Make a Difference for Army Reservists and their families

The 357^th Engineer Support Company (ESC) Family Readiness Group is looking for volunteers to serve in roles ranging from quarterly wellness telephone calls, special event assists, to quarterly newsletter contributors. Volunteers can choose the positions they want, are trained for their roles, determine the number of hours they want to donate and receive documentation for their volunteer hours.

The 357^th ESC Family Readiness Group goals includes supporting the military mission through provision of support, outreach, and information to Family members. FRGs play an integral part in the Family and Soldier Readiness System (FSRS).

Please call Tiffany Contreras or SSG Contreras at the Volunteer office at 350-4971 for more information on how you can contribute to your community!

Course for expanding businesses begins October 11th

Mountain BizWorks announces a second offering of its new course, MODELS: Improving Money-Making Ideas. The course is part of Shifting Gears, Mountain BizWorks’ series of business expansion courses for existing business owners.

MODELS: Improving Money-Making Ideas, is a three-session course that will run October 11th, 18th and 25th from 3:00 to 5:30 pm at the Mountain BizWorks office: 153 S. Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. The course fee is $270, with a discount available to each additional participant from the same business.

From a restaurant owner who wants to add a catering service, to a product manufacturer who is considering the addition of special-order products, any type of business that is considering expansion – large or small – will benefit from this course.

Any business that is considering expanding needs to understand two basic things: how will this expansion make money, and what actions will make that expansion happen? MODELS: Improving Money-Making Ideas will lead participants through the steps of developing a business model that defines the internal and external elements of a business, the relationships between them, and how that business will make money. Participants will leave the course with a plan for how to move their business forward.

This is the second time Mountain BizWorks has offered MODELS: Improving Money-Making Ideas. Students in the first course (which took place in June) found the course to be “very informative” and full of “great advice,” and they “appreciated the amount of material and the organized manner in which it was presented.” They also found the instructor to be “knowledgeable and engaging.” One participant said the course “really helped me clarify and organize all the different aspects of our business, despite our highly diversified offering.”

The course will be taught by Mountain BizWorks’ Director of Consulting, Bob Dunn. Bob has over 30 years of experience in advising hundreds of entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporate executives in a wide variety of industries. Bob is passionate about helping small businesses adopt best practices for durable success.

Meals on Wheels Fall Feast - October 25th

Meals On Wheels of Asheville and Buncombe County (MOW-ABC) will be holding its Fall Feast fundraiser on Thursday, October 25, 2012.  

Each year, MOW-ABC takes lunch orders from local businesses, schools and government offices across Buncombe County.  For $12 each (minimum 5 orders), MOW-ABC will deliver a hot, barbeque lunch complete with 2-sides, dessert and a drink.  It’s a great way to treat your employees, co-workers and customers to a delicious lunch while supporting the work of Meals On Wheels here in Buncombe County. 

This year’s barbeque partner is Okie Dokie’s Smokehouse in Black Mountain, and RC Cola of Asheville will be providing the drinks.  Online order forms can be found at www.mowabc.org with the last day to order 10/19/12.  Only 1,200 orders will be sold.  For more information, call Terri Bowman @ (828)253-5286.

Money Magazine names First Citizens Bank one of America's 10 Best Banks

Money magazine has named Raleigh, N.C.-headquartered First Citizens one of the 10 Best Banks in America in its October issue, which is on newsstands now.

First Citizens is one of four institutions from the "Midsize" category included in the top 10, and the magazine singled out the bank for its good checking account options.

"We're honored to receive this recognition. This accolade is a testament to our company's dedication to providing our customers with the quality financial products and services they want from their bank today," said Frank B. Holding Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of First Citizens Bank. "I especially applaud our associates who work diligently to ensure our clients achieve their business and personal goals and who help to make this bank one of the best in the nation."

The magazine's 10 Best Banks are broken down into three groupings: National Banks (more than $50 billion in deposits), Midsize/Regional and Specialty Accounts. First Citizens is one of four Midsize/Regional top performers.

For its second annual banking survey, Money analyzed banks and looked at data related to deposit size, number of branches, performance in independent customer service studies and checking, savings and CD account terms.

The ranking is one more accolade in the First Citizens' collection of multiple national awards, including:

• Ninth-place ranking in Forbes 2012 Best Banks in America ranking
• Second-place ranking in the Southeast Region in J.D. Power and Associates' 2012 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study
• One of two top winners of 2012 Greenwich Excellence Awards for small business and middle market banking
• Superior Five Star Rating from BauerFinancial Inc. of Coral Gables, Fla. (Bauerfinancial.com)

LaZoom's Haunted Tours beef up for Halloween

Thomas Wolfman and Ghoulish Gary welcome Helena Handbasket to their Haunted Tours! As if these characters weren't already wreaking havoc all over the city, they have brought in a little feminine support, if you can call her that.

Lazoom's newest Haunted tour guide, helena Handbasket, has come straight from the depths of the French Broad River. Get on the bus and help her scour the town for delectable or dateable bags of flesh. Come ejoy her comically creepy take on the haunted side of Asheville. 

LaZoom is known as Asheville's wildest ride, providing hilarious and historic comedy bus tours for adults only, as well as for the whole family! For more information contact LaZoom Tours at annelazoome@gmail.com or call (828) 225-6932. Office hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10 am to 8:30 pm, and Sundays, 10 am to 2 pm.

RiverLink offering free educational opportunities to students

With a new school year underway brings the opportunity to get watershed educational lessons back in the classroom.  RiverLink provides FREE environmental education to all students in the French Broad River Watershed. 

  

Whether it is exploring the neighborhood creek for macroinvertebrates, learning about the water cycle, or touring the city's water treatment plant, now is the time to schedule your program for this semester.  All programs involve hands-on activities, experiential learning, and coincide with the NC Standard Course of Study. 

Please email RiverLink's Education Coordinator, Nikki Bauman, at education@riverlink.org to schedule a program.  Or, visit http://www.riverlink.org/k12watershed.asp for detailed descriptions and more information on the different lessons offered.