Glory days of Motown recalled; Temptations Review ... reviewed
Dennis Edwards
— See Interview, Pg. 12 • See Concert review, Pg. 13
Sheriff catches flak for viewing Constitution as ‘living’ document — See Story, Pg. 10
Van Duncan
ILLE V E H AS ASHEVILLEʼS GREATEST NEWSPAPER
September 2012
Vol. 8, No.10
An Independent Newspaper Serving Greater Asheville
www.ashevilledailyplanet.com
FREE
Topless rally flops after foes weigh in By JOHN NORTH
john@ashevilledailyplanet.com
The second annual topless rally was held Aug. 26 near the Pack Monument in downtown Asheville, but this time attendance of both topless women and gawking and mostly male spectators was down by at least 50 percent, if not more. Somewhere between 500 and 1,000 persons attended the rally, which faced conservative opposition as well as detractors that included Mayor Terry Bellamy and City Council, among others. The rally got off to a slow start, with less than a dozen women wandering around topless and a small crowd of eager onlookers, amid a highly visible police presence. Donna Newman, a Raelian priest from Miami, Fla., who was topless as she addressed the gathering, opened the rally with a speech. (Raëlism, or the Raëlian Church, is a UFO religion that was founded in 1974 by Claude Vorilhon, now known as Raël.) She began by noting that last year, the rally drew an estimated 2,000 people, while this year the turnout was considerably less. With a laugh, Newman also pointed out, , that, “as you can see, most of the people here are men ... This is actually an equal rightss rally for women. Yes, women do have the right to be topless (in public) 365 days per year — and not just for this one day.” As she spoke, four or five women nearby posed topless as per the request of a man attending the rally. Continuing, Newman said told of a married woman who wanted to attend the rally topless, but feared the consequences for her job. “I encourage women of the city to exercise your rights. Your City Council wants to take that away.” Further, Newman said, “Today is National Equality for Women Day.” She then reviewed the history of the women’s suffrage movement and the struggles that ensued to give women the right to vote. “How shameful — that they had to fight for their rights,” she said. “We (women) were held in hostage and we don’t want to be held in hostage again,” she said, as the crowd applauded. Newman asked, rhetorically, “Where does that fear (of taking off a woman’s top) come from?” She then said, “If, indeed there is a God, I don’t think they have a problem with you showing your body in public.” See TOPLESS, Page 23
Daily Planet Staff Photos
All shook up
Nationally known Elvis tribute artist Stephen Freeman (above) performed as the opening act on the evening of Sept. 2 at the 66th annual North Carolina Apple Festival in downtown Hendersonville. Freeman is recognized by Elvis Presley Enterprises as the worldwide fan favorite. He proved to be popular during his performance in Hendersonville. On Sept. 1, the night’s headliner was Charlottebased Too Much Sylvia (left). Its singers, in one interlude, dressed up as women — to hilarious effect — and sang songs by female vocalists.
West Nile Virus termed ‘emerging threat’
By JOHN NORTH
john@ashevilledailyplanet.com
A woman in the Asheville-Buncombe County area is being re-examined via follow-up blood tests for the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, according to Sue Ellen Morrison, supervisor of disease control at the Buncombe County Health Department in Asheville. The woman, who the BCHD declined to identify, has had symptoms consistent with WNV, so the convalescent test was taken and the results are expected soon, Morrison said in an Sept. 4 telephone interview with the Daily Planet.
If the patient is found to have WNV, Morrison said that, since “it’s viral, we can look at (using) antibiotics.” Under direct medical supervision the patient may be required to drink more water as well as following other precautions, too. Since WNV — the result of an infected mosquito bite — is incurable, “you can’t treat the disease, but you can address the symptoms,” she said. “You hope people recover, but there have been a number of cases in which those with WNV have died. As of Sept. 4, Morrison said, “There were five cases (of WNV) in North Car-
olina last week. There might be more now. Two had died.” She reiterated, “There is no cure ... There’s not a specific treatment. You treat the symptoms ... We’re still not sure why some (WNV patients) have more serious outcomes” than others. She said people who are older (over age 50), or those with weakened immune systems, tend to be in more danger of contacting the virus. “The majority — 75 percent of the cases have been in Texas and Oklahoma” in the United States, and WNV has resulted in 66 deaths, Morrison said. See WEST NILE VIRUS, Page 22