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FANS E-Newsletter

February - March 2024

This every-other-month newsletter is a free publication of Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS). Help us spread the word about the great things happening in our community by forwarding this newsletter to a friend. If you have a story idea, please click here to send us an email. We'd love to hear from you!

In between newsletters, you can stay connected with your community by visiting the Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa Facebook page. And while you're there, don't forget to Like us!

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In This Issue

New Life for the Beacon Mill Property -

Community Meeting Feb. 28

Failed Tiger Woods Golf Course Property Is Back on Market

Swannanoa School Custodian

Featured on Good Morning America

Music Legend Sam Waymon to Appear in Concert at Warren Wilson College

More Improvements Coming To Swannanoa's Grovemont Park

Looking Back at Swannanoa's

Rosenwald School, Circa 1930s

Swannanoa Scenes - Winterfest 2023

Warren Wilson College Announces

Courses and Travel for Adult Learners

Input Needed for Systemwide

Parks and Recreation Master Plan

Hand in Hand Donates Thousands of Dollars to Support Owen District Students

Swannanoa Wholesale Bakery

Opens to the Public

Winter Art Series for Kids

Free Movie at Swannanoa Library Feb. 24

Spider-Man; Across the Spider-Verse

Free Mental Health Programs on Burnout and Procrastination - Feb. 27 & March 19

Swannanoa History Program - April 11

Quick Link

FANS Website

About FANS

Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS) is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working for a strong and vibrant Swannanoa by encouraging active involvement, fostering community spirit, and honoring our unique history and natural heritage. For more info and to find out how you can get involved, visit www.SwannanoaFANS.org.

FANS' Board of Directors:

Matt Barker - Treasurer

Andrew Belz - Secretary

Casey Conner - Chair

Kara Dillow - Vice Chair

Maureen Dillow

Sandy Drake

Samantha Gallman

Carol Groben

Doug Lebbon

Megan McCreary

Fran Thigpen

Evan Yanik

We welcome and appreciate your input and ideas! You can write to us at SwannanoaFANS@gmail.com.

New Life for the

Beacon Mill Property?

It appears that something may soon be happening on the site of the former Beacon Mill plant. The 40+ acre site, purchased by Symmetry Financial Group in 2019, has been vacant ever since an arsonist set a fire that burned the mill to the ground in early September, 2003. After more than 20 years of watchful waiting, the community is about to learn of some plans to bring a new beginning to a property that was once at the heart of life in Swannanoa.

The current owners of the mill site have invited the public to learn more about plans for the property by attending one of three 30-minute information sessions scheduled for the evening of February 28 at 216 Whitson Avenue (the former Swannanoa United Methodist Church building). Please see the invitation below, which doesn't give many details, except to say that the former mill site is about to get "greener and fun.' You'll have to attend the meeting to find out more!

Warren Wilson College Announces Courses and Travel Opportunities

for Adult Learners

The Mountain Institute for Lifelong Learning at Warren Wilson College is offering a full lineup of courses in May and July for adult learners. These intensive short courses are taught by Warren Wilson faculty and staff, and local artisans and craft folk. Classes take place on the college campus, 701 Warren Wilson Road, in Swannanoa. Course topics include painting, podcasting, knitting, film making, natural history, fiber arts, birding, mushroom foraging, and fine woodworking, among many others. In addition to the on-campus courses, the Institute is also offering several opportunities for worldwide travel.

The Mountain Institute for Lifelong Learning is a vessel for community building, exploration, adventure, place-based learning, and the ignition of new passion for lifelong learners. The courses highlight the unique magic of Warren Wilson College, which has been a hub of experiential learning since its founding as the Asheville Farm School in 1894.

Adults of all ages (18+) are encouraged to apply. For course descriptions, costs and registration info, please visit mountaininstitute.warren-wilson.edu.

Speak Up Swannanoa!

Input Needed for Systemwide Parks and Recreation

Master Plan

Would you like Swannanoa to be safer and more accessible for pedestrians and bikes? Would you like our area to have more public spaces and recreational opportunities? Now is your chance to share your vision with the powers that be in Buncombe County.

The County is in the process of developing a Systemwide Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and is asking community members to help identify needs, opportunities and priorities. The first in-person public input session was held on February 1 at the East Asheville Library. This interactive meeting allowed participants, a number of whom were from Swannanoa, to share their ideas and opinions by participating in various parks, recreation, greenways, trails, and open space planning exercises.

If you were unable to make this meeting, a second community input session will take place on Thursday, March 21, from 5-7 p.m. at Enka High School. All residents (even those who attend an in-person meeting) are also encouraged to take the online parks and recreation survey, which will be available until early fall. To complete the survey, click here.

Community voices will create the roadmap that Buncombe County Parks & Recreation will follow for the next 20 years. Let's make sure the voices of Swannanoa residents are heard loud and clear!

To learn more about the work FANS and other groups are doing to advocate for sidewalks in our community, be sure to join the Sidewalks for Swannanoa Facebook group.

County residents, including many from Swannanoa, gathered at the East Asheville Library on Feb. 1 to offer input on the Parks and Recreation Master Plan currently under development by the County.

Hand In Hand Donates Thousands of Dollars

to Support Owen

District Students

Hand in Hand of the Swannanoa Valley, a nonprofit organization that provides funding to support the needs of public school students, recently made a donation of more than $9,000 to Owen District Schools. The funds will be used to help meet the educational needs of local children, and enable them to fully participate in school.

Hand in Hand is an all-volunteer organization that relies on donations and community fundraisers to support its important work on behalf of Owen District students. Since its founding in 2006, Hand in Hand has distributed more than $285,000 to the Swannanoa Valley public schools.

Donations are used to pay for eyeglasses, coats and clothing, graduation caps and gowns, school field trips, school supplies, and much more. In previous years, Hand in Hand has helped pay off school lunch balances owed by students who couldn't afford to buy lunch.

The next Hand in Hand fundraiser will be held on Friday, March 1, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at Grove Stone Baptist Church, 1568 Grovestone Road. Come enjoy a delicious meal, while contributing towards a very good cause. The menu will include chicken and dumplings, green beans, fried apples, roll and dessert, available for eat in or carry out, for only $10.

Hand in Hand volunteers sort and pack school supplies for Owen District public school students.

Swannanoa Wholesale Bakery Opens to the Public

Ovenbird Kitchen, a wholesale bakery located at 131 South Avenue in Swannanoa, has opened its doors to the public. Customers can stop by to pick up bread, bagels, English muffins, and goodies like cookies, muffins, scones and biscotti; or sit a spell and enjoy a variety of baked goods onsite, along with coffee, tea, hot chocolate and lattes. Gluten free options are available. A new outdoor seating area is ready for the arrival of warmer weather.

Ovenbird Kitchen has been operating as a small wholesale bakery for two years, and also participating in the Black Mountain and North Asheville tailgate markets. The owners decided last year to work towards opening the space for retail, and began renovations in the fall. Future plans include expanding their hours and adding sandwiches to the menu.

Ovenbird's owners shared in an email to FANS that they're excited about their new venture, grateful for all the support and positive feedback from the community, and happy to be a part of the "renaissance" in their little part of Swannanoa.

Hours are Wednesdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturdays, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For special orders, call 828-767-6638, or send an email to ovenbirdkitchenorders@gmail.com.

Winter Art Series for Kids

The Winter Art Series for kids at the Swannanoa Library is back! Local artist Nora Mosrie leads these sessions that teach students about different types of art and materials.

The February sessions are celebrating Black History Month by focusing on Romare Bearden, an African-American artist from WNC, and his medium of collage. The collage class session is for ages 8-12, and takes place at the library on Saturday, February 17, from 10:30 a.m -12 noon.

In March, students will learn about the artistic styles of Anni Albers, a German abstract artist and printmaker who lived in WNC and taught at the Black Mountain College. In this class, children will focus on creating art with crisscrossing geometric patterns. The class session for ages 5-7 takes place on Saturday, March 2, from 10:30 a.m.-12 noon; and the session for ages 8-12 is on Saturday, March 16, from 10:30 a.m -12 noon.

On Wednesday, March 27, from 3:30-5 p.m., there will be a makeup session for ages 8-12. In this session, students will learn about multicultural artists, specifically Picasso and other Cubists, and create geometric animals.

The Winter Art Series is sponsored by the Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League, and funded by the The Black Mountain-Swannanoa Valley Endowment Fund, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of WNC.

Please register for these events by visiting www.buncombecounty.org, and clicking on the "Events Calendar" tab.

Free Movie at the Swannanoa Libary

Spider-Man: Across

the Spider-Verse

Join other Spidey fans at the Swannanoa Library on Saturday, February 24, from 2–4:30 p.m., for a free screening of Spider-man: Across the Spider-Verse. This award-winning 2023 film is rated PG, and has an audience approval rating of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. The runtime is 2 hours and 20 minutes. Light refreshments will be served.

The Swannanoa Library is located at 101 West Charleston Avenue. For more info, call 828-250-6486.

Free Mental Health Programs on Burnout and Procrastination

The monthly "Mind Your Mind" series at the Swannanoa Library continues on Tuesday, February 27, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Join Ginelle Krummey, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, for a free program focusing on burnout - how to recognize it, and how to achieve balance between giving to others and taking care of yourself.

In the March program, participants will learn about the causes and dangers of procrastination. Virginia Oman, a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, certified Wellness Master and Life Coach, will share her insights about procrastination, and the steps individuals can take to combat this common and frustrating problem. This program takes place on Tuesday, March 19, from 6-7 p.m.

The Swannanoa Library is located at 101 West Charleston Avenue. For more info, call 828-250-6486.

Save the Date for Upcoming Swannanoa History Program

The Swannanoa Valley Museum is hosting a program this spring in honor of the 100th anniversary of Swannanoa's Grovemont community. Mark your calendar now!

Celebrating 100 Years: Grovemont-On-Swannanoa - April 11, 6 p.m.

In 1924, developer E.W. Grove had his hands full with two major projects: the construction of the Battery Park Hotel, and the more ambitious undertaking of Grovemont-on-Swannanoa, the nation’s first planned community. Learn about the unique history of this planned community, see how it developed, and what the neighborhood consists of today. This program takes place at the Swannanoa Valley Museum, 225 West State Street, in Black Mountain. Cost is $10. To register, click on the "Events" tab at www.history.swannanoavalleymuseum.org, or call 828-669-9566.

Failed Tiger Woods

Golf Course Property

Is Back on Market

Multiple media outlets broke the news in late January that 550 acres of land straddling the Swannanoa Mountains is now back on the market, with a 19 million dollar price tag. The land was once part of The Cliffs at High Carolina, a planned luxury resort community that was to include hundreds of homes, along with the first Tiger Woods-designed golf course in the country.

The collapse of the real estate market in 2008, along with Tiger Woods' much-publicized personal travails shortly thereafter, put the project on the skids. Since then, multiple owners have purchased parts of the original property, but no further development has taken place. Only a few houses were ever built in the massive Cliffs development, but the scars from the original roadwork on the Swannanoa side of the mountains can still be clearly seen from many vantage points in the community.

The Land.com listing for the property describes the tract as offering "a special piece of Western NC that cannot be replicated," which is a statement with which most residents of Swannanoa would likely agree. The listing goes on to describe the property's many attributes, including extraordinary long-range views, a southern exposure for an ideal year-round climate; miles of existing graded roads and trails, a 6+ acre private lake fed by pristine mountain springs, abundant wildlife, and quality timber.

But it's the listing's description of the property's "exceptional conservation value" that will hopefully stand out to potential investors and purchasers.

Swannanoa School Custodian Featured on Good Morning America

Photo courtesy of Karrigan Monk, Black Mountain News

Ray Bethea, Head Custodian at Swannanoa's Community High School, was treated to a rare surprise when he was greeted at the school by a crew from ABC's Good Morning America (GMA). Unbeknownst to him, Bethea (known as "Captain Ray" to the students) had been selected to be featured on GMA's aptly-named "Ray of Sunshine" feature that celebrates hometown heroes.

The segment, which aired on GMA on January 11, follows Bethea as he's led into the school's gymnasium by GMA's Ike Ejiochi, and is greeted by students, faculty and staff, and his family. Bethea's surprise included an all-expense paid trip for two to Las Vegas to see one of Bethea's favorite performers, Lionel Ritchie, in concert.

In an article in the Black Mountain News, the school's principal, Cathy Haughney, is quoted as saying that Bethea is "invaluable" to the school because he gets to know every student and staff member, builds solid relationships, and is always willing to help. The article goes on to explain the circuitous path that led GMA to Bethea: It all started with a post about Bethea on the school's Facebook page, which was subsequently picked up by Buncombe County Schools, and then Spectrum News. One day, a call came in from ABC, and though Haughney initially thought it might be a scam, it turned out to be the real deal. The rest is history.

Bethea has worked at Community High School for ten years. He struggled in high school himself, and makes time every day to offer encouraging words to students who may need them. The GMA segment featuring Bethea includes footage of students describing the positive impact he's had on their lives. If you'd like to watch this inspiring story, click here.

Congratulations to Swannanoa'a Own Hometown Hero, Ray Bethea!

Music Legend

Sam Waymon to Appear in Concert at Warren Wilson College

In celebration of Black History Month, Dr. Sam Waymon will give a concert in Warren Wilson College's Kittredge Theater on Friday, February 16, at 7 p.m. Waymon is an award-winning film composer, songwriter, performer, singer, pianist, and brother of the late Nina Simone. He co-wrote many of Nina’s popular songs, and toured with her band for her first 25 years as her manager, confidante, and organist.

Waymon has shared the concert stage with such greats as Miles Davis, Odetta, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway, Phyllis Hyman, Max Roach and many more, along with his sister Nina. His credits include acting, advising, and/or composing music for several powerful films, including "Weeds", and the Academy Award-winning "Philadelphia."

In addition to his many endeavors in the music world, Sam was a civil rights activist who marched in Philadelphia, Mississippi and Alabama. He sang at Martin Luther King Jr.’s funeral; became friends with Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz; and marched, performed and protested at many anti-discrimination events across America.

The Warren Wilson College Advanced Jazz Ensemble will open the concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Kittredge Lobby, 701 Warren Wilson Road.

The concert is hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, WWC Music Department, Amy Ager Office of Strategic Ventures, and WWC Alumni Board member George Whitman IV. Tickets are $40 each. For more info and to purchase tickets, visit warren-wilson.edu/2024/01/19/sam-waymon.

More Improvements Coming to Swannanoa's Grovemont Park

The Swannanoa Community Council is excited to announce that a new outdoor wellness fitness system will be coming to Grovemont Park this summer. The Council owns and operates the park, which is located adjacent to the Swannanoa Library, in the Grovemont community.

The planned additions include multiple outdoor exercise equipment stations that will provide the community with more opportunities to improve their health and wellness. The LifeTrail® by Playworld system is suitable for people of all ages, but its exercise program is specifically targeted for older adults (50+). The new exercise stations will be accessible from the rubberized walking/jogging pathway around the perimeter of the park that was installed in May 2022, giving folks additional opportunities for exercise as they walk along the path.

The specific outdoor equipment being installed provides users with exercises for a total body workout, with a focus on upper/lower body strength, increasing muscle endurance and flexibility, and improving dynamic balance. Each station offers three different difficulty levels, which gives people incentives to improve, but also meets them at their current fitness level, whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

Funding for the project is being provided by several local sources, including the Swannanoa Community Council, Friends of the Swannanoa Library, and Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa. Additional funding in the form of grants is coming from Buncombe County’s Recreation grant program, and the Cannon Foundation. The overall budget for the project is approximately $60,000.

The LifeTrail® system offers seven stations total. the goal with phase one of this project is to purchase and install two of the stations, with a third station being slated for phase two. After an evaluation period, additional equipment may be pursued based on community interest.

Playworld rendering of exercise stations along the pathway in Grovemont Park.

Looking Back at Swannanoa's Rosenwald School, circa 1930s

In commemoration of Black History Month, we're sharing this 1930s photograph of African American students and principal James Thaddis Sapp (far right) at the Rosenwald School in Swannanoa. The photo gives us a glimpse into the history of Black education in the Valley.

Julius Rosenwald, the son of a German-Jewish immigrant and a part owner of Sears, Roebuck, and Co., contributed matching donations through the Rosenwald Fund to fund more than 5,000 schools nationwide for the education of African American students. By 1928, one-third of the South’s rural Black school children and teachers were served by Rosenwald Schools, including this one located in Swannanoa.

However, the Rosenwald School wasn't the initial endeavor to educate African American children in Swannanoa. Historical records from the March 3, 1899, issue of The Asheville Register reveal the presence of two schools serving Black students in the town, boasting a combined enrollment of 41 students.

The Rosenwald program ended in 1948. By that time, more than 5,000 schools and educational buildings had been built throughout the South. Many were rendered obsolete by the desegregation of the school system in the 1950s.

Story & photo courtesy of Swannanoa Valley Museum

Swannanoa Scenes

Winterfest 2023

The 2023 Swannanoa Winterfest, held in Grovemont Park on December 17, was a huge success, with hundreds of folks coming out to sample the delicious food and music, purchase holiday gifts, enjoy trolley tours of historic Grovemont, and hang out with family and friends. Despite some rain here and there, folks stayed warm and dry inside the spacious heated tent. And when the skies cleared in late afternoon, Mother Nature treated us to perfect weather for roasting marshmallows around the fire! You'll have the chance to experience the magic of Swannanoa Winterfest once again in 2024. Stay tuned for details!

A Special Thank You to Our Newsletter Sponsors!

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Newsletter Sponsor

The FANS E-Newsletter currently reaches more than 2,000 subscribers (and many more via social media). Additionally, approximately 500 print copies are distributed through the library and local businesses. Sponsorships are available for as little as $30. It's a great way to promote your business and show your support for our community. To learn more about newsletter sponsorship opportunities, please visit www.SwannanoaFANS.org and click on the "Our Projects" tab, or write to us at SwannanoaFANS@gmail.com.

Please consider making a donation to help support FANS' work in the community. Checks can be mailed to: FANS, PO Box 697, Swannanoa, NC 28778; or you can make a secure Paypal donation by clicking the link below. Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization -- donations are tax deductible. Every little bit helps. Thank you!

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For more info, call 828-581-9848, send us an email at SwannanoaFANS@gmail.com or visit www.SwannanoaFANS.org.

Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa (FANS)

PO Box 697, Swannanoa, NC 28778