UPCOMING EVENTS
10/12/15 CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FOOD SECURITY FORUM
Please join us for this public and open forum. Asheville City Council Candidates will join us to discuss questions relating to food security and resilient food systems in Asheville. Each candidate will answer 3 moderated questions. Responses will be posted on the ABFPC's website. Light refreshments provided. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Lenoir-Rhyne University at 36 Montford Avenue in Asheville. This is a facebook event.
10/12/15 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE SOCIAL
“Making a Personal Energy Descent Action Plan”. Jeanie Martin will lead a process that will allow us to look at the different ways we use energy in our everyday lives and develop strategies to create our own energy descent action plan. We will also focus on how we expand these strategies into our neighborhoods. Jeanie was a member of the group that initiated the Transition movement in Asheville in 2009. She remains interested in learning and sharing the skills that will create resilient community whose citizens are having fun as they become ready to meet the challenges of a lower energy future. Time is 6:30 to 8 PM and location is the parish hall at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Charlotte Street in Asheville. Email transitionasheville@gmail.com for more information.
10/12/15 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ DAY
Indigenous Peoples Day takes place as an alternative to Columbus Day and changes a celebration of brutal colonialism into an opportunity to reveal the truth of the genocide and oppression of indigenous peoples in the Americas, to organize against current injustices, and to celebrate indigenous resistance. Join local community members for short presentations and films on contemporary indigenous struggle, including the Unist'ot'en battle with Chevron and the Lax Kw’alaams occupation of Lelu Island in the territory currently claimed as British Columbia. Location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville and time is 7 PM. Contact Firestorm for more information.
10/13/15 TO 11/7/15 AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH EXHIBIT
Robert Shetterly's “Americans Who Tell the Truth” exhibit is on display now at the YMI Center in Asheville. This exhibit contains the portraits of fifty-two courageous Americans Who Tell the Truth and were painted by Robert Shetterly. $10 Suggested Donation. The YMI Center is open from 1 to 4 PM on Sunday and from 11 to 4 PM on Tuesday to Saturday. Closed Mondays. This exhibit will be up through November 7, 2015 and more volunteers (to be greeters and docents) are needed. Please contact Carmen Ramos-Kennedy at 4ward2gethercall2action@gmail.com to volunteer. (If you volunteer, you can see the exhibit for free. This exhibit is well worth seeing!)
10/13/15 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
On the second Tuesday of each month,Western North Carolina Veterans for Peace meets to coordinate group activities and programs.Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices.We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville. Contact Lyle for more information at hufbutcher@hotmail.com. All are welcome.
10/13/15 FILM SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION AT UNCA
From the intrepid team behind The Invisible War, comes “The Hunting Ground”, a piercing, monumental exposé of rape culture on campuses. Panel discussion with faculty and students will follow. This event is sponsored by the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies Program and is free and open to the public. Time is 7 to 9 PM and location is Carmichael Humanities Lecture Hall at UNCA.
10/13/15 PUBLIC MEETING ON CTS CLEANUP
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a plan to address contamination beneath the former plant at the CTS of Asheville Inc. Superfund Site in Asheville. A key step in moving forward is receiving the public’s feedback. EPA will hold a public meeting to present the proposed plan and answer questions on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the T.C. Robertson High School, 250 Overlook Road in Asheville. Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 30, 2015. Contact Davina at 404-562-8293 (direct), 404-562-8400 (main), or marraccini.davina@epa.gov. Submit written comments through Friday, October 30 to Craig Zeller, EPA Remedial Project Manager, at zeller.craig@epa.gov or US EPA Region 4, Superfund Division – 11th Floor, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303. More information at the end of this email.
10/13/15 SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups educating and organizing white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for racial justice. Asheville SURJ hosts a weekly discussion group on risk-taking, accountability, mutual interest and how to call more white people into racial justice work. Anyone with a passion for working with white people on racial justice is welcome! Time is 10 AM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm for more information.
10/14/15 FIFTH ANNUAL POVERTY FORUM
Join Pisgah Legal Services for our 5th Annual Poverty Forum called Getting Upstream of Poverty with Dr. Rishi Manchanda. Location is Diana Wortham Theatre in downtown Asheville. Don't miss "upstreamist" health care innovator and visionary Dr. Rishi Manchanda who will discuss the relationship between health and poverty as we explore what we as a community can do to improve the health of our society. Forum starts at 7 PM, cocktail reception before that. Tickets are $50 for forum and cocktails, $15 for forum only. To buy tickets by phone or for sponsorship information, contact Betsy Ellis at (828) 210-3444.
10/14/15 CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY AT UNCA
UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education will screen four documentaries in the series, “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” Screenings take place at 6 PM on four Wednesdays, Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11 in the Highsmith Union Grotto. Discussions led by Dwight Mullen, Darin Waters, and Sarah Judson after the scrneening. Free. For more details, email dmiles@unca.edu or call (828) 232-5024.
10/14/15 GREEN DRINKS
Green Death – 10 Steps to a Sustainable Funeral. An overview of existing funeral industry and the alternative sustainable funeral industry. Carol will answer the question what is a natural burial and how to DIY (do it yourself). Carol D. Motley, the green reaper and serial educator, has been interested in burial for 25 years. Boggled by the modern burial practice, she sought out alternative methods. In 1996, after her grandmother died and was buried in a very unrealistic fashion in a modern cemetery completely out of line of how her grandmother lived, she decided that there had to be a different way. Soon after, she read an article in Utne Reader about Ramsey Creek Preserve where hundreds of acres were devoted to green burials- her thoughts ran with her imagination. Why should such a natural progression of life have such an expensive unnatural end? Since 2008, she had been riding the wave of green burials, hoping to have a beautiful, well-made, decent priced burial product. Bury Me Naturally has been a dream that finally others are starting to share. Socializing is at 5:30 PM and presentation starts at 6 PM. Location is the Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Contact Joan at joan@mountaintrue.org for more information.
10/14/15 TRANSIT GROUP MEETING WITH JUST ECONOMICS
Time is 4 - 5:30 PM and location is the United Way in Asheville. Regular Transit Group Meeting with Just Economics. All are welcome. Contact info@justeconomicswnc.org for more information.
10/15/15 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION
On Thursday, October 15th, we are screening the important documentary, “When I Came Home” - a film about the plight of soldiers who have returned from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While this film was made in 2006, it is still pertinent today. The film is at 7 PM. Location is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at 1 Edwin Place in Asheville. There is no charge for viewing the film - Donations are welcome. Open to the public. For more information, contact Charles at 612-860-6628.
10/15/15 COLUMBIA FOREST PRODUCT MILL TOUR
Columbia Forest Products is a NC based company and is North America’s largest manufacturer of decorative hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer. On the tour you will get to see everything from the log to a finished sheet of plywood; ready to go into a kitchen cabinet, piece of furniture, fixture, wall paneling, architectural millwork, etc. You will also learn more about FSC Certification and what environmentally friendly adhesive options that are offered in hardwood plywood. Plan to arrive at the Old Fort, NC plant (369 Columbia Carolina Road, Old Fort, NC 28762) at 10:45 AM. The tour will start promptly at 11 am and conclude by 12:30 PM. If you have any questions please contact Richard at rpoindexter@cfpwood.com. If you would like to RSVP for the tour please contact Nina Zinn at nina@wncgbc.org. The maximum number for the tour is 30 people so don’t delay. This is sponsored by WNC Green Building Council.
10/16/15 WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING
The next WNC PSR monthly meeting will be at First Congregational United Church of Christ. Brown bag lunch at noon with meeting from 12 noon to 2 PM. Everyone is welcome. For more information contact Dr. Terry Clark, Chair, 633-0892 or Dr. Lew Patrie, 299-1242.
10/16/15 and 10/17/15 RACIAL EQUITY INSTITUTE TWO DAY WORKSHOP
Racial Equity Institute (REI) is offering a two-day workshop for people of color and white people who are committed to eliminating racism. It provides an analysis that helps participants gain clarity about how racism is organized and how to work to disrupt its powerful influence. Registration required. The cost is $150 per person and registration is open to the public. Please submit registration forms and payment as soon as you (or your organization) are able to commit to the workshop. Time and location TBD. For more information including how to register, contact Laura Eshelman at eshelmanlaura@gmail.com or Isabel Carson at carson.isabel@gmail.com.
10/17/15 GREEN GRANNIES SING FOR THE CLIMATE
Green Grannies Sing for the Climate at Pritchard Park at 5 PM. Google "Singfortheclimate" and come out and sing with us! This happens on the third Saturday of every month. Time is 5 PM.
10/18/15 PROTECT OUR LAND PICNIC
The Carolina Land Coalition and Mountain True are having a Protect Our Land Picnic on Sunday, October 18 from 2 to 5 PM. Attend this family-friendly event to enjoy food, fun and take action challenging Duke Energy’s plans. Location is the historic Henderson County Courthouse in Hendersonville. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend, because even if power lines won’t run through your property or community, we’ll all pay for this $1.1 billion plan through our utility rates. Stand in unity against Duke’s energy plan and tell elected officials and utility regulators that we oppose this plan. Get up to speed on the latest developments and know all your options for making your voice heard. For any questions please contact Joan at Joan@Mountaintrue.org or 828-575-6268 ext. 205.
10/18/15 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE MEETING
"Sexuality and Current Events" will be presented by Kelley Johnson at the Sunday, October 18th meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, from 2:00-3:30 PM, at The Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville, NC. Kelley Johnson will discuss how recent news events relate to sexuality. She will draw from the disciplines of history, sociology, political science, religion and health. This multi-disciplinary approach to current events will foster critical thinking about important issues of the day. The discussion will help participants analyze different perspectives, recognizing that we all are coming from a particular worldview. Participants will understand their own worldview and the view of others. Informal discussion and refreshments will follow the presentation. All are welcome.
10/18/15 FUNDRAISER FOR THE ASHEVILLE BLADE
The Asheville Blade is thanking its readers and raising funds for more hard-hitting journalism and sharp perspectives. Join the Blade's talented crew of writers as they share some of their best work and give a glimpse at what's to come. We'll have readings, entertainment, raffle prizes and more. Subscribers get in free. $5 donation for all others. Time is 3:30 to 5 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books on Haywood Road in west Asheville. This is a facebook event. (This was rescheduled from two weeks ago.)
10/19/15 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Location is the North Asheville Library at 1030 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Time is 7 PM. Move To Amend is a coalition of hundreds of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals committed to social and economic justice, ending corporate rule, and building a vibrant democracy that is genuinely accountable to the people, not to corporate interests. Move To Amend calls for an amendment to the US Constitution to unequivocally state that inalienable rights belong only to human beings, not to corporations, and that money is not a form of protected free speech under the First Amendment and can be regulated in political campaigns.The October meeting will feature discussion and information about ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) and how ALEC impacts the lives of American citizens. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Diana at dianakruk@gmail.com or 828-275-0680.
10/20/15 JUST ECONOMICS MEETING
The 3rd Tuesday of every other month is our regular meeting at 6:30 at the United Way on South French Broad. We will have dinner…feel free to bring a dish to share if you would like and are able. We will discuss general Just Economics topics and then divide into committees: Policy Advocacy, Certification, and Education and Outreach. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact info@justeconomicswnc.org.
10/20/15 ANTI-BULLYING RALLY
Free food, games, inflatables, music. Time is 5:30 to 7:30 PM and location is Pack Square Park at 121 College Street in Asheville.
10/21/15 GREEN DRINKS
“Sustainable is Possible”. This presentation focuses on how we can achieve the goal of living on 10% of the resources of the average American while living a high quality life. This number is critical because it matches current estimates from the scientific community for the goals we need to achieve to live sustainably and head off the worst effects of climate disruption. Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is achieving that goal, and thus is a timely, relevant and needed model as our society struggles to figure out what a livable, low-carbon future might look like. Q and A will follow the talk. Socializing is at 5:30 PM and presentation starts at 6 PM. Location is the Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Contact Joan at joan@mountaintrue.org for more information.
10/21/15 GREEN OPPORTUNITIES OPEN HOUSE
Please join Green Opportunities as we introduce our new team, including our Executive Director, George C. Jones Jr. Time is 5:30 to 8 PM and location is Arthur Eddington Center at 133 Livingston Street in Asheville.
10/22/15 to 10/31/15 EARLY VOTING FOR ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL
Voting places: Election Services at 77 McDowell Street, West Asheville Library, North Asheville Library, South Buncombe Library, Asheville Mall. Time is 8 AM to 6 PM from Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 1 PM on Saturday.
10/22/15 LUNCH AND LEARN AT UNCA
The past year has seen a lot of turbulence between law enforcement and the general public, particularly people of color. Join in a conversation with Assistant Vice Chancellor and Chief of Police, Eric Boyce, as we discuss how we can re-establish trust with the police. Learn about strategies that our law enforcement is using to keep UNC Asheville safe as well as hear from his perspective as a Black Chief of Police. Time is noon to 1 PM. This is part of Multicultural Student Programs. More information, including location, from dhylton@unca.edu.
10/22/15 NEWSMAKER SERIES ON WHO OWNS WNC’S WATER
Carolina Public Press will hold its next Newsmakers event, a nonpartisan conversation series on top Western North Carolina interests and issues, about the ownership of the region’s water. It will be held on Thursday, Oct. 22, from 6-7 PM at Fletcher Town Hall. Going beyond headlines and sound bites, the Newsmaker series brings together the state and region’s top journalists with those making and influencing the news — people such as business leaders, lawmakers, agency administrators, public policy influencers and others — for in-depth, nonpartisan conversations with the public. Newsmakers will break down barriers often felt between journalists and lawmakers, between community members and leaders — all toward building an engaged, informed community. This free and public event will offer the region’s residents to discuss public and private ownership of drinking water systems across the region, and it coincides with a Carolina Public Press in-depth and investigative reporting project launched in July on some of the issues facing the region’s drinking water. Space is limited, and advanced tickets are required. This event is made possible, in part, through the support of The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. For more information and instructions on how to get a ticket, please contact Carolina Public Press at 828-774-5290 or at info@carolinapublicpress.org.
10/22/15 to 10/23/15 AFRICAN AMERICANS IN WNC CONFERENCE
Filling a gap in regional history – the missing story of African Americans in Western North Carolina – will be the aim of a new conference convened by history scholars at UNC Asheville on Oct. 22-23. Conference events, which will take place on UNCA campus and at the YMI Cultural Center in downtown Asheville, are free and open to the public. James Ferguson, who began his civil rights activism as a student and continued as an attorney, will deliver the conference’s keynote address at 6:30 PM on Thursday, Oct. 22 at the YMI Cultural Center, 43 Market Street, downtown Asheville. Ferguson, an Asheville native, is one of the founding members of the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE), a student group which worked to desegregate Asheville’s movie theaters, lunch counters, libraries and other public facilities in the 1960s. As a lawyer, Ferguson was defense attorney for the “Wilmington 10,” – convicted of arson in the period of racial tension over school desegregation – and he continued to battle, ultimately successfully, to have their convictions overturned. Thursday’s opening reception will include a special recognition of Asheville resident Julia Ray, a centenarian, for her many contributions to the Asheville community. Among other honors, Ray is the recipient of the Mission/MAHEC Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for her pioneering service to the Asheville medical community. The conference will feature lectures on slavery and emancipation, segregation and civil rights in Western North Carolina, and will run from 9 AM to 5 PM on Friday, Oct. 23 at Alumni Hall at Highsmith Student Union at UNCA. The African Americans in Western North Carolina Conference is sponsored by many UNC Asheville offices and programs, including the Dean of Humanities, Howerton Professor of Humanities, Humanities Program, NEH Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities, The Wilma Dykeman Legacy, Dean of Social Sciences, Office of the Provost, Department of History, Center for Diversity Education and Interdisciplinary Distinguished Professorship of the Mountain South. Free to attend. For more information and to see the schedule for this event, visit the YMI website or call 828-251-6415.
10/24/15 “EMBRACING CO-THINKK” EVENT
Please join us for a celebration introducing CoThinkk, a giving circle dedicated to collectively investing time, talent, and treasure to address some of the most critical social and community issues affecting African-American and Latino communities in Asheville and Western North Carolina. This event marks an important milestone. Together we've created a solid foundation and are excited about supporting innovative initiatives and leaders who are working to make a difference in neighborhoods and communities across the region. Come celebrate, eat, see what we've been doing, get to know us, get involved.....and wear your dancing shoes! Agenda: Music, Hors d'oeuvres, Libations; Spoken Word, The CoThinkk Story,and Dancing. Dress: Business Casual Attire. Please RSVP by October 16th. Please contact Darcel at darcel.eddins@gmail.com to get a link for the registration page. Time is 7 to 10 PM and location is Asheville Art Museum, east wing on the second floor, in downtown Asheville. No information on cost.
10/25/15 ASHEVILLE LIVING TREASURES FALL CELEBRATION
Join with our community on Sunday, October 25 at 1:30 PM to honor the fall 2015 class of Asheville Living Treasures (ALT) - Clark Olsen, O. L Sherrill and Oralene Simmons. The celebration will be held at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC-Asheville’s Reuter Center on Sunday, October 25 at 1:30 PM. ALT is an all volunteer organization dedicated to honoring elders in the Asheville and Buncombe County area who have shaped our community and helped make it a better place to live. The event is held twice a year, in spring and fall, with nominations coming from the community to recognize those who have made a difference. For more information, contact Carmen Ramos-Kennedy at (828) 423-6476.
10/27/15 STUDENT LED TOUR OF ‘AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH’ EXHIBIT
The 8th grade students at Francine Delany New School for Children took on the task of training to be student docents for visiting school groups during the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” exhibit at the YMI. They have been leading school groups through the exhibit the week of Oct. 5-9. To prepare for these student-led tours, the students immersed themselves in the biographies of this portrait collection, researching different people featured, to understand the type of work they did, their influences, and the context of the time in which they lived. The YMI will host a special evening exhibit opening, led by the student docents, on Tuesday, October 27, from 6 to 8 PM. The event is open to the public. Admission by donation. The location is the YMI Cultural Center at 39 South Market Street in Asheville.
10/28/15 ASHEVILLE N.O.W. EVENT
The last Wednesday of the month we will contemplate “Wine, Women and Fixing What's Wrong”. Time is 5-6:30 PM. We'll meet up at Sherri's office, 10 South Main Street, Weaverville, drink wine on the back porch, watch the leaves change colors, do a little networking, and take care of chapter business in an informal setting. Rain or shine. For more information contact nowasheville@gmail.com.
10/28/15 CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY AT UNCA
UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education will screen four documentaries in the series, “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” Screenings take place at 6 PM on four Wednesdays, Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11 in the Highsmith Union Grotto. Discussions led by Dwight Mullen, Darin Waters, and Sarah Judson after the scrneening. Free. For more details, email dmiles@unca.edu or call (828) 232-5024.
10/28/15 GREEN DRINKS
This legislative session has been jam-packed with moves to roll back environmental protections, hinder renewable energy, slash funding for open space protections and more. But it’s not all bad news. Many of our WNC legislators have stood against these shenanigans and are attempting to forward legislation to protect our communities’ natural resources. We’ll get you caught up on environmental outcomes of this legislative session, priorities between sessions and next year, and how you can get involved in holding our lawmakers accountable to the public they serve. Socializing starts at 5:30, program starts at 6 PM. Location is The Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville. Contact Joan at joan@mountaintrue.org for more information.
10/29/15 MOUNTAINTRUE PRESENTATION ON THE NC LEGISLATIVE SESSION
This legislative session has been jam-packed with moves to roll back environmental protections, hinder renewable energy, slash funding for open space protections and more. But it’s not all bad news. Many of our WNC legislators have stood against these shenanigans and are attempting to forward legislation to protect our communities’ natural resources. We’ll get you caught up on environmental outcomes of this legislative session, priorities between sessions and next year, and how you can get involved in holding our lawmakers accountable to the public they serve. Time is 6 to 8 PM and location is Biz 611 at 611 North Church Street (MountianTrue Offices). Please RSVP and let us know you'll attend. For any questions please contact Joan at Joan@Mountaintrue.org or 828-575-6268 ext. 205.
11/03/15 ELECTION DAY FOR ASHEVILLE CITY COUNCIL
11/03/15 ASHEVILLE CITY TRANSIT COMMITTEE MEETING
Transit Committee Meeting from 3:30 - 5 PM. Location is the 1st Floor Conference Room at City Hall in downtown Asheville.
11/03/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE SERIES
“Israeli-Palestinian Borders – Issues and Dilemmas,” with Harvey Starr, author and emeritus professor of international affairs at the University of South Carolina, where he continues to serve as an institute associate of The Walker Institute of International and Area Studies, consulting faculty in the Jewish Studies Program, and a Rule of Law Collaborative faculty member. The lectures are sponsored by the WNC chapter of the World Affairs Council, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville, and the university's Department of Political Science. Admission to World Affairs Council presentations at UNC Asheville is $10 for the public; free to members of the World Affairs Council and UNC Asheville students. For more information call 828.251.6140.
11/05/15 CENTER FOR DIVERSITY EDUCATION ANNIVERSARY EVENT
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, will be the keynote speaker for the commemoration of the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education 20th anniversary. This event will pay tribute to the work of the Asheville Student Committee of Racial Equality from 1960-1965. Seating will begin at 6 PM and no backpacks or food or drinks are permitted. This event is free and open to the public. Contact Deborah Miles at dmiles@unca.edu for more information. Time is 7 PM and location is Kimmel Arena at UNCA.
11/05/15 EARLY NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY IN WNC
In honor of Native American History Month, learn the history behind the forced removal of the Cherokee Indians in the 19th Century from their land in North Carolina. Discuss the larger implications and the impact it had on the Cherokee community and history in Western North Carolina. This discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Ellen Pearson, Associate Professor of History. Location is Intercultural Center at UNCA, and time is 11:50 AM to 1:05 PM. Contact dhylton@unca.edu for more information. This is sponsored by the Multicultural Student Programs.
11/06/15 ASCORE LEADERSHIP AWARDS AND LUNCH
The title of this event is “Building on a Legacy: 2042 ASCORE Leadership Awards.” The luncheon (with vegan and gluten free options) and honor five change agents in our community and share highlights of the last 20 years. Tickets options are: $50 for individual tickets, $100 for patron tickets, $600 for table sponsors and $1000 for award sponsors. Some of the ticket price is tax deductible. In 1995, it was impossible to imagine the world 20 years in the future. The influence that social media, digitization, 9/11, globalization, changing, demography, brain research, and varying civil rights issues on the work of equity and inclusion was unforeseeable. This event is sponsored by the Center for Diversity Education at UNCA. Time is 11:45 AM to 1:15 PM, and location is Morris Hellenic Center at 227 Cumberland Avenue in Asheville. For more information, contact Deborah at dmiles@unca.edu.
11/07/15 CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY
Learn what you can do to help mitigate Climate Change. Join the Citizens Climate Lobby - Asheville Chapter. Next meeting is at 12:30 at Kairos West Community Center at 742 Haywood Road in west Asheville.
11/08/15 ASHEVILLE N.O.W. MEETING
Sunday, November 8 - Our Final Business Meeting at the YWCA for 2015. Time is 2 PM at the YWCA on South French Broad in Asheville.. We'll plan our Annual Year-End Meeting for December, it's our special holiday gathering. Venue, Date/Time to be determined. For more information contact nowasheville@gmail.com.
11/11/15 CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY AT UNCA
UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education will screen four documentaries in the series, “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” Screenings take place at 6 PM on four Wednesdays, Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11 in the Highsmith Union Grotto. Discussions led by Dwight Mullen, Darin Waters, and Sarah Judson after the scrneening. Free. For more details, email dmiles@unca.edu or call (828) 232-5024.
11/12/15 to 11/15/15 PEACE CONFERENCE AT LAKE JUNALUSKA
This will be November 12-15, 2015 at Lake Junaluska. Theme will be “Longing for Peace/Exploring the Heart of God”. Keynote speakers are Rabia Terri Harris, founder of the Muslim Peace Fellowship; Rabbi Or Rose, founding director of the Center for Global Judaism at Hebrew College and Dr. Sam Wells, vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Special music by Yuval Ron and Ensemble-- a world-renowned musician, composer, educator, peace activist, and record producer. The Yuval Ron Ensemble has been actively involved in creating musical bridges between people of the Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths. They will perform Saturday eve. Registration is $145. Packages which include registration, lodging and meals are available. Register via Lake Junaluska website or call 828-454-6682 for more information.
11/12/15 FORUM TO END VETERAN HOMELESSNESS
Join us at the Forum on Veteran Homelessness on November 12th, presented by AVL Technologies. We'll feature Jas Boothe, a veteran who experienced homelessness after Hurricane Katrina and now works to end female veteran homelessness. She'll join a panel of local experts on the topic. Your ticket also includes a full meal and is only $25 ($27.37 with service charge). Time is 5:30 to 8:30 PM and location is Celine and Company at 49 Broadway Avenue in Asheville. Homeward Bound of WNC is organizing this event. For more information, including how to purchase tickets, please contact Beth Russo at 258.1695 ext. 111.
11/14/15 HARD TO RECYCLE EVENT
Founded in 2011 by Rainbow Recycling, Hard 2 Recycle events are free to the public collections geared to bring awareness to other modes of recycling to our area. Four quarterly held collections to cover the four corners of the County and one central event in Downtown Asheville. Our goal is to educate, collect and divert items that would normally end up in the Landfill i.e Styrofoam, Electronics, Books, Batteries, Cooking Oil and much more. November 14th - Arden NC - 2310 Hendersonville Road, Arden NC 28704 (10 AM to 2 PM). Contact volunteer@ashevillegreenworks.org for more information or to confirm.
11/15/15 ASHEVILLE BLACK LIVES MATTER COMMUNITY
Meet us at Hill Street Baptist Church on Nov 15, at 10 AM for #BlackLivesMatterSunday with Professor Dr. Karsonya (Kaye) Wise Whitehead of Loyola University, Maryland. Prof Wise Whitehead is an historian who works in the black documentary tradition. No further information, contact Hill Street Baptist Church to confirm.
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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Women in Black have a monthly vigil at 5 PM at Vance Monument in Asheville (first Friday only)
SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard. Call 884-3435 to confirm.
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Pritchard Park at 5 PM.
SUNDAY
Youth OUTright meeting from 4 to 6 PM at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Ages 14 - 23 only.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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FROM CLEAN WATER FOR NC:
Clean up the toxic CTS site!
Public meeting: Tuesday, October 13, 6:00 PM
T.C. Roberson High School Auditorium, 250 Overlook Road
Or submit written comments by October 30 to: Craig Zeller, zeller.craig@epa.gov / US EPA Region 4, Superfund Division – 11th Floor, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
In your comments, be sure to ask EPA to force CTS to clean up an additional acre of contamination. EPA must expand the treatment area to include an additional highly contaminated area to the north of the proposed area. Left untreated, this additional mass of TCE remains a potent source of contamination that will continue to migrate, uncontrolled, onto private properties to the east and west of the CTS site.
Samples in this northern contaminated area show massive, highly hazardous amounts of TCE. The maximum contaminant level for TCE is 5 parts per billion, yet samples have found 830,000 parts per billion TCE in soil/ weathered bedrock in 2004; and 62,100 parts per billion TCE in groundwater as recently as 2015!
EPA has already recognized that the northern area should and could be cleaned up NOW, not kicked down the road - now let them know we expect them to make it happen, using their existing authority.
Agree with EPA that electrical resistance heating (ERH) is a good technology to use for this remedial action plan.
Questions you can ask EPA:
How will EPA ensure that the method is successful? What before and after measurements will you require? What will be done if the method does not work as intended?
What will be done to make sure that the vaporized TCE does not escape and contaminate air in our community?
Where will be toxins extracted and separated out by this cleanup process be taken for disposal? Does the community have the opportunity to comment on the disposal location?
Will EPA and CTS be able to keep investigating and characterizing the deeper areas of TCE ("DNAPL") while this interim action is going on? When will work begin on the site-wide remedy?
Background:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released an Interim Remedial Action Plan for the CTS Superfund site in S. Asheville. The agency and neighbors have known for years that the site was contaminated with toxic trichloroethylene (TCE) and other chemicals. In 2012, the site was added to the National Priority List for cleanup.
While investigating the underground plume of contamination, EPA and CTS discovered a shallow "blob" of TCE mixed with petroleum products floating just under the building slab, and also identified other nearby areas of high TCE contamination. The plan proposes to remove TCE from a 1-acre area sooner rather than later while investigation of pollution deeper below the site continues - this is a very good thing - but it doesn't go far enough. There is another acre of contaminated soil and groundwater that could be addressed NOW, with the help of lots of input from the public!
Submit written comments through Friday, October 30 to Craig Zeller, EPA Remedial Project Manager, at zeller.craig@epa.gov or US EPA Region 4, Superfund Division – 11th Floor, 61 Forsyth Street, SW, Atlanta, GA 30303.
Decades-old contamination at the CTS industrial site in south Asheville continues to leach into nearby air, soil and groundwater. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally proposed a plan for the first phase of cleanup of cancer-causing trichloroethylene (TCE) in shallow soil and groundwater at the site!
This plan for an "interim remedial action" to treat a 1-acre area is a step in the right direction, but EPA should force CTS Corporation to do more NOW, not waiting until later to clean up another nearby section of the property that is actually a bigger source of off-site migration! The agency has already asked CTS to expand the treatment area; now, they need to hear loud and clear from the public. If you live, work, or play in southern Buncombe County, please consider sending written comments or speaking at the public meeting.
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