Volunteers Gather For United Way Day of Caring

A national call to volunteer, coupled with a combined effort of Asheville, Buncombe and United Way, brought more than 1,500 volunteers together Sept. 11 for a 'Day of Caring and Remembrance,' marking the beginning of the United Way annual fund-raising campaign, chaired by President K. Ray Bailey.

The event recognized the volunteers, announced the campaign's goal of almost $5.5 million and honored those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. The volunteers spent the day working with non-profits and public agencies on more than 140 projects ranging from construction and mural painting to administrative assistance.

"We remind ourselves of the spirit, the patriotism that developed as a result of the terrorist attacks and we will look at how we as a community can work together to help our nation remain strong," Bailey said.

At the event, 11 stars missing from the flag represented fallen heroes who were active members of their communities. "They volunteered for the Red Cross, they coached Little League. They delivered food for Meals on Wheels and they taught others how to read. They gave of their talents so that others could lead more fulfilling lives," Bailey said, adding they are shining examples of volunteerism. "We want to be a nation that serves goals larger than self."

The campaign is off to a strong start with more than $800,000 in pledges already in. "With this outstanding spirit of community support and our pledges received to date, I am confident we can meet and surpass this year's goal," Bailey said. The United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County supports 79 programs that provide services to 60,000 people annually, nearly one out of every three area residents. Return to top

Wilma Dykeman Tells Tales of The French Broad

Wilma Dykeman, author of The French Broad, meets some of her fans after her discussion in Ferguson Auditorium about her book, The French Broad, and the people who made it special.

Wilma Dykeman - educator, historian and author of 17 books - entertained an auditorium full of students, educators and area residents with humorous anecdotes of her book 'The French Broad,' its people and its history.

Born in Asheville, the author grew up on the French Broad and finally decided to write a book about it in 1955. She wrote a publishing company about her idea.

"I asked them if they'd like a book on the French Broad. I found out later that someone was going around the office saying, 'There's some woman down in Tennessee who thinks she can write a book about a French broad,'" Dykeman joked. "When they finally figured out the French Broad was a river, they told me, 'We don't wish to do a book about a minor river.' That's when I thought, I better educate them."

Her subsequent outline gained interest within the publishing company, which agreed to publish the book without the chapter on pollution. "That's when I decided to call that part 'Who killed the French Broad?' Maybe they'll think it's a murder mystery."

Dykeman said the company agreed to accept the pollution chapter, which she says has received more attention than any other, and the book, although written over 40 years ago, has never gone out of print.

"It's more than a book about a river. It's universally interesting and meaningful to other people," Dykeman said, adding the area's history is tied up in the river such as the Civil War, the Great Drives of livestock, the building of the railroad, the Big Boom and the Cherokee people.

Peeling away the layers of the book's theme, Dykeman shared excerpts from her book filled with real places like 'Warm Springs' (now 'Hot Springs') and characters like the Professor and the Hunter and High Sheriff Jesse James Bailey, whose great grandson was in the audience. "What a heritage you have," she told his great grandson. "Listen to every single word."

She said it took years of research as well as imagination to produce the book about what she calls "my French Broad ... this wonderful, rare region."

Wilma Dykeman's presentation was a part of Celebrating the French Broad River, a week long celebration sponsored by A-B Tech's Arts and Sciences Division. Some of the activities included river walks, art shows, regional story telling, discussions on water quality, and tours of the Smith-McDowell House, all followed by a pot luck lunch with live music. Return to top

A-B Tech Celebrates Opening Of Renovated Dental Clinic

Dental Instructor Sherry Shields, Trustee Mandy Stone, Trustee Harvey Haynes, Dean of Allied Health and Public Service Max Queen, Trustee and original member of Dental Programs Advisory Committee Dr. Joe Roberson (cutting ribbon), Trustee Owen Tilson, Chairperson Allied Dental Programs Shaun Tate, and Vice Chairman Board of Trustees Robert Edwards help usher in the newly renovated Dental Clinic.

A-B Tech unveiled a $750,000 renovation of its Allied Dental Clinic during an open house Sept. 5 in the Rhododendron Building.

President K. Ray Bailey awarded plaques and certificates to the 'fabulous five' - dentists who spearheaded fundraising efforts among their colleagues - as well as other dentists who allowed the college's faculty to use their offices during the renovation to provide clinical training to students.

A-B Tech has been western North Carolina's sole provider of dental assistants and dental hygienists for the past 30 years. More than 800 hygienists and assistants have graduated, most of whom have joined the local workforce. "Our programs have always been known for their standard of excellence," Bailey said. The renovation provides state-of-the-art equipment, allowing the college to increase enrollment in the dental programs by 25% and provide continuing education to the dental community.

"Now because of the passage of the 2000 Higher Education Bond Referendum and support from our partners in the dental community, we can prepare our students with the cutting edge technology they need," said Bailey, adding they hope to continue to raise money for additional equipment.

A-B Tech Trustee Dr. Joe B. Roberson, a member of the original advisory committee, talked about the program's history. Dr. Tim Gillespie described the impact of the programs on his own office, and Bill Murdock, executive director of the Eblen Foundation, spoke about an award-winning partnership with the dental programs and community organizations to provide sealants to third-graders at no cost.

Bailey also presented certificates and plaques to the 'fabulous five' - Dr. Timothy Gillespie, Dr. Joe Roberson, Dr. Barry Duncan, Dr. Joe Farrar and Dr. Robert Garren - as well as Dr. Bartoo Martin, Dr. Douglas Phillips, Dr. Kent Rogers, Dr. Richard Howell, Dr. Jeffrey Efird, Dr. Ken Manley, Dr. William P. Cave, the Buncombe County Health Department and Allied Dental Programs Chair Shaun Tate. Return to top

Those Amazing Flying Paramedics

Tony Scott, a Critical Care Emergency Medical Transport-Paramedic (CCEMT-P) from Loris, SC, wrote to President Bailey praising Keith Stephenson and the "exceptional" work he did preparing students for the Certified Flight Paramedic Review and Exam. He wrote that "the flight medic's review and exam was a very scary thing for me and the others as well, as it represents the ultimate achievement in paramedicine. Keith made it a pleasure and made sure there was no undue stress from unplanned snafus."

A-B Tech Employees' Son Peaks In Colorado

Business Computer Technology Adjunct Instructor John Saunders and Engineering and Applied Technology secretary Gaylen Saunders are proud to announce that their son John received the Faculty of the Year award at Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs, CO. John is an Assistant Instructor in Wilderness Studies.

A Thundering Achievement

Dean Hensley, a graduate of A-B Tech's Associate of Arts program, has recently completed his book When The Thunder Stopped: The History and End of Asheville Motor Speedway, published by Land of the Sky Books. "All of us who were fans of the storied track and its long list of drivers," Dean writes on the book jacket, " have an even longer list of memories about AMS and even other tracks that have been laid to rest in Western North Carolina. I hope reading this book will maybe bring those memories and the tracks back to life."

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