Hello springtime! It is March and the optimism of Mother Nature is evident -- the daffodils are about to bloom and crocuses are rearing their heads all over WNC. As we head into the warmer weather we are thinking more about getting out and on the water and on the greenways. RiverLink is bursting with good news on both water and greenway issues!  

 On the greenway, RiverLink has just made the final payment on Karen Cragnolin Park.That is another $1.2 million we raised for the that "missing link" we created on Amboy Road when we bought  the old Asheville Speedway and turned it into Carrier Park in 1999.This past month RiverLink donated funds and acted as fiscal agent for the Blue Ridge Bike Club and partnered with a Buncombe County and the City to buy another 12 acres that extends up Hominy Creek. We have 4.5 miles of great walking trails now along the river on Amboy Road all the way to Hominy Creek! YIKES! 

As for the river -- MORE GOOD NEWS! We have had more property donated to RiverLink on both the Swannanoa and French Broad Rivers -- some for camping and some for greenway! Check out the Laurel of Asheville Magazine this month to see the details of our overnight camping trail. And if you have a retail business with lots of foot traffic that would like to display our maps for the overnight camping trail give us a call -- we are soliciting public input.

If you are anxious to get out and on the riverbut don't know where to put in or take out in the four counties take a look at our French Broad River Access Guide. Buy one in the French Broad River Yacht Club Tackle Shop. Local well-loved artist Ann Vasilik donated her artwork for the cover and it is beautiful and printed on waterproof paper. It documents all the places to get in and out of the river and is only $7.You can pick it up at our offices or we can mail it to you.

Speaking of camping on the river, a group of investors has purchased a site 

right on the French Broad River called "The Old Mill Site" on the old Buncombe Turnpike. It operated as the Driftwood Campground for decades and you can rent it -- the campsites, a dry house, tent sites and a main house for trips -- all of it or some of it right now at very reasonable prices today! The Boy Scouts have rented it and a group of Mountain bikers love it and it is close to Ledges Park. For more information and to reserve your place on the French Broad for camping overnight call 828-230-4422.

I have seen many examples all over the country of arts-based outdoor markets but can think of no better example than the Portland Saturday Market to look to for inspiration. There are also the River Arts Fest in Memphis and the Riverside Arts Market, newly created in Jacksonville and many, many other markets around the country setting them alongside the river. Is it time for Asheville to join in the fun and host an outdoor arts market? To attract even more visitors to the river? Let us know your thoughts by taking our poll about arts on the River.     

The French Broad is evolving from where it was when we bought the Warehouse Studios 20 something years ago, did the first Riverfront Plans and dedicated the first greenway in Asheville at French Broad River Park as demonstration projects for the watershed.

The other night I was in downtown Asheville with a friend and a crowd came into the lounge. We overheard them  talking about how they "... just left the riverbecause they couldn't get into the Wedge -- the bar was jammed -- and The ByWater was sooo crowded." We just smiled at each other -- we smiled and smiled all night! Actually I am still smiling.

Thanks for all you do and Happy Spring,

Karen 

RiverLink's Education Department is full steam ahead this month with Voices of the River: our annual watershed-wide K-12 art and poetry contest. This is a chance for our local students to express both their personal creativity and a passion for our rivers. Submissions of students' water inspired work, are being accepted from now until April 6th and a ceremony will be held on April 30th to announce our winners. All participants will be recognized and prizes will be awarded from over twenty local sponsors. For more information and possible poetry prompts click here.

It is with great pride and gratitude that we announce our all-star panel of judges we have on board for Voices of the River this year:

Jim and Peggy Brazell are no strangers to RiverLink. A dynamic husband and wife team who served on the RiverLink board of directors together and are still active volunteers and participants, they just celebrated their 60 wedding anniversary! Jim brings his daughter Mary and grandson Ben all the way from New York every year  to participate in the Anything That Floats Boat Parade at RiverFest. Watch the video and see the pictures below!   

There are a variety of electric cars either in the showrooms or on the drawing boards of the world's major automakers. Electric and plug-in hybrid cars from giants like BMW and newcomers like China's BYD will be on our roads in mass numbers soon, but for now they are a curiosity for most Americans. Not so for James, who cruises around town behind the wheel of a new Chevy Volt:

James and his Volt at Carrier Park, February 21, 2011

James relates the story of how he came to be the proud owner of this cherry-red, quiet machine:

"I had been wanting a Plug-in Electric Hybrid car for a long time, and I finally was able to get on the waiting list for one of the first Chevy Volt Electric cars back in July 2010, on the first day they were accepting reservations. Last Sunday I got delivery at Lindsay Chevrolet in Woodbridge, VA. Chevrolet is only marketing in 6 states and the Washington D.C. area because they will not have enough cars to market nationwide until 2013.  

"My daughter, Mary Margaret (who has worked in the electric vehicle industry for almost 20 years) contacted some of her friends at General Motors and told them about my crusade to get a Volt, and the Chevy people sent photographers to Lindsay Chevrolet last Sunday to record the event."  

Jim Motavalli from Car Talk called Jim and talked with him for about 15 minutes and said the interview would air this Saturday (on Car Talk NPR broadcasts)!  Someone from the Clean Energy Authority also called Jim and wants a photo of him charging his car with his charger next to his Texaco sign. Jim and his Volt are making a big splash nationally as well as around Asheville and we're very proud to have this environmentally-conscious celebrity as part of the RiverLink family. 

The Volt travels 25 to 50 miles on its fully-charged lithium-ion battery.  The EPA found its all-electric range averaged 35 miles, with a total range (battery first, then electricity generated by the gasoline engine) of 379 miles. The EPA also rated the Volt's combined city/highway fuel economy at 93 mpg gasoline equivalent in all-electric mode, and 37 mpg in gasoline-only mode, for an overall fuel economy rating of 60 mpg. The Volt's lithium-ion battery pack can be charged by plugging the car into a home electrical outlet.

James in the "Anything that Floats Parade," RiverFest 2009 with grandson Ben (12) and daughter Mary Margaret Brazell

Sunday, March 27 brings a weather-proof opportunity for some family fun while supporting RiverLink. Everyone's favorite percussionist (and more!) Billy Jonas will play a Hands of Hope benefit at the Orange Peel Social Club in downtown Asheville.  

 This Hands of Hope performance is a collaboration between Billy Jonas and Asheville's Maccabi Academy. Hands of Hope consists of a several month service-learning project to benefit RiverLink and Children First.

Our annual party to thank our donors, the people who really step up and support RiverLink in a big way, took place February 10 at the RiverLink office. There was food graciously provided by The Grove Park Inn, wine supplied by The Biltmore Estate, and beer from Wedge Brewery. As usual, it was a good time to shake hands and eat too much, and a good time was had by all.

 The Donor Party is also the time we hand out the River Business Awards. This year, as we noted in last month's newsletter, the awards went to SilverLine Plastics, Wedge Brewery and Pink Dog Creative.

RiverLink staff and board members with the Engineering Award. Jake McLean of Baker Engineering is in front with daughter  Evie.

RiverLink also received an award - The 2011 Engineering Excellence from the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina for our work with Baker Engineering on the Hominy Creek (West Asheville Park) Restoration Project.

The framed award is really big and well done. We're very proud of it and will give it prominent wall space at the office. 

RiverLink invites everyone to a slideshow presentation -- "South America as told by Water" -- by Cathy Holt on Tuesday, March 8, at 7 p.m. at the RiverLink office.  

Holt recently spent six months in Ecuador and Peru working with the locals on water quality projects ranging from digging water-harvesting swales on steep slopes in Ecuador, to making clay and sawdust ceramic water filters in Peru.

Her time there gave rise to a new project, "Permaculture and Water Protection in Peru," which will bring permaculture teachers, project leaders and volunteers to the Sacred Valley of Peru. The area is prone to frequent flooding due to deforestation, depleted soils from chemical agriculture, and glacial melt due to global warming. The plan is to begin with a "listening project" to identify local people's key concerns and employ permaculture strategies for flood prevention and improving agriculture, such as cover crops and water harvesting earthworks.

Holt is seeking volunteers and donations for her project. Volunteers for the Listening Project would travel to Peru May through July or August; permaculture volunteers in June through October.

The slideshow starts at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a question and answer session. RiverLink is located at 170 Lyman Street in Asheville's River Arts District between 12 Bones and the railroad tracks.

For more information, e-mail Holt cathyfholt@gmail.com, call her at 828-333-8661, or visit her Web page:

www.kleiwerks.org/category/network 

For more information or directions to RiverLink, call Dave Russell at 252-8474, ext. 11.

RiverLink and ClearChannel Asheville are excited to announce the 2010 Fins & Gills Classic at the Asheville Outdoor Center on Saturday, May 14.

Primarily designed to get fishermen on the French Broad River and rods & reels in the hands of some kids and get them interested in fishing and the French Broad, the third annual Fins & Gills Classic looks to be much bigger and busier than last year. Phil Martin of ClearChannel is a fishing fanatic and has been the driving force behind the event again.

There will be free rods and reels for the kids, and not just plastic toys, either. "These are Zebco 33s we are giving to these kids. These are rods and reels they can use well into adulthood," said Martin.

There will also be a portable trout pond stocked with trout -- brook trout. "Brookies," as they are known, are native to the mountains of WNC.

More seasoned anglers can register for the fishing tournament up until 8 a.m. Saturday morning. Prizes include kayaks, flyrods, gift certificates and more! 

Contact RiverLink's Dave Russell for more information at 252-8474, ext. 11.

Wednesday, March 9, 10 a.m. and 5 p.m.: Volunteer information sessions. Find out how you can get involved. Call Dave Russell at 252-8474, ext. 11 for more information 

Thursday, March 17, 11:50 a.m. -- 2 p.m.: RiverLink Bus Tour. Call Dave Russell at 252-8474, ext. 11 to make a reservation

Sunday, March 27, 3 p.m. at The Orange Peel: Billy Jonas "Hands of Hope" Concert to benefit RiverLink

Saturday, April 16, 11 a.m. -- 7 p.m. at

Martin Luther King Park: Asheville Earth Day Celebration   

Saturday, April 23, 10 a.m. -- 2 p.m. at

Dog park cleanup

Dear Editor:

The Friends of the Black Mountain Dog Park wish to thank the Town of Black Mountain and, specifically, Jamey Matthews, public services crew supervisor, for the magnificent clean up work recently done at the dog park and the river walk behind the Bi-Lo Supermarket. Mr. Matthews met with Stephanie Wild (one of the original supporters of the dog park and river walk) and agreed to the work to be done.

The wildflower gardens were readied for spring, the litter was eliminated, and the underbrush along the river was weed-wacked down, letting us see, for the first time, the winding Swannanoa River. Mr. Matthew's crew also fixed the gate at the dog park, the water pump, and brought mulch for the muddy areas and then spread the mulch, which was much appreciated, and placed gravel under the two picnic tables closest to the river.

This entire area has never looked better. What an incredible asset this park and river walk is to the Town of Black Mountain. With heartfelt thanks from the Friends of the Dog Park and their four-legged friends, we salute the town, the department of public services, and Jamey Matthews and his crew.

Nancy McKay

Mike Poole

William Casey Asbill-Beck comes to us from Saluda and has a Degree in Political Communications from Brevard College, where he also studied Wilderness Leadership and Experiential Education. Casey traveled the world developing outdoor and leadership skills. He enjoys kayaking, biking, teaching rock climbing and plays ukelele and washboard in ol' time stringband "The Mason Jar Drinkers." Casey will attend Minnesota State University at Mankato to study Environmental Science and Experiential Education. He has helped RiverLink with a Saturday workday and even swept the entire, very dusty RiverLink basement. Welcome aboard, Casey!