Local briefs: Tryon St. Patrick's Day Parade, Everything Greenway Day set
Tryon St. Patrick's Day Parade set
TRYON - The Tryon St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set for 4:30 p.m. March 17, with the route going along Trade Street from Rogers Park to Morris the Horse, according to a news release. Now in its second year, there will also be the return of the popular "Best Dog Costume," with a first-place prize of $100.
Parade participants are as follows:
Kevin Sprouls Bagpiper
Fraternus, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
American Legion Post 250
Parade Princess Cailin Bennett and Her Court of Irish Lasses
Little Detroit Car Club
Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance
Steps to Hope
The Sanctuary at Red Bull Run Equines
Pope St. Pius V Lay Dominicans
Esther Neonatal Kitten Alliance
Tryon International Film Festival
Local Fiddlers & Leprechauns
Red Fox Hibernians
“Paddy Pooches” Costumed Canine Contingent
Polk County High School Orchestra
Tryon & Columbus Fire Departments
Following the parade, there will be Irish entertainment taking place on the public square in front of Tryon’s Clock Tower, the release said.
“This is our second year in staging the Parade,” said Parade co-founder and presenting sponsor Peg Brunk in the news release. “I’m from Chicago and St. Patrick’s Day is a big celebration there, so we thought it would be fun to bring the party to the Foothills.”
Presenting sponsors include The Knights of Columbus Council 9492, Suzanne Devane of Asheville Realty Group, MDB Counseling Services and the Tryon Downtown Development Association.
More details can be found on the Parade’s Facebook page by typing Tryon NC St Patrick’s Day Parade in the Facebook search field.
Everything Greenway Day to be held on St. Patrick's Day
The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway will hold Everything Greenway Day from 5-7 p.m. March 17 at Oklawaha Brewing, located at 147 First Avenue East in Hendersonville. According to a news release, representatives from present and future area greenways will be there to talk about their proposed routes and answer questions.
A formal presentation will begin at 5:15 p.m. with a rendition of the Oklawaha Song, performed by the Oklawaha Singers. At 5:30 p.m., each representative will have a chance to update the audience about their trail. The represented greenways include: The Friends of the Ecusta Trail, the Saluda Grade Trail, the Clear Creek Greenway, the Hellbender Trail, Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway and Henderson County’s Greenway Master Plan.
“It will be great to have all of the present and future greenway professionals and advocates in one place; kind of a one-stop shopping experience for greenway enthusiasts,” said organizer Katie Breckheimer in the release. “People can see how bright our future looks, having so many of these linear parks available for off-road walking and biking. So much of our focus is on the Ecusta Trail these days, people may not know about the other trails being planned.”
Everything Greenway Day is part of a month-long fundraising benefit for The Friends of the Oklawaha Greenway. Through the generosity of owner/brewer Joe Dinan, the greenway Friends group will receive a portion of all pint sales during the month of March. Money raised will help fund their new Birding Trail and Native Plant Garden.
“Friday, March 17is St Patrick’s Day. There’s not a better day to come downtown to the Oklawaha Brewery and have a beer with friends. Plus, you’ll get to learn about area greenways while you’re there,” said Sauzanne Hale, chair of the Friends group. “Don’t forget to wear green.”
To find out more, go to friendsofoklawaha.org or oklawahabrewing.com.
Program on the NC Urban Forest Council to be held March 21
The Hendersonville Tree Board is hosting a program about the NC Urban Forest Council at 5 p.m. March 21 in the auditorium of the Henderson County Public Library.
According to a news release, the program is to inform citizens about the work of the NC Urban Forest Council, which is a group that preserves and nourishes urban forests in cities and towns across the state. Mark Foster, arborist for the City of Asheville and former chair of the Council, will speak about the purpose, projects and programs of the state’s Urban Forest Council and how it can assist the area's growing community to preserve tree canopy.
The program is sponsored by Hendersonville Tree Board and is open to the public at no charge.
“We know that the housing boom we’re experiencing in Hendersonville is not unique,” said Tree Board chair Mac Brackett in the release. “Advice and experience from such organizations as the NC Urban Forest Council can assist us all – homeowners, developers, and government leaders – to help protect our urban forests. So we are looking forward to hearing more about the Council and Mr. Foster’s experiences in fast-growing Asheville.”
Hendersonville Tree Board is commissioned by the City of Hendersonville to provide advice on the selection and care of trees and shrubs and to provide information concerning the economic and aesthetic benefits of trees and shrubs for the community. The Arbor Day Foundation has recognized Hendersonville as a Tree City USA for 30 years because of its high level of tree care.
To learn more about Hendersonville Tree Board and its projects, visit http://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/tree-board.
Bulk leaf collection to continue through March
According to a news release, the City of Hendersonville’s spring bulk leaf collection for city residents will continue throughout the month of March. This is a service automatically provided to city residents and they do not need to call to request leaf pick-up.
Residents should not bag their leaves, the release said. They need to rake leaves as close to the street, curb or sidewalk as possible without placing the leaves in the roadway or on the sidewalk. Keeping leaf piles out of the roadways and sidewalks helps prevent them from being washed down to the storm drain which can cause flooding.
This leaf collection process is separate from brush collection crews; therefore, residents will need to keep their brush and leaves in separate piles during the month of March until spring bulk leaf collection is complete. Leaf piles are picked up from homes approximately every seven business days, but, depending on the volume of leaves placed out for collection, the piles could be picked up sooner or later than that time, the release said.
The City of Hendersonville has also scheduled its seasonal mulch giveaway program to begin on March 23. Mulch will be available for pick up from 3-7 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays and from 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays. This schedule will continue until early May, or until the material is gone. The mulch will be distributed at the old Wastewater Treatment Plant located at 80 Balfour Road in Hendersonville.
In addition to the mulch, the City will be offering composted leaves as a separate material. These leaves were collected during previous leaf collection events, ran through a grinder and composted for a year. Free mulch and free leaf compost are intended for non-commercial, residential use. Dump trucks will not be filled, and contractors will not be provided with either type of material for reselling or commercial use.
More information on these programs is available at www.hendersonvillenc.gov or by contacting the Public Works Department at (828) 697-3084.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Local briefs: Tryon St. Patrick's Day Parade, Everything Greenway Day set
