Asheville Daily Planet - June, 2011

Page 1

Walt Disney’s connection to Asheville? Museum reveals its findings • Pg. 4

June 2011

Vol. 7, No. 7

An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville

www.ashevilledailyplanet.com

FREE

Jennifer Buffett fires up crowd; unveils $270K for area women From Staff Reports More than 900 people gathered on May 23 in Asheville to celebrate women’s philanthropy and to hear a keynote address from philanthropist Jennifer Buffett at the 7th Annual Power of the Purse luncheon. The event took place at The Crowne Plaza resort in Asheville and included the announcement of $270,000 in grants to nonprofits addressing the needs Jennifer Buffett of women and girls in Western North Carolina made by the Women for Women giving circle. A challenge grant from the Oliver Family Foundation enabled Power of the Purse to raise an additional $50,000 for the Foundation’s Women’s Fund, bringing the endowment to more than $500,000. See BUFFETT, Page 7

Hot horns rock city

The Asheville Horns, sounding like a mix of Blood, Sweat and Tears and Santana, perform on May 20 during the first in the 2011 series of monthly Downtown After Five gatherings. Hundreds of people showed up for the gathering on North

Daily Planet Staff Photo

Lexington Avenue, near the I-240 interchange. Performing earlier was the band Bayou Diesel. Most people just listened or swayed to the music, but several danced. Other features included locally produced craft beers for sale.

There’s gold in them thar hills? Experts offer an intimate look

Daily Planet Staff Photo

Local prospector Doug Emerson demonstrates panning for gold in a creek at Old Fort during the annual North Carolina Gold Festival on June 4.

By JOHN NORTH OLD FORT — Under the blazing sun on June 4, prospector Doug Emerson was in his element, demonstrating the use of a pan and a sluice in searching for gold, during the last day of the two-day annual North Carolina Gold Festival on the Mountain Gateway Museum grounds. “The snakes outweigh the gold,” he quipped. “I got four snakes — and three (small) pieces of gold.” The snakes were just harmless water snakes, which he released from his dredge. Emerson expressed mild exasperation at his meager production at the festival, despite being positioned in a less-than-promising small creek. Emerson, who lives behind the nowclosed Lucky Strike Mines near Vein Mountain on the outskirts of Marion in McDowell County, said he prospects for gold for recreation. “I started back in 1979” as recreation. “I found I could work it and make some money ... Four or five years ago, we got back in on a small scale, panning, and then I got a dredge.” “North Carolina gold runs better” than that of many states, averaging between 19 to 21 karats, he said. “Georgia’s got some of the prettiest gold,” averaging 21 to 22plus karats — even to 24 karats. “Normally, small pieces (of gold) come

up from the top. You can used liquid soap,” such as Jet Dry dishwashing detergent, “when you’re doing real fine stuff.” He told of buying a dredge with a trailer on which to haul it for $3,000 cash, which normally would cost $10,000 to $12,000. “I’m not in this to make money,” Emerson told the Daily Planet. “Here, in North Carolina, it’s more recreational” prospecting. One of his frustrations is that, “in the ‘70s, it was more of a good-ol’ boys’ thing, leaving (beer) cans (and other trash) everywhere” around prospecting sites. As a result, landowners with rivers or creeks running through their properties are more cautious about letting prospectors work their land. “Now, people say ‘no’” frequently,” even when more environmentally aware prospectors ask for permission to pan or dredge for gold. What’s more, “Once you come in and start finding gold, people (propertyowners)” get excited and ask prospectors to leave “and they check (for gold) themselves ... Gold’s funny,” especially its effect on people. In sharing tips on how to get the best results from panning and dredging, Emerson said, “In a river, gold goes to the place of least resistance” — the inside bend. See GOLD, Page 6


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Asheville Daily Planet - June, 2011 by John North - Issuu