WNC Parent April 2011 by Stacey

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c o n t e n t s One week at a time This month’s features 3 Good eats

Tips for getting your family on a nutritious track.

6 Get moving

Ideas on how to get your kids off the couch and active.

10 Spring stress

End-of-year tests can cause anxiety in children.

14 Kids and weights

Brian Lawler explains the safe way for kids to weight train.

16 Fun outdoors

Owen High is home to the newest TRACK Trail from Kids in Parks.

18 Small gardens

Linda Blue offers tips on gardening in containers.

21 Kids eat free

Looking for dinner bargains? We round up the latest ones.

26 Egg season

Local kids have taken an interest in raising chickens for eggs.

30 Travel: Charleston

Take a look at the family friendly options in this historic town.

38 2011 Camp Guide

An addendum to our overnight and day camp listings.

When my daughter was small, our very wise pediatrician told us not to worry if she didn’t get a vegetable every single day, that it was nutritious eating over an entire week that mattered. These were soothing words for first-time parents who tried to ensure that a feisty, often picky preschooler was eating well. Even though she’s almost 12 now, we still follow that notion. You’ll find the same sentiment echoed by experts in our story on “super” foods on Page 3. They offer a bounty of tips on how to help your family achieve a healthy diet. One way that families can foster healthier eating is by growing their own vegetables. Gardening expert Linda Blue teaches us on Page 18 how to create a garden in a small space. Another key to good health is activity. Often older children who don’t participate in an organized sport are happier relaxing than burning calories. We give you some ideas on how to get them moving on Page 6. Need a suggestion for a family getaway with a little education built in? Try Charleston, S.C. Our story on Page 30 looks at the myriad family-friendly options in that Lowcountry city. Lastly, April means Easter. Easter means eggs. Find a few good egg recipes and learn about kids who help raise chickens on Page 26. And find a roundup of Easter events on Page 55. See you in May! Katie Wadington, editor

Coming next month: Vacations A look at family-friendly options in Myrtle Beach; fun day trips; cruising; and more.

In every issue

Kids’ Voices ......................41 Parent 2 Parent .................42 Artful Parent .....................45 Divorced Families...............47 Dad’s View........................49 Librarian’s Pick..................50 Story Times ......................50 Homeschool Happenings .....52 Growing Together ...............54 Calendar ..........................57 Puzzles........................59-60

On the cover

Photo by Erin Brethauer.

.com Are you a member? Join the conversation, post photos and connect with other parents at WNCParent.com. Look for WNC Parent on Facebook and Twitter.

P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802 828-232-5845 | www.wncparent.com PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER Randy Hammer WNC PARENT EDITOR Katie Wadington - 232-5829 kwadington@citizen-times.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nancy Sluder nsluder@citizen-times.com

FEATURES EDITOR Bruce Steele bsteele@citizen-times.com STAFF WRITER Barbara Blake bblake@citizen-times.com

ADVERTISING/CIRCULATION Miranda Weerheim - 232-5980, mweerheim@gannett.com CALENDAR CONTENT Due by April 10. E-mail calendar@wncparent.com ADVERTISING DEADLINE Advertising deadline for the May issue is April 19.

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Striking a

nutritious balance Tips for helping your family eat well By Barbara Blake

WNC Parent writer

any nutrition experts shy away from the term “super foods,” fearing that consumers might focus too much on some foods at the expense of others that help comprise a healthy diet. But there are many foods that are “super” for people of all ages, and others that are particularly important for certain age groups, from toddlers to teens and beyond. The key, nutritionists say, is balance. “There’s no one nutrient that’s more important than the others,” said Elizabeth Pavka, a holistic nutritionist in Asheville. “They all are like a symphony — our body is like a lovely piece of music and all of these nutrients — vitamins and minerals Continues on Page 4

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Nutritious balance

encourage breakfast even if your children want to eat nontraditional breakfast foods.” “With 2- and 3-year-olds, it’s really about teaching them to eat a variety of foods; when they’re young, so many kids only want mac and cheese and orange juice, or the only fruit they’ll eat is an apple,” Pavka said. “It’s up to mom and dad to set examples of ‘Yes, we’re going to have a little salad today,’ so the young child gets half a lettuce leaf cut up and a quarter of a carrot chopped in small pieces and maybe a quarter of a tomato, and that’s their salad,” she said.

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and proteins and carbohydrates and fats — are all the instruments that, when we put them in our body, it knows the tune to play.” Pavka, along with Cathy Hohenstein, a consumer scientist with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service in Asheville, and Laura Tolle, a clinical nutrition educator with the Health Education Center at Mission Hospital, offered some tips to help parents guide their children toward a lifetime of healthy eating.

Sugar, saturated fat and other evils

The big picture “Don’t think of each meal as getting everything in — think of it as a weeklong process,” Tolle said. “Your child may eat broccoli one day, but not the next, but you don’t have to have every nutrient in every meal. Look at the whole week as a meal, and if all the right foods have been consumed, you’re OK.”

Start when they’re young “Research shows that as children get older, even as infants to toddlers, their eating behaviors change and intakes such as sweetened drinks, higher-calorie

food choices such as baked desserts, fried foods and low-nutrient snack foods increase,” Hohenstein said. “The other pattern that occurs is that their intake of calcium-rich milk and milk products decreases,” she said. “If families do not like milk or milk products, they can choose from a variety of non-milk alternatives that have naturally occurring as well as fortified calcium and other nutrients. And continue to

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“It’s got to be good, quality food — Twinkies don’t count, and M&Ms are rotten. Don’t feed children Kool-Aid, and don’t feed them Jell-O,” Pavka said. “We have too much saturated fat in our overall eating, and we don’t need it,” Tolle said, adding that whole milk is fine for children 12-24 months. Hohenstein reiterated what every parent should know: lay off the sugary drinks, high-fat processed foods, fried foods, baked desserts and other highsugar and high-fat foods.

The vitamin D connection

Pavka said there has been a recent surge of evidence about “the amazing role that vitamin D plays in the body,”

THE FUNDAMENTALS

yet she and Tolle said there surprisingly few foods that are rich in D. The flesh of fatty fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel are among the best sources, while small amounts of D are found in beef liver, cheese and egg yolks. Fortified foods provide most of the D in the American diet, including milk and breakfast cereals. “Vitamin D is a big deal right now — I know that people are being encouraged to supplement with (D) since we’re not getting as much sunlight because of sunscreen,” Tolle said. Drinking low-fat or fat-free milk is another option “because it’s supplemented with D as well as having the calcium you need, but not the saturated fat,” she said. Pavka said a good way to increase the amount of D is to simply go outside. “We’ve been told not to take our skin into the sunshine, but to slather it with sunscreen,” she said. “Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. is when the sun is most direct and has the most negative impact

◆ Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains ◆ Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green, red and orange vegetables and beans and peas. ◆ Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products. ◆ For protein, choose more seafood, lean meats and poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products and unsalted nuts and seeds. ◆ Use oils to replace solid fats. ◆ Choose foods with more potassium, dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D. ◆ Reduce foods high in sodium by decreasing processed foods and eating more foods prepared at home. ◆ Balance calories eaten with physical activity to prevent weight gain and maintain a healthy weight. ◆ Adolescent girls should choose foods that supply iron, such as fortified foods, whole grains, nuts, low-fat meat and other protein foods. ◆ For all adolescents, encourage calcium-rich foods and drinks such as dairy or dairy alternative, some fish and vegetables such as greens to promote continued bone growth into young adulthood. Source: Cathy Hohenstein.

on the skin, but before 10 and after 4 … moderation in all things, because the body does need some sunshine on the skin.”

What teens need Hohenstein said adolescent girls need

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foods that supply iron, such as fortified foods, whole grains, nuts, lowfat meat and other protein, and good sources of vitamin C in food and drink. Adolescents of both genders need calcium-rich foods and drinks to promote continued bone growth into young adulthood, she said.

It’s what you put on it Nutritionists are reluctant to label foods as “bad.” It’s how you treat them that counts. Tolle noted that potatoes are sometimes unfairly given a bum rap but they provide energy-producing carbohydrates and have nutrients. “A potato isn’t unhealthy unless you do stuff to it,” she said. “We fry it, we put bacon bits and sour cream all over it, or we eat potato chips — losing out on the nutrients and adding the fat and salt. Instead, she said, try combining different foods and flavors that haven’t been processed and don’t have artery-clogging fats or high levels of sugar. “Take a baked potato and put salsa on it,” she suggested. “It gives you flavor and possibly some nutrients in there, too, depending on the salsa.”

GET

MOVING PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKIS

Bonnie and Tyler MacAlister take a bike ride at their home in Leicester. Their mom, Robin, encourages her children to exercise.

Easy ideas for keeping your children active By Pam J. Hecht WNC Parent contributor It’s been a challenge for Robin MacAlister, of Asheville, to keep her kids moving. Her son, Tyler, 11, and daughter, Bonnie, 12, were never interested in sports. And when her oldest son, Ian, 15, hit high school, socializing and other interests became more important than wrestling or basketball. But in the past year, they’ve taken up biking, MacAlister says, which has

made a big difference. With less time at school allocated for active play, it can be difficult to make sure kids are getting the exercise they need. But, as experts agree, it’s vital that they do. Moving around improves concentration and brain function, the immune system, disease prevention and mental health, among other things — it’s like a magic pill to make you healthy, says Dr. Susan Mims, medical director of Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville.

So how do you get your nonathletes more active? Here are 10 tips:

Break it up Kids should be moving around at least an hour a day, says Mims, but it doesn’t have to be at the same time. Find times to add little bits of activity — take breaks during homework or TV commercials to do jumping jacks or dance around the room, for example, she says. Continues on Page 8

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GET MOVING Continued from Page 6

Limit screen time Allow two hours or less per day, says Mims. Keep an activity jar handy filled with ideas of active things to do other than electronics.

Send them outside You don’t even have to require that children “exercise,” says Lesley Edwards, coordinator of child weight management at Mission Hospital, “Because if they’re out of the house, chances are they’re moving around.”

Play games “Focus on activities that make you forget you’re exercising,” like playing tag, says Kris Kaufman, wellness director at the Reuter Family YMCA. And encourage kids to design their own games, suggests Debbie Bryant, healthful living coordinator for Bun-

combe County Schools. Even a board game can be active — any amount of movement is better than just sitting and doing nothing, says Edwards.

Walk, or hike, around Edwards encourages her 17-year-old son to walk rather than drive to places near home whenever possible, she says. Go for regular family walks around the neighborhood or hike kid-friendly Blue Ridge Parkway trails. To encourage him to exercise, MacAlister often gives her teenaged son two options when he’s at home — clean his room or take a walk. He typically chooses to walk, she says.

challenge by timing themselves and monitoring their own improvement, adds Bryant. Develop a reward system together, such as going to see a movie on Friday if they walk three times a week, for example. But don’t force it, which can lead to a negative attitude about exercise, says Bryant. Instead, praise kids when they’re active or achieve a fitness goal.

Stick to active video games Edwards says her son doesn’t play any sports, but he does enjoy working up a sweat to the video game “Dance Dance Revolution.” Also, kids who aren’t into sports may still enjoy playing a video version of them.

Find active buddies

Mix it up

Have kids find friends who will be active with them or regularly walk and play with the family dog.

“Keep trying different activities until your child finds one that clicks,” says Bryant. “Physical activity is a lifelong habit, so when interest in an activity ends, try something different.” Encourage kids to try a variety of things, like hip hop dance, skateboarding, martial arts or swimming. Older kids

Make goals Help kids work towards a goal, like a community walk, says Edwards. Or have your kids turn activity into a personal

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middle school. Mission Children’s Hospital sponsors an after-school fitness program for high-schoolers called Energize!, offered at Buncombe County and Asheville City high schools, and it may be available at the middle schools next fall.

Set an example

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKIS

Robin MacAlister and her children Bonnie, 12, and Tyler, 11, get some exercise by taking a walk near their Leicester community home. munity center. may like individual activities like rock Check out active after-school clubs climbing or kayaking. Find out about like biking, hula hooping or jump roping. active family programs or gym memberGirls on the Run/Girls on Track incorpoships at the YMCA or YWCA or see what rates nutrition and self-esteem in a runclasses are available at a nearby comning program for girls in elementary and

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Be active with your kids, says Edwards. If you do it, they’ll want to do it. If you don’t watch so much TV, they’ll learn from that, she says. Because their neighborhood isn’t good for wheels, the MacAlisters take skates, scooters and bikes to the park whenever they can. While the kids bike, Robin and her husband, Scott, walk. By involving the whole family, you’re role modeling the importance of physical activity to one’s health, says Kaufman. Make it a non-negotiable part of the family routine, adds Bryant, but allow kids to take turns choosing the activity to ensure buy-in. Pam J. Hecht is a freelance writer and editor. E-mail her at pamjh8@gmail.com.

STRESS Help your child cope with the pressures that accompany the end of the school year

By Pam J. Hecht WNC Parent contributor Even though Ashleigh Parton, of Asheville, is an honor student, she’s always been nervous about taking tests. In elementary school, it was the end-of-grade tests that caused some angst. Now in high school, she’s feeling stressed about the end-of-course tests,

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which might impact her class grades, says her mom Tami Parton. Ashleigh, 15, is a worrier, in general, Parton says, and although she typically does well on tests, she gets nervous about them. Parton’s son Tyler, 9, is getting ready to take the EOGs for the first time as a third-grader, “but he’s not a worrier and isn’t too

concerned about it,” she says. With sunny days and summer break just around the corner, spring is typically a happy time. But for some students, the mounting number of tests given toward the end of the year can be a source of stress. For parents, the challenge is to help kids take these tests seriously, without getting anxious about them. Here are some tips to help your children stay on an even keel as endof-the-year pressures mount:

Tone it down Help kids put things in perspective by telling them it’s just one test, says Ellen Begley, LPC, a counselor in Black Mountain who works with children and adolescents. Ask what’s the worst thing that can happen if they don’t do well, she says, and know the answer — it might mean retaking the Continues on Page 13

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STRESS

hear at school or from their friends, and talk about it. If you are concerned about your child’s anxiety level, says Sams, contact your school’s counselor for more ways to address it.

Continued from Page 11

test, for example. “I try not to make a big deal about it (EOGs) so it’s not this huge, scary thing,” says Parton. “I don’t get stressed out about it because I don’t want them to get stressed.” Reassure kids that the test is just one snapshot of their performance, says Janice Garland, school counselor at Reynolds Middle School. “It doesn’t define who they are — it’s just reflective of their performance on that day,” she says. Discourage last minute studying. On the night before the test, if a child doesn’t know the times tables, it’s not the time to review, says Garland.

Be positive Emphasize to your children that their best is good enough and that you know they can do it, says Renoo Sams, school counselor at Hall Fletcher Elementary in Asheville. “Encourage positive self-talk and tell them to think ‘I can do this,’” she says. Last year, Sams’ third-grade son was nervous about the EOG test because he heard he wouldn’t go to fourth grade if he didn’t pass. She told him he was learning everything he needed to and not to worry. Consider a post-test reward — something to celebrate getting through it and to look forward to afterward, says Begley. And Sams suggests putting positive notes in your children’s lunch boxes to boost self-esteem.

Establish healthy routines

KIDS ARE STRESSED ◆ The 2010 Stress in America Survey by the American Psychological Association surveyed more than 1,200 kids ages 8-17 on how stress is manifested in their lives, and the results show teens are under more pressure than their parents are aware of. ◆ Some 2 to 5 percent of parents rate their child’s stress as extreme; however, 14 percent of tweens and 28 percent of teens said they worry a lot or a great deal. ◆ Common signs of childhood stress include a regression in behavior in younger children as well as acting more fearful or clinging more, according to the Girl Scouts of the USA. Outbursts of anger and aggression are also signals at all ages. A child or teen who withdraws or who seems constantly sad or has trouble sleeping or shows significant changes in appetite may also be showing signs of stress. Source: Gannett

Notice signs of anxiety Some kids are outwardly vocal about their stress level while others shut down, says Garland. Keep in touch with your child’s teacher to find out how he/she typically reacts to tests. Watch for behavioral changes or physical symptoms like irritability, lack

of appetite or energy, difficulty sleeping or stomachaches, and find out the cause. If they’re worried about the test, ask them what exactly they’re worried about, says Begley. Find out how much pressure they’re feeling from what they

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Set a tone for calm in your home, with established routines for screen time, extracurricular activities and bedtime, says Garland, and don’t change them at test time. Help kids pick and choose spring activities and be reasonable about the number of things they can do — their schedule affects sleep and stress levels, she adds. And parents should encourage regular physical activity because moving around relieves stress. Early bedtimes shouldn’t be reserved just for test nights. Getting enough sleep every night is critical in decreasing stress, says Sams. “It’s important to get into a good routine throughout the year — by the time tests are being given, their bodies are programmed,” Sams says. It’s also important to serve a good breakfast with protein and fiber daily, but if your child doesn’t normally eat much for breakfast, don’t try to force it on test day, says Garland.

Review test and relaxation strategies

Knowing a few test-taking strategies builds confidence and lessens testing jitters. Garland suggests asking your kids about test-taking strategies they may know, like reading questions carefully, managing time and saving difficult questions for later. Sams recommends empowering kids with relaxation techniques like deep breathing and positive visualization, which can bring heart rate down and control stress during the test. Having children express their anxious feelings in a journal can also help relieve stress. Pam J. Hecht is a freelance writer and editor based in Asheville, North Carolina. E-mail her at pamjh8@gmail.com.

Should children lift weights? Only with age-appropriate guidelines and proper supervision

By Brian Lawler WNC Parent contributor When is it appropriate for children to start lifting weights? Should you wait until after puberty before starting a weight training program or can you start earlier? And if so, how early can you start? Twelve, 9 or 6 years of age? Most of the misconceptions regarding weight training in children came out of injury data collected from various emergency room departments in the 1970s and 1980s. It was found, however, that most of these injuries were caused by inappropriate training techniques, excessive loading, poorly designed equipment, ready access to equipment, or a lack of adult supervision. Current research findings indicate that children can safely lift weights as long as they follow age-appropriate guidelines and receive proper supervision. In fact, weight training is a much safer activity than most sports, and can help improve your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to handle the stresses of running, kicking and throwing during sports participation. Children can significantly increase their strength above and beyond growth and maturation with a resistance training program. Research studies have found that increases in strength are typically around 30 percent after several months of weight training in young kids. Before a child reaches puberty, increases in strength gains are mostly related to changes in the nervous system and improvements in coordination rather than from muscle growth. After puberty, children can further increase their strength through muscular development. The primary factor that determines

SAFE RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR CHILDREN

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Kian Lawler demonstrates an overhead squat with PVC piping. Resistance training can help increase the strength of young athletes. Start with body weight movements that focus on functional movement patterns, such as squatting, lunging, pressing and pulling movements.

at what age at which your child can safely begin resistance training primarily depends on his or her ability and receptiveness to being coached. For many children, this will occur several

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years after they begin sports participation or around 8-9 years of age. Start with body weight movements that focus on functional movement patterns, such as squatting, lunging, pressing and pulling movements. Once these movements are perfected, then additional loading can be added, such as with dumbbells, exercise bands or medicine balls. Avoid training on machines, as it fails to adequately develop the stabilizer musculature that helps to prevent against injury, and it does not necessarily improve movement patterns that help with athletic performance. Instruction in proper body mechanics is critical. In my experience, the primary reason for experiencing an injury while weightlifting is from lifting with improper form, especially in the lower back or knees. A child can perform weight training two to three days per week on nonconsecutive days. Keep the program fresh and challenging by systematically varying the training program. Sensibly progress the training program to match your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, goals and abilities. All children will not progress at the same rate and may require different training programs to properly address their weaknesses and deficits. If qualified supervision, age-appropriate exercise equipment and a safe training environment are not available, young athletes should not perform resistance exercises. Kids (and sometimes adults too) often overestimate their strength and need to be properly supervised and coached. Brian Lawler is a physical therapist and sports performance trainer at Asheville Physical Therapy. To learn the most effective exercises that your child can perform for improved sports performance and injury prevention, sign your child up for his summer speed camp at ashevillephysicaltherapy.com.

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Disc golf trail opens at Owen HS By Julie Ball WNC Parent writer A new nature trail disc golf course at Owen High School aims to get teens outdoors and active. But it is also designed to be fun. “We made it so the hike was a game,” said Jason Urroz, director of Kids in Parks. Kids in Parks is a partnership among the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. The organization works to get kids outside.

Using a $5,000 grant from Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services along with volunteer time and in-kind donations, the organization created the nine-hole disc golf course at Owen High. The course includes a series of signs designed to educate players about a natural feature at each tee along the course. Players can read the signs and “kind of connect with nature on and around the course,” Urroz said. Disc golf is similar to traditional golf except instead of a ball, players use a disc or Frisbee. They toss the

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disc into a basket. The course provides another Kids in Parks “TRACK Trail Adventure.” The program allows teens to log into www.kidsinparks.com and register for prizes. Owen High Principal Don Johnson said the high school already has a disc golf club. And even before the official grand opening last month, students were using the course.

TRACK TRAIL ADVENTURES TRACK Trails, which stands for Trails, Ridges and Active, Caring Kids, take children and their families on selfguided scavenger hunts. At the start of each trail there are brochures that help guide visitors along, with different topics such as insects, ferns and birds. The program targets ages 4-9, Kids in Parks director Jason Urroz said, but anyone from ages 1-18 can sign up. It is free. TRACK Trail Adventures can be downloaded from the website or picked up at the trailhead. Once a trail is com-

“We’ve actually had fairly good participation so far. And there’s a buzz around school,” he said. Johnson would like to see a league form with play between the various schools. Enka High already has a course,

pleted, kids go back to the website and answer some questions. Adventures can be found: ◆ Along the Mountains-to-Sea Trail near the Parkway Visitor Center ◆ At the Andy Cove Nature Trail in Pisgah National Forest ◆ At Chimney Rock State Park ◆ At Owen High School’s new disc golf course ◆ On trails on the Virginia section of the Blue Ridge Parkway. To learn more, visit kidsinparks.com or stop at the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at Milepost 384 on the parkway near U.S. 74A in Asheville.

and another disc golf course is under construction at North Buncombe High, Urroz said. The North Buncombe course should be completed in June. That project is also being completed with grant money from Buncombe

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County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services. Meanwhile, Johnson said the course at Owen High will be available for public use on weekends, and other times when students are not on campus.

Aon garden your

patio

The most important thing you need for a garden — in pots or in the ground — is sunlight. Most Don’t have space for a garden? vegetables need six to eight If you have some sunny space on hours of direct sun every day to a deck or patio, you can probably give the best results. Don’t have grow some vegetables in contain- quite that much? Although I ers. Having the plants up close don’t recommend trying tomaand personal can be a great way toes with less than six hours of to get children involved. Let sun, if you have five to six hours, them help pick out what to grow, go ahead and try squash, green plant seeds and plants and help beans or cucumbers. With as with daily watering. little as four to five hours, you A few years ago I moved in can still do pretty well with leafy spring garden season. With no vegetables — lettuce, radishes, time to start garden beds, my onions, kale, spinach. garden that summer was planted Containers do not necessarily in an assortment of buckets and need to be large or expensive. Be pots at the edge of the driveway. creative. Lettuce, radishes, beets Still, I was able to enjoy tomaor greens grow fine in window toes, squash, peppers, cucumboxes. For larger containers, bers, basil and parsley. consider recycling plastic buckBy Linda Blue WNC Parent contributor

GANNETT NEWS SERVICE PHOTOS

Grow tomatoes, peppers, herbs and more in containers on your patio or a sunny spot near your home.

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ets, flower pots or bushel baskets. Large plastic storage bins can be inexpensive and quite functional. Standard hanging basket pots can be used for parsley and other herbs. I have also grown cherry tomatoes or bush-type cucumbers in a hanging basket. When looking for containers to recycle as plant pots there are only three requirements: â&#x2014;&#x2020; They should be large enough to maintain the mature plant. â&#x2014;&#x2020; They have not contained materials that could be toxic to plants or people. â&#x2014;&#x2020; They must have drainage holes. If your chosen container does not have drainage holes, get out your drill and make several half-inch holes in the bottom or bottom of the sides. After you

Plant a variety of different herbs together in a window box, like this spearmint which is planted next to chocolate mint and basil. GANNETT

ensure that water will be able to drain freely, fill the container with good quality potting soil. Never use garden soil in containers. It will not drain properly and could carry harmful pathogens. Many potting soils now contain fertil-

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izer, so read the package and take that into consideration when planning fertilizer applications. If there is not fertilizer in the media, you can add some slowContinues on Page 20

A patio garden Continued from Page 19

release fertilizer before you plant. Every couple of weeks, use a liquid fertilizer such as fish emulsion or Miracle-Gro to keep plants growing steadily. Match the plant to the size of the container. Large growing plants such as squash or tomatoes will need at least a 5-gallon container. Even with large containers it is best to select dwarf, or compact, plant types. For tomatoes try cherry, grape or patio tomatoes such as Patio Pick, Tom Thumb or Pixie. Large tomatoes grow on big plants that are very difficult to keep adequately watered in containers. You can also find dwarf cucumber varieties such as Patio Pick, Space Master and Bush Pickle. You can grow a pepper plant in a 2gallon pot, or four or five plants in a 15-gallon tub. Or use that large tub to grow three or four broccoli or cabbage plants, or a garden of mixed greens, or an herb garden.

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Herbs do especially well in a window box, like this spearmint which is planted next to chocolate mint and basil. By summer your greatest challenge with container growing will be watering. Many containers will need to be watered every day once the plants are mature and the weather is hot. Be sure some water runs out of those drainage holes each time so you are sure you have thoroughly soaked the root systems. The most important thing is to have fun. Find a sunny spot and some big old pots and start your summer garden. Linda Blue is an agricultural extension agent with N.C. Cooperative Extension. Contact her at 255-5522 or linda_blue@ncsu.edu.

Dinner with a discount Kids can eat free every night around Asheville

Earth Fare offers its Itty Bitty Bites kids meals for free on Thursdays with an adult purchase.

By William Scott Tiernan WNC Parent contributor With the economy still sluggish and gas prices on the rise, families are on the lookout for ways to save money. Fortunately, several local restaurants and cafés offer family nights where kids eat free (or almost free). Here’s a rundown. Applebee’s: Tuesdays after 4 p.m., kids 12 and under eat for $0.99. Two discounted kids’ meals per adult meal. 115 Tunnel Road, Asheville; 275 Smoky Park Highway, Asheville; 1655 Hendersonville Road, Asheville; 1635 Four Seasons Blvd.,

PHOTO BY JOHN COUTLAKIS

Hendersonville.

Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co.: Tues-

days from 5-8 p.m. is Family Night. Pizza specials, board games, balloon artist and free sundaes for kids. 675 Merrimon

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Ave., Asheville; 77 Coxe Ave., Asheville. Atlanta Bread Co.: Wednesdays and Sundays, kids 12 and under eat free. One free kids’ meal per adult meal. 633 MerContinues on Page 22

Kids can eat free Continued from Page 21

rimon Avenue, Asheville (after 4 p.m. on Wednesdays); 484 Hendersonville Road, Asheville (all day). Beef O’ Brady’s: Tuesdays from 4-8 p.m., kids 10 and under eat free. One free kids’ meal per adult meal. 2625 Hendersonville Road, Arden; 825 Spartanburg Highway, No. 12, Hendersonville. Blue Sky Café: Wednesdays after 4 p.m., kids 10 and under eat for $0.99. One discounted kids’ plate per adult meal. Playhouse on the patio. 3987 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher. Chai Pani: All day Wednesday, kids 12 and under eat free with purchase of adult meal. 22 Battery Park Ave., Asheville. Chick-fil-A: Tuesdays, kids 12 and under eat free. One free kids’ chicken nugget meal per adult meal. In South Asheville, 1832 Hendersonville Road, 4-8 p.m.; at Asheville Mall, 5-7 p.m.; at Biltmore Square Mall, 4-8 p.m. Denny’s: Tuesdays and Saturdays all day,

kids eat free. Two free kids meals per adult meal. 1 Regent Park Blvd., Asheville. Deerpark at Biltmore Estate: Kids 9 and under always eat for free. Two free kids meals with adult meal. Check for seasonal hours. Earth Fare: Thursdays from 4-8 p.m. is Family Dinner Night. Up to six free Itty Bitty Bites kids’ meals per adult meal ($5 minimum). 66 Westgate Parkway, Asheville; 1856 Hendersonville Road, Asheville. Frankie Bones: Sundays from 3-9 p.m., kids 12 and under eat free with purchase of adult entree. 2 Gerber Village Road, Asheville. Fuddruckers: Mondays through Wednesdays after 4 p.m., kids 12 and under eat free. One free kid’s meal per adult meal. 130 Charlotte Street, Asheville. IHOP: Mondays through Fridays after 4 p.m., kids 12 and under eat free. One free kids’ meal per adult meal. 245 Tunnel Road, Asheville; 275 Smoky Park Highway, Asheville; 229 Airport Road, Arden. Lone Star Steakhouse: Tuesdays all day, kids 12 and under eat free. Two free kids’ meals per adult meal. 341 Rockwood Road, Arden; 17 Tunnel Road, Asheville.

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McAlister’s Deli: Tuesdays after 5 p.m., kids eat free with adult meal purchase. Asheville Mall, 3 S. Tunnel Road, Asheville. Mela Indian Restaurant: Mondays, kids eat free. 70 Lexington Ave., Asheville. Moe’s Southwest Grill, Arden: Tuesdays after 5 p.m., kids ages 12 and under eat free. Two free kids’ meals per adult meal, one kids’ meal per child. Dine-in only. At 300 Airport Road.

Moe’s Southwest Grill, Biltmore Village:

Thursdays and Saturdays after 5 p.m., kids 12 and under eat for $0.99 with adult meal purchase. 1 Hendersonville Road. Mr. Hot Dog: Tuesdays, kids’ meals are $1.29 with adult purchase. Dine-in only. 3749 Sweeten Creek Road, Arden. TCBY: Fridays, free kids cup with regular-size purchase. 1800 Hendersonville Road, Asheville. Urban Burrito: Tuesdays after 4 p.m., kids 10 and under eat free. One free kids’ meal with adult meal purchase. 640 Merrimon Ave., Suite 203, Asheville; 129 Bleachery Blvd., Suite M, Asheville.

Too much buzz b uz z ? buzz

Energy drinks might be trendy, but many researchers believe these popular beverages present health risks for unaware teens Upstate Parent Karen Lane is all too familiar with energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster. Her three children — David, Rebecca and Sara — might now all be in college, but when they competed together on their high school’s speech and debate team, they frequently faced the temptation of relying on energy drinks to get them through competitions. “Competitions would start early in the morning on Saturdays, and there would be plenty of people who would bring along energy drinks to try to get

that extra boost on the competition,” Lane said. “They wanted to be more awake and more alert.” But the mother from Taylors, S.C., said she and her husband have always discouraged the consumption of energy drinks. “My husband and I never purchase them,” she said. “We don’t drink them and we encourage our kids not to drink them because we didn’t want them to become dependent on a substance to feel

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up. We encourage them to instead rely on regular sources of energy like nutrition and sleep.”

Rising popularity Caffeine-charged drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar and Full Throttle have grown in popularity in recent years, and often advertise promises of better athletic performance and weight loss. Consumption of these trendy drinks has more than doubled since 2004, totaling close to $750 million in sales in 2007 alone, Continues on Page 24

Too much buzz?

Continued from Page 23

according to statistics provided by Consumer Reports. More recent studies show sales are expected to reach about $9 billion in the U.S. in 2011, with people under 25 providing most of the revenue. But how safe are they? “It depends on who’s drinking them,” said Kimberly Baker, a registered dietician and food safety and nutrition agent for Clemson Extension in Greenville County, S.C. “Energy drinks are truly designed for super athletes — those people who are really doing vigorous exercise for an hour or more at a time,” she said. “It has just become a trend that everybody thinks if they go for a walk, oh, they should have an energy drink. Then it changed to people, especially teenagers, thinking, ‘I need energy drinks to make me stay awake longer or to do this or do that.’ Truly, they provide nothing for them other than a caffeine rush, which is not something we necessarily want them to have.”

What’s in those drinks? Multiple studies have been conducted on mainstream energy drinks in the past two years with many similar but some different results. Researchers at Nova Southeastern University in Florida found that one energy drink can contain the caffeine equivalent of up to eight cups of coffee or up to 14 cans of Coca-Cola. A study published recently in the medical journal “Pediatrics” found that an average energy drink contains 70-80 milligrams of caffeine per eight-ounce serving — about three to five times the concentration of cola drinks. Both studies, however, found that too much caffeine consumption has been reported to cause anxiety and nervousness, dehydration, insomnia, heart palpitations, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, complications with pregnancy and childbirth, gastrointestinal upset and death. Energy drinks often contain large amounts of sugar, which can also be linked to obesity problems. “We used to see a lot of people come

CINDY HOSEA/UPSTATE PARENT

Energy drinks, which are classified as dietary supplements by the Food and Drug Administration, are in a regulatory gray area, allowing them to sidestep the caffeine limitations assigned to foods and soft drinks, said Stephanie Ballard, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University’s West Palm Beach campus. in complaining of heart palpitations, and it would turn out to be that they drank a lot of soft drinks,” said Tammy McConnell, a licensed nurse practitioner and nursing instructor at Greenville Technical College. “Nowadays we’re seeing teens come into the emergency room complaining of heart palpitations because the caffeine level in these energy drinks is so much more potent than what’s in a soft drink.” The American Beverage Association issued a statement following the findings reported in February’s issue of Pediatrics, claiming the article perpetuated misinformation about energy drinks. “Most mainstream energy drinks actually contain about half the caffeine of a similar size cup of coffeehouse coffee,” said Maureen Storey, the trade group’s senior vice president of science policy. “In fact, young adults getting coffee from popular coffeehouses are getting about twice as much caffeine as they would from a similar size energy drink.”

Regulating beverages Storey also pointed out that energy drinks are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Energy drinks, which are classified as dietary supplements by the FDA, are in a

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regulatory gray area, allowing them to sidestep the caffeine limitations assigned to foods and soft drinks, said Stephanie Ballard, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at Nova Southeastern University’s West Palm Beach campus. “The FDA limits caffeine in soft drinks to 71 miligrams per 12 fluid ounces,” Ballard said. “But energy drinks can contain as much as 505 miligrams of caffeine in a single container.” In 2008, 100 scientists and physicians petitioned the FDA to begin regulating caffeinated energy drinks because of the possible dangers for teen consumers. Michael Herndon, a spokesperson for the agency, said the FDA is now investigating complaints in relation to energy drinks containing or being mixed with alcohol, another popular trend among underage teens and college students. But regular energy drinks have not yet been investigated by the organization. “The FDA’s decision regarding the regulatory status of caffeine added to various alcoholic beverages will be a high priority for the agency,” Herndon said. “However, a decision regarding the use of caffeine in alcoholic beverages could take some time.” McConnell said energy drinks mixed with alcohol mislead consumers into not feeling as drunk as they really are, which significantly increases their risk of harm.

“We’re seeing teens come into the emergency room complaining of heart palpitations because the caffeine level in these energy drinks is so much more potent than what’s in a soft drink.” TAMMY MCCONNELL, LNP AND NURSING INSTRUCTOR

Marketed to teens

Alcohol aside, Baker said teens have become a target of energy drink marketing on networks such as MTV because they make up more than onethird of the consumer base. And popular athletes like Shaun White and Ryan Sheckler are sponsored by Red Bull, which can send mixed messages to teenage audiences who believe the drinks are nutritious. “You don’t hear of an Olympian drinking a Red Bull very often,” Baker said. “They know better. They’re on a good, healthy diet that includes the proper fluids that they should have. It’s almost as if these energy drinks are more of a trend than anything. You know, ‘My friend drinks it so I’m going to because it looks cool.’ At their age, teens don’t think of the consequences.” Monster and Rockstar failed to respond to requests for interviews, but a Red Bull spokesperson said via email, “Red Bull Energy Drink is a safe consumer product that can be consumed when you are in need of energy or want to be on top of your game. We are confident in the safety of Red Bull, as 4 billion cans were safely consumed worldwide last year. In addition, there has never been a link between Red Bull and any health issue.” Baker said the occasional energy drink probably won’t cause much harm. “What we’re concerned about is that teenagers get into energy drinks so much that they’re drinking them and displacing a lot of their nutrients they should be having,” she said. “It’s really the same concept with sodas and things like that. They’re drinking that when they should be having something more nutritious.”

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egg

The infinite potential of the Eggs are great on the kitchen table, in the classroom By Carol Motsinger, WNC Parent writer

For Daniel Wright, a world without eggs wouldn’t just be a sad existence without our favorite breakfast plate or birthday cake. “I just don’t think a kitchen could exist without eggs,” said Wright, chef at Tomato Jam Café in Asheville. “It’s almost a cornerstone of the kitchen.” This versatile symbol of spring and the Easter season is a regular feature on his menus at his business and his home, where he cooks for his two sons, Kaden, 7,

and Elijah, 5. And in April, local eggs produced by chickens, ducks and quails will be available just in time for picnics and Easter celebrations. Wright’s boys are adventurous eaters, and Kaden is even learning how to make eggs himself. Boiled eggs are good for young chefs, he said, because “they are easy to deal with and slice, but are hard enough that they don’t fall apart.”

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“I’ve pickled eggs, deviled quail eggs, boiled eggs, scotched eggs, fried eggs,” Wright said of his son’s varied preferences. “Eggs are a good choice for kids because they are kind of limitless (in the ways they can be prepared).” Wright also gets the boys involved by dressing up the eggs for Halloween: They love to make deviled eggs that look like eyeballs, dyeing the filling pink and using an olive and pimento for the pupil. Thomas Shepherd and his Headwaters of Poverty Farm, a fifth-generation family-owned farm in the Big Ivy community, produces duck eggs, something that’s been in high demand from restaurants — as well as his 4-year-old daughter, Camryn. “Me and my little girl eat the duck eggs fried,” he said. “It’s quite a bit bigger, and there are double the minerals and proteins (of a chicken egg). But there is also double the cholesterol.” Farside Farms in Alexander is one of the biggest egg producers in Western North Carolina, said Maggie Cramer, the Continues on Page 28

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Kaden Wright, 7, makes deviled eggs with his father and co-owner of Tomato Jam Cafe, Daniel Wright. The father-son team made their deviled eggs look like monster eyeballs by adding olives as pupils.

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Eggs-actly! Continued from Page 27

spokesperson for Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. If looking to buy local eggs, “probably the first place you are going to want to look is at the grocery,” Cramer said. “You can find local eggs on the grocery shelves at such places as Earth Fare, Greenlife, Food Lion and French Broad Food Co-op.” There are more than 350 regional farms and businesses offering local eggs. One of these businesses is at Imladris Farm in Fairview. But don’t ask Walter Harrill about the eggs — their chicken operation is maintained by his 9-yearold son, Andy. He expressed interest in farming when he was 5, said Harrill, who thought that getting Andy some chickens to take care of would be the best option for a child. Andy’s parents loaned him the money for feed and chicks. “He was and is still totally responsible for the day-to-day chores,” Harill said. Andy feeds the three dozen chickens, collects the eggs and lets them in and out of their fenced-in area in the morning and at night. He also sets up a booth with eggs at the farmers markets next to his father. “We try to keep him in charge of every step, from gathering eggs to going to market,” he said. Andy also keeps the money from the operation, with most of it going back into it. Andy is home-schooled, so the chicken business has been integrated into his lessons. He does math problems based on egg counts. He charts out his productivity, comparing each season. “It was exciting,” Andy said of getting his first chicks. “I played them with like mad.” He said he loves eggs, preferring them scrambled or boiled. “It’s really fun,” he added, noting he wants to be part of the eighth generation of his family to keep Imladris running. Chickens and eggs are also used for

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Claiborne pancake

6 local eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup flour Sprinkle of salt 1/2 stick butter Powdered sugar Lemon juice Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk and salt and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy. Melt the butter in a large skillet with a heatproof handle (cast iron works great). Pour batter into melted butter and bake in the oven until the pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately topped with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Source: Molly Nicholie, ASAP’s Growing Minds Farm to School program coordinator. Nicholie grew up eating this dish, and now her son, Walker, loves to help make it.The way it bubbles up is a big hit.

Migas

8 fresh local eggs 12 corn tortillas, thin and cut into strips Whole or mashed beans, pinto or black Crème fraiche (optional) Monterey cheese (optional) Pico de gallo: 2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1/4 of a yellow onion, finely diced 1 large jalapeno pepper, finely diced 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped Salt and pepper to taste Fry tortilla strips until golden brown, but make sure not to burn them. In a nonstick pan, add a tablespoon of oil and bring it to medium heat. Add jalapenos and onions and sauté for two minutes. Then add tomatoes and sauté for one minute. Incorporate the fried corn tortilla strips into your pico de gallo and mix well, adding eggs and continuing to mix until the eggs are cooked. Serve the beans on a plate with the Migas mixture on top. Add cheese and/or a dollop of crème fraiche and enjoy! Serves 4. Source: Marco Garcia, Curras Nuevo Cuisine in Asheville

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Kaden Wright, 7, makes deviled eggs. His father, Daniel, co-owner of Tomato Jam Cafe, says hard-boiled eggs are easy for kids to work with. educational purposes at Isaac Dickson Elementary School in Asheville. Kate Fisher, a parent volunteer who manages the garden at the elementary school, said the four laying chickens are easily incorporated into the children’s curriculum. “Their science curriculum is heavily connected to nutrition,” she said, noting that they often use the eggs for the students’ daytime snacks. One common treat: Using hard-boiled eggs to make individual servings of a simple egg salad. They’ve also done science experiments with the chicken compost. “Those chickens have been used in every part of the curriculum,” Fisher said. “They were even used as art models.”

Egg-ceptional Finger Sandwiches

3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped 2 cups chopped chicken 1 (8 1/4-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 1/2 cup sliced almonds 3 tablespoons mayonnaise 10 slices bread, white or brown Blend chicken, eggs, pineapple, almonds and mayonnaise together in a small mixing bowl. Chill 15 minutes. Trim crust from bread; spread mixture, cut into finger sandwiches. Source: www.ncegg.org.

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History +

beach = By Mike McWilliams WNC Parent contributor

visit to this historic South Carolina coastal city is about more than just a day at the beach. Although it is home to beautiful beaches and some of the best seafood around, Charleston is rich with history and family-friendly activities, including numerous gardens, museums and plantations. And at only about a four-hour drive from Asheville on Interstate 26 east, Charleston can easily make the mountains not seem so far away from the sea. Start out learning about some sea creatures. Have you ever seen a white alligator? The South Carolina Aquarium recently added a rare albino alligator named Alabaster to its collection of roughly 7,000 aquatic animals. “Families of all ages come to the South Carolina Aquarium for the fun they can enjoy together, and they leave with a greater appreciation for what they can do to help conserve wildlife and wild places,” said Kevin Mills, aquarium president and chief executive officer. “Our albino alligator, for example, is not only really cool to see, but also helps tell the story of the near extinction and ultimate comeback of the American alligator species.” An exhibit path through the aquarium leads visitors through the five major regions of the Southeast Appalachian Watershed as found in South Carolina, which includes the Mountains, the Piedmont, the Coastal Plain, the Coast and the Ocean. Interactive

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Charleston

CHARLESTON AREA CVB, EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM, 800-868-8118

Family-friendly beaches along the Atlantic can be found north and south of Charleston. Folly Beach is a popular choice for families. displays throughout the aquarium also feature the Camp Carolina exhibit, toddler exhibits, an education center, the Touch Tank and several education stations. Historic Charleston Harbor is also home to “The Fighting Lady.” No, it’s not a pugilistic woman, but the nickname for the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier — one of the main attractions of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Patriots Point is billed as one of the largest museums of its kind in the world. Docked next to the Yorktown are other historic ships, including the destroyer USS Laffey and the Balao class submarine Clamagore. Fighter planes used from World War II to Operation Desert Storm are dis-

played on the Yorktown’s hangar bay atop the 888-foot flight deck. The museum also houses the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and its Medal of Honor of Museum. At Patriots Point, visitors will also find the only replica of a Vietnam support base in the United States, as well as a Cold War submarine memorial. Long before those wars, Charleston was the starting point of one of the biggest events in U.S. history: the Civil War. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, several events are planned in April in the area. The first shots of the war were fired at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. There will be boat tours, re-enactors and other programs scheduled at Fort Sumter and

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other nearby locations April 8-17. Fort Sumter will switch on two large, entwining lights aimed skyward April 12; once the symbolic firing commences, the lights will separate to indicate the split of the nation. Motors will be fired intermittently until April 14. The Battle of Fort Sumter by Boat will take place April 12 with historian and author Michael Coker, who will discuss the events leading up the war and the Battle of Fort Sumter during a 1.5-hour boat tour. Other lectures and exhibits are also planned. Nearly 200 years before the Civil War, English settlers landed on the South Continues on Page 32

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHARLESTON AREA CVB, EXPLORECHARLESTON.COM, 800-868-8118

Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantaion is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry.

Charleston Continued from Page 31

Carolina coast in 1670 and the seeds of what would become the city of Charleston were planted. The 17th century remains very much alive at Charles Towne Landing. The 660-acre park first opened to the public in 1970 to commemorate the state’s tricentennial. On April 9, the park hosts Founders Day festival, which celebrates the original founding and features interpretive park rangers demonstrating cooking programs and cannon firing. There also are activities offered aboard a reproduction 17th-century cargo vessel. Founders Day festival is the largest event of the year at Charles Towne Landing, attracting between 1,300-2,000 people, said Rob Powell, the park’s manager. “It’s a great place to visit not only for its history and the programming features we have on our history trail and exhibit hall, but it’s also a beautiful outdoor site, with beautiful nature scenes and animals,” Powell said. “It’s a great place to picnic, ride a bike or walk a dog.” Founded in 1676 by the Drayton family, Magnolia Plantation is the oldest public

Tour the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point to get a taste of life on an aircraft carrier.

CHARLESTON DETAILS South Carolina Aquarium: 100 Aquarium Wharf, Charleston; 800-722-6455; scaquarium.org. Charles Towne Landing: 1500 Old Towne Road, Charleston; 843-852-4200; charlestowne.org. Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry: 25 Ann St., Charleston; (843) 853-8962; explorecml.org. Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum: 40 Patriots Point Road, Mount Pleasant; 866-831-1720; patriotspoint.org. Fort Sumter: Accessible by ferry from Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, 340 Concord St., Charleston, or from Patriots Point. 843-883-3123;

nps.gov/fosu. Bee City: 1066 Holly Ridge Lane, Cottageville; 843-835-5912; beecity.net. Magnolia Plantation and Gardens: 3550 Ashley River Road, Charleston; 843-556-1012; magnoliaplantation.com. Folly Beach: Located about 20 minutes south of Charleston on S.C. Highway 171. Hominy Grill: 207 Rutledge Ave., Charleston; 843-937-0930; hominygrill.com. COAST: 39 John St., Charleston; 843722-8838; coastbarandgrill.com. Poe’s Tavern: 2210 Middle St., Sullivan’s Island; 843-883-0083; poestavern.com.

tourist site in the Lowcountry. It opened to visitors shortly after the end of the Civil War and is considered the oldest public gardens in America. Each passing generation of the Drayton family has added its own touches to the garden, which has expanded and varied over the years. Today, there are numerous varieties, including camellias, daffodils and azaleas. Besides taking a stroll through the

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gardens, visitors can hop aboard a small train that cruises through the plantation. Boat tours also are available, and don’t forget to stop by the petting zoo and nature center. While in Charleston, take a trip to the honey pot. Located just a few miles from Givhans State Park is Bee City, a farm which focuses on educating the public on the importance of honeybees, according to Bee

CHARLESTON AREA CVB

Colorful houses along Chalmers Street in downtown Charleston. The city was first settled in 1670.

City’s website. Visitors can schedule a field trip to explore beekeeping equipment, and a glass observation beehive to see workers, drones and the queen bee in action. Besides bees, Bee City features a petting zoo with domestic and exotic animals, including deer, monkeys, lemurs, wallabies, alpacas and llamas. The nature center features snakes from around the state, lizards, turtles, frogs and alligators. Visitors also can buy an assortment of honey-related products such as honey, bee pollen and beeswax skin cream, body lotion and lip balm all made on site. Learning and fun mix at the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry, which features interactive, interdisciplinary hands-on activities for children — and parents. Kids can race boats down rapids, climb aboard a Lowcountry pirate ship, make it rain indoors or grow vegetables in an all-organic garden. Other activities include racing golf balls down a roller coaster, shopping for real groceries, and, if there’s time, creating a work of art. The seventh annual Fam Jam takes place April 30 at CML, which becomes a giant playground and community festival of activities, live music and food, said CML executive director Denis Chirles. Fam Jam is partly a fundraiser, but mostContinues on Page 34

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Charleston Continued from Page 33

ly a family festival that focuses on fighting obesity and promoting healthy choices. “We’re certainly the only hands-on interactive destination for families here in Charleston,” Chirles said. “We spark the imagination of children and their parents. It’s a great way to have fun together but to really let the children lead the way.” A trip to Charleston would not be complete without a trip to the beach. Folly Beach and the surrounding area offer many family-friendly activities, including fishing, kayaking, jet skiing, parasailing, camping and swimming. Visitors also can catch a glimpse of bottlenose dolphins, which live off Folly Beach and in surrounding rivers. Bird Key Stono is an estuarine sandbar comprising approximately 20 acres at the mouth of the Stono River in Charleston County. It is one of only three Heri-

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT/PERRY BAKER

Charles Towne Landing’s Joe Avent fires a matchlock musket while a fellow interpretive park ranger looks on. tage Preserve coastal islands that have protected sea bird nesting. Angel Oak Park, just a short drive from Folly Beach, is home to “the oldest tree east of the Mississippi,” according to the

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Folly Beach website. The Angel Oak is believed to be more than 1,500 years old and is a tree native to the southeast Lowcountry. Families can eat well in Charleston,

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston recently added a rare albino alligator named Alabaster to its collection of roughly 7,000 aquatic animals. from Southern to seafood to stand-bys. According to its website, Hominy Grill is a “Charleston institution serving classic Southern specialties that taste just like grandma used to make if grandma knew

how to cook, that is.” The folksy restaurant prides itself on preparing all its food from scratch with local ingredients. Of course, hominy grits are a staple here, along with other

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comfort foods to satisfy the pallet, including biscuits and gravy, fried green tomatoes, salmon potato cakes, or a fried catfish sandwich. For fresh seafood in a laid back, Lowcountry setting, look no further than COAST. With 40-foot ceilings, rustic tin roofs and artwork from around the world, COAST takes on the feel of an eclectic beach bar, according to its website. The menu features Charleston classics with unique creations from the chef. Local favorites include wood-grilled fish, seared rare tuna and fish tacos. Not too many restaurants can claim a literary giant as its namesake. Named in honor of Edgar Allen Poe, Poe’s Tavern is known for great burgers. Poe was actually stationed at nearby Sullivans Island while in the U.S. Army. His time in the Lowcountry inspired his story “The Gold Bug.” Many of the menu items are named in reference to Poe’s works, including the Pit and Pendulum and Tell Tale Heart sandwiches and the Annabelle Lee crab cake dish, which is named after one of Poe’s poems.

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2011 Camp Guide

The following campsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; information was received or updated after publication of the 2011 Camp Guide in the February and March issues. The Camp Guide can be found in full at WNCParent.com.

Spring Break camp

Asheville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts

Bike Trip on Georgia/Alabama Rails-to-Trails April 11-14 for ages 12-16. Begins with biking on the Silver Comet bike trail just west of Atlanta, then crosses into Alabama to finish on the Chief Ladiga Trail. Camping along the way, with total mileage of 80-90 miles. Stop at Six Flags on Thursday before returning to Asheville. $215 residents, $220 nonresidents. Campers can bring own bike, if in good working condition. Some rental bikes available for additional fee. Contact Christen McNamara at 251-4029 or email outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov.

Summer camps

American Dance Training Camp

Smoky Mountain Dance Camp, July 10-30 AmericanDanceTrainingCamps.com; 866-383-ADTC Girls ages 8-17. Overnight and day camp offered in three weeklong sessions held at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee. national dance camp company offers focus

on jazz, hip hop and lyrical, contemporary or theater dance. Campers participate in four one-hour dance classes per day. No formal training necessary. With performances at end of week.

Asheville Industries for the Blind

Summer Day Camp-SEE (Student Enrichment Experience), June 21-23 and Aug. 2-4 Jenny Viars, Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, 336-245-5669, jviars@wsifb.com For students K-12 who are blind or visually impaired. Camp is based at Asheville Industries for the Blind, 240 Sardis Road. Field trips, including swimming, zip lines, museum visits. With art, computer classes and other activities that encourage independence and socialization for students who are blind or visually impaired. Free for students who are blind or visually impaired.

Blueprint Summer Programs

Get Ready for College, June-July bpsummerprograms.com Rising high schoolers. Blueprint offers a chance for students to discover what it is like to be in college before students get there. Take inspiring courses, live on campus in residence halls, participate in Q&A sessions with college admissions teams and take a road trip to major cities or popular attractions near the college. Explore Coker College in Hartsville, S.C.; Susquehanna Unviersity in Selinsgrove, Pa.; Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.; or Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.

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Camp Dogwood

Camp serving blind and visually impaired, July nclionscampdogwood.com Ages 8-17. Overnight camp in Sherills Ford, N.C., serves the blind and visually impaired children. Boating, fishing, waterskiing, tubing, swimming, more. $100 for N.C. campers with $150 fee for companions and caretakers ($600 for out-of-state campers and companions).

Camp Rockmont for Boys

Coed day camp, June 13-Aug. 12 Rockmont.com/daycamp Rising 1st-5th grades. Weeklong day camps with homesteading, nature, singing and storytime, hikes, crafts and waterfront activities like zip line, canoeing and swimming. Transportation offered from Oakley Plaza on Fairview Road in East Asheville to camp in Black Mountain. Camp is 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. $275 with sibling discounts.

Carolina Christian School

Summer Adventures, June 6-July 29 Carolinachristianschool.org; 658-8964 K-5th grade. Day camp with gymnastics, water days, karate and more. $150/week or $35/day. At 48 Woodland Hills Road, Asheville.

Cedar Hill Farm

Summer camp, July 4-8 and Aug. 1-5 cedarhillfarm.com; 944-0142 or 239-989-7139 Ages 6 and up. Campers will be assigned their own

horse for the week. Lessons include knowledge of tack, confirmation, shoeing, breeds, and more. Riding every day as well as a show and presentation for parents at the end of the week. Guest speakers and demonstrations are scheduled. Only six campers each week. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. $300.

more. Teens ages 13-17 can choose from Wilderness Adventure Trek ($529), Field Ecology Adventure ($995), Backcountry Ecology Expedition ($529) or Teen High Adventure ($995). Dates vary by program. Financial aid available (applications due March 25).

Hanger Hall

Crossfire

Basketball camps, June and July crossfireministry.com; 255-9111 Half-day ($90), full-day ($225) and overnight ($350) basketball camps that teach fundamentals, with fun competitions. Testimonies and share time. ◆ First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, ages 6-12, 1-4:30 p.m. June 13-17; ◆ Reynolds Middle School, ages 6-12, 1-4:30 p.m. June 20-24; ◆ Waynesville Recreation Center, ages 6-12, 1-4:30 p.m. June 27-July 1; ◆ Reynolds High School, ages 6-17, 1-4:30 p.m. July 4-8; ◆ Mars Hill College, ages 9-17, overnight, July 17-21.

Fired Up! Creative Lounge

Art camps, June 13-Aug. 5 fireduplounge.com; 253-8181 (Asheville) or 6989960 (Hendersonville) Ages 5-12. Weeklong camps have clay building, pottery painting, spin art, beading, mosaics, tie-dying, glass fusing and more. 9 a.m.-noon Monday-Friday. At 26 Wall St., Asheville, or 321 N.Main St., Hendersonville. $125 with $25 deposit required.

First Baptist Church of Asheville

Fine Arts Camp, July 20-24 fbca.net; 252-4781 Rising 2nd-7th grades. Daily choral experience,

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Hanger Hall offers a camp for middle-schoolaged girls in August. rhythm and drumming, fine arts instruction, noon concert and lunch. Classes offered in Orff instruments, handbells, recorders, musical theater, dance, drama and artistic design. With guest percussionist and composer River Guerguerian, as well as Asheville Lyric Opera apprentices. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. $95 before June 30; $125 from July 1-11. Cost includes all instruction and materials.

Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

Overnight camps, start June 13 gsmit.org/wnc; 865-448-6709 Ages 9-17. Spend five or 10 days in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park just outside of Townsend, Tenn. Discovery Camp for ages 9-12 offers searching for salamanders, collecting insects, swimming, hiking and

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Summer Camp, Aug. 1-5 hangerhall.com; info@hangerhall.com Girls, rising 5th- to 9th-graders. A fun-filled week of mask making and other crafts, skits, hiking, swimming, blueberry picking, games and traditional mountain dancing with Rodney Sutton. At Hanger Hall School for Girls, 30 Ben Lippen School Road. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $200.

KidzQuest

Summer Adventure Camp, June 13-Aug. 17 Familyfaithfellowship.org; 687-1050 Age 4 to rising 7th grade. Day camp with weekly themed adventures like Amazing Races Rev It Up, The Big Apple Adventure, Super-Duper Science, Mega Sports and more. 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. $100.

Landry Summer Camps

College-prep academic camp landrysummercamps.com; 265-4101 Rising 8th-12th grades. On the campus of Lees McRae College in Banner Elk. Study art, ballet, biology, Latin, theater, biology, chemistry, music and more.

Rock Academy

Summer camps, start June 13 rockacademync.com; 252-1888 Ages 9-17. Live your rock ‘n’ roll dreams at Rock Acade-

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camp guide Continued from Page 39 my in weeklong sessions with performance for family and friends on Friday. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club

Day camp, June 13-Aug. 5 255-0266 Ages 6-13, with teen center for ages 14-18. Arts and crafts, games, swimming, sports, field trips, music, and Vacation Bible School, with hot lunch and snacks. 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. At 750 Haywood Road. Child care vouchers accepted. $60 registration fee; $115, with scholarships available. Register 3-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, starting April 4.

Trout Unlimited

Rivercourse Coldwater Conservation and Fly-Fishing camp, June 19-24 nctu.org/rivercourse; nctu.rivercourse@gmail.com Ages 13-15. Program teaches ethics of coldwater conservation. Learn geology, entomology, herpetology, stream restoration techniques, wetlands ecology and environmental policy. With fly-fishing instruction. At Lake Logan Center near Canton. Only 16 campers selected. $595.

True Ink

Creative Summer Writing Programs, starts June 13 true-ink.com; 215-9002 Elementary-high school. Camps for young writers include visual art, crafts, dance, performance, math, science, publishing, music, history, bookmaking and more. At Thomas Wolfe Memorial Site and the New School of Dance studio, both in downtown Asheville, and the River Arts District. Also includes collaboration with Roots and Wings School of Art, including a summer intensive for teens. Returning this year: Jeff Kinzel, cartoonist and illustrator, and Allan Wolf, internationally-renowned performance poet, author and musician. Schedules and fees vary.

UNC Asheville

Betsy Blose Girls Basketball Camps, June 24-26 and 27-30 Curtis Metten, cmetten@unca.edu or 251-6350 K-12th grades. UNCA womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball coach Betsy Blose offers two basketball camps for girls. Elite Camp (June 24-26) is for rising high schoolers and offers advanced instruction on fundamentals in an individual and team setting. $150. Fundamental Day Camp is for younger players, K-8th grades and teaches basic fundamentals needed for solid basketball foundation. Full-day (9 a.m.-5 p.m., $200) and half-day (9 a.m.-1 p.m., $125).

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley

Journey for the Earth: Daily Travel Adventures, July 18-22 Sybil Argintar, 230-3773 Rising 1st-4th grades. Camp will focus on the Unitarian Universalist seventh principle, the interconnected web of life. Hands-on activities will focus on water, energy conservation, sustainable gardening, recycling and the animal world. At 500 Montreat Road, Black Mountain.

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kids’ voices

Saving the planet

As Earth Day approaches on April 22, we asked third-graders in Meredith Stanley’s class at Haw Creek Elementary School to describe the steps they take at home or in the community to help the environment. Here’s what they told staff writer Barbara Blake. “Everytime you have something paper or plastic, just put the paper in one bag and the plastic in the other, and put it outside. The truck will come in no time. Or use the things you have. If you use your imagination, you can make anything you would want. Just remember, if you throw everything away, you’re not helping the environment and you’re missing out with fun activities with your brain. Please, please, please, please, please recycle!” Ann Licharew

“The best way to recycle is to have a recycling bin in your house. Try your best to sort glass, paper and plastic in different bins. Some people just throw their trash on the side of the road, but you should stuff it in an empty drink holder or bag until you can get the trash to a trash can. Another way to recycle is to use reusable containers or bags. Also, you can make crafts out of trash, like origami.” Luke Sloan

“I help the environment by recycling and picking up trash left by people too lazy to wait to throw it away. Helping wildlife is a big part of (environmentalism). Let’s say a big predator such as the Siberian tiger went extinct. The prey it eats would eat more grass, thus new growth would not happen as much, causing other prey animals to starve, making predators starve. Using biodegradable products helps, too. Being wasteful has a big effect on the ecosystem.” Parker Willett

“I live by a small creek, so when I am playing in it I find a lot of glass and other junk in there. I even found an electrical cord in there. And did you know that having a farm with chickens can help you save money? Because you have to kill trees to make paper and egg crates. I also live by a golf course, and we pick up a pound of trash each month. Help the Earth!” Samantha Kyle-Healy

“Without the environment we’d be like a bird without wings, a fish without water. So we should make more environment-friendly teams. For picking up trash, stopping litter bugs when they see them, and putting in environmentally friendly light bulbs. How do you eat friendly, you’ll ask? Grow your own food, I say. Like corn, apples, oranges. Make jam, and while you do it you’ll have fun. Also use the backs of paper. Reuse it! There’s a saying, ‘reduce, reuse, recycle.’ Hey, that saying’s good, but what I’m saying’s better.” Imani Dozier

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Mom the Camp Director Camp Lakey Gap’s Elsa Berndt balances boys, campers By Barbara Blake WNC Parent writer Elsa Berndt, 32, is the director of Camp Lakey Gap at the Christmount conference center in Black Mountain, which serves people on the autism spectrum. She has a B.A. in psychology and a master’s degree in clinical health psychology from Appalachian State University. She and her husband, Dennis, a reggae musician with the band Chalwa who also works with the Hinds’ Feet Farm day program for adults with traumatic brain injuries, are the parents of sons Julian, 5, and Rowan, 3. The family lives in Candler. Learn more at christmount.org/camplakeygap. Contact Berndt at elsa.berndt@yahoo.com.

Q. Tell us about Camp Lakey Gap. A. The camp is on the grounds of

Christmount conference center and offers an enriching summer camp experience for people with autism that is not possible in a traditional camp setting. We have an extremely low camper/ staff ratio, offering highly individualized attention, and our counselors are trained to deal with children on the autism spectrum. We accept anyone on the spectrum ages 4 to adult, regardless of the degree of disability. There is one week for adults 18 and up; the other weeks are for children and are broken up by age group. Two of the weeks are just for campers with high functioning autism, and the other weeks we accept anyone on the spectrum.

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Elsa Berndt runs Camp Lakey Gap, a camp for children with autism. Here she poses with her husband Dennis and children Julian, 5, and Rowan, 2, at their home in Candler.

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Q. Explain a little about autism. A. Autism is a spectrum disorder,

“I love that my boys are being taught, at an early age, to accept and respect people who learn and experience the world differently than they do.” which means that it affects everyone very differently within a wide range of intensity, symptoms and behaviors. There is a set of symptoms that everyone with autism falls into in a different way. There are challenges in social skills, communication and specific behaviors or interests. Some people with autism are nonverbal and have extreme challenges with sensory issues, communication and social skills, and then on the other end of the spectrum are individuals who are extremely intelligent and have ‘typical’ communication skills, but they have more impairments in navigating the social world.

Q. You are on site at camp so many hours of each day throughout the summer. With two young sons at home, how does that work? A. I only spend one night a week at camp, and last summer the whole family came and stayed with me, which was fun. We have worked it out differently each summer. With Dennis being a musician, he has gotten to be a stay-at-home dad some summers. The first summer, when Julian was 1, we were both working, and we had the grandmas come up and stay with us for portions of the summer, which was great. Q. Do Julian and Rowan spend any time at camp? A. The boys come out and eat with me sometimes, and now that they are getting older they can actually come and participate in some of the camp fun when we have the younger groups. They love that mom’s work has a playground, hiking trails and tons of toys. And I love that my boys are being taught, at an early age, to accept and respect people who learn and experience the world differently than they do. I hope that this will develop strong compassion in them. Q. Has working with people with auContinues on Page 44

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tism affected how you parent your own children? A. I’m so thankful that my husband actually worked at camp for two summers; fathers who have been caretakers are just so attentive to children’s needs, and he is a great dad. I think working at camp has helped us both have more patience with younger children. Also, there are techniques for communication and behavior management that we teach at camp that work beautifully with typical children. I’m not saying that my children are perfectly behaved, but I feel like I have lots of great strategies as a resource.

Q. Do you and Dennis ever get a date night alone? A. This is pretty rare, and usually happens around birthdays or anniversaries. We are recognizing more and more, though, how important it is to have some

PHOTO BY ERIN BRETHAUER

Elsa Berndt’s sons are now old enough they get to participate in some activities with younger campers at Camp Lakey Gap.

adult time. When we go out we usually just go to dinner somewhere that we wouldn’t take the kids, and just enjoy eating slowly and talking without interruptions.

Q. Any tips for other moms trying to balance a challenge job and young children? A. I tend to be a worrywart, and something that my husband has really

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helped me to remember is to leave my worries behind and just be in the moment with the boys. They are also great at reminding me of this. Children this age just live in the moment and have fun with what is going on in front of them. It is so refreshing to just sit and read a book with them or kick the soccer ball or play pirates. I always try to keep in mind that there will be a time, likely in the teen years, when they won’t want to hang out with me as much, so enjoying all the little things with them now is crucial.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being a mom? A. I love the little peaceful moments when I can watch one of the boys learn something new, or say something hilarious, or when they do something that makes them feel so proud of themselves. I also love the times when the four of us share experiences together, whether it’s playing Batman guys or quiet meditations by a swimming hole; just being together without the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world is so special.

the artful parent

Sculpting with paper By Jean Van’t Hul WNC Parent columnist I don’t know about your children, but my daughter’s favorite tool is the stapler. She’s also crazy about scissors, tape, glue and the hole punch. She goes through reams of paper creating all sorts of things with the above-mentioned tools. Besides books, cards with flaps and cut-outs, she makes hats, masks, child-sized paper dolls and threedimensional houses. Knowing her enthusiasm for paper art, I recently introduced the idea of abstract paper sculptures and we sat down to make some together. Here are the instructions if you’d like to create along with us. Continues on Page 46

Jean Van’t Hul blogs about children’s art and creativity at The Artful Parent (www.artfulparent.typepad.com).

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Paper sculpting Continued from Page 45

Paper Sculpture (ages 4 and up)

Construction paper Scissors Tape, glue, stapler Paper plate (to use as a base for the sculpture) 1. Use scissors to cut strips or shapes from the construction paper. Tape or staple your first pieces to the paper plate base. 2. Continue to add to the sculpture by taping, stapling or gluing paper strips and shapes to the paper plate and the other paper pieces. 3. Some ideas to try with the paper pieces that you add to your sculpture: roll a paper strip into a circle, fold a paper strip into an accordion, make a tube from a piece of paper, cut fringe on a piece of paper and punch holes in a piece of paper.

PHOTO BY JEAN VANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T HUL

Colorful paper and office supplies are all your child needs to create a free-form paper sculpture.

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divorced families

When divorcing, take care of yourself

By Trip Woodard WNC Parent columnist

There is a “motivational poster” featuring a halfsunken ship that missed the channel marker. The poster says the purpose of some people’s lives is to serve as a warning to others. When it comes to good health, I suppose I may be one of those ships. But I still maintain hope that Woody Allen was right and that someday science will prove that steak and ice cream are good for you; it will be tofu, soy milk and green veggies that give you cancer. In the meanwhile, we are stuck with the “science” that we do have, so let’s

examine the practical point of view of health for divorcing people (who are stressed for time and tend to have less money to pay for medical care) and see what shortcuts we may devise. Let’s start with the hard stuff … health insurance. If you are going through a separation or divorce there is good and bad news. The good news is that your children may be eligible for Medicaid or Health Choice (which is like Medicaid, but is managed by Blue Cross Blue Shield) if you are under financial stress. Trust me. This is good insurance that will enable you to get quality mental health and medical care for your child, at least for this year on the former. The state may change its mind on the present level freedom of consumer choice by next year for mental health care. The hard part for children is dental

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care. About as many dentists take Medicaid as those whose offices are open on Fridays. They do exist, but are scarce as hen’s teeth (sorry, couldn’t resist) to find. The other bad news concerns adults. Unless you are lucky and have a good insurance plan under current employment, you may find that insurance plans are simply out of reach (except for “catastrophic plans” that kick in when you reach a bazillion-dollar deductible, which amounts to about four days in a medical hospital or three in a mental hospital). And good luck with adult dental insurance. I am self-employed and my dental plan pays for me to read two magazines of my choice while waiting in the dentist lobby. Rumor, however, is that Continues on Page 48

Take care Continued from Page 47

next year I will only be allowed to read one. So our best strategy for now is to do the best we can to take care of our health naturally. So consider trying at least a few of the following: ◆ Brush and floss your teeth just like the dentist said (or, at least, as instructed by an ad in a magazine at my dentist office). Remember that dental disease can be expensive to treat and may contribute to other significant health problems. ◆ Add vitamins into your diet. This is especially important if you are unable to “eat well” either due to time or money. Stress tabs are vitamins available in generic form and may fortify your immune system during the divorce process. ◆ Drink LOTS of water. Out of the tap is fine. Yes, I hear the grumbles out there, but the reality is that bottled water is not regulated like tap water. ◆ Try to do some intentional exercises or at least stretches daily. Just getting out of bed and yawning doesn’t count. ◆ Try to stay away from or minimize your caffeine consumption. ◆ Consider your physical, emotional/ social, spiritual and ascetic needs as four spokes on a wheel. Develop goals for each and review them when you feel out of balance. What are ascetic needs? Involvement with something that feels creative like music, photography, dancing, cooking, reading or sports. One of my ascetic needs is fishing for trout because it always feels creative if I actually catch one. I could go on with many more tips, several of which I should be following myself, but I am tired now and feel like eating a steak with ice cream on it … Trip Woodard is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a clinical member of the N.C. Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. Contact him at 6068607.

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dad’s view

Finding time for family dinners

By William Scott Tiernan WNC Parent columnist

Last week my wife mentioned that one of her co-workers had made a “Leave it to Beaver” reference in a meeting. She had no idea what he was talking about. Impossible, I said. You’ve never heard of Eddie Haskell? Ward and June? Wally and Beaver? Nope. Well, what about family dinners? I enjoyed the Cleaver family dinners. June in pearls dishing out casserole and wisdom to Wally; Ward in a shirt and tie admonishing Beaver for another school screw up. It seemed for the Cleavers that whatever was wrong could be made right with 30 minutes of food and face time. Fast forward 50 years. Work meetings, soccer practices and other schedule stuffers make the family meal seem like an anachronistic “Leave It to Beaver”-type event. Instead of gathering to eat the same meal at the same time in the same place, too often we find ourselves feeding our kids breakfast on the way to school, eating lunch between e-mails and downing solo dinners at midnight. But the evidence, both empirical and anecdotal, suggests we’d be wise to carve out regular time for the family to dine. The best meal to eat together: dinner. First, family dinners don’t allow for improvisation — Mom eating a salad while texting, Dad munching on a sandwich in front of the TV, Johnny taking a burger to his room to continue playing video games. In essence, they bust the food-court mentality and strengthen the notion that a common meal takes precedent over individual preferences. Family dinners then are the perfect opportunity to delay gratification and

FILE PHOTO

The picture-perfect Cleaver family members in the old TV series “Leave It to Beaver” usually solved all their problems in 30 minutes, often during family dinner. introduce kids to new foods. Perhaps if Mom and Dad and big sister Jessica are munching their veggies, Johnny will follow suit. Second, look at portion and cost control. Americans spend almost 50 percent of their food budget eating out, and the average restaurant meal contains 60 percent more calories than a homemade meal. Those calories add up. What’s more, the average at-home meal cost is $4.50 per person compared to $8 out. You can do the math. Add to this the fact that family dinners return a sense of civility and ceremony to eating. Laying out ingredients, preparing the meal, setting the table, eating slowly, savoring the food —

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sounds better than unwrapping a plastic-wrapped microwaved taco and shoveling it down in 30 seconds. Third, family dinners are therapeutic. Regular face time between parents and children facilitates communication. Kids can confess, conspire and commiserate; parents can gauge moods, dissect problems and help guide children toward appropriate behaviors. Multiple research studies have shown that kids who eat regular family dinners are less likely to smoke, experiment with alcohol and drugs, suffer from depression and develop eating disorders. Sounds good to me. Fourth, family dinners are educational. Kids expand their vocabularies interacting with adults. They pick up discourse etiquette and learn to listen to other people’s concerns. Families who make a priority of eating together spend more time on reading and homework. It’s no surprise then that kids who eat most often with their parents are 40 percent more likely to get mainly A’s and B’s in school than kids who have two or fewer family dinners a week. Finally, family dinners are just plain fun, a chance to connect with the people closest to us. Children can share school stories, parents can share work stories, grandma can share “When I was your age ... ” stories, and everyone can help plan the next weekend activity or family trip. Sure, there will be nights when the conversation is stunted, when everyone has some place they’d rather be. But practice makes perfect, and on the special night when everyone lingers a bit longer to listen to a story or debate an issue, you may be inspired to bottle the family dinner experience and sell it at the drugstore as a panacea.

William Scott Tiernan is an author, freelance writer and communications consultant in Asheville. E-mail him at wstiernan72@yahoo.com.

librarian’s pick

Appalachian legend Houston charms again

By Jennifer Prince Buncombe County Public Libraries Once in a great while a children’s writer comes along whose body of work vivifies a locale so clearly that the author comes to be viewed as an ambassador. The prairies of midcentury America have Laura Ingalls Wilder. Twentieth-century suburbia has Beverly Cleary. Appalachia has Gloria Houston. Houston’s previous children’s books, a few of which are “Littlejim,” “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” and “Mountain Valor,” capture the qualities of natural beauty and strong sense of community that are representative of many Appalachian areas. In her newest book, “Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile,” Houston pairs once again with artist Susan Condie Lamb. Their 1992 collaboration, “My Great-Aunt Arizona,” tells the story of Houston’s greataunt who served as a teacher in Appalachia for decades and inspired generations of children. “Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile” tells the story of the librarian who served Avery, Mitchell and Yancey counties during Houston’s growing up years. A Radcliffe graduate and graduate of library school, Miss Dorothy planned to be a librarian “in a fine brick library just like the one in the center of the square in her hometown (in Massachusetts).” Falling in love and getting married brings Miss Dorothy to the South. In language warm with affection for the region, Houston describes Miss Dorothy’s new home: “a land

of high blue mountains, with deep green valleys and cascading streams splashing silver, shaded with oak, maple, and fir at the base of high Mount Mitchell in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.” Miss Dorothy discovers that the people of the area love books, but do not have a library. Community fundraising garners enough money to purchase a new green bookmobile. Miss Dorothy is the librarian. Houston describes Miss Dorothy’s route “over high hills and through narrow valleys … into every school yard … and every farm, post office, grocery store, churchyard and parking lot.” Houston adds details that demonstrate how much Miss Dorothy cared for the community: opening for business just minutes after she and the bookmobile were towed from the middle of the flooded North Toe River, and working out a system of communication with a lady who hung her husband’s red flannel underwear from the clothesline whenever she needed Miss Dorothy to make the trek up to her house. As in “My Great-Aunt Arizona,” Susan Condie Lamb’s illustrations complement Houston’s story perfectly. Brilliant colors are softened by blurred lines, giving the pictures an air of happy nostalgia. “Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile” is a lovely tribute to a lady and a bygone way of life. For a tribute to Buncombe County’s bookmobile, visit the lower level of Pack Memorial Library. There, visitors can view artist Jean Loewer’s nearly large as life mural commemorating Buncombe County’s bookmobile and its faithful librarian Katherine Case, who drove the bookmobile for 50 years. Look for this title in the Buncombe County Public Libraries. Visit www.buncombecounty.org for more information.

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area story times Buncombe County Public Libraries

Visit buncombecounty.org Black Mountain, 250-4756 Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Mother Goose Time: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Thursday East Asheville, 250-4738 Preschool: 11 a.m. Wednesday and Saturday Enka-Candler, 250-4758 Mother Goose Time: 11:30 a.m. Thursday Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Thursday Fairview, 250-6484 Mother Goose Time: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Thursday Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Leicester, 250-6480 Mother Goose Time: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday North Asheville, 250-4752 School Age Storytime: 3:15 p.m. Thursday Preschool: 11 a.m. Wednesday Toddler Time: 10 a.m. Wednesday Oakley/South Asheville, 250-4754 Mother Goose Time: 11 a.m. Thursday Toddler Time: 11 a.m. Wednesday Preschool: 10 a.m. Wednesday Pack Memorial Library, 250-4700 Mother Goose Time: 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Thursdays Family Story Time: 10:30 a.m. Saturdays Skyland/South Buncombe, 2506488 Preschool: 10:30 a.m. Thursday Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Swannanoa, 250-6486 Preschool: 11 a.m. Thursday Mother Goose Time: 11 a.m. Wednesday Toddler Time: 10 a.m. Thursday Weaverville, 250-6482

Mother Goose Time: 11 a.m. Wednesday Toddler Time: 11 a.m. Thursday Preschool: 11:15 a.m. Tuesday West Asheville, 250-4750 Mother Goose Time: 11 a.m. Monday Toddler Time: 11 a.m. Wednesday Preschool: 11 a.m. Thursday

Haywood County Public Library

Visit haywoodlibrary.org. Waynesville, 452-5169 Baby Rhyme Time: 11 a.m. Mondays Movers and Shakers: 11 a.m. Thursdays Family story time: 11 a.m. Wednesdays Ready 4 Learning: 2 p.m. Wednesdays Canton, 648-2924 Family story time: 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays Mondays with Ms. Lisa: 3:30 p.m. Mondays

Henderson County Public Library

Visit henderson.lib.nc.us Main, 697-4725 Bouncing Babies: 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays Toddler Time: 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays Preschool story time: 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays Stories Alive (ages 5-8): 4 p.m. Thursdays Edneyville, 685-0110 Family story time: 10 a.m. Mondays Etowah, 891-6577 Family story time: 11 a.m. Tuesdays Fletcher, 687-1218 Bouncing Babies: 11:15 a.m. Wednesdays Toddler Time: 10 a.m. Wednesdays Preschool story time: 10:30 a.m. Wednesdays Green River, 697-4969 Family story time: 10 a.m. Thursdays Mills River, 890-1850 Family story time: 10 a.m. Mondays

Barnes & Noble

Asheville Mall, 296-7335 11 a.m. Mondays and 2 p.m. Saturdays

Spellbound Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bookshop

19 Wall St., Asheville, 232-2228, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. (ages 3-5) and 3:30 p.m. (ages 5-7).

Blue Ridge Books

152 S. Main St., Waynesville, 456-6000 10 a.m. Tuesdays (age 3 and under)

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home-school happenings

Home schools need phys ed, too By Nicole McKeon WNC Parent columnist When I was in elementary school, I loved P.E. Second to anything related to the dramatic arts, P.E. was my favorite subject. (Except for dodgeball. I hated dodgeball!) By the time I progressed to high school, I was dodging phys ed at any excuse. I dreaded it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like physical activity. I was very active. Cheerleading and dancing were part of my everyday activities. It’s just that, between the Presidential Physical Fitness tests, which I failed miserably on account of my inability to complete even one lousy pull-up, and the basketball tournaments, which seemed to go on for weeks and bored me to tears, well, it just didn’t inspire me. All of this made me think a lot about what we were going to include in our home-school P.E. program. In our house, physical education includes such activities as knee hockey in the kitchen, Nerf gun fights in the backyard and trail riding on our horses. We also consider cleaning out the horse

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stalls and carrying boxes of books down to our bookstore a part of our recreational activities. My kids love physical activity, and we try to incorporate lots of running around and moving our bodies into all of our “learning” activities. Home-school physical education does not have to look like a “class.” Most of the families we spend time with like to hike and ride bikes and walk their dogs together. This can be physical education. It’s physical, and you’re teaching your children that getting exercise is an important part of everyday life. I don’t think it’s necessary to sit down and say, “Now we will learn about health together.” It seems artificial and boring to me. I think it’s better to incorporate healthy choices in your everyday life, and your children then learn from your behavior, rather than your lecture. We try to make healthy eating choices, drink lots of water, wash our hands, rest when we’re tired … these things may seem unimportant, but making these a part of your everyday life makes healthy living and recreation a “no-brainer.” If you’re just getting started on your home-schooling journey, it may help to plan an activity for three or four times a week, especially if your kids are still young. We used to do things like bubble blowing, jumping on the trampoline, running up and down the driveway (my

son enjoyed being timed, to see if he could improve his time each day), homemade obstacle courses and riding our bicycles. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to get caught up in the more academic subjects, and you may find yourself forgetting that your kids need time to move their bodies. I found that the more physical activity my children got, the more able they were to focus on their more sedentary subjects. Making physical activity a priority can actually make a big difference in getting the best out of your kids in every aspect of learning. Lots of families play organized sports to meet their physical education needs. Living in Western North Carolina, we are blessed with a plethora of choices for organized sports. In our house, we play hockey with the Asheville Hockey League. This is an exciting and physically demanding sport, which requires stamina, coordination and teamwork. All great things to look for when you are making a choice for your kids. It also helps to choose an activity that your kids are really excited about. Some kids love team sports and excel in an atmosphere that requires a high level of competitiveness. Other kids are happier when they are competing with their own best performance. Activities like horseback riding, bowling or figure skating might be more inspiring for these kids. Forcing your kids to take part in an activity that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel comfortable to them generally produces negative results. We are also lucky enough to have a large enough home-schooling community in our region to support a homeschool athletic league, and home-school physical education classes. If you feel like that might be a better choice for your family, I recommend checking out HOME Asheville and WNC Homeschoolers online, where you will find information for these types of activities. Whatever activities you choose, the most important factor to a successful home-school physical education program is the fun factor. Have fun! Nicole McKeon is a home-schooling mom and owner of Homeschool Station, a new/used home-school curriculum store in Fairview. She can be reached at homeschoolstation@hotmail.com.

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growing together

Discipline is not punishment, and vice versa

By Chris Worthy WNC Parent columnist

I am trying to wrap my brain around something I read about recently. It’s called “saucing” — the practice of disciplining a child by placing hot sauce in his or her mouth. Some people think this is OK. Do you? I hear this is a common practice. It strikes me as something that would violate the Geneva Convention. I have always been clear and upfront about my position on spanking. In our house, we don’t hit each other. Period. My children are not undisciplined. On the contrary, we are strict parents and we have always tried to make sure our kids understood that bad choices naturally lead to painful consequences. If I didn’t pay my electric bill, the

house would go dark. If you don’t do your homework, you will immediately want for a social life. Use the phone and the car simultaneously and the result will be loss of phone, car, license and life as you know it. When my children were small and testing their newfound limits, we tried to make the consequences make sense on some level beyond our immediate anger. “Time out” was a great tool for one of my children. My other child sometimes required a more creative approach. My Latin is rusty but I am pretty sure the words “discipline” and “disciple” come from the same root. Discipline is about teaching and training. Punishment, exacting a penalty, is a part of that, but the terms are not interchangeable. Before you protest, please hear me out. Of course I have lost my temper with my children — many times. I still do, as a matter of fact. But I don’t hit them or strive to inflict physical pain. I think

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most physical punishment stems from frustration. However, if I see you smack your child out of the path of an oncoming car, I promise not to say a word. Short of that, I think a plan needs to be in place before emotions take over. And please, hot sauce in a child’s mouth is not an adequate approach. Parenting is at least a little analogous to baking bread. It is a little art, a little science, a little trial and a significant amount of error. Keeping the goal in mind is half the battle as you learn when to knead and when to let the dough rise on its own. No recipe is a sure thing but every step should be an effort to achieve a final result. Right? Every child needs and deserves to be guided down the path to good character, strong values, integrity and gentleness. What that journey looks like differs by family, but compassion is universal. E-mail Chris Worthy at chris@worthyplace.com.

Celebrate Easter with hunts, parades, more Get your basket ready for a host of Easter egg hunts and other events this month. Easter is April 24.

April 9

Living Savior Easter for Kids A one-day Vacation Bible School for ages 3-12 filled with crafts, music and fun. 9:30 a.m.-noon, Living Savior Lutheran Church, 301 Overlook Road, Asheville. 650-0404.

April 16

Anointed Word Easter Egg Hunt 2 p.m. at Kateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park, Hendersonville Road, Fletcher, hosted by Anointed Word Church. Games, candy, prizes, Bible message. Games and egg hunt is for ages 2-12. No pets. Call 242-8781. Bojangles Easter Eggstravaganza City of Asheville hosts this Easter event with inflatables, crafts, face painting and a performance by the Mountain Thunder Cloggers. 2-4 p.m. with Easter egg hunts at 4 p.m. At Carrier Park. Visit ashevillenc.gov.

Black Mountain Recreation and Parks Easter Egg Hunt Hunts for kids (toddlers to teens) and adults (18 and older). With live entertainment, games, crafts, music, snacks, candy and an appearance by the Easter Bunny. At 10:30 a.m. at Recreation Park, Black Mountain. Free. Rain date is 2 p.m. April 17. Stecoah Valley Easter Egg Hunt Duckie Race and Deviled Egg Cookoff. 11 a.m. Stecoah Valley Cultural Arts Center, 121 Schoolhouse Road, Robbinsville. 479-3364, stecoahvalleycenter.com. Zeugner Center Egg Hunt Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Indoor Swim. Registration starts at noon, hunt begins at 12:15 p.m. After hunt, stay for party with crafts, face painting, games. Pool open 1-3 p.m. Bring basket and swimsuit. Hunt and party are free; swimming is $2 per person. Call 6845072. At Zeugner Center, behind Roberson High School at 50 Springside Drive.

April 17

Palm Sunday Family Service 10:30 a.m. at Anointed Word Church, 170 Bradley Branch Road, Arden, with a sermon on how to build

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stronger families. Refreshments served before and after the service. A $40 restaurant gift card will be given to the family who brings the most children. Party and candy for the kids, with awards for the coloring contest winners from the previous dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Easter egg hunt. Call Rebecca at 242-8781.

April 22

The Easter Beagle Express Great Smoky Mountain Railroad train departs the Bryson City depot at 10:30 a.m. Passengers will join Snoopy, Lucy, Charlie Brown and our Easter Bunnies for old-fashioned Easter fun during the hourlong layover at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Festivities include an Easter egg hunt with special prizes, egg decorating, storytelling, coloring sheets, temporary

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Celebrate Easter

April 23-24

Easter weekend at Old Edwards Inn Includes Easter brunch, Easter bunny visit and egg hunt. $45. In Highlands. Visit oldedwardsinn.com/ easter or call 526-8008. Easter at Lake Junaluska Celebrate Easter at Lake Junaluska with a sunrise service and other special Easter activities, including a 5K/10K Bunny Run and Fun Run, Easter Egg hunt, an egg painting contest and other children’s activities. Free. 800-222-4930.

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tattoos, snacks with Snoopy and more. Adult tickets $49 and children 2 and older $29. 800-872-4681.

April 23

First Presbyterian Church of Swannanoa Easter Egg Hunt: Multiple hunts, face painting, and access to the church playground. 2-4 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Swannanoa, 372 Bee Tree Road. 4504856, swannanoapres.org. Grovewood Easter Egg Hunt Grovewood Gallery and Grovewood Café host their third-annual Easter Egg Hunt for ages 2-9. Free. With refreshments and visit from the Easter Bunny. At 11 a.m. at 11 Grovewood Road, North Asheville. 2537651, grovewood.com. The Easter Beagle Express Great Smoky Mountain Railroad train departs the Bryson City depot at 10:30 a.m. Passengers will join Snoopy, Lucy, Charlie Brown and our Easter Bunnies for old fashioned Easter fun during the 1-hour layover at Nantahala Outdoor Center. Festivities include an Easter egg hunt with special prizes, egg decorating, storytelling, coloring sheets, temporary tattoos, snacks with Snoopy and more. Adult tickets $49 and children two and older $29. 800-872-4681. Dillsboro Easter Hat Parade Show off your best Easter hat. 2-5 p.m., starting at Town Hall on Front Street. Antique cars, hat contestants, Easter Bunny. Last-minute entrants welcome.

April 24

WNC PARENT PHOTO

Biltmore Estate hosts several egg hunts on the front lawn of the famous mansion on Easter Sunday. Registration starts at 11 a.m. Fletcher Easter Egg Hunt Egg hunt, Parade of Hats contest, free face painting, Easter Bunny. Noon, Fletcher Community Park, 85 Howard Gap Road. For ages walker to 11. 687-0751, fletcherparks.org. Maggie Valley Club & Resort Easter Egg Hunt Crafts, games, prizes, visit with the Easter bunny. Bring your own basket. 1 p.m. at Maggie Valley Club & Resort, 1819 Country Club Drive. Call 926-4826 to sign up.

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Biltmore Estate Easter Egg Hunts Easter Rabbit, magic shows, music, storytelling, crafts. Ages 9 and under free when accompanied by an Estate pass holder or ticketed adult. Bring your own basket to collect eggs. At 11 a.m. 1 p.m., 3 p.m. on the Front Lawn. 800-411-3812 or 225-1333, biltmore.com. Easter sunrise service 8 a.m., Land Of The Sky Cowboy Church, Haywood County Fairgrounds, N.C. 209, Waynesville. gene@cowboyministry.com, 242-2336, cowboyministry.com. Chimney Rock Park’s 56th Annual Easter Sunrise Service Gates open 5-6 a.m. for the 6:30 a.m. service. Free, and attendees may stay in the park for the day. Service with song, Scripture, special music and sunrise over Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge. Arrive early, dress warmly and bring a flashlight. chimneyrockpark.com.

March 31-April 1

calendar of events

Things to do

Items for the May calendar are due by April 10. Email information to calendar@wncparent.com.

‘The Hiding Place’ North Asheville Christian School presents “The Hiding Place” dinner theatre at 6:30 p.m.. Tickets are $15 and include dinner. “The Hiding Place” is a true story about Corrie Ten Boom and her family, who helped save Jews during World War II. Call 645-8053.

March 31-April 3

SheTrade sale Consignment sale including women’s clothing, jewelry, shoes, formal wear and more at Four Points by Sheraton in downtown Asheville. Visit shetradewnc.com. SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Through April 20

Grovewood Gallery hosts a charity sale April 15-17 to benefit Arts for Life, a nonprofit that supports children facing serious illness.

March 28

Crazy Chemists Make Crazy Concoctions Hands On! A Child’s Gallery offers a class for ages 3 and older. Make oatmeal play clay. At 10:30 a.m. $5 (free for members). At 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org.

The Mountain Community School enrollment Open enrollment for the 2011-12 school year at The Mountain Community School runs through April 20. The Hendersonville charter school is at 613 Glover St. Call 696-8480 or visit tmcschool.org. Foster parent training Buncombe County DSS starts is spring training session for prospective foster parents. The 30-hour training is designed to help individuals and families decide if they would like to become foster parents. Free. 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays for 10 weeks. To sign up or for more information, call Erica Jourdan at 250-5868 or email familiesforkids@buncombecounty.org.

March 29

March 31

Infant CPR class Pardee Hospital offers a class on infant CPR and choking, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Pardee Health Education Center in Blue Ridge Mall, Hendersonville. $10. Call 866-790-WELL to register.

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Through April 20

Mountain Community School enrollment The Mountain Community School in Hendersonville will be accepting student applications for the 2011-12 school year through April 20. Visit tmcschool.org or call 696-8480.

Starts April 1

Fairview Preschool Registration is open for the 2011-12 school year. Fairview Preschool will provide a hands-on learning environment for ages 2-5. Classes will meet 8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Directly behind the Fairview Library at 596 U.S. 74, Fairview. Call 338-2073, email info@FairviewPreschool.org or visit FairviewPreschool.org.

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April 1

Music and Movement Hands On! A Child’s Gallery offers Music and Movement with Jenny Arch at 10:30 a.m. Free with admission. At 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org.

April 2

Poetry event Spellbound Children’s Bookshop celebrates National Poetry Month with a special poetry event for young people, 1-3 p.m. Poetry reading, creative activities and giveaways. Free. All ages. At 19 Wall St., downtown Asheville. Visit spellboundchildrensbookshop .com or call 232-2228. YMCA parents’ night out Downtown Asheville YMCA offers a parents’ night out for children ages 2-12. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, inflatable obstacle course, snacks and a movie. Register online or in person (at least 24 hours before scheduled program). From 6-10 p.m. the first Saturday of each month. $15 for members ($30 for nonmembers), with $2 sibling discounts for everyone. Call 210-5622 or visit ymcawnc.org. YMCA Pop Warner registration The YMCA of WNC offers registration for its Pop Warner football and cheerleading programs. Register 9 a.m.-noon at Downtown Asheville YMCA and Henderson County YMCA. Visit popwarnerymca.org.

Starts April 2

Biltmore Festival of Flowers Biltmore Estate hosts the 26th Annual Festival of Flowers, April 2-May 15. Live music daily in the Winter Garden in and Conservatory, and daily seminars at A Gardener’s Place. Visit Biltmore.com.

April 5

Wee Naturalist program N.C. Arboretum offers a Wee Naturalist class for ages 2-5 with activities like nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals. Sessions are 10-11 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Theme for April 5 is “Listening to Nature.” $6 per child older than 2. Younger siblings and adults free. $20 “Wee Card” is good for four visits. Registration not required. Kids older than 5 not permitted. Visit ncarboretum.org or call Michelle at 665-2492.

April 6

Hands On! programs Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, offers these programs. Call 697-8333 to register. Visit handsonwnc.org. ◆ African drum class: Ages 4 and older. Learn basic drum rhythms and make a musical instrument. 10-11:30 a.m. $15 ($10 members). ◆ Wacky Weeds Day: Second grade and older. Learn about invasive species in yards, forests; make a honeysuckle and ivy craft. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Free with admission.

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puzzles for parents

Across

1. An address to a woman 6. Pre-1947 British rule over India 9. Marinara quality 13. Where in the world did Santa Anna triumph in 1836? 14. 2nd largest bird in world 15. _____ Bandz, current fad 16. It projects a red dot 17. Indian restaurant staple 18. Remove a bar 19. Receive by genetic transmission 21. Where in the world are the Bulls? 23. Movie director Howard 24. Puss’ shoe 25. Network with an eye 28. Worker’s reward 30. Teen drama “______ Girl”

35. “Father of nuclear chemistry” Otto ____ 37. Not far 39. Coachman’s pulls 40. UN civil aviation agency 41. Mistake 43. Cocoyam 44. Hall of Famer Ryan 46. Pantomimist 47. He took one small step for man 48. In any manner 50. Head support 52. Levee 53. “____ for your buck” 55. ___ man was in search of a heart 57. Where in the world is London Bridge? 61. Where in the world is Count Dracula’s castle? 65. Held back, often used with “breath” 66. Like a fox? 68. They’re used for baking 69. “_____ man for himself” 70. The high one is at five o’clock

71. Civil rights organization 72. Visual presentation 73. Japanese monetary unit 74. Earthenware pots

Down

1. Where in the world is Timbuktu? 2. Arkin and Alda, e.g. 3. 100m ____ in track

4. Independent African ruler 5. The next day 6. Landlord’s collection 7. American Medical Association 8. Snowbird 9. Dietary mineral 10. Where in the world was Napoleon exiled? 11. Ore smelting byproduct

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12. Novice 15. Penelope had 108 of them, sing. 20. Foolish 22. Domestic swine 24. Ball _______ 25. Where in the world is Yangtze? 26. Breakfast meat 27. Shale-like 29. Cold transmitter 31. “As ____ on TV” 32. Aligned oneself with 33. Where in the world is Taj Mahal? 34. Religious song 36. Master of ark 38. Where in the world is Vatican City? 42. Right-hand page

45. A person of no influence 49. Dim or feeble 51. Geisha’s outfit 54. Awful 56. Like Annapolis Academy 57. In bed 58. Techno dance party 59. One thing on a list 60. Freezing temperature in Celsius 61. Ex-temp on “The Office” 62. After O in Shaq’s name 63. Cuzco valley empire 64. Pharoahs’ cobras 67. “To Kill a Mockingbird” author

Solutions on Page 71

Kids page

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calendar of events Continued from Page 58

April 7

Kindermusik demo Hands On! A Child’s Gallery in Hendersonville offers a demonstration of Kindermusik with songs, movement activities, stories and more for children ages 0-7. Free with admission. At 318 N. Main St. Visit handsonwnc.org. Call 697-8333 to register. Mom2Mom Pardee Hospital offers a free social network for nursing mothers. Meets 10 a.m. first Thursday of the month with discussions about breast-feeding topics and techniques. At Pardee Hendersonville Family Health Center medical office building, 709 N. Justice St. Babies and children welcome.

April 7 and 14

Childbirth class A two-session class for expectant parents covering the labor and delivery process, relaxation, breathing patterns, birth options, positioning and comfort measures. Also includes tour of the Pardee Women and Children’s Center. Runs 6:30-9 p.m. April 7 and 14. Free. At Pardee Hospital Orientation Classroom, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Call 866-790WELL or register online at pardeehospital.org.

April 7-9

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Asheville Christian Academy students will perform

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Biltmore Estate’s Festival of Flowers runs April 2-May 15.

“Fiddler on the Room” at 7 p.m. April 7-9 and 2 p.m. April 9. Tickets are reserved seating for $10. Preorder tickets by calling 581-2200. Credit card ordering available. In the school auditorium at 74 Riverwood Road, Swannanoa.

April 8

Child Watch Tour The 2011 Asheville/Buncombe Child Watch Tour will explore the impact that sending 16- and 17-year-olds into the adult criminal system has on the community.

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calendar of events Continued from Page 65 Lunch is 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. with tour following. At ABCCM Veterans Restoration Quarters, 1401 Tunnel Road, Asheville. Sponsored by Children First/Communities in Schools of Buncombe County and the Junior League of Asheville Inc. To register, visit childrenfirstbc.org/index.php/advocacy/. Flat Rock Playhouse Rising Stars Enjoy a variety of songs and poetry at 3 p.m. at Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org. Call 697-8333. Hendersonville Children’s Choir concert Hendersonville Children’s Choir’s Spring Concert is at 6:30 p.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Adults, $5; students, $2.50. Call 696-4968. National Visit a Park Day Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services showcases two recently renovated facilities from noon-5 p.m. to mark National Visit a Park Day. Karpen Soccer Field in Weaverville and Charles D. Owen Park in Swannanoa will be highlighted and open for visiting. Karpen Field has a new walking trail, expanded parking lot and more. Charles D. Owen Park has a new floating fishing pier (will soon be stocked with catfish) and has a solar-powered fish feeder. Visit buncombecounty.org. Parents’ Night Out Fired Up! Creative Lounge offers a program for kids, 6-9 p.m. at 26 Wall St., downtown Asheville, and 321B N. Main St., Hendersonville. Drop off the kids for pizza, drinks and bisque items to paint. For ages 5-12. $25. Reservations required; call 253-8181 (Asheville) or 698-9960 (Hendersonville).

April 9

Cradle of Forestry opens The Cradle of Forestry celebrates its opening for the season with Old Time Plowing and Folkways living history event. Learn how work horses work the land, watch them plow the garden. Watch crafters whittle wood, spin yarn and set up a loom. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $5 for ages 16 and older; free for 15 and under. Madison County Children of the Arts performances Madison County Children of the Arts perform, 3-5 p.m., Moore Auditorium, Mars Hill College. Includes students from Joyful Noise, First Stage Youth Theatre, JAM of Madison County Arts Council, Madison Middle School, Mars Hill Elementary, Brush Creek Elementary and Dance Dimension Studio. Contact Mary Colvin at 689-3342 or mscolvin4@aol.com. Miniature Golf Tournament The sixth-annual Different Strokes Miniature Golf Tournament will be 1-3 p.m. at Tropical Gardens Mini Golf, 956 Patton Ave., and is open to teams with one adult and one child. $15 per team, includes 36 holes. Ages 5-15 eligible to partner with an adult. Register by April 4. Call Jay Nelson at 250-4260 or email jay.nelson@buncombecounty.org to register. Parents Night Out Grow With Me Learning Cooperative hosts a parents’ night out at Groce Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road. 4-8 p.m. Includes dinner. $20 first child, $10 each additional child. Ages 2 (must be potty trained) and older. Call Katy at 337-4710 or visit growwithmecoop.wordpress.com. Thin Mint Sprint Girl Scouts Peaks to Piedmont Council hosts the Thin

The Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah National Forest opens for the season on April 9. WNC PARENT PHOTO

BUNCOMBE COUNTY KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Children must be 5 by Aug. 31 to enroll in kindergarten. For detail on what to bring to registration, visit buncombe.k12.nc.us. Contact individual elementary schools with any questions and to schedule an appointment time for registration. April 28: Emma and Johnson April 29: Leicester, West Buncombe and Woodfin May 2: Enka district May 3: Roberson district May 6: Owen and North Buncombe districts. Mint Sprint 5K Run/Walk and Daisy Dash 1-mile Fun Run. $25 for 5K ($20 for registered Scouts); $10 for Fun Run. Starts at 9:15 a.m. at Girl Scout Council office on W.T. Weaver Boulevard. Register online at thinmintsprint5K.com.

Starts April 9

April 11

Azalea Mountain Cooperative early childhood open house Children ages 3-6 and their families are invited to join a morning of storytelling and songs, 10-11:30. The Azalea Mountain Cooperative offers a kindergarten to fourth-grade program based on the Waldorf curriculum. At Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road, Asheville. Visit azaleamountain.org. Childbirth class Park Ridge Hospital’s The Baby Place offers its childbirth class in a one-day session, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Course covers nutrition and fitness for the expectant mom, labor, delivery options and newborn care. A tour of the Baby Place is included. Call 681-BABY to register. $90. At 100 Hospital Drive, Hendersonville.

April 11 and 18

Love and Logic workshop Park Ridge Hospital’s The Baby Place offers a workshop using hands-on-learning to help parents gain practical skills in the Love and Logic method. Love and Logic uses humor, hope, and empathy to build healthy adult-child relationships. 5:30-9 p.m. $60 per person or $100 per couple. Call 681-2229 to register or visit parkridgebabies.com.

April 12

Reuter Family Y swim lessons Saturday swim lessons for ages 6 months-12 years are April 9-30. Registration deadline is April 7. Starts at $20. Call 651-9622 or visit ymcawnc.org.

Ask the Vet Hands On! A Child’s Gallery hosts Dr. Jull of Etowah Valley Veterinary Hospital to answer questions about pets and tell children about being a vet. Free with admission. Visit handsonwnc.org. Call 697-8333.

April 10

April 13

Simon Says Guided Bird Walk Chimney Rock Park hosts a bird walk for all ages. See American Redstarts and Hooded Warblers, along with Scarlet Tanagers and Wood Thrush. $22 for adults ($5 for passholders), $10 for ages 6-15 ($3 for Grady’s Kids Club members). Visit chimneyrockpark.com.

Starts April 11

SAT prep class UNC Asheville offers an SAT test preparation course, Mondays and Wednesdays, April 11-27. $295. Call 250-2353, email nwilliams@unca.org or visit agc.unca.edu/sat.

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Odyssey Community School open house Meet the teachers, tour the campus and find out what integral education is about at an open house at Odyssey Community School, 90 Zillicoa St., Asheville. From 5:30-7 p.m. Visit odysseycommunity.org. Science Wonders on Wednesdays The Health Adventure’s monthly program features experiments and demonstrations for the whole family. Free with museum admission or membership. 3:304:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month. Visit thehealthadventure.org or call 254-6373. At 2 S. Pack Square, Asheville.

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April 15

Weaverville Teen Awesome Group The Teen Awesome Group at Weaverville Library meets at 4 p.m. and will focus on a new project involving video, books and music. Call 250-6482 or email weaverville.library@buncombecounty.org. YMCA parents’ night out Downtown Asheville YMCA offers a parents’ night out for children ages 2-12. Activities include swimming, arts and crafts, inflatable obstacle course, snacks and a movie. Register online or in person (at least 24 hours before scheduled program). From 6:30-9:30 p.m. the third Friday of each month. $12 for members ($24 nonmembers), with $2 sibling discounts for everyone. Call 210-5622 or visit ymcawnc.org.

April 15-17

Grovewood Gallery charity sale Grovewood Gallery’s 12th Annual Charity Sale, with proceeds benefiting Arts for Life, is April 15-17 at the gallery, 111 Grovewood Road, North Asheville. Arts for Life is a nonprofit that supports children and teens facing serious illness. Visit grovewood.com.

April 16

Asheville Earth Day & YMCA Healthy Kids Day Asheville Earth Day joins forces with YMCA Healthy Kids Day for an event celebrating how every person can make a difference for environmental change. Entertainment includes Toubab Krew, Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, Asheville Middle School of Rock and more. Free. At Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. Visit avlearthday.org. Cheerleading Day Camp Mars Hill College’s cheerleading program offers a day camp, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., for students in grades K-9. No previous cheerleading experience is necessary. Camp offers a chance for students interested in cheerleading to learn new skills, progress in their skills and receive instruction from collegiate cheerleaders and coach. Contact Coach Amy Miller at aemiller@mhc.edu or 252-862-5155 to register. $25 if registered in advance; $30 if not. Grow With Me Learning Cooperative open house Waldorf-inspired preschool and kindergarten for ages 3-6 hosts and open house. Play in the classroom, enjoy an activity and learn about the program. 10-11 a.m. at Groce Methodist Church, 954 Tunnel Road. Visit growwithmecoop.wordpress.com or email growwithmecoop@gmail.com or call Jessica at 242-6531. ‘Off the Beaten Path’ hike Chimney Rock Park hosts a guided hike that will teach participants to how to recognize trees and shrubs at a glance. 9:30-11:30 a.m. $19 for adults ($4 for passholders), $4 for ages 6-15. Visit chimneyrockpark.com. Spring Book Sale Friends of the Skyland/South Buncombe Library will host a used book sale from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Books start at 50 cents. Call 250-6488 or email skyland.library@buncombecounty.org.

SPECIAL TO WNC PARENT

Diana Wortham Theatre presents “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” on April 28-29.

April 17

Azalea Mountain Cooperative elementary open house Children in grades 1-4 can meet teachers at Azalea Mountain Cooperative and enjoy an afternoon of games and fun, 3-4:30 p.m. Offers a kindergarten to fourth-grade program based on the Waldorf curriculum. At Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road, Asheville. Visit azaleamountain.org. Bat Mitzvah Club The Chabad House hosts Bat Mitzvah Club, open to all Jewish girls in the community turning 11 through age 13 regardless of affiliation. From 4-6 p.m. Call 505-0746 or visit chabadasheville.org.

April 18

Passover Begins at sundown.

April 19

Make Collage Postcards Black Mountain Library invites children 7 and older to make collage postcards from 4-6 p.m. Free. Call 250-4756 or email blackmountain.library@ buncombecounty.org.

April 20

Sing-along at Hands On! Sing-along with Tania at Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 10:30 a.m. Free with admission. At 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org or call 6978333.

April 21

Pardee parenting classes Both classes are free and are 6:30-8 p.m. at Pardee Hospital, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Call 866-790-WELL or register online at pardeehospital.org. ◆ Breast-feeding class: Learn the art of nursing. ◆ Daddy Duty class: Learn helpful ideas and tips for dads during the labor and birth process. In Video Conference Room. Toddler Time in the Park Asheville Parks and Recreation program for ages 1-3

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years. Meet at 10:30 a.m. at Rotary Club Shelter at Carrier Park on Amboy Road for an hourlong, natureinspired scavenger hunt through the park. Magnifying glass available for use. Bring a small bag of crayons. Free. Register in advance by calling 251-4029 or email outdoorprograms@ashevillenc.gov.

April 22-24

Dog agility trials Blue Ridge Agility Club of WNC will host a U.S. Dog Agility Association agility trial at WNC Agricultural Center’s McGough Arena in Fletcher. From 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 22 and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. April 23-24. More than 200 purebred and missed bred dogs will compete. Free.

April 23

Earth Day Celebration Celebrate strides made in protecting the Earth with student programs, lectures, music, workshops, a Green Olympics, ticketed evening concert and more. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Blue Ridge Community College. Free. Call 692-0385. Family Fun Day at Carl Sandburg Home Spring into the Park, a Family Fun Day at Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, will feature poetry performers, Poetry Alive!, storytelling, kid-friendly house tours and activity stations. Young visitors will receive a schedule and activity guide. Festival is part of National Junior Ranger Day. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit nps.gov/carl.

April 24

Easter For a list of Easter events, visit Page 55.

April 26

Crazy Chemists Make Crazy Concoctions Hands On! A Child’s Gallery offers a class for ages 3 and older. Learn to make sidewalk chalk. At 10:30 a.m. $5 (free for members). At 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org. Call 6978333 to register.

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calendar of events Continued from Page 68 Wee Naturalist program N.C. Arboretum offers a Wee Naturalist class for ages 2-5 with age-appropriate activities like nature walks, garden exploration, stories, crafts and visits from classroom animals. 10-11 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Theme for April 26 is “Nature to the Touch.” $6 per child older than 2. Younger siblings and adults free. $20 “Wee Card” is good for four visits. Children older than 5 not permitted. Visit ncarboretum.org or call Michelle Pearce at 665-2492.

April 27

Chimney Rock Park home-school day Students participate in three 45-minute programs, including The Ramble on Mammals, Tracks and Traces Hike and The Art of Trees. $12 per student, $11.50 for parents ($7 for student passholders, free for passholder parents). Visit chimneyrockpark.com.

April 28

African drum class Hands On! A Child’s Gallery offers an African drum class for ages 4 and older. Learn basic drum rhythms and make a musical instrument. 10-11:30 a.m. $15 ($10 members). At 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Visit handsonwnc.org. Call 697-8333 to register. Bingo Night at Claying Around Claying Around hosts Bingo Night, 6-9 p.m., with prizes. At 1378 Hendersonville Road, next to Harris Teeter. For information or reservations, call 2770042 or email clayingaround@bellsouth.net. Infant care class Pardee Hospital offers a course on basics of infant care, including newborn characteristics, feeding, bathing, cord care, diapering and swaddling. From 6:30-8 p.m. at Pardee, education classrooms, 800 N. Justice St., Hendersonville. Free. Registration required. Call 866-790-WELL or register online at pardeehospital.org. ‘It’s Time for Kindergarten’ Buncombe County Schools’ Transition to Kindergarten offers a parent workshop that explains the registration process and ways to prepare a child for school. At 10:30 a.m. at West Asheville Library.

April 28-29

‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’ Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place presents “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” and Other Story Books as part of its School Show Series. For school groups, home-schooled students or parents and caregivers who would like to attend. Open to the public. Recommended for pre-K to third grade. At 10 a.m. and noon. $7 each for groups of 10 or less; $6 for groups of 11 or more. Call 257-4530 for groups of 10 or less. Larger groups, visit dwtheatre.org for tickets.

April 29

Recycled Physics Phun! Use recycled objects to see physics in motion and make a craft. At Hands On! A Child’s Gallery, 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville. Free with admission. Limited space available; call 697-8333 to register. WNC Aquatic School The annual Western North Carolina Aquatic School will be April 29-May 1 at Zeugner Recreation Center indoor pool in South Asheville. Classes include lifeguard training (minimum age is 15), lifeguard instructor training (must have completed lifeguard training and be 17) and water safety instructor training (minimum age 16). $185. Apply by April 22. Call 684-5072 or email teri.gentile@buncombecounty.org.

April 29-30

Used Book Sale Enka-Candler Friends of the Library will host a used book sale, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. April 29 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 30. Cash only. Call 250-4758 or email enka.library@buncombecounty.org.

April 30

Glen Arden Spring Fling Glen Arden Elementary PTA hosts its annual Spring Fling carnival, from 2-5 p.m. With basket raffle, games, inflatables, prizes and more. At 50 Pinehurst Circle, Arden. Call 654-1800. Gluten-Free Fair Meet vendors and gather information at Asheville Gluten-Free Fair, sponsored by Ingles Markets and Asheville and Hendersonville gluten-free support groups. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Doubletree Biltmore Hotel on Hendersonville Road, Biltmore Village. Visit inglesmarkets.com/ask_leah/glutenfreefair.php. Henderson County BBQ Expo

Family-friendly event with barbecue, arts and crafts, Kids’ Zone, displays from nonprofit organizations and schools, and more. At Hendersonville High School football stadium. $6 for ages 13 and older. Call 693-3461 or visit facebook.com/BBQExpo. International Children’s Festival and 5K Rocket Run Vance Elementary starts the day with its 5K Rocket Run at 9 a.m. International Children’s Festival celebrating children and cultures from around the globe with arts and crafts, games, student performances, food and inflatables, is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. At 98 Sulphur Springs Road, West Asheville. Kids’ Fishing Tournament Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation Services hosts the Kids’ Fishing Tournament at Lake Julian Park. The tournament runs 8:30-11:30 a.m. Advance registration is advised, or register the day of the tournament starting at 8 a.m. $5 per child. No fishing license is required for kids under 16. Catchand-release. Participants bring their own pole and bait. Any type of pole and bait is permitted. National Day of Puppetry Asheville Puppetry Alliance and the Southern Highland Craft Guild present the 13th Annual National Day of Puppetry, a day of puppet shows, puppetthemed games, and puppet building activities for the entire family. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Folk Art Center, Milepost 382 Blue Ridge Parkway, in Asheville. $7 (includes three game tickets). Free for kids under 2. Paws for Kids Child Abuse Prevention Services is hosting Paws for Kids, a walk to bring awareness to both child and animal abuse during Child Abuse Awareness Month. 1-3 p.m. at Biltmore Park Town Square. With clowns, magicians and more. Dogs welcome. Spring Festival at Historic Johnson Farm Family fun with arts and crafts, house tours, entertainment, wagon and tractor rides, pound cake sale. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults, $6; students, $4; preschoolers free. Call 891-6585. Stand Against Racism event Spellbound Children’s Bookshop celebrates diversity in books and in life as it joins the YWCA in its Stand Against Racism. From 1-3 p.m., enjoy stories, music, snacks and door prizes. Free. All ages. At 19 Wall St., downtown Asheville. Call 232-2228 or visit spellboundchildrensbookshop.com. Trillium Spring Festival Trillium—A Festival of Follies and Flings offers live music, rummage sale, plant sale, cake walks, bake sale, prizes, kids’ area and more. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. rain or shine at Unitarian Universalist church, 500 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. Free, with small charge for games and cake walks. Call 669-8050, email admin@uusv.org.

May 1

Horse show Etowah Riding Club will host the 4-H Fun Show, 2-6 p.m. At corner of Turnpike and Brickyard roads. Visit etowahridingclub.org.

May 5

Special Olympics Spring Games Special Olympics athletes from all over buncombe County will compete in track and field events. Opening Ceremonies start at 9:20 a.m. with a Parade of Athletes and lighting of the Olympic Torch. Come by

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and cheer for the athletes. Free to attend. Call Grace Young at 250-4260 or email grace.young@buncombecounty.org.

May 6-7

Garage Sale Hendersonvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First United Methodist Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual garage sale with proceeds benefiting local missions and special needs. Donations accepted 9 a.m.-noon April 6, 13 and 20. Home pickup of heavy or large items can be scheduled by calling Sandy Hastie at 696-0703 or Ron Turner at 295-4041. Sale is 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. May 6 and 8:30 a.m.-noon May 7. Large overstuffed furniture, sofa beds and clothing donations other than baby clothing not accepted. At the corner of Church Street and Sixth Avenue, Hendersonville.

May 7

Camp Cedar Cliff open house Try activities like archery, BB guns, zip line and climbing wall as the camp opens for a day of summer fun. With lunch, face painting and inflatables. Free. At the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. Call 4503331 or visit campcedarcliff.org. Ramble Run Event with 5K and 12K races through Biltmore Park and The Ramble in South Asheville. Both races offer parent-child team options. Visit ramblerun.com.

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