Alternative facts of America?
Big Band Weekend swings at Omni GPI — See Review, Pg. B1
Plan would fence in 1/2 of Pritchard Park
— See Column, Pg. A12
See Story, Pg. A6
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February 2017 Vol. 13, No. 03
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Asheville ranks #2 on list of fastest gentrifying cities
Women march on Asheville
‘The quirky creative characters who once defined the city are vanishing’
From Staff Reports Asheville ranked No. 2 on a list — “The U.S. Cities That Are Gentrifying the Fastest” — featured in a Jan. 23 article by Realtor.com. Charleston, S.C., came in at No. 1 on the list, followed by Asheville, Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore.; Denver, Colo.; Nashville, Tenn.; Sacramento, Calif.; Jersey City, N.J., Long Beach, Calif.; and Austin, Texas. Yuqing Pan, author of the Realtor.com article, noted that Asheville has reached 50 percent of its gentrification potential and the median home price increased from $125,000 to $235,000 from 2000 to 2015. Pan wrote that, “back in 2000, Rolling Stone (magazine) called Asheville ‘America’s new freak capital,’ attracting an eclectic population of hippies, artists and musicians. Today, tourists flock to its craft beer breweries, and gated golf communities sell homes for prices as high as $6.5 million — but the quirky creative characters who once defined the city are vanishing.” A building boom has been experienced over the past decade in Asheville and Buncombe County, following the Great Recession of 2008-09. Also, the apartment vacancy rate stood at 2.7 percent last year and home prices have skyrockets while home sales records continue to be set. Among North Carolina cities, Asheville consistently ranks among the most expensive places to live, with an overall rating of 97.5, just above Wilmington at 97.1 and Charlotte at 96.4, according to the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Cost of Living report. As examples of gentrification in Asheville, Realtor.com pointed out the nowdefunct “dive bar” Vincent’s Ear, which was located on North Lexington Avenue, which was replaced “by a high-priced eatery.” The website also cited cited the River Arts District, noting that the city commissioned a report in 2014 that described the area as “in the middle phase of gentrification,” with two dozen artists displaced that year after their buildings were closed because of fire hazards.” Pan described gentrification as “the hottest of hot-button urban housing issues... But here’s what it really comes down to: poor or working-class families in growing cities being pushed out of their neighborhoods after better-off outsiders move in and substantially drive up the cost of living.”
Get off my yawn!
Q: I’m a 61-year-old guy who’s been married four times. I love the security and acceptance of marriage, but after several years, either my wife du jour or I will get bored, and we’ll agree to move on. Clearly, I like being a husband, but I do a poor job of remaining one. Can I change that? — Chairman of the Bored A: So, you just want the security of marriage with all the excitement of dating somebody
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
new — which is kind of like wanting a latex hood and ball gag that are also a comfy old pair of slippers. Though, no, you can’t have it all, you might manage to have a good bit of it all — the security and the excitement — by bringing in the neurochemistry of the chase when you’re in the cuddly-wuddly long-term attachment stage. See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A8
Daily Planet Staff Photos
Thousands of area women held a rally with impassioned speeches, followed by a march, on Jan. 21 in downtown Asheville. The twohour midday event was held in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington. Predicted rain held off until 20 to 30 minutes after the march ended. A story and more photos of the rally and march appear on Page A2.
City takes look at splitting itself into political districts From Staff Reports
Asheville City Council is revisiting a proposal to split the city into political districts — a move it is making after roughly six months following a tough fight that stopped a powerful state lawmaker from forcing the change on the city. Under the current setup, all seven council members, including the mayor, are elected at-large, a system that allows every city voter to vote on all council seats. Also, there is no
residency restriction for council candidates, other than that they live in Asheville. District systems often vary, but at the minimum they require that some members of the governing body live in the districts for which they are running to assure geographic diversity. Also, voters only can cast ballots for candidates representing their respective district. Council’s three-member governance committee on Dec. 13 approved examing the possibility of shifting to a district system. See DISTRICTS, Page A14
A2 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Special photos by NATALIE RAMBEAUT
Women expressed their creativity, socialized and shared their opinions, especially via protest signs, at the Women’s March on Asheville on Jan. 21 downtown.
Women’s march turnout? Stunning
From Staff Reports The turnout for the Women’s March on Asheville in downtown on Jan. 21 surprised organizers, marchers and law enforcement officials. The Asheville Police Department estimated the crowd at 7,000 mostly women, with a sizable representation of men and children, but APD officials said it was difficult to give an accurate estimate because people were jammed together so closely. Meanwhile, the organizers said about 10,000 people showed up for the rally and march — maybe twice the number expected. The march constituted the largest assembly Asheville has hosted since 2013, when the city hosted the first Mountain Moral Monday, with an estimated turnout of 10,000. A follow-up MMM event in 2014 drew about 3,500 people. The Asheville march was held in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington. Attendees told the Daily Planet that they were there to support women’s rights, as well as the rights of people of color, the dispossessed and the poor, among others. The two-hour event began with an hour-long rally, in which various speakers (including Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer) addressed the throngs from a stage behind the Vance Monument. However, the crowd stretched from the western edge of Pack Square Park (which was closed) to Biltmore Avenue — and beyond. As a result, the public address system was inadequate to enable most of the crowd to hear what was being said. In a theme echoed by many of the other speakers, Manheimer told the crowd that “the road to equality lays long before us, and on that road we have challenges like income equality, violence against women, protecting a women’s right to choose and, of course, one day, a woman in the White House. Today, we march for tomorrow. Today we right for our future, and we are going to do this together.” The APD said no complaints or violence related to the event were reported.
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Asheville Daily Planet — February 2017 - A3
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A4 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Smith decides not to seek 3rd term on Asheville City Council
From Staff Reports
a lot to accomplish. “The N.C. Supreme Gordon Smith will not seek re-election to Court ruled in our favor, Asheville City Council, he announced Feb. 24. and, after a years-long “It’s been an awesome privilege and fight, our water system responsibility” to serve on the city’s highest remains in the people’s governing body, Smith, a Democrat who was hands. The affordfirst elected in 2009, noted in a press release able housing crisis is sent to the Daily Planet. ongoing, but the general “I’ve been serving you for over seven years Gordon Smith housing shortage is easas an elected representative, and it’s been the ing, according to a new honor of my life. report. The city’s equity measures are moving “Listening, bringing people together, forward--we’ll be solidifying racial equity in solving problems, shepherding policy from every dimension of our municipal governinception to execution, tackling big issues ment. Three bond measures passed, meaning ... So many care so much, and I’ve done more sidewalks, greenways, bus stops, parks, my best to do right by you every day. Now and affordable housing across Asheville. Roy it’s time for me to pass the torch to the next Cooper won the governor’s race, and he’ll public servant. I will not seek re-election to have Attorney General Josh Stein to help him Asheville City Council.” fight for us. Brownie Newman will lead the He added that, “in some ways, serving on Buncombe County Commission into a new council is a lot like my other service role as a era. counselor for adolescents, adults and families. He added, “It’s up to all of us to elect City We work to understand the issues, clarify Council members who prefer good sense and goals, and chart a course from here to there. good governmentMUST to bomb throwing and blusPRESENT COUPON. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. EXP. 05/30/13 I’ve been in my counseling role for 17 years, ter. There’s enough of the latter happening in and I will continue in that role, focusing my Washington, D.C. work on intellectually and creatively gifted “I will spend the last eleven months of teens and adults. I’m also looking forward to my term with my shoulder to the wheel. more time with my wife, family, and friends. Affordable housing remains a crisis. There “This is an unsettling age of political are some who think that people with lower demagogues who seek division and discord, incomes ought to be marginalized, pushed to even one on our own City Council.” While Smith did not name the “demagogue” serving the edges of our community. I will work to ensure socioeconomic diversity in the city we on council, Pete Kaliner, host of a daily radio love. This will be Asheville’s best year yet in talk show on WWNC-AM (570), said on the regard to food security and food policy, and afternoon of Smith’s announcement that he RESENT LIMIT ON help lead that charge. Neighborundoubtedly was referring to Cecil Bothwell. I intend toCOUPON. hoods are getting more organized than ever. (Bothwell told the Daily Planet on Jan. 26 Twenty-nine neighborhood organizations that “Gordon did a favor to folks who might have completed their Plan-on-a-Page, and it’s be considering a run for council by announcades up to City Council to honor those visions. ing his intentions this early in the cycle. I “There’s a lot of work to do, and I am have no idea who on council would fit the ay” deeply grateful for the opportunity you gave dictionary definition of ‘demagogue.’”) and me. I will continue my public service in the Meanwhile Smith added, “I am gratet ways most of us do — through our work, our ful to those public servants who speak the ies civic engagement, and our examples. Together, truth, know their stuff, cooperate, collaborate, problem-solve, and keep their entire communi- we’ll get to the Asheville we all know is posned Where sible,” Smith concluded in his press release. ty in mind with each decision. They have been ooks Council members serve four-year terms my role models and my inspiration. Thanks, SU also, to the people who generously volunteer — and other council seats up for election this SUN-THURS, 8 AM - MIDNIGHT their time and energy in so many ways to work year are those held by Mayor Esther Mantoward a better world. heimer and council members Cecil Bothwell FRI-SAT, 8 A.M. - 3 AM FOR “We have a lot to celebrate, and there’s still and Gwen Wisler. 2
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From Staff Reports
Nathan West announced on Jan. 23 that he will not seek re-election as chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party. He was elected on March 14, 2015 to lead the local party into the 2016 presidential election cycle, West noted in a press release. “Today, a little less than two years later, I am proud to say that we have elected President Donald J. Trump, increased our voting total wins holding all County Commission seats, and turned out more Republican votes in Buncombe County in more than a decade....” West added that “it is with mixed emotions that, after serving two years as your chairman, that I notify you I will not be seeking re-election to this position. I look forward to assisting my successor once they are elected at our county convention on March 23, 2016.” Further, he said, “It has been an honor to serve as the communications director and then chairman for the last six years, and it is time for me to the future to assist our party in advancing its core principles and values in other ways. I
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Asheville Daily Planet —February 2017 - A5
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A6 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville area ‘living wage’ jumps to $13/hr.
Spring start?
‘Pit of Despair’ could be site for farmers mkt.,
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F
From Staff Reports ood trucks and a farmers market are among the temporary uses being considered this spring at the 2-acre city-owned Haywood Street site that is termed downtown Asheville’s “Pit of Despair” by some local critics. The Haywood Street Advisory Team is aiming to overcome the negativity surrounding the site by adding temporary uses. Besides the Food trucks and farmers market this spring, the HSAT is looking at — later this summer — moveable seating and raised gardening beds. In two or three years, temporary uses for the site would morph into a permanent use that is still being debated by the HSAT. About $30,000 is being paid to Chris Joyell, executive director of the nonprofit Asheville Design Center, to work with the team on the project. About half that money is coming from city taxpayers and the other half from donations. The site covers 68-76 Haywood St., across from the U.S. Cellular Center, the region’s largest indoor entertainment venue; and the Basilica of St. Lawrence, an architectural landmark.
PRITCHARD PARK YouTube photo
A drum circle is held every Friday night during warm weather in Pritchard Park.
Proposal would fence in about half of downtown’s busy Pritchard Park
T
From Staff Reports he recent unveiling of a proposal to fence in almost half of Pritchard Park — a busy downtown Asheville landmark — has raised concerns that the barrier will exclude the homeless and other frequent park-users. The triangular-shaped 0.2-acre park serves as a people magnet in the heart of downtown’s commercial, social and tourism district, with events ranging from weekly drum
circles to political protests to chess games. Because the park is so popular, trees and other plantings are constantly being damaged. Littering and inappropriate public behavior — such as public urination — also occur. As a result, some city officials and others are proposing a solution for the park — to surround trampled areas with a 40-inch high decorative fence around. To that end, at a City Council meeting on Dec. 13, upgrades costing up to $232,349 were presented to council for future consideration.
From Staff Reports ust Economics announced in early January a boost in its influential “living wage” for the Asheville area for 2017 to a new rate of $13 hourly for employees in the Asheville area not offered health insurance and $11.50 for those who are. The nonprofit group attributed the 50-centper-hour jump to rising houring and living costs. The rate is a near 4 percent increase from 2015, when it was last changed. “A living wage is the minimum amount that a worker must earn to afford his or her basic necessities without public or private assistance,” according to Vicki Meath, executive director of Just Economics, a regional membership organization based in Asheville that advocates for a just and sustainable economy throughout Western North Carolina. Meath said she recognized small businesses are operating in a challenging business climate — and that many have made sacrifices to ensure they are doing their best to raise the wages of those who are paid the least. She also said Just Economics realizes that workers in the community have ongoing needs and an always increasing cost of living. About 400 WNC businesses are enrolled in Just Economics’ Certified Living Wage Program, agreeing to pay the wage set by Just Economics to the majority of their employees.
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Faith Notes Send us your faith notes
Please submit items to the Faith Notes by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via email, at spirituality@ashevilledailyplanet.com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for a faith event, call 252-6565.
Saturday, Feb. 4
MOUNT SOMA/TEMPLE VISIT, 10:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m., Sri Somesvara Vedic Temple, Bald Creek Road, Clyde. A visit will be held to Mount Soma and Sri Somesvara Vedic Temple. Attendees will learn about the Hindu ashram and Vedic temple (Shiva). After a brief introduction, participants will enjoy lunch and learn about meditative practice. Lunch is $12, or attendees may bring their own. To attend, email Vicki Garlock at vicki@faithseekerkids.com.
Sunday, Feb. 5
ANTI-HATE PROGRAM, 12:30-1:30 p.m., church’s sanctuary, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, 500 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. The Social Action Committee of the UUCSV is inviting the congregation and the community to an hour-long conversation and exploration of ‘How To Be An Effective Ally.” The UUCSV added, “With the recent spike of harassment and hate-activity experienced here and around the country, the need is great for folks to stand by those targeted so no one feels alone in the face of a bigoted remark, workplace discrimination, or outright violence. Our conversation will be led by Monroe Gilmour, who has worked with targets and victims of hate activity for nearly 30 years. Gilmour will draw on his own work experiences and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “10 Ways to Fight Hate.” The program is billed as an “important, action-oriented conversation.” Admission is free and open to all. EMOTIONAL FREEDOM CLASS, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. Emotional Freedom Technique — a two-part series led by Jack Eason Rowe, Ph.D., will be held. The two class options include 1:30-3:30 p.m. Sundays (Feb. 5 and 12) . or , 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays (Feb. 8 and 15). EFT belongs to a new class of psychological treatments called Energy Psychology. EFT is billed as a set of powerful self-help techniques
that are also used by healthcare professionals to treat ADHD, addiction, allergies, anger, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, pain, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, relationship problems, spirituality issues, sports performance, weight loss and many other problems. EFT combines ancient acupressure techniques with modern cognitive therapy and exposure therapy. It has been the subject of more than 100 scientific papers published in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals. To register for the Sunday afternoon class, visit https:// www.eventbrite.com/e/eft-emotional-freedomtechnique-with-jack-eason-rowe-phd-registration-31129888334?aff=es2. To register for the Wednesday evening class, visit https://www. eventbrite.com/e/eft-emotional-freedom-technique-with-jack-eason-rowe-phd-registration31130199264?aff=es2. INTERFAITH FELLOWSHIP POTLUCK, 5-7 p.m., First Baptist Chuch of Asheville, 5 Oak St., downtown Asheville. An interfaith fellowship potluck will be held. Respectful people from all faiths and families are welcome, the organizers noted. Attendees are invited to share a dish representing their culture and tradition.
Friday, Feb. 10
SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVIE NIGHT, 7 p.m., Sandford Hall Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The UUCA will screen its monthly Social Justice Movie Night offering, which is to be announced. After the sreening, a discussion will be held. Admission is free.
Saturday, Feb. 11
AUTHOR’S PRESENTATION, BOOK-SIGNING, 1-3 p.m., Barnes & Noble bookstore (Suburban Center), 8029 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, Tenn. The Blind Date with a Book and book-signing series will featured James Fox Hind of Townsend, Tenn., introducing his latest work, “Jesus Christ; his Management and Motivational Style: Leadership at its Best,” followed by a book-signing. The book is especially targeted at business. The book shares how Jesus recruited, trained, motivated and led “12 unlikely staff members to become extraordinary,” and went on to organize “the greatest religion of all time.” The book is intended to show how to take Christianity into the workplace in a positive, productive and acceptable way that motivates others.
Thursday, Feb. 16
CREATION CARE ALLIANCE GENERAL MEETING, 5:30-7 p.m., Room MB306, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St., downtown Asheville. The Creation Care Alliance of WNC will hold a general meeting to inspire one another to do good work and discuss the group’s work empowering care for creation. Attendees will
Asheville Daily Planet - February 2017 - A7
connect with one another and explore ways to care for creation. Everyone is welcome. DEATH CAFE SERIES, 5-6:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Death Café, a series of gatherings for discussion, storytelling and exploration of ideas and feelings about death will feature faciltators Karen Sanders, Greg Lathrop and Sa’id Osio of the group Third Messenger. Admission is free and open to the public.
Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Prayer Breakfast will be held. The breakfast will feature a speaker (to be announced) who will share the life and teachings of King “as we strive to bring knowledge and awareness of his work to our Swannanoa Valley community,” the event organizers noted. Tickets may be purchased online, or pay by check with a ticket order form at http://svmlk. org/mlk-prayer-breakfast.html.
Sunday, Feb. 19
MORAL COMPASS PRESENTATION, 2-3:30 p.m., Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, North Asheville. Bill Walz will address “Keeping a Moral Compass when Society seems to have Lost its Own” during the monthly meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Walz will discuss “his insights on how to hold a steady compass in these historic and frightening times,” the EHSA noted in a news release. “What is needed and what can we do? The topic and discussion will be welcome by those deeply concerned by the divisive rhetoric of the past election and those fearing erosion of many hard-fought rights (voting rights, civil rights, environmental responsibility, equality, reproductive rights, labor rights, health access and quality education for all).” An informal discussion and refreshments will follow the presentation. Walz has evolved from a career as a clinical psychologist into teaching meditation and evolving consciousness as a path to personal healing and growth. All are welcome to attend.
Saturday, Feb. 25
MLK JR. PRAYER BREAKFAST, 9 a.m., Camp Dorothy Walls, 495 Fragment Road, Black Mountain.The 27th Annual Swannanoa Valley Dr.
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A8 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Advice Goddess
Continued from Page A1 This probably sounds complicated, but it’s basically the brain version of how your freezer can serve as both an ice cube manufacturing area and a makeshift morgue for Squeaky the hamster, until you can give him a proper burial. It turns out that the goo-goo-eyed “Granny and I are still so in luvvv!” and the bug-eyed “Wowee, that’s new and exciting!” can have some brain parts and neurochemicals in common. Social psychologist Arthur Aron and his colleagues did a brain imaging study of couples who were still passionately in love after being married for 10 to 29 years. Surprisingly, the results looked a lot like their previous results on couples who’d just fallen madly in love, with intense activity in regions of the brain “associated with reward and motivation.” The neurotransmitter dopamine is a central player in this reward circuitry. Though dopamine is still widely known by its outdated nickname, the “pleasure chemical,” current research by neuroscientist Kent Berridge suggests that it doesn’t actually give you a buzz (as opioids in the brain do). It instead motivates you to do things that might — like eating cake, smoking a doob, and making moves on that girl with the hypno-hooters. Dopamine-secreting neurons are especially on the alert for what researchers call “novel rewards” — any yummy, sexy, feel-good stuff you haven’t tried before. Neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz finds that “unpredictable rewards” may be even three or four times as exciting to us as those we’re used to. The problem is, when there’s nothing new on the horizon, there’s no reason for your dopamine to get out of bed. In other words, there’s a neurochemical explanation for why your marriages often go dullsville. But, there’s also good news: Aron and his colleagues note that “if partners experience excitement” from, say, “novel and challenging activities” that they do together, “this shared experience can reignite relationship passion by associating the excitement with the relationship.” Obviously, these should be unanticipated good experiences — like alternating who plans date night and surprising each other with the week’s event — not having your spouse find you in bed with the cleaning lady. You might also try to delight your spouse with small unexpected gestures every day. Ultimately, you should find bringing in surprise much more fun than simply hoping the relationship won’t die — kind of like a paramedic just staring down at a heart attack victim: “Not lookin’ good, dude! Hope you didn’t have any big weekend plans!”
Wishful sinking
The girl I'm in love with has a boyfriend. She and I have already fooled around, but she can’t bring herself to break up with this guy. She insists she doesn't want to lose me and promises we’ll date eventually. I’m confused. Do you think she’s playing me? — Lost It’s nice to hope for the best about people — but still put a note, “tofu-kelp casserole,” on that foil-wrapped plate of brownies you stuck in the break room refrigerator. However, especially when our ego is involved, we’re prone to believe the best about people, because of what psychologists call “optimism bias.” This is a form of selecto-vision that leads us to overestimate that things will turn out wonderfully for us and underestimate the likelihood of our experiencing bad stuff, like being in a flaming car wreck or a flaming car wreck of a relationship. In short, we believe
that bad things happen to other people. For example, that cheater we’re in love with is only cheating because the other dude’s such a fuckbuckle, not because she has the ethics of a dust mite. Because optimism bias is ego-protecting, understanding that we’re susceptible to it typically isn’t enough to dig ourselves out. What might help you, however, is telling yourself your story, but about some other girl and guy. Then advise that guy on his prospects. For example: Yes, here’s a woman you can trust completely to be faithful — whenever she’s trapped, totally alone, 2,300 feet below ground in a Chilean coal mine.
Flee Willy
I’m a 27-year-old woman, dating again after a six-year relationship. I slept with a guy on the third date and was dismayed when he didn’t spend the night. It didn’t feel like just a hookup, and it wasn’t a work night. Is this just how people date now -- going home immediately after sex -- or does this mean he’s not serious? — Confused
There are two ways to solve this problem. One is to say, “Hey, I’d really like you to stay the night.” The other is to hide his shoes and keys. The “half-night stand” — avoiding the early-morning walk of shame, often via middle-of-the-night Uber — is being proclaimed the new one-night stand. The truth is, the just-post-sex adios isn’t exactly a new phenomenon; it’s probably just more prevalent, thanks to how easy smartphones make it to swipe office supplies, Thai food, and sex partners right to your door. As for why this guy left, it’s hard to say. Maybe he’s gone for good, or maybe he just wasn’t sure you wanted him to stay. Maybe he sleepwalks, sleep-carjacks, or can’t fall asleep in a strange bed. Or maybe he’s got some early-morning thing -- seeing his parole officer, walking the goat, or (more likely) making the bathroom smell like 12 dead goats. Your fretting about what the deal is suggests you might not be as comfortable as you think about having sex before there’s a relationship in place. You may unconsciously be succumbing to a form of peer pressure — peer pressure that mainly exists in your own mind — called “pluralistic ignorance.” This is social psychologists’ term for when many people in a group are personally uncomfortable with some belief or behavior but go along
with it anyway — incorrectly concluding that most people are A-Okay with it and thinking they should be, too. (Basically, “monkey assume/monkey do.”) Consider how the millennial generation is supposedly “Generation Hookup.” Looking at survey data from Americans ages 20 to 24, psychologist Jean Twenge actually found that people born from 1990 to 1994 (millennials) were “significantly more likely” than those born from 1965 to 1969 (Gen Xers) to say they’d had ZERO sex partners since the age of 18. (Fifteen percent of millennials went sexless, versus 6 percent of Gen Xers.) And if millennials were clued in on pluralistic ignorance, the number in the “no sex for now” column might be even higher. For example, biological anthropologist Chris Reiber finds that women seriously overestimate other women’s comfort level with “hookup behaviors” (from “sexual touching above the waist” to sex) in situations “where a more traditional romantic relationship is NOT an explicit condition of the encounter.” Figure out what actually works for you emotionally — whether you can just say ”whatevs!” if a guy goes all nail-’n’-turn-tail or whether you might want to wait to have sex till you’ve got a relationship going. That’s when it becomes easier to broach uncomfortable subjects — so you won’t have to wonder, say, why he’s running out at 2:27 a.m. You will know: It’s not you; it’s his sleep apnea and how he likes to go home to his CPAP machine rather than die in your bed. • (c.) 2017, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com.
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Asheville Daily Planet — February 2017 - A9
Commentary
‘Lines have been crossed’ Pete Kaliner is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WWNC (570AM) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog. • The following was posted on Jan. 24:
i·con·o·clasm [īˈkänəˌklazəm/] (noun) the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices.
T
he thing about iconoclasm is that everyone has to live with the ramifications of your destruction. Not just your opponents. But you, too. Progressives who argue that every conservative and libertarian policy and philosophy is rooted in a desire to see people die cannot fathom how a man like Donald Trump can be elevated as the champion of these people who feel constantly vilified. Yet, it's because the social norms no longer apply. The same people who were so outraged at President Trump's use of vulgar language to describe female anatomy then used the very same language to rally across the nation toting their young daughters around with placards using the same offensive word. So, this is our new normal. Take a bow, progressives. The coarsening of the culture you've sought for so long is nearly complete! You should be happy. But you are not. Because you're progressives. You demand safe spaces where you cannot hear an opposing opinion expressed in a civil and thoughtful manner think it's perfectly fine for an angry crowd to stalk and chase a person down an alley screaming "asshole" and "bigot" and declaring, "We got you now" once cornered against a wall. This encounter prompted N.C. State Sen. Dan Bishop, R-Mecklenburg, to announce his intention to file a bill outlawing this kind of behavior: “When the General Assembly returns to Raleigh this week, I will introduce legislation to follow the lead of the District of Columbia and make it a crime to threaten, intimidate, or retaliate against a present or former North Carolina official in the course of, or on account of, the performance of his or her duties. “And I will also urge my colleagues to take other appropriate steps to guarantee the personal safety of Gov. McCrory by all necessary means. “Because lines are being crossed.” Indeed, they are. They have been for quite some time. Whether Sen. Bishop's proposal win approval in the General Assembly and passes constitutional muster, I cannot predict. But when you celebrate and normalize this kind of behavior, you should expect your opponents to react. Progressives who dress up in female genitalia costumes and blow air horns on the sidewalk get taken seriously by a sympathetic media. Reporters, photographers and editors who cover these overgrown infants with pieces more akin to hagiographies than critical assessments enable the degenerative behavior that destroys the standards of decency whose absence they now lament. It leaves people "on the other side" (and
Pete Kaliner even many apolitical moderate types) feeling like they have no other options but to engage in a similar manner. The right increasingly does not feel bound by the norms you've destroyed. But then again, this is the party of lawlessness. During the campaign protesters blocked roads leading to a Trump rally in Phoenix; heckled him in Raleigh, Aiken, Grand Rapids, St Louis, Chicago, Kansas City; clashed with police in Albuquerque, San Diego, Costa Mesa, Burlingame, and Richmond; abused Trump supporters in Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, San Jose and Salt Lake City. And those are just the ones a quick search turned up. Meanwhile, exactly zero Clinton rallies were disrupted by hordes of protestors. In fact, Clinton rallies were interrupted by… Clinton supporters. In Las Vegas Secret Service agents hustled her off the stage when rabid animal rights protestors rushed the platform. After the election, liberal protestors blocked downtown streets in more than 25 cities across the country, mostly in deep blue states with deeper blue cities. In an act of incredible arrogance, the California legislature issued a statement that Trump did not represent “their values,” as if their voice spoke for all Californians, and theirs was only voice worth listening to. In fact, the hypocrisy of the California statement is unfathomable; they presume to unanimously lament differing views of a pluralistic society. This is so stupid I am not clever enough to make it up. Whose behavior is deplorable? This is your new normal. Do not be surprised when the right responds in kind.
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A10 — February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
Gentrification poses
threat to Asheville
A
sheville won a dubious distinction in late January, when it was ranked No. 2 on a list of “The U.S. Cities That Are Gentrifying the Fastest,” which was published by Realtor.com. It is, indeed, a downer — but probably not a surprise — for locals and others who appreciated Asheville’s reputation as a funky, artistic little town to read — in print — that their beloved city is undergoing such a radical transformation, especially compared to other cities. In placing second on the list (just behind Charleston, S.C.), Asheville was cited for having reached half of its gentrification potential. The problem with gentrification is that, often, local residents are displaced by wealthier new residents. “Back in 2000, Rolling Stone called Asheville ‘America’s new freak
capital,’ attracting an eclectic population of hippies, artists and musicians,” wrote Yuqing Pan, author of the Realtor.com article. “Today, tourists flock to its craft beer breweries, and gated golf communities sell homes for prices as high as $6.5 million — but the quirky, creative characters who once defined the city are vanishing.” We urge city officials to do all they can to preserve the community’s uniqueness and to curtail changes that could transform Asheville into another Atlanta.
Good book ideas suggested for Obama CHAPEL HILL — What will our most recent former president be doing these next few weeks? Barack Obama will be reading and encouraging us to join him. In the week before he left office, he talked to The New York Times’ chief book reviewer, Michiko Kakutani, about the importance of books in his life. “At a time,” Obama told Kakutani, “when so much of our politics is trying to manage this clash of cultures brought about by globalization and technology and migration, the role of stories to unify — as opposed to divide, to engage rather than to marginalize — is more important than ever.” Obama explained why reading gives him a special experience. “There’s something particular about quieting yourself and having a sustained stretch of time that is different from music or television or even the greatest movies.” If you agree with Obama, I have some suggestions of North Carolina-related books for you and him. Both of you will enjoy, “You Can Fly: The Tuskegee Airmen,” written by North Carolina poet, teacher, and award winning author, Carole Boston Weatherford. With dramatic illustrations fashioned by her son, Jeffery Weatherford, the book follows the accomplishments of the black airmen who triumphed over the Axis in the skies over Europe in World War Two and over color barriers in America. The groundbreaking black airmen’s accomplishments helped prepare the way for the groundbreaking president. In his interview with Kakutani, Obama explained how reading gave him the opportunity to “slow down and get perspective” and “the ability to get in somebody else’s shoes.” For this kind of experience, the former president would appreciate the work of the state’s former poet laureate and retired UNCG professor Fred Chappell. His latest book, “A Shadow All of Light,” showcases Chappell’s wide-ranging interests, imaginative strengths, storytelling gifts, and beautiful descriptive writing skills. His magical and speculative story requires a reader to suspend disbelief and enjoy Chappell’s rich story set in an
D.G. Martin Italianate country centuries ago. The plot revolves around a thriving trade in shadows, which are an important, integral part of a person’s being. They can be stolen or given up. When lost, the person is never the same. Chappell weaves princes, pirates, outlaw bands, and battle scenes that could keep Obama riveted to the page. If the former president misses campaign visits to local eating places, he can read the story of Foster’s Market in Durham. For 25 years, owner Sara Foster has made that business a favorite for food and fellowship. Her new book “Foster’s Market Favorites: 25th Anniversary” shares recipes and tells how her market came to be and came to thrive. Foster’s is the sort of place I wanted for my new book, “North Carolina’s Roadside Eateries: A Traveler’s Guide to Local Restaurants, Diners, and Barbecue Joints.” I thought Foster’s was too far from the interstate highway to be a convenient stop for travelers. Wrong! It’s only four miles from I-40’s Exit 270. If there is ever a new edition, Foster’s will be in it. Kakutani was impressed by Obama’s “embrace of artists like Shakespeare who saw the human situation entire: its follies, cruelties and mad blunders, but also its resilience, decencies and acts of grace.” Those who remember Tony Earley’s classic novels, “Jim the Boy” and “Blue Star,” and his poignant short stories set in Western North Carolina know how well he captured that “human situation.” Earley’s latest, “Mr. Big,” is a book of stories that continues that tradition. As a bonus, Earley shares a “Jack tale” novella about a character whose mischief, audacity, and charm would remind Obama of his successor in office. • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at 9:30 p.m. Fridays and at 5 p.m. Sundays on UNC-TV.
Letters to the Editor
Help from way up above needed to survive Trump
Let’s see now: Knows more about defeating ISIS yet nominates 4 retired generals for his cabinet. Mistrusts the FBI and CIA. Knows a lot about hacking that nobody else knows. Hey, we can save tons of money by doing away with Homeland security, the FBI, the CIA and any other agency that’s supposed to be protecting this great nation. Just leave everything to ‘Know it all, Do it all, Don’t need any help at all Donald.’ My take on this? God help us all!! Herb Stark Mooresville
A Candid Conservative or a Rabid Reactionary?
In his ditch-climbing opinion piece of January 2017, Carl Mumpower designates himself “Candid Conservative.” Come now! Would not “Rabid Reactionary” be more accurate and to the point? Jerome Long Mars Hill
Confirmation bias termed rampant in Ballard column In Lee Ballard’s recent op-ed about “fake news” (in January’s Daily Planet),
he exposes himself as the poster-child for confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is the tendency to reject any evidence or information that does not support one’s pre-existing beliefs. If it’s outside one’s little box of beliefs, then that evidence is rejected without serious consideration or objective evaluation. Indeed, confirmation bias is the antithesis of objective assessment. In his column he makes several assertions about what is true and what is false in support of his argument that we should “vigorously challenge” “fake news.” He also presumes to know what constitutes “legitimate media” and not. Just for a good laugh, I’d love to see a list of sources that he considers “legitimate media.” Ballard, being firmly embedded within the Left-Right paradigm, is painfully and tediously predictable in his opinions. Left/ democrat/liberal sources equals “good” and “true” to him. Right/Republican/conservative equals “bad” and “false.” That is SO tedious. News flash, Lee – the very same international criminal cabal runs both political parties and most of the politicians in the Western world. There’s not enough room in a letter-tothe-editor to deal with everything, so I’ll just address two assertions that Ballard makes: 1. Ballard says that the story about the pedophile ring being run out of a group of small business fronts in Wash. DC is “fake news.” See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A12
The Candid Conservative
It matters how you matter
“Success to me is being a good person, treating people well.” — David LaChapelle
The Problem
A
great philosopher was once asked, “What’s the most important thing to a human being?” “To matter he answered – we all need to matter.” In the 21st century, the opportunities to matter in a bad way are growing at an astounding pace. It’s easier than ever to get conned into a harmful life course. Here are 10 that can work for or against you:
Bad – embracing permanent victim status
Most enablers are as devoted to helping their ego as to helping others. One demonstration of that agenda is the tendency to encourage the disadvantaged to embrace their limitations over their strengths. Real growth keys on coping with weaknesses as we build on talents. Obsessing over the former impairs our ability to expand the latter. Playing the victim can be fun and a great source of an “I matter” fix but the high is temporary. The fact is very few people make it through life without trauma. To that extent most everyone is a victim. That leaves us with a truism – what matters most in life is not what comes at us, but how we chose to handle it.
Good – be useful
The single greatest source of personal
Carl Mumpower power, liberation, and opportunity is a persistent dedication to being productive. People who are useful consciously invest their energies in building, growing, creating, or otherwise producing something of value. Importantly, what you do matters far less than how you do it. A guy who does a good job of setting up and maintaining porta johns matters more than a Harvard educated attorney who goes through the motions. In being useful one finds a lifetime of opportunity to matter in a good way.
Bad – attempting perfection
We live in a very critical world. Those who would raise their value by demeaning ours are legion. Keeping a low profile is one way to attempt to avoid the heat. Undertaking the impossible mission of perfection is another. Perfectionists are different than achievers. Both aim high, but perfectionists obsess over where they fell short while achievers celebrate what they’ve accomplished. Perfectionism makes one a hostage to what is most surely fear and personal vanity. Better to be a liberated contributor – and skip the attempt to silence chirping critics. Jesus is heralded as the only man who walked without sin. That’s perfection and yet he was crucified. What makes us think we’ll get a better deal? See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A14
Asheville Daily Planet - February 2017 - A11
Commentary Kennedy, Trump: very different starts/beginnings
I
watched the 1960 election returns in my parents’ living room. I had worked for Richard Nixon in the campaign and had even passed out brochures at my home precinct that morning. As returns came in – Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina – Kennedy built a big lead. I slumped in disbelief. Final polls on the evening news had told of a Nixon surge at the wire. I heard Chet Huntley say, in conversational tones: “America has bought John Kennedy at face value.” Face value? Yes, America was indeed buying a man for president based entirely on what he seemed to be, what they saw in him. He had almost no formal leadership experience – no doubt what Huntley was referring to – but beyond that, oh my, he had intellect, knowledge of issues, great self-confidence, and he showed immense charismatic leadership. John Kennedy’s face value on Election Day, Nov. 8, 1960, was very high. On our Nov. 8 Election Day, American voters likewise bought Donald Trump at face value. But what could be seen of Donald Trump during the campaign was fuzzy and contradictory. If he were U.S. currency, you couldn’t tell if the portrait was Grant or Lincoln. He would make bizarre assertions and later deny he said them. He had almost no accurate knowledge of issues.
Lee Ballard He rambled and trampled his critics in his speeches. Ah, but he was a billionaire businessman. Sweep away all his lies and bizarreness. He knows how to make deals, get things done. He’ll bring back jobs. For others, it was The Wall to hold back minority hordes or repealing Obamacare, or any of the other 76 promises Trump made during the campaign (Washington Post). His “Apprentice” TV shows didn’t mention his bankruptcies or how he stiffed contractors and outsourced his products to other countries and used imported steel in his buildings. But never mind, sweep that out, too. He was their dynamic, strong, capable, straight-talking hero figure. We knew what John Kennedy would do after inauguration. His New Frontier was a clearly stated extension of FDR’s New Deal. It was a broad-spectrum progressive agenda that touched almost every area of American life: labor laws, new education involvement, welfare, civil rights, housing, unemployment, health care (what would become Medicare), agriculture, defense – all plus a stimulus program to counter a recession he inherited.
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And he did it. By the end of his first thing that will replace Obamacare, vaguely year, Congress had passed 33 of 53 bills and unrealistically. he had submitted. The next year, Congress Trump has no clear face value as he passed 43 of 54, and his third and last year, starts his presidency. We don’t know who 33 of 54. Southern Democrats stifled his or what he is now or will be. civil rights agenda, but his administration So as I read about the New Frontier in enforced existing laws and Supreme Court Wikipedia, I though to myself, You know, decisions. what if Trump were to borrows from KenKennedy’s face value, as it turned out, nedy? was undervalued. Kennedy was a success, widely regarded Now, back to 2017 and the haze and fuzz as a Top 10 president. And that’s exactly of Donald Trump’s face value. What will where Trump wants to be. happen now? Will we see the great leader It’s sort of like the Purple Heart thing emerge on a fire-breathing steed with speduring the campaign: he could get greatcific legislation in his hand? ness the easy way. I’ll be very surprised if he does. I think • President Trump will continue as he has so Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill. For far, with unpredictable actions, generalizamore of his work, readers may visit his tions and misrepresentations. He’ll put dabs blog at mountainsnail.com. of fresh paint on his campaign promises and Twitter them out for the faithful as reassurance. He’ll Trumpet new jobs (even though Obama added jobs your company in the Daily Planet! by the quarter millions every month). What is your business? Advertise in the Daily Planet .... We He’ll ask Congress distribute in four counties (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and for money to build Haywood) to about 200 locations. We’ll let our skyrocketing readership know that you are here and ... open for business! his wall, and he’ll claim progress while nothing happens. He’ll keep talking or e-mail: advertising@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com about the beautiful
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A12 — February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Letters to the editor
Continued from Page A10 He even states it incorrectly, by using the straw-man argument that Hillary Clinton is running such an operation. This reveals Ballard to be woefully uninformed about this issue. As a professional investigator for my entire career, I have spent some 2 months now examining the evidence of this DC pedophile ring and find the evidence of its existence very compelling. Ballard probably never even heard the name of the NYC police detective who’s investigated more pedophilia than anyone in the world (and estimates that a shocking 70 percent of high government officials of BOTH parties are involved) and yet he obliviously labels this evidence as “fake news.” 2. Ballard says that people being paid to protest at Trump rallies is “fake news.” I can show Mr. Ballard (1) video interviews with protesters admitting that they were paid to disrupt Trump rallies and (2) the advertisements that were run to recruit such paid protesters! There is a great deal of evidence that this did indeed occur in many venues. And yet, Ballard, not even having done a cursory investigation, calls these reports “fake news.” (Lest you think I’m just a disgruntled Trump supporter, I’m NOT! I was a lifelong liberal Democrat until I woke up to the fact that the Left-Right paradigm is a method of controlling the people while making them believe they have some degree of control over their government.) These are good examples of why labeling anything as “fake news” is tricky business and, if done on an institutional level for masses of people, amounts to nothing less than a Propaganda Ministry run by the government. Our mainstream media is already a Propaganda Ministry run by the aforementioned international organized crime cabal, so the LAST thing we need is to put the Propaganda Ministry in charge of telling us what is true and not. Better to leave it to the individual to make their own decisions and to take responsibility for their own beliefs than to impose truth or falsehood upon them by an Orwellian “Ministry of Truth.” Michael Ivey Asheville
The alternative facts of America Jeff Messer is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WPEK (880AM, The Revolution) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog. • The following was posted on Jan. 24:
Ah, the double speak of empty-headed, half-baked rhetoric that has rolled like the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” boulder out of the first days of Trump. The largest audience for an inauguration ever. Period. Of course, we all know that math (and even facts) are considered to be conspiracy from the left by the right. So who should be surprised that so-called “alternative facts” are now all the official rage. Legitimizing delusion is the only way to justify what we are witnessing unfolding before us. We all know that America likes to rewrite history with a slant toward ourselves and our glory, so I decided to offer some help, with my own take on alternative facts from the history of America: George Washington did not chop down a cherry tree, so therefore he never had cause to lie. He simply saved the healthy tree from a life of potential frostbite and birds pecking its fruit. Andrew Jackson did not kill any Indians. He saved many of them from the eventual suffering of alcohol and obesity. The Confederacy took sympathy on the failing and losing U.S. during the civil war, and actually helped them avoid the embarrassment of failing as a nation less than 100 years into it. So the South threw the fight to make sure the North felt better about itself. Factory workers who died in fires, were actually being given extra heating assistance they asked for, but they themselves abused the generosity of their bosses. The stock market did not crash in 1929. It was an actual attempt to stop the whiners who demanded distribution of wealth. And we see how that went. Those demanding that the rich give up some of their wealth nearly broke the entire system. Civil rights violence against black people was actually doing them a favor, since it made them appreciate more the few freedoms they had — seeing some of their own kind blown up in churches or lynched. They grew to appreciate that it was not they who were made an example of, and they
Jeff Messer owe the people who did it an apology for making them look bad. Nixon was a forward thinking genius in his attempts to honestly archive his time as president, but those who pushed him out of office prefer to not have an accurate record of things, which means they must want to hide something. Ronald Reagan was not going senile, he was simply embracing the born again religious right with such full conviction and sincerity that he was actually mentally born again, and had the mind of an innocent infant for the final years of his presidency. That’s how Godly a man he was. Monica Lewinski should be praised. She thought Bill Clinton had momentarily stopped breathing when she found him alone in the oval office. She rushed to perform CPR on him to save his life. Poor girl, though, she was absent the day they taught mouth to mouth resuscitation, and just got it a little mixed up. George W. Bush was one of the smartest men to ever be president. He was so smart that he played dumb in an attempt to fool our enemies into making mistakes. The whole invasion of the wrong country was on purpose and meant to make them lower their defenses in other areas. It didn’t work, you say? Well, here’s how smart W was: it was a 20-year plan. Wait until 2023. They’ll see.
Obamacare didn’t actually save any lives. It actually prolonged suffering of people who economically would be in worse shape if they lived past 65. Russians didn’t try to hurt our election system. They have some of the best IT people on the planet, and they were trying to help find holes in the systems to help the DNC fix them. Maybe their intent was lost in translation. Donald Trump is not actually the president of the U.S. He actually took an oath to be the new bass player for the ‘90s band, Presidents of the United States. • WNC native Jeff Messer has been a professional entertainer for most of his adult life, working in film and theater as a playwright, actor, director and producer since the early 1990s.
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A14 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Candid Conservative Continued from Page A10
Good – a place in the world
Some of us are lucky enough to be given our place in the world. Others are fortunate in finding theirs. Most of us are stuck with a tough fact – we must build our place in the world. That last option sounds unfair – it isn’t. Those who are gifted a place tend to coast and take the opportunities for granted. Those who find their place through accident or grace are at similar risk. Only those who build their own place enjoy the reaping the rewards that flow from personal effort. It’s an issue of indifference as to how little one starts with or how many obstacles are in front. The raw the materials for building a life of value are always within reach because God always nestles opportunity amidst misery. Whether our outcome is a cottage or a château – a life built upon the foundation of one’s own labors matters in the best of ways.
Bad – treating people as disposable
Modern life is a bit like a box of cereal. It’s not unusual for more energy to be invested in the container than the contents. In the worldly pursuit of the superficial and image-based, everything becomes temporary and disposable – including people. In today’s America where we trade in our gender and morality as surely as our spouses and friends, loyalty is more about convenience than commitment. We have three relationship options – suffer, split or salvage. The first is the worst – enduring a bad relationship is misery. Severing is the easiest.
Districts
Continued from Page A1 The discussion at council’s mid-January public hearing was led by Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler, who noted that she has heard some interest in Asheville and some in the state legislature in Raleigh to change to districts. Therefore, Wisler said she, on behalf of the city, is trying to determine whether there is significant interest in the plan. Wisler acknowledged that she does not have a suggested method for gauging resident interest — nor does she have a timetable. However, if a majority of council members agree that the district idea is worthy, she would want to turn over the process of determining citizen interest in the change to the municipal staff. Meanwhile, Councilman Cecil Bothwell has said he thinks Asheville is too small for districts, although he said he does not mind getting feedback from the community for the idea. Councilman Gordon Smith said he would prefer to commission a poll, rather than hold public meetings for feedback, to get a better sense of where the voters stand on the issue. In June, then-state Sen. Tom Apodaca,
All we have to do is trade that person in for a new one. Salvaging is where it’s really at. In working to sustain our relationships we grow in character, strength, and maturity and help others do the same. That’s a top tier way to matter.
Good – take care of the team
As the blessed occupiers of the top spot on the food chain we’re gifted with a head, heart, body and spirit. All are important. To the extent there’s usually a bully in any crowd, we have a tendency to let one dominate the rest. It’s easy to have a head that thinks too much; a heart that’s dominated by a narrow list of passions; a body that’s addicted to its own pleasures; or a spirit that’s indifferent or devoted to dark arts. Maintaining balance requires that we give positive energy – every day – to growing each part of our team.
Bad – opinions without knowledge
We live in the age of false confidence. That attitude owes itself to the baby boomers who first embraced the ‘we’re all special’ fantasy. There’s a difference in special and unique. Snowflakes are unique, but looking into the eye of a blizzard one is hard pressed to spot the special ones. We’ve become so special we think we have something to contribute even when we don’t. Thus generated opinions are like mud pies – easy to craft but with no real ingredients. A neon marker for opinion addicts – they operate off what they feel over what’s real.
Good – make love a priority
Hate to reduce life to such a fine point, but without love – given and received – I’m not sure it’s worth it. What’s love? My favorite definition is that which we give toward the betterment of self and others. Indulgence has nothing to do with this equation – either in terms of pandering to others or selfishly feeding our own selfish interests. Love is a skill and like all skill it takes action and practice to get it right. Lofty thoughts and warm fuzzy feelings will mold without action. There’s some bad news for those who embrace love’s imitators. Lust, dependency, and infatuation have the same connection to love that Kool-Aid has to a fine wine.
Bad – confusing echoes with news
At no time in history have we had so much access to so much information. Ironically, that bounty has created opportunity for greater confusion. As quantity has increased – quality has retreated. Case in point – investigative reporting has largely gone the way of 35 mm cameras. What we have today is a squirrely mishmash of subjective opinion, propaganda, and selective fact mining crafted into what easily qualifies as fake news. Note the similarity in the information shared by differing media outlets. That’s not because they’ve all dug into the facts and landed on the same truth. Today’s technology enables journalists to grab data from a few sources, season it with spin, and present polished opinion as news. Skepticism is an appropriate filer to use
R-Hendersonville, introduced legislation to mandate six districts, under which the mayor still would be elected at-large. Apodaca represented a large area that included a portion of South Asheville. However, his efforts failed, as other legislators accused him of being heavyhanded in forcing the change on Asheville.
Remember the neediest!
with most of today’s news outlets. When news is presented in a way that entertains or attempts to convince you of one view, put the brakes on. There is a difference in a real news outlet and a propaganda outlet just like there’s a difference in a Boy Scout leader and a pedophile.
Good – put something back into the pot
Two of the more common and primitive ways to matter are resistance and selfishness. The behaviors associated with the terrible two’s offer example. Many people start young and carry those skills to their grave. Better off are those who mature into a life more devoted to giving than taking. In the face of confusion on determining good ways to matter from bad, note a simple measurement – easy and good rarely travel in the same direction. We are placed on this planet for something more important than just our own personal pleasures. Helping to make it a better place is an absolutely best way to matter…. Thanks for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative! • Carl Mumpower is a psychologist and former elected official. He thanks you for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative and invites you to reach him at drmumpower@aol.com.
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A16 - Febuary 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Entertainment & Calendar of Events
Special Section PULLOUT
B1
Asheville Daily Planet — February 2017
Big Band Weekend swings
Shelley Wright
Trash hopping out of the can? Wasn’t my cats
T Daily Planet Staff Photos
Above left, a couple dances the foxtrot during Big Band and Swing Weekend Jan. 13-14 at Omni Grove Park Inn in North Asheville. Above right, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra performs on Jan. 14 in GPI’s Grand Ballroom.
2 big bands perform favorites that keep ballroom dancers on their feet at GPI By JOHN NORTH
B
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
ig Band and Swing Weekend swung and swayed as a nostalgic, elegant and dance-driven gala on Jan. 13-14 at the swanky Omni Grove Park Inn. The event was attended by 325 people on the first night and 375 people on the last night. “Friday night, we welcome a new band each year to keep the event fresh,” Tracey Johnston-Crum said in a Jan. 24 email to the Daily Planet. (She is the director of public relations and community outreach for the Omni GPI.) This year’s first-night band was the Andrew Thielen Big Band. She added, “Saturday evening is reserved for classic, tried-and-
true bands, such as The Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and this year’s headliner, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. “Each year we welcome back hundreds of dancers, with some returning for over 20 years. “And each year we see new couples join us who have either just discovered a love of dance or rekindled their old skill-set and want to get out on the floor with a live band. “All of our guests come here with one purpose, to dance to the beat of a live big band. There’s really nothing like it!,” Johnston-Crum noted. In addition, ballroom dance instruction was offered during the day on Jan. 14, followed that afternoon by a tea dance featuring music by the Charleston, S.C.-based Thielen band. See FAVORITES, Page B7
his may come as something of a surprise, but I don’t have an altar at my house. Nor do my spells rhyme. I also have never danced naked under a full moon. Always wanted to try that, though! I am chock full of contradictions. I don’t think I do anything the way you’re “supposed” to. And yet, my spells always work, my intuition is always spot on and I never have to consult a calendar to see when to cast a spell or make my magical formulations. I’ve also noticed that the things I’m supposed to attend to creep up exactly when they’re supposed to. For example, when I used to live at the haunted tuberculosis sanitorium, I started noticing that the trash in the bathroom wastebasket would end up all over the floor around it. That hadn’t happened before, but with all things, you should blame the pets first. It’s the most obvious answer and the one you have to deal with the least. I also had the world’s smallest trash bin in there, so it was bound to overflow onto the floor. The most sensible thing to do was to empty it more frequently. Nothing paranormal in that! But it kept happening. Even though I’d never known my cats to play in the trash, it had to be them. I resolved to empty the can more frequently and keep an eye on the kitties. See WRIGHT, Page B7
Sublime ‘Mostly Ellington’ show launches ‘Live Jazz’ series By DAVE ROWE
Special to the Daily Planet
Jazz at Pack Memorial Library in downtown Asheville is now — on certain Saturday afternoons — available on more than just CDs. A monthly "Live Jazz" series, featuring local jazz musicians, will continue at 2 p.m. Feb. 11, March 4, April 29 and May 20 in the library’s downstairs Lord Auditorium at 67 Biltmore Avenue. Admission to the hour-long concerts is free. The series started Jan. 11 with a sublime performance by a trio comprised of violinist Christian Howe, bassist Zack Page and pianist Michael Jeffry Stevens. Stevens, who also a composer, is hosting the shows, along with the Friends of the Library. The trio delivered an hour-long set of traditional jazz to an appreciative audience of about 50. Titled "Mostly Ellington" the show included seamless renditions of music made famous by Duke Ellington. Opening the set was a smooth "In a Sentimental Mood," a hopping "Jitterbug Waltz" came soon and a version of "Take the A Train" —
Special Photo by WHITE HORSE/BLACK MTN.
Michael Jeffry Stevens
that steamed — closed things out. Preceding the finale, Stevens, who teaches at the Asheville Music School and gives music lessons, delivered a bit of jazz history. See JAZZ, Page B7
Donated Photo
Duke Ellington (playing piano) surrounded by his Cotton Club Orchestra led the house orchestra at the Cotton Club in Harlem from Dec. 4, 1927 to June 30, 1931 — and sporadically throughout the next eight years. The Cotton Club and Ellington’s orchestra gained national notoriety through weekly broadcasts on radio station WHN — some of which were recorded and released on albums.
B2 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Above, Resurrection, a Journey tribute band, will perform a salute to the iconic American rock group at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at The Foundation Performing Arts Center at Isothermal Community College in Spindale. To the right is a photo of Journey in concert when the group was in its prime in the late 1970s, featuring Steve Perry (right), who was renowned for his wide vocal range. The group formed in San Francisco in 1973 and included former members of Santana and Frumious Bandersnatch.
Calendar
of
Events
Send us your calendar items
Please submit items to the Calendar of Events by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via e-mail, at calendar@ashevilledailyplanet. com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 288148490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for an event, call 252-6565.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
STEM LECTURE, 4:30-6 p.m., Room 102-A, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A lecture on “The National Centers for Environmental Information and Climate Change” will be given by David Easterling of the NCEI. The STEM lecture series is an interdisciplinary program that covers a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Each lecture provides the lecturer with the opportunity to share his/her work, present new ideas for feedback, learn new ideas that participants can use, and introduce students to exciting areas to explore. Admission is free and open to the public.
Friday, Feb. 3
Remember the neediest!
FRIENDS OF NRA DINNER, 6 p.m., Crowne Plaza, 1 Resort Drive, West Asheville. The Friends of the National Rifle Association will host a dinner. For tickets, which are $45, call Penny Gilliam at 691-0801. “ALMOST, MAIN” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., 35below (behind and below Asheville Community Theatre), downtown Asheville. The production “Almost, Maine” will run Feb 3-19. “In the mythical town of Almost, Maine, residents find themselves falling in and out of love in unexpected and often hilarious ways,” the ACT noted. The show is produced and directed by Reeni Lindblom Dowd, Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Tickets — at $15 — are available online at www. ashevilletheatre.org or by calling 254-1320 or by visiting the ACT Box Office. “MURDER ON THE NILE” PRODUCTION, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. Aquila Theatre will present its production of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile.” The show is set on a paddle steamer cruising the legendary Nile River in 1940s’ Egypt. For those wishing to enhance their experience, a pre-show discussion will be held in conjunction with this performance. For tickets, visit www.
dwtheatre.com. YES CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. The band Yes, billed as “pioneers of progressive rock” and “bookmarked” with its 1983 smash hit, “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” will perform in concert. Yes, with a history spanning 45 years and 21 studio albums, is known for its expansive songs, esoteric lyrics, elaborate albums and live stage sets. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
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Saturday, Feb. 4
WOLFE LITERARY AWARD EVENT, 4-6 p.m., Top of the Plaze, Asheville Renaissance Hotel, 31 Woodfin St., downtown Asheville. The 61st annual presentation of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award will honor author Terry Roberts for his work, “That Bright Land.” After the presentation by the Western North Carolina Historical Association, Roberts will provide comments and read excerpts from his novel. The program also will feature readings of excerpts from the works of the four finalists, including Phil Jamisons “Hoedowns, Reels and Frolics,” Randy Johnson’s “Grandfather Mountain,” Robert Morgan’s “Dark Energy,” and Ron Rash’s “Above the Waterfall.” A reception, hosted by the Renaissance, will follow the program. The event is open to the public, but reservations are required. For event tickets, which are $10 for the general public and $5 for WNCHA member, visit wnchistory. org/calendar or call the Smith-McDowell House at 243-9231. CONCERT/SPEAKER, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts,1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. The Blessed and Unbreakable Tour will feature a concert by Selah and a talk by Missy Robertson, who appears on television’s “Duck Dynasty” and is the author of “Blessed, Blessed... Blessed.” She will be speaking on the story of her family’s fight to love hard, stay strong and keep the faith when life cannot be fixed. For tickets, which are $18, $20 and $30, visit www. greatmountainmusic.com SIERRA CLUB MEETING, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, North Asheville. The local Sierra Club chapter will present Drew Jones of Climate Interactive. Recently returned from the United Nations Climate Summit in Marrakech, Morocco, Jones will use simulations to focus on how various regional actions are combining for success. His talk is titled “Grounded Hope for the Climate.” The event is free and open to the public.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
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Asheville Daily Planet - February 2017 - B3
Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2
Saturday, Feb. 4
“MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING” PRODUCTION, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, , 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. Aquila Theatre will present its production of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” It is billed by DWT as “a wonderfully intricate and philosophical play centered on the timeless complexities and humor found in courtships.” For tickets, visit www.dwtheatre.com.
“50 Shades Darker”
Grammy Award-winning singersongerwriter Michael Bolton will perform in concert at 9 p.m. Feb. 24 in the Event Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee.
(the 2nd installment in the “50 Shades of Grey” film trilogy)
will be in theaters on Valentine’s Day!
Visit our shoppe for NT COUPON. LIMIT ON Sunday, Feb. 5 “50 Shades of Grey” Thursday, Feb. 9 novels and adult novelties mentioned MUST PRESENT COUPON. LIMIT ONE PER CUSTOMER. in EXP. 05/30/13 the movies. Monday, Feb. 6 ANTI-HATE PROGRAM, 12:30-1:30 p.m., church’s sanctuary, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley, 500 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. The Social Action Committee of the UUCSV is inviting the congregation and the community to an hour-long conversation and exploration of ‘How To Be An Effective Ally.” The UUCSV added, “With the recent spike of harassment and hate-activity experienced here and around the country, the need is great for folks to stand by those targeted, so no one feels alone in the face of a bigoted remark, workplace discrimination, or outright violence. Our conversation will be led by Monroe Gilmour, who has worked with targets and victims of hate activity for nearly 30 years.” Gilmour will draw on his own work experiences and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “10 Ways to Fight Hate.” The program is billed as an “important, action-oriented conversation.” Admission is free and open to all.
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her work, present new ideas for feedback, learn new ideas that participants can use, and introduce students to exciting areas to explore. Admission is free and open to the public.
NATIVE AMERICAN DISPOSSESSION TALK, noon, Laurel Forum in Karpen Hall, UNC Asheville. Attorney George D. Pappas will address “The Literary and Legal Genealogy of Native American Dispossession: From the Marshall Trilogy to Standing Rock.” The talk, part of UNCA’s American Indian and Indigenous Studies Series, is free and open to the public. STATE/NATIONAL POLITICAL REVIEW , 6:30 p.m., Gondolier Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road, Asheville. The Blue Ridge Republican Women’s Club will host Dr. Chris Cooper, a professor and head of the Department of Political Science and Public Affairs at Western Carolina University. He will address state and national politics — and answer political questions.
20% “50 Shades DAVE CHAPPELLE COMEDY SHOW, 7 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. Dave Chappelle will perform his comedy show. No cellphone will be allowed and anyone caught using one inside the venue will be immediately ejected. For tickets, which start at $67.50, visit Ticketmaster.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 7
Friday, Feb. 10
BOOTH BROTHERS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts,1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. The Booth Brother will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $20, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com
of of Gray”Any Saturday, Feb. 11and novels
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FLAMENCO PERFORMANCE, 7 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. Flamenco Vivo, featuring Carolota Santana, will perform. ades For tickets, visit www.NPACgreeneville.com. “IN THE MOOD” MUSICAL REVUE, 7:30 p.m., ay” U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. “In the and Mood,” a 1940s musical revue, will be performed. It is billed as “America’s greatest big-band show” and t as “a nostalgic, patriotic, upbeat, sentimental salute ies to America’s Greatest Generation. For tickets, visit uscellularcenterasheville.com or call 259-5736. ned
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JOURNEY TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performing Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. Resurrection, a Journey Tribute, will perform in concert. Resurrection is billed as combining “incredible musicianship and vocal precision (and appearance) of the legendary Steve Perry. Every show features one brilliant hit single after another, providing an all-ages, family-friendly show fused into a powerful rock ‘n’ roll concert experience.” Journey’s top commercial success occurred between 1978 ooks and 1987, with Perry as its lead singer. During that period, Journey released a series of hit songs, including “Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981), STEM LECTURE, 4:30-6 p.m., Room 102-A, which in 2009 became the top-selling track in Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A lecture on “CliiTunes history among songs not released in the mate Resilience in Asheville, N.C— Moving from FOR ‘Did you know?’ to ‘What can we do about it?’” will 21st century. Another major Perry classic is “Oh be presented by James Fox of the National Centers Sherrie,” which was recorded in 1984 on Perry’s first solo album, but is credited as a Journey for Environmental Information. The STEM lecture “honorary” song. For tickets, which are $20 and series is an interdisciplinary program that covers $25 (and $8 for youths), visit www.Foundationa wide range of science, technology, engineering Shows.org. or call 286-9990. and mathematics disciplines. Each lecture provides the lecturer with the opportunity to sharehis/ See CALENDAR, Page B4
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B4 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville Daily Planet - February 2017 - B5
Calendar Continued from Page B4
Saturday, Feb. 18 Timothy Tyson
Emett Till
Calendar
Continued from Page B3
Wednesday, Feb. 15
AUTHOR TIMOTHY TYSON EVENT, 6 p.m., Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. Award-winning author Timothy Tyson will discuss and sign his new book, “The Blood of Emmett Till.” The book uses a range of sources — including the only interview ever given by Carolyn Bryant, along with her unpublished memoir — to tell what is billed as “the definitive story” of the 1955 lynching by whites of 14-year-old Emmett Till, an African-American from Chicago who was visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta. The book shows how black power and a mother’s courage confronted the atrocities inherent in America’s enduring racial caste system. Till’s mother’s insistence on an open casket, as well as African American self-assertion in Chicago, spurred nationwide protests that turned this local atrocity into a global symbol of American injustice; it transformed civil rights from a Southern issue into a national movement. Tyson is senior research scholar at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, visiting professor of American Christianity and Southern Culture at Duke Divinity School, and adjunct professor of American Studies at the University of North Carolina. He is also the author of “Blood Done Sign My Name,” a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, winner of the Southern Book Award for Nonfiction and the Grawemeyer Award in Religion, among others; and Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power, winner of the James Rawley Prize for best book on race and the Frederick Jackson Turner Prize for best first book in U.S. History from the Organization of American Historians. He serves on the executive board of the North Carolina NAACP. Admission is free and open to the public. “NEW JIM CROW” BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP, 6:30 p.m., Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. Firestorm will host the last in a series of discussions of Michelle Alexander’s book, “The New Jim Crow.” The discussion will be led by Eryka Lynn Peskin. Admission is free and all are welcome.
Thursday, Feb. 16
CREATION CARE ALLIANCE GENERAL MEETING, 5:30-7 p.m., Room MB306, First Baptist Church of Asheville in which is upstairs. Address is 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. The Creation Care Alliance of WNC will hold a general meeting to inspire one another to do good work and discuss the group’s work empowering care for creation. Attendees will connect with one another and explore ways to care for creation. Everyone is welcome. CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS SHOW, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, , 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. Camille A. Brown and Dancers will perform in 8 p.m. shows on Feb. 16 and 17. DWT touts Brown as “small but mighty” — as a “spitfire dancer and choreographer.” For tickets, visit www.dwtheatre.com.
Friday, Feb. 17
DEATH CAFE SERIES, 5-6:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Death Café, a series of gatherings for discussion, storytelling and exploration of ideas and feelings about death will feature faciltators Karen Sanders, Greg Lathrop and Sa’id Osio of the group Third Messenger. Admission is free and open to the public. ANNIE MOSES BAND CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. The Annie Moses Band will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.NPACgreeneville.com.
See CALENDAR, Page B5
CARPENTERS TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. A tribute concert, “We’ve Only Just Begin: Carpenters Remembered,” will be performed. For tickets. which are $20 and $25, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.
Sunday, Feb. 19
MORAL COMPASS PRESENTATION, 2-3:30 p.m., Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, North Asheville. Bill Walz will address “Keeping a Moral Compass when Society seems to have Lost its Own” during the monthly meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Walz will discuss “his insights on how to hold a steady compass in these historic and frightening times,” the EHSA noted in a news release. “What is needed and what can we do? The topic and discussion will be welcome by those deeply concerned by the divisive rhetoric of the past election and those fearing erosion of many hard-fought rights (voting rights, civil rights, environmental responsibility, equality, reproductive rights, labor rights, health access and quality education for all).” An informal discussion and refreshments will follow the presentation. Walz has evolved from a career as a clinical psychologist into teaching meditation and evolving consciousness as a path to personal healing and growth. All are welcome to attend.
Friday, Feb. 24
“BUS STOP” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., 35below (behind and below Asheville Community Theatre), downtown Asheville. The Autumn Players’ Readers Theatre Showcase Series’ production of “Bus Stop” will run Feb 24-25 at 34below. “An assortment of quintessentially mid-Western characters from the 1950s become stranded in a diner, gradually letting down their guards to reveal their private dreams and secrets to one other,” ACT noted of the production. It is directed by RoseLynn Katz. The production also will be presented at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center. Tickets — at $6 — are available online at www.ashevilletheatre.org or by calling 254-1320 or by visiting the ACT Box Office. All remaining tickets will be sold at the door. MICHAEL BOLTON CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Grammy Award-winning singer-songerwriter Michael Bolton will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
Saturday, Feb. 25
MLK JR. PRAYER BREAKFAST, 9 a.m., Camp Dorothy Walls, 495 Fragment Road, Black Mountain.The 27th Annual Swannanoa Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Prayer Breakfast will be held. The breakfast will feature a speaker (to be announced) who will share the life and teachings of King “as we strive to bring knowledge and awareness of his work to our Swannanoa Valley community,” the event organizers noted. Tickets may be purchased online, or pay by check with a ticket order form at http://svmlk. org/mlk-prayer-breakfast.html. RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. Rhonda Vincent and the Rage will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www. NPACgreeneville.com. SOLAS CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. The five-person band Solas will perform in concert. Solas is dubbed as “Irish-America’s most influential band” by National Public Radio’s “The Thistle and Shamrock.” For tickets, visit www.dwtheatre.com.
Tuesday, Feb. 28
LADYSMITHMAMBAZO CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, , 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a South African male a cappella group that sings in the vocal styles of isicathamiya and mbube, will perform in concert. The four-time Grammy Awardwinning octet is touted as “the greatest exporter of South Africa’s rich musical traditions.” For more than 50 years, the group has been known for its uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves and charming onstage banter. For tickets, visit www.dwtheatre.com.
See CALENDAR, Page B6
B6 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Calendar
Rockmont, 375 Lake Eden Rd., Black Mountain. Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center will hold its seventh annual (Re)HAPPENING, inspired by John Cage’s 1952 “Theatre Piece No. 1,” an unscripted performance at Black Mountain College considered by many to be the first “happening.” The event will offer two international projects, alongside a roster of 18 local installation, new media, music and performance projects, with environmental lighting by students of the Odyssey Community School. Food trucks will be available on site. A parking pass will cost $5, while a roundtrip shuttle pass from downtown Asheville will cost $5. For event tickets, which are $20 for advance adults and $25 for regular admission adults, visit rehappening@ blackmountaincollege.org. RODNEY CARRINGTON CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Rodney Carrington will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
Continued from Page B5
Wednesday, March 1
STEM LECTURE, 4:30-6 p.m., Room 102-A, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. The lecture, “Accelerating Climate Innovation,” will be presented by James McMahon of The Collider. The STEM lecture series is an interdisciplinary program that covers a wide range of science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Each lecture provides the lecturer with the opportunity to share his/her work, present new ideas for feedback, learn new ideas that participants can use, and introduce students to exciting areas to explore. Admission is free and open to the public.
Friday, March 31
Friday, March 3
MICKEY GILLEY CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. Mickey Gilley will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $24 and $28, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.
NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $24, $28 and $32, visit www. greatmountainmusic.com.
Saturday, March 4
BEATLES TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. “‘1964’... The Tribute” show will perform in a concert saluting the Beatles. For tickets, visit www.NPACgreeneville.com.
Friday, March 10
THE DRIFTERS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performation Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. A show titled “The Drifters Rock and Roll Hall of Famers,” will feature four performers emulating the moves and singing the songs of theThe Drifters, a long-popular rhythm and blues vocal group. For tickets, which are $25 and $30, visit www.FoundationShows.org.
Saturday, March 11
ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.,
“In the Mood: A 1940s Musical Revue” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville. various locations around campus at UNCA (see signs, posted around campus or check schedule on Internet). The Organic Growers School Spring Conference — running March 11-12 — will offer what is billed as practical, regionally appropriate workshops on organic growing, permaculture, homesteading, urban farming, and rural living plus a trade show, seed exchange, silent auction, children’s program and pre-conference, onfarm events.More than 70 sessions per day will feature themed tracks including gardening, soils, livestock, primitive skills, permaculture, herbs, alternative energy, sustainable forestry, homesteading, cooking, poultry, farmers I and farmers II, mushrooms and food resilience. Registration is
required. To register, visit http://organicgrowersschool.org/spring-conference-registration/.
Friday, March 17
DEATH CAFE SERIES, 5-6:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Death Café, a series of gatherings for discussion, storytelling and exploration of ideas and feelings, about death, will feature faciltators Karen Sanders, Greg Lathrop and Sa’id Osio of the group Third Messenger. Admission is free and open to the public.
Saturday, March 25
ARTISTS’ REHAPPENING, 3-10 p.m., Camp
Thursday, April 6
BEACH BOYS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. Mickey Gilley will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $45, $50 and $55, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com.
Saturday, April 29
ALICE COOPER CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Alice Cooper will perform in concert. Cooper, a singer, songwriter and actor, has performed for more than five decades. “With his distinctive raspy voice and a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, deadly snakes, baby dolls, and dueling swords, Cooper is considered by music journalists and peers alike to be ‘The Godfather of Shock Rock,’” according to Wikipedia. “He has drawn equally from horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a macabre and theatrical brand of rock designed to shock people.” For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com.
Dance with poise and confidence on that special day!
Your Wedding Dance can become one of the most memorable of life’s moments. We will help you look wonderful on the dance floor, giving you the poise and confidence you need as you dance your first dance as man and wife. A wedding dance can be fun, romantic, elegant, passionate, all or any of the above! We will take you step by step through your dance, matching easy to learn choreography to your special song.
Wedding Lesson packages are available in three levels:
expires 12/31/2017
50 Broadway • Downtown Asheville
828-236-9800
Silver: Two 1 hour lessons and complimentary practice party. Lesson covers entrance to dance floor, dancing to music timing, correct dance hold, posture and dance frame. You will learn several figures to create an enchanting dance. $129 per couple. Gold: Three 1 hour lessons and complimentary practice party. Lesson includes all Silver fundamentals with a the addition of several turns and flourishes that will add charm and grace to your wedding dance. The additional practice time you will have with your instructor will bring you and your partner additional confidence. $179 per couple. Platinum: Four 1 hour lessons and 2 complimentary practice parties. Look your absolute best on the dance floor as you perform this most memorable and beautiful of all dances! You will learn more dramatic steps filled with grace, advanced styling and technique, and a beautiful finale to your dance. This level can include a Father/Daughter Dance and Mother/Son Dance if you wish! $239 per couple. Wedding Dance lessons make a wonderful gift for the new Bride and Groom.
Wedding Gift Certificates are available, please call John @ (828) 712-0791.
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Continued from Page B1 Following the ballroom dance mantra that “the lady is the picture and the gentleman is the frame,” some men wore dark tuxedoes, or mostly dark coats and ties, while the women were — for the most part — arrayed in a potpourri of dazzling and colorful gowns. The Thielen band’s two-set show, split by an intermission, started with “I Left My Heart
in San Francisco” and ended with Donna Summer’s disco-era hit, “Last Dance.” On the final night, the the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra performed — in three sets — such classics at “Fly Me to the Moon,” “In the Mood,” “It Had to Be You,” “Sentimental Journey,” and “Moonlight Serenade.” Especially memorable was the band’s rendition of “Sing-Sing,” showing off its drummer’s skills. Dancing styles included foxtrot, waltz and east coast swing, with a few cha-cha numbers added for a Latin flair.
Continued from Page B1 “Everybody thinks Ellington wrote that, but actually it was written by Billy Strayhorn,” Stevens, whose dossier includes work in New York jazz clubs, said. He then noted that Strayhorn was 17 years old when he met Ellington in Pittsburgh and showed him several of his compositions. Ellington was impressed enough to get Strayhorn to move to New York, where the A Train was the subway line that led to Ellington’s house. The two became prolofic collaborators, creating — among other tunes — the swing classic “Satin Doll.” “Mysteriouso,” a Theolonious Monk composition that moved from near silence to thunder, was a highlight of the show. The piece featured seamless trading of licks and imaginative — yet not overly long — solos from all three of the trio members. The well-known ballad “Of Quiet Nights and Quiet Stars” delighted the crowd, as did a lesser-known one called “Brasa Mai Mollo.” “It was written by a 14-year-old girl who didn’t know if she was ever going to find love,” said Stevens, composer of more than 340 jazz pieces himself. “I don’t remember her name, but I do remember mine.” During a 45-year career, Stevens has won countless awards and fellowships and has recorded enough of his music to fill 80
CDs. Many will undoubtedly be on sale at the upcoming shows, as will ones recorded by Howe, who assists classical musicians who want to transition into jazz. “There’s nothing a musician loves more than selling CDs,” Stevens, whose products go for $10 each, said. “It’s better than Christmas.” He will perform as part of the ensemble at all the updcoming “Live Jazz” concerts. On Feb. 11, he will be joined by bassist Shannon Hoover and drummer Rick Dilling. On March 4, he will take the stage with vocalist Paula Hancke and guitarist Al Schimm. On April 29, the show will include vibraphonist Jason DeCristofaro. Acoustics at Lord Auditorium are good and the Steinway piano met the standards of Stevens, a former New Yorker who came here via Memphis. “It’s hard to find a good piano in this time, but this is a good one,” he said. Stevens, who plays occasional gigs at clubs and churches, also thanked the Friends of the Library for its help in setting up the series. In addition to its work with educational events, the all-volunteer Friends organization operates the used bookstore inside the first floor of the downtown library and asseses the condition of books on the shelves in all of the library system’s branches.
Jazz
Wright
Continued from Page B1 Drat! It happened again. No cats in sight and I knew the trash couldn’t have hopped out on its own. Right? So, I emptied the trash can and I dropped a Q-tip right in the center of the can. Then I walked away, carefully taking note of where my animals were. A few minutes later, I walked back in and there it was, lying on the floor right next to the can. I was pretty sure something was going on. At that time in my life, I had been invited to participate in a group of like-minded individuals who had different talents and experiences. The lady that brought me in did pastlife regressions. The couple who hosted our group at their enormously creepy and utterly cool mansion the next city over, entered a trance state and would do automatic writing. She was married to a very open-minded scientist. I didn’t know what to call myself or what my talents were, but I got asked to be the medium at a weeklong psychic fair. I had to decline, as I already had a full-time gig at a rock radio station. I named our group of mostly women “The Others” after a very short-lived TV series where they were basically doing the same things we were. We met once a month and I always carpooled with the past-life regressor and her boyfriend. One night, on the way to our meeting, I casually mentioned the trash that kept hopping out of my trash can and how I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t my cats. My friend said that she wanted to try something. “Close your eyes.” I closed my eyes. “Now imagine that you’re back at home in your bedroom and see yourself laying in your bed.” I did. “Now see yourself getting out of bed and walk into the bathroom. What do you see?” I walked into the bathroom and came face to face with a little girl. “I see a little girl!” I
exclaimed. “What does she look like?” my friend asked in her soothing voice. “She’s about three or four years old and has straight, shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s wearing a long white gown. She’s beautiful.” “Ask her what her name is.” For some reason, I thought the question instead of voicing it. Emily is the name I heard in my head. “Now ask her how she died.” Again, I thought the question and the little girl coughed once, so I knew somehow that she died of tuberculosis. “Ask her if she wants to be with her mommy.” Again, I thought the question and Emily shook her head yes. “Now, imagine a white light and tell her her mommy is in there in the light, waiting for her.” During this whole thing, I had a running commentary in my mind. I kept thinking this is not happening. I didn’t know if I believed any of this. But I will say this: My trash never hopped out of that trash can again! I always wanted confirmation about Emily. I know in my heart that she was a real patient and that she was messing with the trash in my wastebasket because she knew I’d notice. I think she wanted to play. I know I really encountered her. But I always felt that I needed to know about her — what her last name was, how long she was a patient there, who her parents were, where she was buried. Maybe one of these days I’ll ask my friend Vance, the chief historian of Haunted Asheville and new host of “Speaking of Strange,” to help me find her. He can find anyone! I’d like to truly lay Emily to rest, once and for all. • Shelley Wright, an Asheville native, is a paranormal investigator. She owns and runs Nevermore Mystical Arts shop and works at Wright’s Coin Shop, both in Asheville.
Asheville Daily Planet - February 2017 - B7
$3.00 off a dozen bagels
Free 1/2-lb. of Cream Cheese with a Dozen Bagles
Free Medium Fountain Drink with a Large Sub
Buy 3 Bagels Get 3 Free
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
After 4 pm - Store 1 Hendersonville After 2 p.m. - Store 2 Fletcher) Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
Joeys NY Bagels - Original
Joeys NY Bagels 2 - Fletcher
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
1500 Haywood Road
5829 Asheville Hwy
Hendersonville, NC
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Register for Test Prep at UNC ASHEVILLE Session I:
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B8 - February 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet