Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care welcomes new medical director

 

Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care is pleased to announce that Dr. Elizabeth T. McCarty assumes the role of medical director on June 1, 2017. With more than 20 years of experience, Dr. McCarty has been a physician with Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care since 2009. In her role as medical director, Dr. McCarty will provide guidance for the medical professionals at all five Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care locations.

Dr. McCarty will move into the position previously held by Dr. Ellen Lawson.  Dr. Lawson will continue to work with Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care’s international relief work, an effort that she founded after the tragic earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010.

CEO Tim Johnston says, “Dr. Beth McCarty continues the level of leadership excellence established by Dr. Ellen Lawson, and we’re very pleased to welcome Dr. McCarty to her new role.”

Dr. McCarty brings a strong foundation in emergency medicine. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine. After completing her undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. McCarty went on to earn her MD from Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University where she received the George Podgorny Award for achievement, excellence, and dedication in Emergency Medicine. She completed her residency in Charlotte at Carolinas Medical Center.

Grovewood Gallery debuts new exhibit of contemporary landscapes

Grovewood Gallery in Asheville is pleased to announce the opening of Southern Migrations: Five Years in Asheville, a solo exhibition of contemporary landscape paintings by Michigan-based artist Shawn Krueger, on view from July 15 – August 20, 2017. An opening reception with the artist in attendance will take place Saturday, July 15 from 2 – 5pm (free and open to the public).
 

Shawn Krueger is a painter whose work sits comfortably in both the American Arts and Crafts and Tonalism movements. Traditional methods and an awareness of history are important to the artist. Krueger says "I consider myself a contemporary artist, by virtue of having breath and a pulse in the year 2017, but my approach to the work definitely hearkens back to Barbizon, to the Hudson River School and even the Dutch Masters." 

Krueger has been quietly becoming a fixture in the Asheville art scene...which is rather remarkable given that the artist lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He says, “I've been making pilgrimages to Asheville for five years now, either to deliver work to a gallery or specifically to paint. It's in my blood now." Mood and a sense of place are the focus for Krueger in his paintings, and the majority of his pieces for this exhibition were begun outdoors, on-site in the Asheville area. 

When asked what draws him to Western North Carolina, Krueger says, "It's obviously beautiful here and I'm a painter who thrives on creating a mood and a sense of mystery in my work. In the Midwest, one generally has to coax this out of a scene. Here, you have such depth and moodiness to your landscape as is, and I'm able to concentrate on what's before me, rather than think about it as something I might want to try and improve upon."

Krueger also showcases his work at the annual National Arts and Crafts Conference each February at the Omni Grove Park Inn and is a member of the Roycroft Artisan Guild.

RiverLink receives $50,000 match for Annual Fund

RiverLink, the non-profit catalyst for environmental and economic vitality of the French Broad River, has received a $50,000 grant from an anonymous donor. It is the largest individual gift to support their annual campaign in the 31 year-old organization’s history.

Made in honor of Karen Cragnolin, RiverLink’s founding executive director, the grant will match, dollar-for-dollar, contributions to RiverLink’s $250,000 annual fund campaign that runs until June 30. “The grant honors Karen’s legacy,” said Garrett Artz who was appointed executive director last September.

“We are especially grateful to the donor,” said Peter Sprague, co-chair of RiverLink’s campaign. “Not only is it fine testimony to the importance of RiverLink to the future of the river and the region, it also doubles the value of gifts to the fund drive.” The campaign helps fund river improvement projects undertaken by the organization’s 1,700 volunteers.

RiverLink has secured and is managing more than $1.6 million in funding for projects that enhance and protect the quality of the French Broad River Watershed. Among them is a $310,000 grant from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund to develop a model storm water management project at Givens Estates in South Asheville. The model will help improve handling of run-off from hillside real estate development in steep slope areas.

Recently RiverLink completed a $400,000 dollar project at New Belgium Brewery to control storm water and has completed a watershed management plan for Smith Mill Creek in West Asheville. Results of soils tests at Karen Cragnolin Park are expected in the near future.

In addition, RiverLink received accreditation as a Land Trust last year to hold conservation easements on land critical to the French Broad’s health. “Most of our work,” says Artz, “will focus on relatively small parcels of land that will make a direct impact on water quality along the River and its tributaries.”

As part of its efforts to enhance the quality of the river, RiverLink is actively engaged in environment education for school children in the watershed. During 2016-2017 school year, the organization reached over 3500 students with hands on and classroom education lessons that promote an understanding of water quality.

For more information about RiverLink and its programs, contact Suzanne Moore, Development Manager, (828) 252-8474 x12, suzanne@riverlink.org ; check out riverlink.org, or follow us on Twitter, @RiverLink