Alot has changed since that first Earth Day. Not only has it morphed into "Earth Month," but now everyone is involved. It is still a celebration of spring and renewal, but it is also observed and celebrated by businesses and families all across the country. T.S. Elliot had it all wrong -- April isn't the cruelest month!
 
We hope you will join us for our Earth Day celebration at Carrier Park. We'll have hot air balloon rides, a plant swap, nature walks, food from Earth Fare with nutrition and cooking demonstrations, a children's bike parade and more. At noon, I'm leading a "Greenway Walk and Talk" to bring you up to date on what's happening with the river greenway project. Please plan on joining us to celebrate Mother Nature and the earth. For more information visit our Web site. 

I hope you crossed the Smokey Park Bridge and noticed that the "Big Blues" are gone - buildings that is!  Click here to see the video of the demolition. I have watched it 50 times and I am still cheering!  Many thanks to Sean Pace and all the volunteers from the Flood and Pump galleries at the Phil Mechanic Buildings for all their help recycling some of the materials from these buildings into artist studios.  Many thanks also to Wyatt and Bowman Waste Management for allowing use of their dumpsters for over 2 years and hauling off the materials that could not be recycled. We are especially grateful to the Asheville Merchants Foundation for funding the demolition. We are always excited to work with D.H. Griffin Salvage (they helped us recycle the 100,000 tons of concrete at the old EDACO junkyard on Amboy Road - now Karen Cragnolin Park).  With their help we were able to recycle about 75 percent of the 26,000 square foot "Big Blues"  -   Habitat for Humanity, the WNC Green Building Council and others all helped us recycle and reuse. And the best part is now you can see the river. Well, no ... the best part is all the people, funders and businesses that came together to help us. Watch this space! More good things are coming!
 
We are partnering with Liberty Bikes for Pedal Link, a project aimed at connecting Carrier Park with the Buncombe County Sports Park in Candler. Long-time bicycle advocates Claudia and Mike Nix are leading the pack along with the Blue Ridge Bike Club and Asheville Bicycle Racing Club. Sign up, and through Sept. 30, they will each add a penny for every mile you pedal and all funds will be used to add property onto the Hominy Creek Greenway - so click here to sign up and for all the information.