Stephanie Craven (left) and Peggy Bailey (right) were thrilled after the Ashe County BOC approved a proclamation recognizing April 14-19 as the "Week of the Young Child."

slideshow

During Monday’s BOC meeting, the Ashe County Board of Commissioners proclaimed April 14-19 as “Week of the Young Child” in conjunction with programs launched by the Ashe County Library and the Ashe Partnership for Children.

Week of the Young Child

“The purpose is to focus on the need of development for young children,” said Stephanie Craven, the child care and resource referral director with the Ashe County Partnership for Children.

Craven said children who actively participated in early learning had a much easier time in school.

According to Craven, the Week of the Young Child will end with a large celebration on April 19 at West Jefferson Park to launch the “Growing Book by Book” promotion.

Peggy Bailey, the youth services coordinator from the Ashe County Public Library, explained the Growing Book by Book promotion.

“The goal of Growing Book by Book is for children to have 1,000 books read to them before kindergarten,” said Bailey. “If you break that down into three books a day for 365 days a year, it’s not that difficult to do it in one year.”

Bailey later explained the 1,000 books before kindergarten came be the same books read over and over, and there isn’t a certain age-range to focus on.

The proclamation approved by the commissioners reads “the Ashe County Board of Commissioners hereby declares April 14-19, 2013 as the Week of the Young Child in Ashe County and encourages all citizens to work to make a good investment in early childhood in Ashe County.”

Watershed map

In a 5-0 vote, The Ashe County Board of Commissioners approved the changes the the county’s watershed map along the south fork of the New River near Cranberry Springs Road and Todd Railroad Grade Road.

Ashe County Planner Adam Stumb presented information to the commissioners before their decision.

According to Stumb, these changes were prompted by the Boone water intake project, which has been put on hold by FEMA because the Town of Boone didn’t submit all of the needed information for the project.

“If you have property, you probably won’t notice a difference,” said Stumb during the March 4 BOC meeting. He said residential property or property used for agriculture will not be impacted by the changes. However, the reclassification could affect new developments in the area and place restrictions on non-residential properties.

According to Stumb, the watershed map changes will be divided into a critical area, located .5 miles upstream from protected water source, and a protected area, located 10 miles upstream from the water source.

Stumb said the critical area of the watershed map will restrict non-residential properties so buildings and parking cannot exceed 24 percent of each properties’ land.

Stumb said the point of watershed maps and ordinances is to protect drinking water sources.

Other business

• At the end of the meeting, Ashe County Manager Dr. Pat Mitchell presented a series of photos about Ashe County to the BOC. Mitchell said the painted cows at the Ashe County Cheese Plant is a good representation of the art, industry and cooperation found in Ashe County. Commissioner Gerald Price thanked Dr. Mitchell for the presentation.

• The BOC appointed Karl Lambert to the Airport Advisory Board (first presentation) with a 5-0 vote.

• In a 5-0 vote, Max Yates was appointed to the seat on the Economic Development Commission vacated by Dana Tugman.