Farm disaster relief expert to speak Nov. 2

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) is offering a training session for farmers on accessing disaster relief programs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 2, at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Center in Fletcher.

This workshop is designed to guide farmers through the process of accessing currently available relief funds and help them be better prepared to access relief programs in the case of any future disasters.

The presenters will include: Scott Marlow, a nationally-recognized expert on disaster relief for farms from the Rural Advancement Foundation International based in Pittsboro, and Kelly Springs, Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania County Executive Director for the USDA Farm Service Agency. Marlow and Springs will be available to consult individually with growers and service providers who have further questions about the disaster relief programs discussed.

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service is hosting and co-sponsoring the meeting. This program is free of charge due to funds received earlier in the year at a public benefit hosted by Earth Fare. Call the ASAP office at 828.236.1282 to reserve a lunch at no cost.

SCC Health Fair to benefit Community Table

Southwestern Community College’s Health Fair on Nov. 8 will include a food drive for the Community Table.

Participants attending the event are asked to bring canned goods to be donated to the Community Table, which serves restaurant-style meals to those in need. Sponsored by SCC nursing students, the health fair will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Balsam Center on SCC’s Jackson County Campus.

There will be blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checks provided by SCC nursing students. There will also be information on protection from unwanted infections. Information booths will provide materials on everything from diabetes to proper hand washing techniques.

Help prevent junk, trash and ugliness

The Macon County League of Women Voters of Macon County will sponsor a program on “Junk, Trash, and Ugliness” beginning at 12:15 p.m. on Nov. 8 in the Tartan Hall of the First Presbyterian Church in Franklin.

Haywood County planner Kris Boyd will explain that county’s junk car ordinance, how it was developed, how its working for them, and how it’s enforced. Macon County planner Stacy Guffey will discuss existing local and state regulations and how they are applied. There will also be information about about a volunteer junk clean-up program in Transylvania County.

Lunch is available at noon, by reservation. Call 828.524.5192. The public is invited.

Floodplain protection discussed for Pigeon River

Landowners are invited to attend a public meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, to discuss several efforts to support floodplain protection in the Upper Pigeon River Valley.

During the meeting, landowners from Bethel, Cruso, and other nearby communities will learn about a draft plan to prioritize some of these floodplain lands for voluntary, long-term protection. Landowners will also find out about several tools to protect these lands, as well as two funding sources that will soon be available to assist with long-term protection of specific properties.

“By protecting our floodplains, we can also protect our farming heritage, water quality, and the rural character of the Upper Pigeon River Valley,” said Ted Carr, president of the Bethel Rural Community Organization.

Funding to support these planning and outreach efforts has been provided by grants from the Pigeon River Fund and the North Carolina Division of Water Resources. Additional partners include Haywood County, the Haywood Soil and Water Conservation District, the Southwestern NC RC&D Council, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Haywood Community College, Haywood Waterways Association, and others.

The meeting will take place in the fellowship hall of Bethel Presbyterian Church on Sonoma Road near Bethel Middle School. Light refreshments will be served. For more information contact George Ivey at georgeivey@earthlink.net or 828.648.2710.

HRMC department makes transition to paperless system

The Haywood Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Department became the first department at the hospital to totally transition from a paper to an electronic environment for Inpatient Rehabilitation Services (physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and wound care), completing the task on Sept. 24.

One goal of the transition was to streamline reporting processes by only presenting information relevant to the physicians and other clinicians providing patient care. Some other benefits of the transition are: a more efficient report review process; increased legibility and the data is stored in Patient Care Inquiry and can be retrieved anywhere there is Meditech access.

The expected outcome will include enhanced patient safety and satisfaction, hospital officials say.

“EMR facilitates a more accurate patient encounter, assisting in more timely and effective care,” said Chuck Nettles, director of Rehabilitation Services.

WestCare holds ‘Wee Care’ fundraiser Nov. 3

WestCare Health System volunteers, students, and community members will host a craft fair fundraiser in support of the new “Wee Care” Childcare Center to be held Nov. 3.

Crafters are needed to participate in the fair. Crafters are asked to complete an application for a 10-foot-by-10-foot space with a $10 registration fee. A donation of 25 percent of the day’s profits from each crafter is requested. There will be food and drinks and a 50/50 raffle drawing. The craft fair will raise funds for playground equipment at the new center, which will be built on Skyland Drive next to the Harris Regional Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Shop.

The plan is to open in early 2008 with the ability to care for approximately 60 children. As health care continues to change and WestCare strives to attract professional staff, childcare is a top issue. For more information contact Carol Douglas at 828.586.7405.

Mountain Projects seeks land for affordable housing

Mountain Projects, a Community Action Agency serving Haywood and Jackson counties, is seeking community assistance to identify at least 5 acres of property with water and sewer for development of an apartment complex for working families with limited incomes.

According to Mountain Projects Executive Director, Patsy Dowling, affordable housing options have become a critical need for lower wage earners of working families in Haywood County.

“We are fortunate to have a lot of great landlords in the County who work with us on the Section 8 rental assistance program, however more help is needed,” Dowling said.

According to information Dowling uses from the Living Wage Calculator webpage, the living wage for two adults and two children is $18.54 per hour. With the minimum wage at $6.15 an hour, many cannot afford housing.

Mountain Projects, in collaboration with GEM Management Company, would like to explore applying for funding that would provide the necessary funds to construct a 48unit complex somewhere in Haywood County. Some options are currently available, but with a year-end deadline nearing, the agency would like to have multiple options. According to Dowling, the funds are very competitive. Property is ranked and awarded points in several categories. Getting the most points possible is the key in obtaining funding. “That is why options are needed so we can assess the best possible site before submitting the application.”

Anyone with information about available land should contact Dowling at 828.452.1447 or by e-mail pdowling@mountainprojects.org.

HRMC raises money for Hospice, surgery centers

Haywood Regional Medical Center Foundation hosted a meeting last week at the Maggie Valley Club to update donors and potential donors on its Caring for Our Community fund-raising campaign.

Two projects are included in the current campaign: a new Hospice and End-of-Life Care Center, which will cost $3 million; and a surgery and outpatient services center, which will cost an estimated $16.5 million. The goal of the HRMC Foundation is to raise $2 million within five years for the hospice building and $4 million for the new surgery building.

Haywood Regional Medical Center Hospice has seen an 80 percent increase in patients served during the last five years, said Jenny Williams, HRMC Hospice program coordinator. Requests for services have increased by 22 percent since 2006, she said.

The hospice center will be built in two phases, with the first phase addressing the immediate needs of patients and their families during end-of-life experiences, said Dr. Michael Pass, HRMC Hospice medical director.

The second phase will provide an inpatient facility to provide hospice care.

“Fifty-three percent of our patients choose not to die at home,” Pass said. The N.C. Division of Facility Services has allocated six beds for hospice care at Haywood Regional Medical Center, he said.

An estimated $1.5 million will be needed for the first phase, of which $1 million has been received in donations to date, Pass said.

“We need $500,000 more before we can begin breaking ground for the center,” he said.

Medical center officials hope to begin work on the new surgery and outpatient services center by late 2008, said Eileen Lipham, HRMC vice president of professional services.

For information contact the HRMC Foundation, 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, N.C., 28721, or call 828.454.9340.