Asheville Daily Planet July 2015

‘Kite Runner’ book challenge continues — See Story, Pg. A6

Pack Square needs a black monument

— See The Daily Planet’s Opinion, Pg. A14

NPR author slams Andrew Jackson — See Story, Pg. B1

ILLE V E H AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER

July 2015

Vol. 11, No. 08

An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE

City Council candidate charged with shoe-throwing

Channeling Amy Winehouse

Special Photos by BOB FORTE/Robert Forte Photography

The Feels with CaroMia performed an Amy Winehouse tribute show (above and left) on June 1 at 5 Walnut Wine Bar in downtown Asheville. The performance was part of a weekly series of Feels’ shows paying tribute to various notable musical artists, which drew a standing-room-only turnout.

Above from left are Simon George, keyboardist; Cody Wright, bassist; and CaroMia Tiller, lead singer. Not pictured are band members Micah Thomas, drummer; and Jason DeCristofaro, auxiliary percussion. At left, CaroMia, flanked by young female dancers, belts out a song.

“Amy,” a film depicting the life and death of Amy Winehouse, will open in cinemas July 3 nationwide.

Vandals target Vance Monument Former NAACP chief defends Confederate flag

From Staff Reports

Shortly after the slogan “Black Lives Matter” was spray-painted on a Confederate monument in downtown Asheville, H.K. Edgerton stood with a Confederate flag, telling those passing by why he wanted it to continue to fly.

H.K. Edgerton Edgerton, a former president of the North Carolina NAACP and one of few African-American members of the

Sons of Confederate Veterans, was outside the monument waving the Confederate flag soon after the graffiti was removed.

He said the graffiti artist protested incorrectly.

“I’m not going to blame it on a Yankee, because I’ve seen some Southern folk around here that are real questionable too, that don’t know anything about who they are and their families and the honorable people in the Southland of America... red, yellow, black, white and brown!” Edgerton told news reporters.

See FLAG, Page A8

From Staff Reports Asheville City Council candidate Jonathan Wainscott was charged June 19 with assault by shoving and throwing firecrackers and shoes, less than three weeks after he was charged with violating a domestic violence protective order.

Wainscott, a 44-year-old East West Asheville neighborhood activist, is facing two misdemeanor charges stemming from a June 17 incident involving himself and people who were renting from him.

Jonathan Police said Wainscott shoved one man and Wainscott threw firecrackers and shoes at another.

The man identifying himself as a tenant said the incident happened in their residence.

Wainscott is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 4.

See SHOE-THROWING, Page A12

Conservative activist Mumpower aims to bring diversity to council

Carl Mumpower

From Staff Reports Conservative pundit and activist Carl Mumpower announced June 10 that he will seek one of three Asheville City Council seats in this year’s election. Mumpower served on the city’s governing body from 2001 to 2009.

Mumpower touted himself as a Republican known for his consistent conservative stance and willingness to resist pressures from all sides.

See CONSERVATIVE, Page A12

The Advice Goddess

Amy Alkon

Q: My fiance is good friends with his ex-girlfriend from college. (We’re all in our 30s.) She isn’t a romantic threat, but she’s become a source of stress. Long before I met my boyfriend, they began hanging out at a local bar together twice a week. They still do this, and I go along, but I’ve increasingly found these evenings a draining time-suck. When I don’t want to go, my fiance hangs at home with me. This prompts a tantrum from his

Rise and spine

ex-girlfriend, complete with a barrage of angry texts. I’ve tried reasoning with her, but she claims that when he was single, he “dragged (her) out constantly” so he still owes her. My boyfriend is a laid-back, nonconfrontational kind of guy and just says she needs to calm down.

— No Wonder They Broke Up

Want to know the answer?

See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A15

A2 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Update provided on N.C. legislation to CIBO by Turner

From Staff Reports

Rep. Brian Turner, a recently elected Asheville-area official, provided an update of new and pending legislation in the state General Assembly during the June 5 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners About 60 people attended CIBO’s issues meeting at Chick-Fil-A in North Asheville.

In addition, a presentation was made by Jerry VeHaun on the Metropolitan Sewerage District’s new incentive policy, along with a report on the status of the water system lawsuit Court of Appeals hearing.

VeHaun is the MSD’s board chairman.

Also, Betsy Blose provided an update on UNC Asheville athletics. She is special assistant to the director of athletics for advancement and alumni engagement.

“It’s been a pretty busy session so far, down in Raleigh,” Turner told the CIBO crowd. “As you know, we went through ‘crossover’ back in April,” referring to any bill that does not have a financial component that involves spending money... The House passed the budget a couple of weeks ago ... and it’s sitting there.”

He added, “The budget has some good and some bad — that’s why I voted to support it.”

With a grin, he quipped, “ I understand now why legislators think roads are so

important,” after he himself spent so many hours driving “up and down I-40” back and forth between Asheville and Raleigh.

He spoke of a senate bill that “actually raises the gas tax,” adding that “Buncombe County is Brian Turner not doing so well in our infrastructure. We have about 150 bridges in need of major repairs.

So this money will help with that.”

He also addressed a a broadband connectivity plan, which would result in a state roll-out of broadband service. “Broadband is critical to every aspect of life these days.

When you get deep into Sandy Mush and Leicester, you’re lucky to get dial-up. That limits people’s ability to work from their homes, or for those going in there (that area) to work,” he noted.

Turner said the state plans “to allow Duke Energy to convert from coal to natural gas at its Lake Julian power plant. We expect that to be done (passed) in the next week or so. That’s something people from this region are trying to get passed through, so that the project is not held up.” (As Turner had predicted, General Assembly approval came later in June for the Lake Julian plant’s conversion to gas.)

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 - A3

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Asheville hires its 1st female chief of police

City’s odds improving to become Charlotte Hornets’ D League team

From Staff Reports

Asheville hired its first female police chief — and its third police chief in four years — in an appointment announced by the city on May 29.

Tammy Hooper is a deputy chief of police in Alexandria, Va., and a 26-year veteran of law enforcement. She will begin working as Asheville’s police chief on July 20.

Hooper is replacing William Anderson, the city’s first African-American police chief who resigned amid controversy, effective Dec. 31. The Asheville Police Department has roughly 400 personnel.

The city received 141 resumes after advertising the position.

A native of Concord, N.C., Hooper grew up in a military family. She started as an Alexandria patrol officer in 1989 and has since held multiple positions within the department, including serving as commander of the Vice Narcotics Division and later executing the Alexandria Police Department’s Community Policing Plan.

Hooper was also the first woman to serve as a captain of the Alexandria department, and she became Internal Investigations commander in 2007.

“Asheville is a great place,” she told local news media. “I had an opportunity to meet

Tammy Hooper with all the staff during the hiring process. I just got a great feeling from them — they’re awesome people — and I’m totally excited to be a part of the organization.”

Regarding becoming Asheville’s first female police chief, she told the Asheville Citizen-Times that, first and foremost, she got the position because “I earned it and because I’m qualified for it, and I plan on going in there and doing good work.

“That’s what it’s about for me. At the same time, I can’t ignore that I’m the first woman chief, and I’m sure there are going to be people who have their opinions about that, but for me, it’s about getting in there and getting to work.”

Under Anderson, 44 officers signed a petition stating that they lacked confidence in leadership, and the state Department of Justice opened a standards inquiry of the APD.

From Staff Reports With two cities dropping out early, Asheville’s opportunity to become the home of the NBA Charlotte Hornets’ D League franchise has improved.

In May, the Hornets sent out a request for proposal to seven North Carolina and South Carolina cities to submit bids to host a team in the NBA Development Leauge, which would begin play in the 2016-17 season.

However, Raleigh, N.C., and Greenville, S.C., decided not to make bids.

That leaves as the remaining North Carolina candidates Asheville, Fayetteville, and Greensboro, along with the South Carolina cities of Charleston and Columbia.

Asheville, which fielded a team in the original NBDL from 2001 to 2005, sent a bid to the Hornets in time to meet the June 8 deadline.

“We feel like we met a lot of their requests (in the RFP), and the ones we couldn’t meet, we offered ways to help find them,” said Chris Corl, general manager of the U.S. Cellular Center, which would be the site of the games if Asheville is awarded the franchise.

Among the requirements from the Hornets in the RFP is 50 available dates from Nov. 15 to April 15, including a minimum of 25 Friday or Saturday nights.

Not all of the aforementioned dates would be used because the Hornets, who currently do not have a D-League team, are looking to play 24 home games for their D-League team as part of a 50-game regular season.

The Hornets are also asking for the following: • a practice facility • 100 percent of gross ticket revenue • 100 percent of advertising signage revenue in the building Chris Corl • percentages of gross parking revenue and concession sales.

Asheville city officials involved in the bid presentation said the Hornets would not be given all of the conditions requested, but that those requirements are considered a starting point in negotiations.

“We’re looking at this as a partnership and submitting a proposal as a win-win,” according to Sam Powers, Asheville’s director of economic development. “It is a proposal that — if accepted (by the Hornets) — would be hard for us to turn down.”

Poor attendance and financial losses caused the Asheville Altitude to fold in 2005 after four seasons, but Corl said both sides are much different now.

Meanwhile, Charlotte General Manager Rich Cho said the Hornets have several reasons for wanting a D League team. “This would allow us to dictate how the team is run, with the same offensive and defensive seats ... and philosophies.”

Also, Hornets officials have said having the team close to Charlotte would facilitate player call-ups and help market the NBA team.

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Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 - A5

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A6 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Despite complaint, use of ‘The Kite Runner’ backed From Staff Reports

Buncombe County schools should continue to use the novel “The Kite Runner” in the classroom, a committee recently recommended.

On June 16, the committee voted to recommend that the county school board uphold an earlier decision by a Reynolds High School committee that found the book was appropriate for use in an honors English class.

During the meeting of the District Media and Technology Advisory Committee, Erwin Middle School Principal Joel Hathaway said, that, while the book has some disturbing content, “this book forces you to think. To me, that’s the definition of literary value.”

The Buncombe County Board of Education was expected to consider the panel’s recommendation at a June 30 meeting (after the Daily Planet’s press deadline for its July edition).

The use of the novel in a 10th-grade honors English class at Reynolds High earlier this year was suspended by school officials after former school board member and parent Lisa Baldwin filed a formal complaint about the book.

A school-based committee later determined the book was appropriate, at which point Baldwin appealed to the district-wide committee.

Gathering to hear the appeal were more than two dozen members of that group, including principals, parents and other school personnel.

In her comments at the June 16 meeting, Baldwin said that she is not trying to get the

book banned from the school, but instead questioning its use in the classroom.

“This is not about one parent controlling what your child reads. Your child can still read the book in the library of Reynolds High School,” she said June 16. “Do parents want their child to participate in an adult-guided discussion on this book? Then why don’t these parents discuss it with their children? This is not about stopping discussion.”

In the novel, Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a wealthy boy in Afghanistan and his best friend, who is the son of his father’s servant.

In one passage, the servant’s son is beaten and raped by an older boy. His friend sees the attack, but is too afraid to help.

After Baldwin’s challenge, the teacher sent a note home to parents informing them about the content and offering them the chance to have their child opt out of the assignment and read another book instead.

Baldwin criticized the language in the book as well as the passage involving the rape.

During the June 16 meeting, she read from the passage and then asked, “Why does the school district deem it so important, so essential, to include graphic descriptions of rape in classroom materials for 15-year-olds?”

Eric Grant, English language arts specialist for the school system, said the school district’s policy says books “should be judged by weighing the merits of the materials against the alleged weaknesses, and considering the whole item instead of isolated passages.”

Faith Notes Thursday, July 2

FILM SCREENING, 7 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. The film “John of God,” about the mental and spiritual healer from central Brazil, will be shown. Admission is free.

Monday, July 6

BIBLE STUDY CLASS, 7-9 p.m., Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. A Bible study class, “The Book of Zechariah and the Coming of the Lord,” will be held nightly through July 10. “There are 71 quotations from, or allusions to, Zechariah in the New Testament and only Ezekiel influenced the book of Revelation more,” the center noted.

“Come delve into the Lord’s grand plan, which embrace all of history.” To register, which costs $429, visit www.thecove.org.

Friday, July 10

STUDENT SEMINAR, 7-10:30 p.m., Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove, 1 Porters Cove Road, Asheville. A student seminar, “The Cause: Strengthening Your Faith for College,” will be held nightly through July 12. “Learn to defend your faith confidently, yet respectfully, with biblical truth supported by scientific facts and historical evidence,” the center noted. Pastors or leaders bringing four or more students are eligible to attend at no cost. To register, which costs $284, visit www.thecove.org.

Sunday, July 12

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Celebration Services 11 AM Sunday

Unity Church of Asheville An Informal Spiritual Center of Practical Christianity for Everyday Living.

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are urged to bring a snack for a 5:30 p.m. social time, following by the singing at 6.

Saturday, July 25

BENEDICTINE DAY, 11 a.m., Calvary Episcopal Church, 2840 Hendersonville Road, Fletcher.

Facilitated by the Rev. Elizabeth Canham, the focus of the Benedictine Day observance will be on work, as Benedictines support themselves in many creative ways. Several options will be provided and/or participants may choose to bring their own craft. A coffee time and registration will begin at 10:30 a.m., with the program at 11 a.m. Attendees are asked to bring bag lunches. Dessert and beverages will be provided. To register, call 684-6266.

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:

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PUBSING, 6-8 p.m., French Broad Brewery, 101-D Fairview Road, Asheville. A pubsing will feature a gospel jam and sing-along. Attendees

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Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 - A7

A-B Tech cutting budget, 10 jobs School also closing Enka campus building

From Staff Reports As Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College tries to balance its budget and make up an expected shortfall in state dollars, the school announced plans in early June to eliminate some of its workforce.

In addition, A-B Tech announced June 22 that it will close the Haynes building on the college’s Enka campus by the end of September. The move could allow the college to eventually sell the Enka property.

The Board of Trustees also voted June 22 to make plans to close the Technology Commercialization Center, which houses the small business incubator and the Craft Beverage Institute on the Enka campus.

That building, however, will remain open while college officials try to find a new location for the programs housed there.

Closing the Haynes building this year could help with a shortfall in the budget, schools officials said. The Haynes building closure will save about $540,000, according to A-B Tech President Dennis King.

The college has been grappling with a reduction in county funding since the 201314 fiscal year, when county funding was

slashed by $2 million.

The state funds A-B Tech based on student enrollment, which has dropped by about 4 percent.

At the time of the early June announcement, the state budget had not been completed, but the school said it is anticipating a reduction of about $1.7 million in funding for the upcoming fiscal year because of the decrease in the number of students.

In a June 1 meeting of the college Board of Trustees, King reviewed steps the school is taking to make up a $1.7 million shortfall.

Those steps included eliminating the positions of six employees. The college eliminated another four positions through attrition. In addition, A-B Tech reduced department budgets by 2 percent.

The college also recently announced the closing of a child care center on site.

A-B Tech received around $38.8 million in funding from the state this year.

The school also receives some money from Buncombe County, and school officials have asked the county to restore $2 million that was cut from the county portion of the budget two years ago.

Rep. Meadows reinstated as subcommittee chairman

From Staff Reports

WASHINGTON — Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Cashiers, who had been stripped of a subcommittee chairmanship after voting against his party’s wishes on trade legislation, was reinstated in late June.

Meadows said June 25 that he greatly appreciates Rep. Jason Chaffetz’s willingness to reconsider the decision to remove him as chairman of the House Oversight Committee’s Government Operations Subcommittee.

The move, made a week earlier by Chaffetz, a Utah Republican who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, was apparently in response to Meadows taking a procedural vote against trade legislation supported by GOP leadership.

After his reinstatement, Meadows said June 25 that he will “continue to vote and conduct myself in accordance with my

conscience, what my constituents want me to do, and what is best for the country.”

After speaking with Meadows several times during the week, Chaffetz said that “I think we both better understand each other.

“I respect Mark and his approach,” Chaffetz said. “The discussions and candor have been healthy and productive. Ultimately, I believe we both want to do what is best for the country. Obviously I believe in Mark Meadows or I would not have appointed him to this position in the first place. It is in the best interest of the committee to move forward together. Therefore, I have asked Mark to continue in his role as subcommittee chairman.”

Regarding the Meadows dust-up, House Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, said June 25 at his weekly news conference that “like any family, we have little squabbles from time to time.”

Prepper event termed sucess

From Staff Reports

WAYNESVILLE — The Heritage Life Skill IV weekend drew a number of preppers (aka “survivalists”) May 29-31 at the Haywood County Fairgrounds.

A food truck was on site for meals and snacks. In addition, Blue Ridge BBQ set up on site for those who were camping.

The event was later declared a success by its sponsor, Carolina Readiness Supply, located in Waynesville.

The May 29 evening speakers were Al Smith, who addressed “Security in Uncertain Times;” and Mr. MadMick, who spoke on “Group Dynamics.”

The May 30 evening speakers were Craig Shiba, who spoke on “Understanding Your

Weapons Capability;” followed by the cast from the History Channel’s new television series, “Alone.”

Among the classes taught were canning meat, vegetables, butter, and jam, breadmaking, cheese-making, secret garden of survival, quilting, basic sewing, beekeeping, essential oils, teas and tinctures, shitake mushrooms, fire-starting, weed walk (edible plants)., emergency auto repair, Dutch oven cooking, livestock for beginners, land navigation, radio communications, archery, trapping, shelters, blacksmith, knife-making, building a forge, perimeter security, surveillance detection, suturing, CPR certification, reloading, seed-saving, prepper pharmacy, water/wells/handpumps, dehydrating and tree grafting.

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A8 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Vance Monument restored, rededicated From Staff Reports The restored Vance Monument was rededicated during a June 6 ceremony that drew more than 100 attendees, with a sizable contingent of Masons, to Pack Square in downtown Asheville.

The 75-foot-tall granite obelisk bears the name of 19th century North Carolina Gov. Zebulon Vance on each of its four sides.

Since March, a restoration firm had been working to clean and refurbish the stone and remove stains that have built up since the monument was first dedicated in 1897.

The ceremony marked the completion of those efforts. In addition to speeches by Asheville and Buncombe County leaders, devoted fundraisers and Vance historians, the city released plans for a new time capsule to be placed in the base of the monument on Sept. 18.

Speaking about Vance’s life and legacy was Chris Roberts, president of the 26th North Carolina Regiment, which Vance commanded during the Civil War. Roberts led the fundraising efforts for the restoration, eventually amassing $150,000.

Regarding the significance of the monu-

UNCA students call for Vance Hall renaming

From Staff Reports

Confederate Governor and Colonel Zebulon Vance’s name is on the campus police station at UNC Asheville and students say it’s time for that to change.

A group filed an online petition this week as leaders across the South debated removing the Confederate flag from license plates and state capitols.

The debate comes in the wake of the shooting deaths at a black church in Charleston, S.C. On June 23, someone spray painted “Black Lives Matter” on the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville.

Vance owned slaves.

Amina Kone, incoming president of the Black Student Association at UNCA, said it’s time for university leaders to change the name of Vance Hall.

“After learning about the history of it, it does bother me,” she said. “It does kind of get under my skin a little bit.”

Vance Hall is in Governors Village at UNCA, which has five dorms named for North Carolina governors.

Students first asked to have the name of the building changed last spring.

UNCA Chancellor Mary Grant says the issue is still being discussed.

“Last spring, student leaders and the UNC Asheville board of trustees came together to discuss the issue of building naming,” she said in a written statement. “The names of specific buildings, including Vance Hall, were considered in the context of what those names might mean to today’s students.

“It was a candid and thoughtful discussion and will continue to be an important conversation for the campus community in the future. UNC Asheville is committed to being an inclusive community and I’m glad our students, faculty and alumni engage these issues with passion,” Grant noted.

THANKS for reading the Asheville Daily Planet!

Vance Monument stands in Pack Square, which is the hub of downtown Asheville. ment, City Councilman Jan Davis told those in attendance that “I can remember my dad holding my hand as we were walking around here, and I thought that (the monument) was just the coolest, neatest thing I had ever seen. It’s just so important to this entire community.”

In addition, Davis noted that the 19th century was fraught with racial strife and that the Vance family owned slaves.

He praised efforts by groups, such as the African-American Heritage Commission,

to create a monument to under-represented contributions to Asheville.

“I see no reason that there shouldn’t be a marker somewhere in this area to recognize that community that is not represented here,” Davis said.

The other main local speaker, David Gantt, chairman of the Buncombe Board of Commissioners, also discussed Asheville’s segregated past. Gantt said the Vance Monument creates constructive dialogue about the harsh realities of history.

“I do think (Vance) would welcome the opportunity to tell both sides of everything,” Gantt said. “If we don’t, we’re going to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Meanwhile, Debbie Ivester, assistant director of the city’s parks and recreation department, distributed plans to create a time capsule for the base of Vance Monument.

In March, officials from the city and the Western Regional Archive removed a time capsule from 1897 from the base of the monument, which had been put there by the Masons.

The city will leave instructions for the new time capsule to be opened 100 years later — in 2115.

Flag

Continued from Page A1 Meanwhile, the vandalism involving spraypaint occurred near the foot of the Vance Memorial in Pack Square early on the morning of June 23.

The incident was reported just after 2 a.m., according to Asheville Police Department.

The city’s Street Maintenance Department was already in the area and reportedly removed the spray-painted slogan “Black lives matter” quickly.

The APD said no arrests have been made.

The Asheville landmark commemorates the life of Zebulon Vance, a Civil War senator, governor and first colonel of the 26th North Carolina regiment.

Restoration of the monument was completed earlier in June, when a rededication ceremony was held. (See adjoining story for details on the rededication.)

The vandalism is part of a trend targeting monuments dedicated to the leaders and soldiers of the Confederacy in a half-dozen states, where the landmarks stand tall in parks and outside government buildings.

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Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 - A9

French Broad River: It’s safe and fun The overall quality of the water in the French Broad River Basin is good, although approximately 11 percent — or 400 miles — is impaired and needs improvement, according to the Water Quality Programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University.

“The French Broad River Basin is characterized by a mountainous topography,” an NCSU report stated.

“The basin is 2,809 square miles large (11 percent of the state) and contains the second largest number of stream miles - 4,113 miles.

“Water resources in this river basin support recreational-based businesses (whitewater rafting, canoeing, and trout fishing). Many streams are classified as High Quality or Outstanding Resource Waters because of the abundant trout populations.

“Over half of the basin is forested, with agricultural activities occuring primarily in the river valleys. Cultivated land area is decreasing in this basin while urban lands are increasing.

Major industries involve agriculture (dairy, livestock, apples, and Christmas trees), mining and tourism.

“The area that comprises the French Broad River Basin consists of nine counties: Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Transylvania, and Yancey. Approximately five percent of the state’s population, or 357,932 people, live in this river basin,” according to NCSU. The Best Tubing in Asheville Starting from two super-convenient locations, Zen Tubing’s river routes can’t be beat. They’re the ideal tubing length – 2.5-3 hours, depending on water level and weather conditions – with our Southern route floating you past plenty of islands and places to picnic and swim.

Our Midtown location floats you past some of Asheville’s finest breweries, the vibrant River Arts District and finishes upstream from the Bywater!

You’ll be floating those routes in the cushiest, comfiest tubes to ever ride the river with their built-in back rests, closed bottoms and ability to hook together for groups and families.

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Together Jen and Heath share a passion for Western North Carolina’s natural beauty, and their continued involvement with Riverlink, Western North Carolina Alliance and Asheville Greenworks is a testament to that. Now with the opening of their second location, it’s easier than ever for Asheville residents and

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A10 — July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

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Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — A11 Advertisement

Muscadines — Take the Pain out of Inflammatory Arthritis One of the most frequently asked questions regarding the health benefits of Muscadine wine concerns lowering the risk of Diabetes and reducing the pain associated with Arthritis.

Muscadines are among the richest source of antioxidants found in nature and are a leading food source for the antioxidant known as Resveratrol.

Resveratrol is an antioxidant that is reported to lower inflammation associated with Arthritis pain and slow the passage of glucose through the digestive tract to lower the risk of Diabetes. Most everyone is aware that blueberries, blackberries and pomegranates are great sources of antioxidants. What is not commonly known, however, is that Muscadine grapes have more antioxidants per gram than most any other fruit, with three times more antioxidants than blueberries, four times more than blackberries and six times more than pomegranates.

Evidence continues to mount that drinking wine goes hand in hand with a healthy lifestyle and is a powerful means of improving overall health. In 2005, a Harvard team found that the consumption of Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, by overweight lab mice increased energy levels, lowered cholesterol and reduced overall blood sugar. Scientific journals have recently been filled with studies suggesting that Resveratrol could be a treatment for Alzheimer’s, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other ailments.

of fruit and vegetables a day. A single 1-cup serving of Muscadine grapes would more than double the average person’s antioxidant intake. Muscadine grapes are fat free, high in fiber and they are high in antioxidants, especially ellagic acid and Resveratrol. Ellagic acid has demonstrated ant-carcinogenic properties in the colon, lungs and liver of mice. Based on this study, drinking a single glass of Muscadine wine a day is equivalent in Resveratrol concentrations to drinking 40 glasses of European red wine.

Over the next few months we will discuss the health benefits of Muscadines and Muscadine wine and how the consumption of antioxidants can help prevent heart disease, strokes, signs of aging, certain types of cancers, macular degeneration of the eye. We will also discuss how antioxidants protect mental function, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation associated with arthritis and promote overall good health.

Larry Cagle, Jr. WoodMill Winery, Inc.

Preventing Arthritis Researchers in Sweden have reported that drinking five to ten glasses of wine per week may cut the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis by up to 50 percent, compared with the risk to non-wine drinkers. In addition, other studies have found that moderate wine consumption is linked to increased bone density in elderly women, potentially lowering the risk of osteoporosis.

Lowering Diabetes Risk Studies have shown that people who consume light to moderate amounts of wine on a daily basis appear to have an advantage when it comes to preventing type-2 diabetes.

A Harvard School of Public Health study from 2003 found that women 25 years and older who consumed a glass or two a day were at a 58 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than non-drinkers. Researchers speculate that wine consumption might help regulate insulin sensitivity and blood glucose levels by slowing the passage of glucose through the digestive tract.

Those already diagnosed with diabetes may also benefit from wine consumption as well.

There is a clear connection between those with diabetes and a increased risk of heart disease. The risk of coronary heart disease was up to 55 percent lower in studies for diabetics that drank wine in moderation.

How it works Simply put, Resveratrol protects humans because it protects plants. Resveratrol is produced in a grapevine when the vine becomes stressed. Stress can be caused by growing conditions such as poor soil, extreme weather, by leaf eating pests, fungus, or disease. Resveratrol collects in the skin of the grapes, helping the grape to protect itself from the stressor.

Most everyone is aware that red wine, not white, is recommended for health benefits.

Red wine is healthier because the wine making process used to make red wine includes fermenting the skins, seeds, flesh and juice of the grape, thus producing a wine with Resveratrol. Most white wine is made by using the juice from the grape only and as a result Resveratrol is not present in most white wines.

Eating Muscadine grapes is the best way to get Resveratrol; however, Muscadine grapes are only available during the months of September and October. Muscadine wine is available year round and the Resveratrol in the wine is protected by the CO2 produced by the wine.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a healthy diet that includes five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Typical Americans consume only two or three servings

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A12 —July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Shoe-throwing Continued from Page A1 Wainscott also ran for council two years ago and gained notoriety during a 2013 shouting match with Councilman Cecil Bothwell that went viral. The confrontation — over the siting of New Belgium Brewery — happened at a West Asheville Business Association candidate forum, with the two calling each other liars.

Earlier in June, Wainscott was taken into

custody at 10:15 p.m. June 2 at his home at 18 Reynolds Road, charged with the protective order violation and cyberstalking, according to an arrest report.

He was released the next day after posting a $14,000 bond.

While Asheville police made the arrest, warrants for the charges were issued by the Raleigh Police Department.

Wainscott is accused of violating a

protective order that was issued March 2

by Wake County District Court Judge Ned Mangum, “by sending emails directly to the subject in the 50B order and to her immediate family,” according to the warrant.

The cyberstalking charge alleges Wainscott has “repeatedly” contacted the victim “by email, and indirectly by social media, with the intent to intimidate the victim and her family,” according to the warrant.

The alleged incidents happened May 29, according to warrants.

Wainscott also was charged in early May with violating the March protective order.

In a social media posting, Wainscott said he had not intentionally contacted the recipient, his wife.

In his current campaign for a council seat, Wainscortt has said he will promote affordable housing and marijuana decriminalization.

Continued from Page A1 City elections are nonpartisan with no indication on ballots of whether a candidate is a Republican or a Democrat.

But Mumpower cast the race in a decidedly partisan hue, saying he wanted to disrupt the pattern of Democrats holding all seven seats.

“Seven shades of blue is not a good thing. We need a conservative point of view for the same reason we need diversity in everything in our culture,” Mumpower told the Citizen-Times.

“I learned a lot when I served those eight years, and I think when a conservative voice left the council two things got lost: One was balance and the other was a watchdog. And that is what I do. I try to bring balance and I definitely function as a watchdog,” he said.

During his council tenure, Mumpower, made drug enforcement and the city’s control of its water system two of his key issues. He chose not to seek a third term, instead making an unsuccessful bid as a Republican candidate

for Congress.

In 2004, he accompanied retired police officer Herb Watts to a public housing complex to see the scale of the local drug problem. The two were approached by dealers, Mumpower said, and were given a “rock” of crack cocaine. Watts then drove off without paying. Mumpower said he turned the crack in to the police.

Mumpower used the experience in calling for stepped-up enforcement. He said he does

not know the current situation in terms of drugs in public housing, but said if elected, he will make examining the problem and enforcement a top priority.

“I do not believe that people should be forced to live in public housing developments that are havens of drugs.”

In 2009, he criticized the state legislature, then controlled by Democrats, for moves to reduce Asheville’s control of the water system. Mumpower compared lawmakers to

drug-dealers, wife-beaters and thieves and criticized other council members for trying to negotiate with the legislators.

As for his other accomplishments, Mumpower pointed to budgets during his tenure that he said spent less taxpayer money because of his insistence and also his work in organizing volunteer groups to build small “top-a-stop” bus shelters.

“I like the idea of getting people out of the rain,” he told the AC-T.

Conservative

City council candidates roundup

From Staff Reports There are three seats up for grabs on the seven-member Asheville City Council this year.

As of late June, there were nine known candidates. The election process will include an Oct. 6 primary, along with the Nov. 3 general election.

The actual filing deadline for the council race is July 6-17, although candidates have already emerged and several have begun to raise money.

The candidates include Vice Mayor Marc Hunt, former councilman and vice mayor Carl Mumpower, attorney Corey Atkins and financial adviser Rich Lee. Also running are environmental nonprofit director Julie Mayfield, management consultant Grant Millin and long-haul trucker Lavonda Nicole Payne.

Other candidates include affordable housing advocate Lindsey Simerly, East West Asheville builder Jonathan Wainscott and social justice activist Keith Young.

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.

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 - A13 PAID ADVERTISEMENT

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A14 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

The Daily Planet’s Opinion

African-American marker needed

W

e think the time has come for a monument to be erected in Pack Square, downtown’s centerpiece, to recognize under-represented contributions to Asheville.

Indeed, the African-American Heritage Commission has been working diligently for months, trying to see that a black monument is built.

David Gantt and Jan Davis also deserve praise for recently pointing out that there are many different perspectives on history and acknowledging the importance of recognizing the contributions of the African-American community to Asheville.

The aforementioned remarks were made during their separate addresses at the Vance Monument rededication in downtown Asheville’s Pack Square on June 6. The ceremony followed months of renovation.

“I see no reason that there shouldn’t be a marker somewhere in this area to recognize that community that is not represented here,” Davis, a member of City Council, said.

Gantt, chairman of the Buncombe Board of Commissioners, Gantt said the Vance Monument creates an opportunity for constructive dialogue about the harsh realities of Asheville’s segregated past.

Zebulon Vance, for whom the memorial is named, served as a Confederate officer in the Civil War and later as governor of North Carolina and as a U.S. senator. His family owned slaves before the Civil War. “I do think (Vance) would welcome the opportunity to tell both sides of everything,” Gantt said. “If we don’t, we’re going to repeat the mistakes of the past.”

A black monument is long overdue.

Why we lost the war on terrorism CHAPEL HILL — “I am a United States Army general, and I lost the Global War on Terrorism.”

These are the opening lines of retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger’s book, “Why We Lost: A General’s Inside Account of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.” Bolger teaches military history at N.C. State.

“No U.S. general has criticized the Iraq and Afghanistan wars more sharply” than Bolger, wrote reviewer Carter Malkasian in “The Washington Post.”

Continuing the shocking opening words of his book, Bolger writes, “It’s like Alcoholics Anonymous; step one is admitting you have a problem. Well, I have a problem. So do my peers. And thanks to our problem, now all of America has a problem, to wit: two lost campaigns and a war gone awry.”

With President Obama’s decision to send 450 more U.S. troops to Iraq, Bolger’s acceptance of responsibility and his explanation of “why we lost” are extremely timely.

Just what did Bolger and the other generals do wrong in Afghanistan and Iraq? You do not have to read all 500 pages of “Why We Lost” to understand Bolger’s explanation.

He makes his point in just a few pages in the book’s epilogue.

He writes, “Despite the unmatched courage of those in U.S. uniform--including a good number of generals who led their people under fire--our generals did not stumble due to a lack of intellect. Rather, we faltered due to a distinct lack of humility. Certain we knew best, confident our skilled troops would prevail, we persisted in a failed course for far too long and came up well short, to the detriment of our trusting countrymen.”

This failed course was the military’s nation building efforts based on a counterinsurgency strategy. But, writes Bolger, “Counterinsurgency works if the intervening country demonstrates the will to remain forever.”

He continues, “Once it becomes clear that the external forces won’t stay past a certain date, the guerrillas simply back off and wait it out.

“We did not understand our enemies.

Indeed, drawn into nasty local feuds, we took on too many diverse foes, sometimes confusing opponents with supporters and vice

D.G. Martin versa. Then we compounded that ignorance by using our conventionally trained military to comb through hostile villages looking for insurgents.”

Throughout the extended operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bolger says there were always only three options: “Stay the course.

Add forces. Pull out. Over time, in both countries, all three approaches were tried. Only the third one, pulling out, worked, and that in the finite sense that it ended U.S. involvement.

But it left both friends and foes behind, sowing the seeds for future troubles.”

The question remains. Why does Bolger blame himself and the other generals for losing the war on terrorism? Were not all these decisions made by the country’s civilian leadership?

Here is his answer. “The record to date shows that no senior officers argued for withdrawal. Instead, like Lee at Gettysburg, overly impressed by U.S. military capabilities and our superb volunteers, commander after commander, generals up and down the chain, kept right on going. We trusted our invincible men and women to figure it out and rebuild two shattered Muslim countries and do so under fire from enraged locals.”

The question remains for Bolger and for President Obama.

Are we doing the same thing again?

One more thing, if you skip the first 400 pages of “Why We Lost,” you will miss gripping, disturbing, and inspiring accounts of the incredible performance of U.S. troops in the most challenging and ambiguous situations.

These pages should be required reading for any president or presidential candidate who proposes sending American troops again to fight an extended counterinsurgency war.

• 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

Duke substation relocation would force cuts for payoff

Since Duke Power (Duke Energy Progress) appears to have the right to build their substation next to the (Isaac Dickson Elementary) school, the operative question for council is: what other city spending are you willing to cut in order to pay Duke Power to relocate the substation.

Another relevant question though is how much can childless taxpayers save by encouraging health-conscious parents to pay for their own private school in order to avoid EMFs (electromagnetic fields)?

Alan Ditmore Leicester EDITOR’S NOTE: Ditmore added the following postscript to his letter.

Why on earth do I know more about the platforms of next year’s candidates than I do about those of THIS year’s candidates???

Something is VERY wrong with local news coverage and investigative journalism.

In 2013, I belatedly found a young Woodfin candidate, Andrea Boyer, to volunteer for, but for the most part I was too late in finding her and most of the volunteer work was already done.

Meanwhile I am being inundated with, and distracted by, this cult of personality type presidential coverage that I will not need for nearly a year.

WHO ARE THIS YEAR’S ANDREA BOYERS OF WNC??? Payne perhaps???

What is her platform???? Potential volunteers need to find this out FAST! EDITOR’S NOTE: Ditmore’s “Payne” reference is to Lavonda Nicole Payne, a political newcomer who lives on Ascott Point Circle, is a 22-year-old longhaul truck driver. The Asheville native recently announced her plans to run for a seat on City Council. As for her platform, she has said she wants to see the city help young people develop skills that will get them jobs, improve public transportation and push people to get off social services.

See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A19

The Candid Conservative

Solomon was a conservative

“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”

— William F. Buckley Jr.

T

Carl Mumpower

The problem

he smartest man in history would smile at the sham of modern liberalism. He’d spot the left’s false Gods of hyperbole, seduction and entitlement with the same insight that caught a prostitute stealing another’s child.

A bit of history

Solomon was the favored son of God’s favorite King. For proof positive that past perfection is not a condition of God’s love, witness that David committed adultery and murder to secure Solomon’s future mother – Bathsheba. He suffered the consequences, repented and – a point of hope for the rest of us who lose our way – remained in the graces of his higher power.

Upon Solomon’s succession to his father’s throne his request for wisdom was granted.

Solomon thereby secured more honors, riches and assorted blessings than any leader in history.

One of those ‘blessings’ included a thousand or Whistle Blower so wives and concubines that proved his undoing.

At the end, having done all, seen all, had all and learned almost all, he wrote the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes. Therein rests the core of modern conservatism.

Solomon’s take on life

Ecclesiastes is about a dozen pages long.

Though presented in a somewhat cynical format – Solomon appears to have been struggling from depression brought on by trying to keep up with 1,000 ladies – the landing place is anything but negative. His summary take was that everything worth anything tracks to living in God’s will.

Upon that bedrock is a table resting on the four legs of labor, love, learning and living.

It was Solomon’s take that the rest of man’s pursuits were ensnaring ‘vanities’ by which all are undone. Thousands of years ago Solomon revealed the stable table of con-

servatism over the vanities of liberalism.

To labor

Solomon recognized that work is central to personal wellbeing. We live in a world where, contrary to the pretenses of the left, nothing is free. It thus behooves all of us to seek ways to produce and contribute. For the same reason parents spoil their children for selfish purposes, enabling a man to sit down versus stand up is never a positive action. The rewards of living off your own labors include purpose, growth, independence and hope. The outcomes of living off the labors of others include emptiness, regression, dependence and despair.

If everyone is working to potentials, the opportunities for prosperity are limitless.

Democratic public policy pushes people to stop working and fight over a shrinking pie instead of baking one big enough for us all to enjoy. We can thank Solomon for providing a succinct summation of one crucial difference between right and left handed thinking.

To love

Conservatives and liberals both talk love – their walk reveals the point of separation. Solomon would recognize the vanity fix the left gets out of confusing love with enabling. Baltimore offers example.

Democrats have been in charge there since the sixties and received buckets of state and federal monies lavished on their misguided policies. The result has been a Baltimore where the best thing most minorities can do to step up is move out.

Conservatives love by recognizing that opportunity is bitter medicine without personal accountability and that bad choices cause far more harm than any social force.

No amount of money, political correctness or entitlement will make up for being foolish. America’s traditional success equation of liberty, opportunity and responsibility represents the conservative equation of love.

See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A18

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — A15

Commentary

Military-minded serve a valuable purpose

A

Washington Post survey last March asked people what concerned them about a possible U.S. involvement against ISIS in Iraq — that we would go too far or that we wouldn’t go far enough.

Republicans responded 34 percent that we would go too far and 57 percent that we wouldn’t go far enough. Democrats: 62 percent that we’d go too far, 25 percent that we wouldn’t go far enough. Independents: 56 percent that we’d go too far, 28 percent that we wouldn’t go far enough.

Many polls have asked whether the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were worth fighting. In every one, Republicans say “yes, they were” by wide margins over the general population – like the CBS News poll last year that had Republicans 27 percent and non-Republicans 18 percent.

There’s a message in these numbers about Republicans.

Right: the numbers say that Republicans are very different from other Americans in their attitudes toward war. They are far more likely to favor military solutions.

We all remember March, 2003, when U.S. forces invaded Iraq. Suddenly, streets were a forest of fluttering car flags. America was at war!

Before the invasion, there were protests and vigils. After the invasion, a storefront displayed a sign saying protesters should be ashamed. Our troops, it said, were risking their lives to protect the protesters’ right to protest. And soon ribbons appeared urging:

Lee Ballard “Support the Troops.”

They missed the point: the Iraq War was a bad war. It had nothing to do with American freedoms. Sure, I supported the poor clods who had to obey orders and do the fighting.

It was the war itself that was wrong.

Vietnam was also a bad war. Like Iraq, the basic rationale for the Vietnam War was untrue and even dishonest.

By contrast, there are good wars. I watch American Heroes Channel more than any other (except baseball). The Marines in the Pacific, the Army in Europe – the best of our young men dying to stop aggression. WW2 needed to be fought.

My wife and I read a lot about the Civil War and marvel how the hand of God acted to end slavery. We’ve stood in long meditation on Little Round Top at Gettysburg and felt a deep emotion as we recreated what happened there – the courage and devotion of both the 20th Maine and the exhausted 15th Alabama. The outcome that afternoon doomed the Confederacy.

It’s easy to look backward and judge “good war, bad war.” Wars yet to be fought are tough.

Senator Marco Rubio has said, “We need to begin to prepare people” for war with Iran.

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Yikes, he’s running for President! Iranians are increasingly influenced by Western ideas.

The general population is a lot like us.

This series of columns has been critical of conservative Republican values – how they use the Bible to support pet positions, how they’re being led into unwise positions on guns by a self-serving NRA, and how they try to use the American flag to show themselves super-patriotic.

This column is less critical of the conservative Republican value regarding the military.

Yes, they glorify war, and they push us toward military involvement. And yes, they mistakenly see themselves as more patriotic than others.

But we need them. We need people who are disciplined, subordinate and, yes, warlike, for our national defense. (But interestingly, while our military’s officer corps is lop-sidedly Republican, our total 1.4 million military

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.

personnel are not. Both men and women are about 47 percent Independent. Men are 28 percent Republican and 16 percent Democrat.

Women are 28 percent Democrat and 19 percent Republican.)

And they provide one side in our national debates on war, an opinion we need.

For example, our involvement in Iraq against ISIS. Good war or bad war?

I’m open to the idea that such a war might be necessary. I’m listening with one ear to Lindsey Graham.

• Lee Ballard lives in Mars Hill.

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A16 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Commentary

3rd party? How about a 4th! GOP, Dems, Rand and Bernie

Jeff Messer is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WPEK (880AM, The Revolution) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog.

• The following was posted on June 11:

B

Jeff Messer

ack in early 2004, I had a conversation with a relative, as we looked ahead to the election. No one (at least not anyone with a passion for seeing some actual change happen) was excited about W part 2, and no one was excited about the Dem’s paler shade of pale, John Kerry.

After the election, and a few years later, I had another chat with the same person, looking ahead. W was declining fast, and everyone knew that 2008 was a chance to try and fix the epic mess and failures.

Growing tired of the same old game of the two party duopoly, I declared that it was high time there be a third party, AND a fourth party.

You can say you support the GOP because they are strong on defense. But look at 9/11 and the aftermath that played right into Bin Laden’s wildest dreams. You can say you like them because they are SO Christian, yet they clearly worship at the alter of money (which is somewhat called into question in the Bible). You can say that they are fiscally responsible, and that’s why you like them so much, but then again, they’ve been over-spending and massively wasteful for over 3 decades.

Hint: the Republican Party isn’t your party anymore if you believe in those things.

The Democrats are no dream either. They sell out to big business because they have to in order to have a fighting chance against he GOP. They claim to be all about defending peoples rights, but more often run from those fights or heavily compromise. They are weak. And most of them have spines weaker than gummy bears.

There are outliers in both parties, however. Ron Paul was always on the fringe of the GOP, and never fit in. Allan Grayson is legitimately left-wing radical, but the Dems often cross the street of politics to avoid being seen with him.

The duopoly has lead to making it impossible for a third party to be viable. The GOP and Dems are in a game of mutual benefit. They start with the football on the 50 yard line, toss the coin, then the winner of said coin toss move the ball a handful of yards in 3 downs, and punt. Where upon the other side runs it back to the 50-yard

line, and proceed to move the ball a few yards, before also punting, where upon the other team runs it back to the 50, and the process repeats. And they call that progress.

The last thing these status quo do nothing establishmenteers want is some lunatic dropping back and sending a hail Mary pass to the end zone. God forbid they even try.

So, Rand Paul scares the right. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren scare the left. Why? Because they would actually try to score. And that’s counter productive to the needs of the standard-bearers of the two party system.

The Dems and the GOP learned back in 1992 with Ross Perot. And after he came that close to upsetting the balance, they made sure something like that could never happen again.

Bernie Sanders had to drop his Independent I to run as a Democrat, because the ability of a 3rd party candidate to make headway, and even get on all 50 state’s ballots is non-existent now days. To change the game, he’s having to play the game.

Rand Paul as well, to some extent. But he was already in the GOP. Though after his Patriot Act grandstanding, they are working hard to destroy him. His Libertarian streak is hurting his chance with the King makers of his party, who simply want Bush, and they’ll take Walker if Bush doesn’t pan out. They may let you think Cruz, Fiorina, Paul, Rubio, etc have a chance, but they are leading you on.

After Paul got destroyed by his own party in the past few weeks, I was taken back to that conversation a decade ago where I pointed out that the best way to fix things would be for the GOP to be broken up into two parties, followed by the same for the Democrats. The Tea Party uprising has only helped solidify this notion in my mind. It is now clear that the GOP are at least two parties feuding from within.

And Bernie Sanders insertion into the Democrat conversation shows that the same exists on the left.

So, what if Rand Paul walked away from the GOP and took his Tea time pals with him? It would be a crushing blow to the GOP, who need those ill-informed voters to help tip the scales ever so slightly.

But what if, in the aftermath of a Rand Paul walk out of the GOP, Bernie Sanders

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did the same on the left? Thus setting up a four way race for the White House in 2016?

Bush, Clinton, Paul and Sanders. All on the same debate stage. Leveling the playing field, and making the “establishment” have to work hard to just stay in it. And, no one would be able to count on aiming for the 50 percent-plus-one approach. They would have to fight and earn every vote.

And we the people would have a more honest debate, and a more honest representation of how the public thinks and feels about them.

Are they ready for that kind of honesty?

Probably not.

Are we? I should hope so, but we’re a pretty lazy electorate.

Just one major election with a four party race and debate could and would forever alter the political process in America. If, and only if, we get behind it.

It would be well worth it, just to take a wrecking ball to the GOP and Democrats and the death grip they have on the process.

We’re not going to be able to move forward or save this country if things stay the same.

Think about that.

The following was posted on June 23:

Reflections on Charleston and the last shots of the Confederacy

The governor of South Carolina said she wanted the Confederate flag to come down from the state capital grounds.

She had to sound reasonable, and appease

those who will possibly freak out over such an affront to the lost Civil War they, nor anyone they have ever actual met, fought in.

All in all, she managed to deliver as perfect a speech as could be crafted to deal with both sides of the issue. However, it now has to get a 2/3 vote in the state legislature. So, far from done.

Is this massacre in a Black AME Church in Charleston, going to be the final shots of the Civil War. Finally?

And, why are we not asking exactly why it too THIS, and THIS LONG to get it done?

Why are politicians who spent years finding ways to support keeping it waving, now moving fast to take it down?

No one changes view that quickly. Not over a matter of less than a week. Disingenuous much?

2015 is a banner year for forcing the backward looking, and living people of ignorant America, to finally move forward with the rest of the civilized world.

We’re taking steps closer to recognizing same sex couples as equal in marriage.

The pope is making it official Catholic teaching that climate change must be addressed.

Health care for all in America may be inching closer, out of the chaos of the ObamaCare roll outs.

And when you look at that stuff, and see how shockingly fast-moving it has been in the past year or so, it doesn’t make the massive crowds who are cheering on Bernie Sanders (without being paid $50 to be there) seem so strange now, does it?

See MESSER, Page A18

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — A17

Commentary

People in darkness have seen a great light Pete Kaliner is the host of a daily radio talk show on Asheville’s WWNC (570AM) that airs from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. This column features posts from his daily blog.

• The following was posted on June 22:

T

o believe in the light, one must believe there is darkness, as well.

If there is a Heaven there is, most certainly, a Hell.

And if there is evil then there is good.

And that’s what South Carolinians, Charlestonians, Americans — of all races — are showing in the aftermath of the horrific massacre at Emmanuel AME Church.

On Sunday, organizers and victims’ families planned the “Bridge to Peace” event on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge. They were expecting a thousand people.

About 20,000 showed...

The display of strength, peace, forgiveness, and good is overwhelming to watch.

On Friday, MSNBC reporter Thomas Roberts was covering the arraignment of the shooter, and broke down crying as hundreds of people arrived at the courthouse singing gospel hymns.

During that arraignment, family members

Pete Kaliner of the murdered told the accused how much he hurt them and their loved ones. But — despite that — they forgive him. And that they pray for God’s mercy on his soul.

These people are inspiring in their love and devotion to God and His word. Their ability to offer forgiveness is, no doubt, a struggle they endure with great effort. But their words and actions exhibit the presence of divine guidance and strength - fostered by the pastor who was murdered on Wednesday.

They are all ambassadors for the faith.

They are examples of what good and what God can do. They are inspiring Christians to be better.

For all of this, we are eternally grateful.

The following was posted on June 2:

When newspapers lie

I refuse to believe the editorial boards at the Charlotte Observer, the News & Observer, and the Greensboro News & Record are packed with people who cannot read English.

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A. They are lazy and did not read a threepage bill before they wrote editorials about it.

B. They are purposefully lying in order to mislead the public.

There is so much wrong with the editorials these boards wrote about Senate Bill 2 (the marriage recusal act for magistrates), but I will focus on one simple and clear point.

From the bill: “Every magistrate has the right to recuse from performing all lawful marriages under this Chapter based upon any sincerely held religious objection. Such recusal shall be upon notice to the chief district court judge and is in effect for at least six months from the time delivered to the chief district court judge. The recusing magistrate may not perform any marriage under this Chapter until the recusal is rescinded in writing. The chief district court judge shall ensure that all individuals issued a marriage license seeking to be married before a magistrate may marry.”

This is pretty clear, right?

Magistrates can recuse themselves from performing all marriages.

Recusals last at least six months (so people can’t recuse and then recant their recusal depending upon who walks through the door to get a license).

Recusals must be rescinded in writing.

Everyone who seeks a license can get one.

Despite this clear language, the aforementioned editorialists argued: See KALINER, Page A18

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A18—July 2015 — Asheville Daily Planet

Candid Conservative

Continued from Page A14

To learn

It’s a fact that most of us live as an echo – we simply recycle the nonsense our lizard brains are programmed to believe. The alternative to this stupefaction is learning.

In twenty-first century America public schools and colleges are dangerous places to learn. Dominated by habituated educators confusing liberalism with a liberal education, propaganda taints their function. Less you don’t buy it, inquire of any education setting as to how many conservatives they have teaching or administrating.

You’ll be shocked.

Truth remains one of the most elusive commodities in modern life. Give up comfort, convenience and concord if you seek truth. Learning to separate what’s real from what’s not takes hard work and an independent spirit rarely rewarded in a vanity driven culture.

To live

Solomon recognized life as an extraordinary blessing worthy of celebration. It was his thinking this finite gift should not be taken for granted and that doom and gloom, selfishness and stagnancy have absolutely no connection to gratitude.

Solomon knew that no matter how bad it gets, God hides possibilities amidst the miseries. These words of wisdom offer challenge to those of us sometimes kidnapped by the depressing absurdities of today’s world. His view would be that the more darkness engulfs us the brighter the light of life shines.

Kaliner

Solutions

Solomon revealed three stellar truths: 1,000 women will exceed the capacities of even the smartest man; the left’s life plan is corrupt; and conservative principles track toward God’s stated will and thus the right side of the final outcome. With all due respect to the left, you seem to have forgotten that in the 21st century the Devil is more likely to carry a briefcase than a pitchfork.

We are graced to live in a self-correcting world. No matter how crazy, absurd and wrong-headed things get; in the end reality, reason, responsibility, and right will prevail. It thus behooves conservative minded folks to smile at the noise, resist it when possible and put our primary energies into Solomon’s formula for success.

The left’s master plan is that of a hungry wolf eating itself for nourishment. That’s a short-term deal no matter how fat the wolf grows in the process. The Democratic Party has unleashed unrealistic and unquenchable appetites in its mascots – think Baltimore – that assure failure.

If you’re member of the Republican Party, keep hammering on the elephant’s stated principles. Resist those who dilute those Solomon graced agendas for personal gain. Above all else keep smiling and doing your labor, love, learning, and living thing.

Happy functional people who can be normal in an abnormal world offer hope for the lost.

This Month’s Whistle – Fort Buncombe Been to jail lately? Thanks to short-

sighted thinking subsidized by a ton of tax dollars, we now have a downtown Asheville fortress that’s about as accessible as Berlin’s 1930’s Gestapo headquarters.

Analysis of walk over talk reveals the Democratic Party as a well-organized body of control freaks. Jails are one of the few places where those skills can serve good purpose. Unfortunately excessive appetites have succeeded in turning our house of incarceration into a gated community where the good guys are kept out as surely as the bad guys are kept in.

Ask a family member, bondsman or other visitor attempting to visit Fort Buncombe.

Floodlights, machine guns and guard dogs have been skipped as unnecessary. With 5 public parking spaces within shouting distance, a pass secured gate and an uphill climb that will give Aunt Mary a heart attack, our jail has less public access than the Grove Park Inn at Christmas.

Per internal bureaucracies, you can dissect a turtle faster than you can get a legally released inmate out the front door. Need to use the bathroom after five? Sorry, that door is locked. Need to wash your hands when it’s open? Bring your own soap.

All this is a problem for many reasons, not the least of which is that people in jail remain people. Curtailing physical access for visitation and professional contacts adds insult to the injury of a phone system costing $14.99+ a call. There’s a difference in holding criminals accountable and holding criminals hostage.

Try building anything in Asheville and you’ll quickly run into daunting landscaping, access and parking codes. Per the usual, government exempts itself. Ever

tried to navigate the stairs to the jail between City Hall and the Courthouse? Think Mt. Mitchell in concrete.

It’s also a concern that Buncombe has quietly become one of the most indebted counties in North Carolina. If our national economy falls off this fake money tight wire we’re walking, the consequences will be severe. It happened in the thirties and we’re foolish to pretend it can’t happen again.

Part of that debt involves a sexy state-ofthe-art courthouse annex that looks great from the front. Inside our judicial system operates out of boxes dedicated less to justice than rewarding the $250 an hour inefficiencies of lawyers. Out back is Fort Buncombe.

We thus have a summation of Democrat controlled government in Asheville and Buncombe County – a smiling front, busted inside and up tight backside…

Thanks for spending a few minutes with a candid conservative!

• Do you have information about a source of mischief in our community?

You can safely contact us at 252-8390 or drmumpower@aol.com. We are offering a $500 reward for information on corruption, crime, or other harms you share in confidence and we reveal in print.

Bad things grow in the dark. We have a flashlight – do you have a whistle?

• Carl Mumpower is a former member of Asheville City Council.

Continued from Page A17 The Charlotte Observer: “Religious freedom, of course, is one of the bedrock principles upon which the country was founded. That does not give each civil servant the right to serve some citizens and not others. People who cannot fulfill the duties of a job need to find a different job.”

In a separate piece, the Observer’s Editorial Page Editor, Taylor Batten, stated: “The bill would allow magistrates and registers of deeds to not facilitate same-sex marriag-

es, which are legal in North Carolina.”

The Raleigh News & Observer: “It would allow magistrates and registers of deeds to decline to participate in a samesex marriage if such a union is contrary to their personal religious beliefs.”

The Greensboro News & Record: “The bill would grant exemptions to magistrates and assistant and deputy registers of deeds who object to facilitating same-sex marriage.”

Again... any magistrate who wishes to

recuse himself from participating in the issuance of marriage licenses must recuse himself from issuing ALL licenses. Including the heterosexual marriages.

Based on their false premise, every one of these editorials go on to allege that SB2 discriminates — when it clearly does not.

A magistrate either performs all marriages or none.

In other words, the opportunity for discrimination is eliminated.

Further, the bill clearly outlines how

licenses shall be issued to anyone seeking them.

The numerous editors of these major North Carolina news publications told their readers that SB2 will do something it does not do.

So, either they do not understand the English language, they did not read the bill, or they are intentionally lying.

And none of these explanations bode well for a representative republic that is reliant upon an educated citizenry.

Continued from Page A16 And the mainstream media are endlessly fumbling it all. Not sure which way to turn, and ragingly paranoid about what all their advertisers will think should they give Bernie too much air time, or spend too much time talking about how great the Pope is between Koch commercials.

We’ve seen them saying — with a straight face — that they are awed and curious about why there are not riots in Charleston after the massacre.

Answer: Roof was a racist. He was not a Cop! Or a racist cop.

Can the media be that stupid?

Also, the idiocy of debating, not the Confederate flag itself flying, but only that it was not lowered to half mast.

And this is how most people get their “news.”

As well, they just had no way of processing the level of power of forgiveness we saw coming from the families of the victims. I know I had a hard time with it, and we spent much time last Friday sharing thoughts on air about it.

All, in all, the take away I have is that we’re all better, smarter and more capable of dealing rationally with such matters than ANY of those who are elected to “represent” us, as well as the banal talking heads of the media who are pretending to be giv-

ing us “news.”

Is this a massive shift in our nation, and world?

Could be. I hope so. But you won’t hear it from anyone in charge or the decisions or the information.

But let’s at least be honest about what this all is. It is Domestic Terroism.

And here’s the official legal definition: 18 USC Section 2331 “Domestic Terrorism” A. Involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State.

B. Appear intended to intimidate, influ-

ence, or affect the construct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and C. Occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the US. Sure sounds like it fits the legal description, doesn’t it?

Messer

The following was posted on June 19:

Terrorism v. media depiction of Charleston Massacre?

Funny how so many on the right wing want to term the Charleston Church Massacre and Domestic terrorism hate crime as anything but those things.

Maybe it is their paranoid fear that when some white dude goes bonkers with a gun, and it is termed appropriately, that will lead to their gun rights being infringed upon.

First, I am here to say that those who think that their law-abiding status as gun owners is ever in any jeopardy: they are misinformed and buying the hate being sold by a group of opportunists who are happily working levers of power.

And to that point, I would like to add that I am not anti-gun. I’m anti-idiot, and by extension I’m anti-idiot with a gun. And in being such, I get it that there are many who benefit from idiots with guns carrying out evils such as we’ve just seen.

LETTERS The Asheville Daily Planet invites Letters to the Editor of 200 words or less. Please include your name, mailing address, daytime telephone number and e-mail address.

For more information, call (828) 252-6565.

Send mail to: Letters, Asheville Daily Planet P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, NC 28814 Send e-mail to: letters@ashevilledailyplanet.com

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — A19

Congress urged to allow Ex-Im Bank to expire

Letters to the Editor Continued from Page A14

Choir president praises newspaper for coverage

Earlier this week (mid-June), I held a called meeting for the Board of Directors of the Reuter Center Singers at my house.

Its purpose was to review our past year and to plan for the 2015-16 choir year.

We had an excellent year, culminating with the May concerts that featured music of the Beach Boys and the Beatles.

The concerts were a lot of fun and I was glad that you (the Daily Planet) were able to catch the beginning of one of them.

In particular, you saw the skit by our “Beatles” and their wonderful attire. It was great to receive your email request for photos of the group and I was glad we were able to get a variety of shots to you.

Of course, it was even better to see them featured on the front page of the June edi-

tion of the Daily Planet. I was picking up “take-out” at the Bellagio Bistro restaurant and saw your paper as I was going in the front door. It stopped me cold and I am guilty of taking six copies. I shared them with the board members before the meeting, but kept one for myself.

Thank you for your continued interest in the music of the RCS. For the past four years, we have focused on music of our “younger years” (1950s and ‘60s), when we were in high school and college.

It has been fun for us and our audiences as we “went back in time” to the music of the individuals and groups that meant so much to us.

Thank you again foryour interest in our chorus and for the featured article in your June issue.

ROBERT H. “BOB” DUTNELL President Reuter Center Singers Asheville

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Ex-Im Bank picks winners and losers in the economy, invites cronyism and corruption, and distorts the free market.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner should not cave to a Democrat minority.

Vote no on the re-authorization of the Export-Import Bank that is killing private sector investment. The bank is corporate welfare for billionaire companies like Boeing and Bechtel, allows bailouts for failed companies like Solyndra, and funds companies in Russia and China. Let the 1934 FDR program for cronies expire at the end of June.

Mitch McConnell and John Boehner need to adhere to their Constitutional oath and Republican Party platform and support limited government and fiscal responsibility for a change.

Jane Bilello Chair, Asheville Tea Party and ATPAC Hendersonville EDITOR’S NOTE: Bilello is chair-

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Boehner’s GOP-led House ripped for willful surrender

Getting things done is not what a government is for; it is for protecting the rights of individual citizens and not groups divided for the conquering.

Providing this president more powers as in the panoply of extra-Constitutional powers packed onto a so-called trade bill is simply another willful surrender following the Boehner House’s passing the revenue raising authority to this executive. More surrenders will surely come as more things get done.

These are Acts of a King’s ministers and are as Intolerable as any ever were. McConnell and Boehner will be remembered as are Thomas Gage and John Murray, Earl of Dunmore.

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A20 — July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

Entertainment,

Calendar of Events & Sports

Summer blast returns to UNCA

Special Section PULLOUT

B1

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015

Daily Planet Staff Photos

UNC Asheville’s Concert on the Quad summer music series returned June 15, after being canceled since 2008 because of a budget shortfall due to the Great Recession. Featured was

the Asheville-based band Sirius.B (above right.) The crowd (above left), numbering several thousand, mostly sat and listened in lawnchairs or on blankets, although a number of at-

tendees danced to the music. The free series will feature the Indie pop band Stephaniesĭd from 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 6, and conclude with the group Chatham County Line on July 13.

‘Jacksonland’ offers harsh portrait of former president

By Dave Rowe

Special to the Daily Planet

For the man on the 20-dollar bill, the night of June 1 at downtown Asheville’s Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café was not a good one.

Andrew Jackson is a main character in the new book “Jacksonland” — and its author, National Public Radio journalist Steve Inskeep, was less-than-complimentary about the seventh president.

Inskeep’s address, which lasted about 45 minutes on the 33rd anniversary of the opening of the popular independent bookstore, drew about 175 people.

“This is Andrew Jackson,” said Inskeep, referring to a slide.

“He’s run-down, his facial features are wrinSteve Inskeep kled and he’s painfully thin. He’s just fought a bitter duel where he’s killed a man....

“He was a slave trader and a greedy real estate speculator,” Inskeep, who hosts NPR’s Morning Edition, said of Jackson.

“He was an unbelievable character.”

The biggest real estate deal brokered by Jackson was with Native Americans for the Deep South, termed Jacksonland.

Inskeep’s book focuses on Jackson’s dealings with the Cherokee, in particular his dealings with one John Ross, principal Cherokee chief from 1827 to 1866.

“He was an unbelievable character, too,” Ingress said of Ross. “He was a man who considered options — he wanted the Cherokee to be ‘in’ on the system.”

But, according to Inskeep, being in on the system did not mean — to Ross — ceding ancestral land. Several times Ross filed lawsuits with the Supreme Court to squelch Jackson-led removal efforts.

An 1835 ruling by Chief Justice John Marshall establishing a Cherokee nation was countermanded by then-President Andrew Jackson leading eventually to the Trail of Tears, which, Inskeep called, a sad chapter in U.S. history.

At bayonet point, about 46,000 Native Americans, including 1,600 Cherokee, were forced from their homeland. Because of heavy rains, snow, disease and starvation an estimated 4,000 Cherokee died on the forced walk to Oklahoma.

In “Jacksonland,” Ingress does not dwell on the tragedy’ instead the ending of his book focuses on Cherokee life just prior to the relocation. “They were planting corn,

they were building houses,” he writes. “It was civil obedience.”

A photo in the book depicts modern-day Cherokee, N.C., heart of the Eastern Band Cherokee reservation and home of Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, the mega-revenue-making for the Cherokee nation.

“It’s assimilation,” Ingress said of the casino. “It’s what John Ross envisioned.”

Inskeep then voiced even more harsh words about Jackson, who called Ross a “scamp” and who wrote that Native Americans “have savage habits....

“In addition to all this Jackson was a bigamist,” Inskeep said. “He married Rachael before her divorce was final....

An event attendee, Mary Olsen, said, “I don’t think he belongs on the 20-dollar bill.

“I think it should be Susan B. Anthony.”

Attendee Toby Ives asked, rhetorically, “I don’t know why we’re so unpopular in the world? Do they hate us for our history?”

Charlie Walter added, “It’s like Winston” Churchill once said, referring to the late British leader’s famous quote: “You can always count on Americans to do the right thing — after they’ve tried everything else.”

Earlier, Inskeep was introduced as someone who has appeared on national television news programs such as “Face the Nation” and “Meet the Press.”

“Let me say this,” Inskeep responded, “There’s no greater honor than to be speaking in an independent bookstore.”

Special photo by BECCA ROSS

Dance competitor Adrienne Van Dooren and her partner Zeki Maviyildiz flash winning smiles during a break in a June 6 dance competition.

Maviyildiz is a professional dance instructor at the Asheville Ballroom.

Stars Ball competition draws hundreds of dancers

The Asheville Stars Ball dance competition on June 6 drew hundreds of dance competitors in pro-am, solos, ballroom, Latin, smooth, rhythm and country events at the Asheville Ballroom and Event Center.

The competition was organized by Zeki Maviyildiz, who teaches ballroom dancing at the Ballroom and competes across the United States in ballroom dancing.

As a folk dance performer, Maviyildiz has traveled throughout the world to over 25 countries as part of the Turkish National Folk Dance Troupe. Since deciding to pursue his passion for the development of Turkish performing arts in the U.S., he has been showcasing his talents across the East Coast, including at Folkmoot in Waynesville.

B2 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet

The band Alabama will perform in concert at 8 p.m. July 2 in the Event Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee.

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Events

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Please submit items to the Calendar of Events by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via e-mail, at calendar@ashevilledailyplanet. com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 288148490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting.

To place an ad for an event, call 252-6565.

Thursday, July 2

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Jeff Santiago and George Terry will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series.

Admission is free.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the 96.5 House Band, which plays classic top 10 hits. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

ALABAMA CONCERT, 8 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, Cherokee.

The band Alabama will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com, or call (800) 745-3000.

Friday, July 3

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Wishful Thinkin’ will perform oldies rock and beach music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure. A classic car show will be held adjoining the show on South Main Street. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets.

Admission is free.

RICKY SKAGGS CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin.

Fourteen-time Grammy Award-winner. Ricky Skaggs will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $25, $30 and $35, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598.

Saturday, July 4

ASHEVILLE INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION, 6-10 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. Asheville’s Independence Day celebration will be highlighted by a performance by Nashville country artist and songwriter Jim Lauderdale.

He will share the top billing with Ultimate Air Dogs— an Asheville favorite from the days of Bele Chere — and local country phenom Joe Lasher Jr. As of presstime, the music was scheduled to start at 6 p.m., but the Downtown Association was considering booking an additional opening band.

The gala will conclude with a fireworks display at 9:30 p.m.

PATRIOTIC CONCERT/DANCE/FIREWORKS, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main

St., downtown Hendersonville. Asheville’s 96.5 House Band will perform a patriotic tribute concert for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure.

Fireworks will be ignited at dusk at Jackson Park and will be visible from the concert. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Monday, July 6

CONCERT ON THE QUAD, 7 p.m., quad, UNC Asheville. The Indie pop band Stephaniesid will perform at UNCA’s Concerts on the Quad. Admission is free.

See CALENDAR, Page B3

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The band Chatham County Line will perform from 7 to 8:30 p.m. July 13 on the main quadrangle on the campus at UNC Asheville in North Asheville.

Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2

Thursday, July 9

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Red Honey and Nosedive will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series.

Admission is free.

CONCERT, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Mountain Voices will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $7, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the Atlas Road Crew band, which plays “Southern-fried rock.” Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Friday, July 10

CONCERT, 5:30-10 p.m., River Arts District, Asheville. RiverLink’s RiverMusic series will make its season debut with performances by the Hackensaw Boys, Jon Stickley Trio and Grits & Soul. Gates open at 5. Music starts at 5:30 with the second band playing at 6:45 and the headliner at 8:15. Admission is free.

OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING, 6:30 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. The city’s Movies in the Park series will feature a screening of “Surf’s Up, A Major Ocean Picture.” Attendees are urged to bring a chair and/or a blanket. Admission is free.

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Carolina Rex will perform classic rock and blues for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Saturday, July 11

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 6-8:30 p.m., parking lot, Firehouse Subs, 825 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville. The band Sound Investment will perform music outside for listening or dancing. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs. Admission is free.

AUTHOR’S TALK, 7 p.m., Malaprop’s Bookstore/ Café, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. Dr. Ravi Batra, a professor of economics at Southern Methodist University, will discuss — and sign copies of — his latest work, “End Unemployment Now.” The book “offers practicable solutions to many of the economic problems plaguing America,” according to Publishers Weekly.

SHINDIG ON THE GREEN SHOW, 7-10 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. The 49th annual Shindig on the Green series featuring traditional music and dancing — and informal jams — will be held. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING, dusk, parking lot, Wedge Brewing, River Arts District, Asheville WB’s film series will feature a screening of “Big Fish,” a 2003 adventure-drama. Attendees are urged to bring a chair and/or a blanket. Admission is free.

Sunday, July 12

OUTDOOR CONCERT, 4-6 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. The local band Lyric will perform soul and rhythm and blues music in the Sunday Music in the Park series. Admission is free.

Monday, July 13

CONCERT ON THE QUAD, 7 p.m., quad, UNC Asheville. Chatham County Line will perform at UNCA’s Concerts on the Quad. Admission is free.

See CALENDAR, Page B4

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Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — B5

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Toby Mac will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. July 17 at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.

Calendar

of

Continued from Page B3

in Special Request box

Events

Tuesday, July 14

LIBERTARIAN MEETING, 7 p.m., Oakleaf Furniture, 130 Miller St., downtown Waynesville. The Haywood County Libertarian Party meets on the second Tuesday of the month. Open discussion and debate are encouraged with all perspectives and persuasions welcomed, regardless of political or religious affiliation.

Thursday, July 16

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Goldie and the Screamers and Celestially Rooted will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series. Admission is free.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the Dashboard Blue band, which plays “timeless dance grooves.” Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Friday, July 17

DOWNTOWN AFTER 5 OUTDOOR CONCERT, 5-9 p.m., North Lexington Avenue near I-240 overpass, downtown Asheville. The headliner is the Asheville All-Stars,with Future All-Stars — Asheville Music School. Admission is free.

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Deano & The Dreamers will perform oldies rock music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

TOBY MAC CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. Toby Mac, who has sold 11 million career albums and won six GRAMMY Awards, will perform in concert. For tickets, which are $30, $35 and $40, visit www.GreatMountainMusic. com, or call 524-1598.

Saturday, July 18

SHINDIG ON THE GREEN SHOW, 7-10 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. The 49th annual Shindig on the Green series featuring traditional music and dancing — and informal jams — will be held. Admission is free.

BEACH BOYS CONCERT, 8 p.m., Holmes Convocation Center, Appalachian State University, Boone. The Beach Boys will perform as part of the An Appalachian Summer series. For tickets, which are $50 for the general public and $30 for students and children, visit www.appsummer.org.

OUTDOOR FILM SCREENING, dusk, parking lot, Wedge Brewing, River Arts District, Asheville WB’s film series will feature a screening of “Thunder Road,” a 1958 made-in-Asheville moonshine movie. Admission is free.

Thursday, July 23

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Aaron LaFalce and Stevie Lee Combs will perform in the free outdoor concert series.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by The Broadcast band, which plays “soulful rock.” Admission is free.

See CALENDAR, Page B5

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Mac Arnold and the Plate Full O’ Blues will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. July 25 in the park in front of Hickory Tavern at Biltmore Park’s Town Square.

Calendar

Continued from Page B4

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Events

Friday, July 24

MUSICAL, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, Franklin. “Shrek, The Broadway Musical” will be presented by the Overlook Theatre Company July 24, 25 and 31 and Aug. 1. For tickets, which are $12 and $17, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com, or call 524-1598.

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group WestSound will perform oldies, blues and country music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Saturday, July 25

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 6-8:30 p.m., parking lot, Firehouse Subs, 825 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville. Tom Brown One Man Band will perform music outside for listening or dancing.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs. Admission is free.

CONCERT IN THE PARK, 7-9 p.m., green space in front of Hickory Tavern and Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza, Biltmore Park, Asheville. Mac Arnold and the Plate Full O’ Blues will perform in the outdoor summer concert series. Admission is free.

SHINDIG ON THE GREEN SHOW, 7-10 p.m., Pack Square Park, downtown Asheville. The 49th annual Shindig on the Green series featuring traditional music and dancing — and informal jams — will be held. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Thursday, July 30

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. The

Get Right Band and Nathan Vargas will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series. Admission is free.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance

by Motown Blue band, which plays “Motown soul and blues.” Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Friday, July 31

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Blind Lemon Phillips will perform blues, funk and soul music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Thursday, Aug. 6

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Molly Rose and Kane Kubed will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the Michael J. Stevens Quartet, which plays jazz. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Friday, Aug. 7

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Horsefly will perform rock and blues music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets.

See CALENDAR, Page B7

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Sports Commentary

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The courage award meme lie exposed

Tank Spencer is the host of a weekly sports talk show, “The Sports Tank,” on Asheville’s News Radio WWNC (570AM) that airs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Spencer also serves as WWNC’s news anchor, reporter and afternoon producer. This column features posts from his blog.

• The following was posted June 3: Just when you thought the controversy over the Arthur Ashe Courage Award couldn’t get worse… The announcement that Caitlyn Jenner will receive the award at this year’s ESPYS in July has created a social media firestorm.

People immediately took to Twitter and Facebook to blast ESPN for the choice.

Many people are aghast that Jenner was chosen over a wounded war veteran who competes in athletic events, such as the 58hour Death Race.

You may also remember Noah Galloway from “Dancing With The Stars.” Galloway was falsely reported as the “runner up” to Caitlyn Jenner in the voting for the Courage Award by Boston sports talk host Gerry Callahan.

Was it a joke?

We don’t know.

Does he know something we don’t?

Not sure.

Was he trying to create controversy?

Well, he succeeded.

After the tweet, a meme was created and has been circulated heavily since. The truth of the matter is… you can’t prove that to be true.

There is no evidence that Galloway, or anyone else for that matter, was even considered for the award. ESPN does not release the details of any vote that is taken for the award, if there even is one.

Should Galloway be considered?

Absolutely! But to say he was “runner up” is just not based in fact, as far as we know.

Not to ever take anything away from Noah Galloway, my vote would probably go to Lauren Hill. The basketball player, not the singer… God no, not the singer.

Hill has a truly inspirational story. She had a dream of being a college basketball player and used her last year on this planet to not only do that, but to also raise money for cancer research.

Hill, who died April 10, suffered from Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, a rare brain cancer. It was inoperable and while battling her terminal illness she was a freshman at Mount St. Joseph University, going to class, playing basketball, and raising $1.5 million for charity.

While Noah Galloway’s story is fantastic, he will probably still be actively inspiring folks for years to come.

Hill’s story, however, will never be more appropriately honored than this year.

Caitlyn Jenner is very courageous for the stand she has taken in being her true self in the public square. Any other year I would support this move by ESPN, as I did Michael Sams’ award presentation last year.

But there was a better choice.

The following was posted June 5:

UNC prepares For the hammer After scouring through the 59-page Notice of Allegations sent to UNC Chapel

Tank Spencer Hill from the NCAA, it looks as though the hammer will come down on the school.

However, those looking for a “death penalty” against the men’s basketball program, in my opinion, will be sorely disappointed.

About 80 percent of the NOA details alleged infractions of student-athletes in the women’s basketball program getting impermissible benefits from African-American Studies program leaders.

About 18 percent of the document revolves around football, women’s soccer and baseball.

Only about two percent or so of the document ever refers to men’s basketball. In fact, the name of Roy Williams is only mentioned once, and that is his interview with investigators showing concern over how many players were majoring in AFAM Studies.

If any coach is to lose a job over this scandal, it may be women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance. Dorrance is the only coach that is, in the report, tied directly to requesting players be enrolled in AFAM courses.

There is no doubt UNC had a significant, systemic problem with sham classes in the AFAM program. The report details major cheating by former women’s basketball academic adviser Jan Boxill that includes her finishing papers for athletes and recommending grades players should receive on assignments.

The evidence is stacked against former AFAM department head Julius Nyang’oro and department leader Deborah Crowder, who were conducting or orchestrating paper classes to which athletes were steered.

The question remains how involved was the men’s basketball program and will it be enough to warrant bringing down banners, vacating wins, stripping scholarships and banning future teams from the postseason.

I think the NCAA hands down massive penalties, but the sacred cow of men’s basketball probably won’t take the brunt of that. I doubt any banners will come down, they’ll lose a few scholarships and have to serve a one-year postseason ban. It should absolutely be worse, but the NCAA has given itself a way not to destroy one of the biggest money-making programs in history, and they’ll probably take it.

The following was posted June 15:

LeBron: ‘No-Brainer’ Finals MVP

After 46 years, it’s time to break the streak. Every year since 1969 the NBA Finals MVP award has gone to a member of the team that won the title. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers lose this finals, LeBron James should be the series MVP. In five games, LeBron is averaging nearly 37 points per game, just over 12 rebounds per game, and nearly 9 assists per game. That stat line makes for one of the greatest of all-time. In 1969, the first NBA Finals MVP award went to Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his team losing, West scored 38 ppg, which included a triple-double performance in Game 6.

See TANK SPENCER, PAGE B7

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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

Asheville Daily Planet — July 2015 — B7

Tank Spencer

Calendar

Continued from Page B5

Saturday, Aug. 8

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 6-8:30 p.m., parking lot, Firehouse Subs, 825 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville. The local band Sound Investment will perform music outside for listening or dancing.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs. Admission is free.

Thursday, Aug. 13

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville.

Andrew Scotchie and the River Rats & Chris Rodrigues will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series. Admission is free.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the Ryan Perry Band, which plays country hits. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Friday, Aug. 14

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 7-9 p.m., parking lot of the Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St., downtown Hendersonville. The group Tuxedo Junction will perform variety 1940s-’90s music for the audience’s listening or dancing pleasure.

Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Saturday, Aug. 15

GARRISON KEILLOR SHOW, 7:30 p.m., Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium, Brevard Music Center, Brevard. Garrison Keillor will perform his “A Prairie Home Companion” show.

JAMEY JOHNSON CONCERT, 8 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, Cherokee. Eleven-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jamey Johnson will perform in

concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com, or call (800) 745-3000.

Thursday, Aug. 20

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT SERIES, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville.

Jeff Thompson and Abby the Spoon Lady will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series. Admission is free.

PARK RHYTHMS CONCERT, 7-9 p.m., Lake Tomahawk, Black Mountain. The Park Rhythms Summer Concert Series will feature a performance by the Michael J. Stevens Quartet, which plays jazz. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs and/or blankets. Admission is free.

Saturday, Aug. 22

OUTDOOR CONCERT/DANCE, 6-8:30 p.m., parking lot, Firehouse Subs, 825 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville. Tom Brown One Man Band will perform music outside for listening or dancing. Attendees are urged to bring lawnchairs. Admission is free.

Thursday, Aug. 20

PRITCHARD PARK CONCERT, 6-8 p.m., Pritchard park, downtown Asheville. Busker Showcase will perform in the HomeGrown in Pritchard outdoor concert series. Admission is free.

Friday, Aug. 21

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and Resort, Cherokee. The Steve Miller Band will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.ticketmaster.com, or call (800) 745-3000.

Saturday, Aug. 29

CONCERT IN THE PARK, 7-9 p.m., green space in front of Hickory Tavern and Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza, Biltmore Park, Asheville. The band Blue Dragons will perform in the outdoor summer concert series.

Admission is free.

Continued from Page B6 Fast-forward to nearly half-a-century later and LeBron has a similar point average, two triple-doubles, and averages 7 more rebounds and 2 more assists than West did.

Throughout history, truly Herculean efforts have been rewarded despite a dismal outcome for the team.

It’s happened once in the NBA Finals, World Series and Super Bowl — and five

times in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This is an outlier year for the NBA and it will be an injustice if James is robbed of the recognition he deserves.

Consider this: James is averaging almost 11 more points per game than Golden State’s highest scorer (Stephen Curry, 26.2 ppg), nearly 5 rebounds per game more than the Warriors’ leader (Draymond Green, 7.8 rpg), and almost 3 more assists per game than GSW’s top passer (Curry, 6 apg).

B8 - July 2015 - Asheville Daily Planet