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HAPPY
HOLIDAYS FROM THE RIVERLINK CREW!
RiverLink staff at the November 1st
French Broad River Yacht Club "Walk the Plank" event at Salon
Blue Ridge Architectural Components.
Thank you for all
of your support and we look forward to continue working with you in 2009
to make the French Broad River a great place to live work and play!
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Richmond Hill Inn
High Tea & Coldwater Creek Fashion Show to Benefit RiverLink
 Treat your best friend to afternoon
tea at the exclusive Gabrielle's Restaurant of the Richmond Hill Inn with
all proceeds benefiting RiverLink on Sunday December 7th beginning at 2pm.
Cost is $15/person which includes the finest teas, pastries and gourmet
cheeses. Wine will be available for purchase.
Richmond Hill Inn, described as the crown jewel of one of
the South's premier inn that embodies the Victorian elegance and
graciousness of its origins, will be decorated for the 2008 holiday
season.
Gabrielle's Restaurant, located inside the Mansion, is
nationally known for its innovative cuisine and extensive wine selection
and one of the few restaurants in the state to receive the prestigious
AAA Four Diamond Award each year.
The benefit will feature a Coldwater Creek Fashion Show
highlighting the season's latest fashion trends in women's apparel,
jewelry, accessories and gifts from the Biltmore Village store
location. Guests will have an opportunity to win a one hour
personal shopper experience with an experienced Coldwater Creek Sales
Associate who will help you find the outfits most suitable to your
fashion fancy.
RSVP: contact Richmond Hill Inn at 828-252-7313 or if you
are out of town toll free at 888-742-4536
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Urban Watershed
Restoration
Are
you a landowner or business owner interested in enhancing the beauty and
value of you property, while helping to restore your local
environment?
 RiverLink and the City of Asheville are partnering to fund
the construction of rain gardens, stream restorations and other vegetated
bio-retention areas in the Ross Creek watershed of East Asheville.
In 2006 and 2007, the city of Asheville funded a Ross Creek Watershed
Master Plan that made recommendations for watershed improvements based on
poor water quality and flooding issues within Ross Creek and the
significant development pressure within the watershed that will continue
to impact the creek. Now we are looking for folks interested in hosting
projects on their land or at their
businesses.
 Rain garden during rain event
These water
quality improvement projects help to filter stormwater of sediment and
pollutants before it runs into creeks, as well as restore the creek
itself. They are also effective at infiltrating stormwater, thus
recharging groundwater and helping to manage and slow the flow
of streams immediately after it rains.  Projects are sized and placed
in the landscape based on the needs and specifications of landowners and
no financial commitment is required.
Same rain garden after rain event
RiverLink will be applying for grants to
finance projects from organizations such as
the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Environmental
Protection Agency, City of Asheville and NC Department of Transportation.
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 Karen Cragnolin Park Update!
We began our Brownfield testing at Karen Cragnolin Park
on November 4th. We have a $20,000 grant toward our initial $40,000
testing fees so we need your help to make this into a public park and to
finish paying for the property. Every cent of your donation for the
"Deeds of Support" will be used to make the new park and
greenway a reality. We appreciate your support!
 If you love using Carrier Park and
the French Broad River Greenway - and want to see continued progress
donate now on our secure website at www.riverlink.org
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REUSE
AND RECYCLE!!! At the Blue Buildings
 We're making progress in taking down
the "Blue Buildings" along Riverside Drive! Local
artists, Sean "Jinx" Pace and Mark Gilbreau, are leading
a team of volunteers that includes Frank Vogler of V and V Land
Management, Logan MacSporran, Greg Lucas, Hayden Wilson, Elizabeth Ewing,
Will Rodgers, Alex Greenwood, Billy Roberts, Melissa Terrezza, Kevin
Fitzpatrick, and Jolene Mechanic. Material from the "Blue
Buildings" has already been used at the Phil Mechanic Studios to build
new artist space! Sean and Marc are also working with RiverLink and
the Flood Fine Arts Center to transform this space into a
permanent sculpture garden.
MANY THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE
PARTNERS
Wyatt and Bowman Waste Containers has loaned
us 4 containers to hold whatever can't be recycled. Volvo Construction
Equipment
North America, Inc., is lending us
a tractor to move around debris! Southern Concrete has
donated a time lapse camera which enables us to capture the
renaissance of this soon to be special place on the river!
Click here to see all photos
of The Blue Buildings demolition!
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Henderson County School
Art Project a Huge Success!
Students from Mountain
Community School in Henderson County partnered with RiverLink last month
to make fish art completely from organic and natural materials. After
creating the fish, the class went out to the wetland behind their school
and studied the aquatic life and their personal tributary to the French
Broad River. Students then generously donated their fish art for show and
sale for RiverLink's November 1st event at Salon Blue Ridge. The project
was a success as onlookers enjoyed and studied the fish and every last
one was sold!
RiverLink not only offers
free lessons across the 7 French Broad Watershed Counties of Henderson,
Buncombe, Avery, Yancy, Mitchell, Madison, Haywood, Transylvania, but
provides engaging, indoor classes for colder seasons. From building
interactive watershed models to watching slideshows, there are classes
for every age group and curriculum from Kindergarten to 12th grade. North
Windy Ridge Go
Green!
Club participated in one of our more popular winter weather classes, Sum
of the Parts, a class adapted from the Project WET program. With
Henderson Tribune reporter standing by, the students created their own
piece of riverfront property and visually observed how different land
uses can contribute to river pollution. They laughed and learned their
way to discovering that "we all live downstream" from
something.
Asheville Middle
School students bundle up to study water quality testing in Jean Webb
Park
Don't
take our word for it! Click the link below to look at students'
words and artwork inspired by RiverLink's Watershed Education Programs!
Interested
in Watershed Education?
Watershed
Education Volunteer Training
Tuesday December
9th 5-7pm
RiverLink is now training citizens to become more knowledgeable and
prepared to teach, assist, or observe our winter watershed curriculum. We
will cover popular classes including River of Words and Art, Enviroscape,
and Project WET curriculum. By the end of this training, participants
will be able to confidently volunteer in Watershed Education classes in
any way they feel comfortable. This class is for either new volunteers or
returning volunteers needing a refresher course. Snacks and warm drinks
will be provided! So come get acquainted with our dynamic and delightful
lessons suited specifically to indoor classrooms. If interested you may RSVP
to Ashley Brown, Education Coordinator, at education@riverlink.org
or 828-252-8474 x111.
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"Don't
Pollute" Storm Drain Stenciling
Last
month RiverLink volunteers hit the streets and parking lots along Tunnel
Road to help clean the waters of East Asheville's Ross Creek. Volunteers
glued close to 100 plaques on storm drains and gutters that share the
message "Don't Pollute, Drains to Waterways".
The reason this message is so important? Most people don't realize that
when it rains, all the water flowing along streets and parking lots
drains directly into the nearest stream or lake via the storm drains.
Stormwater doesn't get treated before it goes into our rivers.
This most recent storm drain marking event focused on East Asheville's
Ross Creek. Ross Creek is a tributary of the Swannanoa and French Broad
Rivers, and drains a river basin area of about
three
square miles that includes Tunnel Road and the Kenilworth Neighborhood.
As an urban watershed, the Ross Creek area is under significant
development pressure, and several sections are considered impaired
because they are failing NC state water quality criteria.
Volunteers like 9th
grader Sasha Dohse, pictured left, used this event to fulfill school
community service requirements. He also appreciated the chance to get out
in his neighborhood and have a real impact on water quality issues in his
community. In Sasha's words, "street water is disgusting and we
should do something about filtering it before it goes into the
streams".
Check
the RiverLink website or upcoming newsletters for future storm drain
stenciling days.
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Want to Help Prevent our Biggest
Polluter?
MWW is a state-wide initiative to reduce sediment runoff from
construction sites by providing training workshops and materials to help
volunteers understand erosion control violations, and how they can help
prevent our biggest polluter- sediment.
RiverLink's MWW
organizers are looking for volunteers. No previous knowledge of
erosion and sedimentation is needed, just a motivation to learn. We
are looking for people to:
-monitor construction sites and take pictures of potential violations
-document and report streams, creeks, and other waterways that are
polluted with excessive sediment
-learn how to use several data storage websites
-take photographs after heavy rainfalls
-MUCH MORE!
Sessions are
happening now in Hendersonville at Blue Ridge Community College
Here you will find directions, job descriptions, contact
information, workshop dates and locations, and much more.
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RiverLink Volunteer River Cleanups
REI
Adopt-a-Stream Team proudly pose with their collected trash after
their river cleanup.
November River
Cleanup Tally
48 Volunteers
104 volunteer hours
60 Bags & 10 tires
A
big thank you to all our awesome river cleanup volunteers!
Ohio
State University Alumni Club of WNC Adopt-a-Stream Team Reed Creek
Catawba St to Botanical Gardens of Asheville
Swannanoa
Correctional Center for Women Adopt-a Stream Team
Swannanoa
River in Charles D Owen Park
REI
Adopt-a-Stream Team
French
Broad River
along
RiverLink's conservation easement on Ledbetter Rd
Diamond
Brand Adopt-A-Stream Team
French Broad River from Ledges Whitewater Park to FBR Campground along
Riverside Drive
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River News
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RiverLink Gifts
for the Holiday Season - tax deductible and guaranteed to fit!
Are you tired of trying to think of new holiday gifts for family, friends
and colleagues? Tired of returning gifts or giving Uncle Joe another tie
you suspect he doesn't want and probably won't use? At RiverLink we
have the perfect solution to your dilemma. Give the gift that keeps
on giving - a piece of the greenway along the river that everyone can use
to walk, bike, hike and enjoy!
A greenway "Deed of Support" is the perfect size, color and
style for everyone on your gift list. For a mere $50
per foot you can buy a piece of the greenway for friends, family and
colleagues as well as contribute to making greenways in our community a
reality. RiverLink will spend every penny you donate for
"Deeds of Support" building greenways and implementing the
Wilma Dykeman RiverWay Plan.
In addition, your gift is tax deductible! We will send you a
charitable receipt and we will send the folks on your gift lists,
these lucky new riverfront owners, a "Deed of
Support", certificate. They are suitable for framing,
and personally inscribed with their name. We also send the folks on
your gift list a letter announcing that a donation in their honor has
been made by you - your family or your company. Just think -
no standing in line, wrapping or mailing and you can get all your holiday
shopping accomplished online at our secure website at www.riverlink.org without
leaving your home or office!
A "Deed of Support" gift shows you care about your community
and want healthier lifestyle options, a greener region, improved water
quality and quantity and better economic development and land use along
our river corridors. What a great way to say "Happy
Holidays" to all your family and friends as well as everyone
in our region!
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IRA Charitable
Rollover Extended through 2009!
As
part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 the
bill reinstates the IRA Charitable Rollover until the end of
2009. This provision would allow individuals aged 70 1/2 and older
to donate up to $100,000 from their IRAs and Roth IRAs to public
charities without being taxed on the contributions. For more
information, please visit www.ncpg.org or call
828-255-0696.
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Announcing
RiverLink's 2009 Calendar On Sale Now!
   Kids
say the darndest things! They also write wonderful poetry and paint
imaginative pictures. The children, ages kindergarten through 12,
who participated in our Art and Poetry Contest in 2008 are the featured
"artists" for RiverLink's 2009 calendar. These are the
perfect gifts, especially when you are stumped for ideas about holiday
gifts. These calendars feature children's creative minds and they
are all in our own French Broad River watershed. These unique
calendars are guaranteed to be the perfect size and color for everyone on
your holiday gift list.
Click here to preorder your copy
today!
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Give your input for the Buncombe
County Greenways Plan!
In
April 2008, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted to accept
the Buncombe County Greenways Plan.
Click here to participate in a
survey the Buncombe County Greenway Committee will use to prioritize
greenway projects and seek funding. Karen Cragnolin, RiverLink
Executive Director, is a member of this planning committee.
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We want your input for the new Karen Cragnolin Park!
If you have some ideas about this "missing link" in the Wilma
Dykeman, click here to take the survey
and give us your suggestions too!
Click here to purchase a Deed
of Support to help us continue to make the Wilma Dykeman Riverway Plan a
reality!
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RiverLink
Magazine
Check out the latest issue of
RiverLink's magazine insert in Citizen Times!
Paper copies available at RiverLink's
offices and throughout the watershed at restaurants, coffee shops, and
bookstores.
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River
Fact
French Broad River is so old as
to be practically devoid of fossils. Only the Nile and,
ironically, the New River predate it.
River Photo
River Quote
A
river sings a holy song conveying the mysterious truth that we are a
river, and if we are ignorant of this natural law, we are lost.
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Drought Update
Does the current drought have you wanting to conserve more water? If you
have questions or want to discuss how to build a rain barrel or install a
cistern, log on to the
community
water harvesting. Send an email to the
moderator to join.
The French Broad River watershed is currently in an
Exceptional Drought, the most severe level.
For more on the drought visit www.ncdrought.org/
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RiverLink's
Holiday Wish List
Have
a canoe rack you're not using anymore or a microwave taking up space in
your attic? RiverLink would greatly appreciate the donation of the
following items to help us help the French Broad River.
- boat trailer
- youth sized waders
- adult and youth
sized Croc shoes
- canoe rack for
vehicle
- tools i.e. power
drill & hammers
- efficient microwave
Don't have any of
these items but would like to contribute? RiverLink could
use some volunteers to help us insulate our offices in preparation for
the winter.
For
more information or questions on donating/volunteering, please contact
Carrie Allen, Operations Manager, at carrie@riverlink.org or
252-8474 ext. 115
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