With flat land at a premium, how can new housing developments arise to accommodate the influx of new Ashevilleans without sacrificing water quality or the majesty of unspoiled vistas? Some conservationists say the answer lies with “sustainably developed” neighborhoods.
Funded by a $60,000 grant from Duke Energy’s Water Resources Fund and developed by city staff in conjunction with Asheville GreenWorks and RiverLink, the plan lays out environmental and aesthetic projects such as stormwater control, invasive species removal, wildlife habitat construction and an ecological mural.
GemFinding owner Chip Freeman hopes that the community will rally behind his last two river cleanups, taking place at Azalea Park on Saturday, Sept. 1, and Saturday, Sept. 15. “The cleanup depends on how many people we have there to tackle it,” he says. “You don’t have to come for four hours —if you pick up four or five pieces of trash, you’ve done something.”
“We need city and county managers who, together with our elected officials, can tackle key issues and help us navigate this new reality called the greater Asheville area.”
Located on Amboy Road between Carrier Park and the French Broad River Park, the new Karen Cragnolin Park — named for RiverLink founder Karen Cragnolin — will connect the parkway system along the river’s western bank. But before the property can fulfill that role, it must overcome its past as a junkyard.
With the help of money from the Pigeon River Fund, Asheville GreenWorks has lifted more than one thousand pounds of trash from Mud Creek in Hendersonville.
“There is still time for bureaucratic bungling to derail these developments. I urge the leaders of our little kingdom not to stifle this impetus and dam the amazing flow of the River District by imposing needless barriers in the name of enforcing the mantra of St. Wilma Dykeman.”
“The newcomers worshipped at the feet of the Right Rev. Wilma Dykeman, a local deity whose writings took on the prominence and influence of the Holy Grail.”
This week, Xpress looks at the network of agencies and organizations working in Buncombe and Madison counties to improve water quality and position the French Broad as the region’s next great tourist attraction.
RiverLink’s annual day of food, music and fun takes place Saturday, Aug. 26, at 1 p.m.
In this two-part series, Xpress invites you on a guided a trip down the river as we examine the work of various communities to write the next chapter in the French Broad’s history, beginning with Transylvania and Henderson counties.
Double D’s Coffee and Desserts invites the community to be a part of its latest renovation project. Also in this week’s food news, Sunny Point Café hosts a benefit dinner for FEAST, Farm to Fender celebrates its grand opening and Seasonal School of Culinary Arts announces a week of classes with local celebrity chefs and authors.
Banditos and Tall Tall Trees round out the lineup for RiverMusic with Susto on Friday, July 7.
A group of innovative strategies collectively known as “in situ remediation” could dramatically improve the prospects for addressing groundwater and soil contamination at several local hazardous waste sites more quickly and at lower cost.
As a very dry fall moves toward winter, municipalities, officials, scientists, farmers and citizens all ponder the deepening effects of the drought in Western North Carolina.
Thirty years is a long time to devote to any pursuit, and Karen Cragnolin, the oft-honored founding mother of RiverLink, can attest to that. During that time, she says she held every job in the organization and was planning to finally move on this year when, during surgery, she suffered an aneurysm that robbed her […]
The third annual “Of Time and the River” art show and gala will be held at Zealandia Friday, Oct. 21 from 6-9 p.m. The event will benefit the nonprofit RiverLink, which promotes the environmental and economic vitality of the French Broad River and its watershed.
RiverMusic closes out its 2016 season with live music from three acts: The Get Right Band, The Broadcast and Blitzen Trapper. The free show has moved to Carrier Park and takes place on Friday, Oct. 7.
It’s been nearly four weeks since City Council last met. Five zoning requests dominate the agenda for Council’s Sept. 6 meeting. Notably absent from the proceedings will be a public hearing on proposed standards for screening electrical substations, a zoning ordinance amendment that has already been postponed many times. Council has been asked to advance the hearing date on that matter to Jan. 10.
Participants in RiverLink’s Anything That Floats Parade put in at Hominy Creek Park on Saturday, Aug. 13, at 11 a.m., and the nonprofit’s larger RiverFest event lasts from 1-7 p.m., at the RiverLink Sculpture and Performance Plaza.
RiverLink founder Karen Cragnolin has been the driving force behind the organization for the past 30 years. Now Cragnolin is transitioning to a new strategic role, and the river advocacy nonprofit has begun a search for new leadership