July 18 This Week in the Swannanoa Valley
Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry needs
A current list of needs at the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry: Sheets (flat and fitted – especially queen and king sizes), laundry detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, baby wipes, diapers, pull-ups, and men’s pants and jeans. Monetary donations designated to food are also welcome (send to P.O. Box 235). Drop off items at 101 N. Ridgeway Avenue, Black Mountain, NC 28711.
Celebrate Recovery meetings
Are you or someone you know struggling with anger, codependency, eating disorder, love & relationship addiction, abuse, alcohol, drug of other forms of addiction? Celebrate Recovery, which meets every Tuesday evening at Mountain View Church on 2221 North Fork-Right Fork, features inspiring teaching and testimonies of God’s healing power by our family in recovery.
Meetings begin at 6:15 p.m. with a free meal, before worship, testimony, or lessons begin at 7 p.m. Small groups take place at 8:00 p.m. for open share and 12-Step studies,before dessert is served at 9 p.m. Free child care is available. For more information contact Connie at 669-1981 or Jeanie at 669-4146.
Poker night at the VFW
VFW Post 9157 is hosting Wednesday night poker night. The weekly tournaments are open to the public, with the first one beginning at 7 p.m., followed by a 9 p.m. tournament.
Dinner plates are available for $5. A $5 credit will be awarded to the winner of each tournament.
Black Mountain Beautification Committee meeting
The Black Mountain Beautification Committee will meet at Town Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18. Gardeners, non-gardeners, artists and folks who like hands-on community involvement —we welcome all who want to make Black Mountain an even more beautiful town. Join us.
If you would like more information about this committee, please visit our website at www.blackmountainbeautification.org.
Historic documentary series continues at Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center
Join Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center for the third film in their new Historic Documentary Summer Series at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 18.
July's film selection, produced by Appalshop Films, is “Peace Stories” (1991). In addition to the film, Vietnam veteran David Rozzell will speak briefly about his experience with a veteran's creative writing program.
From Appalshop’s website:“In Peace Stories, three men from the South recount their war experiences [in WWI, WWII, and Vietnam] and discuss it’s effects on their opinions of war.” This event is free and open to the public. Register at swannanoavalleymuseum.org/events or by calling 669-9566 in advance to reserve your space as there are only 40 seats available.
Last week for plein air Exhibit
This is the last week to see the colorful plein air, or open air, painting created at this year’s Art in Bloom garden tour, now on display at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. The show ends Friday, July 19. The Upper Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This year’s painters were Rob Freet, Gaylene Petcu, Sara Sneedon, Susan Lueck, Cheryl Keefer, Susan Sinyai, Lisa Steffens, Bee Adams and Lauren Waterworth. The work includes oil, pastel, watercolor and acrylic. Each artist paints was stationed in a private garden and depicted some aspect of the setting from their own point of view as visitors toured the gardens and watched as the painters work evolved. All the work is for sale as part of the Arts Center’s annual fundraiser.
Black Mountain Center for the Arts is located at 225 West State Street. For more information call 669-0930 or visit blackmountainarts.org.
History Cafe: Sarah Gudger's Journey to Freedom
Join Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center for a presentation at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, July 22 by Katherine Cutshall, a librarian in the N.C. Room at Pack Library in Asheville.
Sarah Gudger’s oral history from the 1930s Federal Writer’s Project Slave Narratives is the only written, personal eye witness account of a person who was enslaved in Buncombe County. Cutshall will discuss the process of uncovering Sarah Gudger’s biography, a story trapped in a multitude of primary sources from census rolls to county budget records, and reflect upon how deciphering Gudger’s life history is indicative of the struggle to reveal African-American stories in Southern Appalachia.
Register at swannanoavalleymuseum.org/events or by calling 669-9566 in advance to reserve your space as there are only 40 seats available.
Scotch-Irish culture examined in upcoming presentation
Alex Long, member of the Sons of the American Revolution, will speak in Montreat on “Who were the Scotch-Irish ?” on Wednesday, July 24 at 2:30 pm in Upper Anderson Auditorium on Lookout Road.The program is sponsored by the Montreat Adult Summer Club with free admission. Alex was born and raised in Caldwell in the township of Little River where a group of Scotch-Irish immigrants, including his ancestor John Hall, arrived in 1761. They established the Little River Presbyterian Church which was the spiritual center of the Scotch-Irish community in Orange County. Alex has extensively researched the cultural, political, and religious characteristics of these immigrants and will explore who they were, their journey from the North British borders to America, and their impact on our early history as well as on our modern identity.
And coming up...
EmpTea Bowls returns to Black Mountain
The Dr. John Wilson Community Garden will host its 7th annual EmpTea Bowls event at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 28.
The event, which supports the garden's internship program, will feature live music, herbal tea and various other activities. Admission is free and locally made tea bowls, and an endless cup of tea, will be available for $20.
The community garden provides food for hundreds of local families and is a vital resource in helping reduce food security in the Swannanoa Valley. Each year over 80 local residents and hundreds of volunteers come together to grow fresh produced in the garden, which is located at 99 White Pine Drive.
The garden is currently accepting donations for raffle items and food for the event. For more information contact Diana McCall at diana.mccall@townofblackmountain.org.
Scholarships offered for young artists
The Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League is offering full tuition scholarships for young artists, ages 8 - 15 to attend an art class at the Red House Studios and Gallery. The class will be held 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. from July 29 - Aug. 2.
Please contact the instructor, Nora Mosrie, at noramosrie@gmail.com for additional information regarding the class and application process.
Gently-Used Donations Needed for Museum Rummage Sale
Donate your gently-used household goods, kitchen items, collectibles, books, children’s toys, furniture to the non-profit Swannanoa Valley Museum’s fiscal year end Rummage Sale. We can arrange pick up for bulky items.
The museum is unable to accept donations of clothing or electronics. Donors will receive a tax receipt.
To donate items please contact Yolanda Smith at 669-1679 or chicgrandma96@yahoo.com. Or support the museum by visiting our Rummage Sale.
This year’s sale will take place in the same location as previous years – under a large red and white tent at the corner of Padgettown Road and Old U.S. 70 in Black Mountain and will be open Friday, Aug. 2 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 3 from 8 a.m. to noon.