Monthly Archives: March 2011

West End Bakery turns 10!

The West End Bakery on 757 Haywood Road in West Asheville is having its 10 year anniversary, and they’re celebrating the whole month of April with daily specials such as 10 cent coffee and “Opening Day” prices.  The bakery has inspired a large and loyal following thanks to a wide variety of breads, muffins, delicious sandwiches and homemade soups, and most especially their amazing and addictive cinnamon rolls.

Newcomers to Asheville might be surprised to learn that until the late 1990′s many empty storefronts lined Haywood Road, and the classic 1920′s buildings stood mostly in a state of disrepair.  Now there are a variety of restaurants, salons, pubs, clothing boutiques, record stores and more; these days a west Asheville resident can fulfill all his or her shopping needs without leaving the neighborhood!  This month the bakery will display both old and new photos of the Haywood Road revitalization to celebrate the thriving and vital community that it is today. They would like residents and business owners to contribute their own memories and photos to add to the collection.

The bakery and its owners, Krista Stearns, Cathy Cleary, and Lewis Lankford participate in the local food movement and share a passion for utilizing local farmers and producers whenever possible.  They are one of only seven regional bakeries participating in the North Carolina Bread and Flour Project, which aims to link the farmer, the baker, and the miller with the goal of providing a viable market for organic hard and soft wheat and other small grains.

The anniversary festivities will end in a party that will double as a Benefit Open House for the NC Bread Flour Project, and feature music, beer, pizza, and birthday cake!  To find out more and to RSVP for the party, stop by the bakery, visit their facebook page, or check out the website, westendbakery.com.

City launches “Asheville Redefines Transit” campaign

The City of Asheville is making changes to the transit system over the next few months, based on recommendations from transit riders, business leaders and citizens.

The changes are part the “Asheville Redefines Transit” campaign and will be shared with the community at a public forum from 4-7 p.m. March 28 in the Municipal Building, located at 100 Court Plaza, downtown.

The meeting will be in the 4^th floor training room. It will be organized as a drop-in, so that people can come at any time to receive information about the campaign, which is being undertaken in four stages:

1. Listening to the community
2. Focusing on sustainability
3. Providing more frequent and reliable service
4. Supplying more and better information

Stage 1, “Listening to the community,” will be kicked off at the March 28 meeting.  Staff will collect residents’ feedback on the following proposed changes:

Increased frequency on main corridors:
Haywood Road
Tunnel Road
Merrimon Avenue
Biltmore Avenue
Patton Avenue
Improved route performance
Reduced number of deviations
Elimination of Dial-a-Rides
Changes to all routes and bus stops
Combining day and evening service
Adding more transfer points outside of downtown
Two cross-town routes
New service areas: ABCCM and Land of Sky Region Council

Attendees will also be able to view new draft maps and the Asheville Redefines Transit campaign website. This meeting is a continuation of the Transit Master Plan process begun in 2009-2010, which included three public meetings and the completion of more than 800 resident surveys. City Council approved the changes recommended in the plan in October 2009.

The full Transit Master Plan can be viewed at ashevilletransit.com.

To receive Transit email updates, send a request to iride@ashevillenc.gov.

The French Broad River Classique Canoe and Kayak Race

The 2011 French Broad River Classique Canoe and Kayak Race will be held on April 23 and 24. The first day of the race will begin at the Blantyre put-in on Route 64 near Etowah. Racers will paddle 18 miles to Westfeldt Park near the Asheville airport. Saturday evening will find anyone interested at the Asheville Outdoor Center for a supper provided by Laurie’s Catering. Awards will be given and a presentation by Riverlink on all their latest doings. Sunday will find the racers back at Westfeldt Park for the 16-mile paddle down to the Asheville Outdoor Center in Asheville. Also at the same time will be the 8-mile “fun” family/beginner race starts at Bent Creek and ends at the AOC. Awards for Sunday’s races, as well as the Classique overall winners, will follow. There will also be a drawing for some cool prizes. More information, including how to enter, can be found at: fbcanoeracing.org.

West Asheville Urban Plant Walk, Saturday April 30

Come learn about the medicinal and edible plants growing in the sidewalks, gardens, and wild lots of downtown West Asheville! This event will be happening Saturday April 30th from 10:30 to 12:00, rain or shine. It will start at the Center for Holistic Medicine at 779 Haywood Road and venture off into the immediate neighborhood. The walk will be co-hosted by Nancy Hyton, Licensed Acupuncturist, Certified Herbalist, and founder of the Center for Holistic Medicine, and Keri Evjy from Healing Roots Design, an edible and medicinal landscape design and consultation business. The cost is $5 for adults and includes a useful handout of the plants we will be talking about on the walk. Kids are free! Sign up in advance at the Center or just come by on the day of the event. You can also call us at 505-3174 or email nancy@centerholistic.com and we’ll put you on the list.

West Asheville Tailgate Market starts April 12

West Asheville Tailgate Market starts back up on April 12th in the parking lot next to SunTrust Bank on Haywood Road. Find them on Facebook for more information.