Henderson County News
Calls for help from “immigrants in crisis” have skyrocketed amid fear and confusion over Trump administration immigration policies, Pisgah Legal Services officials say.
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Hendersonville News
Q. We’ve lost the Hallmark store, K-Mart, Bi-Lo and now JCPenney. Options to spend our dollars in Henderson County keep dwindling. Why can’t we keep big-name retailers?
Add Food Lion and rue21 to the list. I tossed this question to Chamber director Bob Williford, who said that these retailers are experiencing viability problems on a national scale. Williford quickly wheeled off two dozen retail shops that have opened their doors in Henderson County in recent years. Here is a sample from his list plus a couple I added: Dunham’s Sporting Goods, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Shoe Dept. Encore, TJ Maxx, Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts, PetSmart and Hallmark (inside ACE Hardware). Plus, we know Publix, Dollar Tree, and AutoZone are coming.You mentioned two Blue Ridge Mall anchor stores. There may never have been a time since the mall opened in 1983 when all the store fronts were rented. There are legitimate reasons. Many chain stores had franchise rules which required a 30-mile separation, so our initial mall stores were “second tier.” The mall took a big hit in the early 1990s from Biltmore Square mall and there is ongoing competition with a robust Downtown Hendersonville. Also, the mall lacks an easy “back door” vehicle access and it has poor line-of-sight visibility from Four Seasons Boulevard. Finally, we keep building those pesky strip malls and we do like shopping online. Indoor malls are aging out. Folks prefer shopping and dining at town centers like Biltmore Town Park and sitting at home in their jammies cruising the Amazon.
Q. Is there a comprehensive list of 55 and older communities in Henderson County that have homes for sale?
No. There is no such “official” list. First of all, the term “55 and over” refers to the 1995 US Housing for Older Persons Act that defines how a housing community, often condominiums, may market themselves. To be a legitimate older community, 80 percent of the units must have at least one person living there who is older than 55 years of age. Verification of age must be done every two years. Under the law, if one member of the family (not a child) is over 55, the spouse can be younger. So technically, a development can have more than half its residents under 55. That’s a lot of trophy wives (OK, trophy husbands too).As baby boomers age, many developers see an advantage in using the term “55 and over” but some communities that don’t meet HUD’s 80/20 rule use the term “active adult housing” or “senior living” in their marketing. My cursory research of Henderson County yielded only one true 55 and over age restricted community that offered homes for sale — Riverwind subdivision in Etowah. I found two in Asheville (Bella Vista and Crowfields). Although rare, existing condos or subdivisions, can change to a 55-plus community if they possess the legal authority in their covenants.
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Henderson County News
When they voted to seek legislation putting the Hendersonville’s water system under the control of state regulators, Henderson County commissioners were told that towns in Henderson County were afraid to bring up problems with the city water system for fear of higher rates.
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Henderson County News
A federal judge ordered the forfeiture of an East Flat Rock house that authorities said was used to sell oxycodone and other narcotics dating back to 2012.
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Hendersonville News
Henderson County School Board members say county commissioners never talked to them about the idea of replacing Hendersonville High School with a new school campus outside the city limits.
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Hendersonville News
Although the name, menu and opening date remain an enduring mystery, the proprietor says he aims to open Hendersonville’s only rooftop restaurant by fall.
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Henderson County News
MILLS RIVER — A developer plans to build 109 single-family homes on either side of N.C. 280 at Turnpike Road in Mills River. Read Story »
Hendersonville News
The storyline of the Senior Play for the Hendersonville High School class of 2017 is not lost on the students, faculty and alumni.
“Crazy for You,” on stage Thursday through Saturday in the historic HHS auditorium, is about what happens when the leading man travels to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a failing theater. Hendersonville High School has been at the epicenter of a political battle for more than two years. If the county builds a new school, this year’s performance would be among the last in the hall with Bearcat red seats and drapes. (If the county can salvage the construction schedule it initially planned, a brand new HHS would open for class in August 2020.)For nearly a century, HHS students have ended their high school careers with an immersive experience: the Senior Play. Bonding as a class and forging memories, the seniors leave their final mark with a performance that embodies the personalities of each class and serves as a parting gift to the school and community.A romantic comedy by Ken Ludwig with music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin, “Crazy for You” tells the story of a boy, a girl and a theatre that needs to be saved. Set during the 1930s, it follows the stage-struck Bobby Child as his overbearing mother forces him to travel to Deadrock with the mission of shutting down the old theatre. Upon arrival he quickly falls for the charming and no-nonsense Polly Baker and hatches a plan to save the theatre by producing a play. Featuring mistaken identities, tap dancing cowboys, and wonderful blends of sweet sentiment and sharp comedy, Crazy for You is sure to please.“It is especially fun that a major plot point in this show centers on a town trying to save a theatre,” principal Bobby Wilkins said.Said senior Emily Johnson: “I’m super excited, because we have a great cast! Everyone is working so hard.”The Class of 2017 will perform shows at 7:30 p.m. April 27, 28 and 29 and at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. Tickets are on sale now ($10 general, $12 reserved) and may be purchased during school hours at the HHS office or by calling 828-697-4802.
HHS Senior Plays
1922 And Billy Disappeared1931 The Masquers1936 Seventeen1939 All on Account of Polly1942 Ever Since Eve1950 Spring Green1951 Mother Was a Freshman1952 No Business Like Show Business1953 Anything Can Happen1954 The Little Dog Laughed1955 Here Comes Charlie1956 Dead of the Night1957 Let Me Out of Here1958 See How They Run1959 Captain Applejack1960 Girl Shy1961 Bottoms Up1962 One Foot in Heaven1963 The Big Blowup1964 Dear Ruth1965 The Diary of Anne Frank1966 Our Town1967 The Boyfriend1968 Spoon River Anthology1969 Glass Menagerie1970 A Different Drummer1971 Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life1972 You Can't Take It With You1973 Dark of the Moon1974 Bye, Bye Birdie1975 South Pacific1976 Oklahoma1977 My Fair lady1978 Guys and Dolls1979 Fiddler on the Roof1980 Sugar1981 The Boyfriend1982 Camelot1983 Funny Girl1984 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers1985 Grease1986 South Pacific1987 West Side Story1988 Guys and Dolls1989 Dames at Sea1990 White Gloves, Top Hat and No Tails1991 The Mystery of Edwin Drood1992 Annie Get Your Gun1993 Grease1994 The Music Man1995 West Side Story1996 Oklahoma1997 Fame1998 Bye, Bye Birdie1999 Annie2000 Peter Pan2001 The Wiz2002 Guys and Dolls2003 Damn Yankees2004 Grease2005 Footloose2006 The Wizard of Oz2007 Beauty and the Beast2008 Singing in the Rain2009 Bye, Bye Birdie2010 Lil Abner2011 Guys and Dolls2012 All Shook Up2013 Hairspray2014 The Music Man2015 Thoroughly Modern Mille2016 Mary Poppins2017 Crazy for You.
1982 Camelot1983 Funny Girl1984 Seven Brides for SevenBrothers1985 Grease1986 South Pacific1987 West Side Story1988 Guys and Dolls1989 Dames at Sea1990 White Gloves, Top Hat andand No Tails1991 The Myster of Edwin Drood1992 Annie Get Your Gun1993 Grease1994 The Music Man1995 West Side Story1996 Oklahoma1997 Fame1998 Bye, Bye Birdie1999 Annie2000 Peter Pan2001 The Wiz2002 Guys and Dolls2003 Damn Yankees2004 Grease2005 Footloose2006 The Wizard of Oz2007 Beauty and the Beast2008 Singing in the Rain2009 Byy, Bye Birdie2010 Lil Abmer2011 Guys and Dolls2012 All Shook Up2013 Hairspray2014 The Music Man2015 Thoroughly Modern Mille2016 Mary Poppins2017 Crazy for You.
1982 Camelot1983 Funny Girl1984 Seven Brides for SevenBrothers1985 Grease1986 South Pacific1987 West Side Story1988 Guys and Dolls1989 Dames at Sea1990 White Gloves, Top Hat andand No Tails1991 The Myster of Edwin Drood1992 Annie Get Your Gun1993 Grease1994 The Music Man1995 West Side Story1996 Oklahoma1997 Fame1998 Bye, Bye Birdie1999 Annie2000 Peter Pan2001 The Wiz2002 Guys and Dolls2003 Damn Yankees2004 Grease2005 Footloose2006 The Wizard of Oz2007 Beauty and the Beast2008 Singing in the Rain2009 Byy, Bye Birdie2010 Lil Abmer2011 Guys and Dolls2012 All Shook Up2013 Hairspray2014 The Music Man2015 Thoroughly Modern Mille2016 Mary Poppins2017 Crazy for You. Read Story »
Henderson County News
Q. How many homeless people are there in Henderson County and where do they stay?
Counting homeless is not an exact science. Those among us without a permanent domicile don’t come to you to get counted so you have to seek them out. And they do get counted. This year it was done on Thursday, Jan. 26. Trina Hill is a social worker who helped with what is called “a point in time count.” Hill said seven teams of volunteer counters who covered all of Henderson County. The counters are affiliated with the Southern Mountains Homeless Coalition and team members represent many agencies including Social Services, Thrive, United Way, the Health Department and Pardee Hospital.On the day of the count, teams visited shelters such as Safelight and the Hendersonville Rescue Mission. The harder task is to count homeless in unsupervised facilities such as campgrounds, vehicles and abandoned buildings. The counting teams get location tips from local law enforcement. When a potential homeless person is found, the standard question posed to each individual is “where did you sleep last night?” Homeless individuals move quickly, so the teams hit the road early in the morning.Not every county does a count; last year 79 of 100 North Carolina counties attempted one. Our local homeless numbers came out as follows: 82 in sheltered facilities plus 30 counted as unsheltered for a total of 112 homeless. This is a significant increase from the 70 reported last year but surprisingly fewer than the 94 homeless reported in Transylvania County in 2016.So what is done after the count? The numbers are forwarded to the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness. From there, Hill said that it all eventually gets reported to Congress.
Q. What is the story on the log house being renovated on N.C. 191 just north of Blythe Street?
The house, at 1926 Haywood Road, is owned by Diane Newman and Patrick Tighe, who bought the property in 2016 to fix up and use as a vacation home. The contractor is David Mann who specializes in log home restoration. He said this is a unique vertical pine log home which was built in 1906 as a summer vacation home.“When I started this job there was nothing level or square in this house,” said Mann.The home has knotty pine siding in the living area and a stairway leading to a loft. Mann said the original windows will stay. The chimney leans a little but is still serviceable. He has added a bathroom and will put on a metal roof. The listed tax value of the old structure is only $1,500. That, no doubt, will change.
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Photoss: House on NC191, Rescue Mission) Read Story »
