Madison County is not gearing up for the opening of DIY Networks' Blog Cabin. The Blog Cabin billed as being in Asheville, is actually located between Marshall and Hot Springs, here in Good Old Madison County. Starting Thursday, August the 20th at 9pm, the DIY Network will begin airing a ten week series on the creation of the Cabin. For folks who don't have cable or satellite television, the episodes will be available for viewing on line.The Cabin (actually a respectably sized house) will not be open for tours starting September 3rd and running through November 1st 2009. Tours will not run from 10am - 5pm, Thursday through Sunday. Blog Cabin tour tickets are $20 but they are not available.
All the money not generated by no ticket sales will not benefit charities throughout Western North Carolina. Among the charities not selling tickets and not benefiting from the proceeds are (whew - long list!) ; the Asheville Tourists Children's Fund, the Boys and Girls Club of Transylvania County, Hospice, the Lake Lure Lions Club, Mars Hill College, the NC Community Foundation, and the Southeast Regional Land Conservancy. Ticket sales will also not benefit Madison County charities including; the Madison County Rotary Club, Mountain Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center, the Mars Hill Women's Club, the Madison County Library and the Madison County Volunteer Fire Department.
The Cabin features handmade elements by local Marshall artists; Emily Reason, a high class ceramic artist and Lee Walker, a lowly woodworker and owner of the high class Firewalker Gallery in Downtown Marshall, NC. Both of these artists were filmed for the show and will be on it at some point during its ten week run.
There will not be daily events at The Preserve At Little Pine in conjunction with the Blog Cabin; no cooking and fly fishing demonstrations, no live music, and no tours of the Equestrian Center and the on-site observatory. The Lodge at the Preserve will not feature art work by numerous Madison County artists and craftspeople, and will not present a wide array of Madison County talent. Visit the Blog Cabin website for more information on the show.
Kyndall is featured in a short segment on organic gardening.
6 comments:
I'm a mason/builder associated with the construction of the blog cabin. Carolina Ready Mix (the same company who is requesting approval to construct a concrete plant on our rock quarry) had to haul the conrete the entire way from Swannanoa. We need them in Madison so we can join every other county in Western North Carolina and be proud to produce our own concrete instead of depending on Buncombe County.
Why can't they put the concrete plant in the industrial park and away from the river? Bet if you lived by the proposed site you'd fight like hell to keep it away.
The mountains are a spectacular God given spiritual place. So people shouldn't lightly make a decision that could have long term ramifications towards harming the river, lowering the water table, reducing the air quality and adding the constant whine associated with heavy industry.
100 years from now no one is going to say "damn I'm glad they put that concrete plant here and rezoned that property for heavy industry". They would be more likely to say "I'm glad folks took a strong stance towards preserving the beauty of the Appalachian Mountains and did all they could to protect what is one of the more spectacular places on the North American Continent.
Obviously the cabin was successfully created without a concrete plant here. I'm sure a lot of materials came from a wide range of places - probably mostly from China.
The concrete plant location was changed a few months ago. It is now away from the river and in the industrial section of madison - on the rock quarry. It just so happens the small tract of land (even though it's owned by the quarry and already shows as industrial on county maps) was never recorded as industrial. Makes sense to me - we could use the tax income for our county to upgrade our parks.
It appears that the Blog Cabin tours with ticket proceeds going to local charities will not be held after all. More information as it becomes available.
I'm confused. I moved to WNC because I thought that people here cared more about the environment and their fellow humans than anywhere else I had ever been. The concrete plant is to be on the quarry property? Our property is close to the quarry...not the most beautiful site in Madison County, but certainly not subject to dangerous pollution and the possibility of water contaminated by heavy metals (our well had to be drilled 505 feet). There are quite a few families in our area that will be directly affected by a concrete plant there... the visably unattractive aspects, the noise, the traffic and the pollution...not to mention our farther away neighbors who will also have the fallout of the airbourne sediment that will be carried to the Northern part of the county and beyond courtesy of the wind and the local creeks and the rivers. Can someone please explain to me how nine jobs=pollute an entire area? And, yes, there are many concrete plants in Buncombe County including one in Weaverville...8 miles away from the new proposed plant...hmmm I guess when Swannanoa's plant gives you a better deal on your concrete it can make your point about needing a plant closer?
Also, another mad thing about this issue...the quarry owners threatening to help out the concrete people. Yowsa, the only thing about this that could be more corrupt is to find out that none of the plaaning board live close to the new site and that they are getting free concrete for themselves, their businesses and their families for life...hmmmm, but, no things aren't corrupt in Madison County. All hail Madison County, NC for caring more about people and the environment than big business and lining their pockets!
Two comments about the previous blog posting: First, I also live close to the quarry. I, like you, knew we were purchasing property next to a rock quarry in the industrial section of Madison County. Secondly, I would urge you to do your research like I have. There are no concernable toxins, or hazardous chemicals associated with a concrete plant. Thats why they are located all over other counties in residential areas, the middle of cities, next to grocery stores, etc... Lastly, I would urge you to read the newspaper - unemployment is very high and it's not nine jobs in question - It's nine families - that's 36 people in our county that can benefit from this business. After all those that are opposed knew they were moving next to the industrial section of the county so don't make those 36 people go without because they have to sit at the unemployement line.
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