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Local news briefs (4)

By Bill Moss, Published: April 2, 2014

Grants available for tourism promotion

The Henderson County Tourism Development Authority has invited non-profit organizations to apply for advertising funding for the 2014-15 fiscal year.

The advertising and marketing grants are awarded annually to Henderson County non-profit organizations to promote events, attractions and festivals that draw visitors from more than 40 miles outside Henderson County and encourage overnight stays that stimulate spending and boost the local economy.
All applicants must attend the Grant Workshop at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 8, in Kaplan Auditorium at the Henderson County Public Library. Organizations that do not attend will not be eligible for a grant.
Grants are limited to $5,000 per organization. Grant applications are available on the TDA website. Applications must be received by the TDA at Visitor Center in Hendersonville by April 22. For information call (828) 693-9708.

Nominations invited for Athena Award
The Athena Leadership Award committee is inviting nominations for the annual award that honors a leader who has achieved excellence in business or a profession while serving the community and helping mentor other women.
Nominees for the Athena Award must have:
• Assisted women to achieve their leadership potential
• Achieved excellence in their business or profession
• Served the community in a meaningful way

The recipient of the seventh annual Henderson County Athena Award will be announced at the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce's Professional Women's Luncheon at Kenmure Country Club on May 22.

Annie Fritschner
The keynote speaker is the Rev. Annie Fritschner, the 2013 Henderson County ATHENA Award winner. Fritschner is a fundraising trainer, coach, motivational speaker, ordained Deacon of the Episcopal Church, minister, mentor and international advocate working to stop human trafficking in India. She is a published author who owns her own company, Raising Funds Effectively. She is one of only 100 Advanced Certified Fundraising Executives in the world.
Applications are available on-line at www.hendersoncountychamber.org. The deadline for submission is April 18. The May 22 luncheon begins at 11:30. Tickets are $40 a person or $300 for a table of eight. For more information on submitting an application or to reserve space at the luncheon, call the Hendersonville Chamber at (828) 692-1413.

Fire Department promotes three

The Hendersonville Fire Department announced the promotion of three officers last week.
Jonathan L. Ward has been promoted to captain. He will be the senior officer assigned one of the three 24-hour shifts protecting the city of Hendersonville. A city firefighters for more than five years, he is also an officer with the Green River Fire Department. In addition to his structural firefighting duties, he continues to work for the North Carolina Forest Service and frequently responds to wildfires throughout Henderson County.
Ray Deso has been promoted to lieutenant. A 12-year city fire department veteran, Deso most recently served as fire engineer. He is also a member of Blue Ridge Fire Department and works as a part-time employee with several other fire departments in Henderson County.
Kevin Waldrup has been promoted to fire engineer. Waldrup has been with the Hendersonville Fire Department for almost two years, serving in various capacities in both supervisory roles and code enforcement.

Standalone CUTLINE
Tesha Shank stands next to eight boxes of clothing for teens, donated to the Interfaith Assistance Ministry (IAM) Clothing Closet by the Adolescent Parenting Program at the Children and Family Resource Center. The donation, coordinated by Shank and Desiree Brunson, was the group's annual service event for this year. Thirty-four teen mothers and fathers currently participate in the Adolescent Parenting Program. For information about the program call 698-0674.

IAM asks gardeners to plant an extra row
The Food Pantry at Interfaith Assistance Ministry provided food for 9,867 individuals in 2013.
The Pantry has a walk-in cooler and freezer and is able to accept donations of prepackaged frozen foods and items that need to be refrigerated. The Pantry welcomes donations of fresh vegetables and fruits from gardeners and farmers.
"It makes our clients so happy to receive fresh produce. It's a treat for people who have very little money to spend on food and do not have the space or aren't able to work in a garden," said Joyce Hill, co-manager of the Food Pantry. "We encourage our community of gardeners to plant extra with the idea of donating part of their harvest to IAM."

Guardian program asks for volunteers
The Guardian ad Litem program in Henderson County is looking for volunteers to serve as child advocates for neglected and abused children in our community.
Henderson County has a shortage of Guardian ad Litem volunteers. Children without a GAL volunteer are twice as likely to stay in foster care and half as likely to find a permanent loving home where they can feel safe and fulfill their potential. Nearly two dozen children in Henderson County have no GAL volunteer to help them stay on track and navigate what can be a scary and intimidating system to a child.
GAL volunteers track a child's case, briefly meet with the child once a month to ascertain the child's wishes and report their findings in a written report to the court. Volunteers can expect to spend approximately 15 to 20 hours a month working on a child's case, mostly by phone.
"What a GAL volunteer does not do is provide clothing, shelter or other tangible items for a child," Henderson County Guardian ad Litem Program Supervisor Stephanie Wick said. "They do not serve as a child's legal guardian but do serve as the voice of the child so their wishes can be heard by everyone involved. It's very meaningful work that can mean all the difference in a child's life."
For information contact Wick at 828-694-4215 or Stephanie.G.Wick@NCcourts.org. Complete training in Hendersonville is provided for those new to the program.

Lions march to fight hunger
The Hendersonville Lions Club is inviting members of the community to join the club on Friday, April 4, for the Lions World Lunch Relay, which brings families and friends of Lions together with families and friends of Lions around the world to share a meal and celebrate the value of service.
At noon Hendersonville Lions Club members will march from the Chariot on Church Street in Hendersonville to the Storehouse Food & Hygiene Pantry on Historic Seventh Avenue to deliver food and donations the Lions have collected from the community. The march will continue to King Memorial Park on Seventh Avenue East for the Lions World Lunch Relay picnic. Families, children and anyone interested in learning more about the Lions are welcome to participate.
"We want to share the great things we're doing in the community, and let others know how they can help," Club President Mike Covell said.
Donations of canned and dry food as well as tax deductible cash donations will be accepted before and during the march.

First Congregational United Church of Christ at 1735 Fifth Ave. W. invites all to its weekly Adult Forums in the Felix Building on Sundays at 9:15 a.m.
Here is the schedule:
• April 13: Death Café presented by Sandra Kremer, founder of the Hendersonville Death Café, where people drink tea/coffee, eat special treats and discuss death. Not a class or a grief group, the Café promotes open discussion about the end of life. A graduate of Oberlin College, Kremer received her masters in clinical social work from the University of Houston.
• April 20: Easter: No forum.
• April 27: "Spirits in Nature Revealed in Photography." Photographer Alan Ostmann says: "My professional career took the path of a CPA and today I continue to work with over 120 clients. The evolution of digital photography became a perfect blend of my computer knowledge and my eye for capturing nature in photos. ...The earth is a complex living entity that deserves our respect and unconditional love. Let us all commit to living a greener life."
• May 4: Buddhism 101 by Bob and Fran German. The Germans have been practicing Buddhists for many years and taught at Buddhist University in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for six years. They will share in an easy-to-understand way what the Buddha taught and how we all can benefit from his teachings.
For information go to fcchendersonville.org, visit Facebook or call 828-692-8630.