Asheville City Proclamation honoring AHS Cougar Band to be presented at community send-off fundraiser & concert Sat, Jan. 12

This story starts with my son, Zach. He is a junior at Asheville High and a proud Cougar Varsity football player. In August, at the first home football game, we heard this pre-game announcement:

“Folks, you are now watching the Asheville High Cougar Pride Band … participants in the 2013 Presidential Inauguration.” We found out later that the AHS Band would not only be the group representing Asheville; they were going to represent all of North Carolina. They are the only band and color guard from North Carolina who made the cut, who got the invitation.

Back then, when we were still sweating through the last heat of summer, the words didn’t hit home. And then they did. No matter who won the 2012 Presidential election, one thing was for sure … the Asheville High Band would be in Washington, DC in January 2013 for the parade, the galas, everything

The football season went on; the band was always there. Playing the Cougar fight song, win or lose. Football season ended; the election came; and went. Band members and their parents quietly organized fundraisers.

But by mid-December they were still short $10,000. Unfortunately, not all band parents could contribute enough money and they had run out of planned fundraisers. Band Director Will Talley, with all of his band directing and musical talents, was not sure how to get the word out, nor did he have the time. But he was sure of one thing, “I want no band student from Asheville High left behind.”

Jump to Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Following an extensive social media campaign Talley reported, “I’m very, very happy to say we have reached our original lower goal of $85,000 with the help of the social media campaign and community donations that came through on our website via Pay Pal. No student who wants to go will be left behind.”

The last minute flurry of tweets and retweets raised a total of $10,000 in one month. “So, we’ve upped our goal to $90,000 to make sure all costs are truly covered,” Talley said.

You still have time to help with the AHS Band 2013 Inauguration Trip Support Campaign by taking part in one of these events:

1)   AHS Band's Pre-Inaugural Concert and Silent Auction is this Saturday, Jan. 12 at AHS Auditorium on McDowell St. The Silent Auction begins at 1 p.m. and the Concert begins at 3 pm. (http://www.ashevillehighbands.com/silent-auction.html to see a list of items to be auctioned off.) Suggested donation: $10 at the door.  This is a community sendoff!  Be among the first to hear the Band's Parade and Festival Concert music. Asheville City Councilman Gordon Smith will present a City Proclamation honoring AHS band, recognizing our Asheville teenagers.

2) “10% Benefit at Nona Mia" today Thursday, Jan. 10 from 4-6pm.  Dine in or order out. Nona Mia will write AHS Band Association a check for 10% of all food & drinks sold tonight during these after-school hours. Nona Mia is located at 1050 Haywood Road in West Asheville.

3)   “20% Benefit at Mela" the popular Indian restaurant in downtown Asheville on Sunday, Jan. 13. Eat lunch or dinner at Mela the day after the Pre-Inaugural Band Concert and Silent Auction, and Mela will write the AHS Band Association a check for 20% of all food and drinks sold that day. Mela is located at 70 N. Lexington Avenue.

4)   Donations are gratefully accepted on the AHS Band's webpage.  Just go to <ashevillehighbands.com> and click on the donation button.

*shameless plug: I am a local writer, networker and special events coordinator/fundraiser and downtown Asheville pioneer. (That' means I owned a business in downtown Asheville and promoted the area early on when most people thought I was crazy for doing so. Glad to have proved them wrong.) I'm also really proud of Zach for pushing me to step forward to aid the AHS Band. I am very honored to have been one of many who were able to help them raise $10,000 in one month and nudge City officials to give them the Proclamation. Our teenagers deserve this recognition, and so much more. But that's a tale for another time. Please contact me at outaboutwnc@gmail.com if I can be of any assistance to you with your social media/public relations, special event or fundraising campaign

Christmas tree stuffed with ornaments made by tiny hands that have totally outgrown mine

I sit here in the quiet of our small living room, enjoying the colored glow from the not-so-large tree purchased from a friend whose family has been growing Christmas trees for generations in these mountains. Ours is not one that would be featured in Better Homes & Garden. It is much more superior. It is stuffed with ornaments I will cherish forever, made by tiny hands that have now totally outgrown mine. One day I will pass along that favorite glittered bread dough star. My eyes will overflow with tears of joy and sadness that a mother embraces. My little boy no longer needs that chair to help him place the Christmas star. I only pray he will always need me.

(This is a rewrite from one of my 2009 facebook posts. Still working on getting this year's tree done. The little boy who no longer needs that chair? He's a teenager with a broken ankle and needs help staying steady on his crutches.)

Did Asheville close schools because of the roads? Or, is there more to that decision?

Well, here we go again. Schools in Asheville have canceled today. Yet, I look outside and see just a dusting of snow and clear roads. Now, granted, there are areas that did get a few inches overnight and the roads had frozen. Icy roads are not easy for anyone to drive on, much less school buses. But, I still think there could have been at least a late start. The majority of students could have made it to school by 10:30 this morning. And for those who could not, then they could have been excused and given notes they missed.


I guess there is some reason for concern, however. Although there have been no issues recently with school bus drivers, Asheville City Transit drivers have had some bad accidents lately.... running over a lady which resulted in her losing her legs, hitting an elderly gentleman who died due to his injuries and some dude driving drunk. The City needs to be sued for those instances, in my opinion. They did settle with the woman who had to have her legs cut off. She was awarded $80,000. Not very much if you ask me. What kind of life is she going to have (don't remember her age) and is $80,000 really going to be all that she needs? And remember, her attorney got a third of that settlement, leaving her with much less.


But, back to the school buses. Asheville and Buncombe County are just not prepared for any type of bad weather. And I don't understand why. We live in the mountains, people. It snows. Some years more than others, but it does snow and we know there are roads that have issues and need more attention than others. Why haven't we spent the money to keep our roads clear? Perhaps if our City Council and County Commissioners had not given so many tax breaks to outside developers over the years to tear down our mountains, we could have bought a few more plows. What a concept, eh? Choosing our children over the developers. Won't happen. Not in Asheville, anyway.

Really? I have to go shopping while my eyeball is still healing and irritated?

Really? I have to go shopping while my eyeball is still healing and irritated? Ok. I'm very thankful and honored the boys just HAVE TO HAVE two of my Holiday recipes. One of them really is worth making me get out. It's a recipe for a sweet potato casserole that has lots of pecans, crushed cornflakes, and brown sugar. Although the sweet potatoes and pecans are quite good for you, all of the butter, sugar and brown sugar wipe out the healthy part. Or, maybe they balance each other. Who knows? Who cares? It's just downright devilicious. The other dish is one that I'm sure is on everyone's table at this time of year, macaroni and cheese. However this one is the dee-luxe version that includes sour cream and cottage cheese. Another fattening, but oh so tasty, worth the calories, etc. kind of fare. And to be honest, the guys have volunteered to help with the cooking and clean-up.


But ... I'm wishing, yet once again, that my name were Samantha and I held magical powers, and could twitch my nose and skip the grocery lines.


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!