We are delighted to announce two new and significant additions to the HCCA website: Masters Park Wildflowers and Masters Park Trees. Over 200 different wildflowers and over 40 tree leaves have been photographed and identified by long-time Haw Creek resident and Blue Ridge Naturalist Bernard Arghiere. 

For more than two decades, Bernie has been hiking the trail in Masters Park, and the connecting section of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail that leads to the Haw Creek overlook rock. Using his iPhone camera, he captured the wildflower and tree leaf images at their seasonal peak. This archive of botanical images is an outstanding collection of Haw Creek-area flowers and trees from the early 21st century. 

We encourage you to explore these two new sections devoted to the wildflowers and trees found in our Haw Creek neighborhood, and then try to find your favorite flower or tree growing in the park.

Every one of the 100+ chairs set up at the East Asheville Library was taken at Tuesday evening's Living with Black Bears program—a clear indication that this subject continues to concern and connect us. This was the third bear education program that the Haw Creek Community Association has organized over the last 10 years, and this week it reached beyond those of us who live in Haw Creek. Neighbors from Beverly Hills, Oakley, Swannanoa, and Fairview came to listen and learn, ask questions, and take home information to share with their friends and community.

Ashley Hobbs, Special Projects Biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC), focuses on black bears in the state of North Carolina. Her knowledge and field experience were evident in her presentation, which provided everything each of us needs to know about living safely with black bears.

Buncombe County represents more than a third of all bear-related calls for help and advice that the NCWRC receives in a year, and that's because we have more bears and more human/bear interactions than any other county in the state.

The most important fact that Ashley emphasized is that the only reason bears appear at our door is food availability—and they can smell food 10 miles (or more) away! If we, and our neighbors, eliminate bird feeders, outdoor pet food sitting around, and setting out garbage cans the night before collection, bears might walk through our yard, maybe try a car door or two, but will likely go back to where they are at home and belong.

Ashley stressed that bears do not belong in our backyard, even though they were here long before we moved in. Just beyond our city development, there are thousands of acres of forest for the bears to enjoy—but our urban bears have figured out how to live the good life, getting big time calories with far less effort than roaming the wilderness to find nuts, berries, and grubs. 

Ashley's advice is clear, "Make the bears feel unwelcome on your property. Eliminate all food sources. Keep letting them know they're not wanted here. Make lots of noise, scare them away. Don't encourage them in any way to hang around because it's not safe for you or them. Help them remember they belong in the wild." 

One subject of discussion concerned unleashed dogs on hiking trails. Several residents in Haw Creek have recently had traumatic experiences while hiking with their leashed dogs who were attacked by bears that were chased by unleashed dogs. The East Asheville Bull Mountain area seems to be enough of a problem for the Park Service to have closed the trails for the time being. Ashley reminded everyone that unleashed dogs are not just a major safety issue for hikers, their pets, and bears, but that there are clear and strict ordinances in place that state pets must be leashed on all public trails. We should all abide by the law and help avoid scary events, both in our neighborhoods and on local hiking trails.

Responding to a question from the audience, Ashley said that NCWRC will not relocate or rehabilitate bears in cases of problematic interactions with people (breaking into homes for food, attacking pets or people when threatened), but may have to capture and euthanize them (with the exception of cubs). This is why it’s so important to discourage bears from becoming “comfortable” with our environment. Let’s all do our part to make sure we and the bears that inhabit our Haw Creek neighborhood remain safe.

For more information, safety tips, and resources go to the BearWise website at https://bearwise.org.

Two easy-to-use composting bins have been installed at the East Asheville Public Library. It’s easy to register online using this registration link and once you’ve registered you will receive the padlock code and be able to drop off your kitchen food scraps at any time. You can also pick up a free countertop composting bin at the library desk, while supplies last. 

Our increased bear population has influenced many of us to give up backyard composting. Having a bear-secure composting station in our neighborhood makes it easy to keep kitchen waste out of our landfill where it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, turning it into rich compost instead (aka "black gold").

The bin shelters are located near the basketball court and consist of two small top-lift sheds that contain two bins each. It’s easy to use: 1) unlock the padlock with the code you get when you register, 2) lift the wooden lid and dump your food scraps in the green bins, and 3) close the lid, lock the padlock, and scramble the passcode.

To learn more about the Asheville City and Buncombe County Food Scrap Drop Off Pilot Program check out the City of Asheville website.

HCCA supports this opportunity to save landfill space, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and contribute to high quality compost production. We encourage you to participate and help spread the word!

City of Asheville Capital Projects Director Jade Dundas reports further construction delays on a new 4,000 foot sidewalk in Haw Creek due to staff vacancies, design review, and right of way acquisition. "We are continuing to work diligently to advance all projects with the commitment to have them all bid and awarded by the Fall bond deadline," says Dundas in an April 25 update. Following is an image from a presentation that he included in a recent City Council update to show progress on this and other projects.

Also included is a map showing the sidewalk location, which will run between Beverly and Bell roads–connecting two schools, the ballfields and pool, our commercial district, plus Haw Creek Park, the library and Tunnel Road–enabling residents to walk safely between these destinations.

November 2023 is the seven-year deadline by which all projects approved in the 2016 bond referendum must be underway.

On Earth Day, a dedicated group of volunteers spent their morning removing vines from around trees and brush from along the trails at Haw Creek Park. They deserve kudos for working in the rain to reduce the ivy that is strangling so many of our trees. HCCA appreciates their commitment to improving our local park.

A small group of HCCA volunteers cleared a path to connect the new Masters Park parking lot and the park trail head on Maple Drive. The new 90 foot path is lined with stones and logs, and required transplanting two species of orchids away from the path. This path provides a safe passage for hikers, who can now avoid walking on Maple Drive.

The City of Asheville will complete a footbridge over a small culvert to enable hikers to avoid a mud pit after a heavy rain. HCCA is working with the City to provide new signage and a kiosk.

The City of Asheville is considering instituting a ban on single-use plastic bags and Styrofoam takeout containers. The City has published a plastic reduction survey and invited all community members to provide feedback before the April 30 deadline. HCCA supports this ban and encourages residents to take this short survey to help inform next steps and recommended actions. 

Please use this opportunity to make your voice heard by completing the survey at https://publicinput.com/a7556. Background information is available at https://www.ashevillenc.gov/projects/single-use-plastic-reduction/. 

HCCA hosted a special program last October that covered this topic and other important environmental issues related to protecting Haw Creek’s watershed. Anna Alsobrook, Watershed Outreach Coordinator at MountainTrue, discussed this proposed single-use plastic ban.

Water quality testing concludes that microplastic pollution is widespread throughout the French Broad River Basin and other WNC waterways. MountainTrue is working to stop plastic pollution at its source and implement a single-use plastic ban in Buncombe County. We can and should enact legislation at the local level to limit single-use plastics before they end up as litter and microplastic pollution in our rivers, lakes, and streams.

This plastic reduction survey is an important step in getting a plastic bag and Styrofoam take-out container ban through the City Council.

Long-time Haw Creek resident Bernard Arghiere was recognized for his tireless work and leadership on the Masters Park parking lot project. He received the “Dogged Determination” award at the Haw Creek Community Association's annual meeting on March 14, before an audience of 80+ residents.

Bernie’s love for Masters Park inspired his work on the parking lot, which has spots for 8 vehicles, including one handicapped spot. This off-road parking lot will provide safe vehicle parking and help prevent erosion of the shoulder on Maple Drive in front of the park.

The parking lot will eventually have a kiosk and new signage, along with a path to directly connect the parking lot to the trail head. 

In addition, several years ago Bernie prepared a gallery of over 210 different species of wildflower images. The flowers were located and identified along the short stretch of Maple Drive near Masters Park, along the park trail itself, and along the short walk, on the connecting Mountains-to-Sea Trail, to the Haw Creek valley overlook rock and its surroundings. HCCA is currently working to include this wildflower gallery in our new website on the Haw Creek Valley Parks and Recreation page.

The March 14, 2023 annual meeting and board election of the Haw Creek Community Association had strong attendance with over 80 residents participating. Guests Kristina Israel, Community Engagement Manager, and Meredith Friedman, Neighborhood Service Specialist, spoke about their roles connecting the City of Asheville to local communities like ours.

Meeting highlights included honoring Bernard Arghiere with the “Dogged Determination” award for his work and leadership on the Masters Park parking lot; electing four new volunteers (Bruce Black, Shelley McKechnie, Liz Polfus, and Storms Reback) to the board of directors; and initiating a community discussion on the upcoming sale of the 26-acre property on New Haw Creek Road.

For those unable to attend, meeting minutes will be available after March 22: https://hawcreekavl.com/Board-Meeting-Minutes.

The Masters Park new off-road parking lot is now open, providing safe vehicle parking off Maple Drive. Thank you to the 80+ residents who contributed more than $85k to fund the project and special thanks to Bernard Arghiere for leading the effort. Masters Park provides an easy hiking trail that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mountains-to-Sea Trail.

We are currently working on creating a path to directly connect the parking lot to the trail head and adding new signage and a kiosk.