Around Town 1

Tool Library Opening

Skillful craftsmen (and women!) gathered at the brand-new Tool Library in Asheville’s South Slope district to formally kick off this exciting new venture. The Tool Library’s mission is to provide tools at low or no cost to citizens and local community organizations; they also opportunities for members to become more deeply engaged in home maintenance bike and automotive repair, garden projects, community work days, art projects and creative experimentation, business incubation, and projects just for fun. While this may seem like a bunch of work, the Opening Party was all smiles, with participants enjoying great local music, food, and the company of their crafty neighbors. With an extensive inventory and knowledgeable staff, memberships (which range from $50-$150 per year) are well worth the cost. Check out ashevilletoollibrary.org to learn more.

Music Video Asheville

Music Video Asheville is an annual awards ceremony that showcases the collaborations between some of the area’s finest filmmakers, musicians and production professionals. 2016 marked the ninth year of the event, and it celebrated with an oh-so-glamorous theme: “Rolling Out The Red Carpet.” Indeed, honorees and their guests were not only treated to some well-deserved spotlight, but got a chance to showcase the very best of their fashion sense and camera poses. All together, this fabulous and creative community lit up the Diana Wortham Theater in downtown Asheville.

In order to be considered for a Music Video Asheville award, videos or films must focus on at least one musical artist currently residing within sixty miles of Buncombe County, and must contain at least one original song by the artist. Videos are judged by a panel of ten leading music and film professionals on a number of separate criteria. Interested artists are encouraged to send in their works when submissions for the 2017 awards — their ten-year anniversary! — open again, in January. All information about this, including a list of this year’s honorees, is available at musicvideoavl.com.

Into The Wild

This morning hiking and adventure activity at Catawba Falls featured teams and individual hikers completing trail hikes and missions, all followed by a celebration at the end. With routes and “quests” for every skill level, Into The Wild was a special way to kick off the hiking season. To make it even sweeter, all the fun was for a wonderful cause: proceeds from the Into The Wild went to TADSAW (Train A Dog, Save A Warrior), a nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans battling PTSD. For more information about TADSAW, including possible future events, visit tadsaw.org

Zaniac Learning

NASA Astronaut Dr. John B. Herrington  cut the ribbon to celebrate the Grand Opening of Zaniac Learning, a national STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) after-school enrichment center  at Biltmore Park Town Square. This free public event saw Dr. Herrington, a national STEM advocate, posing for pictures with future STEM professionals. The Grand Opening also offered a taste of what’s to come, with hands-on STEM activities for kids, a Moon Shot Toss, a scavenger hunt with prizes, refreshments and tours of the super-cool educational campus. Zaniac Learning offers programs and camps for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade to engage them in math and technology, and build self-confidence with creative problem-solving and team-building activities. More about this exciting new resource is available at zaniaclearning.com/asheville.