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RiverLink was voted # 1 Local 
Environmental Group in Mountain Xpress' Best Of Edition
2 years in a row - 2007 & 2008!
Thank you to everyone for supporting our mission to
revitalize the French Broad River as a place to live, work and play - we
couldn't do it without you!
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Guests Walked the Plank at French Broad River Yacht Club
Party
 Pirates, sailors & wenches - oh
my! More than 100 guests decked out in their finest yacht club and
pirate inspired apparel celebrated the French Broad River at RiverLink's
French Broad River Yacht Club's Walk
the Plank benefit on Saturday November 1st at Salon Blue
Ridge Architectural Components in Flat Rock.
Thanks to generous donations from our guests, members and
sponsors and our awesome volunteers in preparing for this event, over
$4,000 was raised to help RiverLink continue its mission to revitalize
the French Broad River watershed! We especially want to thank the
following sponsors: Southern Concrete, Mountain First, Mast General Store
and Home Trust Bank and generous donors Asheville Coffee Roasters,
Biltmore, Coldwater Creek, EarthFare, Flight Restaurant, Grohe, Headwater
Outfitters, Purple Onion Restaurant, Sam's Club and Square Root
Restaurant.
To see more pictures of guests walking the
plank aboard the USS RiverLink to dance, drink and dine CLICK HERE!
Click here to read more about
event highlights including guests competing in the RiverLink scavenger
hunt, costume contest and raffle for 6 fantastic prizes!
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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!
Next session
will be held in Hendersonville at Blue Ridge Community College
Nov 18 5:30-8:30pm
Dec 2
5:30-8:30pm
Here you will find directions, job descriptions, contact
information, workshop dates and locations, and much more.
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 Spotlight on Muddy Water
Watch Volunteers
Rod Baird and Jim Stern came to the Muddy Water Watch for similar
reasons. They both had seen a great deal of polluted runoff in their
neighborhood, but did not know who to call or what was creating this
mess. Mud running off construction sites is a very common site in many
neighborhoods, but there is now a growing group of volunteers equipped to
understand and report these problems.
These two volunteers reported over 10 problem sites in the last few
months, resulting in several of these sites being improved. For reporting
the most sites of any volunteer they won a free French Broad River access
map and RiverLink hat. Many of these problem sites can be viewed at
RiverLink's pollution tracking website.There
is still much work to be done, but because of the knowledge and dedication
of these volunteers, there is a school of fish somewhere, swimming is
slightly less murky waters.
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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 Garbrielle'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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Karen Cragnolin
Park Update!
 In 2006 RiverLink acquired the old
EDACO junkyard, now known as Karen Cragnolin Park - located directly
between Carrier Park and French Broad River Park. Each November 1st
RiverLink makes a payment on our five year installments sales
contract and the former owner releases another acre! We just
paid $205,030 and own outright another acre! To help us to continue
to buy this property and make our next payment on November 1st, 2009 buy
a "Deed of Support" - see RiverLink Gifts for the holiday
season article above - for $50 a foot and get a tax deduction and a
"Deed of Support" suitable for framing inscribed with
your name. We all want to make the greenway a reality - this is how you can help
- lots of people and organizations are talking about the potential of
the river and the greenway but RiverLink is actually making it
happen - one
junkyard - one greenway - one Brownfield at a time!
Speaking of Brownfield's - we start our Brownfield testing at Karen
Cragnolin Park on Thursday the 4th of November. 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
Everyone is welcomed to help, everyone is a
volunteer. Are you are 21 years or older, know something
about construction, are willing to sign a binding
waiver releasing us from liability and
want to help build new studios space for artists on the river with recycled
materials from an old building on the river? That is exactly what
is happening every Sunday morning starting at 10 am at 119 1/2 Riverside
Drive - at what we call the "Blue Buildings."
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. And 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!
If you want to help you should bring heavy work gloves, a shovel, a
hammer and other tools -make sure to label them so they don't get
lost. You should wear heavy boots and long sleeve shirts and pants
and a hard hat may be needed too! Think of this like an old "barn
raising" where neighbors helped neighbors and friends helped
friends!
Let us know you are coming by calling us at 828-252-8474, ext 110.
Click here to see all photos
of The Blue Buildings demolition!
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Watershed Education
Programs
Wade into Winter!
October was a busy month filled with experiential and engaging watershed
education programs. We recruited a wonderful new volunteer, Pam Swanson,
used the insulating waders to creek walk, and have now reached almost 1,200 students this school year. As the
weather cools, indoor classes have already been a huge success! Mountain
Community School in Hendersonville created fish mobiles out of natural
materials that were featured at our November 1st event, Walk the Plank! A
class including Enviroscape and a slideshow kicked off Colburn Science
Museum Science Sisters After School Club. We look forward to the
continuation and development of these programs throughout the fall and
winter seasons.
Owen High
School
9th Grade
Kids in the Creek
Mountain Community School
3rd
Grade
River of Words Art and Kids in the Creek
Oakley Elementary School
4th grade
Enviroscape and ROVER
Eliada Academy
9th grade
Enviroscape & Kids in the Creek
Avery's Creek Elementary School
5th Grade
River of Words and Art, Enviroscape, and Kids in the Creek
Owen High School
9th grade
Kids in the Creek
Owen Middle School
8th grade
The Incredible Journey,State of the River, ROVER & Enviroscape
River of Words and Art:
A Perfect Combination of Art, Science, and Watershed Stewardship
RiverLink's River of Words and Art class is perfect for colder weather months
and combines lessons in art, science, and watershed stewardship. In
addition, artwork created in this class can be entered into our 3rd
Annual River Art and Poetry Contest. Winners will be on display the
entire month of April at Pack Place Community Gallery. Check out this
website for more information on prizes, guidelines, and deadlines:
http://www.riverlink.org/earthdaycontest.asp
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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 sent 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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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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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 offering fall and winter
environmental education programs.
Citizen Times, Oct 31.
Citizen Times, Oct 29.
Citizen Times, Oct 10.
Citizen Times, Oct 6.
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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
The
French Broad River is the only place in NC where you can find the
mudpuppy, a 9 inch aquatic salamander and the Eastern spiny softshell
turtle.
River Photo
River Quote
I
have never seen a river that I could not love. Moving water...has a
fascinating vitality. It has power and grace and associations. It has a
thousand colors and a thousand shapes, yet it follows laws so definite
that the tiniest streamlet is an exact replica of a great river.
- Roderick Haig Brown
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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 Volunteer River Cleanups
October River
Cleanup Tally
179 Volunteers
432 volunteer
hours
200 Bags
& 35 tires
A big thank you to
all our awesome river cleanup volunteers!
Mission Hospital
Adopt-a-Stream Team Swannanoa River Tunnel Rd to Glendale Rd
UNCA Outdoor Program
Adopt-a-Stream Team Hominy Creek Hominy Creek Park
Big
Sweep Cleanup coordinated with Quality Forward
including
YMCA Youth Group, Talisman Group & Missio Dei Adopt-a-Stream Team
Swannanoa
River Walmart to Tunnel Rd
Subtle
Yoga Training
French
Broad River
Riverside
Dr to Amboy Rd along Lyman St.
YWCA
Future Vision Adopt-A-Stream Team
Swannanoa River Tunnel Rd to Blue Ridge Parkway Overpass
Hanger Hall & Latino Mentoring Program Adopt-a-Stream Teams
French Broad River along Emma Rd from Craven St to railroad bridge
WNC GeoCachers Adopt-a-Stream Team
Swannanoa River along Swannanoa River Rd from Biltmore Ave to Glendale
Ave.
Altamont Environmental Adopt-a-Stream Team
Reed Creek from Ocala to Catawba Streets
Americorp Project Power Group
French
Broad River along Pinner Rd from Corcoran Park to Glen Bridge Park
Upcoming River Cleanups
see Upcoming Events above
for more details
Nov 23, noon
River Cleanup with Diamond Brand Adopt-a-Stream Team
French
Broad River at Ledges Whitewater Park along Riverside Drive
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Storm
Drain Stenciling Campaign in Ross Creek Watershed
Did you know that all the storm drains in your neighborhood
drain into the nearest creek?
Stormwater flows along parking lots and streets, then into
gutters, then directly
and untreated
into the nearest streams or lakes.
In this case, much of Tunnel Road drains into Ross Creek, which then
flows into the Swannanoa River and eventually into the French Broad
River.
Volunteers are needed November
8th to help spread the message "Don't Pollute, Drains to
Rivers" by gluing these plastic stencils to storm
drains along Tunnel Road and the neighboring Kenilworth Community
When:
Information will also be available about the Ross
Creek Watershed Improvement Projects,
and RiverLink's Name-that-Creek and
Adopt-a-Stream programs for your
neighborhood watershed
** We will meet inside at Black Dome but be sure to bring weather
appropriate clothing to keep you warm outside for about
an hour**
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Take the RiverLink Challenge!
RiverLink challenges to see how much you know about the
French Broad River and our projects and programs.
Winner (determined by person who has the most correct
answers submitted first) will receive a RiverLink hat, glass and
Yacht Club license plate.
Answers will be posted
in December newsletter.
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Upcoming
Watershed Education Volunteer Opportunities
November 19
North Windy Ridge Go Green Club
ROVER, River of Words and Art
November-Feburary
Watershed Education Media Arts Project
(help create a mixed media slideshow production to help inspire watershed
stewards from inside the classroom!)
For further questions or thoughts about RiverLink's Watershed Education
Program or if you're interested in volunteering, please contact Ashley
Brown, the Education Coordinator, at education@riverlink.org
or 828-252-8474 x111
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