Oct. 3 This Week in the Swannanoa Valley

Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry needs 

A current list of needs at the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry: Fitted sheets (king, queen, and twin in particular), towels, pillows, toilet paper, jelly, pancake syrup, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and shampoo. Monetary donations designated to food are also welcome (send to P.O.  Box 235).

Drop off items at 101 North Ridgeway Avenue, Black Mountain.

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.

Free seminar for caregivers of people with dementia 

The Lakeview Center for Active Aging has partnered with the Western Carolina Chapter Alzheimer’s Association to conduct a series of free Caregiver Dementia Educational Seminars for those affected by Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. 

These seminars, which will be held from 11 - 11:45 a.m. on the first Monday of the month through November, are for caregivers or anyone wanting more information and resources. 

The Lakeview Center is located at 401 Laurel Circle Drive in Black Mountain.

For more information contact Melinda Polites  at melinda.polites@townofblackmountain.org or call 669-8610.

Join the Fall Litter Sweep in Black Mountain

The Black Mountain Beautification Committee will hold their annual Fall Litter Sweep, from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., on Saturday, Oct. 5. Individuals, families and organizations are invited to help. Teams will fan out throughout the town and the committee will provide orange trash bags as well as vests and gloves, while supplies last. When orange trash bags are full, you will tie them off and leave them at the curb for the town to pick up.

Can’t make it that day? No problem. Throughout the month of October, you may pick up trash bags at Public Works/Parks & Recreation Building (former Foam & Fabric), fill them with trash you find around town, and leave them at the curb for pickup. If you or your group would like to participate, please contact Anne Dale at ahdale17@gmail.com or visit the website at blackmountainbeautification.org.

The Blessing of the Animals

St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain invites the community to attend The Blessing of the Animals in Town Square at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. 

The event will feature animals from Mimosa Hills Farm and Rusty's Legacy. All creatures are welcome and pets must be leashed. 

The gathering will honor the blessing animals are to humanity, in the spirit of St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology.  

Up-cycled fabric workshop at BMCA

Find a new life for old fabric by joining artist Nica Bello at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts as she offers a three-week workshop entitled Parting Ways and Cutting Ties: an Up-Cycled Workshop devoted to re-purposing fabric that has meaning but is no longer viable, and transforming it into something new and usable.

This workshop is designed to be experienced by an adult and child (over the age of 6). and will be held from 2 - 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6. The cost is $75 per group of two for all three sessions.

Over the course of the class your creative team will learn how to turn old and unwanted fabrics into yarn and then weave them into great unusable items such as rugs and scarves.  Join this class to learn weaving techniques, be creative and spend quality time with your kid!

Bello studied textile design at the Rhode Island School of Design and taught children at Art Space Charter School’s after-school classes. She is a Black Mountain resident and daughter of the owners of Design Driven Studio. 

To register or for more information call 669-0930 or visit blackmountainarts.org. 

Cholesterol and pre-diabetes screening

The Swannanoa United Methodist Church, at 216 Whitson Avenue, Swannanoa, is hosting a cholesterol and pre-diabetes screening from 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9. 

The screenings will be conducted through a finger-stick blood sample, and check total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and glucose levels within five minutes. Counseling with a registered nurse will be available. 

The cost of the screening is $15 and fasting the night before is required. 

To make an appointment, call 828-686-5284. Checks should be made out to Givens LifeMinistries. 

Become BearWise at the Black Mountain Library

Want to learn how to co-exist safely with bears? Staff with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will discuss the natural history of black bears in Western North Carolina and how you can use that information to safely coexist with these North Carolina treasures.

This event, which is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, is free and open to the public. 

Auditions for "The Santaland Diaries"

The Black Mountain Center for the Arts Theatre will hold auditions for its upcoming holiday production of "The Santaland Diaries" by David Sedaris.

Auditions will be held from 6 - 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts at 225 West State Street. Auditions are open calls; no appointment is necessary.

The one-man comedy will run two weekends in December. Rehearsals begin Nov. 12.

Director Matt Lutz is looking for a witty, versatile male to play Crumpet the Elf in this hilarious and irreverent new Christmas classic.

For more information call 669-0930 or email bmcatheatre@blackmountainarts.org.  

And coming up...

Tickets on sale for 'Wit'

Tickets are on sale now for "Wit" by Margaret Edson, presented by The Black Mountain Center for the Arts Theatre to open it’s seventh season. The production runs for three weekends October 11,12, 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees on October 13, 20 and 27 are at 2 p.m. and tickets are $20.

The Pulitzer-prize winning drama is produced with permission from Dramatists Play Service and tells the story of brilliant English literature professor Dr. Vivian Bearing’s journey with terminal ovarian cancer. Over the course of her treatment, she begins to seek the warmth and care that, in her quest for excellence, she denied her students during her many years of teaching. "Wit" is a poignant and humorous look at life, death, poetry and compassion.

Black Mountain Center for the Arts is located at 225 West State Street in Black Mountain. Tickets to Wit can be purchased by calling 669-0930 or by visiting blackmountainarts.org.

Senate candidate Garland Tucker to appear at Black Mountain Library

Garland Tucker, a US Senate candidate challenging Republican Thom Tillis for his seat, will hold a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 at the Black Mountain Library.

The event is free and open to the public.  

Benefit Biker Ride for Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministries

A motorcycle ride benefiting the Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry will take place from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. Participants will meet at Appalachian Tool & Machine, 121 Lytle Cove Road, Swannanoa. 

The motorcycle ride will be followed with food, music, and guest speakers until 4 p.m.  Riders, passengers, and volunteers eat free. 

All proceeds benefit Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministries. The event is sponsored by Celebrate Recovery and Broken Chains JC. 

Contact Jeanie Wallace at 669-4146 or 828-331-1410.

Fall Festival at Black Mountain Home for Children

The Black Mountain Home for Children, 80 Lake Eden Drive, Black Mountain, will hold its annual Fall Festival from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. 

The event, which will feature a ribbon cutting for the nonprofit's Thirteen Pennies Cafe and Mountain Home Thrift Store, is free and open to the public. Activities are mostly free and include silent auctions, bounce houses, games and more. 

For more information visit blackmountainhome.org. 

Make Your Mark Monday

Create a watercolor bookmark at the Black Mountain Library, with Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League artist Donna Davis, beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 14.

The event is free, but those interested in attending must register. Call the Library 828-250-4756 or visit the Events Calendar at www.buncombecounty.org/library to reserve your space.

Launch party with Sarah Loudin Thomas

Local author Sarah Loudin Thomas will sign copies of her latest Appalachian story, "When Silence Sings," at Sassafras on Sutton, located at 108 Sutton Avenue, from 3 - 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 3. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and Thomas will host a talk and question and answers session. 

For more information or to preorder copies of the book, call the store at 828-419-0677.