Charlotte hipper than Asheville?
Local plan to fight opioid crisis unveiled
See STORY, Pg. A6
— See STORY, Pg. A3
Lionel Richie and Diana Ross
Lionel Richie, Diana Ross salute shines — See REVIEW, Pg. B1
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
November 2017 Vol. 13, No. 12
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
Mission’s pact with Blue Cross ends; now what? From Staff Reports They really did it. Industry analysts were not taking it too seriously. They had seen the bluff too many times before, and providers and insurers always came to a settlement by deadline. But on Oct. 5, Mission Health really did allow its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina to expire. All Mission physicians and facilities are now officially out-of-network, not just for BCBSNC, but for all carriers of any Blue Cross Blue Shield plans from any other state. Those needing to use emergency services will always be in-network at the nearest hospital. Other exceptions include persons with qualified conditions or qualified extenuating circumstances. Federal employees will be out-of-network on Nov. 16, and persons receiving physical therapy from CarePartners will be out-of-network on March 3, 2018. People may continue to receive services out of network. They will just have to arrange other terms of payment, and it will likely be more expensive. Mission is assisting people running
into difficulty finding alternative coverage. The helpline phone number is 417-0480, and the website is MissionStandsWithYou.org. Spokespersons for Mission said they could not negotiate with Ron Paulus BCBSNC as long as Mission CEO the insurer insisted on what has been called “forever zero.” In spite of the hospital’s continued capital growth and expansion, Mission argues BCBSNC’s payments would not only freeze reimbursement rates for the foreseeable future, they would cap them at an unworkable level. Mission spokespersons said they would have accepted no reimbursement increase for persons who purchased insurance on the Obamacare exchanges because those people had no other option; but when the contract fell through, that provision fell with it. See MISSION-BCBSNC, Page A12
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
Pay pal?
Q: An older male friend keeps paying for me -- buying me meals and clothes. Am I making a mistake in accepting? I’ve repeatedly made clear that I have no romantic interest in him. I’m a struggling artist, and he’s highly successful. We’re basically BFFs, talking and laughing every day. He occasionally jokes that I should be “giving up the sugar to the sugar daddy,” but I roll my eyes and say, “Hush!” I think he’s teasing me, but could he be playing the long game? — Worried
Want to know the answer?
See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A4
Lake Julian Festival of Lights offers walk-through
Donated photo
The 17th annual Lake Julian Festival of Lights will be open with a family Winter Walk Through Night 6-8 p.m. Dec. 1. Admission is $6 per adult and admission is free for children under 16 who are accompanied by a paying adult. The Festival of Lights will be open to cars 6-9 p.m. Dec. 2-23. Vehicle entry for the Festival of Lights is $10 per
passenger vehicle and $20 for large vans, motor coaches and buses. Twenty percent of the proceeds are donated to Buncombe County Special Olympics, while the remaining income is reinvested to enhance the festival for the following year.
Raises, large bonuses under Greene prompt leaders to address breach in public trust Officials admit they lack signed incentive deal for ex-county manager
From Staff Reports
Under new County Manager Mandy Stone, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners has had a lot of housekeeping to do. At first, items of business were presented as routine updates and nothing major. At some point, the dam broke, and leadership began talking about recovering from a breach in public trust. A few months ago, Wanda Greene, who had been serving as county manager for 20 years, announced she would retire early. Shortly thereafter, it was announced that Greene was under federal investigation, but details have yet to be made public. Local news media then shifted into investigative
mode, with county salaries the target. Greene’s son, Michael, resigned the day the federal investigation was confirmed. He had been collecting $120,350 as the county’s business intelligence manager, a position that existed only as long as he filled it. Then, Greene’s sister, Irene Wolfe, who had been collecting $106,051 as county financial services manager, downgraded herself to “accountant” with a salary of $76,650. In the latest twist, Buncombe officials’ reactions ranged from tempered to furious after learning in early October that Greene received her $241,792 retention incentive despite not staying until the end of the year, as stipulated in an unsigned written agreement. Buncombe Clerk of the Court Drew
Drew Wanda Brownie Reisinger Greene Newman Reisigner said he was “appalled” by Greene’s recently revealed range of actions, asserting that “awarding raises to the county’s highest earners (including her) is an insult and a disgrace, especially in addition to other bonuses and incentives reported here.” See GREENE, Page A9
A2 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Battle for 3 Asheville council seats, mayor’s job to be decided on Nov. 7
From Staff Reports In addition to choosing Asheville’s mayor and three members of City Council, voters will cast ballots in the Nov. 7 municipal general election to show if they favor splitting the city into six districts. The mayoral candidates include incumbent Esther Manheimer and challenger Martin Ramsey. For council, six candidates advanced in the Oct. 10 primary, including one incumbent, Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler, who finished third. Vijay Kapoor finished in first-place — by a wide margin (1,500 votes more than his closest competitor) — in the primary. In order (based on primary votes) the other council candidates include Sheneika Smith, Wisler, Dee Williams, Rich Lee and Kim Roney. Among the six council candidates, the declared socialists include Smith, Williams and Lee. However, it was Williams who won the endorsement of the Asheville Democratic Socialists of America at a Sept. 13 event. As for the referendum, it is a defensive maneuver initiated by current council members. On July 25, they responded to new state legislation that would change the way members of council are elected. The mandate to split the city into districts for council race is being imposed by the Republican-dominated state General Assembly as a way to get South Asheville representation on council and, according to Democratic critics, a way to get Republican representation on council. Currently, all members of council are Democrats, and in recent years, that party has always held a strong majority. Since South Asheville is largely Republican, legislators believe that district elections would result in the election of at least one Republican to Asheville’s council. No candidate from South Asheville has been elected to council since 2005. In the Oct. 10 primary, however, Kapoor of South Asheville, a Democrat, finished first in a 12-way race that selected the top six city council candidates to run in the general election for three seats. The law, introduced by then-state Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson; and later pushed over the finish line by his successor, state Sen. Chuck Edwards, R-Henderson, this June, ordered council to amend the city charter and divide Asheville into six districts. A Nov. 1 deadline was imposed and met. The law further requires the city to establish district lines by Nov. 15, an assignment Manheimer said will be considered after the results of the referendum are tallied. If the city adopts district elections, willingly or unwillingly, the plan is to have residents of each district elect one council member to represent them in future elections. The mayor will continue to be elected at-large. City Attorney Robin Currin has said she is not going to divulge the legal strategy behind
Kapoor, Manheimer sweep to primary wins; Bothwell fails to make cut, blames Williams
From Staff Reports Mayor Esther Manheimer
Council hopeful Vijay Kapoor
Mayoral hopeful Martin Ramsey
Council hopeful Sheneika Smith
Council incumbent Council hopeful Gwen Wisler Dee Williams
Council hopeful Council hopeful Rich Lee Kim Roney the referendum. The ramification of the referendum is questionable, various city political observers have noted, because — short of Asheville filing a lawsuit challenging the change in the law and then winning — this will mark Asheville’s last at-large election in which all of the city’s eligible voters may cast a ballot for any of the council candidates.
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In an Oct. 10 primary, voters whittled the field to two of three mayoral candidates and six of 12 candidates for Asheville City Council to advance to the Nov. 7 general election. Incumbent Mayor Esther Manheimer took a runaway lead with 8,511 votes. Manheimer, an attorney, often is praised for her ability to think on her feet, combined with a deep understanding of state and local law, rendering her an anchor amidst the sometimes wide-ranging requests that come before council. The next closest mayoral contender, Martin Ramsey, will also be on the ballot, having received 1,729 votes. Ramsey is openly socialist, with his website flaunting the red flag held aloft and advocating for “quality social(ist) services.” Failing to make the cut in the mayor’s race was Jonathan Wainscott, who often has accused council of committing egregious budgetary overruns, or of subsidizing the
craft beer industry at the expense of established neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Vijay Kapoor led the council race by more than 1,500 votes then the next finisher, capturing 17.6 percent of the vote. Kapoor rose to prominence by challenging a large Cecil Bothwell development proposed for his South Asheville neighborhood. He became known as a defender of neighborhoods, and executed an organized campaign for council with volunteers working hard to get him name recognition in other parts of town. Finishing second with 12.8 percent of the vote was Sheneika Smith. The organizer of Date My City, Smith campaigned on issues of equity, particularly among people of different races and different income levels. See PRIMARY, Page A14
UNCA provost named interim chancellor as search begins From Staff Reports
UNC Asheville Provost Joe Urgo has been appointed to serve as interim chancellor upon Chancellor Mary K. Grant’s departure at the end of the year. The appointment was made by UNC President Margaret Spellings with the unanimous and enthusiastic support of the UNCA Board of Trustees. The naming of an interim chancellor followed the announcement in September by Mary K. Grant, UNCA’s seventh chancellor, that she is leaving to embark on a new chapter of her professional life. Grant has served the as chancellor since January 2015. “I’m thrilled that Provost Urgo will assume the role of interim chancellor at the end of the year,” Spellings said. “Dr. Urgo has partnered with Chancellor Grant to develop and lead innovative new endeavors over the past three years — in line with the University’s Strategic Plan. Ensuring the continuity of leadership during this time of transition is critical for UNC Asheville, and there’s no doubt that the institution will be in great hands.” In addition to the appointment of Urgo as interim chancellor, Spellings also approved the appointment of the members of UNCA’s chancellor search committee. Members of the search committee include Kennon Briggs (Search Committee Co-Chair), chair, UNCA Board of Trustees; Rick Lutovsky (Search Committee Co-Chair) vice chair, UNCA Board of Trustees; Trey Adcock, assistant professor, Department of Education; Roger Aiken, senior vice president-complex manager, Wells Fargo; Karen K. Brown ’81, member, Board of Trustees; Leslie Casse ’86, chair, Foundation Board/co-owner, AsheVillain LLC; Josh Cavanaugh, chair, Staff Council / Payroll Manager, Administration and Finance; Michael Davis ’19, executive of Diversity Initiatives, Student Government Association; Melodie Galloway, chair and associate professor, Department of Music; Tim Hussey ’18, student trustee/president, Student Government Association; Lakesha McDay ’09, director of Diversity and Inclusion, Mission Health; Ted Meigs, GlaxoSmithKline Professor of Molecular and Chemical Biology, Department of Biology; Stacey Millett, executive director of community engagement; Ellen Pearson, professor, Department of History; Mike Roach ’02, chair, National Alumni Council / Legal Counsel, Novozymes; Robby Russell, member, Board of Trustees; Wilma Sherrill, secretary, Board of Trustees; Micheal Stratton, chair, Faculty Senate / sssociate professor, Department of Management and Accountancy; Paul Vest, president and CEO, YMCA of Western North Carolina; Al Whitesides, Buncombe County commissioner; Bill Web, member, Board of Governors; Oscar Wong, member, Board of Trustees.
“There is no doubt that UNC Asheville will be well served by Dr. Urgo and these well-qualified, diverse search committee mem-
Asheville Daily Planet — November 2017 - A3
Buncombe DA unveils plan to address opioids From Staff Reports
Joe Ergo
bers,” said Briggs. “Over the past three years, the strong partnership between Chancellor Grant and Dr. Urgo has been a key ingredient in the success, excitement, and momentum we have been experiencing at UNC Asheville. We are delighted to have the benefit and experience of Dr. Urgo’s leadership, knowing that he will continue to work in partnership and collaboration with all members of the campus community.” The search committee’s role is to recommend final candidates for chancellor to the UNCA Board of Trustees, who will, in turn, recommend at least two candidates to Spellings, who will forward her nomination to the UNC System Board of Governors.
Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams announced a battle plan to fight the local opioid epidemic during an Oct. 3 press conference. Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan and Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper were also in attendance. Describing the initiative as a “carrotand-stick” approach, Williams said his department emphasizes getting people with addictions into treatment, but the problem has gotten bad enough to require tougher measures in order to protect innocents and ensure justice. Williams said he wanted to be sure users would know they would receive help as many times as they asked — and that this was not a zero-tolerance or “three strikes and you’re out” program. The county offers multiple options for persons arrested on drug charges to enter rehabilitation. However, if somebody is selling drugs to support his or her habit, the county is going to get tough, Williams said. Not only does
carrying 28 grams or more of an opioid come with a minimum sentence of 225 months in jail; if somebody dies of an overdose, the seller can be charged with second-degree murder. Williams and Duncan said they are committed to swift Todd Williams street action to apprehend traffickers. Williams shared some local statistics. So far this year, the sheriff’s department has received more than 350 drug-related emergency calls for service, well over twice the number received in 2015. Emergency department visits for overdoses numbered 230, compared to 84 two years ago. Williams said his sudden interest in batling the opioid crisis was spurred by his attendance at a recent Drug Enforcement Agency conference.
A4 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Advice Goddess
Continued from Page A1 A: Welcome to the “never say never” school of hope. My Chinese crested, Aida, is also enrolled — hoping with all her tiny purse-doggy might that rare metal-eating termites will make the kitchen table leg collapse, causing her to be caught in a brief but intense hailstorm of bacon. There are some asymmetries between men and women in the effort required to get some action out of the opposite sex. Some men will engineer elaborate plots to try to wear a woman’s “nuh-uh, never gonna happen” into a “maybe just this once.” A woman, on the other hand, doesn’t have to plot. Assuming she’s reasonably attractive, she can probably just make extended eye contact with a man while eating a banana. This difference reflects what evolutionary psychologist David Buss explains as men’s and women’s conflicting evolutionary goals. It’s in a man’s evolutionary interest to, as they say, shoot and scoot (possibly passing on his genes without putting out any further time, energy or resources). However, because women can end up all “baby on board,” they evolved to look for emotional commitment and the ability and willingness to “provide.” (A woman’s psychological bottom line: “Can this wild man be turned into a minivan purchaser with a dad bod?”) Buss notes that these sex differences in evolved mating psychology show up in the different ways men and women try to deceive each other. Scammy men tend to exaggerate their “resources” (probably a sizable chunk of the Ferrari rental business) in hopes of suckering the ladies into the sack. Scammy women, on the other hand, tend to feign “willingness to have sex in order to secure nonsexual resources” — as in, “Sorry, Bob. I had my knees welded shut recently. I guess I forgot to mention that. But thanks for the $300 dinner!” In your situation, however, nobody’s deceiving anybody. You’ve repeatedly made clear that there will be no sexcapades. He’s got an amusing dining companion and a dear friend. When we care about people, we do nice things for them — offer them a bite of our sandwich or our disposable income. Sure, he’s probably still clinging to wisps of hope. But in time, he should accept that if the day comes when you suddenly grab him in your arms, it’ll be because he’s got a small piece of chicken caught in his windpipe and he’ll die unless you give him the Heimlich maneuver.
Check, mate!
I’m a 28-year-old guy, and I read your column on how men and women are clueless about who’s supposed to pay and when. I’ve had dates be insulted when I wouldn’t take their money and others insulted when I did. Is there an optimal strategy for the first few dates? — Lost Meet the flexible feminist. She can do an hour and a half straight on why we need to “smash the patriarchy,” but when the check comes, she reaches in her purse and pulls out a tube of lip gloss. As I pointed out in that column you mention, sociologist Janet Lever and her colleagues find one striking commonality between men and women: intense confusion about who should
pay and when. For example, nearly 60 percent of women said they “always” offer to help pay, even on the first date. Meanwhile, 39 percent of women wish men would reject their offer to pay — but 40 percent say it bothers them when men don’t accept their money. Argh, huh? Because female emotions evolved to push women to feel bad when they’re with a man who shows no signs of being a “provider,” I think it’s wise for a guy to pick up the tab on the first few dates. The researchers concur, explaining that “men who fail to pay risk being viewed as lacking economic resources or as being uninterested, unchivalrous, or — worse yet — cheap.” That said, your investment should be more symbolic than substantial, and you keep it that way by following my three-point advice for the first few dates: Make them cheap, short and local. This means, for example, getting to know a woman over happyhour drinks — as opposed to the kind poured by a sommelier (flanked by his two assistants) who comes to your table right after the team of loan officers helps you finalize your paperwork.
Who will stop the wane?
I’m happily married. My wife is beautiful. She used to put a lot of effort into her appearance, but she now wears sweats and T-shirts everywhere and she never wears makeup or does her hair. I felt really bad about this on our recent date night, when she just put her hair in a ponytail and wore a slouchy army jacket. I want her to keep making an effort to put herself together for me. How can I offer her constructive criticism without making her mad? — Bummed You come up behind a ragged, disheveled person standing on the corner and put a dollar in the Starbucks cup they’re holding — and then you realize your error: “Oops! Hi, honey!” I suspect the term “constructive criticism” was coined by someone who went through life without ever encountering another human being. As I explain in “Good Manners for Nice People...,” here in the real world, “criticizing people doesn’t make them change; it makes them want to clobber you.” That’s because our ancient fight-or-flight system is a little one-note — juicing us to respond to a verbal attack as if it were an attack by some dude running at us with a bloody spear. So, though it isn’t unreasonable to want your wife to make an effort on date night, you should focus on what you do want to see rather than what you don’t. For example: “Honey, you’re so beautiful, and when it’s date night, it would make me so happy if you did your hair and wore a dress. And I’ll wear whatever you want.” And to get her to make more of an effort day to day: “I love you so much, and I want to be sure we keep the romance alive.” Make clear that you aren’t expecting her to do the dishes in an evening dress and a tiara. You’d just be thrilled if, from time to time, the thigh-highs could be fishnets instead of, well, hip waders. • (c.) 2017, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (advicegoddess.com). Weekly radio show: blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon
Asheville Daily Planet — November 2017 - A5 Advertisement
Honorable Congressman Mark Meadows, As a small business owner in Western North Carolina, I have seen the destructive impact the current tax code has had on the growth of businesses. Today we spend more time on government compliance than we do on marketing or customer satisfaction. This is upside down and just WRONG! When it comes to paying our fair share, small businesses are doing more than enough. As most small business-owners can tell you working more than 60 per week is common. And, after years of hard work and personal sacrifices, you can become successful. With success comes taxes and more taxes and taxes on top of taxes. The rule is work hard, but not too hard because all you will do is give it away through taxes. So slow down and don’t grow your business too much, don’t hire too many people and stay below government established thresholds. President Donald Trump, Speaker Paul Ryan, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell made it clear before the November 2016 election that pro-growth tax reform would be a major legislative priority for Republicans in 2017 if they were given a chance to govern. Now that the American people gave Republicans control of the House, Senate and White House, there is a real opportunity to achieve comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform. Our tax code currently: • Suppresses American business creation and growth. Our high corporate tax rate is a problem for American businesses. The U.S. corporate tax rate of 39.1 percent is the highest rate in the world and reduces domestic investment. • Is far too complex for the average citizen. The individual tax system is a problem for families. In 1913, the tax code was a reasonable 400 pages long, but by 2013 it grew to over 74,000 pages. Americans spend nearly 9 billion hours complying with the tax code every year. • Is full of special interests. Pervasive cronyism in our tax code hurts entrepreneurs and consumers. Over decades, Congress has enacted policies that manipulate the marketplace to benefit certain business or industries. Accordingly, tax reform should include the following principles: • Lower and simplify individual tax rates. Tax reforms should aim to improve the simplicity and transparency of paying taxes. Lowering overall rates will allow families and hard-working Americans to keep more of their earnings. • Lower the corporate tax rate. Congress should lower the corporate tax rate to encourage growth and investment. • Permit tax-free entrepreneurship: Businesses should be permitted to deduct the full cost of their capital expenses when they incur them, known as expensing, rather than over many years using cumbersome depreciation schedules currently in effect. • Establish a territorial tax system. High U.S. tax rates reduce domestic investment by both U.S. headquartered business and foreign businesses, stifling job creation and wage growth. • End cronyism. Tax reform should explicitly seek to abolish policies that Congress intended to benefit industries or groups. The American people gave Republicans control of the House, Senate and White House, and there is a real opportunity to achieve comprehensive, pro-growth tax reform. Congress can use this as an opportunity to pair tax reform with spending cuts to comply with the rules of budget reconciliation and maximize the economic benefits of tax reform. The federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem. As a prior small business owner, I know you understand our frustration and agree with many of these views. Please share them with your fellow members of Congress and let us make tax reform a reality in 2017.
Sincerely,
John Maltry – NC Resident of District 11
A6 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville rated No. 23 on list of U.S.’ ‘hottest hipster’ cities ‘Bland’ Charlotte roars to No. 15 finish, leaving N.C.’s ‘capital of cool’ in its dust
From Staff Reports A data collaboration released in early October from Realtor.com and the business review site Yelp titled, “The Hottest Hipster Markets in America list,” ranked Asheville a lowly 23rd. Indeed, even Charlotte — described as “the bland, concrete megalopolis down the mountain” by columnist John Boyle of the Asheville Citizen-Times — was ranked at No. 15 — far ahead of Asheville, the socalled “Paris of the South” and, according
to Boyle, “the city long accepted as North Carolina’s capital of cool.” In responding to the rating disparity between Asheville and Charlotte, Boyle took a playful shot at Charlotte, calling it the “home to Bank of America, the Carolina Panthers and a really impressive stretch of Interstate 85” — and a city with “a downtown so banal that a real hipster wouldn’t even pause there to polish her good luck crystal on her crop top.” In contrast, Boyle wrote (with a gentle
jab at his city), “Asheville has a brewery for each and every adult citizen and people tubing down the French Broad River 24 hours a day, despite the E.coli.” Realtor.com/Yelp’s top 10 rankings of America’s Hottest Hipster Markets is as follows: 1. Columbus, Ohio 2. Seattle 3. San Diego 4. Fort Wayne, Indiana 5. Rochester, N.Y. 6. San Francisco, Calif.
7. Long Beach, Calif. 8. Louisville, Ky. 9. Grand Rapids, Mich. 10. Colorado Springs, Colo.
The list identifies the most in-demand housing markets in the U.S. with the highest concentrations of “hipster” businesses for home buyers “looking to embrace indie culture.” The press release for the rankings begins: “Can’t live without your artisanal coffee, avocado toast or an indie record store? Columbus is the place for you...”
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Asheville Daily Planet - November 2017 - A7
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A8 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
and/or to volunteer, contact unity@unitync.net, or call 891-8700. Thanksgiving Dinner , 2-4 p.m., Sandburg Hall, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The annual UUCA Thanksgiving dinner will be served.
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.
Thursday, Nov. 2
“GIFT OF GUIDANCE” WORKSHOP, 7-9 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. A workshop on “The Gift of Guidance” will be led by Suzanne Giesemann. She will share “fascinating evidence of what it means to be ‘guided by spirit.’” She will address questions, such as: “Are spirit guides and guardian angels real? Do we choose our guides or do they choose us? Do we all have access to guidance from spirit? How do we distinguish guidance from our own imagination? How do we tap into this guidance?” Giesemann is billed as “a gifted evidence-based medium with validated accuracy and integrity leaves her audiences in awe as she shares her connections with the other side.” After a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy earning the rank of commander and the honor of serving as assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 9/11, she now serves humanity as a “Messenger of Hope “as she brings love, healing and comfort through her work, Unity noted. To register, which costs $25, visit http://giesemann.link/Guidance.
Saturday, Nov. 4
BIG-BAND BAND CONCERT, 3 p.m., Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St., Hendersonville. The church will host a big-band concert featuring the Hendersonville Swing Band, directed by trombonist Jerry Zink. The band, now in its 22nd year, plays big-band favorites of the 1930s and ‘40s. Zink is one one of only two original members still playing with the HSB. The other is 90-year-old trumpeter Bob Chandler. Tickets, which are $10, may be purchased at the door or by calling Zink at 696-8031.
Friday, Nov. 10
MISSION CRAFT BAZAAR, noon-7 p.m., Weaverville United Methodist Church, 90 N. Main St.,
Wednesday, Nov. 29 Suzanne Giesemann
The Rev. Darlene Strickland
downtown Weaverville. WUMC will host its 24th annual Mission Craft Bazaar over two days, beginning Nov. 10. The bazaar will conclude Nov. 11 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. DINNER/FERNANDO ORTEGA CONCERT, noon, Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. “An Evening at The Cove with Fernando Ortega” will be offered. “Come for a worshipful evening of music and fellowship,” the BGTC noted. “Enjoy friendly conversation over a fine buffet dinner, followed by an uplifting concert program.” For tickets, which are $55, call 298-2092. 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.
Sunday, Nov. 12
150TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICES, 10:45 a.m. and 4 p.m., Nazareth First Missionary Baptist Church, 146 Pine St., Asheville. The church will celebrate its 150th anniversary “of God’s faithfulness with two services. At 10:45 a.m., a service will be led by the Rev. L.C. Ray, pastor, accompanied by the choir and congregation of WNC Baptist Fellowship Church of Asheville. At 4 p.m., a service will be led by the Rev. Antonio Logan, pastor, accompanied by the choir and congregation of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Hickory.
Thursday, Nov. 23
THANKSGIVING FEAST, 1 p.m., chapel, Unity Center, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge, Mills River. Unity will offer a Thanksgiving Day feast. Attendees are asked to bring food to share or contribute $5 towards the cost of the turkeys. Volunteers will be needed as turkey cookers (the church can reimburse a cook for the bird), clean-up crew, food receivers, food runners, gravy chief, beverage stockers, and carvers. To make a reservation
UNITY BASICS CLASS, 6:30-8:45 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. A class in Unity Basics will be taught by the Rev. Darlene Strickland, Unity’s senior pastor. She will present the basic Unity philosophy and transformative principles of Unity’s practical spirituality. The class is free, but a love offering will be collected.
Thursday, Dec. 7
CHRISTMAS DINNER/MARK SCHULTZ CONCERT, 7 p.m., Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. “Christmas at The Cove with Mark Schultz” will be offered. The evening of Christmas music and fellowship, will include a festive buffet dinner, followed by a concert program. For tickets, which are $59, call 298-2092.
Thursday, Nov. 30
BUFFET DINNER/POINT OF GRACE CONCERT, 3-10 p.m., Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. “Christmas at The Cove with Point of Grace” will be offered. The evening of Christmas music and fellowship will include a Christmas buffet dinner, followed by a concert program. For tickets, which are $55, call 298-2092.
Friday, Dec. 1
BUFFET DINNER/POINT OF GRACE CONCERT, 7 p.m., Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. “An Evening at The Cove with Point of Grace” will be offered. The evening of music and fellowship, will include a buffet dinner, followed by a concert program. For tickets, which are $59, call 298-2092
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Continued from Page A1 County Attorney Michael Frue described the Sept. 2, 2016 copy of Greene’s retention incentive agreement in her personnel file as a draft. It has neither her signature, nor the signature of Curt Euler, former human resources director, who now is a senior attorney. Greene used her discretion in deciding who received the inventive. She gave it to herself, county officials said in late October, a move that would have been signed off by David Gantt, former commissioners chairman. In the aftermath of Greene’s son’s resignation and sister’s job shift for lower pay , the county’s nepotism policy was revised, with a request from commissioners’ Chairman Brownie Newman that all county employee salaries be posted in real time, online. In addition, the county capped employee bonuses at $1,000 and required them to be recorded as salary and reported to the commissioners within 60 days. Newman asked that any bonuses be made public, as a way, he said, of celebrating the recipients. Then, reporters uncovered lavish incentives programs. During the recession, when the county was trying to scale-down, like many local governments, the county offered early retirement incentives. Stone said the program worked well, saving the county $1.6 million, but after 170 top-tier managers left, taking thousands of years of institutional knowledge with them, the county began offering an incentive for top management to stay. The retention bonus worked like the early retirement benefit, but it was paid immediately instead of upon retirement. Stone said that
also saved the county considerable sums. Reporters also discovered allegedly excessive pay for certain employees. Moreover, records show the incentives were not paid out over a three-year period. Instead, they began in 2016 and were paid out in full this year — and according to Sheriff Van Duncan, one of the recipients, they did not benefit their state pensions as promised. Stone countered that with two part-time assistant managers, the county’s management office was actually the leanest of any municipal county in the state. She and Jon Creighton were both working as part-time assistant managers as well as serving as department heads. For their work as assistant county managers, they received an extra $30,000 each. As for Greene, she collected more than $500,000 in six months this year. This included a retention bonus, valued at $241,791, even though she retired before her appointed time. After that, reporters unveiled the distribution of proceeds from a budget ordinance passed to benefit the lowest-paid county employees. Instead, of 123 recipients, 15 earned more than $100,000, and three went to members of the Greene family. Before Stone took the helm, county management undertook a number of bigticket actions — quickly and with little public explanation. Among these are the $8 million wrongful imprisonment settlement attributed to unjust interrogation techniques used by former Sheriff Bobby Medford; and multiple real estate shell games, such as those played out with Linamar and the failed Deschutes bid. In an Oct. 26 email to the Daily Planet in answer to some questions, Stone said
Asheville Daily Planet — November 2017 - A9
that Greene, while still at the helm, had reported a savings of $1.6 million from the early retirement program. Positions were frozen, or vacancies were advertised offering a lower rate of compensation, she said. The savings were calculated as the sum of what would have been paid had vacancies not been frozen, Stone said. If departments chose to fill a vacancy, they were required to realize savings elsewhere in their budgets to offset the benefit offered the early retiree. After 170 key staff members opted for early retirement, the county was faced with new costs of recovering all the institutional knowledge lost with the retirements, Stone said.. Costs might include consulting fees or training expenses. To slow the exodus, Greene offered a retention bonus, and she designated which positions would be eli-
gible for a retention bonus instead of early retirement, Stone noted. The retention bonus offered employees a sum equal to their 2015 salary immediately in lieu of waiting until they retired and receiving whatever they happened to be earning that year, Stone said. Persons accepting the retention bonus were required to continue working with the county at least until a certain date, and they had to develop a succession plan before they left. Stone said estimates show the retention bonuses saved the county $95,000-$96,000, that amount being calculated as the difference between what an employee would receive as an early retirement bonus in some future year and the employee’s 2015 salary. Stone added the county’s retirement bonuses are budgeted in accordance with state laws.
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A10 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
Forget ‘Hottest Hipster’ ranking; let’s be U.S.’ best city to make world better
A
sheville recently received what some have termed a lowly ranking of No. 32 in a listing of “The Hottest Hipster Markets in America,” while nearby megalopolis Charlotte finished 15th, leaving some Asheville residents concerned that their much-ballyhooed city is, well, getting dissed. In the interim, we have heard from some Asheville natives, who seemed, at most, amused by the squirming of local hipsters and area promoters — who have vented their ire about the rating. (The natives — in the spirit of being helpful — have suggested that those who are unhappy with the ranking should move to Charlotte — at once.) On a more serious note, what is a “hipster?” One dictionary says: “A person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.” We’d rather see trendsetters, rather than mere trend-followers, i.e. hipsters. For our part, we’d much rather see Asheville set its sights on being America’s best city to make the world a better place. Now that would be a profound ranking.
A lost college still shines CHAPEL HILL — What is North Carolina’s best-known and most influential college? It might be an institution that went out of business 60 years ago, Black Mountain College. Still today, educators praise and criticize the college’s progressive and collaborative approach. In 2015, Boston’s Institute of Contemporary Art’s exhibit, titled “Leap Before You Look: Black Mountain College 19331957,” celebrated the college’s “cultural force long felt” and the “school’s ethos, in which experience was the basis of knowledge, and objects were not fixed things, but mirrors of their environment, the result of action and experimentation.” A book released in early October opens the door to understanding the college’s enduring allure. Surprisingly, that book, “Hidden Scars” by Mark de Castrique, is not a Black Mountain guide or history book. It is a detective story. “Detective story!” I can hear you screaming, “What can a murder mystery have to do with a closed-down college?” De Castrique is the author of a series of novels set in modern-day Asheville and featuring the detective team of Sam Blackman and Nakayla Robertson. Sam is a veteran who lost his leg in military action and wears a prosthesis. Nakayla, his partner in business and love, is African-American. De Castrique makes Black Mountain College the center-point of action in the detectives’ investigations of suspicious deaths in two different time periods. First, an 80-year-old woman asks them to look into the death of her brother, Paul Weaver. He was student at the college in the 1940s who died in a reported hiking accident. Seventy years later, his sister suspects foul play. Second, their first investigation takes them to the former site of the college. There a film crew is making a commercial film set in the college’s heyday in the 1930s and ‘40s. Soon there are new deaths to investigate. In trying to crack the 70-year-old case, Sam and Nakayla track down former Black Mountain students who might have known Paul. They fly to New York City to visit Eleanor Johnson, an African-American
D.G. Martin who was a student of the legendary dancer, choreographer, and Black Mountain faculty member Merce Cunningham. Eleanor remembered Paul as a good friend, but did not believe their interracial friendship prompted violence against him. However, she told them Paul had a special bond with a Jewish refugee, Leah Rosen, who lives in a retirement village in Chapel Hill. A long drive to Chapel Hill for a visit with Leah confirmed her friendship with Paul, but nothing more. Another contemporary of Paul’s at the college, Harlan Beale, was a handyman on the film set and he also provided filmmakers with background information about the college. Shortly after agreeing to help Sam and Nakayla find others who might remember Paul, Harlan is found dead at the Black Mountain College Museum in Asheville. In scarcely more than 200 pages Sam and Nakayla, aided by Asheville city police, Buncombe County sheriff’s deputies and the FBI solve these mysterious deaths, both contemporary and 70-years past. In following the investigations, readers learn of the special progressive educational experiences the college provided: Buckminster Fuller and his attempts to build a geodesic dome, Merce Cunningham, and a host of artists, craftsmen, authors who became teachers and mentors and jumpstarted their students’ careers. The college attracted political liberals, racial integrationists, and even some communists. These ideas and the people who held them were not welcome in the North Carolina mountains. And the progressive learning model the college projected did not attract the financial support necessary to fund even a modest college operation. While Mark de Castrique is giving us a well-crafted and satisfying detective story, he reminds us of what we lost when the college closed. • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at noon Sundays and at 5 p.m. Thursdays on UNC-TV.
Letters to the Editor
Arrest record should not be basis for ‘disinvitation’
T
he Daily Planet reported that Ashley Thublin, the communications director for Asheville City Schools, defended the cancelation of a speaking engagement by Bree Newsome at Asheville Middle School on the grounds that she had been arrested for removing a Confederate battle flag from the pole in front of the South Carolina Statehouse in 2015. Ms. Newsome had been invited to speak in the first place precisely because of her protest, not in spite of it. So after the invitation was extended, clearly someone behind the scenes took umbrage with her politics which led to Bree Newsome the “disinvitation.” After the fact, the school policy excluding speakers with a prior arrest record was invoked by Ms. Thublin to defend the action. This blanket policy excluding anyone from speaking to our school children who broke the law or had an arrest record would exclude the likes of a number of our Founding Fathers, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, Alice Paul, Cesar Chavez, Harriet Tubman, and hundreds of other leaders and thousands of their followers in human rights movements here and around the world. All of these people have changed society for the better by risking their lives for the
rights of others, and all are pretty much universally praised for it today. Yet, technically, none would be allowed to speak to our children at Asheville Middle School because of the supposed bad example of their arrest records. This technicality is just plain stupid, and is used as an excuse to revile the heroes of the present, while we smugly celebrate the heroes of the past. How shortsighted is that? Todd Davis Asheville
High-powered weapons? Time to make them illegal
The NRA has given millions of dollars to the GOP candidates and in some cases to Democrat candidates to keep their nefarious stance on the use of high-powered weapons and it’s all legal! In the wake of the horrific Las Vegas event, it’s time for the public to take a stand against the evil that has spread across this great nation. Let’s contact our representatives in congress and let them know enough is enough. Turn “all legal” into “illegal” once and for all! Finally, to both sides of the aisle, I ask “just when is the right time to talk about solving the issue of guns in the hands of would-be killers?” Both sides seem to be in the pocket of the NRA and I fear it might take a few more massacres to wake the “Old Guard” legislators up and do what’s right for the American people who elected them. Herb Stark Mooresville See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A11
The Candid Conservative
Sorry, guys —Hitler was a socialist, too
“For Fascism the State is absolute, individuals and groups relative.” — Benito Mussolini
The Problem
D
on’t look now, but the progressive-liberal-socialist movement is self-destructing. That’s not a problem except they’re trying to take us with them. Partial illumination is found in their growing delight with labeling anyone with a differing view as a “fascist.” The left throws that descriptor about with the ease of one tossing stale popcorn to pigeons. Witness the irony in those who’re totally dedicated to big government calling other people fascists. Especially since what they’re selling is just a repackaging of classic statist thinking — a la Mussolini. They’re convinced that this time their “new and improved” version is going to work. It won’t and I appreciate the opportunity to tell you why.
You know us by our deeds
Though the left talks about compassion, rainbows and love, they walk in an opposite direction. How else can you explain their corporate sponsorship of so many antagonistic groups – including a 21st century version of Hitler’s brown-shirts called Antifa? Antifa is trumpeted as an acronym for “anti-fascist.” It’s more accurately a simile. How does one propose to counter fascism with
Carl Mumpower fascist methodologies? Watch the July 9th video where a smart guy snuck into a crowd of Antifa wannabes and recited nothing but Hitler quotes. He was applauded – every time. Antifa’s publicized mission is to thwart the KKK and other white supremacist organizations. Encouraging this violence-prone, hoodie-wearing bunch of masked bandits as social change agents is like hiring Al Capone to foil neighborhood crime. Is anyone paying attention to the fact the KKK killed their mojo decades ago? Or that white supremacy is about as popular as black and white TVs? Not the left.
Self-deception is dangerous
The left is masterful at the psychological defense called “projection.” That’s where one assigns personal perceptions and values to others. “I steal, therefore, I assume you do, too.” Like all psychological defenses, projection is addictive. With addiction comes denial and thus their indifference to the reality most every accusation they throw out mirrors their own behavior. See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A14
Asheville Daily Planet - November 2017 - A11
Commentary As history flips itself, N.C. Dems, GOP in transition
S
ometimes history repeats itself. Sometimes history flips. Sometimes history does both. This is the story of two North Carolina political parties in two different times and how they governed. It’s the remarkable story of how events in one century have been repeated in another – but in reverse. The two parties are of course Republicans and Democrats. The different times are the 1890s and the 21st century. To help in this crisscrossing narrative, let’s call the 19th century parties D19 and R19, and let’s call today’s 21st century parties D21 and R21. D19 had controlled North Carolina since 1870. Their tool for maintaining power was a law that gave the legislature control of county commissions, thereby keeping R19 from holding any power at all. But in the statewide election of 1894, R19 took control of the General Assembly. Immediately they returned power to local governments. They limited interest on farm loans. They reversed D19 voter suppression. And they raised taxes for schools. Most people here in the western mountains were Republicans. I would have been, too.
Lee Ballard That period of R19 rule in Raleigh in the 1890s was the brightest light that shined in 19th century North Carolina. They passed laws that met the people’s needs. They performed well – for four years. Then in the election of 1898, the Republican Party in North Carolina was demolished. D19 campaigned as “the white man’s party,” and they terrorized R19 voters, especially blacks. D19 won 93 of 118 seats in the General Assembly. And the shining light of North Carolina dimmed for decades. Democrats had always been the party of slavery. When they took control of the General Assembly in 1898, they moved quickly to disenfranchise Negro – and poor white – voters with poll taxes and literacy tests. The 1890s ended with one-party rule through voter suppression. In that decade, we had a back-and-forth
Letters to the editor Continued from Page A10
To continue the city’s progress, vote for Smith
I’ll start by thanking Asheville and Buncombe voters who have supported me in as many as seven elections since 2008. You have given me the opportunity to work with a great team, sometimes a team of rivals, that has done a lot of good for this city. I also thank (Mountain) Xpress readers for tapping me as Best Local Pol for seven of the past eight years (and congrats to Mayor Esther Manheimer, who bumped me to No. 2 in 2017). I did my best to live up to expectations and am pleased with the team’s successes: single-stream recycling, cutting city carbom emissions by more than 30 percent, LEED building standards, reforms at the Asheville Police Department, more miles of greenway, expanded transit, experiments with new zoning rules and a AAA bond rating that will make infrastructure improvements more affordable for many years to come. (Just to name a few.) Projects I’m leaving on the table include greater protection for Asheville’s tree canopy, rationalization of short-termrental regulation and, dearest to my heart, a decade-long effort to create a park opposite the civic center (favored by a majority of our citizens). Primary voters opted for new leadership, and so be it. If you want to continue the progress this city has made in recent years, to strive to make this a better place for the people who live and work here, to preserve the great things we’ve inherited and navigate the challenges ahead, I hope you’ll join me in voting for Sheneika Smith on Nov. 7. I’ve had an opportunity to get to know Sheneika during this year’s campaign, and she is the real deal. CECIL BOTHWELL Member, Asheville City Council Asheville
Kapoor would provide oversight skills on council
We are fortunate to have a candidate for the Asheville City Council that has the professional background to bring some sense to dealing with the city budget and in the monitoring of expenses. In my opinion, our current City Council is so focused on funding their special interests and raising taxes to do those projects that they are digging us into an infrastructure hole; and, not adequately funding basic needs for the maintenance and support of basic city services. Observation: the city is having large cost overruns in the millions; taking on projects that are countywide in scope; staffing of administration is running out of control; there are exorbitant legal fees; little attention is given to the nuts and bolts of operations, however, we run amok with new expenses. The City Council is not holding the city manager accountable and he has gotten nice raises over his tenure. Look around the city at the number of signs advertising businesses that are out of business. One building was torn down over a year ago and the sign is still up. Recall 2015 after the budget was approved in June, it was discovered in October that all of the swimming pools were in dire need of repair and replacement. And, who’s maintaining all of those “greenways?” Who is asking department heads about their capital and operating budgets, their needs vs. the amount they are granted? In addition, Vijay Kapoor brings a muchneeded representation from the area south of the Parkway to the City Council. KEN MICHALOVE Former Asheville mayor and city manager Asheville
U.S., world continue to follow path of destruction America and the world continues down the path to impending destruction because
trilogy: bad D19 government, then excellent R19 government, then return of atrocious D19 government. A century passed, and our political parties crisscrossed. D19 became R21. The Democratic Party of 1898, with its voter suppression, evolved into today’s Republican Party. And on the other hand, people today who share the old R19 commitment to public education, fair elections, and maximum participation in voting are in today’s Democratic Party. And we have seen the same alternation of good and bad government in our time, but in reverse of the 1890s. As the 21st century arrived, Americans looked at a map of the United States and saw an aura that glowed around North Carolina. Successive D21 administrations had taken us from a society that looked backward, in the manner of our Confederate neighbors, to embrace an open-ended future. We were enlightened. Our university system was second to none. We invested in public schools. We protected our natural beauty. We valued innovation and creativity. The Research Triangle is a treasure. Then R21 messed with an election. Days before the election of 2010, R21 dropped
a series of misleading mailbox fliers into key races, and they took over the General Assembly. And R21 began right away to douse the glowing aura that D21 had established for us over decades. We all know their legislative atrocities – voter suppression, extreme gerrymandering, war on teachers and public schools, extending their power over local governments. And they lied and lied. As a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill put it: “It’s hard to see why any political ideology demands its adherents constantly lie about their motivations.” In the 1890s, I would have been a Republican because their concern was citizen needs, not maintaining power. I’m a Democrat today for the same reason. In the 1890s North Carolina experienced bad D19 rule, then good R19 rule, then bad D19 rule. In this century, we’ve experienced good D21 rule and now terrible R21 rule. This century’s trilogy is yet to be completed – with good D21 rule. It will happen. The glow will once again shine. If not next year, then 2020. • Lee Ballard, who lives in Mars Hill, writes a blog at mountainsnail.com.
who was created in their image. of Man’s failure to follow God’s Word. In that Word of God, which God entrusted Those who, through unbelief and sin, fail to Jacob/Israel decedents, the Creator set to obey his laws will be judged by those forth rules and laws by which Man was to laws. live by. Because God loved the world He Only through God’s salvation plan can intended Israel (The keeper of the Word) to one get to heaven. The blood of Jesus can be a blessing to the whole world. cover all sins if you believe, repent, and Unfortunately, most of the world has follow Him. turned against them, God, and the Word Manuel Ybarra Jr. of God. Most are totally unaware that the Coalgate, Okla. Holy Bible says, “I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you.” Nor do they know God gave ownership of the Holy Land to Israel, forever and ever. Those who favor dividing that land are going against God Almighty and His commands. Man brings the curse of God upon themselves. Through the ages Man’s unbelief caused The Asheville Daily Planet many to use their brain, composed of some invites Letters to the Editor 100 billion cells, which God designed and of 200 words or less. Please gave them, to concoct ideas contrary to include your name, mailing God’s truth of his creation. Too late, upon address, daytime telephone their death, they discovered the truth, when number and e-mail address. their souls were cast into Hell. So much For more information, call for fame and fortune! (828) 252-6565. Instead of believing God and His Word, most men put their trust in Man’s ideas, Send mail to: such as in evolution and the big bang. Letters, Asheville Daily Planet They doubt God’s supernatural powers and P.O. Box 8490, credit time and nature for the existence of Asheville, NC 28814 everything. But God, the Creator, and His Send e-mail to: son Jesus (the Word of God), claim they letters@ashevilledailyplanet.com created everything, and that they were there at creation time. So was the Holy Ghost. God proved his existence and power thousands of times. You find that in the Windows and doors • Handman services • Affordable Holy Bible. In that Bible, you will find God loves his creation, specially Man,
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A12 — November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Mission-BCBSNC Continued from Page A1 Meanwhile, BCBSNC officials called upon Mission Health on Oct. 12 to retract comments in a private email sent Oct. 4 to its roughly 60 senior leaders in early October by Ron Paulus, Mission’s president and chief executive officer. Blue Cross said in a statement that the email “deepens our concerns and dampens our hope” that the sides can strike a deal.” The insurance provider argued that Paulus’ remarks, which were made the night before their deal expired, are “defamatory and inflammatory.” Specifically, BCBSNC pointed to a comment by Paulus about the uncertainty of the future, but says he is at peace “whether tomorrow and the weeks to come turn out to be a bloody slaughter like storming the beaches of Normandy, or precision warfare like the first Persian Gulf War.” BCBSNC’s statement noted, “As a starting point for breaching the divide, he (Paulus) appears intent on widening, we invite the CEO to retract statements he thought would remain private and then stand in stark contrast to what he says in public.” Paulus also called Blue Cross “the most unethical, bullying foe that I have ever faced.” A Mission spokeswoman declined to comment on the Oct. 12 Blue Cross statement. In turn, Paulus told local news media he would not comment further on the situation unless and until it is fully resolved. Paulus said the matter is too serious to play games and raise false hopes. He encouraged people seeking medical attention from Mission to “immediately find other coverage.” Paulus told the Asheville Citizen-Times that, “while I don’t have a crystal ball and will always hope for the best... I would imagine we will be in calendar 2018 prior to any agreement.” In a news release sent out Oct. 5, Mission said the contract expired “without negotiations ever occurring because BCBSNC simply refused to speak with Mission Health about a new contract.” Further, Mission’s news release noted, “Unfortunately, BCBSNC members who purchased health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act exchanges will also be out-of-network, though they should have not been impacted. “That’s because Mission Health offered to accept BCBSNC’s demand for no payment increase for those individuals given the lack of alternative market options available. Shockingly, BCBSNC refused
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to accept Mission’s offer unless we also accepted a ‘forever zero’ contract across all lines of business.That rejection of its own demand by BCBSNC forces people who receive health insurance on the exchange to choose between accessing care out of network or avoiding needed care altogether.” Meanwhile, BCBSNC has argued it was offering Mission the same deal it offered 40 other providers, all of whom accepted it. The insurer’s position is Mission was opposed to its requirement that patient outcomes be tied to reimbursement rates. BCBSNC’s website indicated discussions are ongoing, but the insurer, too, will make an announcement only when the negotiations are concluded. “Because provider contracts by all Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans apply to members of all other Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield members in other states are able to take advantage of Blue Cross NC’s network for in-network coverage,” BCBS spokesman Austin Vevurka recently noted: “Likewise, a Blue Cross NC customer in South Carolina is able to take advantage of Blue Cross SC’s network for in-network coverage. Thus, when a provider decides to terminate their contract and go out-of-network with one Blue Cross Blue Shield plan then they are also deciding to go out-of-network for all other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.” Park Ridge Health and Pardee Memorial Hospital remain in the BCBSNC network, as do various specialized offices, which may be located on a map at bcbsnc.com. Hospitals affected include Angel Medical Center and Highlands Cashiers Hospital in Macon County, Blue Ridge Regional Medical Center in Mitchell County, Mission Hospital and CarePartners Rehab Hospital in Buncombe County, McDowell Hospital and Transylvania Community Hospital.
Developers triumph in legal battle against Asheville; 8-story hotel project to be built From Staff Reports Superior Court Judge William Coward in late October overturned Asheville City Council’s Jan. 24 decision to deny Parks Hospitality Group’s petition to build a 185room Embassy Suites hotel in Asheville’s Central Business District’s western gateway. The developers’ challenge of the decision was filed soon after council’s rejection of the project. Plans depicted a $24 million, eight-story, classy and glassy modern accent piece for 192 Haywood Street, the former location of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s offices. It will be located across the street from another PHG project, the Hyatt Place hotel, which opened for business almost two years ago. Plans also proposed a 200-space parking deck. The developers challenged council’s decision on the grounds they had met all seven requirements for procuring a conditional-use permit. Those conditions require, among other things, that the project not endanger public health or safety, that it not put undue stress on existing infrastructure and not substantially damage surrounding property values, and that it comply with all pertinent city plans. In addition, they claimed council had been out-of-bounds in making demands for a $50,000 contribution to the city’s affordable housing fund. Going one step further, they charged members of council had broken statutory guidelines in arriving at their decision. The applicants had sought a conditionaluse permit for the building, which meant it would be approved by a quasi-judicial hearing, and in a quasi-judicial process, members of the deciding body cannot discuss the project with the applicant prior to the hearing. In this instance, Lou Bissette and Bob
Oast, representing the plaintiff, charged their client was approached the day of the hearing by Ben Teague. Teague, who is the economic development director for the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, was serving as a go-between, and he presented the developer with a list of demands council was going to impose before it would approve the project. Bissette and Oast say Teague had emerged with the list following a meeting earlier that same day with Mayor Esther Manheimer, City Manager Gary Jackson, and Corey Atkins, the chamber’s Vice President of Public Policy. The list demanded that the developers make the contribution to the affordable housing fund, build parking spaces beyond what the hotel and the city’s Unified Development Ordinance require, and pay all employees a living wage. The attorneys claim members of council had already made up their minds before the hearing, which, properly conducted, would have given their client due process. Council had made similar demands of hotelier John McKibbon when he was seeking approval for the Arras hotel, which will soon open as the radically renovated BB&T skyscraper downtown. McKibbon graciously agreed to comply, setting what Councilman Gordon Smith has since termed, the “McKibbon standard.” The difference was, McKibbon had applied for a conditional zoning, which engages a design review process not bound by the constraints imposed on applicants seeking a conditional use permit. The mayor has not yet said, as of the Daily Planet’s Oct. 25 press deadline, if the city intends to challenge the decision in the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
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Asheville Daily Planet — November 2017 — A13
A14 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Mumpower
Continued from Page A10 Witness Antifa’s antics at Berkeley (Calif.) as they attacked quiet prayer warriors as “violent racist thugs.” I hate to break it to Asheville’s superhipsters, but today’s liberalism isn’t your Granddaddy’s liberalism. John Kennedy would be appalled at what his vision of Camelot has become. If anybody can be authentically accused of fascism, it’s increasingly angry and desperate progressives who feel licensed to do anything necessary to win. That’s not progress – it’s an instant replay of 1930s’ Germany. Here’s the who, what, why and how of the left’s mindless drift toward fascism:
Though liberals mock President’ Trump’s “Make America Great” campaign as dated nationalism, they’re even more enthusiastic about their own America first movement. The difference is they seek to rework it into their own ideals of utopian socialism versus the uplifting potentials of America’s traditional “Liberty + Opportunity + Responsibility = Prosperity” success equation.
The left’s concept of nationalism requires no creative thinking. It’s a mirror image of the European Union. Anyone who doesn’t see that governance fiasco as an unfolding personification of mega-scale nationalism doesn’t know history and or the psyche of the Germans leading the charge. Take note that both Mussolini and Hitler began their fascist takeovers with the same something-for-nothing promises that undergirds the strategy of the left in Europe and here at home. For clarification, consider Obama’s book, “The Audacity of Hope” and its subtitle, – “Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream.” Obama was selling nationalism with enthusiasm and coating it with the same warm and furry visions that powerseekers always use to seduce the masses. It worked. The “race” reference in the definition seems totally off the mark until one looks more closely at the core of racism – bias on the basis of color. That’s where the left falls right in line. They are constantly exploiting the racial divide and attempting to define us on the basis of color. Case in point – more than 4,000 people were shot in Chicago last year and 700 died. That’s just in one city and it’s mostly from black-on-black crime. Yet the left’s “social justice” priority the year before was a Black Lives Matter narrative challenging police violence against the black community. The result was a record number of police officers charged with manslaughter or homicide in 2015. Know how many were convicted? Zero. A community with the political power to charge a police officer has the wherewithal to convict that officer. The evidence wasn’t there. May I suggest kneeling as an updated form of “Heil Hitler?” As for autocratic leadership, Obama’s patent indifference to constitutional constraints was a model for such. Remember, Hitler similarly started out with confident rightness and a personal license to bend the rules. His betrayal of his country’s constitution and assumed supremacy as a dictator came later. Obama ran out of time – not confidence. A moment’s review on the climate edicts, fantasy health care plans, regulatory overreach and other big government centralization crammed down our throats by the Obama administration completes the picture the dictionary paints. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it may be a
Continued from Page A2 Finishing in third place, at 11.3 percent, was Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler. While serving on council, Wisler has gained a reputation for scrutinizing financials and asking questions that hold staff members’ feet to the fire. She is regarded as being less inclined to chase hot-button issues than to make sure council is presented with a sensible set of facts. Next, with 10.7 percent of the vote, was Dee Williams. Williams’ platform included incentivizing living wages, setting up land trusts to provide permanent affordable housing, eliminating toxic chemicals from the environment, and lending to clean energy enterprises. Following Williams was Rich Lee, at 10.0 percent. Lee often participates in council meetings and has detailed opinions on several issues, including equity, affordability, and clean and green transportation. The final candidate to make the cut was Kim Roney, garnering 9.9 percent of the vote. Roney campaigned as a neighbor, concerned about affordable housing, living wages, accessible transit, green space pres-
ervation, and other factors affecting quality of life in communities. Roney edged out incumbent Cecil Bothwell, who only received 9.6 percent of the vote. Since Bothwell was defeated by less than 1 percent, state law allowed him to request a recount, but he chose not to exercise that option. Colorful as always, Bothwell said one of the reasons he lost was that Williams won votes by promising action beyond the legal limits placed on council’s power. He vowed to do all that he could to ensure Williams’ defeat in the general election, while saying he was not bitter at his defeat. What’s more, Bothwell endorsed Smith — a move that could drain Williams’ base. Williams countered the allegations by saying she was offering hope with practical and creative solutions. Also not making the cut were former Planning and Zoning Chair Jeremy Goldstein; Adrian Vassallo, a long-time pragmatic voice on downtown livability and business issues; Pratika Bhakta, the only Republican in the race; busker Andrew Fletcher; and frequent candidate Jan (Howard) Kubiniec.
Who?
This one’s as simple as pegging what the left is for and against. In the “for” category comes ever-bigger government and centralized control; imposed social norms; personality politics; rule by preference and convenience; and the pretense that progress is only found in new thinking. In the “against” category comes God; governance by the people; morality; constitutional constraint; the rule of law; and anything that is historical and time-tested. Note that Herr Hitler shared enthusiasm for their “for” category.
What?
Let’s start with a dictionary definition of fascism and apply it to the left — FASCISM [fash-iz-uh m] - a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. (2) A tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.
Primary
left-leaning duck.
we need to know – power.
What — Part Deux
How?
Further evidence of the left’s brand of 21st century fascism comes through specific behaviors. They aren’t into gun control – they’re into gun seizure. Just like every other country in the world who started with small steps, they will not be satisfied until they strip of us of our capacity to defend ourselves. Why? Because an armed citizenry can call afoul on government overreach. Watch their efforts to rewrite or discard history. Recall the recent episode where local self-described progressives permitted removing a civil war memorial as an act of social justice? What the left doesn’t like, it seeks to destroy. Note what happens on our college campuses where dissenting voices are abused – usually with the complicit support of administrators and faculty. That’s the same kind of thinking that secured Hitler’s grip on one of the most enlightened countries on the planet. View the limits asserted on the information we get, books we read and things our children are taught in school. The decided difference in propaganda and truth is marked by an intolerance for diverse points of view that distracts from the narrative of those in power. Nobody “hates” like a leftminded person encountering an open mind with a courage button. The insincerity of our community’s progressive-liberal-socialists is further revealed by our (Asheville) City Council’s hotly protected 7-0 equation. When was 7-0 ever anyone’s idea of a model of good governance? Earlier fascist pioneers took over Italy and Germany under similar formulas.
Why?
Again, that 7-0 equation tells everything
The term “political correctness” is code for “you better think, say and do what we want you to, or you’re going to know our wrath.” That’s how the left is pulling off their updated version of fascism – pretense that their way is the only way and punishment for anyone suggesting otherwise.
Where do we go from here?
Lewis Carroll’s nifty tale, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” was written to illustrate the trials and tribulations when innocence and nobility collide with collusion and insanity. You and I are living in a real-world version of Wonderland where insanity is being sold as normalcy; hate as benevolence; and power dedications as enlightenment. Like Alice we may get occasionally confused, but we need not be sucked into the craziness. Holding to the time-tested lessons of faith, history and our culture’s traditional norms remains a compass that cannot be distorted by the loud and laborious voices from the left. Take heart in their self-destructing extremes. If conservative-minded citizens can hold our own, the left will reliably lean so far in the wrong direction that they fall into their own abyss. Our job is to make sure today’s flavor of conformist fascists – like their kindred spirits of the last century – don’t take our children, culture and country with them…. • Carl Mumpower, a psychologist and former elected official, is chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party. He can be reached at drmumpower@aol. com.
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A16 — November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
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Asheville Daily Planet — November 2017
Asheville Jazz Orchestra clicks on all cylinders
Guest vocalist Jesse Junior delights with soulful crooning
Shelley Wright
Spooky seance conjures dreams of Gothic Christmas
I
By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
BLACK MOUNTAIN — The 20-piece Asheville Jazz Orchestra made musical sparks fly — and provided a few laughs — during a free-wheeling concert on Oct. 21 at the iconic White Horse nightclub. The show was not only a joy to hear and see, the AJO added some unusually playful touches, including a nod to Halloween, with big-band-style renditions of theme songs from two mid-1960s television shows, including “The Munsters” and “The Addams Family.” During their rendition of the “Addams Family Theme Song,” the musicians played their instrumental parts (as in the original song) — and then, in studied seriousness (as their instruments dangled around their necks, in many cases), suddenly raised their arms above their heads and snapped their fingers, in perfect rhythm, all to the audience’s sheer delight.The effect was truly zany — and effective — for the usually strait-laced AJO. And, as a more esoteric seasonal/Halloween salute, the band performed a riveting instrumental version of 1942’s “That Old Black Magic,” first recorded and released by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra. In the absence of the AJO’s regular vocalist, Wendy Jones (who was at another engagement), Asheville’s Jesse Earl Junior filled in and appeared to delight the crowd with his soulful crooning. Junior is a Milwaukee native, New York City “expatriate” and — now — a self-described “Asheville Jazzvillian” About 75 people attended the two-hour concert, which featured two sets. Most of the concert, as per AJO tradition, was performed without a singer, but Junior joined the band for two songs in each of the two sets, which is standard practice for the band. In addition, during the last song of the
B1
Special photos by CHRISTINE WILLIAMS
The Asheville Jazz Orchestra (above) performs with guest vocalist Jesse Earl Junior (far left). At bottom right is part of the AJO horn section in action. At bottom left, Junior appears dapper, sporting a pocket square in his jacket.
regular show, 1939’s “Cherokee,” Junior returned to the stage to sing a couple verses. (“Cherokee” was originally performed by Charles Barnet and His Orchestra.) The crowd gave the AJO a standing ovation and then pleaded for an encore, so the band played the instrumental “Sweet Georgia Brown,” elicting yet another standing ovation and calls — in vain — for another encore.) In the first set, Junior sang “I Get a Kick
Out of You” and “All Or Nothing at All” — and, in the final stanza, “Straighten Up and Fly Right” and “Right Place, Wrong Time.” His deep, baritone voice, combined with soulful and skilled phrasing of the lyrics, were electrifying. Junior truly crooned his numbers as though he meant every word. He came across as charismactic — and seemed to connect well with both the crowd and the band. See AJO, Page B7
have been fantasizing for a whole year now about putting one of the most amazing, wiry, fantastical looking candelabras I own into a most unusual and esoteric use: a seance! I don’t know why this seems like such a whimsical idea. It’s not like I don’t have contact with dead people on a daily basis. And I was part of a seance just last October at the Byrish Haus & Pub in West Asheville. Me and a hundred or so of my closest friends. Maybe it’s the intimacy of a seance that intrigues me. Guests gather around a grandiose old wooden table set with scores of candles and join hands in a darkened room, one person chanting in an eerie voice for spirits to follow the light of the candle glow and reveal themselves as knocks, disembodied voices or channel their essence through a medium. Of course, we don’t always need a medium. I’m reminded of a ghost story that happened long, long ago in Greenbriar,W.Va. The year was 1897. The couple’s names were Zona Heaster Shue and Edward Stribbling Trout Shue. They had been married only a short time when the wife suddenly died. She was young, but the newlyweds were so happy that no one thought anything about it, except how sad it all was. And how loose her head was when it came time to move her body to the cemetery. And how strangely her husband was acting during the wake..... Shortly after Zona’s death, her mother started dreaming of her daughter’s ghost. Every night, for four nights, the daughter came to her, pleading with her to bring her husband to justice for killing her. Stories say she suffered a broken neck and turned her ghostly head backwards to prove it! Finally, the young bride’s body was exhumed, an autopsy performed, and sure enough, she had died exactly as the ghost had described to her mother! The husband was found guilty in the only case I know of where a ghost’s testimony was entered into evidence. See WRIGHT, Page B7
Lionel Richie, Diana Ross given loving, skilled, high-energy salute
By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
HENDERSONVILLE —It was definitely a case of “Endless Love” during a tribute show, “The Music of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross,” which had many in the audience dancing at Flat Rock Playhouse’s downtown Hendersonville venue during its Sept. 30 performance. For the encore, the duet of Donny Sykes (as Richie) and Ebony Blake (as Ross) performed “All Night Long,” leaving the crowd begging for more, but the house lights were turned up and the performers left the stage. Among the hits — besides “Endless Love” and “All Night Long” — that stirred the crowd most were Richie’s “Brickhouse” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”
Donny Sykes Ebony Blake A major disappointment was the omission of Richie’s biggest hit (when he was lead singer for the Commodores), “Three Times a Lady.” The show saluted five-time Grammy Award winner Richie, as well as Ross, who was the lead singer of The Supremes, which FRP billed in a promotional flyer as “Motown’s most successful
act.” (Others might argue that The Temptations were Motown’s biggest act.) Ross left the Supremes (formed in 1959) in 1970 to to go solo. Richie came to fame as the lead singer for The Commodores, all of whom attended Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. The group reportedly was formed in 1968 — initially — simply to play music as a pastime ... and to meet girls. “Lionel Richie and Diana Ross, both American singers, songwriters, actors and record producers in their own right, remain two of the most celebrated and bestselling artists or all time in their group and solo careers,” FRP noted in a promotion. In 1981, Richie left The Commodores and recorded “Endless Love” with Ross. The song peaked at No. 1 for seven and nine weeks, respectively, on the Billboard R&B and pop charts. See SALUTE, Page B7
Lionel Richie and Diana Ross (above) sing their biggest duet, “Endless Love,” at the Academy Awards on April 2, 2015. It won Best Original Song.
B2 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
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The quintet group Ranky Tanky — based in Charleston, S.C., and which takes its name for the Gullah phrase for “work it” or “get down” — will perform what is billed as “timeless music of Gullah culture born in the Southeastern Sea Island region of the United States” at 8 p.m. Nov. 3 at the Tryon Fine Arts Center in Tryon.
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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, Nov. 1
CITIZENS-POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, 5 p.m., Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St., downtown Asheville. The CitizensPolice Advisory Committee, organized by the City of Asheville, will meet. The meeting is free and open to the public. RACE RELATIONS STATION, 7 p.m., Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd., West Asheville. A pilot program, Race Relations Station, will be held, enabling diverse groups of people to meet once a month to share stories, build trust and break down barriers that will aid the community in healing, connecting and regeneration. Admission is free. SIERRA CLUB MEETING, 7-9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The local Sierra Club will present a program on “Methane, Pipelines and Climate Change,” featuring Kelly Martin, director of Sierra Club’s national Beyond Dirty Fuels program. She will discuss how the Sierra Club’s efforts to curb methane pollution by keeping fossil fuels in the ground is making a difference. Attendees will be told how the club’s efforts are helping stop the creation of fracked gas pipelines and are leading to the enactment of public health safeguards. The event is free and open to the public. “RAPTURE, BLISTER, BURN” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., N.C. Stage Co., 15 Stage Lane, downtown Asheville. The NCSC will perform the play “Rapture, Blister, Burn” through Nov. 19. The play depicts Catherine and Gwen, who, after grad school, chose opposite paths. Catherine built a career as a rock star academic, while Gwen built a home with her husband and children. Decades later, each woman covets the other’s life, commencing a dangerous game of musical chairs — the prize being Gwen’s husband. “With searing insight and trademark wit,” this comedy is an unflinching look at modern-day gender politics.
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Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. For tickets, visit ncstage.org, or call 239-0263. “THE WOMEN OF WOODSTOCK” TRIBUTE SHOW, 7:30 p.m., downtown venue of Flat Rock Playhouse, downtown Hendersonville. A tribute show, “The Women of Woodstock,” will be presented through Nov. 4. Thursdays shows are at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, visit FlatRockPlayhouse.org, or call 693-0731. “DIAL M FOR MURDER” PRODUCTION, 8 p.m., Mainstage, Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Hwy., Flat Rock. “Dial M for Murder” will be performed through Nov. 11. It is billed as “a classic whodunit just in time for the fall... ‘Dial M for Murder’ is a sophisticated, chillingly sinister thriller, brimming with madness, murder and mayhem that will hold you spellbound with suspense.” Showtimes vary. For tickets, visit www. flatrockplayhouse.org.
Thursday, Nov. 2
WOMEN IN STEM/MEDICINE, 4:30-6 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville Asheville’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Women in STEM lecture series will focus on women in medicine. Admission is free and everyone is welcome to attend. GARRISON KEILLOR SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, downtown Asheville. Garrison Keillor will perform his “Just Passing Through” show. Keiller, a storyteller and bestselling author, was public radio’s favorite on “A Prairie Home Companion,” which he hosted for more than 40 years. Fans will hear how the radio personality’s career unfolded — a trip through Keillor’s journey to becoming one of America’s greatest storytellers. He is noted for his signature blend of humor, charisma and wisdom. He stepped down in July 2016 from his iconic show that he started in 1974. For tickets, which are $45-$65, visit Ticketmaster.com or call (800) 745-3000.
Friday, Nov. 3
“STAGE KISS” COMEDY PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., Hendersonville Community Theatre, 229 S. Washington St., downtown Hendersonville. The comedy “Stage Kiss” is billed as “Art imitates life. Life imitates art.” In the show, two actors — with a history — are thrown together as romantic leads. They quickly lose touch with reality as the story onstage follows them offstage. For tickets, visit www.hendersonvillecommunitytheatre.org, or call 692-1082. RANKY TANKY CONCERT, 8 p.m., Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon. The group Ranky Tanky from Charleston, S.C., will perform in concert. The group plays a potpourri of music, ranging from playful game songs to ecstatic shouts, and from heartbreaking spirituals to delicate lullabies. For tickets, visit tryonarts.org.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
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Asheville Daily Planet - November 2017 - B3
“Western society is chronically sleep deprived.” * Donated photo
The Coasters will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at The Foundation Performing Arts Center at Isothermal Community College in Spindale.
Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2
Saturday, Nov. 4
DAILEY & VINCENT CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. The duo, Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent, will perform in concert. The duo “has been hailed throughout the music industry as one of the most exciting, reputable and elite bluegrass bands in America, having won numerous awards for their uniquely contagious and riveting music,” the SMCPA noted, including three Grammy Award Nominations for the 2014 “Bluegrass Album of the Year;” 14 IBMAs (International Bluegrass Music Awards), three-time “Entertainer of the Year,” threetime “Vocal Group of the Year” and “Album of the Year” and four Dove Awards with three “Bluegrass Album of the Year” awards and “Bluegrass Song of the Year.” The SMCPA also noted that “Dailey and Vincent have been dubbed as the ‘Rockstars of Bluegrass.’” For tickets, which are $22 and $27, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615. RONNIE MILSAP CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. Iconic singer Ronnie Milsap will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.npacgreeneville.com, or call (423) 638-1328.
Sunday, Nov. 5
ART OF JAZZ CONCERT SERIES, 4:30 p.m., Freeburg Pianos, 2314-D Asheville Highway, Hendersonville. The finale in the Art of Jazz Concert Series will celebrate the jazz trombone, with guest artist Rick Simerly, an acclaimed horn player in contemporary jazz. He will be joined by drummer Geoff Clapp, bass player Brian McConnell and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens. The program will pay tribute to the great trombone players who have made American jazz revered worldwide, including J.J. Johnson, Urbie Green, Frank Rosolino, Carl Fantana and others. “Their recordings of jazz standards — often with memorable trombone solos — are prized to this day,” Stevens noted in press release. “Our stellar quartet will play traditional favorites (e.g., “Skylark,” “Makin’ Whoopee,” “What Is This Thing Called Love”) in a variety of cool styles (e.g., swing, Latin, ballad and waltz.” Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Concert will start at 4:30 p.m. Refreshments, including wine, will be available before the show and at intermission. Seating is limited to 65 persons. For tickets, which are $35, email Stevens at mjsjazz@mac.com.
Tuesday, Nov. 7
WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE, 7:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. “Germany, Europe, and the Future of Transatlantic Relations” will be addressed by Helga Welsh. Admission to WAC presentations at UNCA is $10 for the public — and free to WAC members and UNCA students.
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Thursday, Nov. 9
LECTURE, 7 p.m., Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall, UNC Asheville. Columnist and author Aviya Kushner will address “Translating Creation — Is It Possible?” She will use the Book of Genesis as a starting point for discussing the challenges of translating and interpreting the Bible. Kushner grew up reading the Bible in its original language of Hebrew, which also was spoken by her family. She is the language columnist for The Forward. Kushner also is an associate professor at Columbia College Chicago, where she teaches creative writing and translation. Her talk is free and open to the public. SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Resort, Cherokee. Sammy Hagar & The Circle will perform in concert. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster. com or call (800) 745-3000.
Friday, Nov. 10
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION, 11:30 a.m., The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, Black Mountain. A free book club will discuss Wayne Caldwell’s 2010 work, “Requiem By Fire.” Participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and a copy of the month’s chosen selection to participate in a casual discussion. Coffee and tea will be provided. “PARALLEL LIVES” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., Feichter Studio, HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St., Waynesville. The production “Parallel Lives” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10-11 and at 2 p.m. Nov. 12. For tickets, visit www.harttheatre. org or call 456-6322.
Saturday, Nov. 11
JAMIE GRACE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Jamie Grace will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $20 and $23, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615.
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Sunday, Nov. 12
PIANOFORTE CONCERT, 3 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. Pianist Marilynn Seits, a Chicago native, will present a pianoforte concert, accompanied on bass by her son Sean McAusland. The program will include classic American jazz by Charles Mingus, Scott LaFaro, Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Billy Strayhorn, as well as some originals by Seits and McAusland. For tickets, which are $16, call 253-3227, extension 122.
Thursday, Nov. 16
THE COASTERS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performing Arts Center, Spindale. The group The Coasters will perform in concert. Since 1956, The Coasters have released chart-topping hits, such as “Down in Mexico,” “Yakety Yak,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Poison,” “Charlie Brown” — and other tunes that helped to define the late 1950s and early ‘60s. The group is under the management of Veta Gardner, widow of Carl Gardner, the original lead singer and founder of The Coasters. For tickets, which are $20 and $23, visit www. greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615.
See CALENDAR, Page B6
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B4 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
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Asheville Daily Planet - November 2017 - B5
B6 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
The rock band Grand Funk Railroad, which reached its heighth of popularity in the 1970s, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 18 at Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville, Tenn.
Sat., November 18th
Grand Funk Railroad website photo
Calendar
Continued from Page B3
Friday, Nov. 17
FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR, 8 p.m., Mainstage, Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Hwy., Flat Rock.The Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas Spectacular will be performed Nov. 17-Dec. 22. “This musical revue performed by your favorite Flat Rock Playhouse singers and dancers is sure to be brimming with holiday cheer,” an FRP promotion noted. Showtimes vary, but generally are 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays (except for Thanksgiving Day), Fridays and Saturdays — and at 2 p.m. Sundays. For tickets, visit www.flatrockplayhouse.org.
Saturday, Nov. 18
DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE HOLIDAY PARADE, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., downtown Asheville. The annual Holiday Parade, with the theme “Holiday Magic,” will travel up Biltmore Avenue from Charlotte Street toward Pack Square. Pack Square is the only performance area — and serves as the location for WLOS-TV cameras and the judges. The 1-mile parade route then will turn left on Patton Avenue and end on French Broad Street. The parade will feature about 100 entries from area nonprofits, businesses, marching bands and athletic troups. Also featured will be, of course, Santa Claus. GRAND FUNK RAILROAD CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. The rock group Grand Funk Railroad, which topped the music charts in the 1970s, will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.npacgreeneville.com, or call (423) 638-1328. MASTERWORKS 3 CONCERT “VERSUS,” 8 p.m., Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, downtown Asheville. The Asheville Symphony Orchestra will perform “Masterworks 3: Versus,” featuring Darko Butorac as conductor; and Lisa Smirnova as pianist. The program will include Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 23” and Prokofiev’s “Symphony No. 5.” For tickets, which are $24-$69, visit ashevillesymphony.org or call 254-7046.
Monday, Nov. 20
MANHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS SHOW, 7 p.m., The Peace Center, downtown Greenville, S.C. Contemporary rock outfit Manheim Steamroller will perform its Christmas concert. For tickets, visit www. peacecenter.org.
Saturday, Nov. 25
MOUNTAIN FAITH BAND EVENT, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. The Mountain Faith
Band will hold a premiere event for its “Sounds of Christmas” DVD. For tickets, which are $10, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615.
Friday, Dec. 1
OAK RIDGE BOYS’ CHRISTMAS SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. The Oak Ridge Boys will perform a Christmas celebration show. For tickets, which are $36, $41 and $46, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615. “SANTALAND DIARIES” SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Hendersonville Community Theatre, 229 S. Washington St., downtown Hendersonville. The show “Santaland Diaries” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays (Dec. 1 to10). It is based on the essay written by David Sedaris, wherein he shares his experience working for a season at Macy’s as a Santa’s Helper elf. For tickets, visit www.hendersonvillecommunitytheatre. org, or call 692-1082.
Tuesday, Dec. 5
WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE, 7:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. “The State of the Middle East in the Post-ISIS Era” will be addressed by Ali Demirdas. Admission to WAC presentations at UNCA is $10 for the public.
Wednesday, Dec. 6
“ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., N.C. Stage Co., 15 Stage Lane, downtown Asheville. The NCSC will perform “All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” through Dec. 6-30. The play is billed as “a captivating story” that relives a poignant moment in history when Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together during World War II. Traditional patriotic and holiday songs from sides of the Western Front are interspersed with the actual words of the soldiers who lived it. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. For tickets, visit ncstage.org, or call 239-0263.
Friday, Dec. 8
“THE NUTCRACKER” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave., downtown Asheville. The Asheville Ballet will perform “The Nutcracker” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8-9 and at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 9-10. For tickets, visit ashevilleballet.com.
Saturday, Dec. 9
WARREN HAYNES ANNUAL CHRISTMAS JAM, 6:45 p.m., U.S. Cellular Center, downtown Asheville. The Warren Haynes 29th An-
nual Christmas Jam will feature, among many standout musicians, Phish lead guitarist Trey Anastasio, Heart’s Ann Wilson and The Avett Brothers. Wilson will perform with Haynes and his band, Government Mule, during part of their set, and Anastasio will play with Classic TAB. Haynes, a Buncombe County native, puts the jam together annually as a benefit for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. For tickets, visit www.xmasjam.com. “BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER!” SHOW, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” will be performed. For tickets, which are $12, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615.
Friday, Dec. 15
BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION, 11:30 a.m., The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, Black Mountain. A free book club will discuss the 2014 work, “Every Leaf A Mirror: A Jim Wayne Miller Reader.” Participants are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and a copy of the month’s chosen selection to participate in a casual discussion. Coffee and tea will be provided.
Saturday, Dec. 16
“A MERRY MOTOWN CHRISTMAS” SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. “A Merry Motown Christmas Show” will be performed. For tickets, which are $15, $20, $25 and $30 (VIP), visit www.greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 273-4615.
Friday, Dec. 22
“CHRISTMAS WITH THE ANNIE MOSES BAND” SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. “Christmas With the Annie Moses Band” will be presented. For tickets, which are $25, visit www. greatmountainmusic.com, or call (866) 2734615.
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Asheville Daily Planet - November 2017 - B7
call to you to join in. The flames from an enormous fireplace warm your chilled bones. You join in the revelry, laughing and dancing the night away. Until the clock strikes midnight and the real A sign tells about the fun begins. Greenbrier Ghost. In the now quiet, darkened room, the candlelight casts shadows on the faces of the costumed guests gathered around the table. What earlier had been high-spirited and jovial entertainment now looked grotesque and ghastly. Even the spirit medium looked scary, her eyes sunken and her face hollow. Her raspy voice instructed us to hold hands. She closed her dead eyes and beckoned the spirits to appear. At first, nothing. Everyone looks around the table at each other. Then a slight breeze
fans the candle flames. The temperature suddenly drops. A chill wind sweeps through the room and then the medium starts groaning. Louder and louder she groans. The table lifts up off the floor and slams back down again. The dark figure from the graveyard suddenly appears in the corner. Everyone screams. See? Now, that’s the kind of séance I want! Scary creepy atmosphere, cold phantom winds, disembodied voices, dark figures hanging around crumbling cemeteries, levitating tables... Totally Scooby Doo! This is doable. I don’t need Halloween to perform a séance. I can do one any time I want. Christmas is coming up soon. Nothing like ghosts at Christmastime! Nothing says Christmas can’t be spooky. I have the Midnight Syndicate gothic Christmas CD to prove that! And I can decorate that fabulous candelabra with Christmas greenery too. I have weird friends; they will totally go for this. Stay tuned..... • 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. Wright also is a weekly participant in the “Speaking of Strange” radio show from 9 p.m. to midnight on most Saturdays on Asheville’s WWNC-AM (570).
Continued from Page B1 Among the instrumental highlights, besides those mentioned earlier, was “Sing, Sing, Sing,” written and first recorded by Louis Prima with the New Orleans Gang in 1936 (but most famously recorded a year later by Bennie Goodman). The dynamic performances by Joel Helfand on clarinet and Rick Dilling on drums were especially notable. Other standouts among the instrumental cover songs were “Begin the Beguine,” a Cole Porter classic that went to No. 1 with a 1938 instrumental recording by Artie Shaw; and 1940s “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” which was Frank Sinatra’s first hit with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. The AJO also performed several original compositions by muaix director-trombonist David Wilken, who sported a black beret at the concert. Especially memorable was his rollicking “Truck Stop Coffee.” (Wilken is program coordinator for MusicWorks Asheville, an El Sistema after-school music program that teaches elementary school children life skills through classical music.) Toward the end of the first set, Jesse Earl Junior was introduced to the crowd as a vocalist “making his Asheville Jazz Orchestra debut,” as Junior took the stage to sing two songs. In turn, Junior smiled and said, “I’m so happy to finally being able to sing with the Asheville Jazz Orchestra....”
He then noted, wistfully, that he remembered the AJO’s early days — in 2009 and 2010, when the AJO used to play every Monday night at The Rocket Club in West Asheville. (The Rocket Club closed later in 2010. Wilken founded the AJO in 2005.) Junior said he used to attend many of their shows and dreamed of, some day, singing with the AJO. “Well,” he added, “The Rocket Club is gone and here we are,” as he rocketed into a moving rendition of “I Get a Kick Out of You.” As the crowd applauded enthusiastically afterward, Junior said, “Yeah, I’m glad to get to sing with them (the AJO). When you’ve got a band like this, they carry you (a vocalist) along.” In a nod to the AJO’s regular singer, Junior told the audience, “I know you’re used to seeing the lovely and talented Wendy Jones here, but she graciously allowed me to be here.” After Junior’s cover of “All Or Nothing At All,” the crowd again applauded enthusistically, Wilken noted that “we will be bringing him out next set for a couple more songs.” The AJO will perform again at the White Horse at 8 p.m. Nov. 24. Tickets are $15. Other upcoming White Horse shows include the Justin Ray Jazz Ensemble at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 1, The Black Feathers band at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2 and Chuck Brodsky at 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
What’s more, White Horse will celebrate its 9th anniversary with a concert at 8 p.m. Nov. 4, according to co-owner Bob Hinkle. The gala will feature Marcel Anton, The Belfast Boys, Richard Shulman and other musicians. Anton is billed as “a vocalist, composer, guitarist, percussionist, actor, teacher, mystic and poet of Native American and New Orleans Creole descent.”
Continued from Page B1 It also reached No. 7 on the U.K. charts. Interestingly, “Endless Love,” written by Richie for the movie with the same name (that sadly bombed), was performed by Ross and him during the 54th Academy Awards in 1982. “According to showbiz legend, Diana refused to have a run-through of the song beforehand as she prefers to be spontaneous, so Lionel was a little nervous, but the performance is completely electric! Alas, the song lost out to “Arthur’s Theme” for “Best Original Song.” The Richie-Ross tribute show at FPR ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8. And even though slightly more than half of the 250 seats in the playhouse were
filled, the enthusiasm of the performers and the audience made it seem like a full house. Among the other memorable songs performed were “Say You, Say Me,” “Stuck on You,” “Love Hangover” and “Truly.” The band’s music director was Will Moss, who played synthesizer. Other band members were Casey Cramer, guitar; Daniel Ianucci, bass; Nathan Hefner, keyboards and sythesizer; and Phill Bronson, drums. The FRP’s downtown Hendersonville venue will feature one more 2017 tribute show, “The Women of Woodstock,” which will be presented Nov. 1-11. Showtimes will be 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.
Continued from Page B1 According to Wikipedia, he was found guilty of murder and died three years later at the Moundsville State Penitentiary in Moundsville, W.Va. This case, known as the Greenbrier Ghost, reminds us that there are several means of spirit communication. We don’t really need a spooky setting to ask questions and receive answers. But it’s so much more fun that way! Tell me, wouldn’t you rather be invited to a spooky old Victorian mansion on All Hallow’s Eve to commune with the dead? Doesn’t that thought send a delicious chill up your spine? I imagine that it’s foggy and you have to pass an old graveyard with crumbling tombstones to get to the house. The moon peeks out of the clouds just enough to make you think you see a dark figure among the twisted trees. You gasp and instinctively close your eyes. When you open them again the figure is gone. Probably your imagination you assure yourself, not quite convincingly. Warm lights from the house spill out onto the ground and beckon you inside. The strains of music from the festivities
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B8 - November 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet