The Swannanoa Greenways Committee meeting previously scheduled for Thursday, September 22 at 5 pm at the Swannanoa Library has been postponed. The meeting will be held in October. We will post the date and time as soon as it’s available. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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Results from FANS’ Festival Survey
At the Mill Around the Village Festival on September 17, 2011, FANS took an informal community survey. Folks visiting the FANS booth were asked to write answers to two questions on post-it notes. The notes were placed on a large display board so the answers could be shared with passers-by. Following are the questions and the responses we received:
- What events or activities would you like to see in Swannanoa?
- Greenway – Bike and Walking Trails (x10) (specific suggestions included greenway along river and from Owen Middle to Owen Park)
- Outdoor Movies (x5)
- Community Potluck (x2)
- Dog Park (x2)
- Community Yard Sale (x2)
- Another Taste of Swannanoa (x2)
- Block Parties (x2)
- Playground in Beacon Village (x2)
- Community Picnic (x2)
- More Outdoor Concerts (x2)
- Community Get-Together Every Month (x2)
- More Park Space (old Beacon Mill site)
- More Restaurants (Golden Corral)
- Bike Lane Along Roads
- Community Homecoming Parade/Celebration for Owen High
- Live Free Music
- Story Tellin’ Events
- Kids’ Events
- Peace Parade – Encouraging Our Neighbors to
Bring Barking Dogs Inside
- Senior Citizen Activities and Special Walking Trails
- Local Musician’s Jam
- Adult Sports Leagues
- Movie Theater
- What or where is your favorite place in Swannanoa?
- Eye Scream Parlour (x6)
- Owen Park (x5)
- Trails at Warren Wilson College (x5)
- Swannanoa River (x4)
- Grovemont Square/Park (x3)
- Swannanoa Library (x2)
- Black Mountain Chocolate (x2)
- Bee Tree Neighborhood
- ArtSpace Charter School
- LEAF Festival
- Burger King
- Swimming Hole on the Swannanoa River
- Ace Hardware
- Warren Wilson College
- Owen Park Ball Fields
Many thanks to all those who participated in the survey. There’s much to love about Swannanoa, and lots of great ideas for community events and activities. If you weren’t able to attend the festival and would like to answer the survey questions, please send us an email at info@swannanoafans.org. And if you’re interested in joining with other Swannanoans to help turn some of these terrific ideas into reality, please send us an email at info@swannanoafans.org or call 828-581-9848. The community works when we work together!
A section of U.S. Highway 70 between Patton Cove Rd. (I-40, exit 59 in Swannanoa) and Grovestone Rd. has officially been designated as the “Highway of Heroes.” The designation honors our veterans and the many military families who travel this section of roadway en route to the Veterans Cemetery in Black Mountain.
The new “Highway of Heroes” signs were unveiled as part of the dedication ceremony, held at Harley Davidson in Swannanoa on August 12. The sign pictured above is located on U.S. 70 in front of the new CVS pharmacy. The “Highway of Heroes” is part of the national system of Blue Star Memorial Highways.
The road designation was the culmination of efforts among many organizations and individuals, including the Swannanoa Business Association, the Buncombe County Veterans Council and other local veterans’ groups, the Department of Transportation, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Rep. Tim Moffitt, and Swannanoa resident and veteran Gary Aiken.
Local residents and businesses are invited to sponsor flags ($50 each) that will line the highway during military funerals and other events. A number of flags have already been installed, especially around the Patton Cove Rd./U.S. 70 intersection. For more info about flag sponsorships, call 337-4718.
To see the WLOS-TV news story about the Highway of Heroes dedication, click here.
Here in Swannanoa, we’re reminded constantly of the importance of water to our community and our lives. It’s hard to go anywhere in Swannanoa without seeing water — whether it’s the river, the ponds, or one of the many creeks that flow from the mountains into our beautiful valley. As current residents of Swannanoa, it’s up to us to make sure that our abundant water resources are preserved (and hopefully even improved!) for future generations.
For those who’d like to learn more about water quality issues, Buncombe County Cooperative Extension has announced a new “Master Stream Steward” course. Modeled on the popular Extension Master Gardener program, the course will cover problems facing local streams and solutions for slowing or reversing stream degradation. Participants will learn about what makes a stream healthy and what can be done to address common threats, including pollutants, erosion and sedimentation and stormwater runoff.
The course is perfect for volunteers interested in citizen water monitoring, stream cleanups, adopt-a-stream programs, or other water quality-related activities, and for landowners interested in protecting streams on their property. We hope some of our Swannanoa neighbors will register for the course and bring their newly-acquired knowledge back to our community. All are welcome to participate, but space is limited, so don’t delay. For more info about the course, please contact Diane Silver at Buncombe County Cooperative Extension, 250-4875.
The course will be held Monday evenings from 6 – 9 pm at the Buncombe County Extension Center, 94 Coxe Avenue in downtown Asheville, beginning on September 26 and ending on November 7 (skipping October 10). Registration fee is $30.