Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s going around:
-Check out the latest podcast from Joe Kendrick and his Southern Songs and Stories series. This episode features the story of Acoustic Syndicate.
-Plow Day will be celebrated at Warren Wilson College from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sept. 9. The event celebrates agriculture and the tradition of draft power, with two geldings and draft teams taking center stage, according to a press release. Plow Day is planned by Warren Wilson College Horse Crew members, including senior Anna Murabito. For 2017, Warren Wilson College is partnering with the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center (SVMHC) to create even more fun opportunities at Plow Day. Set to a soundtrack of old-time music, Plow Day will give children the chance to connect with farm animals and learn about the Asheville Farm School – Warren Wilson College’s predecessor, according to the press release.
-Dr. Frank King of the company King Bio and King Holdings IV, LLC has purchased the former Arvato plant in Weaverville for $8.1 million, according to a press release. King Bio is an FDA registered pharmaceutical company with more than 100 employees, and he purchased the property as an investment venture. His Broker, Donna Logan of Cornerstone Real Estate Consultants, Inc., is actively marketing the property for leasing, according to the press release. More:
This building’s 416,550 square feet is located on 33.5 acres is located at the intersection of I-26 and US 25N/70W at Exit 19A/. Directly across from the Northridge Commons retail center, the building’s neighbors include Lowe’s and Walmart. The Weaver Boulevard commercial corridor just across I-26 includes numerous retail, grocery and food businesses. Weaverville’s Main Street is 1.5 miles away, and it is 6 miles from downtown Asheville.
The Arvato plant, formerly owned and operated by Bertelsmann SE & Co., was shuttered in a consolidation move. This air-conditioned and wet sprinkled, prime manufacturing and distribution facility includes 85,000 square feet of high-quality office space, 217,000 square feet of production area, as well as 115,000 square feet of warehouse with a 34’ ceiling high-bay storage area. The distribution area includes 17 loading docks with levelers, and two drive-in bays. There is an additional 3,200 square feet of data center, 690 parking spaces and freight trailer parking.
Whitney Commercial Real Estate Services announced that Tim Harrison, CCIM, MBA and senior Commercial Broker with Whitney Commercial, completed the transaction for the sale of 108 Monticello Road in Weaverville, NC. Referral for the project came from Cushman & Wakefield. A long-time employer in the region, Arvato closed down production of their digital services here in 2016. The sale price of $8.1 million brings this massive property’s several-month journey on the market to a close.
-Odyssey School in Asheville recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Here’s more from a press release:
Since its inception 10 years ago, Odyssey School has followed an integral model which provides all students from pre-K through twelfth grade with multiple perspectives of subjects. Students are encouraged to lead with an authentic sense of self. Odyssey School is a place where students are supported through their strengths and weaknesses to find their paths to life-long learning. “I am very proud of how Odyssey is developing from a grassroots, alternative program into a community treasure of real lasting importance,” says Cory Adams, Executive Director of Operations.
In February of 2007, several families approached Dr. John Johnson, now retired, with a desire to create a new school committed to nurture a life-long love of learning and self-knowledge. “We have to teach today’s children how to learn,” said Dr. Johnson. “We have to lead by example, invest in the self-knowing techniques of inquiry, honesty and authenticity. We have to present our students with an inclusive, integrative, and creative world.”
Families also wished for multi-age, continuous progress classrooms that provided emotional safety and citizenship. The result, Odyssey School, assimilated the integral philosophy of author Ken Wilber and fostered a creative community inspired by solution-oriented thinking, reflection, and development of the greater human experience. “It’s very rewarding to know that we are on the cusp of graduating a class of students that have been with us since the very beginning,” says Megan Martell, Executive Director of Programs.
In 2014, Odyssey School underwent a transformation. The Board of Trustees began a search for new leadership and created a three year strategic plan to relocate the school. After a community-wide effort, the school selected its current co-directors. This change from one leader to two reflected a growing commitment to collaboration and deepened the school’s dedication to an integral model.
-The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in memory of a fallen 9/11 firefighter, has announced plans to hold its inaugural Tunnel to Towers 5K Run/Walk in Asheville on Sept. 10, according to a press release. More:
The foundation’s mission is to honor and support first responders and the military. The event will honor and celebrate Buncombe County’s first responders—fire, police, EMT’s, paramedics—as well as military service heroes who serve, sacrifice and protect us every day.
Registration for the 5K Run/Walk is now officially open and participants may register online here.
Registered walkers and runners will have the opportunity to create their own profile pages that will feature their personal photos and individual stories. Additionally, participants can compete to raise the most funds and recruit the most friends to their team.
-This seems timely, from the folks at The Collider in Asheville:
Ecological Services and Markets announces the launch of the first class specifically for Realtors regarding the threats that severe weather and climate change pose for real estate investing. “Climate Change and Real Estate Investing” is designed to help Realtors understand the threats that drought, wildfires, tornados, floods, hurricanes and sea level rise pose to clients buying real property.
The course, open to members of the Land of the Sky Association of Realtors, takes place Sept. 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at The Collider, a nonprofit innovation center focused on solutions for climate change located on the top floor of the Wells Fargo building at 1 Haywood St., in downtown Asheville. Collider member Doug Bruggeman, Ph.D., founder of Ecological Services and Markets, and a Realtor with Keller Williams, developed and will conduct the course. Sponsored by the National Association of Realtors, Land of the Sky Association of Realtors, and The Collider, registration is $20, which includes lunch. Contact Bruggeman at [email protected] for more information.
-Buncombe County Recreation Services has opened the 2017-2018 cycle of Community Recreation Grants, according to a press release. More:
The grants focus on supplemental funding for qualified organizations within Buncombe County to promote recreational, fitness, and health and wellness initiatives as well as community-based activities and capital improvements that increase recreational opportunities for the communities served. Grants may range in amounts from $500 to $6,000, depending on the amount of funding available and the number of qualifying applicants.
Eligible entities include Buncombe County non-profits focused on recreational, fitness, and health and wellness activities. This funds are intended to be a leveraging tool that promote partnerships between the County and area non-profits and are not a donation, funding stream, or sponsorship opportunity. Programs applying for funding should assist Buncombe County Recreation Services in achieving its mission and are required to provide clear timelines and explanations regarding funding requests. The objective of the grants is to extend the reach of the County in its recreation focus areas; grant applicants are required to articulate the estimated impact the grants will have on the community.
The grant application deadline is Friday, Oct. 13. Late applications will be rejected. The Community Recreation Grant Committee will review the applications during October/November with all organizations being notified via e-mail no later than Friday, November 10, 2017.
The complete rules and regulations, grant announcement and application, can be found here.
