St Matthews Anglican Church


Weaverville 828-877-3708


Reems Creek Rd.


812 www.stmatthewsasheville.org SUNDAY — 10am Bible Study / 11am Eucharist


Buncombe County Preservation society hires new director Te Board of Directors of Te


Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County has hired Jack W. L. Tomson as the new executive director of the county’s only non-profit historic preserva-


• Shopping convenience for all your home improvement needs


• Services and experienced assistants for do-it-yourselfers


• Ace - a trusted name for more than 80 years


• Locally owned and operated


tion organization. Tomson, who spent many


of his early years growing up in North Asheville, comes to the so- ciety after spending six years as the director of the Historic Salis- bury Foundation. During his ten- ure there, Tomson managed the foundation’s nationally recognized historic preservation real estate


program and worked tirelessly as an advocate for preservation and restoration. Te Preservation Society of


Asheville and Buncombe County works with various programs pro- moting preservation such as histor- ic property easements, advocacy for endangered properties, educational workshops and special events and


the annual Griffin awards. “It is our goal to serve the entire


community,” Tomson said, “by promoting and protecting historic resources, from historic districts to traditional neighborhoods, from urban environments to historic farmsteads.”


Tis special to the Tribune. Aging issues on minds of many With the oldest baby boomers


Deja Vu 828-645-7221


Now Accepting Spring


Consignments


Women's & Childrens Consignment Boutique


Forks of Ivy Plaza 901-6 Old Mars Hill Hwy. Open 10 - 5 Mon - Fri, 10 - 4 Sat


now eligible for Medicare as of Jan. 1, aging issues are at the forefront for millions of Americans. One is- sue is aging in place, or the ability to live independently and safely at home as long as possible with the help of equipment and other adap- tations. Western North Carolina boom-


ers can make their homes more user-friendly by installing grab bars in tubs and beside toilets, adding handrails at steps and other mea- sures that decrease the risk of fall- ing. “As our population ages, more


North Buncombe Hero


and more people are going to need homes that function well, homes they can live in that meet their needs,” says Dan Sanner, who owns Waynesville-based Accessibuilt Inc., the only company in Western North Carolina that focuses on ac- cessibility remodeling. “It used to be that older parents


moved in with their children. Tat’s much less common now. If we can’t live in our house any longer, we usually have to move to some kind of facility. Te work we do really extends the amount of time people can stay in the familiar surround- ings of their house,” says Sanner, a


licensed building contractor for 20 years. Sanner gets calls from adult chil-


dren who have concerns about their parents’ safety at home. “As chil- dren of aging parents, we want to make sure our parents are as safe as they can be,” he says. In Weaverville, an estimated


26.8 percent of the population was considered to be 65 years and older as of December 2009. In Woodfin, 10.6 percent of the population was estimated to be 65 years and older. Tese figures come from the


American Community Survey with the U.S. Census Bureau. It provides estimates that are used to produce demographics of towns and are based on data collected over a five- year time period. Te estimates represent the average characteristics of population and housing between January 2005 and December 2009 and do not represent a single point in time. Common fixes for homes include


replacing tubs with showers, add- ing wheelchair ramps and install- ing roll-in showers and roll-under sinks in kitchens and bathrooms to accommodate wheelchairs. “A regular sink is almost impos- sible for a person in a wheelchair to


Montford Park Players seek donations for amphitheatre renovation


Tis week’s Heroes of the Week are all the North Buncombe teach-


ers. Snow and other forms of inclement weather have disrupted the school schedule for nearly the entire month, forcing everyone to re- shuffle their dockets. Trough it all, North Buncombe educators have stayed on task and kept their students on track, with some prepping their students for exams that took place this week. Snow days sound like great fun but they also can send lesson plans into a frenzy so hats off to the North Buncombe educators for keeping their students engaged and bettering their learning during the upheaval of the past few weeks.


Sponsored by After nearly four decades of bringing free classic theatre to Asheville,


the Montford Park Players’ Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre is in need of repairs. To help renovate the outdoor theatre, the group has launched an online Kickstarter project. Te project funding will help bring the current performance space


back to life, with new materials for safety, aesthetics and durability. Tere will also be changes allowing for improved sightlines, lighting and acoustics. Kickstarter is a website that allows groups like the Montford Park


Players to fund projects by collecting online pledges. Donors may pledge as much or as little as they choose. In addition to being tax- deductible, pledges give donors the opportunity to experience the theatre on a deeper level, from reserved chairs on the hillside to the chance to help stab Julius Caesar in the group’s 2011 production. Go to kck.st/hMVrpE and search for “Montford Park Players” at kickstarter.com to donate.


6 THE TRIBUNE/LEADER - January 27 - February 2, 2011


use effectively,” says Sanner, who works in Buncombe and surround- ing counties. “As we get older, balance or strength issues make it more challenging and dangerous to step up over the edge of a tub. If people are unsteady, then they’re re- ally taking a chance.” Other remodeling projects that


support aging in place are installing wheelchair ramps and toilets with seats that rise, widening doorways for wheelchairs, remodeling kitch- ens with floor and wall cabinets that accommodate wheelchairs, and adding stair lifts and wheel- chair lifts. Home accessibility is important


not only for aging boomers. Sanner works with special-needs children and stroke survivors. He partners with the Arc of North Carolina, which helps people with disabili- ties; the U.S. Department of Vet- erans Affairs; the North Carolina Independent Living Program, a program of the state Department of Health and Human Services; health care agencies; and hospitals. For more information, contact


Sanner at 828-283-2675 or acces- sibuilt@bellsouth.net.


Tis special to the Tribune.


Swim teams sweep Erwin, Owen


Te North Buncombe girls’ and


boys’ swim teams swept Erwin and Owen on Monday (Jan. 24) in the teams’ last meet before regionals. Te boys’ team defeated the


Warriors 65-41 and defeated Owen 62-53. Te girls’ team defeated the Warriors 139-15 and Owen 118- 49.


On the girls’ side, Amber Wil-


liams won the 50-yard freestyle, and Laurel Manion won the 100- yard freestyle. On the boys’ side, Mitch Finney won the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. Te Class 3-A West Regional


event will take place Feb. 5 in Huntersville.


www.weavervilletribune.com


Store Hours


Mon-Fri. 8am - 8pm Sat. 8am - 6pm Sun. 10am - 6pm


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