FOCB Fall 2014 - Friends of Connect Buncombe

Fall 2014
The Connector
Friends of Connect Buncombe
Friends of Connect Buncombe is a non-profit
corporation formed for the purpose of advocating
for the implementation of the county Greenways
and Trail Master Plan. This Plan was adopted by
the Buncombe County Commissioners in
September, 2012 but has not been funded for
construction. We believe: •
greenways promote outdoor recreation for
families and individuals at all ability levels,
all economic levels and all age levels,
•
greenways promote healthy lifestyles and
help reduce obesity through exercise,
•
greenways provide alternative
transportation infrastructure, •
and existing greenways encourage
economic development for
businesses looking for an area with
excellent quality of life.
We will work toward our mission by: •
educating about the benefits of
greenways, •
advocating for greenways with elected
officials, DOT officials and other nonprofits, •
and raising money for planning and/or
construction projects which are included in
the Master Plan. We welcome membership and participation in
Friends of Connect Buncombe from interested
citizens throughout Buncombe County. We need
your support!
From our President
Dear Greenway Supporters,
"
In this, our first newsletter, I would like to thank
you all for making our first fund raising project such a
huge success. Because you were so generous, we will
be providing the local matching funds for the Countyʼs
Brevard Road greenway feasibility study grant request. I
would also like to welcome all of our new members to
Friends of Connect Buncombe. Your support, both
financial and by word of mouth, will be the key to
spreading our message that trails and greenways are an
essential county service which promotes active
recreation, healthy outdoor activity, alternative
transportation options and economic development.
"
We are an “umbrella” organization, formed for the
purpose of partnering with all the greenway groups in
Buncombe County. As such, we will educate and
advocate for the vision of a connected system of
greenways throughout our County. So much ground word
has already been initiated by the City of Asheville, the
towns of Black Mountain, Weaverville and Woodfin and
several nonprofit groups, including RiverLink. But we are
far behind other counties and municipalities in North
Carolina and have much to do to catch up. Grassroots
support will be crucial to convincing our elected officials
that this is a necessary function of government.
"
As we go forward, we will be calling on our
members to volunteer at fund raising events and to
spread the word whenever possible. More about
upcoming volunteer opportunities in another part of this
newsletter. stay tuned and stay involved!
Again, thank you for your enthusiastic support!
Ann Babcock, President
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Working Together We Can
Make Great Strides
Developing a collective vision and message,
regional leadership, and transferable resources
to forward greenway implementation in
Buncombe County is important. The
Countywide Greenways Master Plan is the
blueprint that Friends of Connect Buncombe
(FoCB) is using to guide collaborative efforts
and partnerships. Collaborator groups
(Collaborators) include municipal governments,
advisory or task force entities, community
groups (including schools, neighborhood
groups), and greenway or related “friends”
groups and other non-profit groups with
greenway development as a primary mission/
goal.
needs. Already, FoCB has worked with
Collaborators to develop an outreach brochure
that describes the groups and its mission to
connect buncombe with a network of bicycle
and pedestrian trails and greenways.
Creating a county-wide greenway system is like
building a puzzle; each collaborator group has a
focus on completing pieces or sections of the
puzzle, and FoCB is a forum and resource
critical for providing the overarching vision of a
connected system of trails and providing a
unified entity that can serve to orchestrate
public support, political support and funding. All
of the collaborators want to forward the vision of
bicycle and pedestrian trails that serve a useful
purpose of enhancing recreation &
transportation in the community, while
providing new economic opportunities
and promoting healthy lifestyles.
Collaborators also bring their
networks and their skills to the table
in support of the broader focus. The
Collaborators make up the Friends of
Connect Buncombe, and we
welcome additional persons or
groups who are working on putting
together the pieces that support the
eight priority greenway corridors in
the Master Plan. Contact
info@weconnectbuncombe.org if you have a
specific project or broader mission that could
benefit from a few more Collaborators.
FoCB has convened two collaborators meetings
to date. The first meeting informed the
Collaborators of FoCBʼs intent of and rationale
for having an umbrella organization, and
explored the focus and needs of the various
Collaborators. The second meeting was used
to further develop and define the role of FoCB;
FoCB will serve an important role in information
sharing, unification
of outreach and
implementation
efforts, and in
providing
resources including
funding support to
the collaborative
partners. In
addition,
Collaborators
agreed to meet
with an outside
consultant to
develop consistent messaging in order to
enhance regional support for greenways and
start to develop sharable resources for
marketing, outreach, fundraising and other
Jake McClean
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Greenway Glow Fundraiser presented by Asheville Affiliates
Buy Your Tickets Today!
A "party with a purpose" to benefit
Friends of Connect Buncombe: Making Greenways Happen
Thursday, November 13th, 6-9:00 pm | The Millroom in Downtown Asheville
Live music from Empire Strikes Brass
Tickets are now on sale for the "Greenway Glow" fundraiser, a party benefiting Friends of
Connect Buncombe. The event will feature food, craft beer and cocktails, live music, and raffle
items ranging from a bicycle, original artwork, zipline tours, Kola bike passes, and more. Musical
group, Empire Strikes Bass, a 10 piece New Orleans brass funk band will be performing.
Presented by the Asheville Affiliates, the Greenway Glow will take place at the Millroom at 66
Asheland Ave in Downtown from 6 - 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 13th.
The Greenway Glow is open to the public. Advanced tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door.
Tickets include cover, all food, beverages, and entertainment. For advanced tickets, go
to http://www.eventbrite.com/e/greenway-glow-tickets-13683474641?aff=eorg
Organizers are seeking donations of goods and services for the Greenway Glow raffle, as well
as other contributions and in-kind support for the event. For more information contact Heather
Seltzer above.
Current sponsors and contributors include Diamond Brand Outdoors, Liberty Bicycle Shop, Kolo
Bike Park, Zipline Canopy Tours, Carriage House Distillery, Catawba Brewing, M & J Events,
Star 104.3, Pisgah Print, FastSigns, Angela Stott Photograpy, Skyland Distribution Co., BClips,
Resource Recreation Development, and Curious 3D.
Founded in 1999, the Affiliates is an organization of community minded professionals who
partner with nonprofits to plan and execute "parties with a purpose" - that is, fun networking
events that help raise funds (and friends) for area nonprofits. The organization has raised more
than $265,000 for 50 local nonprofits.
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Attend Our First Annual
Meeting!
Please attend our first annual meeting for the
Friends of Connect Buncombe.
•
Wednesday, November 19th from 4:30
- 6:30 PM
•
Comfort Suites Hotel on Brevard
Road (an out parcel of the future location
of Asheville Outlets Mall). •
Speaker Ty Houk of Greenville County
South Carolina will talk about the
formation of the Swamp Rabbit Rail
Trail.
•
Food and Adult beverages will be
provided
•
We would love to have our many new
members attend this meeting. Come
socialize with other FOCB We will have
maps of our proposed first project ( a
greenway which will begin at the present
Asheville City Greenway which presently
terminates at the Hominy Creek Park
and connect it to the Asheville Farmer's
Market, the NC Arboretum, the Bent
Creek Recreation Area and then on to
Biltmore Park. •
You helped us raise the matching
funds now lets celebrate! We hope to
have information on when the
feasibility study will begin. Circle of Excellence Award:
Thank You Leadership
Asheville Forum and Susan
Roderick
Annually Leadership Asheville Forum
recognizes a genuinely outstanding leader in
Asheville/Buncombe County. The 2014 Circle of
Excellence Award was awarded to Susan
Roderick who is one of Friends of Connect
Buncombeʼs founding board members. Susan
has dedicatedly served our community in many
roles and is recognized for her tireless
stewardship and leadership as the Executive
Director of Asheville Greenworks. In honor of
her recognition, Susan received a
donation of $500 which she graciously selected
Friends of Connect Buncombe to receive. Thank
you Susan for recognizing us and for your kind
words below.
Dear Fellow Friends of Connect Buncombe,
It is my pleasure to present a check from
Leadership Asheville Forum in the amount of
$500,that was presented in honor of the Circle
of Excellence Award for 2014 to me for my work
at Asheville Greenworks.
They asked me to choose a worthy nonprofit to
honor with this gift and I canʼt think of a better
cause to support.
Sincerely,
Susan Roderick
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Support Hominy Valley Safe Routes to School
Safe Crossing Zone Fundraiser
Friends of Connect Buncombe and Hominy Valley
Safe Routes to School have partnered to raise
$8,500dollars towards an NCDOT match of
approximately $25,000 dollars to fund the
construction of apedestrian-activated light and
crosswalk at the entrance to Hominy Valley
Elementary on Enka Lake Road in Candler. This
crossing will be a part of the Hominy Creek/EnkaCandler Greenway as approved in September 2012
in the Buncombe County Greenways and Trails
Master plan.
Hominy Valley Safe Routes has worked
collaboratively with the local Active Routes to
School Coordinator and Healthy Buncombe to build
a complete SRTS program. The program has
sustained continued growth in three bike to school
days delivering 40, 35, and 52 riders to school. The
fourth event, held October 8, 2014, resulted in over
80 students walking to school as part of the Walk to
School Day.
We are exciting to help Hominy Valley reach their
$8500 goal. If you are interested in donating to this
project, visit our website at
www.weconnectbuncombe.org/Safe-Routes.
Together we can make a difference!
This is a vital portion of the schoolʼs Safe Routes
program because it will allow them to promote
walking and biking to school on a regular basis.
Currently, they must rely on law enforcement to
safely walk or bike to school.
Friends of Connect Buncombe Board Positions
We currently have two vacant positions available on our board. If you are interested in
applying, please submit an application by October 31st to Marcia Bromberg at
mwbromberg@yahoo.com. We are a working board and are looking for colleagues to join our
active board. For more information and application click on the following link:
www.weconnectbuncombe.org/Board-Positions.
A slate of new board members will be offered, voted on, and announced at our annual meeting,
November 19th at the Comfort Suites Hotel at 890 Brevard Road. Meeting time is 4:30-6:30 p.m.
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We couldnʼt have done it without you!
Crowdfunding Campaign a Success
On June 1st, Friends of Connect Buncombe launched their first crowdfunding campaign,
Greenways to Trails, to raise $20,000 as matching funds for a County grant application for
a feasibility study of Greenways connecting the French Broad River Greenway to the
Farmer's Market, Arboretum and Bent Creek Trails and Biltmore Park. The campaign
has been a great success and the $20,000 fundraising goal met!
FoCB is proud to be partner with Buncombe County on this project and looks forward to
more collaborative efforts to support the implementation of the Greenways and Trails
Master Plan.
Friends of Connect Buncombe is grateful for all of the community support from
businesses and individuals who donated to our first project. "We are thrilled to welcome all
of our new members to FoCB. Our crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a feasibility study was our
first community outreach effort and you responded with enthusiasm. We look forward to having your
input and ideas for developing greenways as we go forward!" Ann Babcock, President.
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Weʼre Growing Fast! Welcome To All of Our Members
Ann Babcock
Tom & Cathy Byers
Julie White
Lucy Crown
David Tuck
Craig Friederich
Donald Kostelec
Wilson Sims
Bobbie Powers
John Grace
Sean Perry
Tricia Johnson
Linda Giltz
Asheville Outlets
Neil Battle
Bill Pomeroy
Carol Stephenson
Andrea Fey
Bill Swarts
Andrew Bednarzik
Robbie Sweetser
Brenda Pike
Harmony Motors
Brotherhug Barlow
Janna Gower
Dave Charlton
Donald Hewitt
Suzanne Molloy
Jack McLean
Susan Roderick
Heather Seltzer
Jody Whitehurst
Tracey Armstrong
Renee McNerhany
Richard Kark
Paula Robbins
Richard Elwyn
Victor Dostrow
Jan MacGregor
Sylvia Kark
Cynthia Decker
Gwen Edwards
Lyobov Zuyeva
Laura Birchett
Rick Philips
Cara Applegate
Keiran Roe
Janet Ledder
Jack Albrecht
Steve Garrison
Michael Squires
Edward Moreadith
Richard Kark
Blake Sanders
Claudia Nix
Dwayne & Sara Stutzman
Tom Burnet
Fran & Doug Thigpen
Matthew Hutchins
Evelyn & Dick Ellis
Janet Kahan
Robert Orr
Mary Lou Surgi
Rod & Bess Baird
Bryan Mitchell
Craig Mosely
Terry Albrecht
Eric Walburgh
Melvin Scholl
Karen McNeill Saielli
Ted & Terry Van Duyn
Sue Adams
David L Brown
Thomas Fanslow
Florence Sharp
George Bauernfeind
Asheville Track Club
Bonnie Parker
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Keith Olbrantz
Sandra Norman
Kimberly Williams
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Marcia Bromberg
Doug Dearth
Ed & Peggy Sheary
Garrett Arts
Mary Weber
Blue Ridge Bike Club
Marjorie Zack
Anne & Jim Stokely
John Kiffmeyer
J Stephen Downey
James Eccleston
Thomas Miller
Jim Grode
Katherine Rose
Nathan Killeen
Oscar & Alma Wong
Karen Fulmer-Scales
Ann Babcock
Motion Makers Bicycle
Stuart Rohrbaugh
Jack Igleman
Deborah Compton
Jim Barkley Toyota
Jim Siemens
Liberty Bikes
WNC Bike Dealers
Paramount Kia of Asheville
Thanks to all of our
Sponsors
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