Vandals strike Vance birthplace
Locally filmed ‘3 Billboards’ scores
See STORY, Pg. A4
— See STORY, Pg. B1
AVL artist’s zombie murals miff Memphis — See Story, Pg. B4
LLE I V HE AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
January 2018 Vol. 14, No. 2
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville www.ashevilledailyplanet.com FREE
Passenger rail service between AVL and HVL urged
From Staff Reports
HENDERSONVILLE — Larry Morton, president of the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club, is trying to drum up interest in passenger rail service between Asheville and Hendersonville. He envisions twice-daily service, Wednesday through Saturday, between the old depots in Hendersonville and Biltmore
Village. The train would run at 30 miles per hour, which, he says, is faster than driving. He recently ran his idea past Darl Farris, president of the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad, who said, “We wouldn’t be adverse to thinking about passenger service,” the Hendersonville Lightning reported. The existing line currently only runs freight, but Farris said the company, Watco
Transportation Services, which purchased 92 miles of short line between East Flat Rock and Dillsboro from Norfolk-Southern in 2014, is always looking for profitable ways to expand business. Morton said thoses who visit the depot are enthusiastic about the idea. He is now taking his proposal to civic planning groups in an attempt to spark interest and make sure nothing gets built in the meantime that
Christmas Jam twinkles with stars
Special photos by David Simchock
Warren Haynes’ 29th Annual Christmas Jam —once again — drew a full house on Dec. 9 at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Asheville. A line-up of top musicians took the stage in Haynes’ hometown for a good cause in the spirit of Christmas — all profits from the musical marathon go to Asheville’s Habitat for Humanity, which build homes for those in need. Below left is Haynes in action.
Photos courtesy ofx
x
Teach a man to be soothing? Q: — There’s always been an attraction between this guy and me. I’ve been thinking of testing the waters with him romantically, but he recently mentioned that he freaks out when women cry. He says he just has no idea what to do. Well, I’m an emotional person — generally happy but also a big crier. Are we a bad match, or could I teach him to soothe me? — Waterworks
The Advice Goddess Amy Alkon
Want to know the answer?
See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A12
would obstruct his idea. At a recent presentation before Hendersonville’s Seventh Avenue Advisory Committee, he urged preservation of the depot for a future passenger shelter. Other organizations he has addressed include the Western North Carolina Rail Committee, the NCDOT, and the Asheville Multimodal Transportation Commission, and Hendersonville’s Downtown Advisory Committee.
Wanda Greene fiasco: just how did it happen? By JOHN NORTH
john@AshevilleDailyPlanet.com
Three Buncombe County officials provided a history and update — and fielded questions — on problems in the county government that came to light following the retirement of long-time County Manager Wanda Greene during a Dec. 1 breakfast meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners. The address, titled “A Report on the State of Buncombe County – personnel issues –bonuses – compensation issues – investigations – etc.,” drew about 55 CIBO members and others to the earlymorning meeting at UNC Asheville’s Sherrill Center.
Giving the presentation were two county commissioners — Ellen Frost, a Democratc; and Mike Fryar, a Republican — and Lisa Eby, Buncombe’s human resources director. Frost began by noting, “The question that everybody has is… How did all of this happen? “I look around and see Mike Fryar and other people who had long relationships with our county manager.” As for the problems with Greene, Frost said, “It was trust. it was complicitness.” Frost noted that when Greene was questioned by various commissioners over the years, “we all received a resounding’no,’” discouraging further questioning. See GREENE, Page A2
Mission Health, Blue Cross sign new pact after impasse
From Staff Reports
Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina announced on Dec. 6 that they had reached an agreement. The deal went into effect Dec. 15, ending a six-month dispute, Mission having publicly announced its intent to sever relations with BCBSNC in July if better contract terms could not be reached. The standoff led to the termination of a contract that affected an estimat-
ed 260,000 people in Western North Carolina. Effective Oct. 5, those insured by BCBSNC became out-of-network at Mission’s facilities. Mission operates six hospitals, CarePartners, Asheville Specialty Hospital, and several specialty practices. It runs the only Level II trauma center in the region. Mission claimed it wanted a plan that rewarded it more for patient outcomes than the number of treatments administered. See NEW PACT, Page A12
A2 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
Greene probe unearths new revelations From Staff Reports Local news media, led by the Asheville Citizen-Times, continued in December to probe into reasons why former Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene may be under federal investigation. County Attorney Michael Frue has already instructed those commissioners with knowledge about the matter to refrain from divulging any details. State law protects the release of information that could lead to obstruction of ongoing investigations and potential prosecutions.
Meanwhile, the AC-T has added to its list of unfulfilled requests a Nov. 15 inquiry about life insurance payments to Greene. Investigative reporters had previously been denied information about gift Wanda Greene cards, but subsequent court records indicated Greene had spent $42,000 of public funds on gift cards one employee described as “laying
Continued from Page A1 “The county manager divided us by political parties,” she added, noting that she has since built a good relationship with Fryar, who “was the first one to ask about money. He was made into an outcast” by Greene. Regarding Fryar, Frost said, “Employees were told (by Greene) if they cooperated with him, they’d be fired... Fired! “When he (Fryar) got re-elected…. he asked about millions of dollars missing” from the county coffers. Eventually, despite their conflicting party affliations, Frost said, she and Fryar “became friends” as they joined forces to find out what was happening with county funds. “There are millions of things he (Fryar) and I don’t agree on,” Frost said of Fryar with a smile. “But one thing we do agree on is truth. “We would send emails. The emails would go missing.” Soon, Frost said, she also was put on Greene’s enemies list. Frost said county employees were warned by Greene that, “if you talk to Fryar or me (Frost), you’ll be fired.” Regarding the fallout as revelations of hundreds of thousands of dollars in missing or misalocated funds have occurred, Frost said, “I’m humbly sorry for what has happened. “What was allowed to happen through the ordinance can never happen again. So that’s my part of it and I’ll let commissioner Fryar take over.” Fryar began his address by noting that “Commissioner Frost was right — it was a little tough. I was like one person in a barrel. We lost our offices... We got our offices back. They’re not going to keep us apart.” He added, “She (Frost) did come on board. It took awhile. All of the commissioners got together, including Mr. (Joe) Belcher.... “The way I saw it — she (Greene) took one credit card to pay off other credit cards. There’s a lot of stuff we didn’t know. One thing I did know” is that “after the budget ordinance came up ... I heard from (Asheville Citizen-Times reporter) Joel Burgess, who (called Fryar and) said the (county spending) ordinance went down,” meaning was approved, to his shock. “I got a hard copy — finally — and looked at it and said, ‘Boy, we’re in trouble,’ Things got changed (by Greene) since the commissioners had specified how they wanted it, Fryar said. At that point, Fryar paused and noted, “There are very good people working in this county.” Yet, during Greene’s administration, “I heard (county employees say) that ‘if you talk to Mike Fryar, you’re fired.’” During a question-and-answer period that followed Frost’s and Fryar’s presentations, CIBO member Mac Swicegood said to Eby , “Of anybody up there, you read a spreadsheet better than anybody we’ve had. “As a result of that, there are other people who are accountable. If you go over the fiduciary responsibility — one person doesn’t just create a fiasco like this. I appreciate your explanation. That doesn’t cover up 25 years.” Swicegood then asked, “How do we go
forward? Also, how do we give Wanda a day where she gives her side?” Eby replied “You’re right. There’s needs to be accountability distributed throughout the organization. And you can’t go forward without doing that. “Many things happened. Part of it was isolation, where people weren’t talking to each other. “Unfortunately, the board of commissioners did confer on Wanda a tremendous amount of power. “I want to be clear I came into this position as HR director when Mandy Stone was named county manager. “So what we’ve done is we’ve limited the powers of the county manager. … A lot of what happened… it was sleight of hand. Something would be posted… and then minutes later it would be gone,” Eby said. Since the problems have been unveiled, the commissioners have limited the county manager’s ability to award bonuses exceeding $1,000 and ended the early retirement incentive program, which, Eby said, “are meant to be very short-term programs... The intent is not to put something in for perpetuity.” Eby added that Greene, while in office, “continued to change that (early-retirement) ordinance. We ended up having 170 employees leave... So that program has ceased. I don’t foresee us offering any early retirement programs in the foreseeable future.” Further, Eby said, Greene served in a “dual role, as we didn’t have an assistant county manager.” She also said jobs, such as information technology manager, which was held by her son and paid a six-figure salary; and other county posts that have been deemed unneeded have been eliminated. “The short answer is the loopholes have been closed and we have the right responsibility right now,” Eby told Swicegood. A man asked, “Were there annual performance evaluations of the county manager?” “No job descriptions or performance evaluations” of the county manager were conducted, Frost replied. Another man asked, “Have you done anything to get our money back?” “We are doing everything we possibly can,” Frost answered. Eby added, “One thing is ... if you’re convicted of a felony, you’re no longer eligible for retirement benefits.” A man queried, “What prompted the federal investigation?” “The internal audior who started working in March caught a few things,” Frost replied. “She went to her higher-ups and the district attorney” was notified. Mike Plemmons questioned the reasoning for the retention incentive that Greene also offered county employees. Eby replied that, indeed, “It was a retention incentive. And the employees who received the retention incentive — they will receive a year’s salary over three years. They will get the same amount as those taking early retirement.” A man asked, “In the structure of the county, who is responsible for oversight of the county
Greene
around.” Other suspicious payments included $900 spent on home décor and $9,800 on a personal Verizon account. An inquiry into more than $577,000 spent controversially on behalf of economic development at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Polk County has uncovered a $100,000 discrepancy and allegations that documents turned over to the press had been “doctored.” What’s more, the AC-T has raised ques-
Ellen Frost Mike Fryar
Lisa Eby
manager?” Eby replied, “The commission as a whole” is responsible for oversight of the county manager. “But the chairman was conferred quite a bit of discretion, which he exercised. That was changed as of July 1,” giving the chairman less power in that regard and spreading it to all of the commissioners. To add further clarification, Fryar noted, “The previous chairman (David Gantt), under this 45-document bill, could do this and do that. We don’t have that any more. He was given way too much power and that power has been stopped. Mr. (Brownie) Newman (the current chairman) hasn’t been given the power that the previous chairman (Gantt) had.” What’s more, Frost said, “What’s been so frustrating for Mike and I is ... when Mike and I raised questions, we were told, ‘You’re crazy!’ and ‘She’s the best county manager ever!’ We worked through the local news media on information requests. “What Wanda would do, if something was good for her, she would throw it onto other people — and take advantage of it, too. Again, the triangulation was confounding and frustrating.” A man asked if it was true that “the county attorney said you can’t talk to anybody.” “We did go to the county attorney (Bob Deutsch, at the time), but he said we couldn’t do anything,” Frost replied. “You should have fired him,” the man said. “We finally did!” Fryar answered. (However, Deutsch, at least officially, resigned from his post as attorney for the county commissioners, effective Oct. 31. When his resignation was announced in early October, Newman, on behalf of the commissioners, said, “We’re very appreciative of his service to the county.) Fryar then added, “I was surprised to read in the newspaper (the Asheville Citizen-Times) that Miss Greene tried to ‘take me out.’” When nobody responded to Fryar’s comment, Asheville conservative activist Shelia Surratt said, “All county employees have to be treated equally.” She then asked about electing the county manager and having someone other than the county manager handle internal complaints. In response, Frost said, “So the legislature would determine whether the county manager would be elected. As far as treating all employee equally, our current manager and her department was ostracized. So we’re very aware of what’s happened in the past. …. In the past, Wanda was the one who received whisteblower complaints,” but the system has been changed now. Eby added, “As far as treating people the same… the unlimited ability of giving employees bonuses (held by Greene) is gone…. We also have gone out on a salary study. It
tions about nepotism and pay raises at the county. This has led to policy changes, including new rules requiring all county salaries to be posted online. Bonuses are now capped at $1,000 each and require a public presentation. Since being appointed as the new county manager, Mandy Stone has presented the commissioners with a stream of changes designed to — as Commissioner Al Whitesides put it — bring the county into the 21st century. See REVELATIONS, Page A12
hasn’t been reviewed in a very long time. We will complete that in January. We are filling jobs with salaries that are in mid-range, with comparable urban counties.” Further, she said, “Complaints now are going to an internal auditor… What we don’t want to have is an atmosphere where employees are afraid to speak up.” A man asked, “Are you taking any measures to identify and secure the assets that have been misappropriated?” “The bonuses are there — they’re already gone,” Fryar replied. “Everything else you’ve read in the paper ... there’s nothing new about that … about the gift cards and stuff like that... When Miss Greene left, she left with a lot of money….” Frost added, “Buncombe County is in great shape, financially. One of the things Mandy Stone was able to do was to lower salaries enough that we could give the lowest-paid people that 1-1/2 percent raise. “We’re going to do everything we can to get our assets back. Our house got robbed.” To that end, Fryar asserted, “They’ve already generated about $900,000 into our budget.” Frost then said, “I can understand the fear that employees felt. But the strength and bravery that Mandy Stone and Lisa Eby (in the aftermath) exhibited was amazing. Because ... if they (ever) got caught talking to us, they would have been fired. “It’s easy to say ... ‘Clean house and get rid of them.’ Mandy inherited a horrible mess.” A man asked about Greene, “Are you taking any measures (to get money back from Greene)… She has a rather large reitrement, doesn’t she?” “We have to wait for the investigation to play out,” Eby replied. “The internal audit committee we have right now is truly independent.” Larry Harris, who is on the audit committee and was in attendance at the CIBO meeting, then was called on to give a quick update on its status. The panel has been “in place for eight or 10 years… But, unfortunately, the internal auditor reported to Wanda or someone underneath her, which sort of leveraged what someone could do. “We’ve changed the structure in which the commission operates. “We now have two commissioners (Fryar and Al Whitesides) on the audit committee, which is responsible for the oversight of the internal auditor and we took the staff off. That’s completely outside of management (now). We think that’s a solution. If the internal audit function had been operating properly, it’s likely that some of the issues” that occurred would have been spotted earlier. Swicegood then asked, “How far back are you going to balance the checkbook?” “I can’t answer that question,” Harris replied “The real issues had to do with the chairman of the commissioners had so much power — and he could tell the other commissioners, ‘You can’t ask questions any more.’”
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018 - A3
After 65 years...
Bob Lawrence Power Equipment is moving into a new facility at the end of January and the beginning of February.
We are moving from 265 Broadway St. to 325 Weaverville Highway. (Located next to Parker’s Karat Patch)
A4 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
Asheville artist’s zombie murals miff Memphis
From Staff Reports
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Asheville-based artist Dustin Spagnola was one of more than 150 artists to participate in Paint Memphis, described as an annual street and graffiti art project. It is headed by Karen Golightly, an assistant professor of English at Christian Brothers University. This year, Golightly obtained permission to paint the walls of an underpass, two private buildings and a skatepark. The only rules were artists could not include in their works gang symbols, drugs, nudity or obscenity. But Spagnola’s murals of zombies, replete with graphic images of rot and decay, became a topic of discussion for Memphis City Council. Councilwoman Jamita Swearengen referred to the art as “satanic, “totally distasteful,” and “despicable.” Constituents have been calling her to complain, some of whom she described as being “totally petrified.” Swearengen’s colleague, Berlin Boyd, had previously objected to a mural of the Grim Reaper. He told reporters that it particularly
ago, following an onslaught of complaints. Councilman Joe Brown, however, took the role of devil’s advocate and asked if Swearengen only wanted to allow murals about her religion. Spagnola, who said the murals are not satanic, noted that he likes painting zombies because he finds them fun. He said he is glad he was able to stir controversy, because that shows people are paying attention to his work. He de-
scribed the reaction of members of City Council as “incredibly closed-minded and very strange.” Golightly said it is nearly impossible to vet artists. Her project covers 33,000 square feet, and artists are allowed to decide on-thespot what they will paint. When asked if she thought the murals might be too frightening for children, she said children would have to stop watching episodes of Scooby-Doo — if parents want to insulate them from scary images.
Facebook photo
Dustin Spagnola’s mural of a zombie has triggered an uproar in Memphis. sends a bad message when the murals hover over black communities, where death rates are disproportionately higher. “That’s just rude,” he said of what he described as the “insensitive” art. The reaper was overpainted with an angel eight months
Vance birthplace defaced with spray paint
Meanwhile, G. Neel Lattimore with North From Staff Reports Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural WEAVERVILLE — The Buncombe Resources described vandalizing historic County Sheriff’s Office is investigating structures in the dark of night as a “cowardly” a case of vandalism at the Zebulon Baird way to express one’s First Amendment rights. Vance birthplace in Reems Creek, which was The latest attack is part of a movement reported on the morning of Dec. 9. across the country aimed at removing Somebody spray-painted “Black-Lives public monuments to Confederate leadMatter” in red on the side of the building. The ers, with or without the approval of those paint job was visible from the road with the responsible for the public spaces presenting sunrise. Immediately after the incident, the them. The Vance Monument in downtown cabin was covered with a tarp, awaiting paint Asheville has, in recent years, been the removal by a restoration expert. target of two spray-painting incidents and a The historic landmark includes the home more recent attack with crowbars. of the former North Carolina governor, a Spokespeople for the Black Lives Matter slave cabin dating back to the 1790s, and movement argue the monuments were erected five additional structures. Vance was born to tower over people of color and keep them in 1830 and served as a Confederate officer in shame and submission, while advocates for during the Civil War, governor for two non- historic preservation hold to the adage that those consecutive terms, and U.S. senator, among who forget their past are doomed to repeat it. other prestigious posts. The home is the original structure, a log cabin. It and the slave quarters have been outfitted with period furniture to help visitors interpret Windows and doors • Handman services • Affordable living in the 1830s from the √ 75 years of experience perspective of the governor’s family and the slaves.
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Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018 - A5
Traffic stops for blacks show increase in Asheville From Staff Reports
In spite of changes made in the Asheville Police Department to address allegations that it was stopping a disproportionate number of African-Americans, the numbers have gotten worse. As she was making another bid for a seat on Asheville City Council, Dee Williams, who now chairs the Criminal Justice Committee of the local branch of the NAACP, asked council to hear a presentation by Ian Mance of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
Mance, who traveled from Durham, then shared statistics showing that the APD was stopping and searching — by far — more black drivers than white drivers, while finding more contraband on the white drivers. However, the changes the police made in response to Mance’s report were minor. The APD agreed to conduct internal audits more frequently and report to council, but the APD said it had already deprioritized traffic stops, so that point was moot. Also, the APD had already started wearing body cams and deemed that better documentation than the written consent Williams and
others were requesting. In a recent address to council’s Public Safety Committee, Police Chief Tammy Hooper shared what was expected to have been a progress report. In 2016, 7 percent of drivers stopped by police and 37 percent of persons searched in traffic stops were African-American, she said. In preliminary reports from this year, those numbers had increased to 21-24 percent and 41-49 percent. African-Americans make up only 12 percent of Asheville’s population, but Hooper was quick to say traffic stops occur mainly on high-traffic corridors, where many driv-
ers are passing through. Corridors with the most traffic stops were downtown, with 111 stops; Kimberly Avenue, with 83; and Charlotte Street, with 34. In 2016, in defense of law enforcement, members of the public had argued before council that officers were assigned intensivepatrol duty in neighborhoods that had requested it. For example, Asheville’s councils have a long history of asking for more policing for public housing developments. Police gravitate toward calls for service, statistically high-crime areas, and areas where neighbors say they need more security.
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A6 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
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Asheville Daily Planet - January 2018 - A7
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A8 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
The Daily Planet’s Opinion
Mission Health, Blue Cross reach agreement (Hurray!)
W
e are pleased, as are (no doubt) the estimated 260,000 people whose health care became really expensive or was postponed over the last two months, with the Dec. 6 announcement by Mission Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina that they had agreed to the terms of a new contract that became effective Dec. 15. The much-publicized, highly contentious, six-month standoff began when the hospital system canceled its contract with Blue Cross over concerns over rising health care costs. Blue Cross refused to negotiate with Mission after the latter’s notice of termination was filed in July, resulting in a two-month contract expiration. During the period when the contract lapsed, those with Blue Cross coverage who had medical needs faced the grim reality of having to pay the resulting significantly higher “out-of-network” costs to use Mission Health, to travel elsewhere for care with “innetwork” coverage or to postpone medical care until an agreement was reached. Both Mission and Blue Cross are near-monopolies in Western North Carolina, so their dispute, its fallout and now its resolution affect many residents and businesses. Unfortunately, neither Mission nor BCBSNC would unveil details of their new pact, so whether Mission accomplished its original aim is an huge unknown. It would be a shame if Mission’s standoff was in vain and needlessly inconvienced or endangered those in need. But looking on the bright side, at least with the new contract, BCBSNC customers can pay the less-pricey “in-network” fees when they receive care at Mission.
Lesson from my toppled hero
CHAPEL HILL — Stunned. North Carolina lost another monument. It came like a flash. And I am still reeling. Charlie Rose was one of North Carolina’s nationally best-known and most admired people. He was right up there with Michael Jordan, Billy Graham and the late Andy Griffith, as someone that people in the rest of the country know and admire. After stating that North Carolina had given to the world giants of 20th century journalism Edward R. Murrow, David Brinkley, and Charles Kuralt, the “Moon Guidebook to North Carolina” says, “Charlie Rose carries their torch today.” Like these predecessor giants, Rose brought Southern charm and spirit to the television screen. Polite, earnest, and a disarming, twinkle-in-the eye seriousness, he charmed the guests on his television programs and captivated his viewers. Even at the age of 75, Rose co-hosted the daily CBS Morning Show and a daily talk show for PBS and Bloomberg News. In addition to that amazing and grinding schedule, he made regular appearances on CBS Television’s “60 Minutes.” His work paid well, $2.5 million a year, and gave him a net worth of ten times that amount, according to estimates in the media. I have had another reason to admire Rose. As host of UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch, I have the weekly responsibility and privilege to interview North Carolina-connected authors. Rose’s interviews were my great teachers. His careful preparation, his skillful listening that showed respectful curiosity about his guests and their achievements and opinions, his reliance on the flow of conversation rather than a hard and ordered list of questions, and his studied reluctance to interrupt, made him a valuable role model. I could never be in his league, but Charlie Rose’s example helped me do better, and I am grateful to him. I even found ways to include him in my “North Carolina Roadside Eateries” book. When I wrote about Skipper Forsyth’s Barbecue in Henderson, I suggested a postmeal pilgrimage to “the site of Henderson High School (now Henderson Middle School), where television personality Charlie Rose was a star basketball player.” When I wrote about Whistle Stop Cafe
D.G. Martin in Norlina, I suggested a visit to nearby Warren Plains, where Rose’s father ran a store before moving to Henderson. I wrote, “Rose credits his experience working in the store when he was eight-years-old for his interest in listening to other people. He told the Savannah Morning News, ‘I was a young kid and I wanted to have conversations with adults; you have to speak to their world. …You have to know who they are, what they’re about, what their curiosity is, what their experience is, what they’re good at. People like to talk. And people like to talk about themselves.’” Having taught me about interviewing, his example is now helping to teach us another lesson. In November, The Washington Post reported that eight women who worked or sought work with Rose accused him of sexual harassment by groping, walking around naked, and other provocations. The hammer came down hard and immediately. CBS News President David Rhodes fired Rose, explaining that because of “extremely disturbing and intolerable behavior” he had been terminated. “Despite Charlie’s important journalistic contribution to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organization, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace-a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work.” Anticipating that some of us might say that this kind of conduct had been tolerated in the past, Rhodes stated, “I’ve often heard that things used to be different. And no one may be able to correct the past. But what may once have been accepted should not ever have been acceptable.” What may once have been accepted no longer is. That is the hard and sad lesson Charlie Rose’s recent troubles teach us. • D.G. Martin hosts “North Carolina Bookwatch,” which airs at noon Sundays and at 5 p.m. Thursdays on UNC-TV.
Letters to the Editor
New women’s jail facility opposed; options touted
I
am writing to express that I stand strongly against the planned construction of a new women’s jail facility in Buncombe county. After the recent death of inmate Michelle Smiley due to negligence of Buncombe County Detention Center staffers, and looking at evidence of systemic inequity faced by inmates, this $45 million prison facility should not be built at all, especially since there are concrete alternatives. It must me known that 70 percent of our jail population is low-level, nonviolent offenders, and an average of 51 of the county’s inmates receive treatment for mental illness daily, according to commissioner Stone’s report. Eight hundred county inmates were monitored for substance abuse withdrawal, last year. Nationally, 95 percent of women who have been incarcerated have a trauma history. Furthermore, African-American folks of age 16 and over comprise 28.1 percent of the Buncombe County inmate population, although they represent only 5.6 percent of the county’s population. That’s an overrepresentation of times-5! In 2015, the average monthly earnings 20.8 percent lower for black workers in Buncombe County compared to white workers. There are systemic barriers that keep certain folks from accessing stability, health and economic opportunity, yet Buncombe
county would rather incarcerate those people than invest in working towards equity. Alternatives exist! On Feb. 21, 2017, at a Board of Commissioners meeting, the Buncombe County Justice Resource Center proposed an in-depth initiative that would invest $500,000 in at-risk, or underserved, communities. One goal was of “leveraging best practices to reduce the jail population, increase system efficiency and promote safety & wellness.” The plan will invest in neighborhoods, communities and businesses in order to build pipelines from schools to economic opportunity. Although commissioners unanimously approved this plan (called the Isaac Coleman Community Investment Program), it doesn’t mean that the women’s jail won’t be built. Buncombe County citizens are going to have to loudly speak up against its construction. While people like Sheriff Van Duncan will continue to create a climate of emergency that portrays the new facility as an urgent necessity, we, the people of Buncombe County, will see through this tactic. We will recognize that the criminalization of already marginalized people perpetuates injustice, especially towards African-American women in Buncombe County. We will not stand for it, and will urge our representatives to endorse community investment programs instead. River Allen Asheville See LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, Page A9
The Candid Conservative
Asheville plays a mean game of Monopoly
“Public complacency drives the getaway car for political corruption” — Carl Mumpower
Carl Mumpower
The problem
T
his year less than 20 percent of Asheville’s eligible voters crossed the finish line. Those thus invested successfully locked in another two years of a longstanding 7-0 governance monopoly. They double-downed on that error with a referendum on the one thing with the potential to shake up the cartel – district elections. Why long-term dominance is a bad thing is revealed in the corruption unraveling day by day in Buncombe County. Democrats have been in effective control of that body for decades. Though Republicans are in the mix, a governance culture of accommodation and self-congratulation allowed what appears to be massive exploitation. Imagine the potentials for bad stuff in a city government where management, staff and policymakers are all ordering off the same menu. If the left thinks race, gender and economic standing merit representation, why not for people with a differing political view? Asheville’s conservative thinkers have nothing remotely close to a voice on our governing body. Why does it matter? Please note the gentrification so ironically accelerated under a “progressive” majority. Does it come as new news that elitism is a measure of progress? Operating out of one angle of view makes
anyone dumb.
The impact
Asheville’s reality has been flipped upside down most especially in affordability. Unless you’re blessed with a family trust fund, hefty retirement plan, profitable personal enterprise or super-marketable skill, for working people living here is a fading option. Three hundred-thousand-dollar brick bungalows in “affordable” West Asheville? What the heck? A few years back, the slogan “Keep Asheville Weird” became the mantra for our city’s enlightened progressives. Bet they weren’t thinking “weirdly” unaffordable. That’s just one of many ironic outcomes from our 7-0 “we won” progressive governance reality. Mind if we hit on a few more?
With drugs comes epidemic weirdness
Asheville is an unbelievably safe haven for drugs. What is it about liberalism that requires substance infusions to keep acolytes happy? See CANDID CONSERVATIVE, Page A10
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018 - A9
Commentary
Dems need to follow words with actions
I
f Democrats are to win big in 2018, they need to come up with a strong message. Right or wrong? If Democrats are to win big in 2018, they only need to run against Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Right or wrong? Both are right. They aren’t alternative strategies. They’re our pow-bam one-two punch. Ever since we woke up to Donald Trump as president-elect, the Democratic volcano has rumbled. Women marched. Resistance groups organized. Silent spectators suited up. Thousands announced as candidates. Money poured in. Democratic energy lit up the country. But while Democrat momentum built everywhere, TV pundits clucked that Democrats will miss their opportunity if they don’t have a message. So Democratic leadership, last July, thudded out what they call “A Better Deal” platform. It’s a tedious Best of Bernie rerun – a $15/hour minimum wage, for example, cracking down on corporate monopolies, banning “right to work” laws in the states. Nancy honey, Chuck old man, that’s not what we meant by a message. The Senate seats we’re defending are in dark-red
Lee Ballard places like North Dakota, Montana and Indiana. “A Better Deal” is a bad deal for those guys. I wouldn’t run for Congress in North Carolina on that platform. But then Virginia popped, and Alabama. Now we hear pundits saying, “Maybe Democrats don’t need a message after all. It’s enough to run against Trump and Republicans.” After all, Democratic Drive is fueled by anti-Trump anger, fear, disgust, embarrassment, frustration. Wouldn’t our zealots snarl at any candidate wearing the scarletletter R? Yes, they would. But snarls aren’t enough. We also need a creed. We should be part Australian Shepherd and part pit bull – smart and passionate. To change the metaphor, some gladiators, called dimachaerus, fought with two swords, one in each hand. No shield, they defended themselves with one of the
Letters to the editor Continued from Page A8
Don’t let right wing prevail with its politics of division
President Trump and the Republican Party seem to have forgotten that the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution begins “We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union.” They seem to prefer the politics of division, of class warfare, of racial acrimony and religious intolerance, of political dirty tricks to undermine democracy and bring power and wealth to themselves and the already rich and powerful. Trump and fellow Republicans are behaving like this is a third-world country where the powerful do and get whatever they want and if democratic process is in the way, then undermine the democratic process. All these Bible and Constitution thumping right-wingers have missed the point of both documents entirely. We are here
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
to honor and love and include each other both in our daily individual lives and in our national purpose. Remind these politicians of this every chance you get. Do not let them get away with their divisive language, practices or laws. Their practices of gerrymandering, voter suppression, of major legislation without debate or inclusion of Democrats, of science denial, of wrecking regulatory agencies, of lying and slandering those that investigate or oppose them smacks of authoritarianism, not democracy. BILL WALZ Asheville
Support sought for exhibit fighting DHHS’ censorship On Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, beginning Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, The CDC 7 Photo Project opens at The Block Off Biltmore, and other locations around
swords. I want an army of dimachaeri, who can state clearly the Republican menace as they deliver the liberating Democratic message. So what is that message? A message of constant contrast. A message of moral Democratic government to come in the context of immoral Republican government we’ve got now. Yes, a message of right and wrong, a message of morality! We can quickly list Seven Deadly Sins from the six years of GOP majority in the General Assembly: lying and other deceptions, arrogance, favoring the rich and powerful over ordinary people in tax reform, injustice in voting, vengeance against their opponents, greed for power, neglect of our children and other vulnerable citizens. Seven sins? There are probably 70! Let their wrongdoing be the context for our rightdoing! Actually, “The Right Thing” world be a better name for our agenda than “A Better Deal.” Our message should be overarched with strong key words that describe our commitments to govern well: Fairness, Servant Leadership, Cooperation, Openness, Authenticity, Truth. Then we commit ourselves to specifics. National Democrats hit on exactly the
formula we should use. Under the proposal, “Raise Wages and Create 10 Million New Jobs” in the full text of “A Better Deal,” they write: “We pledge to fight for good-paying, full-time jobs with a promising future for 10 million Americans.” I’m suggesting that, first, we state the Republican wrong as context, and then we contrast with pledges to principled governance. For example, Republicans cut taxes for the rich, cynically calling them “job creators.” That’s our context. Then: “We pledge ourselves to SERVANT LEADERSHIP,” with specific proposals that directly impact our constituents’ livelihoods. Another context: Republican arrogance and deception in redistricting after the 2010 census. Then: “We pledge ourselves to FAIRNESS. We will use an independent commission to redraw district boundaries for General Assembly and congressional seats. We will not gerrymander to favor our candidates.” First we say it, then we do it. • Lee Ballard, who lives in Mars Hill, writes a blog at mountainsnail.com.
Asheville, focusing on the seven words Hashtag Project. Give voice to change — please get that the Department of Health and Human involved! Services has recently instructed the Center Carmen Ybarra for Disease Control to avoid using. Weaverville “Vulnerable,” “entitlement,” “diversity,” “transgender,” “fetus,” “evidence-based” and “science-based” make up the series of portraits highlighting subjects affected by the silencing of these words and offering TO REPORT AN ERROR each subject an intimate opportunity to give The Asheville Daily Planet strives to be acvoice to this frightening Orwellian-style of curate in all articles published. Contact the censorship. News Department at news@ashevilledailyEncouraging action, the exhibit pairs the planet.com, (828) 252-6565, or P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490. images with local nonprofits working to preserve and protect our basic rights to free speech, reproductive health, equality for all, academic freedom and more. For information, contact Windows and doors • Handman services • Affordable morethanahashtagproject@ gmail.com, or find us on √ 75 years of experience facebook at More Than A
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Candid Conservative Continued from Page A8 In a macabre version of nature’s dedication to self-correction, we have a local hard drug phenomenon that’s addicting and killing people with fierce efficiency. City and county leaders have answered with a plan to sue drug companies. May one suggest more fertile opportunity is to be found in shutting down open-air drug markets in public housing and challenging a court system that’s about as efficient as a sunbathing polar bear? One of my favorite drug scams is the pretense of marijuana’s innocence. Asheville is “smokin hot” when it comes to weed. Highlighting a disconnect to physical addiction has become a ruse for ignoring exceptional proclivities for psychological dependency. Hate to break it to the thus inclined, but there are no escapes from Mother Nature’s efforts to keep us grounded on planet earth. Every escape has consequences – one of the biggest being when we start stoning we stop growing. Progressive residents masterfully resist entrepreneurial capitalists attempting to build Wal-Marts as they simultaneously support entrepreneurial criminals using public housing as Drug-Marts. Our thriving hospitality industry is a central player in Asheville’s drug distribution network. Perhaps that’s why most people order their favorite substance like they order pizza? In curious partnership with Asheville’s thriving drug culture is an un-scrutinized court system more connected to funding the legal community than effectively intercepting crime. Though any illegal drug you want is readily available, our medical community kills more people with painkillers than our drug culture kills with crack or meth. It’s popular to attack drug companies as the bad guys, but keep in mind it was a vanity partnership with the ‘eliminate pain’ protocols of the medical community that got us in over our head. Such is the strangeness of a society trained to believe there is a chemical lifeline for most of life’s problems. Spoiler alert Asheville – there are no short-cuts around the demands of personal choice, responsibility and growth.
Identity confusion?
Though nature clearly has a preference for two genders, Asheville has become ground zero for those seeking a third way. No arguments that there are always exceptions to the rule, but may one suggest we’re working a little too hard to stretch the boundaries of reason? For those seeking a detour around their DNA, Facebook reportedly has 51 gender ID options. Is it safe to assume there is absolutely no connection to the otherworld mysteries of Area 51? It’s a personal belief we are doing great disservice to those on the edge of Mother Nature’s master plan. The rightful mission of understanding and compassion is being exchanged for a program of obfuscation and celebration. Gender confusion is mass-marketed in Asheville as a short-cut to happiness while vital statistics are saying just the opposite. We live in a time – not unlike that of the Spanish Inquisition, Salem Witch Hunts and Nazis Holocaust – when honest discussion has been muted in preference to political correctness and power agendas. The uphill struggles of Plan C are being ignored. That Asheville is a hypocenter for this social subterfuge is not a good thing. Hanging a rainbow flag on city hall was justified as an act of festivity. It was more rightfully a declaration of Alice in Wonderland groupthink. Compassion does not thrive without a body-
guard of truth.
A collapsing healthcare system? Though temporarily resolved, recent power struggles between Mission Healthcare System and Blue Cross have distracted us from a broader truth – our healthcare system is in big trouble – here more surely than most places. A long-standing commitment to a comorbid fusion of socialized medicine and free-market healthcare has left us with a rigged system representing the worst of both. One is reminded of the old adage about Washington, D.C. – ‘The charm of the north merged with the efficiencies of the south.’ A congressionally enabled Obama was successful in forcing his healthcare fantasy on America. That there was never a chance his promised “cheap-accessible-excellent” program would work, was lost in a majority psyche increasingly devoted to fake over factual. Tried to purchase healthcare coverage lately? Added to the local mix is a dramatic tilt toward a patient population relying on the chronically underfunded promises of Medicaid and Medicare. For a path to fixing the mess, check out recent prices for flatscreen TV’s. The free market works – and it can do so for healthcare if we can get the politicians, lawyers, insurance companies and provider monopolies out of the mix. Time has proven none of them are as smart as the natural self-correcting forces advocated by – you guessed it – Mother Nature. We’re not going to do that. Solomon was correct in his assertion that vanity guides the course of most human endeavors.
So, what are we doing to do?
We’re going to ignore the hyper-strained chronically understaffed Mission workforce attempting to keep that system functional. We’re going to continue to pretend that $1,500-plus a month family healthcare plans are affordable. We’re going to quietly step over the horrific number of suicides among WNC’s emergency service workers. We’re going to allow our national leaders to keep promising more underfunded services and entitlements that fall on the shoulders of those – yes, as in Blue Cross – privately insured. We’re going to let Asheville’s drug enthusiasts continue to use hospital stays as expensive vacations versus sincere recovery opportunity. We’re going to keep living lifestyles that have us chasing health symptoms while we take a pass on personal responsibility for causes. My generation is finally – and per the debt we’re leaving behind – perhaps thankfully coming to the end of its course. Those following behind better eat their Wheaties, cause on our way out – per our pattern – we’re going to grab an unfair share of a shrinking healthcare pie. Selfish to the end.
The antidote?
Asheville’s unconscionable 7-0 governance monopoly reveals progressives have successfully seized control. That doesn’t mean they have won. Going up against Mother Nature with a chronic indifference to frugality, sincerity and balance assures eventual failure. As their world gets crazier, people naturally get more conservative. Reality, reason, responsibility and right are always more attractive when – like here in cool green Asheville – opportunity is abused into chaos. It’s never too late to rethink one’s progressive conformity addictions – here’s hoping you can afford to live here while your figuring that out. • Carl Mumpower, a psychologist and former elected official, is chairman of the Buncombe County Republican Party. He can be reached at drmumpower@aol.
NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING JANUARY 8 FOR THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MERRIMON AVENUE INTERSECTIONS WITH EDGEWOOD ROAD AND W.T. WEAVER BOULEVARD BUNCOMBE COUNTY TIP Nos. U-5781 and U-5782 The N. C. Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting in January regarding the proposed project to make improvements to the Merrimon Avenue intersections with Coleman Avenue and W.T. Weaver Boulevard in Asheville. The project will provide additional turn lanes with curb and gutter on Merrimon Avenue between Edgewood Road and W.T. Weaver Boulevard. The meeting will be held on Monday, January 8th at the North Asheville Recreation Center, located at 37 East Larchmont Road, in Asheville from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Interested citizens may attend at any time during the meeting hours. NCDOT representatives will be available to answer questions and receive comments regarding the project until January 22, 2018. Please note that no formal presentation will be made. Citizens will also have the opportunity to submit comments and questions in writing. Comments received will be taken into consideration as the project develops. The public can view maps displaying the location and design of the projects as they become available online at http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings. Anyone desiring additional information may contact Mr. Cole Hood, PE NCDOT Division 13 Project Development Engineer at (828) 251-6171 or by email at chood@ncdot. gov. All comments should be received no later than Monday, January 22, 2018. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Ms. Diane Wilson via e-mail at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov or by phone at (919) 707-6073 as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. Aquellas personas que hablan español y no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-4816494.
Faith Notes Send us your faith notes
Please submit items to the Faith Notes by noon on the third Wednesday of each month, via email, at spirituality@ashevilledailyplanet.com, or fax to 252-6567, or mail c/o The Daily Planet, P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490. Submissions will be accepted and printed at the discretion of the editor, space permitting. To place an ad for a faith event, call 252-6565.
Wednesday, Jan. 3
“ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING” CLASS, 5:45-7 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 Sixth Ave., Hendersonville. “Anxious for Nothing,” a fiveweek adult class led by Max Lucado, will be held on Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 3. Inspired by Philippians 4:4-8, the class is intended to help build an antidote to anxiety. Dinner will be served from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. for $5, but reservations are required. In conjunction with the adult class, nursery care, classes and children’s activities will be available.
Tuesday, Jan. 9
WOMEN’S MORNING BIBLE STUDY, 9:4511:45 a.m., The Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, East Asheville. A women’s Bible study focusing on “Living the Blessed Life” will be held Tuesday mornings, Jan. 9-Feb. 27. It will be led by Jane Derrick. CHURCH SECURITY CLASS, 6-8 p.m., Buncombe County Public Safety Training Facility, A-B Tech auditorium, 20 Canoe Lane, Woodfin. The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with its Chaplains Corps, will hold a security summit for leaders of houses of worship. The summary is free, but those attending must register by contacting Sgt. Kim Mull at Kim.mull@ buncombecounty.org, or call 250-4427. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WORKSHOP, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2014 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River. An interactive workshop, “Moments of Truth, Building Relationship,” will be led by Pam and Charley Rogers. “The shortest distance between two people is story... A timely workshop on why and how to find our way back to each other in an age of increasing disconnection,” Unity noted. “Inspired and motivated by the Our Love Is Power Spiritual Summit, and the recent Fall Study Series ‘Braving the Wilderness,’” a book by author Brene Brown, the Moments of Truth workshop “will help educate us in the skills necessary for creating the authentic connections we desire — generous,
deep listening; courageous, compassionate sharing.” Participants will learn how to have those difficult conversations with more comfort, trust and meaningful outcomes.The workshop will be given on a love-offering basis. WOMEN’S EVENING BIBLE STUDY, 6:30-8:30 p.m., The Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, East Asheville. A women’s Bible study focusing on “Live Bold” will be held Tuesday evenings, Jan. 9-Feb. 20. It will be led by Kendra Graham.
Thursday, Jan. 11
Creation Care Alliance Meeting, 5:30-7 p.m., Room MB306 Upstairs, First Baptist Church, 5 Oak St., Asheville. The CCA will plan for 2018. Attendees are asked to park near the playground closer to Charlotte Street. “We need your help as we plan the direction and events for 2018,” a press release noted. “We will explore priorities, needs of congregations and ideas as we look toward 2018. Team leaders and all who are interested are welcome. We will also share stories of hope from our faith communities as well as explore upcoming events and experiences. INTRODUCTION TO UNITY CLASS, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., Unity of the Blue Ridge, 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Rd., Mills River. An introduction to Unity will be led by the Rev. Darlene Strickland, Unity’s senior minister. She will teach Unity’s spiritual principles. The class will also afford attendees an opportunity to meet others who also are new to Unity. The class is a prerequisite for membership. Unity’s newest members will be welcomed on Feb. 4.
Friday, Jan. 12
SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVIE NIGHT, 7 p.m., Sandford Hall, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The UUCA will screen its monthly Social Justice Movie Night offering, which is to be announced. After the sreening, a discussion will be held. Admission is free.
Monday, Jan. 15
CANDLELIGHT SERVICE IN HONOR OF MLK, 6 p.m., Fellowship Hall, Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St., downtown Asheville. The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville & Buncombe County will host a candlelight service to honor area citizens and organizations that have dedicated themselves to the cause of social justice.
Friday, Jan. 19
WNC PHYSICIANS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY MEETING, 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m., Room E205, The First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak St. (just off College Street), downtown Asheville). WNC Physicians for Social
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018 - A11
Responsibility will meet. At noon, attendees are invited to bring a brown-bag lunch if they would like. Invited are physicians, health personnel and anyone else who is interested. Parking is available behind the church and attendees are asked to enter the church or ring the doorbell at the glass doors on Oak Street.
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Thursday, Jan. 25
CHURCH SECURITY CLASS, 6-8 p.m., Henderson County Courthouse, 200 N. Grove St., Hendersonville. Henderson County Sheriff Charles McDonald will lead a House of Worship Safety and Security class. (The Jan. 17 class is full and closed.) The presentation will assist church leaders and congregation members in keeping their places of worship safe and peaceful. Topics will include developing an action plan and what to do Sheriff Charles in the event of an incident or attack. The training will McDonald include a question-andanswer session and guidance on how to develop plans and procedures appropriate to the participants’ individual organization Those interested in attending are asked to register by emailing anock@hendersoncountync.org, with church name, number of those attending and a contact phone number and email. For more information, call 694-3137.
JOHN NORTH Publisher
Phone: (828) 252-6565 • Fax: (828) 252-6567 Mailing address: P.O. Box 8490, Asheville, N.C. 28814-8490 Website: www.ashevilledailyplanet.com E-mail the following departments: News: news@ashevilledailyplanet.com
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A12 — January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
New pact
Continued from Page A1 Representatives of the hospital system had referred to the terms of Blue Cross’ contract offer as “forever zero,” claiming it offered the hospital no additional compensation in light of rising costs of medicine and a desire to keep up with the latest in technology while recruiting and retaining top talent. Conversely, BCBS said it was offering Mission the same deal other hospitals across the state had accepted. As a result of the standoff, those carrying BCBS insurance had to pay out-of-network costs at Mission facilities. Those affected had the option of changing to another provider, such as UnitedHealth, or seeking help from a doctor unaffiliated with Mission, which, in Buncombe County, are few and far between. Those requiring emergency services or receiving qualified ongoing services were still considered in-network. Details of the agreement are confidential. Both organizations are referring persons with questions about covering treatments during the two-month outage to their FAQ webpages. The agreement was reached as the enrollment period or the Affordable Care Act drew to an end. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services cut the enrollment period in half, running it from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, “to more closely align with Medicare and the private market. The program’s advertising budget was also cut to 10 percent of its former allotment.
Advice Goddess Continued from Page A1
A: Most men are comfortable dealing with any leaky item -- as long as it can be fixed with an adjustable wrench and a Phillips screwdriver. If there’s a decoder ring for human emotion, it’s the female brain. Psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen finds that men, generally speaking, just aren’t as good as women at what’s called “theory of mind” — the ability to “infer what other people might be thinking or intending.” He explains that women, from childhood on, tend to be the “empathizers” of the species, driven to identify others’ “emotions and thoughts, and to respond with the appropriate emotions” (say, by hugging a teary-eyed person instead of treating an individual like a statue weeping blood). In contrast with female “empathizers,” Baron-Cohen describes men as the “systematizers” of the species. This is a fancy way of saying they’re engineering-focused — driven, from a young age, to identify how inanimate stuff works and “derive the underlying rules that govern the behavior of a system.” However, these are “reliable” rules, like the law of gravity — “What goes up must come down“ — nothing helpful for fathoming what the girlfriend’s got swirling around in her head when she suddenly goes all funeralface. Typically, women believe “If he loved me, he’d figure it out.” Um, no. Not here in realityland. Assume most heterosexual men are sucky at emotional tea leaf reading. When you’re in boohooville (or on your way), tell a man what you’re feeling
Revelations
Continued from Page A2 Recently, Stone, announced to the commissioners she would be making good on a promise to the lowest-paid members of county staff. The commissioners had previously agreed to give them a 1.5-percent pay raise, but the payroll funds went to other employees. Stone found the money to make the adjustment, including reimbursement, by giving herself and her department a pay cut and consolidating management elsewhere in the county. During her presentation, Stone said she was not going to ask the commissioners for a vote, because she believed they believed they had already app roved the raises. Legal advisors have informed the AC-T that the county cannot withhold financial records even if they are part of a criminal investigation. Frue, who was on vacation until Jan. 2, has informed the newspaper he will respond to that statement when he returns to his office as the commissioners’ attorney. Commissioners Chairman Brownie Newman said the board is cooperating with federal authorities who have asked them not to release information about the ongoing criminal investigation. Doing so, he has pointed out, would itself be a crime. Newman noted that he regrets that the commissioners, which he said are making herculean efforts to restore public trust with greater transparency, are torn between a rock and a hard place.
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and how he could help — for example, by just listening and rubbing your back. In time, this may help him avoid reacting to the welling of that very first tear by diving behind the couch and yelling, “Incoming! One o’clock! Alpha team, flank left!”
Nose to the groin stone
I’m a woman, and I recently made a new professional connection — a man who’s excited about my work. We’re planning on doing a big important project together. I’m worried that he’s interested in me romantically (based on a few things he’s said). I’m not interested in him in that way. What’s the right thing to say to get that across? — All Business It’s tempting to get everything out in the open right away: “I’ve run the numbers on your chances of having sex with me, and they’re pretty close to the odds of your being crushed to death by a middle-aged dentist falling out of the sky.” Informing a guy pronto that you aren’t romantically interested in him — though in somewhat kinder language — would be the right thing to do if he were just some persistent Tinder date you wanted to unload forever. But you’re hoping to have a continuing business relationship with this guy. So even if it were wildly obvious that he has the hots for you, the last thing you should do is mention that particular elephant in the room (not even while you’re pole-vaulting over steaming mountain ranges of elephant
dung). Cognitive psychologist and linguist Steven Pinker points out that “most social interaction” involves some conflicting goals — for example, when only one of two people is interested in ending the evening in the tool shed/sex dungeon. (Yes, sometimes the nightcap is a rubber hood.) Pinker explains that “indirect speech” — not saying exactly what you think or want — is a way two people can maintain their relationship as it is (even when both suspect or are pretty sure that their desired outcomes are in sharp conflict). The sometimes tiny measure of ambiguity — uncertainty about another person’s goals — that is fostered by indirect speech does a big job. It allows the person who wants something the other doesn’t to save face, enabling the two to preserve their common ground. So, your refraining from telling the guy that you aren’t interested (in so many words) allows him to cling to the ego-preserving possibility that you might be. If he goes direct on you — tells you he wants to sex up your business relationship — that’s when you likewise get explicit: Tell him straight out that you want to keep things strictly professional. However, this may not be necessary if you act in ways that say “just business!” Avoid going flirty in communicating with him, and schedule meetings for the utterly unsexiest times and places possible. Nobody ends up doing the walk of shame because they had seconds on biscotti and one too many double espressos. See ADVICE GODDESS, Page A14
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Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018 — A13
A14 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
Advice Goddess Continued from Page A12
Venus envy
I’m a 30-something woman, tall and thin, whom friends describe as beautiful. Perhaps for this reason, I’m often confronted with rude social assaults by people who assume things are handed to me on a silver platter. I am financially independent and have a full-time job and own a home and car. I dress and act modestly. Yet, I’m repeatedly insulted by people who suggest I got my job and other benefits because of my looks. What can I do to avoid or deflect these demeaning insinuations? — Not Just Skin Deep Inner beauty, unfortunately, only turns heads of people with X-ray vision: “Excuse me, miss, but has anyone ever told you that you have a very pretty appendix?” Sadly, complaints about the difficulty of being eye candy in a world of eye kale tend not to engender much sympathy, and researchers haven’t helped matters. There’s a considerable pile of research that has found a “beauty premium” (especially for women) — a bias toward hiring and promoting the hotties of the workforce — and, depressingly, an “ugliness penalty” holding back the more Shrekalicious among us. But it turns out that the methodology behind this slew of findings -- and the conclusion that simply having cheerleader good looks acts as a sort of express elevator for your career — was a bit overly broad. According to a 2017 paper by evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa and sociologist Mary Still, once you drill down into the details — control for health, intelligence, and personality characteristics (along with some other individual differences) — you see a more nuanced result: “It appears that more beautiful workers earn more, not because they are beautiful, but because they are healthier, more intelligent,” and have more desirable personality traits: more conscientiousness and extroversion and less neuroticism. Sure, this probably sounds absurd — this association of good looks with intelligence, a winning personality, and good health. However, take that last one. It turns out that beauty is more than nice human scenery; it’s also advertising for what’s on the inside. For example, consider the preference across cultures for faces with “bilateral symmetry.” “Facial bilateral symmetry” is anthropologist-ese for both sides of a person’s face being a strong match -- meaning, for example, that one eyelid isn’t a little droopier than the other. Facial or bodily asymmetry is an indicator of the presence of parasites or disease, and we evolved to be drawn to healthy people -- though we just think, “What a pretty face!” not “There’s someone who isn’t a foster home for tapeworms!” I don’t want to go too far into the weeds on why outer beauty might reflect good stuff on the inside. However, for one more example, Kanazawa and Still speculate about the personality benefit associated with being pretty (referencing evolutionary psychologist Aaron Lukaszewski’s research): “Because physically attractive children are more likely to experience positive feedback from interpersonal interactions,” they’re more likely to develop an extroverted personality than less physically attractive children. Getting back to you, just as previous research on “the beauty premium” failed
to zoom in on the details, there’s a good chance you’re seeing your problem a little too broadly — seeing “people” engaging in the “rude social assaults.” Research on sex differences in competition by psychologist Joyce Benenson suggests it’s probably women who are doing most or all of the sneering. Men — from childhood on — tend to be comfortable with hierarchy and openly duking it out for top spots in a way women are not. Women tend to engage in covert aggression — like with frosty treatment and undermining remarks -- in hopes of making another woman dim her own shine and voluntarily relocate lower down the ladder. The best way to combat such sniping in the moment is to go placid pokerface, treating their comments like lint to brush off. (There’s little satisfaction in verbally battering somebody who doesn’t appear to care.) In the long run, however, your best bet is being somebody who’s hard to hate. Research by behavioral economist Ernst Fehr suggests it’s in our self-interest to be altruistic — to engage in behavior that’s somewhat costly to us (in, say, time or energy) in order to benefit other people. This means, for example, developing a reputation as someone who’s always looking out for your colleagues’ interests — like by tipping off co-workers about opportunities and publicly cheering colleagues’ achievements. Finally, if I’m right that women are your main detractors, consider Benenson’s observation that women show each other they aren’t a threat through sharing vulnerabilities -- revealing weaknesses and problems. Ideally, of course, these should be difficulties along the lines of “Sorry I’m late. My car’s a useless piece of tin” and not “Sorry I’m late. ANOTHER guy drove into a pole looking at me, and I had to wait with him for the ambulance.”
shirking work on Twitter just then), or it may reflect research on sex differences that suggests men tend to be more comfortable engaging in direct conflict. However, though evolutionary psychologist David Buss, among others, finds that both men and women are deeply upset by infidelity — or the mere prospect of it — there seems to be a sex difference in who is more likely to go absolutely berserko over it. Buss, looking out over the anthropological literature, observes: “In cultures the world over, men find the thought of their partner having sexual intercourse with other men intolerable. Suspicion or detection of infidelity causes many men to lash out in furious anger rarely seen in other contexts.” Evolutionary psychologists have speculated that the fierceness of male sexual jealousy may be an evolved adaptation to combat the uniquely male problem of “paternity uncertainty” — basically the “who actually is your daddy?” question. A woman, of course, knows that the tiny human who’s spent a good part of nine months suckerpunching her in the gut is hers. However, our male ancestors lacked access to 23andMe mail-in DNA tests. So male emotions seem to have evolved to act as an alarm system, goading men to protect themselves (like with a scary expression of anger to forewarn their partner), lest they be snookered into raising another man’s child. The problem with the enraged response is that it kicks our brain into energy conservation mode — shunting blood flow away from our higher-reasoning department and toward our arms and legs and organs needed for “fight or flight.” So the mere mention of cheating — even coupled with suggestions for how to prevent it — kills any possibility of reasoned thinking. In our dumbed-down enraged state, all we’ve got is the knee-jerk response: “I am so totally
moral, and so is my wife, and anyone who needs to discuss how they’ll stay monogamous is the Whore of Babylon!” Unfortunately, aggressive denial of reality is particularly unhelpful for infidelity prevention. It’s especially unhelpful when it’s coupled with feelings of moral superiority. Organizational behaviorist Dolly Chugh and her colleagues find that people’s view of themselves as “moral, competent, and deserving … obstructs their ability” to make ethical decisions under pressure. So, as the late infidelity researcher Peggy Vaughan advised, “a couple’s best hope for monogamy lies in rejecting the idea that they can assume monogamy without discussing the issue.” They should instead admit that “attractions to others are likely … no matter how much they love each other” and “engage in ongoing honest communication about the reality of the temptations and how to avoid the consequences of acting on those temptations.” For example: What’s the plan if, say, marital sex gets a little sparse? If the marriage hits a rough patch? If that hot co-worker starts hitting on you when you’re drunk and a little unhappy while on a business trip? Maybe it seems depressing to discuss this stuff. However, a wedding ring is not an electrified fence. Accepting that is probably your best bet for avoiding emotional devastation and divorce when, 25 years in, a “jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou” still keeps the old spark alive in bed — but only when supplemented with a well-charged cordless cattle prod. • (c.) 2018, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol. com (advicegoddess.com). Weekly radio show: blogtalkradio.com/amyalkon
Alice In wanderland
I follow you on Twitter, and I was disgusted to see your tweet about marriage, “No, humans aren’t naturally monogamous -- which is why people say relationships ‘take work,’ while you never hear anybody talking about what a coal mine an affair can be.” If a person finds fidelity so challenging, they should stay single. — Ethical Married Person Reality has this bad habit of being kind of a bummer. So, sure, that person you married all those years ago still has the capacity to surprise you with crazy new positions in bed — but typically they’re yogi-like contortions they use to pick dead skin off the bottoms of their feet. That line you quote, “relationships ‘take work,’ while you never hear … what a coal mine an affair can be,” is actually from one of my old columns. I tweeted it along with this advice: “Don’t just assume you & romantic partner (will) stay monogamous. Maybe discuss how, exactly, you’ll go about that.” From where I sit — opening lots of letters and email from cheaters and the cheated upon — this is simply good, practical marriage- (and relationship-) preserving advice. But from some of the responses on Twitter, you’d think I’d suggested braising the family dog and serving him on a bed of greens with a “tennis ball” of candied yams. Though some men and women on Twitter merely questioned my take, interestingly, the enraged responses (ranging from impersonally rabid to denigratingly hateful) came entirely from men. Granted, this may just have been due to chance (who was
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A16 — January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
Entertainment
Special Section PULLOUT
& Calendar of Events
B1
Asheville Daily Planet — January 2018
Locally shot ‘3 Billboards’ film leads SAG awards; could it net an Oscar? From Staff Reports
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” shot in 2017 in downtown Sylva, Black Mountain, Dillsboro and other Western North Carolina locales, is leading all films with four nominiations, the 24th Screen Actors Guild Awards announced Dec. 13. “Three Billboards,” written and directed by Martin McDonaugh and starring Frances McDormand, was nominated for Best Ensemble (SAG’s equivalent to “Best Picture”), best acting in the lead category for McDormand and two nods for best supporting actors — for Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson. The movie also ranks as one of the leading contenders for other
year-end awards, including its six Golden Globes nominations and the audience favorite award at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It is considered a contender for an Oscar. As for WNC’s connection to “Three Billboards,’” the downtown where it is filmed is actually Sylva. And police officer Jason Dixon (played by Rockwell) was shot in a crucial bar scene in the Town Pump Tavern on Cherry Street in Black Mountain. The hospital and doctor’s office scenes were filmed at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, while the restaurant scene was filmed at J. Arthur’s restaurant in Maggie Valley. Local residents of Jackson County were cast for background roles. Also, students from the Stage and Screen Department of nearby Western Carolina University were cast as shooting stand-ins for the main actors.
Christmas country dance sets turnout record
Shelley Wright
Affirmations, resolutions and things I just want to do Above and to the left are scenes from the Christmas Country Dance Party held Dec. 15 at the Asheville Ballroom, including acclaimed country competition dancers Richard and Sue Cichetti (at left) . “At each monthly Country Dance, we have a larger turnout,” organizer Richard Cichetti noted afterward. Fifty-four people attended November’s country dance,
Daily Planet staff photos
while December’s gala attracted 69 people, he said. “The first Country Dance we produced six months ago (July), 24 people attended. Each month the number increases. Our goal is to have 100-plus attend each month.” Upcoming country dances will be held 8-10:30 p.m. Jan. 19, Feb. 16 and March 9 at the ballroom on Sweeten Creek Road.
For 1st time, every shag club officer is a woman From Staff Reports
Photo courtesy of MOUNTAIN SHAG CLUB
The new all-female board of the Mountain Shag Club includes (from left) Morgan Teague, Sandy Bristol, Leigh Ann Hamon Johnson (secretary), Lucretia Piercy, Sandy Blackwell, Nancy Thompson (treasurer), Sherrie Howard (vice president) and Debbie Peterson (president.) Not pictured is past president Linda Saylor.
The Mountain Shag Club recently elected a new board for 2018 that, for the first time in the club’s 30-history, is all-female. The new board took over effective Jan. 1. Formed in November 1988, the club claims more than 100 members — mostly from Buncombe and Henderson counties, but with some members and guests traveling from South Carolina and Tennessee — and even farther away. The club meets weekly for free dance lessons, followed by open dancing of the Carolina shag (the official dance of North and South Carolina) and to socialize. Dance lessons begin at 6:30 p.m.Tuesdays and a disc jockeys plays music for dancing until about 9:30 p.m. in the 550 Tavern & Grill at the Clarion Inn/Aiport at 550 Airport Road in Fletcher. The club’s stated purpose is to “bring together people for fellowship and entertainment” and to “promote the revival and preservation of beach music, shagging and other related activities.”
I
t’s time to begin another year and just like The Fool card in Tarot, it means a brand new journey. Two thousand eighteen is all shiny and new. It won’t be, of course, by the end of the year. But I think we need to take the dents and dings and scratches and see them for what they really are. They are proof of a life lived and not covered by plastic wrap. Maybe the point of the ending of a year is to look like we slid into it on our face. I know most of us at least feel road rash. One of our favorite ways to close out the year and begin a new one is to make resolutions. I am not a resolutions person. They seem like they build you up to fail. I say, if you’re going to make a resolution, you should practice it first. It takes 21 days to make something a habit. Start 21 days before the new year and you already have something in the “win” column! For me, 2018 is about honoring my innate senses more and practicing new ways to bring them out and use them to help my fellow human beings. This year will be filled with affirmations more than resolutions. So, to that end, I thought I’d mention some new favorites, some that I’d like to reacquaint myself with and others that are brand new. I think my favorite divination tool is the tarot. I’ve only been working at it for a little more than a year, but it’s very useful, especially when you realize that the cards are indicators. They’re not your future set in stone. You can change what you don’t like or where you feel things are headed. And I can’t imagine a tarot reading where someone doesn’t have at least some self awareness and already knows about the issues laid forth in the cards. Sometimes it’s nice to have a heads-up on how much longer you’ll have to endure whatever is on the card. That is, how much longer the lesson or journey will last. Ever have those times when you feel like your life is spiraling out of control? See WRIGHT, Page B6
B2 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet
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The 10th annual New Year’s Day Polar Plunge will be held at noon Jan. 1 on the beach at Lake Lure. The photo above shows the action at last year’s event.
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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.
Monday, Jan. 1
LAKE LURE NEW YEAR’S DAY POLAR PLUNGE, noon, beach, Lake Lure. The 10th annual Lake Lure New Year’s Day Polar Plunge will be held. Registration will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The event’s pre-plunge activities will include fire pits, a fun-run and tug-of-war. New Year’s Day Walk,12:30 p.m., rear parking lot, Visitor’s Center, 36 Montford Avenue, Asheville. The Asheville Amblers will host a New Year’s Day Walk. The traditional kickoff walk will begin by heading through the historic Riverside Cemetery, the Montford area and downtown Asheville. The walk is rated 2A. Participants will meet for sign-in starting at 12:30 p.m. The walk will start at 1 p.m. Both 7K and 10K options will be available. The Asheville Amblers have modified the walk slightly to showcase more of the Montford area’s beauty and also to pass by one of the “typical Asheville” coffee shops and yoga/cycling centers. “A zig here, a zag there and even a new loop,” the Asheville Amblers website noted.. All are welcome and the event is free.
A SURJ “DO!SCUSSION,” 10:30 a.m., Firestorm Coffee & Books, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. An ASURJ “do!scussion” will be held. It is billed as “a weekly safe space in which to talk about what we see that encourages us to continue to create multi-racial coalitions in Asheville while working to dismantle white supremacy. Feel like you’re struggling with the how? Come on over and we’ll talk about it. Then, we’ll get to do!ing.” A “do!session” will follow from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., during which activists will work with accountability partners on a particular project or issue. The seven organizing principles of SURJ are: 1) accountability through action, 2) mutual interest, 3) take risks and keep going, 4) calling in more, 5) enough for everyone, 6) growth is good, and 7) centering class. VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL, 4:30 p.m., Vance Monument, downtown Asheville. The Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 will hold its weekly vigil “because the wars still go on.” The vigils have been happening since 2002 — “no matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace,” a press release noted. “LEADING LADIES” FILM SERIES SCREENING, 7 p.m., Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon. The film “Prisoner of Second Avenue,” a 1975 dark comedy starring Anne Banrcroft, will be screened in the monthly“ Leading Ladies” film series. Tickets are $6. CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION,
7 p.m., Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. Bruce Roth will host a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment and other hot political topics. Admission is free and all are invited.
Thursday, Jan. 4
NEW JIM CROW DISCUSSION GROUP, 6-7 p.m..Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. The New Jim Crow Discussion Group will meet.
Saturday, Jan. 6
COUNTRY COOL COMEDY TOUR, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. The Country Cool Comedy Tour will be performed. For tickets, visit www.npacgreeneville.com, or call (423) 638-1679.
Monday, Jan. 8
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS MEETING, 6:308 p.m., Buncombe County Democratic Party HQ, 951 Old Fairview Road. Asheville. The Progressive Democrats of Buncombe County will hold a meeting. “Our goal is to further progressive ideals,” a press release noted. “We work to get big money out of politics and bring power to the people -- not just corporations. We believe higher education needs to be available to anyone willing to do the academic work. We stand up for singlepayer health care. Come and join us — make these ideals a reality.”
Tuesday, Jan. 9
FORUM ON CHINA, 7 p.m., Manheimer Room, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. A forum on China will feature two prominent China scholars, Dr. Jim Lenburg, professor-emeritus at Mars Hill University; and Dr. Sarah-Ann Smith, a noted author and former member of the U.S. diplomatic corps, who holds a Ph.D. in international and East Asia studies. The program will be moderated by Dr. Elizabeth O. Colton, also a veteran of the U.S. diplomatic corps. The topic will be “China: Key to the North Korea Threat?” That theory and other issues will be discussed by two prominent China scholars, Dr. Jim Lenburg, professoremeritus at Mars Hill University; and Dr. SarahAnn Smith, a noted author and former member of the U.S. diplomatic corps, who holds a Ph.D. in international and East Asia studies. Admission to the event, hosted by the Leadership Asheville Forum, is free and open to the public.
See CALENDAR, Page B3
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Wednesday, Jan. 3
SIERRA CLUB MEETING, 7-9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, Asheville. The local Sierra Club will present a program on “Greenways and Blueways,” presented by Marcia Bromberg, president of Connect Buncombe; and Marc Hunt, representing tje Woodfin Greenway & Blueway. They will explain the value of greenways and blueways to our community. Attendees will learn how they can be part of the greenway movement in Buncombe County.
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Asheville Daily Planet - January 2018 - B3
Country music standout and film icon Dwight Yoakam, a Grammy Award winner, will perform in concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 in the Event Center at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino in Cherokee.
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Calendar of Events Continued from Page B2
Wednesday, Jan. 10
JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING, 9:30 a.m., library, Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, 117 Montreat Road, Black Mountain. The group Just Peace for Israel/Palestine will meet.
Thursday, Jan. 11
SPEECH, 7:15 p.m., Graham Theater, Walker Arts Center, the Asheville School, 360 Asheville School Road, West Asheville. Dr. Christine Darden will speak on “From Monroe, N.C., to NASA.” She is featured in Margot Lee Shetterly’s 2016 bestseller, “Hidden Figures,” which was released recently as a movie. Darden was hired by NASA in 1967 as a computer/data analyst and, over the course of her career became the first African-American woman promoted into the Senior Executive Service at the NASA Langley (Va.) Research Center. She is from the small town of Monroe, where she earned her high school degree from the Allen School in Asheville. Darden will discuss her life and NASA career. Admission is free and open to the public. TRAUMA STEWARDSHIP MEETUP, 6-7:30 p.m., Firestorm Café, 610 Haywood Road, West Asheville. The Trauma Stewardship Meetup Group will meet to discuss “Engaging in SelfCare While Caring for Others.” The program is for “ourselves – helpers, advocates, healers, activists, empaths.” Participants will share tips and strategies for self-care and resilience.
Friday, Jan. 12
BIG BAND WEEKEND DANCE, 8 p.m., Grand Ballroom, Omni Grove Park Inn, North Asheville. The two-day event will begin with a dance featuring the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 13
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. PRAYER BREAKFAST, 8:30 a.m., Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville. The 37th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The 2018 MLK Prayer Breakfast will feature founder Oralene Simmons and be hosted by the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc. For the first time since breakfast began in 1982, the keynote address will be given by the organization’s founder, Oralene Anderson Graves Simmons, who will address both her journey and the larger civil rights history that helped lead to the establishment of the MLK Association. The event is billed as being “particularly poignant this year, as 2018 is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” on April 4, 1968, in
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Memphis, Tenn. The 2018 Prayer Breakfast will begin at 8:30 a.m., with doors opening at 7:30 a.m. Tickets are $25. For information on how to register or any questions, call 335-6896. BIG BAND WEEKEND DANCE INSTRUCTION, 10 a.m.-noon, Grand Ballroom, Omni Grove Park Inn, North Asheville. Ballroom dance instruction will be provided in conjunction with Big Band Weekend, followed from 2 to 4 p.m. with a Tea Dance. ATLANTA’S MOST WANTED CONCERT, 7 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd., Franklin. Atlanta’s Most Wanted, billed as one of the Southeast’s most popular cover bands, will perform in concert. The band will perform hits by classic entertainers such as The Drifters and The Coasters. The band featues hits from the 1960s and ‘70s. For tickets, which are $18, visit www.greatmountainmusic.com. DWIGHT YOAKAM CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Country music standout and film icon Dwight Yoakam, a Grammy Award winner, will perform in concert. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com. BIG BAND WEEKEND DANCE, 8 p.m., Grand Ballroom, Omni Grove Park Inn, North Asheville. The two-day event will conclude with a dance featuring the world-famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. PATRICK DAVIS CONCERT, 8 p.m., Gunter Theatre, Peace Center, Greenville, S.C. South Carolina native and singer-songwriter Patrick Davis and his Midnight Choir will perform in concert. For tickets, call (800) 888-7768 or visit www.peacecenter.org.
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PEACE MARCH AND RALLY, 11:30 a.m., St. James AME Church, Martin Luther King Drive and Hildebrand Street to Pack Square Park, Asheville. A peace march and rally will be held. It is one of several events hosted by the MLK Association to mark the national holiday weekend to commemorate King and build upon his legacy of peace and justice. Following the march, attendees will hear speakers addressing justice and peace. ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS, 6 p.m., The Block Off Bitmore, 39 S. Market St., downtown Asheville. ABD will hold an informal networking meeting, focused on the science of sustainability. Admission is free and the event is open to all. READINGS FROM ARKANSAS PRISON PROJECT, 7-9 p.m, Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St., Asheville. “On the Row,” a dramatic reading will be presented. “On The Row,” from the Northwest Arkansas Prison Project, features the writing of death row inmates in Arkansas, and this will be its second-ever road production. The reading will be presented by Asheville-area actors, including three UNC Asheville students. This event is co-produced by UNCA faculty members Patrick Bahls and Jessica Pisano, with support from the university’s Department of English. Director David Joliffe, professor of English at the University of Arkansas, will lead an audience question-and-answer session after the reading.
See CALENDAR, Page B6
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B4 — January 2018 — Asheville Daily Planet
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FINEST QUALITY HANDCRAFTED MATTRESSES MADE IN ASHEVILLE Handcrafted in Asheville, mattresses by Colton Mattress Factory at 848 Hendersonville Road offer unmatched durability, uncompromising comfort and orthopedic support. Artisan craftsmanship that incorporates the latest in mattress technology with age-old handcrafting techniques makes for the most comfortable night’s sleep you’ve had in years. Business owner Mike Emerson has been in the mattress business for 35 years. At 13, he started working for a small mattress company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, sweeping floors and helping with deliveries. At the age of 20, the owner retired and Emerson bought the company. Over the next 10 years, Emerson expanded the business to 20 stores in 5 midwestern states with over a hundred employees. Emerson still owns half the company and it is still in operation today. Emerson was semi-retired and living in Asheville, feeling bored, and decided to start another mattress factory and named it after his son, Colton. Folks here in Asheville really like buying high-quality products that are locally made. Emerson says: “Business has been strong and we can hardly keep up with demand.” He added, “A lot of customers that come into our store are frustrated with the quality of nonflip brand-name mattresses that they have purchased recently that didn’t last as long as they expected. So many products today are made to wear out fairly quickly so you have to replace them. Colton makes mattresses the old-fashioned way so they last longer.” Asheville’s headquarters
for adjustable beds, Colton Mattress can build the bed that is perfect for you. It makes beds with infinite mattress positions and that include head and foot massage. Create your own adjustments to relieve back pain, improve circulation, and sleep deeply. Any mattress Colton Mattress builds — including the luxurious Pantheon line, the fine Heirloom collection and the durable Artisan series — can be turned into an adjustable bed. Want a super-firm mattress, a super-soft mattress or something in between? Colton Matress can create the precise firmness you desire. It sells a lot of beds made with latex, a natural material that naturally inhibits dust mites, mold and mildew. Derived from the tropical rubber tree, latex instantaneously conforms to the shape of your body, relieving pressure points for an uninterrupted sleep. Talalay latex used by Colton reduces high-pressure areas that shut off capillary blood flow and cause you to toss and turn all night. Mattresses made from Cooling Gel Memory Foam conform to the body, relieve pressure points and aid circulation. Choices range from pillowy soft to bodycontouring firm. The Cooling Gel Memory Foam provides additional support and cooler sleeping surface. Memory foam mattresses virtually eliminate motion transfer (and you won’t feel your sleep partner move). Emerson stated, “We offer a 30-day comfort guarantee because we want you to love your new mattress.” When you purchase a new mattress from Colton, they will donate your old mattress to people in need, if it is still sleepable. There are 25 different models to choose from
at the showroom in South Asheville. Visit with Mike Emerson, Rick Reed or Jerrad
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B6 — January 2018 — Asheville Daily Planet
Wright
Calendar
Continued from Page B3
Thursday, Jan. 18
MLK WEEK KEYNOTE ADDRESS AT UNCA, 7-9 p.m., Kimmel Arena, Sherrill Center, UNC Asheville. Michelle Alexander will give UNCA’s MLK Week Keynote Address. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 6 p.m. Alexander’s best-selling book, “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” is billed as having “both crystalized and amplified public discussion about racism and civil rights, the war on drugs and the prison system.” As an attorney, Alexander clerked for Justice Harry Blackmun at the U.S. Supreme Court, directed the Racial Justice Project at the ACLU of Northern California, and brought discrimination suits in private practice. She now is a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary and a forceful public speaker who argues that mass incarceration is today’s version of Jim Crow segregation.
Friday, Jan. 19
LECTURE AT UNCA, 11:30 a.m.- 1:15 p.m., Room 102, Reuter Center, UNC Asheville. January 19 “Film is Like a Battleground” by Marsha Gordon. American director Samuel Fuller famously declared that a film is like a battleground during his cameo in Jean-Luc Godard’s 1965 film, “Pierrot Le Fou.” These words aptly describe the career of this World War II veteran who began directing movies in 1949. Whether about World War II, the Korean War or the Cold War, war and its consequences were the subjects Fuller obsessively returned to throughout his long career. Drawing from her extensive archival and historical research, Dr. Marsha Gordon will discuss how war films really got made during the Studio Era. Her talk will be illustrated with film clips from Fuller’s films as well as with behind-the-scenes documents from the Departments of Defense and the Army, the FBI and the Production Code Administration. Attendees will learn what a real battle it was to make war films in Hollywood. Marsha Gordon is professor of Film Studies at North Carolina State University and the author, most recently, of “Film is Like a Battleground: Sam Fuller’s War Movies” (Oxford University Press, 2017). Gordon has a monthly show, ‘Movies on the Radio,’ with Laura Boyes & Frank Stasio, on WUNC’s The State of Things, which airs locally on Asheville’s NPR affiliate station.
Wednesday, Jan. 24
“JEEVES TAKES A BOW” PRODUCTION, 7:30 p.m., Graham Theater, Walker Arts Center, the Asheville School, N.C. Stage Co., 15 Stage Lane, downtown Asheville. The comedy “Jeeves Takes a Bow” will be performed from Jan. 24 through Feb. 18. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. WednesdaysSaturdays and at 2 p.m. Sundays. The play depicts the British upper crust meeting the New York mob when everyone’s hapless hero, Bertie Wooster, embarks on an American adverture armed only with his handsome fortune and his remarkable manservant, Jeeves. In less than a New York minute, Wooster finds himself kneedeep in troubles with vengeful gangsters, chorus girls and a new Broadway musical. For tickets, call 239-0263or visit ncstage.org.
Friday, Jan. 26
TRACY LAWRENCE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Road, Franklin. Country singer Tracy Lawrence, one of the best of the rock-tinged honky tonk singers, will perform in concert. For tickets, visit www.GreatMountainMusic.com. JAMEY JOHNSON CONCERT, 9 p.m., Event Center, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, Cherokee. Country music standout Jamey Johnson will perform in concert. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com.
Saturday, Jan. 27
CHILI COOK-OFF, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Veritas Christian Academy, 17 Cane Creek Rd., Fletcher. The Town of Fletcher will host its 17th annual Chili Cook-Off. The event is free and open to the public. LUCIA MICARELLI CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., The Foundation Performing Arts Center, Isothermal
Wikipedia photo
Country music standout Jamey Johnson will perform in concert at 9 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Event Center in Harrah’s Cherokee Casino at Cherokee.
Community College, Spindale. Violinist Lucia Micarelli will perform in concert. TRACY LAWRENCE CONCERT, 7:30 p.m., Niswonger Performing Arts Center, Greeneville, Tenn. Country singer Tracy Lawrence will perform in concert. For tickets, www.npacgreeneville.com or call (423) 638-1679.
Tuesday, Jan. 30
“DEFENDING YOUR LIFE” FILM SERIES SCREENING, 7 p.m., Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon. The film “Defending Your Life,” a 1991 romantic comedy-fantasy starrng Meryl Streep, will be screened in the monthly“ Leading Ladies” film series. Tickets are $6.
Continued from Page B1 Pulling a four of anything is really good! Four is stability. You’re doing better than you thought. “Ataboy” cards are very helpful when you’re feeling low or you wonder if the seeds you’ve planted are going to grow to fruition. I know when I’ve been pouring my heart into a project and I’m so tired that I’m not sure I have the strength to take one more step, I can pull a card or several cards over the course of days that changes my perspective and tells me that I’m just waiting for my ship to come in or I’m on the verge of reaping all the goodness I’ve sown. Or maybe it’s just that virtual pat on the back that you get from the card that says all your hard work is paying off. You’re headed in the right direction and you have all the strength you need. I’m looking forward to spending more time with my cards this year. And I’m also looking forward to using the cards to help my friends. I wonder if my intuition will tell me everything that’s going in their life before I pull cards or if I’ll have some surprises along the way? I have a feeling the cards will support what I already know and feel. I have a feeling when I read cards for others it will be very similar to when I read palms. That’s another thing I’d like to delve back into. Palmistry. I had a self-taught crash course in it a few years ago for an event called Thirteenth Night (see Asheville Daily Planet column from January 2016 entitled “Palm Reading: Sexy Subterfuge or Diagnostic Tool?”). That was another situation where my intuition kicked in right away and took over. A calmness fell over me and the rest of the room seemed to fall silent as I just started talking. And then the words stopped and I focused on my client and they all looked at me in amazement that night. I had tapped into something else that just playing with someone’s hands couldn’t explain. Some of them teared up.
Some of them hugged me and told me how true the words I uttered were. You could tell the experience rocked them. But in a good way. I knew I had somehow helped all of these people in a profound way and I wanted to keep doing it. Remote viewing sounds like a useful tool to add to my resume. Remote viewing is defined by Wikipedia as, “the practice of seeking impressions about a distant or unseen target, purportedly using extrasensory perception (ESP) or “sensing” with the mind.” It goes on to say that, “There is no scientific evidence that remote viewing exists, and the topic of remote viewing is generally regarded as pseudoscience.” I don’t know about all that. We all know the government studied remote viewing and that they generally seek to discredit anything “fringe” that they don’t want the rest of us to know about. But I’m pretty sure the psychics who have found missing children and the remains of missing loved ones would beg to disagree. In an interview by one of my favorite authors on psychic stuff, because she isn’t airy-fairy and is, in fact, very down to earth and credible, and has been taught how to do remote viewing from the U.S. government, she tells Bellesprit Magazine in the Jan. 3, 2014 issue: “I needed to have a logical backing before I could put myself out there as a metaphysical person. I began taking classes, all the classes I could find of interest in this field and began to give multiple readings. As I did, I realized that I had already been doing this work. I had just never considered it for what it was. I thought when I “read” people, it was normal. I assumed everybody did that.” Wow, does that does sound familiar! • Shelley Wright, an Asheville native, is a paranormal investigator. She owns and runs the web-based Nevermore Mystical Arts and works at Wright’s Coin Shop, both in Asheville. Wright also is a weekly participant in the “Speaking of Strange” radio show from 9 p.m. to midnight on most Saturdays on Asheville’s WWNC-AM (570).
Asheville Daily Planet - January 2018 - B7
B8 - January 2018 - Asheville Daily Planet