Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Here’s more of what’s going around, including some early predictions for our fall leaf color. Here we go:
-The fall leaf-looking season is right around the corner. As usual, the experts are relentlessly optimistic about bright, colorful leaves popping in late September through early November. Also as usual, it’s all up to Mother Nature. The experts say cool, dry September days are the key to vivid leaf color. Follow the Fall Color Guy on Facebook for good updates.
-The Dogwood Health Trust, the foundation that would be created out of the sale of Mission Health to HCA Healthcare, has announced initial board members. These folks will be in charge of deciding where about $75 million a year in spending on Western North Carolina health initiatives will go. Asheville civic leader Janice Brumit has been named chairwoman, with Jack Cecil of Biltmore Farms as vice chair. Other board members: Dr. John R. Ball, chairman of the Mission Health Board of Directors; Michell Hicks, former principal chief of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Sam Lupas, a real estate wheeler-and-dealer in Cashiers; George Renfro, another Mission board member, co-owner of Nash-Renfro Investments in Fletcher and former co-owner of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Asheville; Robert C. “Bob” Roberts, executive vice president at First Citizens Bank in the region and a member of Western Carolina University’s Board of Trustees; Wyatt S. Stevens, Asheville attorney of Roberts & Stevens P.A.; and Martha Tyner of a Burnsville-based family of real estate developers and builders of doctor/dentist offices via Tyner Real Estate and Tyner Construction. Background on Dogwood Health Trust here.
-The new Continental Lounge restaurant on Biltmore Avenue opens for lunch on Friday (tomorrow). The restaurant is the work of long-time AVL chef-on-the-scene Vijay Shastri.
-The new White Duck restaurant on Riverside Drive is planning to open next week.
-Ingles, which is building a new grocery store on Smoky Park Highway on the west side of Asheville, is applying for permits to tear down retail space at South Forrest Shopping Center on Hendersonville Road and build a new gas station, retail space and parking there.
-The Asheville Film Festival is coming up on Sept. 8 at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
-The Asheville Salt Cave is hosting artists Jason Hebal and Ashley Spero for a Sept. 5 reception and open house.