‘Swingin’ Little Christmas’ fires up holiday spirits — See REVIEW, Pg. B1
Fryar win? Razor-thin
Possible hate crimes at WWC investigated
— See Story, Pg. A2
See Story, Pg. A5
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
January 2017 Vol. 13, No. 02
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
28th annual Christmas Jam sparkles
Asheville wins court reversal in water fight From Staff Reports
Special photos by Michael Weintrob / WeintrobPhotography.com
The 28th annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam ushered in the holiday spirit and featured a constellation of musical stars on Dec. 10 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville. The sold-out event was a benefit for Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity for the 18th year in a row. The proceeds go toward constructing energy-efficient new houses as well as purchasing and developing land for entire Habitat subdivisions. Top left are Warren Haynes and Don Was. Top right are Allison Krauss and Bob Weir. Bottom right are Haynes, Steve Kimock and Bob Weir. Bottom left are George Porter Jr., Terrence Higgins and Branford Marsalis.
The state Supreme Court issued a 5-2 ruling on Dec. 21 that allows Asheville to maintain control of Western North Carolina’s biggest water system. The court overturned a Court of Appeals ruling favoring the state General Assembly and its 2013 law to strip Asheville of the water system. After learning of the decision, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer was delighted, saying it allows the city to maintain “robust” water services. “This ruling ensures that Asheville can continue to own this great water system and continue to provide safe drinking water for years into the future,” Manheimer said. The local top-notch water quality has been praised by industries, particularly breweries, in deciding to locate in the Asheville area. Meanwhile, state Rep. Chuck McGrady, R-Hendersonville, said the court decision may not be the final word and that there may be other ways to restrict — at least somewhat — the city’s control. “As I’ve said in the past, there are more than one way to skin a cat,” McGrady said. The city originally had sued to block a bill passed by state lawmakers that would have forced the transfer of the water system from the city to a regional water authority. Former GOP state Rep. Tim Moffitt, R-Arden, backed HB 488 in 2012, which proposed the transfer of the water system, which had been operated and maintained by Asheville for more than a century. Moffitt had argued that the regional authority would better serve the system’s 125,000 customers. However, the bill offered Asheville no compensation and no money — and many voters reportedly were not supportive of it. In overturning the legislature’s action, judicial arguments revolved around technical details of whether the 2013 legislation was a local law relating to “health and sanitation,” something prohibited by the state constitution. The court decision cut across political lines, favoring Asheville, governed by Democrats, over the GOP-dominated legislature. The current court (while officially nonpartisan) has four Republican members and three Democrats. The water system litigation showcased the general friction between the liberal City of Asheville and the mostly conservative General Assembly, caused by a series of state laws aimed at reducing the power of Asheville and other cities.
Lonely Planet names Asheville top U.S. destination for ‘17
T
From Staff Reports
he travel guidebook publisher Lonely Planet has selected Asheville as No. 1 on its top 10 U.S. travel destinations for 2017. “The vibrant small city is known for its welcoming, creative spirit and eclectic architecture,” Lonely Planet’s travel experts said of Asheville in its news release. “Its thriving artistic community and booming food and drink scene – all surrounded by spectacular natural beauty – is putting it firmly on the map.” Following in second place is Western Washington, where
iconic landscapes made their way into popular consciousness in “Twin Peaks,” the television drama making a comeback in 2017. In third place is heartland hub Lincoln, Nebraska, hosting festivals throughout the year to celebrate its 150th anniversary. Other notable or surprising places that made the list include the southern desert area of California (No. 4), Texas’ relatively unknown wine country (No. 8) and a picture-perfect strip of Florida coast (No. 10). Asheville won the top designation — despite HB2, a state law limiting LGBT rights that has led companies, entertainers and others to boycott the state — because the city “has always been an open, welcoming place, and con-
tinues to be after the legislation,” Lonely Planet magazine managing editor Rebecca Warren said. She added that “while Lonely Planet doesn’t condone the political exclusion of others,” Asheville “thrives on diversity and tolerance. The city has many LGBT-owned businesses and there has been an outpouring of support this year for its LGBT communities, including signs cropping up around the city saying ‘Y’all means all.’” Lonely Planet said, “With its homegrown microbreweries, decadent chocolate shops and stylish New Southern eateries, Asheville is one of the trendiest small cities in the East.”
A2 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Fryar wins election recount by 317 votes From Staff Reports
Following a Dec. 9 recount, Mike Fryar officially clinched a second term on the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, elections officials confirmed. The Fairview Republican nipped Democratic challenger Nancy Nehls Nelson by 317 votes. He represents east Buncombe’s District 2 on the seven-member board. “I want to applaud Nancy for a good run,” Fryar said after the recount. “I appreciate all the people of District 2 basically stepping up and voting. It was a large vote at over 22,000. Very surprising, but I’m very grateful.” Fryar, who won by a margin of less than 1 percent, received 22,479 votes, while Nelson got 22,162 votes. On Election Day, Nelson committed to requesting a recount, but on Dec. 9 conceded, thanking her supporters and saying she did not intend to leave local politics behind. Nelson said she would continue to address resident concerns that she had learned about on the campaign trail. “Across the board, I heard a strong desire to make sure our public schools are adequately funded and that everyone has access to the services they need, like the Family Justice Center,” she said. “I also heard the desire to protect our quality of life and beautiful mountains as we grow our county economy. I intend to share these comments with the Board of Commissioners to make sure their voices are heard.”
Meanwhile, Fryar said his constituents have told him jobs and property taxes are some of the most pressing local issues. “I just want to figure out what the people want,” he said. “That’s what I asked of the people. This is not Mike Fryar. It’s not about me. It’s about the people, what they would like to see in Buncombe County.” Fryar also faced a recount in 2012, when he won District 2 by an even slimmer margin — 89 votes. While admitting that the area is divided between Republicans and Democrats, he said bipartisan support lifted him over the top. Fryar said he will work to represent people from both parties, and he said the Democratic appointment of Al Whitesides, who is the first black member of the Buncombe Board of Commissioners, bodes well for cooperation on the board. The two have worked together on the county audit committee, where Whitesides, a retired banker, served as a citizen and Fryar served as a commissioner. Fryar called Whitesides an “awesome gentleman” and a “class act.” “I am really grateful to be at the table to work with Al Whitesides,” he said. “I think the Democrats did very good by who they put in.” Whitesides got the nod from the Buncombe Democrats to fill a two-year term left by the vacancy of Commissioner Brownie Newman, who left his District 1 seat after being elected the board’s chair.
$3.00 off a dozen bagels
Free 1/2-lb. of Cream Cheese with a Dozen Bagles
Free Medium Fountain Drink with a Large Sub
Buy 3 Bagels Get 3 Free
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
After 4 pm - Store 1 Hendersonville After 2 p.m. - Store 2 Fletcher) Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
Joeys NY Bagels - Original
Joeys NY Bagels 2 - Fletcher
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
1500 Haywood Road
Not to be combined together Not Valid on Wednesdays
5829 Asheville Hwy
Hendersonville, NC
Hendersonville, NC
M -F 6:00am - 5:00 pm Saturday 6:00am - 3:00 pm Sunday 7:00am - 2:00pm
M-F 6:00am - 3:00pm Satuday 6:00am - 3:00pm Sunday 7:00am - 2:00pm
(828) 692-1220
Gregg Braden Live!
(828) 376-3692
A Benefit for The Namaste Center for Spirituality, Healing and the Arts.
Friday, January 20, 5:30pm - 8:00pm | Gregg Braden “Unplugged” VIP Reception $100
Saturday, January 21, 9:00 - 5:00pm | Gregg Braden All Day Event: “Human by Design: From Evolution By Chance To Transformation By Choice” $119 (lunch included) Saturday 7:00pm - 8:30pm Martha Reich Braden Concert $25
• Bundle all 3 and SAVE! Only $199! | 100% of all proceeds will go to the Namaste Center!
At The Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall Flat Rock, North Carolina
For More Information and to Purchase Tickets, go to: www.greggbradennamaste.com
Gregg Braden
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2017 - A3
A4 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
UNCA selected as top ‘green’ university of ‘16 From Staff Reports
UNC Asheville was recognized at a meeting Dec. 7 as the “Green University of the Year” by the Wenoca chapter of the Western North Carolina Sierra Club. The chapter cited UNCA’s “significant sustainability initiatives and applauded the breads of the university’s efforts, particularly those catalyzed by the Student Environment Center and the Office of Sustainability.” UNCA Chancellor Mark K. Grant noted that, “Sustainability is one of our core values, essential to our mission as North Carolina’s designated public liberal arts university and a founding principle of our new strategic plan, and we are honored to receive this award in an area with many local champions.” In 2016, UNCA received certification as a Bee Campus, becoming the eighth institution to earn the honor. The university also collaborated with Asheville Design Center in fall 2016 to build the Bee Hotel, a home for solitary bees near a campus pollinator garden.
UNCA ranks among top 8 liberal arts colleges in poll
From Staff Reports UNC Asheville has maintained its ranking as the nation’s eighth-best public liberal arts college in U.S. News & World Report’s new “2017 Best Colleges,” released online this past fall. The Asheville university also ranks 159th on the first tier of the national liberal arts colleges list, public and private. In addition, UNCA ranks first in the nation for “Best Schools for Making an Impact” by The Princeton Review, where it also is listed as one of “The Best 381 Colleges.”
WWC probes possible hate crimes
UNCA’s property at 525 Broadway St.
Broadway acreage to be used for UNCA parking
UNC Asheville recently began site work at its 525 Broadway St. vacant acreage in the city’s Montford neighborhood in preparation for using it for overflow parking during construction projects that will begin in spring 2017. Staff will mow brush, repair some storm drains and install gravel for parking areas, providing “much-needed” space during renovations of Highsmith Union and a new residence hall on campus, UNCA noted in a press release.
From Staff Reports SWANNANOA — Warren Wilson College and local authorities are investigating what are described in an email to the campus community as “possible hate crimes” at the school. Students and staff met Dec. 8 to discuss the incidents. That meeting was not open to the news media, according to Kyle McCurry, director of media relations for WWC. A priority for the college is making sure students are “encouraged to discuss the way they feel about the campus, whether they feel safe or not,” McCurry noted afterward. He said that WWC takes “what we hear in these meetings to heart.” Emails to the students and staff outline the incidents, which began in November: • A computer belonging to a student of color was stolen and smashed. • A senior project belonging to another stu-
Make your own beer, wine, cider and mead! We have WNC’s largest selection of ingredients and supplies.
Two free classes every month!
ASHEVILLE BREWERS SUPPLY 712-B Merrimon Ave • Asheville • (828) 285-0515
Mon-Sat 10-6 and Sun 11-4 • Plenty of Parking! www.AshevilleBrewers.com • South’s Finest • Since 1994
dent of color was stolen and ripped up, with a racial slur written on one piece of paper. • A laptop and other items were stolen from the room of a transgender student. “Events of the last few weeks have reminded us all that the struggle against bigotry and discrimination will be a long one,” WWC President Steven L. Solnick wrote in an email to the college’s students, faculty and staff.
Published monthly by Star Fleet Communications Inc. JOHN NORTH Publisher
Phone: (828) 252-6565 • Fax: (828) 252-6567 Mailing address: P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490 Website: www.ashevilledailyplanet.com E-mail the following departments: News: news@ashevilledailyplanet.com
Letters to the Editor: letters@ashevilledailyplanet.com Display Advertising: advertising@ashevilledailyplanet.com Classified line ads: classads@ashevilledailyplanet.com Circulation: circulation@ashevilledailyplanet.com Publisher: publisher@ashevilledailyplanet.com
To subscribe to the Asheville Daily Planet, send check or money-order to: P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490
One-year local subscription (Asheville, Buncombe County, N.C., only)........................................$35 One-year out of area subscription (outside of Asheville, Buncombe County, N.C., but inside the United States)....................................................................$50 One-year outside U.S. subscription (outside U.S.)....................................................................................................$100 .
Copyright 2016 by Asheville Daily Planet. Advertising copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. The Asheville Daily Planet is available free throughout Western North Carolina. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 per copy, payable at the ADP office in advance. No person may, without prior permission, take more than one copy of each issue.
Two-thirds of the earth is covered by water AND the other third is covered by the
Asheville Daily Planet
Thanks for enabling us to reach an all-time record pressrun of 15,500 copies recently!
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2017 - A5
‘It don’t mean a thing, if it ain’t got that swing’
Asheville dance ‘mecca’ Olive or Twist shifting to Hendersonville in January
O
available in the Hilton’s From Staff Reports basement parking garage. live or Twist, an iconic downtown The Hilton Garden Inn Asheville nightspot and arguably the opened on the site of the most popular place in the center city former T.K. Tripps at Colfor couples’ to kick up their heels lege and Charlotte streets in with East Coast Swing, blues and a late 2016. myriad of other dances, will hang up Meanwhile, in other its boogie-shoes and close its doors forever ... at Asheville-related business least at 81 Broadway St. activities: However, O/T’s owner Bill Devlin has announced • Asheville’s oldest that he will be moving to a building that formerly independent video retail housed Two Guys Pizza & Ribs at 1307 7th Ave. store, Rosebud Video at 171 East in downtown Hendersonville, with plans to Charlotte St., announced it A pair of dancers make sparks is closing at an undisclosed reopen as a supper club — with dancing — in midfly at Olive or Twist. January or so. time after more than two Following a New Year’s Eve party, and a New Year’s decades. Day Recovery Party/Closing Night Dance, the venue will shut Rosebud is one of two independent rental stores left in down on Jan. 2 — and possibly be used for retail after that. Asheville — the other being Orbit DVD (ope since 2003) in On a related note, Karen Engle, who is a frequent attendee West Asheville. of O/T and has helped to organize dance lessons and par• Karmasonics Music and Video, a two decade-plus ties there through the years, announced that, recently, she downtown icon, announced in early December that it would and some fellow dance enthusiasts have — as of Jan. 2 — close its doors permanently by the end of 2016. “secured The Pillar Bar at the new Hilton Garden Inn” in • After nine years on the West Asheville late-night scene, downtown Asheville for three regular weekly dance features The Admiral noted that it will cease hosting its popular that had been popular at O/T. (The Pillar Rooftop Bar is on Friday and Saturday night dance parties. Therefore, the New the sixth floor of the Hilton, located at 309 College St.) Year’s Eve party this year “will be the last dance party at Specifically, beginning Jan. 3, The Pillar has agreed to The Admiral,” the venue announced on its Facebook page. host “our dance family,” Engle noted — Tuesday nights • The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (Blues Night), Wednesday nights featuring the band 3 Cool announced recently that it will be moving from its Wall Street location to the former location of Dough, followed by Cats and Saturday nights featuring the band The Crown Asheville Biscuitry, at 372 Merrimon Avenue. Jewels. No cover charge will assessed and free parking is
WNC wildfires contained, Whitewater Falls closed, men charge with arson
T
From Staff Reports he historic wildfires in Western North Carolina were finally brought under 100 percent containment between late November and mid-December — thanks to a long-overdue deluge of rainfall and the diligent efforts of firefighters. However, extensive damage was sustained by Whitewater Falls, forcing its indefinite closure. Whitewater is one of the most popular falls in the area and arguably the prettiest and highest, with a 400-foot drop. The Whitewater fire, which began Nov. 6 and grew to 23 acres, destroyed the staircase and access facility to the Whitewater Falls observation deck, U.S. Forest Service officials said. Because of the steep terrain, the site is unsafe and dangerous to the public. The Falls and the Foothills Trail are expected to remain closed for at least a year. Also damaged by the wildfires — and closed to the public — was the Wayah Bald Fire Tower, on Wayah Bald Road in Macon County. The iconic tower was built as a fire lookout in the 1940s, reconstructed in the ‘50s and again in 2010, USFS officials said. The tower was burned by the Camp Branch fire, which began on Nov. 23 and scorched 3,422 acres in the Nantahala Forest. While there are plans to reconstruct the fire tower there is no definite timeline, USFS officials said. Dozens of wildfires raged over thousands of acres across the Nantahala National Forest, starting in late October, in Chimney Rock near Lake Lure and in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, fueled by extreme drought conditions, lack of rain and high winds. Most are believed to be human-caused. Suspected arsonists have been arrested in relation to several of the fires.
These venues invite you to visit them in Downtown Asheville Located at the Grove Arcade
COMPARE OUR BUYING PRICE ON GOLD AND SILVER
WE BUY LARGE
OR
SMALL COIN COLLECTIONS
BUYING ALL GOLD & SILVER 1 Page Ave Suite 120 Asheville NC
828-255-0731
0003151683
Mon.-Sat. 10-5
ART + I N D E PE N D E N T FI L M S
Coming in January: LA LA LAND JACKIE 20TH CENTURY WOMEN
$5 Tuesdays Local Brews on Tap Best C oncession Prices Special events/fund-raisers excluded Prices subject to change Upstairs Stadium Seating All films — all day — only $5.00
www.FineArtsT heatre.com
Open D aily
•
36 Biltmore Ave
•
232.1536
Voltage Records
Visit our new location at 28 Asheland Avenue, Downtown Asheville
• Free parking • Sales, service and repair
New, used and vintage
BICYCLES 253-4800
Way beyond hip and trendy Asheville Daily Planet
Buy - Sell
LPs & CDs New & Used
Always purchasing LP collections Sell us your records for cash
90 N. Lexington Ave., Asheville
(828) 255-9333
A6 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
NEED HELP?
This guy just came and took most all of your money....
Dickie’s understands times are tough and money’s scarce.
And this guy is waiting for the rest of your money.....
More food for less money! DICKIES FOODS
Dickie’s has the cheapest 3groceries LOCATIONS anywhere If you need help getting more food for less money, then stop by one of our two locations.
Buy, sell, Salvage Foods & Overruns #1 1114 Hansel Ave., Asheville, Ph. 253-4415 #2 308 Patton Cove Rd., Swannanoa, Ph. 686-5852 #3 1512 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, Ph. 826-0834
Owner Buzzy Plemmons
Salvage refers only to slight dents in cans or boxes. They are the same brands found in any supermarket.
Contents all 100% guaranteed All items have been rigidly inspected by us and are passed for sale.
Out of date product guaranteed by us. 2 LOCATIONS If not satisfied, return product
#1 310 Weaverville Hwy., Woodfin,forPh. full484-7168 refund. #2 1512 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, Ph. 628-0834
Visit our web site at DickiesHalfPriceFoods.com
Happy New Year from all of us at
Dickie‛s Foods
— Plemmons Family Foods, LLC
Asheville Daily Planet —January 2017 - A7
Dickie’s says you can bank on these prices MORE food for LESS money
DICKIE’S FOODS Buy, Sell, Salvage Foods & Overruns Boxes of Cereals ...
Nothing over $149
Our Farm Bacon RICE SALE 98¢/lb.
1-lb. Bacon Angus Beef Patties ..............2-lb. box/$498 Low sodium, smoked, hickory All labels of Cereal $198/each Bars, reg. & organic 5/98¢
All Potato Chips and Snack Items
49¢ to 98¢
All Salad Dressings and Mayonnaise
Whole-grain “dirty” herb Virginia chopped, Fried rice boiled whole, pit Chicken and herb wholes, boneless, Couscous halves and wholes, Risotto deli ham Cajun “dirty” rice Gumbo dinner kit All hams........ $100/lb. Rice, vegetables
DICKIES FOODS
49¢ to 98¢ Black Foods & Overruns Buy, sell, Salvage Turkey and WOW! Pepper Salami, Balogna............ $100/lb 3Bacon LOCATIONS
#1 1114 Hansel Ave.,98 Asheville, Ph. 253-4415 Lunch meat 24 ozs./$3 #2 308 Patton Cove Rd., Swannanoa, Ph. 686-5852 1-lb pack/$100 #3 1512 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, Ph. 826-0834
98¢ each Sausage Rolls
HAMS
Ham Steaks (1-lb. per piece) $198/each Sliced Black Forest Ham............98¢/lb.
1-lb. pack of Ham 28-oz. cans of .............. $1 00 ......... mild & hot 98¢/lb. $1.50/dozen Salvage refers only to Tomatoes, organic Frozen Hot Dog & reg..................... 98¢ Energy Drinks (24 in case) slight K-Cupdents teas in cans or 00 boxes. They are the 00 Chili............ 12-oz./98¢ 3/$10 assorted fl avors $5 Pork Loin Chops and same brands found in Good Local Pork Cubes - all $2/lb. any supermarket. (smaller sizes)
Pork Tenderloins (Flavored)
Original, peppercorn, lemon garlic, mosquete, terriyaki, apple bourbon $200/lb
Eggs Owner Buzzy Local Plemmons
Thanks to everyone who shops at Dickie’s. Contents all 100% The Plemmons family sure appreciates your guaranteed business! All items have been rigidly inspected by us and are passed for sale.
Produce
Reasonably priced
Out of date product guaranteed by us. Cheapest groceries 2 LOCATIONS If not satisfied, return product
#1 310 Weaverville Hwy., Woodfin, forPh. full 484-7168 refund. #2 1512 Charlotte Hwy., Fairview, Ph. 628-0834
Visit our web site at DickiesHalfPriceFoods.com
anywhere!
All items 100% guaranteed by Dickie’s
A8 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Mothership of fools
This will sound crazy, but... should I tell my girlfriend, the love of my life, that I was abducted by aliens? It happened a long time ago, and I have no proof — just my own recollection. Yes, it could’ve been a dream, but even so, it changed how I see things and opened me up to new possibilities. My girlfriend is a schoolteacher and probably wouldn’t believe me. Whether she’d still stay with me, I don’t know. I want to be completely honest with her. Is that crazy? — UFO-napped Strange how nobody ever manages to shoot video when there’s an alien spaceship in the vicinity — perhaps because they’re too busy recording that guy, two traffic lanes over, who’s picking his nose. Like you, science historian and Skeptic magazine founder Michael Shermer felt like he had a little meet-’n’-greet with some outer space dudes. However, he realized that his supposed abduction was just the effects of “sleep deprivation and physical exhaustion” because he had just cycled 83 straight hours in a bike-athlon. This — mixed with a “distant memory” of a TV episode about aliens taking over the earth — made for what Shermer calls “nothing more than a bizarre hallucination.” Shermer notes that UFOs and alien abductions are “1. unaccepted by most people in astronomy, exobiology” and SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence), “2. extremely unlikely (although not logically impossible), and 3. ... largely based on anecdotal and uncorroborated evidence.” However, Shermer explains, “the human capacity for self-delusion is boundless, and the effects of belief are overpowering” — leading many people to swear that they actually did go on a ride with the little green men. As “evidence,” they’ll tell you they have really vivid “memories” — of, say, the aliens bickering: “Just put him in the trunk of your flying saucer. Nah, got all my
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
intergalactic soccer gear in there. You take him!” But such “memories” are probably due to what memory researcher Elizabeth Loftus and her colleagues call “imagination inflation.” This describes how repeatedly imagining an experience can, over time, lead us to forget that the particular event — “heyyy, how ‘bout them aliens!” — came out of our imagination or a dream. We can start to believe it really happened. For example, Loftus and her colleagues told research participants that a dream they’d revealed to the researchers probably meant that they’d had an upsetting experience before the age of 3, “like being bullied by an older child.” The participants insisted that they didn’t recall anything like that. Yet, about two weeks later, many reported experiencing the bullying they were simply told about — even offering details on how they were supposedly oppressed by some other 3-year-old. This makes sense, considering cognitive psychologist Robert Bjork’s finding that “using one’s memory shapes memory” — meaning that the more we recall something the bigger and stronger it grows in our memory. Also, in recalling some event — for ourselves or others — we have a tendency to “decorate,” adding details that can easily get merged into the particular “memory.” We quickly forget that we just threw them in to, oh, put on a good show at the alien abductee party because we were feeling all “my tinfoil hat is so last season.” Also consider “cognitive dissonance” — the discomfort from simultaneously holding two opposing beliefs, like thinking that your worldview was transformed by UFOs
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 8-5
while also thinking that it’s stupid to believe in UFOs. We tend to smooth out the clash by going with whichever belief works best for our ego. So, in your case, to continue believing that you’re intelligent and also not cockadoody in the head, you tell yourself that your memory of your special vacay with the 00100010111 family has to be real. As for what to tell your girlfriend, what counts is that you had these insights — not the sense that a space alien opened your skull up with some high-tech can opener and dumped them in. If you mention the alien thing at all, explain it in light of the science on how our memory likes to dabble in fiction writing. While you’re at it, give yourself credit for your insights. It may help to understand our brain’s “default mode” processing. Our mind doesn’t just turn off when we take a break from directed, focused thinking (like reading, studying, or pondering something). Wider neural networks take over and do subconscious background processing — gnawing on ideas and problems we’ve been working on. This can make insights seem like they came out of nowhere. But chances are, yours are a product of your mind and your real-life experience — an explanation that, sadly, lacks the panache of claiming the space dudes were going to use the anal probe on you but weren’t sure whether you could afford the copay. • (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.
Mention this ad for 5% off your order!
Servin WNC s g ince 1984
Butter • Cheese • Eggs • Bee Supplies Dried Beans • Spices • Raw Honey gnc@msfmarket.com
Mountain Sunshine Farms • WNC Farmers Market 570 Brevard Road, Box 4, Asheville, NC 28806 • 828-258-5358
Get all your shoe needs!
New, factory returns, closeouts and overstocks at
FANTASTIC PRICES! Family-owned and operated since 1970
ARBY‛S SHOES 828.258.1128
509 New Leicester Hwy. Asheville
ASHEVILLE PET SUPPLY Holistic before it was cool!
Since 1990 NATURAL AND ORGANIC FOODS AND TREATS Wellness, Solid Gold, Wysong, Nature’s Variety, Raw Frozen, EVO, Innova, California Natural
Herbal remedies Flower Essences Homeopathic Remedies WHAT MORE COULD YOUR PET NEED? Toys! Lots of toys! The fun place to shop for you and your best friend.
ASHEVILLE PET SUPPLY 1451 Merrimon Ave., Asheville (828) 252-2054
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - A9
Movie Night offering, which is to be announced. After the sreening, a discussion will be held. Admission is free.
Faith Notes
Monday, Jan. 16
SOCIAL JUSTICE SERVICE, 6 p.m., Fellowship Hall, Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St., downtown Asheville. A candlelight service will be held to honor area citizens and organizations that have dedicated themselves to the cause of social justice. .
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.
Friday, Jan. 20
Sunday, Jan. 1
BURNING BOWL CEREMONY/SERVICE, 9:45 and 11:30 a.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. The church will hold a burning-bowl ceremony as part of its regular Sunday services. The burning bowl ceremony is Unity’s way of leaving the year’s worn-out baggage behind, so that one can begin the New Year on a fresh note. WORSHIP SERVICE, 10:30-11:30 a.m., First Church of Christ, Scientist, 64 N. French Broad Ave., Asheville. A worship service will focus on “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy). NEW YEAR’S DAY SERVICE, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m., Biltmore Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden (and at locations in Swannanoa, Franklin, Hendersonville, West Asheville). A single New Year’s Day service will be held on each of the campuses of the Arden-based church. NEW YEAR’S DAY SERVICE, 11:15 a.m. , Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. A single Sunday service will be held, featuring a message — “Beginning Again” — from the Rev. Mark Ward, lead mnister. The multigenerational service, will greet the new year with rituals and stories intended to invite the participants to let go of what’s finished and invite the “new” into their lives. NEW YEAR’S DAY FIRE WALK, 4 p.m., Center for Spiritual Living, 2 Science of Mind Way, West Asheville. A New Year’s Day fire walk will be led by the Rev. John Waterhouse, who is a certified fire walk instructor. Each participant will be able to use the Firewalk as a tool for self-empowerment. To walk on the fire, one must participate in the entire workshop and be 18 years of age or older. No child care provided will be provided for the event. Knowing in advance whether or not one will walk is neither required nor encouraged. For more information, call the CfSL office at 2532325. A love offering will be taken.
College, East Flat Rock. Braden will address “Human by Design: Evolution by Chance to Transformation by Choice.” Lunch is included. For tickets, which are $119, visit www.greggbradennamaste. com. CONCERT, 7-8:30 p.m., Conference Hall, Blue Ridge Community College, East Flat Rock. Martha Reich Braden will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $25, visit www.greggbradennamaste.com.
Gregg Braden will speak on Jan. 20-21 during programs at Blue Ridge Community College in East Flat Rock.
Tuesday, Jan. 10
BIBLICAL OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN SCRIPTURES, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. Unity’s Spiritual Education and Enrichment series will feature “Bible Overview Christian Scriptures” on Tuesdays, Jan. 10-Feb. 7. The series will be led by the Rev. Dan Beckett (an ordained Unity minister). “Prepare to be amazed! In this course, you will develop a solid understanding of the New Testament, especially its meaning for those for whom it was written. Expect many ‘I had no idea!’ moments as we explore the writings from a historical and comparative perspective with emphasis on the rich diversity of the material. Awesome! We will study the Gospels, letters, Acts and the prophetic apocalypse of Revelation, all in the context of the historical, literary, and religious backdrop of the Greco-Roman world. Expect to be surprised, mystified, inspired and intrigued throughout our time together. I guarantee you will never see the Bible the same way, again!” Unity noted. To register for the five-week class series, which costs $99, visit: https://www. eventbrite.com/e/spiritual-education-and-enrichment-bi251-bible-overview-christian-scriptureswith-rev-dan-beckett-registration-30177492693
Friday, Jan. 13
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
GREGG BRADEN ADDRESS/VIP RECEPTION, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Conference Hall, Blue Ridge Community College, East Flat Rock. “Gregg Braden Unplugged” will be featured. Braden, a New York Times bestselling author, is internationally renowned as a pioneer in bridging science, spirituality and the real world. Following a successful career as a computer geologist during the 1970s energy crisis, he worked as a senior liaison with the U.S. Air Force Space Command. In 1991 he became the first technical operations manager for Cisco Systems. Since 1986 Gregg has explored high mountain villages, remote monasteries and forgotten texts in an effort to merge their timeless secrets with what he says is the best science of today. His discoveries have led to 11 award-winning books published in 38 languages. For tickets, which are $100, visit www.greggbradennamaste.com.
Saturday, Jan. 21
GREGG BRADEN ALL-DAY EVENT, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Conference Hall, Blue Ridge Community
Foam Foam& &Fabrics FabricsOutlet Outlet Outlet Foam & Fabrics Foam & Fabrics Outlet Foam & Fabrics Outlet Foam & Fabrics Outlet DRIVE DRIVEa little littleSAVE SAVE SAVE lot! a lot! DRIVE aaalittle aaalot! DRIVE little SAVE lot! DRIVE little SAVE lot! DRIVE DRIVE aaa little little SAVE SAVE aaa lot! lot!
Complete CompleteFabric Fabric FabricCenter Center Center Complete Complete Fabric Center Complete Fabric Center Complete Fabric Center
Drapery DraperyMaterial Material Material Drapery Drapery Material Drapery Material Drapery Material
Roc-Lon Drapery Lining Drapery Print and Solid Waverly
Upholstery UpholsteryFabrics Fabrics Fabrics Upholstery Upholstery Fabrics Upholstery Fabrics Upholstery Fabrics 50,000 50,000 Yards Yardsin in instock stock stockto tochoose to choose choose fromfrom 50,000 Yards from 50,000 Yards in stock to choose from 50,000 Yards in stock to choose from 50,000 Yards stock from 50,000 Yardsin stockto tochoose choose from in 99 9999 $ $$$$ 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 2.2. $$$$$19. 19.
2. 2. $$19. 19.9999 2. 19. 2. 2. 19. 19.
$$ 99 99
FOAM FOAMRUBBER RUBBER RUBBER FOAM FOAM RUBBER FOAM RUBBER FOAM RUBBER Cut Cut to toSize Size Size Cut Cutto to Size Cut to Size
Covenant Reformed
Cut Cutto toSize Size
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
281 Edgewood Rd. • Asheville, N.C. 28804
828-253-6578
www.covenantreformed.net Wednesday— 7 p.m. Prayer/Bible Study Sunday— 9:30 a.m. Sunday School 11 a.m. Worship • 6 p.m. Worship
A positive path to spiritual living 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Rd., Mills River, N.C. 28759
828-891-8700
unity@unitync.net www.unityblueridgenc.org Rev. Darlene Strickland Sunday services with child care, workshops, bookstore, meeting rooms, weddings
Summer Sunday Service • 10 am
Advertise your church on this page
@ $10 per month
If interested, e-mail us at
advertising@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com ... or call 252-6565.
Fabric Fabricby by bythe the the pound pound Fabric pound Fabric by the pound Fabric by the pound Fabric by the pound
AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE AUTOMOBILE
3049 HENDERSONVILLE HIGHWAY
I-26 Exit 44, North miles I-26 I-26 Exit Exit 13, 13,then then thenNorth North North miles 3 miles I-26 Exit 13, then 3333 miles I-26 Exit 13, then North miles
I-26 I-26 Exit Exit 13, 13, then then North North 33 miles miles
684-0801 684-0801 684-0801
A10 — January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
City’s water win? We’ll drink to that
S
tate Supreme Court justices voted 5-2 last month to strike down the 2013 law that would have transferred ownership of Asheville’s water system from the city to the Metropolitan Sewerage District, had it not been tied up in litigation. The key issue was whether the bill was a local act or a general act, with the court writing that “the legislation is, without doubt, a local rather than a general law.” Therefore, to the relief of many in Asheville, the transfer was overturned. The system “has been built and maintained... using a combination of taxes, service fees, connection charges, bonded indebtedness, federal and state grants, contributions from Buncombe County and donations from property owners and developers,” justice Sam Ervin wrote. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said afterward, “This ruling ensures that Asheville can continue to own this great water system and continue to provide safe drinking water for years into the future.” We are elated that justice triumphed over legislative meddling in local affairs.
Ups, downs told of most important lawyer in modern history of N.C. CHAPEL HILL — The most important lawyer in modern North Carolina history finally has a biography. In early December, UNC Press released “Julius Chambers: A Life in the Legal Struggle for Civil Rights” by Richard A. Rosen and Joseph Mosnier. If you do not agree with my assertion about the importance of Chambers, read the book, and then we will talk. When Chambers died in 2013, I wrote, “Simply put, Chambers’s work and the work of others he inspired are directly responsible for North Carolina casting off a culture of segregation and repression and replacing it with one of inclusion and opportunity.” In their new book, Rosen and Mosnier show in great detail how Chambers and his colleagues did it. Beginning in 1964 when Chambers opened his law practice in Charlotte, he initiated a whirlwind of legal actions that attacked and often overturned traditional discriminatory practices in education, employment, and government. The authors explain carefully and clearly the major legal cases and how the victories and defeats for Chambers came about. But, as the book’s introduction explains, while his legal victories were his most notable achievements, his story “is of necessity as much about the times as about the person.” When Chambers was born in Montgomery County in 1936, depression times were bleak, especially for rural blacks. However, during these times, his father built a successful auto repair business, which provided enough income to send Chambers’s older brother and sister to Laurinburg Institute, a nearby private high school for college preparation. Plans for Chambers to attend the school were dashed when a white customer walked away from a $2,000 bill. His father was unable to persuade any white lawyer to represent him. Chambers lost the chance to attend Laurinburg. “Years later,” the authors write, “he would locate his choice to practice law in this moment.” I remember the day in 1962 when I first heard the Chambers name in a radio report that a Negro law student at the University of North Carolina School of Law had been appointed editor of the Law Review and
D.G. Martin had the highest grades in his class. Rosen and Mosnier describe how Chambers overcame an inadequate high school experience. “I didn’t know how to write an essay and could hardly spell,” Chambers said. But he succeeded at North Carolina Central and in graduate school at the University of Michigan, so much so, that he was admitted to the UNC’s law school even though his LSAT scores were rock bottom. Although he established himself near the top of his class during his first year, there was no warm welcome at the law school. Chambers’s and his wife Vivian’s “feelings of isolation were compounded by their exclusion from any place in the life of the law school, and they could not help but resent the dismissive and demeaning treatment they encountered on campus.” The combination of great success and demeaning treatment would follow Chambers throughout his early professional career. In 1968, when Chambers began an oral argument before the state’s supreme court, Chief Justice R. Hunt Parker “stood up and left the courtroom; the chief justice returning only after Chambers concluded his presentation.” Ironically, in November in Raleigh, the N.C. Literary and Historical Association awarded its R. Hunt Parker Award for Literary Achievement to Gerald Barrax, an African-American poet who taught writing at N.C. State University. Barrax’s powerful poetry draws on the struggles of people like Chambers and his parents. Thanks to the changes that Chambers’s advocacy and his example forced on us and to the more welcoming attitudes that has accompanied them, I can imagine that had Chambers and Parker been alive to see Barrax receive the Parker award two months ago, the three of them would have happily smiled and posed for pictures together. • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at 9:30 p.m. Fridays and at 5 p.m. Sundays on UNC-TV.
Letters to the Editor
It’s a sad (United) state of affairs for America
The horrific scenes of death and destruction in Syria/Aleppo make me sad and outraged as I look to our do-nothing President (Barack) Obama and the equally do-nothing Congress for leadership. I can’t believe we can just stand around and wring our hands along with the donothing U.N. that is absolutely worthless and useless in this tragic situation. I have many disagreements with President-elect Donald Trump, but I do wish him well as he takes over in January. It’s a monumental job and I sincerely hope he can come up with a plan to end the fiasco in Syria and try to solve the many problems facing our nation. Herb Stark Mooresville
Daily Planet mixes it up, providing stark contrasts
Congratulations (to the Daily Planet) on some thoughtful and thought-provoking columnists (except for Mumpower; not much of what he writes makes sense to me). I especially liked the column by Jeff Messer this month (December’s edition). It gave me a lot to think about and put a lot into perspective for me. And putting a column by Shelley Wright in the same paper as Mumpower? That
is REALLY mixing it up. Not that I put a whole lot of stock in most of what she writes, but the stark differences between them tickles me. I love Amy Alkon (“the Advice Goddess”). She’s been the main reason I read the paper. Darlene Wright Leicester
Buncombe commissioners should follow Trump’s lead With Donald Trump’s win as president, it is evident manufacturing jobs are coming back to America. Buncombe County commissioners need to be first in line to welcome these manufacturers. They should publicly promote our resources and our citizens’ work ethic to companies. Most importantly, county commissioners need to take lessons from Trump on how to enhance local businesses already here to grow and create more jobs. They can start by removing the permit fees and zoning laws restricting local businesses and real-estate construction. Buncombe County commissioners need to lead by example by cutting their own salaries and the ridiculous salary of the county manager. They should cut duplicate services already paid by the federal government and lower taxes. See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A12
The Candid Conservative
It’s time to climb out of the ditches
“Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face.” — Thomas Sowell
The Problem
T
he church of my baptism has a new minister. His arrival is timely. The banes of most modern Christian sanctuaries — ritual, performance and political correctness – have too long held sway over joy. That says something – the authentic pursuit of God’s will is not a downer. A new minister renews hope and this gentleman is no exception. His efforts to preach out of the Bible; speak to God’s balanced call toward love and responsibility; and push for spiritually directed action are clearly evident. Please don’t tell anyone in my congregation, but I just left a service that was an exception. That old ritual and performance agenda was back in charge. Worse, our new minister embraced the temptation of liberal political correctness and gave what amounted to a “guns are bad – peace is good” political lecture. Oh well, nobody’s perfect. Besides, when assessing the mark of mortals – ministers included – it’s best to react to patterns versus isolated instances. Still, this particular sermon prompted an observation – we have reached the apex of liberal extravagance and it is time to climb out of the ditches and get back on the road to reason. I’m here to help.
Bombs and guns are good Mind if I may pick on my good minis-
Carl Mumpower ter’s liberal lapse for another moment? It was his take that things like bombs and guns are useful only for the purpose of killing people. Therefore, we should devote our energy to buying shovels and hoes to grow food so as to perhaps reduce the raw material available for bombs and guns. I like garden utensils and the idea of growing food or paying someone else to. I also like bombs and guns. Having participated in a war in my youth, I hold a poorly constrained aversion to politicians or countries that use bombs and guns for vanity pursuits, power acquisition and empire building. I very much like bombs and guns that stop bad guys from fulfilling those agendas. Reality affirms that bombs and guns are like shovels and hoes – they can be used to good purpose or for hitting someone. Note to my minister – guns are used far more often to prevent mayhem than to cause it. Ask any peace officer about how often his or her safety and that of others is supported by a holstered weapon. In between the ditches of shooting or blowing everybody up and converting our nuclear arsenal to plows is a reasoned place. It suggests that in a bedeviled world being able to protect yourself, your family, and your country is a smart play. See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A14
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - A11
Commentary
Fake news needs to be vigorously challenged
F
ake news used to be called propaganda, remember? Jews caused Germany to lose WWI. Japan won a great victory at Midway (they lost four aircraft carriers). The media portrayed Vietnam battles as American losses when we actually won them. We recently had an election. And mudballs of misinformation were tossed and re-tossed across social media for months. Fact-checkers debunked, and the bunkers re-bunked. Anybody who wanted to separate facts from “facts” could check with the factcheckers. But many, many people bought the bunk. Donald Trump passed it on to his audiences. Justice Scalia was murdered. Thousands cheered the fall of the World Trade Center. Then there was the one about how millions of illegal immigrants voted for Hillary Clinton, and how she runs a child sex ring from a pizza parlor. And people believe it. Still. Today. And they’re not just winking and going along. They BELIEVE. A friend told me, with a worried look, that somebody has to do something about how George Soros is paying all those anti-Trump protesters. A professional fake news writer has admitted to making up that story. I witnessed how fake news that Clinton was going to take away all guns spread through an auto
Lee Ballard shop and made my neighbor prepare to stand his ground. A PPP poll last month showed that Trump voters still believe fake news. For example, only 41 percent think the stock market went up under Obama; it nearly tripled. Arrrgh! The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates distrusted democracy because, he said, if uninformed people are given the vote, they would make poor voting decisions. Anybody who is informed by fake news is uninformed. Thomas Jefferson used a stronger word: “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” I’m going to interpret Jefferson like this: American democracy depends on voters’ knowing enough about the issues of the election that they can interpret information given them. If voters are not informed, they are easy pickings for a clever demagogue who knows they’ll swallow anything he says. Demagogue turns dictator, and freedom is lost. In the recent election, somehow, millions
COMBAT ZONE
• Smokey Mountain Preppers & SurpLus •
We offer:
√ Pepper spray
√ Freeze-dried and dehydrated food √ Military paracord
See us for.... • Camo • Flags • Tactical Gear • Blackhawk • Army Surplus • MREs • Water Purifiers • Medical Supplies • Boonie Hats • Shirts & Pants • Boots & Shoes • Warm blankets
CIA@CHARTER.NET • WWW.ASHEVILLECOMBATZONE.COM
of American voters, all at the same time, ignored truth. They had faith in Trump, without concern that what he was saying was untrue or impossible. A president can’t change the libel laws to allow suing media who oppose him – unless, of course, he repeals the First Amendment! Real news explained during the campaign that repealing Obamacare is impossible for many reasons. Real news explained that Trump’s wall would be tied up for years in lawsuits by landowners involved. Real news explained how automation and the fundamental changes in the world economy won’t allow old-time jobs to come back. But millions believed Trump, and believed fake news that reinforced their belief in Trump. Our values as a society have gone terribly wrong. And if it’s not already too late, that something needs to be corrected. The day may come soon when everything will depend on our being able to recognize truth and untruth. We’ll have a president who manufactures his own truth, and he will have the organs of government to broadcast it. A friend made this suggestion: “That so many people hold views that have been repeatedly proven to be false is very disturbing. I wonder if in elementary education explicit curriculum on how to weigh evidence and draw conclusions
could be created.” That’s long-term, though. More urgently, our legitimate media must draw clear lines for us: “This is a lie.” And in our homes, we must engage our children in conversations about current events. And we must be prepared in our minds to take action to counter untruth if necessary. The American people have got to stop just believing! As the Bible (I John 4:1) advises in a Christian context: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Lies are not from God. • Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill. For more of his work, readers may visit his blog at mountainsnail.com.
Write a Letter to the Editor
The Asheville Daily Planet print letters to the editor, preferably less than 150 words in length. All letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number for confirmation purposes only. Send your opinions to Asheville Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490 or e-mail them to letters@ AshevilleDailyPlanet.com.
A12 — January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Do hoteliers run Asheville? Short-term rentals vs. the industry
By CECIL BOTHWELL Special to the Daily Planet
The Dec. 13 decision by Asheville City Council to continue a crackdown on proprietors of short-term rentals principally benefits the hotel industry. Period. While some opponents of STRs cite threats to neighborhoods, and others claim that their motive is to preserve affordable housing, both arguments fall flat on close examination. I'll discuss some of this below. And no matter what you've heard, we have absolutely no idea how many short-term rentals have been operating here. Black markets are always impossible to assess. With a system of licensure, we could actually get some idea what's going on. At the December meeting. I attempted to move the city toward a more rational approach — to make STR use of Auxiliary Dwelling Units legal, and Brian Haynes and Keith Young joined my effort. An ADU is a rental unit with a stove. If one removes the stove, the same unit qualifies as a Home Stay and is legal. (For some reason the council, which wrote the law in the 1990s wanted people to share cooking facilities. Go figure.) However the hotel industry won again. We live in a city where the hotel industry has run the table for .... well, I'd say years, but it has actually been a century. Countless tax dollars flow to tourism advertising through multiple channels. Yet a couple of hundred private citizens who sought to reap some benefit are being hunted down and prosecuted. The city is paying an Internet sleuthing company $26,000 per year to comb listings (more of your tax dollars at work) and the city attorney has begun collection proceedings for tens of thousands of dollars in fines (which won't offset the cost — since North Carolina fines go to the school system.) We have hired two new staffers (actu-
TO REPORT AN ERROR
The Asheville Daily Planet strives to be accurate in all articles published. Contact the News Department at news@ashevilledailyplanet.com, (828) 252-6565, or P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490.
ally 1-1/2 staffers as specifically measured) and given them a car in which to stake out suspected STRs. The additional bill is $120,000, but that doesn't include legal staff working on taking cases to court. Meanwhile the hotel industry has over-built and is scrambling to fill too many rooms. Blocking residents from providing short term rentals is part of the business plan.
The hotel room tax
For years the hotel industry fought an increase in the room tax. Asheville’s was about the lowest in the state and the city wanted an increase with some of the money to go to the city. After all, we provide all kinds of services to the many tourists who visit. The industry said ,“NO WAY! A higher tax will drive away business.” Then they built too many rooms. Suddenly, the industry demanded an increase in the room tax — to pay for more advertising to fill their beds. And they got it. (Note that the tax has always been dedicated to increasing tourism. When some money is occasionally handed to the city it is to improve the civic center or soccer fields or other things that can be added to the attractants for visitors.) Also note: AirBnb collects room taxes from its hosts and remits them as required by law. Other STR operators do this voluntarily. Some presumably do not. With a legal system we would know how many, who they are, how many visitor nights there are, and much more. • EDITOR’S NOTE: Cecil Bothwell is a member of Asheville City Council.
Write a Letter to the Editor
The Asheville Daily Planet print letters to the editor, preferably less than 150 words in length. All letters must be signed and include a daytime telephone number for confirmation purposes only. Send your opinions to Asheville Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490 or e-mail them to letters@ AshevilleDailyPlanet.com.
Letters to the editor
Continued from Page A10 The savings should be given as raises to law enforcement and first responders. Drain the county swamp! Buncombe County should be first! Chad Nesbitt Leicester EDITOR’S NOTE: Nesbitt is a former chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party.
Congress must act now to repeal unaffordable ACA
The Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) was never affordable! Plans in Georgia, on average, have increased 32 percent for 2017. In Arizona, 116 percent, and right here in N.C., we are poised for a 24 percent rate hike! Millions are still uninsured, and hundreds of thousands have lost policies, doctors and choice. Health insurance companies are deserting ACA co-ops, costing taxpayers billions, including 1 trillion in new taxes and fees. The Republicans are charged with fulfilling their promises to fully repeal ACA. The “two-budget” repeal strategy is the best path forward. This will allow them to use a filibuster-proof process known as reconciliation to pass repeal of the ACA with 51 Senate votes, and have it ready for President Trump’s signature upon his inauguration. First, in January, Congress should pass the 2017 fiscal year budget that failed to pass in 2016, to include a simple, one sentence repeal of the ACA. By April, Congress should pass a second budget for the 2018 fiscal year, with which to lower spending levels, and debate conservative, free-market health care reforms to lower costs, increase competition and choice, and strengthen doctor-patient relationships.
Congress: there are no more excuses! Jane Bilello Hendersonville EDITOR’S NOTE: Bilello is chair of the Asheville Tea Party.
Anti-Trump protests reflect bad job by schools, media
The presidential election is finally over! However, the demonstrations that are occurring shows how poorly a job our school systems and our news media is doing. Acceptance, after the people have spoken, has always been the norm, and should still be the norm. Another norm is respect — for other people, their rights and their property. All that is violated when crowds take over streets and highways and start destroying government or personal property. That is criminal conduct punishable by law. Some demonstrators, and news media people, claim they are afraid of Trump. But if they supported his opponent, they should instead fear God. She stood for some things God calls abomination. You see, His Laws are just, but the penalty for disobeying Him, will be eternal damnation. First in Hell and later in the Lake of Fire forever. The Word of God, rightfully claims, that all of us have sinned. That we are condemned already. But because of His great love for us he sent Jesus Christ, his only begotten son, to die for us on the cross. His precious blood is enough to cover all the sins of the world. Unfortunately, too many in America, and too many in the world, refuse to believe in God and The Word of God (Jesus). Jesus said few will go to Heaven. Seek God, believe and repent. Why reject God! President Trump’s first official act should be to order all flags be flown at half-mast until this country stops the ungodly killing of the innocent unborn. Manuel Ybarra Jr. Coalgate, Okla.
Old Grouch’s Military Surplus 82 Main Street, Clyde • 828-627-0361 www.oldgrouch.com
Springour is25th here - are you Celebrating Anniversary, Old ready? Military Grouch’s Military ArcticSurplus is the Stove s in stock area’s oldest, most now- burns diesel,well-stocked kerosene, milijet fuel, wood or taryGreat surplus store. even coal! for you hunting camp, garage, or a back Just real military up heating source for the house!! surplus and quality Ammo Cans MRE’s — we Military Clothing stock gear FRESH,at great prices Follow us on Backpacks quality meals, Facebook for an- with no crazy complete meals, BS! We are Jerry Cans nouncements of full cases and Tactical Vests more great deals! worth the drive! even individual Firstentrees.
— Special Sale —
Wool Blankets, Military Sleeping Bags, Immersion heaters, Boots, Camo Clothing, and much much more — well worth the drive to Clyde
aid kits — we have
Western Mention this ad and get North a completeCarolinas Medium greatest selection of first-aid ALICE packkits, forfrom $25, a small hiking to to a complete to see WNC’s best REAL military or with a frametrauma for $37.50. surplus store! kit!
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2017 — A13
Quality Tree Service
Offering the following professional services: Tree Removal • Tree Pruning Stump Grinding • Storm Damage Lot Cleaning • Brush Removal Clean Up • Dead Wood Removal View Clearing • Limb Removal Dangerous Tree Removal Firewood On Sale @ $200/Cord
We do all phases of tree work • Free estimates 15 years’ experience • Licensed & fully insured
24-Hour Emergency Service Call Anthony / Owner
828-552-6274 or 828-775-6210
A14 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Candid Conservative Continued from Page A10 God wants us to live in the real world. Liberals want us to live in their fantasy world. It follows that God’s house is a wrong place to sell fantasies.
Liberals favor yellow
This is the month our new president is sworn in. Conservative culturists have been waiting for eight long years to have an adult leader as commander in chief. It’s our turn. According to the mainstream media and professional pollsters, the new guy was supposed to be a girl. Unfortunately, these two forces spent so much time generating propaganda to suit their agenda; they missed the fact that a bunch of us had changed channels. Many of those answering the poll and media questions recognized it all as a disingenuous scam and responded in kind. Many more just skipped the game. Thus the surveys landed on what the pollsters and media shysters wanted to hear – not what was factual. Most of America’s 21st century journalists operate out of a discredited model dating back to the turn of the last century. “Yellow Journalism” was the phrase coined to describe the manipulations of Randolph Hurst and other media giants who would recognize their touch on today’s media outlets. Yellow represented the color newspapers turned after exposure to the light of day – it was used to reflect agenda driven propaganda marketed as news and written by conmen masquerading as journalists. Welcome to the 19th century America.
In the recent election America’s majority looked deeper and took red, white, and blue over yellow. The left-minded are still in a state of befuddlement.
find such common control techniques as the shaming, blaming, degrading, scaring and confusing your victim – all done in the name of control. Hate to bust up the party, but that’s your playlist.
Liberals are lost in their Time to stop pretending own feedback loop liberals aren’t control freaks Isn’t it ironic that the movement preIt’s hard to see things clearly when you’re living in a ditch. Allowances are due to those who’ve so long ignored the fact modern liberalism isn’t about progress and advancement – it’s about power. That conclusion is easily validated by their methods. Unless it pertains to one of the seven deadly sins, liberals love to micromanage. They equate the word “regulate” with the word “progress” and view the former as the means to the latter. Any of you guys ever use a dictionary? Constriction and progress aren’t synonyms. Then there’s the left’s reaction to opposition. It’s not a simple, “I disagree” or “I have a different view” – it’s a “You’re a dumb, idiotic, stupid person!” or “I hate you and hope you die!” Really – that’s how people on the left feel they can make the world a better place? Final demonstration comes in liberalism’s inability to count higher than two. Their public policy perspective is guided by good-bad, right-wrong, and win-lose perspective. Per these approaches to conflict, liberals are stuck with Option A and B – their way or the highway. If you guys on the left are unwilling to pick up a dictionary, perhaps you’d consider an Internet search of the words “spouse” and “abuser.” Therein you will
Home & office Cleaners Wanted $800/Weekly .............................. Cleaning Position: Available
Working Days: Mon-Fri Time Schedule: 11 AM - 2 PM Minimum Requirement.
Email:
romero.christabel@mail.com
tending to be about diversity has an apoplectic loathing for diversity of thought? Don’t believe it? Try introducing a conservative view into any – I repeat any – social conversation within Asheville’s city limits. The outcome of dogmatism is a homogenous dullness that sees and hears only what it wants to see and hear. The left demonstrates it’s possible to be blind, deaf, and smug at the same time. How’s that for a dynamic success equation? The problem with living in your own world is that the rest of the real world is busy growing up in reality. In the long haul, reality will Trump (pun intended) fantasy – every time. George Patton once said something like, “If everybody is thinking alike, somebody isn’t thinking.” The left isn’t going to heed that kind of enlightenment, but you and I can.
Begin the New Year with new thinking
The liberal-progressive-socialism movement owes its 21st century success to gravity – it’s easier to walk down than climb up. Look closely at their policies and you will always find the appeal of the downhill run. Sadly, that makes liberalism magnetically
appealing to the naive and needy. In contrast, when the game is political seduction, conservatism is disadvantaged because moving’ on up requires risks, energy, and perseverance. It’s easier to go with the guys promising the most goodies and the least accountability. In an unfair fight, conservatives cannot afford paralysis by political correctness. Our passivity has made it OK for media outlets to practice propaganda journalism; leadership to practice propaganda politics; and even ministers to practice propaganda preaching. Truth, reason, justice, normalcy, accountability and productivity have been sacrificed in this unholy exchange. If you’re a liberal, you might want to ponder the difference in a liberated mind and a regulated mind. The latter is George Orwell’s idea of a nightmare. If you’re a conservative, dial down hostility as you turn up engagement. Look to liberals for a model of how anger is a terrible substitute for meaningful action. Remember – there is no inevitable outcome for America. The side with the most enthusiastic culture warriors wins. To the extent that conservative thinkers are defined by a stellar dedication to reality, reason, responsibility, respect and right – it’s an easy fight. If we recognize we’re in one.… Thanks for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative! • Carl Mumpower is a psychologist and former elected official. He thanks you for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative and invites you to reach him at drmumpower@aol.com.
4. Employment
4. Employment
Satellite Installation Technicians -Asheville, Hendersonville, Greenville, SC
MasTec Advanced Technologies is seeking Techs to install, service and upgrade DIRECTV satellite systems. If your mechanically inclined, enjoy working outdoors, and hate having someone over your shoulder, we should talk – Paid training provided! Company vehicle, great health benefits and career growth opportunities. EOE. Three ways to learn more. please go to: http://ejob.bz/ ATS/jb.do?reqGK=1018630, email Lauren.Shaffer@insperity.com or call 832-601-4642.
PART-TIME JOB with full-time benefits. You can receive cash bonus, monthly paycheck, job training, money for technical training or college, travel, health benefits, retirement and more more! Call now and learn how the National Guard can benefit you and your family! 1-800-GOGUARD.
DAVID’S ROOFING
Complete Professional Tree Care Reliable, Respectful, Punctual Residential & Commercial • Tree Trimming and Removal
828-775-1676 828-650-9980
Remember the neediest!
ADVERTISE — Call 252-6565 today to place your ad in the Daily Planet to reach our estimated 35,000 readers.
Above All Tree Service • Storm Damage • Stump Grinding • Lot and View Clearing • Bucket Truck Service
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - A15
30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE
• Brush Chipping and Removal • Fully Licensed and Insured • Free Estimates
• Shingles • Metal • Rubber Roofing • Roof Coatings • Remodeling, Residential and Commercial ALL WORK GUARANTEED
Retail Prices
(828) 550-3738
All New • All Made in N.C. Financing & Delivery Available
Mattress By Appointment of WNC
Home Repair and Remodeling
Affordable Tree Service
(828) 246-2934
Rates are as little as $10 per month for 25 words or less.
50% - 80% OFF
713-4154
√ 30 years’ local experience √ Very reasonable rates (and punctual) √ We offer a senior citizen discount
To place a classified line ad in the Daily Planet, call 252-6565.
Twin Mattress Sets From $125 Full Mattress Sets From $140 Queen Mattress Sets From $150 King Mattress Sets From $275
• • • • • •
Tree Removal Tree Trimming Stump Grinding Lot Clearing Views Clearing Brush Removal
Residential and Commercial
Fully Insured — Free Estimates
Call (828) 208-3935
A16 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Country Cookin’ at its Finest!
Come try our 3 egg omelets, pancakes, french toast, biscuits with good ol’ brown gravy! (Breakfast served all day) Lunch Specials start at $6.50 with Meat & 3 Veggies Turkey & Dressing, Meatloaf, Chicken & Dumplings, Pork Roast, White Fish and more!
Homemade Burgers and Fresh-Cut Fries Open Mon. - Fri. 6 AM - 3 PM and Saturday 7 AM - 1 PM 285 North Main Street, #10 Tri City Plaza,
Weaverville, NC
828-484-7068
Entertainment & Calendar of Events
Special Section PULLOUT
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2017
A ‘Swingin’ Little Christmas!’
Show delivers holiday warmth on chilly evening
Shelley Wright
Dad’s home!
... or is he?
O
By JOHN NORTH
R
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
uss Wilson’s annual “Have Yourself a Swingin’ Little Christmas!” show succeeded splendidly in radiating yuletide warmth and joy to the audience on Dec. 18 at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in West Asheville. Among the highlights was the last song of the night, the 1958 Brenda Lee Classic, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” The show, featuring a six-piece band and several vocalists including Wilson (who also served as emcee), drew a sellout crowd of 154 people on a blustery, chilly night. The show featured two roughly one-hour sets, split by a 30-minute intermission. Other singers were Blake Anthony Ellege, Jesse Earl Jr., Wendy Jones and Katie Cilluffo. The band included Hank Bones, guitar (and also some backup vocals); Zach Page, bass; Rick Dilling, drums; Richard Shulman, piano; Rich Willey, trumpet, and Walter Kross, saxophone. The first set opened with Wilson masterfully singing “I Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Also memorable from that set was a moving version of “Silent Night” by Jones’ students (one of the featured vocalists). The set ended aptly with all of the vocalists singing “Silver Bells.”
B1
Special photo by SCOTT WOODY @ ISIS RESTAURANT & MUSIC HALL
Jesse Earl Jr., billed as a Milwaukee native, New York City expatriate, and now self-described “Asheville Jazzvillian,” sings a number during Russ Wilson’s annual “Have Yourself a Swingin’ Little Christmas!” show on Dec. 18 at Isis Restaurant & Music Hall in West Asheville. As the second set opened, Wilson prompted laughter from the crowd when he deadpanned with a pained expression, “You’re still here? I guess you didn’t have anywhere else to go.” A woman in the audience yelled, “I love you, Russ!” “I love you, too, dear!” Wislon answered back, as the crowd enjoyed the merriment.
Early in the second set, Wilson sang a song that, he said, was the first he performed on stage at age 6 — 44 years ago. It was “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Then Jones took command of the show with her rollicking “Let It Snow.” See SWINGIN’, Page B7
ne of the strongest memories I have of my childhood is walking into bookstores and planting myself in the middle of the New Age section with all its books on ghosts and hauntings, ESP and psychic phenomena. I didn’t know what to call the things that happened to me, so I just picked up books that I thought seemed closest to it. In one book, “The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits” by Rosemary Ellen Guiley, I found this whole new world of things I never knew existed and pictures of haunted places and researchers who investigated all this wonderful bizarreness. Only, some things weren’t all that bizarre to me. Some things resonated with me right away because I had experienced them. That’s the way it was for me. I had experiences and in seeking to find answers for what had happened and why, I would come across a host of other paranormal things that were normal for me, but weren’t for everyone else, or they would trigger a memory. One such memory was of a particular Tuesday night in late fall or winter. It was Dad and Daughter Pizza Night. On that particular night, I was anxious. I couldn’t stay still. My whole house felt different. Sinister. Dark. I stayed within the cheerful lemony confines of the kitchen, not even feeling comfortable enough to walk into the living room and turn the lights on. See WRIGHT, Page B7
Asheville Jazz Orchestra struts its (holiday) stuff during show By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Special photo by DON TALLEY @ WHITE HORSE/BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Asheville Jazz Orchestra performs a number with its featured vocalist Wendy Jones during the concert “A Special Evening of Big Band Holiday Jazz” on Dec. 10 at White Horse nightclub in Black Mountain.
BLACK MOUNTAIN — The Asheville Jazz Orchestra received a much-deserved standing ovation after performing, as an encore, the 1948 Christmas classic “Sleigh Ride” on Dec. 10 at White Horse nightclub. The AJO, with 18 instrumentalists, along with its featured vocalist Wendy Jones (who sang five songs with the band), drew about 75 people to its concert titled “A Special Evening of Big Band Holiday Jazz.” The show featured two one-hour sets, split by a 20-minute intermission. The regular show’s last song was “Deck the Halls — And All That Jazz,” which was such a hit with the crowd that those present arose en masse and pleaded for an encore. It was a delight to hear and watch the talented AJO. Also exemplary was its emcee David Wilken (who plays trombone), who shared important information about the music and its composers, along with some fun trivia about it. See STRUTS, Page B7
B2 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Air Supply, an Australian soft-rock duo comprised of British-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock, will perform at 9 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Event Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee. The duo had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top 10 hits in the United States, in the early 1980s.
Calendar
of
Events
Send us your calendar items
Please submit items to the Calendar of Events by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via e-mail, at calendar@ashevilledailyplanet. com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 288148490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for an event, call 252-6565.
Sunday, Jan. 1
CITY WALK, 2 p.m., space behind Asheville Visitors Center, 36 Montford Ave., Asheville. The 17th Annual Asheville Amblers City Walk will be held on New Year’s Day through the historic areas of Montford and downtown Asheville. Both 5K and 10K options are available. Participants will meet at 1:30 pm.Walk steps off at 2.
group focused on Standing Up For Racial Justice core values will be held for those beginning to wake up to the impact of white supremacy in American culture and seeking a safe place to begin to talk about it. CLEAN WATER FOR N.C. PARTY, 5-7 p.m., Historic Grove Arcade, downtown Asheville. A casual gathering, hosted by the staff of Clean Water for North Carolina, will feature light refreshments.
Saturday, Jan. 7
SANCTUARY WORKSHOP, 10 a.m.-noon, Land of the Sky United Church of Christ, 15 Overbrook Place in Asheville. A workshop and discussion will be held of Sanctuary’s role in the larger immigrants’ rights movement. Sanctuary is a partnership between immigrants and faith communities.
CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB TALK, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. Host Bruce Roth will lead a discussion on topics of current interest, including war and peace, the economy, the environment and other hot political topics. In addition, the Current Events Book Club will discuss “Bravehearts: Whistle-Blowing in the Age of Snowden” by Hertsgaard.
Wednesday, Jan. 4
Wednesday, Jan. 11
GREEN GRANNIES BOOK CLUB, noon, Firestorm Café & Books, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. Founded in 2012, the Green Grannies are a group of women who are willing to make a ruckus about the need for action on climate change. The group is open to all. RACIAL JUSTICE DISCUSSION, 6:30 p.m., Firestorm Café & Books, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. A Standing Up for Racial Justice event, What’s Up with Whiteness Wednesdays, is an ongoing ASURJ series endeavoring to dismantle white supremacy. The “Title Track” part of the WUWW series will generally repeat on the first Wednesday of the month. “What’s Up with Whiteness functions to explore what ‘white’ means, and how it was created as a racial group to implement a white supremacy culture in the United States. This group is for anyone who is willing and able to explore their whiteness or whiteness as a race with a racial justice lens,” a news release noted. SIERRA CLUB MEETING, 7 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. Simon Thompson of Ventures Birding Tours and world-renowned birder will present “Birds around the World.”
Friday, Jan. 6
ANTI-RACISM ACCOUNTABILITY MEETING, 10 a.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. A weekly
Protect your savings from the falling dollar by investing in gold and silver Paying top dollar for rare coins, precious metals and coin collections
Will pay MORE than anyone — and we offer FREE parking!
Monday, Jan. 9
HULA CLASSES, 10:30-11:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, 2021 Kanuga Rd., Hendersonville. New day and evening hula classes will begin in Hendersonville “for every woman, every age, every size, every ethnicity,” a press release noted. Evening hula classes will begin 6:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 10 at Halau Pu’uwai O Aloha in the North Hendersonville area. For directions email Kaleo Wheeler at kaleowheeler@gmail.com. NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 6:30 p.m., Room A109, Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St., downtown Asheville. The City of Asheville NAC will meet.
Tuesday, Jan. 3
Remember the neediest!
STANDING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE EVENT,10 a.m., Firestorm Café & Books, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. The SUFRJE will hold a discussion on how to dismantle white supremacy.
Friday, Jan. 13
Fab Friday TALK, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Southern Folk Art Collector Ann Oliver will presents the “lunch and learn” lecture. Attendees may purchase lunch in the Reuter Café or bring their own brown bag. Admission is free and open to everyone. Symphony Talk, 3 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. The monthly Symphony Talk series will feature Daniel Meyer, music director of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, who will speak about the ASO’s upcoming performance, “Eine Kleine Rhine Musik.” In addition, WCQS-FM (88.1) Music Host Chip Kaufmann will speak about the composers Brahms, Haydn and Schumann. AIR SUPPLY CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. The Australian soft rock duo Air Supply will perform in concert. The duo had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top 10 hits in the United States in the early 1980s. Among the group’s top hits are “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” (1983), “All Out of Love” (1980), and Lost in Love” (1979). For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
WNC’s oldest, full-service coin shop Family-owned and operated for 43 years! The most-trusted source for collectors and investors since 1973.
Open Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
(828) 298-5402
www.wrightscoinshop.com
1271 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville I-40 to Exit 51, turn left, go 1.3 miles
full service gun shop 401 South Grove Street, Hendersonville, N.C. 28792
Michael Merker Riflemakers 32 Years Master Gunsmith
828-698-8804
WE BUY GUNS
Selling, Restoring, Appraising Collectible Firearms www.michaelmerker.com
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - B3
“Stand Up, Speak Out, and Unfold the Dream for Today.” Keynote speaker for the breakfast will be Patricia Russell-McCloud, a writer, attorney, and long considered among the nation’s top public speakers. Russell-McCloud will sign copies of her books following the breakfast. Tickets for the breakfast may be purchased for $25 each. Patron tickets are available for $35, with patron names included in the program journal., by calling 2811624.
Sierra Hull (right) will perform in concert at 8 p.m. Jan. 14 at Tryon Fine Arts Center in downtown Tryon.
Monday, Jan. 16
Saturday, Jan. 14
BOOK-SIGNING, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Carolina Readiness Supply, 72 Montgomery St., Waynesville. Montreat College history professor William R. Forstchen will sign copies of his latest book, “The Final Day,” which is the followup to his New York Times bestsellers’ “One Second After” and “One Year After.” Admission is free. CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING, 12:30-3 p.m., Kairos West Community Center, 742 Haywood Rd. (behind Firestorm Café & Books), West Asheville. Citizens Climate Lobby will meet. TAX RESISTERS EVENT, 6 p.m., Firestorm Café & Books, 610 Haywood Road, West
Wednesday, Jan. 18
PEACE MARCH/RALLY FOR MLK HOLIDAY, 11:30 a.m., St. James AME Church, Martin Luther King Drive and Hildebrand Street, downtown Asheville. A peace rally will be folowed at noon by a peace march, which will go from the church to Pack Square Park.
RACIAL DISCUSSION, 3 p.m., Mountain Suites, Highsmith University Union, UNC Asheville. A discussion of “Racial Battle Fatigue” will be led by UNCA Assistant Professor of Sociology Megan Underhill. The discussion will examine “racial battle fatigue” — the idea that people of color experience psychological impact from the daily deflecting of racial insults, stereotypes and discrimination. Admission is free and open to everyone.
Tuesday, Jan. 17
Documentary Film, 6 p.m., the Grotto, Highsmith University Union, UNC Asheville. “Freedom Riders,” a film by Stanley Nelson will
Calendar of Events
Continued from Page B2
be shown. The movie is based on the book “Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice” by Raymond Arsenault. It examines the role played by more than 400 black and white Americans who risked their lives challenging Jim Crow laws journeying through the South. Admission is free and open to everyone. STANDING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE MEETING, 7-9 p.m., Kairos West, 742 Haywood Road, West Asheville. David Greenson will lead the SUFRJE meeting.
See CALENDAR, Page B4
Nevermore Mystical Arts A paranormal boutique
Asheville. Presenter Redmoonsong, who has been a lifelong war tax resister and has much practical information to share about practicing this philosophy, will speak. SIERRA HULL CONCERT, 8 p.m., Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon. Sierra Hull will perform in concert. For tickets, call 859-8322 or visit tryonarts.org. MLK JR. PRAYER BREAKFAST, 8:30 a.m., Crowne Plaza Resort, Resort Drive, West Asheville. The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc. will host its 36th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast. The doors open at 7:30 a.m., with breakfast beginning at 8:30 a.m. The theme of the 2017 King Celebration events will be
Wintertime is the best time for magic!
• Decor • Books • Candles • Spell Kits and Supplies • Spirit Boards • Tarot Cards • Jewelry • Wands • Grimoires • Divination 1271 Sweeten Creek Road • Asheville• (828) 505-3182 Located next door to Wright’s Coin Shop
Open M-F 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. • Sat., Noon-4 p.m.
New shipment of Alchemy England jewelry has just arrived!
New York Times bestselling author
William R. Forstchen
will appear at Carolina Readiness for a book-signing of his newest work, “The Final Day,” the highly anticipated follow-up to his bestsellers “One Second After” and “One Year After.”
Jan. 14th
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Bill Forstchen
Carolina Readiness Supply Will you be ready when the lights go out?
72 Montgomery St. Waynesville, N.C. 28786
(828) 456-5310
www.carolinareadiness.com
B4 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Calendar Continued from Page B3
Thursday, Jan. 19
MLK WEEK Keynote Lecture, 7 p.m., Lipinsky Auditorium, UNC Asheville. Walter M. Kimbrough, president of Dillard University in New Orleans and known for his writings on African-Americans and higher education, will provide the keynote address for Martin Luther King Jr. Week activities at UNCA. Admission is free and open to everyone.
Friday, Jan. 20
Fab Friday: Addiction Issues, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Dr. Dale Nash will discuss the biopsychosocial model that one substance abuse clinic uses to address the complex needs of those who are addicted. Attendees may purchase lunch in Reuter Café or bring their own brown bags. Admission is free and open to everyone. NC Stage Behind the Scenes, 1:30 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. NC Stage Co. artistic director and co-founder Charlie Flynn-McIver will take attendees — metaphorically speaking — behind the scenes of the upcoming show, in this case, “Jeeves in Bloom” by Margaret Raether, adapted from the stories by P.G. Wodehouse. Admission is free and open to everyone. CREATION CARE ALLIANCE GATHERING, 5-7 p.m., Lenoir-Rhyne University, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville. Caring for Creation in Uncertain Times will hold a gathering for lament, hope and action. The event is for communities of faith and individuals to grieve over their broken relationships with people and the planet, to connect with others and be inspired by one another into hopeful action. The event includes time to share one’s intentions for the first 100 days. PAULA POUNDSTONE COMEDY SHOW, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, 2 S. Pack Square, downtown Asheville. Comedian Paula Poundstone will perform. For tickets, which are $36-$47, visit www.dwtheatre.com.
Saturday, Jan. 21
WOMEN’S MARCH ON WASHINGTON GALA,1-3 p.m., Jubilee, 36 Wall St., downtown Asheville. A gathering will be held in Asheville in support of the Women’s March on Washington on the day after the inauguration. The intent of the gathering is to be mindful, prayerful, peaceful, nonviolent and lawful. “We gather bringing our light and our love, standing in our power while sending light and love locally and throughout the United States and the world,” a press release said. Attendees are askd to bring sage, tobacco and sweet grass. Annelinde and the Sahara Peace Choir will lead the attendees in song. THE LETTERMEN CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for Performing Arts, Franklin. The Lettermen will perform in concert. With 18 gold albums and scores of top singles, including their first hit “The Way You Look Tonight,” The Lettermen’s popularity over 50 years has endured the test of time, celebrating more than 100,000 sold-out performances. Among their other hits are “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and “I Only Have Eyes for You.” For tickets, which are $25 and $28, visit greatmountainmusic.com. JUDY CARMICHAEL TRIO CONCERT, 8 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre, Pack Place, downtown Asheville. The Judy Carmichael Trio will perform in concert.
Monday, Jan. 23
Elder Fraud Prevention, 2 and 3 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Two talks will be presented. At 2 p.m., “Investment Fraud: Guarding Your Assets” will be addressed by John Maron, director, Investor Education Program, N.C. Department of State. At 3 p.m., “The History of Scams and Fraud” will be addressed by Larry Pierson, deputy sheriff, Buncombe County. A third lecture in the series is scheduled Jan. 30. Admission is free and open to everyone.
Tuesday, Jan. 24
Faculty Music Lecture Series, 7 p.m., Lipinsky Hall, UNC Asheville. Bill Bare will present a program titled “Jazz and Environmentalism.” Bares, a pianist and UNCA assistant professor of music, will discuss and play samples of music that has been part of environmental activism, featuring most on the stream of environmentalism that runs through jazz. Admission is free and open to everyone.
See CALENDAR, Page B5
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - B5
Calendar Continued from Page B4
Friday, Jan. 27
Fab Friday TALK, 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. “Personal Safety 101” will be addressed Officer Keith McCulloch of the Asheville Police Department. He will provide information to help individuals to protect themselves. Attendees may purchase lunch in the Reuter Café or bring their own brown bag. Admission is free and open to everyone. Medicare Choices Made Easy — Workshop, noon, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A program on “Medicare Choices Made Easy” will be presented. Those who show up early will be able to get questions answered about Social Security benefits and Medicare enrollment beginning. Opera Talk, 3 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. Asheville Lyric Opera General Director David Craig Starkey will host a monthly conversation or performance about “How to Work an Opera.” Admission is free and open to everyone. CHICAGO TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performation Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. Beginnings, a band billed as “the ultimate Chicago experience, will perform in concert. The group is touted as presenting “a flawless replication of three decades of inspired music in a show that includes nearly every charted song and even some lesser-known esoteric songs that have captured the hearts of Chicago fans everywhere.” For tickets, which are $20 and $25, visit www.FoundationShows.org. or call 286-9990.
Saturday, Jan. 28
JAMEY JOHNSON CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. County music crooner Jamey Johnson will perform in a concert limited to those ages 21 and older. “Jamey Johnson is one of the fortunate individuals to have counted the late Merle Haggard among his friends, and his honest, sympathetic approach to songs about working-class life makes him one of the country legend’s closest modern analogs,” Rolling Stone magazine wrote. For tickets, which are $45-$95, visit www.ticketmaster.
Monday, Jan. 23
ELDER FRAUD PREVENTION PROGRAM, 2 p.m., Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A program titled “Elder Fraud Prevention: How Not to Become a Fraud Victim” will be presented by attorney Caroline Farmer, deputy director of the orth Carolina Attorney General’s Office, which manages statewide efforts on identity theft and financial exploitation of seniors. Admission is fee and open to everyone.
Friday, Feb. 3
YES CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. The band Yes, billed as “pioneers of progressive rock,” will perform in concert.. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
Saturday, Feb. 11
JOURNEY TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performation Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. Resurrection, a Journey Tribute, will perform in concert. Resurrection is billed as combining “incredible musicianship and vocal precision (and appearance) of the legendary Steve Perry. Every show features one brilliant hit single after another, providing an all-ages, family-friendly show fused into a powerful rock ‘n’ roll concert experience.” For tickets, which are $20 and $25 (and $8 for youths), visit www.FoundationShows.org. or call 286-9990.
Friday, Feb. 17
ANNIE MOSES BAND CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. The Annie Moses Band will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.NPACgreeneville. com.
Friday, Feb. 24
MICHAEL BOLTON CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Grammy Award-winning singer-songerwriter Michael Bolton will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
See CALENDAR, Page B6
B6 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet
Calendar
Continued from Page B5
Saturday, Feb. 25
RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. Rhonda Vincent and the Rage will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www. NPACgreeneville.com.
Saturday, March 4
BEATLES TRIBUTE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. “1964”... The Tribute show will perform in a concert saluting the Beatles. For tickets, visit www.NPACgreeneville.com.
Friday, March 10
THE DRIFTERS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performation Arts Center, Isothermal Community College, Spindale. A show titled “The Drifters Rock and Roll Hall of Famers,” will feature four performers emulating the moves and singing the songs of theThe Drifters, a long-popular rhythm and blues vocal group. For tickets, which are $25 and $30, visit www.FoundationShows.org.
Saturday, March 25
RODNEY CARRINGTON CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Rodney Carrington will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.
TO REPORT AN ERROR
The Asheville Daily Planet strives to be accurate in all articles published. Contact the News Department at news@ashevilledailyplanet.com, (828) 252-6565, or P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490.
expires 12/31/2017
50 Broadway • Downtown Asheville
828-236-9800
Swingin’
Continued from Page B1 Earl then sang “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” with his deep, mellow voice (providing a soothing note, almost like a crackling fire) as a pleasing counterpoint to a mostly fastpaced show. He also sang lead on “The Christmas Song” and a song set slightly beyond the Christmas season, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” Notably, Cilluffo sang lead on “Mr. Grinch,” after which Wilson said her version was “the sexiest “ he had ever heard, of that usually dour song, prompting laughs from the crowd. Cilluffo, who was visibly upbeat, also sang lead on “Jingle Bells” — and an ultra-sensual version of the playful “Santa, Baby” that
the crowd appeared to love. Besides his knockout rendition of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” Ellege, who is an internationally recognized tenor in the opera genre (and based in Brevard), sang lead on “Santa, Bring My Baby Back” (Elvis Presleystyle) and a show-stopping “Ave Maria” that showcased the depth and breadth of his operatic voice. Besides her delightful “Let It Snow,” Jones’ sang lead vocals on “Christmas Time Is Here” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Also memorable was a stirring rendition of the 1949 Bing Crosby classic Hawaiian Christmas song “Mele Kalikimaka” by a vocal quartet featuring Wilson, Bones, Cilluffo and Jones. The concert ended with all of the show’s vocalists uniting on stage to lead the crowd in singing “White Christmas.”
Continued from Page B1 Jones, who always is a highlight with her stellar vocals, choreography, stage presence and ability to connect with the crowd and the band, scored a hit with her renditions of “Christmas Time is Here,” “Man With The Bag,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bells.” The first set began with “Angels We Have Heard on High,” followed by “Deck the Halls” and “Silent Night.” Other memorable first set songs included “Felice Navidad,” “Let It Snow” and, with a more hip-hop style “Yo Hark! Those Angels Swing.” The second set began with “We Three Kings.” Other highlights of the final half of the concert were “O Come, O Come, Emmanual” and “Winter Wonderland.” The band members performing in the
concert included (by section): • Saxes — David Wortman, Joel Helfand (altos), Sam Phillips, Bruce Austin (tenors) and Tom Wright (baritone). • Trumpets — John Entzi, Woody Dotson, Andy Sorenson and Steve Martinez. • Trombones — David Wilken, Walton Davis, Justice Mann and Jason Slaughter. • Rhythm — Chris Morgan, guitar; Brian McConnell, bass; Richard Shulman, piano; and Rich Dilling, drums. Those who perform with the AJO are touted as some of the finest jazz musicians in the area. Band members blend in their experiences performing with luminary groups, including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Mel Tormé, When Swing Was King, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians.
Struts
Wright
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2017 - B7
Continued from Page B1 And then I heard Dad come home and waves of relief washed over me. I heard the garage door open. I heard his car drive inside. I heard the garage door close. I heard his car door open and then a pause. That was Dad placing the pizza on top of the car so he could close the car door. I heard the car door shut. I heard the door to the inner garage open. I heard my little red wagon rolling across the cement floor. “Oh no. Dad’s going to be mad that someone left my little red wagon in the walkway,” I remember thinking as I opened the cabinet door to grab plates and glasses. Dad had a thing about things being left where people could trip over them. And I waited. I waited for Dad to walk up the basement stairs. I waited a really long time. And then a shiver ran down my spine. I opened the basement door and cautiously descended the well-lit stairs. I bent down just enough to see that Dad’s car wasn’t there, hadn’t been there, after all. I raced back upstairs and slammed the basement door shut. Exactly 30 minutes later, an eternity for a scared teenager, I heard the familiar sounds of Dad coming home, the same sounds in exactly the same order, only this time Dad was at the door with pizza. And one more thing. The little red wagon didn’t have to be moved. It had been moved 30 minutes earlier by Phantom Dad. This is what is referred to as an “arrival case” or “Vardoger” in Norway. According to Guiley, “There are various explanations made for arrival cases. The most likely is that the individual somehow projects a double, which is perceived as his solid, real
self. Still another suggests that arrival cases occur in a quirk of time — a duplication of an event in time.” I’d go for quirk of time in this instance. Dad doesn’t usually get worked up about getting to places. He’s very good at giving himself plenty of time, but on those rare occasions when he is late, he doesn’t stress about it. Unlike me. I’m always wishing I were someplace else with plenty of time to spare. Maybe that’s why the first half of that definition fits me so well. I had friends in high school that would get really angry with me because they’d wave at me or say hello and I ignored them. But I hadn’t been there. A few months ago, a friend of mine, a retired nun, went to the doctor. This is unremarkable except for the fact that she arrived 15 minutes earlier and had already been taken back to a room to be seen by the doctor when she “arrived” to check in, wearing the same clothes as the “other” Sister. When the nurse took my friend back to the room they’d put her in a few minutes earlier, she wasn’t there. They thought she’d somehow snuck out. They got so angry with her that they basically told her to never come back! I can’t imagine how much damage you’ve done to your karma when you toss a nun out on her butt. While the Sister still shows up ahead of herself, it’s been quite some time since I have. And The Pizza Incident never happened again. • 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).
B8 - January 2017 - Asheville Daily Planet