Home Care In Hendersonville, NC

Mike Morgan, the chief communications officer for Henderson County, gave an update on March 7 on three major construction projects happening in the county, and he said all three are right on schedule, with one even ahead of schedule.

Fletcher EMS Station No. 6 is expected to be completed first around mid-May. The Veterans Services Building will be finished next, according to Henderson County Business and Development Director Chris Todd, who said the project is on track to be done in July. The final major project is the Hendersonville portion of the Ecusta Trail, which is expected to be completed by December.

Fletcher EMS Station No. 6

This new station is located next to Fletcher Elementary School and is a four-bay EMS station. The Henderson County Board of Commissioners voted last year to use $3.1 million of the county's America Rescue Plan Act funds for the project.

Construction began in the fall of 2023 and was expected to be complete in the summer of 2024. Henderson County Director of Facilities Services Andrew Griffin said the goal is to have this completed about a month ahead of schedule in mid-May.

More:5 questions for Henderson County heading into 2024

"This is a great project that had a lot of working pieces on it between the school system and Henderson County. We're just glad to be able to bring this to the people in Fletcher," Griffin said.

Currently, the EMS team assigned to this station works during the daytime hours out of the Fletcher Fire Station. When the new station is completed, a 24-hour truck stationed in Fletcher will have access to the amenities it needs.

Veterans Services Building

Todd said crews have gutted almost everything in the old Veterans Services Building, located at North Main Street, which was the home of Hedrick-Rhodes VFW Post 5206. He said they did make one major exception.

"We did keep the floor, the old original dance floor on the second story, and we're thrilled, because that's going to be a part of this project to bring it back to life," he said.

The groundbreaking for the $4.7 million renovation was held in July 2023. The original structure was built in 1948 and held meals, socials and dances for World War II veterans. The county acquired the building in April 2021 for $35,635 with ARP funds.

"Other than the old floor, what we have around it is a brand-new building," Todd said. "We've got a new floor plan. We've got four offices in here for veterans services. We've got some meeting rooms for the community, and we preserved that large dance hall area as much as we can, while making the bathrooms a little bit bigger upstairs so the community has a great place to gather and come."

Crews are also putting in a new parking lot, Todd said.

"The project is on track and on budget and should be completed in July," he said.

Hendersonville portion of the Ecusta Trail

Henderson County Engineer Marcus Jones said Phase 1 of the Ecusta Trail, which will run from downtown Hendersonville to Horse Shoe, should be completed by December. When the entire Ecusta Trail is finished, it will be 19.1 miles long and connect Hendersonville with Brevard.

"Currently, the contractor, NHM, is working on installing cross-drainage pipes, grading ditches so they'll have positive drainage and working on the bridge structures, the abutments for the bridges," he said. "Things are coming along nicely."

More:Answer Man: Will pedestrians be safe with oncoming traffic on the new Ecusta Trail?

Groundbreaking for this portion of the trail was held in October 2023 at the Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville. The first 6-mile stretch of the trail will start in downtown Hendersonville, go through the town of Laurel Park and end at Battle Creek off U.S. 64 in Horse Shoe. The second phase in Henderson County is still in the planning stages, and that will take the trail to the Transylvania County line.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.

NC aquarium says a stingray is due to give birth after being impregnated by a Bamboo Shark or pregnancy is something more miraculous

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. -- Charlotte the stingray started as a funny situation of "Oh, how could that happen?" The ECCO Hendersonville Aquarium and Shark Lab creature is pregnant with many not knowing how it happened since there are no male stingrays around her.

Theories from those working with the stingray include asexually reproducing, which is extremely rare.

Now, she's a national sensation.

She's being talked about on many platforms, and Hendersonville businesses are feeling the benefits of her popularity.

"It's just a buzz around the restaurant," Hannah Flanagan waitress Rachel Capps said. "We're all kind of wondering about her progress or if anyone's heard anything."

Millions of people across the country are wondering the same thing.

"There's a mystery unfolding at an aquarium in Hendersonville, North Carolina," Jimmy Kimmel said in a segment on the Feb. 13 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. "A biological mystery that blows anything we've seen on Maury Povich out of the water."

Kimmel, ABC News and TikTok are just some of the outlets talking about Charlotte's mysterious pregnancy.

And those working in downtown Hendersonville are hearing about it.

"The last two weekends have been a lot busier than I feel like we would normally be this time of year," Poe House owner Megan Fortado said. "You've seen it on Jimmy Kimmel and it's all over Facebook. It's made a big difference."

"I've had people from Ohio, Florida, all kinds of places are coming here," Capps said. "It's a small aquarium, but it's a big deal right now. I think that's great."

"When it gets busy, we say, 'Well, people must be coming to see Charlotte again,'" Black Bear Coffee Co. manager Rebecca Wray said.

Charlotte's 15 minutes of fame couldn't have come at a better time.

"Especially last year, it was one of the worst years most of us on Main Street have had," Fortado said.

What's usually a slow period before tourist season has Hendersonville business booming.

"The line out the door happens during the summertime," Wray said. "It's been fun to have that happen in February when we didn't quite expect it. We have been so busy."

"Our neighbors, West First Wood-Fired, were really busy the last two weekends," Fortado said. "With a lot of the families out, they explore the town and come to see what we have to offer. But, it's mainly for Charlotte."

While many can't wait to see Charlotte's pups, business owners are happy whenever that time comes.

"Hopefully, she can hold on as long as she can so that people keep coming," Fortado said. "Even after, I'm sure people will want to come see the pups."

"It's created a lot of talk around our little town," Wray added. "It's been awesome."

The aquarium is open to the public 1-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

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The Hendersonville Christmas Parade, held annually, establishes the perfect ambiance for the festive season. The event features the active participation of local businesses and organizations, culminating in a special appearance by the iconic Santa Claus. Immerse yourself in the evening parade, aglow with the enchanting radiance of holiday-themed Christmas lights.

Head over to Main Street Hendersonville to revel in the charming procession of floats and lively marching bands, and immerse yourself in the joyous holiday spirit. This event is hosted by the Hendersonville Merchants and Business Association.

2023 Hendersonville Christmas Parade Street Closures and Parking Information

On Saturday, December 2, the Hendersonville Christmas Parade organized by the Hendersonville Merchants & Business Association will be taking place in downtown Hendersonville. This year’s parade will take place in the evening starting at 6:00 PM.

The parade viewing area extends along Main Street from 5 Points to the Kanuga/Caswell Street intersection.

No parking will be allowed in the 100 block of Main Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in front of the Historic Courthouse starting at 11:00 AM. This block will be shut down at 12:00 PM to allow event organizers to set up.

No parking will be allowed after 3:00 PM on Main Street between 6th Avenue and Kanuga/Caswell. At 4:00 PM Main Street and the avenues will shut down to vehicle traffic to allow barricades to be set up. Before the parade begins, detours will divert traffic away from downtown. Parade staging will occur on Oakland Street, Bearcat Blvd as well as portions of Asheville Highway once the detours begin.

Parade Detours: • Motorists approaching the parade area will be directed to a detour route. • Southbound traffic traveling towards downtown on Asheville Hwy (US-25) will be diverted to Fleming St for Hwy 64 W and Church St connections • Commercial truck traffic traveling inbound on 4 Seasons Blvd (US-64) will be rerouted via Duncan Hill/Signal Hill to reach Asheville Hwy (US-25). • Immediately before the parade, South Main Street will close for the parade unloading areaThe streets will reopen approximately 30 minutes after the parade’s conclusion to allow attendees time to disperse.

Parking is available in city surface lots and the parking deck on 5th Avenue West. On December 2 the City Parking Deck will operate with special event rate pricing of $10. After 3:00 PM, anyone wishing to park in the parking deck should use the Church Street entrance to assist with traffic flow. Visit www.hvlnc.gov/parking for details.

Parade Route & Street Detours

For more information Visit the Hendersonville Merchants and Business Association Website

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to The Hendersonville Merchants Business Association at (828) 692-4179 or Sandra Walker, President (828) 702-6903 and Bessie Bright, VP (828) 388-1642.

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — The last time a major road in Hendersonville was given a makeover, it was Main Street about a decade ago.

The same thing is set to happen at the end of the month -- this time to Seventh Avenue. It’s set for a temporary, but full closure for the project’s start on Jan. 29.

“We’re excited to get it going,” Hendersonville Community Development Director Lew Holloway said. “I think the vast majority of the business owners in the district are excited to get it going.”

The streetscape project’s focus will be on improving the stretch for pedestrians. Most of the work will take place on Seventh Avenue between Grove and Maple streets.

“Sewer lines, water lines, a lot of that kind of infrastructure will be replaced during this process,” Holloway said. “As you imagine, a lot of it’s old because the street is old.”

HENDERSONVILLE'S HISTORIC SEVENTH AVENUE SET FOR A $3.5 MILLION REVAMP IN 2024

Those renovations, and the full closure of Seventh Avenue will take place for three-four months, which is sure to affect business in the area.

“A full street closure in a business district is going to be very disruptive for business,” Independent Bean Roasters co-owner Matthew Hickman said. “That’s a fact.”

However, property and business owners see the positives of the final product.

“I couldn’t be happier with the final design,” Hickman said. “This is going to be a huge improvement. The look and the feel of Seventh Avenue will resonate beyond the district.”

NEW BRANDING, INCLUDING LOGOS, UNVEILED FOR HENDERSONVILLE'S HISTORIC 7TH AVENUE DISTRICT

Hickman, who’s part of the Seventh Avenue Advisory Committee, said the city has been transparent and clear about its plans to not just improve the road in a timely fashion, but also help businesses as much as possible.

And the owners already have ideas to take their sales beyond Seventh.

“We might go down a block here from the plaza and do a pop-up market where people can get to us,” Hickman said. “We can have our own mini market set up.”

7TH AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS WANT THEIR HISTORY INCLUDED IN REVITALIZATION PLANS

Once the full closure period ends, partial closings could happen for another three-four months. The entire project is slated to be completed by the end of 2024.

“The consensus is that we’re ready for this to happen,” Hickman said. “This is the right time, and let’s get it done. This is going to be a huge improvement for the district. We are downtown, and we’re proud of that, but we’re different. Just wait and see.

A public input meeting is set to take place about the project from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Historic Railroad Depot.

HENDERSONVILLE - They are the early bloomers of every spring season, and their white blossoms are signs that winter is just about over.

According to an article from the North Carolina State University Extension Forestry, the Bradford pear tree is considered an invasive species, which smells of rotten fish, breaks easily during storms and outcompetes native trees.

The Bradford pears' blooms can be seen popping up in early March all throughout Henderson County, and the Hendersonville Tree Board is looking to help stop the trees from taking over. According to a news release, the board is joining in a statewide program called N.C. Bradford Pear Bounty, which purpose is to remove Bradford pears and provide replacement trees for homeowners willing to participate.

More:The Curse of the Bradford Pear

“This is a unique program to help stop the spread of what has become an invasive tree species — the Bradford pear,” Mary Davis, Hendersonville Tree Board member and local coordinator of this event, said in the release. “The Tree Board has stepped up to work with the statewide agencies to sponsor the Bradford Pear Bounty locally. Volunteers are needed to help distribute replacement trees on May 4, so we’re inviting folks to sign up to help out.”

According to the release, residents can receive replacement trees at no charge when they remove up to five Bradford Pear trees on their property. Registration for the program is underway, and the pickup date for replacement trees is scheduled for 9-11 a.m. May 4 at Hendersonville Operations Center, 305 Williams St.

More:Bradford pears: Sometimes Arbor Day is for cutting trees

More:Updates on 3 major construction projects in Henderson County

The N.C. Bradford Pear Bounty program is a collaborative program between the N.C. Cooperative Extension, the N.C. Urban Forestry Council, the N.C. Forest Service and the N.C. Wildlife Federation, which aims to eliminate these trees that are “invasive, weak, annoying and stinky,” according to program organizers.

Online pre-registration is required and available at www.treebountync.com. There is also a list on the website of several local tree-care service providers offering discounts for those participating in the program.

Tree removal is the homeowner’s responsibility. Before-and-after photos must be brought to the May 4 event. If the tree was not flowering when cut, an additional photo with a close up of the leaves or bark is required. Replacement trees are free, native, and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

One native tree is exchanged for each Bradford Pear tree removal. Up to five trees can be exchanged. Below is a list of typical native trees available.

To learn more about the Bradford Pear Bounty program and/or to register to participate go to www.treebountync.com. To volunteer to help at the event on May 4, email Mary Davis at [email protected] by May 1. To learn more about Hendersonville Tree Board and its projects, visit http://www.hendersonvillenc.gov/tree-board.

Dean Hensley is the news editor for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him with tips, questions and comments at [email protected]. Please help support this kind of local journalism with a subscription to the Hendersonville Times-News.