moving from the waterfront stage out onto the grass and into the seating area, adding movement to their words. . .

The play will be performed at 4 p.m. Saturday at The Cove, off Rhett Drive off of Highland Lake Road. Signs will be posted to help with locating the stage and finding parking. There is no admission charge.

Read it all.

Drop off school supplies at Highland Lake Inn

From the Highland Lake Inn, via email:

The 5 Promises of Henderson County is teaming up with the Children & Family Resource Center, the City of Hendersonville's Rhythm & Brews Concert Series and Four Seasons Rotary to collect school supplies, non-perishable food items, and toiletries for IAM and Only Hope WNC, two local non-profits supporting the impoverished and homeless youth of Henderson County.  Items donated will be collected at the July 18th Rhythm & Brews concert.

Highland Lake Inn and Season's Restaurant is helping out by promoting the school supply drive at our location. We will be collecting donations through the week until delivery to the collection booth at the Rhythm & Brews concert on Thursday, July 18th.

Bring us your donations at your convenience and know you made a difference in the lives of neighborhood children; we'll take care of the rest!

First filers sign up for 2013 elections

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Early filers lined up to sign up for city offices as the two-week filing period opened for the 2013 municipal elections.

Joking about how they'd been drafted or that they didn't know why in the world they were running or that the $10 filing fee was too high a price to pay for the privilege of running, the candidates filled out paperwork and chatted until the struck noon. Then elections officials took their checks and had them sign the filing forms. Newcomers were transformed at that instant from regular citizen to candidate. Every town but Fletcher was represented with at least one early filer. . .

Read it all, and check out the candidate list so far at the Henderson County Board of Elections. The filing period ends at noon on July 19 and  election day is November 5.

Village budget adopted for FY 2013-2014

The village of Flat Rock budget for fiscal year 2013 - 2014 was adopted on June 13 as ordinance 74. You can take a look at it on the village website.

Public hearing at July 11 council meeting

At the July monthly village council meeting (July 11 at 9:30 a.m.), there will be a public hearing:

PUBLIC HEARING: 
The Village Council will meet on Thursday, July 11, 2013 @ 9:30 a.m. in the Village Hall Assembly Room for their regular monthly Council Meeting. The agenda for the meeting will include consideration of the proposed update of the Village of Flat Rock Comprehensive Land Use Plan. A copy of the plan is available at the Village Hall for public review during regular business hours, Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Village Hall is located at 110 Village Center Drive, Flat Rock, NC 28731.

Public hearing on village budget this Thursday

It's that time of year again--budget time. This Thursday's (June 13) monthly village council meeting will include a public hearing on the FY 2013/2014 budget. The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. in the village hall--see you there!

Flat Rock celebrates tomorrow with ice cream, bluegrass, Sandburg tours

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Fans of ice cream and bluegrass are invited to Celebrate Flat Rock Saturday. Mayor Bob Staton will kick off the festivities at noon. The Celebrate Flat Rock Ice Cream Social including a bluegrass band and other activities is noon until 4 p.m. . .

Check it out for the list of events tomorrow (June 1)!

New restaurant opens in Flat Rock (yea!)

The Flat Rock Cinema welcomes a new neighbor:

The former Mama Christina's is now THE WHITE AND RED ROSES CAFE and Friday (May 17) is their Grand Opening! Please join us in welcoming the new owners by showing your support. Their new menu features fresh food from their new kitchen and a fantastic chef. You'll love their Shrimp & Grits, Pasta Primavera, Roasted Stuffed Peppers, Shepherd's Pie, Tuna Melts and more - plus you'll find a great assortment of local wines and beers!

Click HERE for their lunch and dinner menus.

Lunch is served Tuesday-Friday from 11AM - 2PM and Dinner is served Thursday-Saturday from 5PM - 10PM. Call (828) 692-4470 to find out more.

Please support them (but save some room for popcorn) and tell them we sent you!

Wild azaleas

Not a very good picture, but one of my favorite plants--my orange wild azalea that has survived three transplantings due to house construction and now seems to be thriving.

Flat Rock to hold Ice Cream Social June 1

From the Times-News:

The Village of Flat Rock will hold its annual Ice Cream Social at noon June 1 on the grounds of the Flat Rock Village Hall and throughout the village. Vanilla, chocolate chip, strawberry, no sugar added butter pecan and sherbet will be served.

Mayor Bob Staton will kick off the festivities, which continue until 4 p.m. Beginning the afternoon’s entertainment is Appalachian Fire Bluegrass Band, led by Dwayne “Doc” Durham. Also returning are the Bishop Brothers (Myron, Wayne and Lenior), who grew up in Brevard.

New to the Ice Cream Social this year will be Simple Folk, a four-piece Asheville/ Hendersonville band celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer. The West Henderson High School Jazz Band, directed by Alan Klaes, will close out the afternoon’s entertainment. Tiffany Ervin will serve as mistress of ceremonies.

The performance of the Flat Rock Village Merchant’s Music Series, sponsored by the Village of Flat Rock, will feature singer and songwriter Tom Fisch at 6 p.m. on the back porch of the Wrinkled Egg. Call 828-697-0208 for more information.

Blue Ridge Book Fest May 17 - May 18

The fifth annual Blue Ridge Book Fest is this coming Friday, May 17, through Saturday, May 18, at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock. Honoree this year is novelist Wiley Cash and there will be workshops on self-publishing and North Carolina and the Civil War, as well as a rare book appraisal and the introduction of the Henderson County High School Graphic Novel Team Contest, to be judged by Shirrel Rhoades, a former publisher of Marvel Comics and a consultant with DC Comics and Mad Magazine.

Check it out!

Flat Rock agrees to pay $1.15 million for golf course

(Sorry I'm so late with this, but we've been out of town.) From the Times-News of May 1:

FLAT ROCK — A month and a half after deciding to build a municipal park, village councilmen agreed Monday to pay the owners of Highland Lake Golf Course $1.15 million for the 66-acre property, beginning with a $525,000 payment at closing on June 30.

Council voted unanimously to enter into a purchase agreement with Course Doctors Inc. to purchase all property and buildings on the golf course except for practice range lights and a “pole barn,” which the current owners must remove at their expense.

Course Doctors owners Jim Sparks and Tom Davis had the golf course on the market for $1.3 million, but Henderson County optioned the property in 2011 for $1.1 million before abandoning plans for its own park and soccer complex there after citizens objected....

[Flat Rock Mayor Bob Staton] said the village plans to establish an advisory committee with the goal of preparing a master plan for the property and “determining what the phases of development might be, along with estimated costs for budgeting purposes.”

Protecting open space at the village's gateway was cited by councilmen as a key reason for purchasing the golf course. Though two-thirds of the land is within a floodplain, Staton said Course Doctors could have built up to 44 multi-family condos or townhouses on the land closest to Greenville Highway....

Read it all.

Village of Flat Rock enters into purchase agreement on the Highland Lake Golf Course

A fact sheet on the purchase agreement from the Village of Flat Rock:

HIGHLAND LAKE GOLF COURSE

PURCHASE AGREEMENT – contemplates an installment sale and leaseback

CONTRACT TERMS:

Purchaser: Village of Flat Rock, a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina

Seller: Course Doctors, Inc., a North Carolina corporation

Real property: all property, including land, buildings and other improvements, except for the practice range lights and the pole barn, which are to be removed from the premises, at no expense to the purchaser, no later than the end of the lease term

Purchase price: $1,150,000. Seller has elected an installment sale. Purchase price to be paid:

• (a) $525,000 cash at closing;
• (b) $625,000 balance to be evidenced by a non interest-bearing promissory note secured by a deed of trust on the property, to be paid:
• (i) $475,000 on January 15, 2014
• (ii) $150,000 on January 15, 2015
• (c) Prepayment at Seller’s option/demand upon 60-days’ prior written notice to Village

Earnest money: $50,000 – to Timothy R. Cosgrove, Attorney at Law

Closing attorneys: Prince, Youngblood & Massagee, PLLC

Closing: on or before June 30, 2013

Leaseback:

• Term: Settlement date thru November 15, 2013; (“Golf season” to end September 30; 45 days to vacate)
• Rent: $500 for the term, plus an amount equal to 1/12 of the annual county and village ad valorem taxes for each month or part of a month of the lease term after the month in which the closing occurs; payable at closing
• Maintenance, utilities, insurance, etc.: Tenant responsibility
• Hold harmless: Tenant to hold Landlord harmless against all liabilities, claims, damages, causes of action, etc., arising from action of the purchaser; Village to be named as an additional insured under Tenant’s insurance policies
• Income from golfing operations: Tenant

Possession: to Buyer on or before November 15, 2013

Environmental Phase 1 (Soil tests – pesticides, other contaminants): Purchaser

Title examination: Purchaser

Survey: Purchaser

April 29, 2013

National Park Week at Carl Sandburg

From the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site:

Fee Free Week at National Parks - April 22 - 26, 2013

Tour fees at Carl Sandburg Home and entrance fees at most national parks will be waived during National Park Week

April 27, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Spring Into the Park - A Family Fun Day at the Sandburg Home

The day will feature performances by Asheville poetry performers, Poetry Alive!, kid-friendly house tours and hands-on activity stations. Visitors will receive a schedule and activity guide when they arrive at the park. This festival is part of national Junior Ranger Day, an event to encourage youth to learn about America's National Parks and how they belong to them too! All programs including house tours are free. Young visitors will win awards for completing activities, too.

• Poetry Alive! performs at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
• Activity stations will be ongoing and include: Kid Care (how do Rangers care for the baby goats), Gardening Green (dig in the dirt and take home seeds to start your own), The Bees Knees (see a live hive and learn about bee pollination)
• House Tours will be offered free every 30-minutes

For more on National Park Week and activities in other near-by national parks, check out the National Park Week website.

What a difference a day makes. . .

A little more sunshine and a little rain. . .

Apple Blossom

Azalea

Azalea

Japanese Maple

Looks like a photo shoot for a Smith & Hawken catalog

Dogwood

Spring has sprung

One of my favorites (even if we're not exactly New York here).

Spring in the Bronx by Anon

Spring is sprung
Der grass is riz
I wonder where dem boidies is?

Der little boids is on der wing,
Ain't dat absoid?
Der little wings is on de boid!

And I'm sorry, but other than the dogwood tree, I have no idea what these plants are.

New kids at Carl Sandburg

Both the Times-News and the Hendersonville Lightning cover the new kids at Carl Sandburg. From the Times-News:

Two Toggenburg doe kids arrived at Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site on April 1.

The 3-week-old kids — Houyhnhnm Sweet Little Heart and Houyhnhnm Sweet Dancer, nicknamed Shamrock and Shadow — were purchased because they are direct descendants of Mrs. Sandburg’s award-winning Toggenburg doe, Jennifer II.

Each doe is a seventh-generation descendant from Jennifer II, who in 1960 produced 5,750 pounds of milk in 10 months, which averaged to be 2.5 gallons of milk each day. Her production record was the top all-breed record in the United States and the top Toggenburg record in the world.

The does were purchased from a herd owned by June Meacham in St. Johns, Ariz. The acquisition was made possible through support from the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara....

Read it all, and also check out the Hendersonville Lightning:

... June Meacham's Toggenburg herd has been raised as a closed herd for 30 years. The connection with Lillian Sandburg's prize-winning Jennifer II, came when she acquired a Toggenburg herd from Helen Hunt, who had worked for many years directly with Mrs. Sandburg and had purchased goats from her when Carl Sandburg passed away in 1967. The park acquired its first Toggenburg goats from Helen Hunt when it reintroduced goats to the site in the early 1970's. While all the Connemara Farms goats retain a bloodline directly from Mrs. Sandburg's herd, it is exciting when such a close connection can be made and reintroduced to the park. Visitors are welcome to visit with Shamrock and Shadow this spring at the barn....

Read it all.

HL editorial: Flat Rock can make park work

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Some people said yippee and others said oh no when the Flat Rock Village Council voted last week to buy the Highland Lake golf course and develop it as a park.

We believe it was the right call.

As the Lightning has said in this space before, the Village Council exhibited a model of openness and transparency in its study of whether to buy the 66-acre tract, which is on the market for $1.3 million.

The Highland Lake Park Exploratory Committee covered an amazing amount of ground in just over three months, producing a 41-page report that recommended walking trails, a playground, picnic shelters and other passive features phased in over a number of years.

The council has some time, assuming it reaches agreement with the property owner to buy the land, to make plans. Mayor Bob Staton said the council has already notified course owners Jim Sparks and Tom Davis that they may go ahead and sell season memberships through September. Under that time frame, the village would take possession of the property in October. That's when the council will squarely confront the big question — now what?...

Read it all.

Flat Rock Playhouse offers discount for county residents

From the Hendersonville Lightning:

Flat Rock Playhouse is offering local people a $5 discount to the first shows of the season — "The Odd Couple" on the Mainstage and "Cotton Patch Gospel" at Playhouse Downtown as a thank you their support over the past few months....

Read it all.