New entertainment district proposed cont... Continued from page 8


Next to the theatre he envi- sions a two-level eating com-


plex, featuring options such as a bakery and a soda shop/restau- rant. This complex would have outdoor seating on Main Street and below the theatre near the library. A walkway from Main Street


to the lower portion of the devel- opment would provide easy con- nection, he added. To the north of the walkway


would be a three-story mixed use building with artists’ studios, retail space and three residential units. Although he has experience


with development, the scale of this project dwarfs anything else he has tackled. Pickens noted that as other


Ryan Pickens eyes revitalizing a Mars Hill landmark.


COULD ROTH CONVERSION


AFFECT MEDICARE COSTS?


by Michael Creasman, CFP


Conver t ing


from a traditional IRA to a Roth in 2010 (when the $100,000 income limit for conver-


sions was lifted) requires payment of income tax on the amount converted. In 2010 only, reports of the conversion can be delayed for one year, followed by splitting the converted amount in half on both the 2011 and 2012 returns. Doing so allows converters to pay part of the tax owed on the conversion in 2012 and part in 2013. What is not so well known is that income added as the result of a Roth conversion may also raise Medicare Part B premiums because, since 2007, the Part B pre- mium has been calculated on the basis of adjusted gross income.


HINT: Payouts from a traditional


IRA, which are required at age 70 1/2 are also taxable income for the purpos- es of the Medicare surcharge.


Te traditional IRA and Roth IRA


are long-term savings vehicles with tax benefits. With the year drawing to a close, you may be evaluating your fi- nancial status and thinking ahead to tax preparation. As the economy strug- gles to climb out of recession, it is more important than ever for people to have professional financial guidance. Please call CREASMAN 401(k) PLAN ADVISOR, INC., at 828-253-7231 to schedule a financial consultation. We have served clients in the greater Asheville area since 1978 with profes- sionalism and integrity. Our services include financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning. We are located at 1328F Patton Ave. www.creasmanfp.com


www.leicesterleader.com


partners and investors become involved, the vision may alter.


A scaled-down version Pickens is concurrently devel-


oping a scaled-down version of the development which would feature a remodeling of the the- atre with a kitchen inside the theatre, a game room and an outdoor amphitheatre stage. A second phase would bring a res- taurant or bakery near the am- phitheatre stage. He hopes, though, the project


is able to achieve more. “I think the greater vision is


better for the community,” he said. The northern end of Mars


Hill’s downtown corridor is in midst of redevelopment. The library is recently remodeled and town government moved its town hall to new facility in 2008. Asheville Savings Bank is renovating an old home adjacent to the theatre that it will use as its new bank. This is not the first time Pick-


ens has set forth to develop a plan for the Town of Mars Hill. He lost his first bid to be the town’s mayor in 2009 to incum- bent John Chandler. Pickens added that this dis-


trict would not only be a boon for Mars Hill, but also North Buncombe residents looking for options closer than Asheville. As he builds toward getting


this project off the ground, Pick- ens is holding public presenta- tions of the plan in the coming weeks. He will hold his first presentation at 7 pm on Monday (Sept. 13) at the Mars Hill Town Hall with another at town hall at 6 pm on Sept. 16. Presentations will also be held at noon and 5:45 pm at Bentley Fellowship Hall, adjacent to the Broyhill Chapel at Mars Hill College, on Sept. 20.


Photo courtesy of the Southern Appalachian Archives, Ramsey Center at Mars Hill College


Tourism authority selects company to fix signs


Te Buncombe County Tourism


Development Authority (BCTDA) has entered into a contract for re- placement of the aluminum ve- hicular sign panels with Geograph Industries, Inc., a third-generation sign fabricator in Harrison, OH. Geograph was one of three fabri-


cators who met with representatives of the Partnership on Wayfinding and Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority to discuss their respective responses to a re- quest for proposal issued by BCT- DA. Each of the three companies


presented repair options that were within the remaining $207,000 that was part of the original amount al- located for the project, but was not paid to the original vendor, L & H Signs, Inc. in Reading, Pa., since the job was not properly completed. Signs began to peel weeks after


installation was finished this spring with some of the first signs of peel-


ing coming in North Buncombe. Further inspection of the signs last week indicated that the back sides of the panels are now also begin- ning to peel, requiring repair of both sides of the panels and neces- sitating additional responses from the vendors. Upon recognizing this latest failure and based on a review of recommended solutions, BCTDA was compelled to move forward to fabricate all new vehicu- lar sign panels. Te cost for the new signs will


be $279,864 with funding coming from the dollars still in reserve for project completion as well as addi- tional room tax collections that are dedicated for tourism efforts and paid by overnight visitors staying in lodging properties in Buncombe County. MERJE, the design firm on the project, will continue to assist BCTDA during the repair process at no additional charge. BCTDA is also consulting with an attorney on


its future legal options. Te wayfinding project was the


culmination of more than three years of community input and public meetings to address design and implementation of the project. BCTDA granted $1.5 million dol- lars for the project from the Tour- ism Product Development Fund which comes from the one percent lodging tax paid by overnight visi- tors staying in lodging accommo- dations in Buncombe County. An- other $150,000 was dedicated for maintenance and attic stock for a five-year period. Te entire project encompasses


330 elements, including vehicular and pedestrian signage, parking banners and garage entrance/exit signs, gateway and district identi- fication signs and monuments and kiosks located throughout Bun- combe County.


Tis special to the Tribune. September 9 - September 15, 2010 - THE TRIBUNE/LEADER 9 Wellness, Solid Gold


Wysong, Nature’s Variety, Raw Frozen EVO, Innova,


California Natural


Herbal remedies Flower Essences


Homeopathic Remedies


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