Capital at Play August 2015

Julie & John Stehling

Michael Trayford

The Realities of Restaurateur-ing p.12

Teach An Old Brain New Tricks p.68

The Free Spirit Of Enterprise

French Broad Boatworks p.50

colu m ns

Don’t Play Away Business Entity Liability Protection p.22 Evaluating Online Marketing Info p.60

Volume V - Edition VIII complimentary edition

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August 2015

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Publisher’s Thoughts

W

elcome to August, just a few final days of vacation for teachers and students everywhere, the height of summer’s heat (and apparently humidity as well). Really positive notes all around, because you live in Western North Carolina. Here, it may be warm, but not like elsewhere in the South—and even that can be helped with a little altitude adjustment. Though all vacations come to an end, if you love what you do, then that first Monday back might not sting so much, or at all. If you’re anything like the folks we profiled, chatted with, and learned from in this edition, you probably wouldn’t notice any of these potentially burdensome seasonal disappointments. And if you do, don’t fret. There’s a lot to be learned in the pages ahead.

As in most years (and months) here in the perpetually playful mountains, we have festival, after festival, after festival to entertain you. Have you ever wondered about why there are so many? Listen to those who make them happen on page 36. You will gain a little understanding or at least add some flavor to your upcoming calendar. If you want something a bit more private you can always head down the French Broad River in a hand made drift boat, or at least read about the guys who formed French Broad Boatworks to build these beautiful nautical craft (p50). For even more of an adventure (in our aptly named Capital Adventurist section on p82) you can take mostly dirt and gravel backroads from coast to coast on the Trans-America Trail.

We just recently tried out the Tennessee section, which certainly wasn’t lacking of livestock or local flavor along the trail. Most important to whatever adventure you choose, is to enrich and nourish your mind. So many people focus on pushing their bodies to the limits, that we often overlook the importance of continually training our mind to keep up with our body. Dr. Micheal Trayford’s Apex Brain Centers (p68) is one of a growing number of brain training centers doing just that.

Covering our bodies to the delight of our minds, a local fashion and clothing design industry is gaining ground as well. We spoke to a few designers to understand a bit more about their craft, how they got here, and where they are going (p24).

We hope that you enjoy and find stimulating what you read in this edition. I have barely described half of what’s inside. The most important thing I can say about it is that there are many adventures to be learned from here, and everywhere. Before we slip back into shorter days, and busier schedules, make sure you have an adventure of your own. Go on a journey that nourishes your body, mind, and feeds your soul.

Look for us around town

Sincerely,

Oby Morgan

4

| August 2015

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The Free Spirit Of Enterprise

publisher & editor

Oby Morgan associate publisher

Jeffrey Green contributing editors

Leslee Kulba, Dasha O. Morgan, Brenda Murphy contributing writers & photogr aphers

Emily Ballard, Justin Belleme Anthony Harden, Roger McCredie, Forrest Merithew, Marla Hardee Milling, Toni Sherwood, Melissa Stanz, Shawndra Russell, Arthur Treff gr aphic designer

Bonnie Roberson marketing & advertising Wren Barnett, Kathryn Dillow, David Morgan, Katrina Morgan, Pat Starnes

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The content found within this publication does not necessar ily ref lec t the views of Univer sal Media , Inc. and its companies. Univer sal Media , Inc. and its employees are not liable for any adver tising or editor ial content found in Capital At Play. The ar ticles, photogr aphy, and illus tr ations found in Capital at Play may not be reproduced or used in any fashion without express wr it ten consent by Univer sal Media , Inc.

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| August 2015

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| August 2015

this page :

Waiter at King Daddy’s, Patrick Randall, pouring a glass of water, photo by Anthony Harden

F E AT U R E S vol. v

12

THE REALITIES OF RESTAURATEUR-ING JULIE & JOHN STEHLING

ed. viii

50

ROWIN’ ON THE RIVER

JASON BROWNLEE & WILL EVERT

68

TEACH AN OLD BRAIN NEW TRICKS MICHAEL TRAYFORD

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

9

ctivity annually. Are ers?

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24

36

82

Creative Mountain Style:

Festival Frenzy

Off the Grid

lo c a l i n d u s t r y

The Growing Fashion Industry in Western North Carolina.

colu m ns

22 D on’t Play Away

Business Entity Liability Protection Written by Forrest Merithew

60 E valuating Online

l e i s u r e & l i b at i o n

A few annual festivals in Western North Carolina on p. 48.

briefs

32 Carolina in the West 64 The Old North State 78 National & World News

Marketing Info

Written by Adrianne Gordon on the cover :

Boat Launch with the Dory being pulled by a mechanized winch from the water at French Broad Boatworks. Article on p.50. photo by Anthony Harden 10

| August 2015

c a p i ta l a d v e n t u r i s t On the Trans-America Trail.

events

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the old Latin calendar, the 8th month of the year was renamed in honor of Caesar Augustus in 8 BC. As an adjective, the word August also means respected, impressive, and venerable.

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Julie and John Stehling

12

| August 2015

Realities THE

OF

Restaurateur-ing Owners Julie and John Stehling of Early Girl Eatery and King Daddy’s Chicken & Waffles

written by shawndr a russell

|

photos by anthony harden

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

13

*Restaurant success stats: www.businessinsider.com/why-restaurants-fail-so-often-2014-2

“Do you think you’ll open a third restaurant?”

Nearby, a table full of Early Girl Eatery employees starts snickering, while owners Julie and John Stehling blow out puffs of bewildered air.

“Nope,” John says, almost as if he doesn’t believe himself, but hopes that what he’s saying now is true.

“I don’t think so,” Julie seconds with a sheepish smile and a sidelong glance at her husband.

The Stehlings are on the heels of their West Asheville restaurant, King Daddy’s Chicken and Waffles, celebrating its first anniversary—13 years after they opened their first restaurant, Early Girl Eatery, located downtown on Wall Street. So, it’s understandable that the daunting task of opening a third restaurant isn’t on their radar now, or perhaps ever. Keeping two restaurants alive past their first year of business is quite a feat considering that 60% of restaurants fail in the first year and 80% fail within their first five years. Early Girl has already beaten that second foreboding stat, while King Daddy’s appears to be heading toward that milestone, too.* “The customers and feedback we’ve been getting about King Daddy’s reminds us of when we first opened Early Girl. We saw that downtown is changing, and we wanted to keep a local business. And I wanted something else to stimulate me after doing Early Girl for so many years,” John explains. “West Asheville 14

| August 2015

is what downtown Asheville was like when we opened Early Girl,” Julie chimes in.

They list a few of the reasons for the déjà vu: lower rents, mostly locals, and being slightly under the radar—a good thing in their eyes so they could work out the kinks. “After a year, we finally feel like we have King Daddy’s running smoothly,” Julie says. John quips, “Yeah, but now we’re spending all our time at Early Girl because of some staffing issues.” This concern pops up several times throughout our conversation, and John warns aspiring restaurateurs to be aware that the first wave of applicants are sometimes “people who have worn out their welcome around town and need something new. [People] that haven’t stayed in places for a reason—or more than one reason sometimes.”

Of course, a lot has happened between 2001 and 2014 in Asheville. “It’s a boom town now,” John says. “It’s really, really crazy,” Julie agrees. But they see Asheville’s current growth as a good thing for Foodtopia. “There’s always room at the top,” John quips. “New restaurants will come in, and people that do a good job will be fine, and the people that were already struggling at the bottom that weren’t where they needed to be quality-wise and things like that, will not make it. It’s just natural selection.

And if they keep adding hotel rooms, people are going to need more places to get caffeine and need places to go eat!”

During that time they also tested the waters of being restaurant partners with someone else from 2006 to 2008 in Weaverville.

That venture “wasn’t a great fit for us,” Julie says, but they did learn some valuable lessons that helped make opening King

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Early Girl employee Tyler Filka

Daddy’s a tad easier. John shares, “That failure motivated us too to try again and succeed, and it helped fuel our decision.”

“We all have to adapt,” Julie says, “and as things change, you have to roll with it a little bit and listen to what people want. For example, we didn’t used to do breakfast all day at Early Girl, but that’s what people wanted, so we found a way to make it happen.” That change happened in 2007 or 2008 (they can’t quite put their finger on the exact date as it’s “all a blur”), which was about seven years after they opened their doors, proving the adage ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ doesn’t apply to the Stehlings.

The continual struggle to run both restaurants successfully is symbolized by the flour and grease splatters on their clothes after a full day working Early Girl Eatery—their exhaustion is apparent, yet in a matter-of-fact, we-wouldn’t-want-to-be-doinganything-else kind of way. They both typically work six days a week at whichever restaurant needs them the most on a week to week schedule, with Julie handling the business side and John manning the kitchen. Each are adamant that they couldn’t do this without the other, not to mention all the support they’ve received from John’s parents, who moved to Asheville from Winston-Salem after Early Girl Eatery opened back in 2001.

“None of this would be possible without John’s parents,” Julie explains. “They’ve helped financially, they watch our kids after school and on weekends…they’re lifesavers.”

They also praise their managers and staff, despite the current trying patch with Early Girl being understaffed, and the rapport they have with their employees is evident. During the

staff meeting I witnessed right before our interview, smiles and laughter sprinkled the conversation, and the vibe was more peers than a bosses/employees dynamic. “The hardest part is being a surrogate parent to 80+ employees. You’re not responsible for them necessarily, but you go through their life crises with them; you feel that stress,” John explains. “Yet, it’s what’s the most rewarding part about this business too, the employees.

And when you get to watch them go on to fulfill their dreams, it’s really rewarding.” Julie adds, “I think any small business owner would tell you that—not just restaurant owners.”

“We had no interest in opening Early Girl 2,” John explains.

“The whole point of doing King Daddy’s was to get to be creative and do something different.

Plus, I apparently wasn’t miserable enough,” John says, with a sly smile.

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

17

So why did they go to the trouble of opening a second restaurant, especially one that on the surface bears no ties to their existing successful eatery? “We’re gluttons for punishment,” John jokes. “But really, we knew that this was our last chance to do something like this. We’re not getting any younger!”

He also credits the instant gratification that’s built into running a restaurant as being a factor. “When you’re doing a good job, customers acknowledge that,” he says. Julie points out another piece of the restaurant puzzle she loves: the energy. “The fun part is waiting on people, getting their reaction, interacting.

That energy, when you’re riding on the edge of that energy when things could go really wrong or really right. I don’t know that there’s another job like that, where you get that specific rush.”

18

| August 2015

Perhaps they really are gluttons for punishment considering they didn’t try to capitalize on the success and reputation of Early Girl when concocting King Daddy’s. In fact, most people don’t realize that both restaurants are owned by the Stehlings, because it’s not emphasized in the marketing, design, or menus of either place. In fact, the website for each only briefly mentions the other restaurant. “We wanted to do something completely different. We had no interest in opening Early Girl 2,” John explains. “The whole point of doing King Daddy’s was to get to be creative and do something different. Plus, I apparently wasn’t miserable enough,” John says, with a sly smile.

John grew up near Winston-Salem loving fried chicken —“We’d go to the fish house, and Johnny would order chicken.”— so

that part of the King Daddy’s menu was a no-brainer. The menu has a create-a-plate option, which allows guests to pick their chicken, such as heirloom (sautéed in a cast iron skillet with a 30-minute wait time), habanero sweet potato, or Korean style, with the option of adding several types of waffles, including pumpkin, vegan, or cracklin, which is made with pork cracklin.

The à la carte menu proved to be such a hit that customers quickly begged for King Daddy’s to be open for breakfast, too.

“At first we were just going to do lunch and dinner, but our customers asked for breakfast too, so now we serve three meals a day, six days a week,” Julie explains. Their only short respite happens on Mondays, when Early Girl closes at 3pm.

The pride they have for their new baby is obvious. “We inherited the Early Girl space, but King Daddy’s we got to design from scratch,” Julie says. “It’s more us—a little bit more modern and sleek.”

The two met in Charleston, where they both worked for John’s brother, Robert Stehling, at the highly rated Hominy Grill— Julie as a waitress and John coming in when Hominy Grill added breakfast in 1996. But John is quick to point out that he always wanted to open his own restaurant without his brother’s influence, and vice versa. “I knew I wanted to do this since I was 14 or 15. I kind of dreamed of a cute little restaurant with the red-and-white checkered tablecloths. Luckily, I matured, and my restaurants don’t look like the vision I had,” he says,

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 19

although no one else in their family is in the restaurant business. “It has worked out. It has been fun, and we’re passionate about it, but if I would have known then how much money was in it and how much hard work goes into it, I might have reconsidered…I thought it was going to be easy back then.”

Julie echoes John’s sentiments: “It’s tough to make a living wage as a restaurant owner.”

Yet, one thing they were sure about, once John shared his dream with her about opening a restaurant of his own one day, was the location, even if they never opened a restaurant. “We loved Asheville. We love the mountains. We knew we were going to live in Asheville,” Julie says adamantly. After a brief stint in Colorado, they made their move and soon opened Early Girl when they were in their early thirties. “I’ve always been drawn to the mountains no matter where I’ve lived,” John adds.

Earning his degree in hospitality management at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, John proudly recalls that his professors and advisor let him focus on restaurants instead of having to pretend to be interested in hotels,

although during high school he did work as a bellman at a Hilton. Meanwhile, Julie grew up in the Detroit area and started working in restaurants when she was 17. She initially had plans of being a teacher, but she doesn’t think she would have ended up being a restaurateur if she hadn’t met the risk-taking John.

“You have to have a partner to run a restaurant,” Julie states, “but I wouldn’t want that partner to be anyone but my spouse.

Besides, we don’t make enough money to be splitting this with another household!”

However, those nurturing skills that drew her to teaching have translated into managing the staff and being the mouthpiece for the restaurants. “People come back because of Julie,” John says.

“She’s the face of our restaurants. People want to talk to her; she makes them feel at home.” But Julie believes the opposite.

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ASHEVILLE

| August 2015

CHARLOTTE

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“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for John’s fearlessness. He is the mastermind,” she says adamantly.

Suffice to say, these two have a strong bond with no delusions that either of them could do this on their own. “You have to have a partner to run a restaurant,” Julie states, “but I wouldn’t want that partner to be anyone but my spouse.

Besides, we don’t make enough money to be splitting this with another household!”

They make no secret that these restaurants aren’t making them flush with cash. “Our sons don’t want to inherit our restaurants because they want to be rich,” Julie says. “And I wouldn’t want them to,” John adds, in a tone that’s unclear if he’s being serious or sarcastic. We can assume the former as Julie drives his point home: “I want their lives to be easier than ours,” Julie says, without bitterness.

It’s not that they don’t love what they do or appreciate getting to work together, but the hours and inflexible schedules aren’t something they wish for their sons, who are now eight and ten years old. “We have only taken three real vacations in our 14 years doing this,” she explains. “And being people who love to travel, that’s hard to swallow sometimes.” They also own two dogs, so handling chaos well is apparently in their DNA. “It’s like Julie’s ark,” John explains of their lifestyle. And while some

owners dream of franchising, cookbooks, and product lines, “That’s just not who we are,” John says emphatically.

And if he has anything to say about it, they might not be able to pass down the restaurants anyway. “I wouldn’t mind someone just buying us out down the road and keeping me on as the manager,” John says of his retirement plan. “I could do that.” Julie, however, isn’t convinced. “John always has a plan; he’s always working something underground,” Julie chimes in, “so we’ll see what happens.”

For now, the couple is focused on making things run as smoothly as possible at both restaurants so they can work fewer hours and spend more time together as a family without sacrificing quality. Their high standards have earned each restaurant 4.5 stars on Tripadvisor and have cultivated two beloved spots that continually make guests feel welcomed and appreciated.

With 14 roller-coaster years under their belts, the next 14 will undoubtedly be full of pivoting, surrogate parenting, and more than a few stains. That’s the nature of restaurant life, but it’s hard imagining the Stehlings doing anything else, and doing it with such high levels of dedication and humbleness.

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21

Don’t Play Away Business Entity Liability Protection Preventing The “Alter Ego” Theory Of Recovery

I

F

forrest merithew

writes regularly about legal issues affecting outdoor recreation and gear businesses and activities.

22

N A PR EV IOUS COLUMN, WAY BACK IN DECEMBER , I outlined sources of liability for outdoor recreation and adventure companies.

Here, I will discuss preventing the loss of a business entity’s limited liability protections via “alter ego” claims, which can allow plaintiffs to go after the personal assets of business owners.

In 1998 an individual was injured in a fall while skiing at Sugar Mountain Resort. In the subsequent lawsuit, claims were not only levied against the resort, but also against the individual owner of the resort business and trusts that owned and leased the property on which the resort was located. The claimed damages in the lawsuit were above the policy limits of the resort’s insurance policy for such incidents, so the plaintiff, in attempting to find more funds to cover the remaining alleged damages, moved to make the owner of the resort company personally liable as well.

A business owner’s worst nightmare is being made personally liable for claims against the business entity. A big purpose and reason for business entity formation is that LLCs and corporations are designed to limit liability to the assets of the business itself, including those invested by the owners, but not those of the owners themselves. This valuable legal shield is known as the “corporate veil”, but when the courts allow veil of limited liability to be pierced, plaintiffs can potentially reach an owner’s personal assets.

The courts may allow a plaintiff to pierce the corporate veil if they can prove one of the following

| August 2015

four legal theories with respect to the business: fraud, undercapitalization, deficient insurance, or alter ego.

The last of these is the focus of this column and one of the more common theories of recovery argued in such litigation. To prove “alter ego” a plaintiff must establish that the business owner failed to separate his or her financial affairs from the entity’s financial affairs and/or observe statutory formalities regarding the division of authority within the entity, required meetings, accounting, and recordkeeping.

In the Sugar Mountain case, the court evaluated the management and finances of the business entity, along with what they described as principles of justice and public policy, to determine if the owner and/or trusts could be held liable for the plaintiff’s alleged damages. The court found that the individual owner, while not involved in day-to-day operations of the business, could potentially be personally liable in the ensuing lawsuit based upon the “alter ego” doctrine. The “alter ego” doctrine essentially states that when a business entity is being operated simply as a shell for the owner(s) and not truly being managed or properly used as an entity unto itself, then the owner(s) can be personally liable.

F First, the court decided that the owner’s management of the business lacked proper and established procedure, in that it did not have regular board meetings and minutes, as outlined in a business’s bylaws or operating agreement. Additionally, there was only one owner/shareholder, who was also the president/director, which, in conjunction with lax business management, increased the reasoning for a successful “alter ego” argument. Further, through litigation discovery, it was unearthed that the individual owner would take payments out of the business entity as advancements on future dividends, before they were calculated and due, which the court determined to be misuse of the business entity and potentially amount to commingling of assets. This final factor was probably one of the most pivotal to the court’s decision, as financial fraud or blurred accounting between owner and business may generally be enough in and of themselves to allow a plaintiff to pierce the veil.

While the Sugar Mountain example includes an individual owner, who was somewhat intimately involved with the resort’s operations and finances, alter ego can just as easily be applied in a parent-subsidiary company structure situation. This issue was fleshed out in a Texas case involving a group of travelers staying at an international chain hotel in Mexico. The hotel chain was based out of the United States, but the Mexico hotel was owned and operated by a subsidiary company. The group had been directed to a small beach by the hotel concierge, and while on the beach a rogue wave caught the group in the water, resulting in the drowning deaths of two of them.

A BIG PART OF THE RESORT ’S SUCCESS WAS BASED UPON THE TESTIMONY AND WORK OF THE RESORT ’S MANAGER, WHO SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME INVOLVED IN THE OWNERSHIP AS WELL. The plaintiffs in that matter alleged that the subsidiary company that owned and ran the Mexico hotel was simply a shell or “alter ego” for the parent company. The court opined that: “When there is such unity between the parent corporation and its subsidiary that the separateness of the two corporations has ceased and holding only the subsidiary corporation liable would result in injustice,” through a showing of blending or blurring of the lines between the two entities, is when piercing the corporate veil would be proper. However, even though the plaintiffs showed that the parent company owned a significant majority of the subsidiary’s stock, required the subsidiary to follow a number of established quality and procedure controls, and both companies shared common corporate officers, the court determined that this proved nothing more than a typical corporate, parent-subsidiary relationship. If the business is being run as a business and is properly insured and managed, then the purposes of the entities should remain in place.

Fortunately, in the Sugar Mountain matter, their counsels won a defense verdict after trial, as the plaintiff was unable to prove that the resort had done anything wrong or mismanaged its ski operations as outlined by industry standards and state statutes. A big part of the resort’s success was based upon the testimony and work of the resort’s manager, who subsequently became involved in the ownership as well.

As a business owner, having employees, partners, or colleagues knowledgeable about the industry around which your business is centered, and the regulations and risks involved, can be extremely valuable in protecting your entity and, therein, yourself.

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local industry

Creative

Mountain Style: The Growing Fashion Industry in Western North Carolina

written by emily ball ard

W Dress by Charles Josef, modeled by Amber LaSada from the Tangerine Tango Fashion Show, photo by Joe Longobardi 24

| August 2015

hen we think of fashion week, couture clothing designers, and modeling agencies, Western North Carolina is not usually the first place that comes to mind. Bigger cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Charlotte have a history of hosting runway events. But as we all know the sleepy little mountain towns of Western North Carolina have certainly awakened and are abuzz with tourism, events, and emerging industries. One such industry that seems to be hitting its stride in this area is the fashion, clothing, and design business. Certainly not a new trade, but as the area grows and develops, a new stage is building that offers a platform to showcase the many artists and designers that call Western North Carolina their home.

Model Pearl Coogler in the Field Dress at Sam’s Knob

Denim Creations On the third floor of the Wedge building in the River Arts District is the studio of Anna Toth, winner of Charleston Fashion Week’s Emerging Designer Competition. The space has an industrial feel but is obviously a true artist’s haven. The room consists of simple white brick walls and muted colors.

Vintage sewing machines are tucked behind a decorative metal room divider. Two huge drafting tables take up much of the floor space and are littered with fabric swatches, design tools, and creation essentials.

Garments hang from racks, and boxes of brown envelopes are stacked neatly underfoot. Each envelope is marked with a set of numbers, the individual measurements of each of her clients. Within the envelope is the corresponding one of a kind pattern that she made specifically for that client’s order.

Anna’s business name is Bow and Arrow, and her inspiration came from an overly loved pair of overalls. Her website says that her company “was born of a desire to create something both lovely and wearable.” She is known for her custom denim creations, which she originally modeled after an old pair of vintage overalls that she had in high school that fit her perfectly.

“When they died, I was devastated. I’ll never find them again.

So when I decided to embark upon this adventure, that was the first thing I made, custom fitted overalls, and I still sell those.”

Anna’s creative adventure started from a young age. She sewed as a hobby when she was a little girl, and in college she studied ceramics and printmaking. She then made a move to San Francisco, but didn’t have the space for either of those

mediums, so she began dabbling with her sewing machine. At a friend’s suggestion she enrolled in a pattern making school and really delved into the art of pattern drafting by hand. She also explored draping and construction, and taught at-risk high school girls how to sew for a nonprofit after school program.

After a series of events and ups and downs in her life, Anna ended up back in North Carolina looking for a place of serenity and a fresh beginning. She worked on a farm, and she worked for a company that made scrolls. She was searching for the right path, and when the timing was right, it clicked into place.

She started offering different things on her Etsy store, such as shorts from vintage patterns and upcycling afghans into dresses. However, it was her custom overalls that ignited the most response from her customers.

“It was really great because denim is one of the only fabrics you can find that is still manufactured regionally. And it is generally manufactured from fibers that are also grown regionally.

I kind of serendipitously stumbled into this very eco situation.”

Decreasing her carbon footprint is important to Anna, especially in an industry known for pollution, waste, and unethical work conditions. She explains that most textiles are made in China, and your garment has most likely made a few laps around the globe by the time it gets to you. She works with mills here in the United States, using regional fabrics as much as possible.

As her name and business has grown, she has decided to start producing standard sized jeans instead of just customized jeans.

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 25

local industry

Photo taken at the Black & White Fashion Party, an Asheville fashion networking event at the Aloft Hotel WXYZ Bar, photo by Max Ganly She always felt it was so hard to find a standard size because everyone’s shape is so different. But demand has asked for it, and she feels she shouldn’t pass up the opportunity. In a way it simplifies her work process. She can make one pattern and replicate it. It also gives her the opportunity to brand her work.

Anna’s exploration of her work has also led to a new endeavor.

She has taken over the studio space across the hall and plans to open a school based on the core principles of the program she attended in San Francisco. The bright open space has room for eight students at a time once the tables and machines are set up.

offer more involved units as well as supplemental classes and ready to wear classes. She will encourage students to bring a vintage piece that they love to class, then she will help to make a pattern from it by taking it apart and reconstructing it.

“I am just excited because there are so many creative people in this town, and in the creative community there seems like there is a lot of interest in learning to make clothes. And even in the big cities and schools they don’t really teach pattern making anymore. They teach computer based drafting, and there isn’t anything wrong with that, but you learn so much more working on a body and navigating whatever kind of weirdness happens.

Because everyone has a weird body, and by weird, I mean beautiful.”

Anna is painfully aware that area growth has the potential to change the artist community that she has grown so close with. The opening of New Belgium brewery will inevitably change the landscape of her dwelling both literally and figuratively, but she plans to hold onto the community that has supported and encouraged her along her journey.

“There are just a lot of really talented, humble, friendly people here, and it is really special to find a place that has the talent and the personality.”

The sense of community that she covets is not one you can find many places, and her long term plan is to build and nurture those relationships along the way.

“I get really close with my clients. There is no pattern. I’m creating it on their body. These people end up becoming part of my life, and I become a part of their life and their story.”

“My thinking is that we will be able to take these artists that have been very focused on textiles and offer them a more elevated platform for displaying their artwork.”

Her plan is to start by teaching how to make skirts in a three hour, once a week class. Once that unit is completed she will 26

| August 2015

1. Aislin Freya Pax modeling a Chapeaux by Simone hat in the Product of the 20s Fashion Show, photo by Duncan Chaboudy 2. Models on stage at the Ananda Hair Studio’s Moment in Time Fashion Show, photo by Duncan Chaboudy

3. Product of the 60s Fashion Show by Tempus Fugit Design, at the Renaissance Hotel in Asheville, photo by Rodney Smith 1 2

4. Costume Drama Fashion Show, Runway. The show benefits Asheville Community Theatre, photo by Almond Leaf Studio 4

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August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 27

local industry

Bridal Inspiration On a little side street in downtown Asheville sits a shared space for local photographer Parker J. Pfister and custom wedding dress company Ship to Shore with designer Brooke Priddy at the helm.

The space is elegant and modern upon entering, and, as you move toward Brooke’s studio and workspace, there is a whimsical feeling of creative excitement. Detailed works in progress hang on the dress form, each one so delicate and refined.

Brooke’s wedding dresses are art pieces in themselves. As she explains her process she takes you into her design world, a part of the wedding industry that most of us never knew existed. Fabrics and laces are lined against one wall. You can sense the richness and the textures.

Brooke studied at the San Francisco Art Institute and after graduation she had hopes of working in the gallery scene and moved to New York. It was here that she connected and interned with a designer that was creating clothing pieces that were akin to sculptures. A new world was opening up for her with possibilities she had never considered.

“I had sewn all my life for myself and had sewn clothes for friends and had always thought the fashion industry was kind of repellent, wasn’t really what I was interested in. But I saw 28

| August 2015

Using heirloom lace has become a signature of Ship to Shore Clothier.

Many hours are spent hand sewing the delicate textiles that compose a wedding gown. Photo

by Nicole McConville Photography

that the designer found a way to merge her artwork and her sincere creative sculpting desires into making garments, and she taught me how you could make that into just an equally beautiful artistic endeavor.”

While visiting her parents who had retired to Asheville, Brooke got snowed in and stuck here. She spent New Year’s Eve in Asheville attending a dance party. She recalls having more fun in this small quiet town than she ever did in New York on New Year’s. She started meeting artists and creators that she felt were really carving a niche here. It almost felt that they had escaped the big cities and were living on their own terms, a feeling that appealed to her greatly.

So Brooke decided to start her business in Asheville. She started taking business classes and obtained a business loan from Mountain Bizworks in the early 2000s. She began by making garments for 15 boutiques across the states. She created tank tops, lingerie, and swimwear. All very nautical themed, hence the business name. But what she really wanted was to get back to the creative side of design.

“I feel like there is something more valuable with collaborating with a client and building something that is incredibly special to them, not a trend based thing that they will toss out next year and grow out of.”

All of her clients are generated by word of mouth, and that is how it has always been for her. After the first wedding that she did, people that were attending had written her name down and years later would call her for a creation of their own. Over the years this accumulation is what has kept her in business.

She designs dresses for about 30 brides per year, each dress a one of a kind creation. The bride will come in to her studio four to five times over the process, spending hours with Brooke.

She describes it as a genuine collaboration. A comfortable and inviting space with a corner full of mirrors is where her intimate interactions with her clients happen.

“I get really close with my clients. There is no pattern. I’m creating it on their body. These people end up becoming part of my life, and I become a part of their life and their story.”

Every detail is of the utmost importance to Brooke. She often creates pieces from heirloom family wedding dresses, incorporating the fabric and design with an updated twist. She hand dyes fabrics and makes stylized buttons. Every feature of the dress is intentional and designed with consideration of the client’s body in mind.

Brooke also is mindful of the fabric processes. She recently returned from a fabric sourcing trip to India. She wanted to go to where they were actually producing fabric to see if it was being made under good quality conditions. She teamed up with a woman that creates work opportunities for women that were born into lower castes and whose mission is to create a better workplace.

She pulls out a piece of fabric that she had brought back from her trip. The intricate beading is hand sewn by these same women. The amazement and appreciation are evident as she gently touches the piece. Knowing whose hands created it is both special and important to her as a designer and as an artist.

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 29

local industry

The Future of Asheville Fashion The first ever Asheville Fashion Week is scheduled for August 5-8 and is sponsored by Gage Models and Talent Agency. Based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, the agency has perfected the blueprint for producing fashion shows in cities such as Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, and now Asheville. Soon they will be opening an office locally, and Sarah Merrell has taken the position as community director for Asheville Fashion Week.

Sarah is an established model herself. She grew up in this area and went to school to receive her MBA here. She knows firsthand the limited opportunities that have plagued her industry over the years, and also has seen this turn a corner and begin to open up. Her goal is to foster this community of talent and build beneficial relationships and resources for designers, photographers, models, and stylists.

“In the last few years, the fashion community has been getting a lot more recognition. And because of that a lot of these designers have gone from just kind of working out of their house to now having their designs in retail stores and shown at different fashion weeks and even in national publications.”

As the Asheville liaison for Gage Talent she has been marketing, recruiting, and spreading the word in hopes of really piquing

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| August 2015

Spring Fashion from monthly WLOS fashion segment, featuring Sarah Merrell, photo by Max Ganly interest and garnering excitement. She sees the unique potential that Asheville offers for the fashion community, and through her work in other cities she is gaining inspiration and knowledge.

“Asheville is known for a lot of different things: art, breweries, some of the best restaurants. But the fashion here is really unique, too. If you walk around the streets of Asheville it kind of has its own unique vibe. It’s very artistic, kind of has a hippie bohemian vibe to it, a bit outdoorsy.”

Sarah is no stranger to high fashion. Her portfolio is a beautiful collage of artistic and commercial images. She has worked with international labels, professional photographers, and distinguished designers. But you get the feeling that she is always rooting for the underdog. Her work in the community is helping beginning designers make a name for themselves.

segments for ABC News 13. She is the founder of the Asheville Model Network, and through this she cultivates networking events, workshops, and collaborative photo shoots.

“The great thing about having a fashion week is that you get people coming from other cities to see what we have going on here in Asheville. I think that with more publicity people will see Asheville as a fashion destination and a reason to come here, and that will have a positive impact on the city. And the fashion designers will get more recognition for their work and what they are doing.”

The growth of Asheville and the surrounding areas mean a great deal to the artists, designers, and fashion industry. As with most change there is the inevitable positive aspect and the corresponding negative impact. More people means more money and sales, but also more competition and less of the unique solitude to foster creative exploration. But as a whole this change is being embraced and adapted to the idea of new opportunities for success in an industry that until recently has flown under the radar.

“Asheville is known for a lot of different things: art, breweries, some of the best restaurants. But the fashion here is really unique, too. If you walk around the streets of Asheville it kind of has its own unique vibe.”

When she isn’t walking the runway or posing for pictures, you can find her teaching modeling classes, organizing events such as the Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show, or hosting fashion

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news briefs

Your Date Could Watch a Different Movie buncombe county

Steve White and Davida Horowitz announced plans to open a two-screen movie house in Asheville. Among other new tenants, it will be located in the building currently housing the Downtown Market and Hopey & Company. One screen in the 4500-sq.-ft. space will show whatever is popular, and the second will be for those who want to get their geek on. White said the second screen was the driver behind the idea. Offerings will include indy films, classics, documentaries, foreign films, and local creations. The theatre will be called the Grail Moviehouse, and if you think Monty Python had anything to do with the christening, you’re right. White said the name occurred to him while listening to performers in the Asheville

]

Community Theatre sing “Find your Grail,” the closing number in “Spamalot.”

The Grail will fill a void created by the closing of Cinebarre, but it will distinguish itself from Asheville’s Fine Arts Theatre by leaning a little more over the edge. White says refreshments will be normal, but he’ll try to buy locally, and some may have a twist. White has a long history working in the film and video business, and he has a passion for the history of cinema. While presentation will be digital, White owns a 35mm projector that may be dusted off for special occasions. If all goes as planned, the Grail will open next year.

Taking out the Inn watauga county

Appalachian State University (ASU) leadership decided to demolish the

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Broyhill Inn, and they are now awaiting state approval. Back in 2011, university leadership expressed interest in converting the hotel, with 83 guest rooms and 20 function rooms, into a dormitory. But an architectural analysis did not deem rehabilitation of the structure, built in 1973 with mostly private contributions, worthwhile. In short order, the inn, which used to offer reception and conference space, closed to the community. The next year, it closed as a venue for campus events.

It did, however, remain open for certain ASU programs, providing classrooms for the fermentation sciences program.

Plans are not yet concrete, but one idea the board of trustees is throwing around would be to combine the Broyhill parcel with adjoining tracts to build facilities for energy, economic, and environmental research. Any plans would be open to student and faculty scrutiny for feedback before implementation. The trustees have authorized the chancellor to pursue Millennial Campus designation for the Broyhill site and surrounding properties.

The designation would allow ASU to float bonds to pay private developers and also allow the university to keep all rents collected in the affected properties.

CASE STUDY

Woods Edge Apartments

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DESCRIPTION:

PREVIOUS DESIGN

-Shirley Pennell, Property Manager of Woods Edge Apartments

NOTES:

PREPARED FOR:

JOHN SMITH APPROVED BY:

COPYRIGHT: THIS DESIGN IS THE PROPERTY OF FASTSIGNS ® OR PURCHASER. ORIGINAL DESIGNS REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF FASTSIGNS ® UNLESS SPECIFICALLY STATED IN YOUR CONTRACT THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED THEM. NON-CREATIVE WORKS PRODUCED UNDER CONTRACT ARE THE PROPERTY OF PURCHASER.

COPYRIGHT LAWS PROHIBIT THE COPYING OR USE OF THIS DESIGN WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF FASTSIGNS ®, ASHEVILLE.

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“Woods Edge Apartments contracted FASTSIGNS to design and install two main entrance signs for our property.

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Filling in the Blanks watauga county

In June, Verizon completed small cell installations in Blowing Rock. It was part of a $500 million investment in “network densification led by small cells,” announced back in February by the 4GT LTE network provider. Small cells are placed in strategic places to complement coverage from larger towers. They are slightly larger than a breadbox, and they are hung on utility poles or on the sides of buildings. In Blowing Rock they’ll be placed around popular attractions, malls, hospitals, and convention centers.

They’ll cover isolated areas and carry higher traffic volumes, resulting in fewer dropped calls and overall higher-quality transmissions. Not too long ago, advanced communications companies could not afford to even serve sparsely-populated mountainous regions. Now, these areas can enjoy affordable, quality coverage.

Costs are coming down on small cells because large customers, like municipalities, are generating more demand; technology has also improved to where small cells have sufficient gains and interference management to make them worth the investment. Another factor pushing the technology is the rising price

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of bandwidth. The cost of acquisition has made it more profitable for providers to focus more on the quality than quantity of frequencies the FCC awards. The Town of Blowing Rock and Ridgelink helped make the installations possible.

Hand-Crafted with Excellence polk county

Looking at his website, one finds it hard to believe one person has hand-crafted so many different pieces, perfecting different styles with technical precision that gives today’s 3-D printers a run for their money. Doc Welty is prolific, creating a diversity of high-quality, handmade products, with styles including Minoan, Mayan, Pennsylvania Dutch, collegiate, and nick nackery. Some pieces are just plain beautiful, sleek, elegant, or ornate, but all items are functional and traditional. Welty has been creating clay art since 1973. He began throwing pottery on a wheel he built himself. Then he branched into making stoneware and terra cotta tile, experimenting and perfecting nuances in firing using a variety of kilns. Welty explains, “I am driven to

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create, and clay is my medium of choice.”

He established a professional presence in Leicester before moving south of the Eastern Continental Divide. He is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, Piedmont Craftsmen, the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild, and Carolina Claymatters. An avid studio artist, he has been displaying and selling his work through galleries and gift shops. The news is that he has opened his own gallery, The Pottery, in downtown Saluda. If customers can’t find what they like on the shelves, he will be happy to entertain custom orders. Now that he has his own space, he has plans to open it to others for exhibiting their work or learning the craft in classes, which he will begin offering in the fall.

New Business Fee henderson county

The fee is for real, and forms will soon be issued. Hendersonville City Council approved a new business fee on the heels of the state legislature’s repeal of GS 160A-2011. The statute had granted municipalities “power to levy privilege license taxes on all trades, occupations, professions, businesses, and franchises

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physically located within the city.” The move caused municipal leaders across the state to reel from “holes” in their budgets. Hendersonville expected to lose $386,000. Counsel from the School of Government (SOG) in Chapel Hill argued the repeal banned municipal levies based on sales volumes, but a proviso still intact, GS 160A-194, might still allow the establishment of a business registry with “nominal or very reasonable” annual signup fees. Settling on a $50 price tag for the service, Hendersonville officials hoped to offset $50,000 of the city’s budgetary hole. City manager John Connett explained Hendersonville’s new business fee was designed to collect contact information for emergency service providers. Meanwhile, Chris McLaughlin and Trey Allen at the SOG cautioned fees that do not require inspections or background checks would likely not be deemed reasonable if they ran higher than $20. They also recommended exempting occupations such as lawyers, doctors, and mobile ride dispatchers like Uber. Sylva is among towns pursuing the same route less aggressively. Its registration will cost only $20.

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Far be it from Moog Music to stay out of the news. This month, rather than announcing a new analog electronic gadget to give artisan instrumentalists and DJ’s that ahead-of-their-time aura, Moog made national headlines for management decisions. The first was announced at an employee meeting. Moog CEO and president Mike Adams assembled all sixty-two employees and announced he had sold half the company. After pausing to see how the tease would sink in, he added, “The good news is, I sold it to all of you.” 49 percent of corporate stock will now be divided among employees, with dividends funding a pension plan.

Payouts are estimated to be as handsome as $100,000 for employees of a

forward-thinking company that consistently realizes profits with a happy and loyal workforce. Moog’s year-over-year growth for the last twelve years has averaged 18 percent, and year-to-date revenues are up 50 percent from 2014.

In an unrelated matter, the company completed the acquisition of all other buildings on its block, except for the gas station. Adams said the company will rent them in the short-term, having no immediate need for them. The objective is to stay rooted in Asheville, while still carrying out the business’ long-term goal to keep inventing products that take musicians to the technological edge.

Bellissimo Going for Six Stars rutherford county

Lake Lure Lodge, LLC, a subsidiary of Tryon Equestrian Partners, has purchased the historic Lodge on Lake Lure, and advertised improvements aim to make the most jaded fall in love with the place. The 17-room lodge is located on 2.37 acres of wooded property with lakefront and mountain views. Built in 1937 of hardwood and native stone, it was the exclusive home of retreats for highway patrolmen and their families until it was opened to the public in 1990.

Managing partner Mark Bellissimo hopes to soon offer expanded hours and “better food” from the Tree Top Restaurant, which is already ranked by Trip Advisor as the third best restaurant, out of 2,371, in Western North Carolina. Chef Ben Beasley earns consistent five-star ratings for farm-to-table offerings that change with nature’s fresh offerings. For example, rainbow trout comes in daily from local farms. Bellissimo’s plans include construction of direct and romantic access from the leafy canopies to the lake. The inn will service guests of the Tryon International Equestrian Center, the $100 million, 1,400-acre operation owned by Tryon Equestrian Partners, which is only 18 minutes away. The inn

Solutions Without Limits also offers convenient access to Lake Lure Beach and Water Park, Washburn Marina, Morse Park, and the picturesque Lake Lure Inn and Spa. Weddings and special events are catered; reservations are recommended but not required for dinner dates.

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Festival Frenzy written by marl a hardee milling with e xtr a reporting from toni sherwood

A gathering crowd at MerleFest 2015, photo by Willa Stein 36

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L leisure & libation

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1

2 Throw a dart at a calendar, regardless of month, and you’ll probably land on the date for a festival. Yes, they are plentiful year-round in Western North Carolina, and new ones seem to be popping up all the time.

Bele Chere once took center stage as the largest free street festival in the Southeast, attracting more than 300,000 visitors during its yearly three-day run at the end of July. The city of Asheville pulled the plug on the festival in 2013 at the end of its 35th year.

Some people lamented the end of Bele Chere, while others cheered saying it had morphed into something that no longer represented the local community. Whether loved or hated, it definitely served its purpose. When it launched in 1979 on a few blocks along Haywood Street, many buildings were boarded up and Asheville desperately needed new energy to bring people back downtown.

Today, downtown Asheville hums with vibrant energy, and current festivals with a much smaller footprint than Bele Chere offer chances to celebrate local arts, music, beer, and crafts.

Sitting in a Lexington Avenue courtyard around the corner from her store Hip Replacements, Franzi Charen, head of the Asheville Grown Business Alliance, revealed her thoughts about why the region is so ripe with festivals.

Charen’s festival experience includes helping to create the Big Love Festival, which unfortunately does not take place this year. But she’s also unveiling the brand new Venture Local Fair next month. “I think one reason people love festivals, especially ones entrenched in the local community and highlighting local businesses, is because Asheville is unique like that. We have so much richness here,” she says.

“When Bele Chere started it was much more relevant to what was happening locally,” says Charen. “When Bele Chere started concentrating on bringing so much in from the outside, people felt like it could be any other city. I think Bele Chere lost its specialness, but it was really good for what it did for Asheville.

I think that the festivals that emerge need to highlight what is unique about this area.”

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LEAF “Festivals play a pivotal role in the building of any community,” says Jennifer Pickering, founder of LEAF. “It’s a colorful way to build community, create traditions, and have an impact through music and art. It allows people to engage in a meaningful way.”

Pickering founded the LEAF festival in Black Mountain in 1995, and new this year is the LEAF Downtown Asheville festival on the first weekend in August.

“We recognized summer is a good time for us to do something, but we wanted to incorporate more of our partners in Asheville and have a broader reach,” says Pickering. “We want to be very inclusive and welcoming of all of Asheville, as well as our visitors. Being downtown gives us the opportunity to give more of a local focus and explore some of the things we aren’t able to do at the LEAF Festival, so it’s a great complement.”

She hopes LEAF Downtown Asheville gives voice to many local neighborhoods and creates a wonderful opportunity for family gatherings in the heart of downtown. “I hope it uses the beauty of music and art to bridge some really beautiful curiosity, understanding, and coming together of our community to provide a real feel for the creativity in Asheville,” Pickering says.

While she’s excited about the new LEAF Downtown festival, Pickering emphasizes that LEAF in Black Mountain will continue to offer its colorful music-laden events in fall and spring.

“This year, from October 15 to 17, we’ll be celebrating New Orleans ten years after Katrina,” says Pickering. The lineup of performing artists includes four time Grammy Award winning artist Aaron Neville; Preservation Hall Jazz Band – legendary band touring 150 days per year since 1961; and Rebirth Brass Band, along with many others. “We hope for those who haven’t made it out to Black Mountain for LEAF that they’ll take advantage of this international-quality, family and friends festival in their own backyard.”

L 3

PITFALLS OF FESTIVAL PLANNING Every festival organizer knows that a Plan B needs to be percolating in their minds even as they are focused on carrying out Plan A. There are so many variables that have to all come together to ensure a successful event.

Managers at Oskar Blues Brewer y in Brevard had to think fast when state Alcohol Law Enforcement officers showed up at their 2nd Annual Burning Can Festival in July and prohibited more than two dozen out of state breweries from pouring beer at the event because they didn’t have the proper state permits.

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Oskar Blues took full responsibility and worked to provide a positive solution to other brewers as well as participants who had paid $50 each for tickets. They refunded all the tickets, gave brewers $2,000 to cover traveling expenses, and turned the festival into a free private party.

Proceeds from Burning Can were earmarked for the brewery’s Can’d Aid Foundation and the local environmental nonprofit Mountain True. While they took a loss on those plans, some festival attendees passed on their refunds to these organizations.

Franzi Charen, founder of the Asheville Grown Business Alliance and owner of Hip Replacements, shudders when she recalls having to call vendors, musicians, and volunteers on the eve of a festival to tell them it was cancelled.

1. Will Randall takes his turn throwing an axe at WinterFest Smoky Style, photo by Mountaineer Publishing; Inc.

2. Bootsy, a Performer at LEAF

photo courtesy of LEAF Festival

3. Trampled By Turtles MerleFest 2015, photo by Misty McGuire Case

4. Vendor at Shine to Wine Festival, photo by Monty E. Combs

“It was 2013 and we were having the Big Love festival on the first Sunday in May,” she says. “They were calling for hurricane-like weather. It was 45 degrees with pelting rain—almost hail. It was dangerous. One of the organizers and I went up to the park at 8:30 in the morning in case anyone showed up. The wind was blowing the rain sideways. One of the park lights broke—a major light pole and it fell right in front of us.

We were like, ‘yeah, we’re glad we made that call.’

But cancelling at the last minute threw everything in a tailspin as they worked frantically to contact 20 musicians, 150 vendors, and more than 100 volunteers.

“We spent four months running around and getting everything together for the festival, and then we had to start all over and try to make it up to everybody by having it in September. So we wound up planning two festivals,” she says.

Meghan Rogers, executive director of the Asheville Downtown Association, agrees that weather is always a big concern, but she says there are other hurdles that the average festival goer never thinks about.

“People don’t see the set up and break down part. We get to Downtown After 5 at eight in the morning. It starts at five in the afternoon. The event ends at nine, but we leave at midnight. We also have to be prepared for other things. We rely on volunteers, and we have a huge crew of really awesome volunteers, but occasionally someone can’t make it. If you’re not prepared to fill that shift with somebody else, a floater, or move people around, then you get yourself caught and you’re not ready for the festival,” she says.

And then there are the stories that even the most seasoned festival planners can’t anticipate, like this one told by Jennifer Pickering, founder of LEAF:

“We had someone show up years ago.

He had a huge trailer and took up 10 parking spots in the main parking area. He claimed to have time traveling horses and said they needed to be in that spot specifically because of their time traveling nature. We had to convince him to move them, yet let him feel honored. He ultimately did remove the horses from the festival.”

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 39

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leisure & libation

LAAFF A consecutive run wasn’t in the cards for the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival (LAAFF), but after a short hiatus the festival returned last year and made enough money to go forward again this year. Sunday, September 6, is the date for this funky festival that celebrates the creative, alternative culture present on Lexington Avenue.

Kitty Love, executive director of the Asheville Arts Council, started LAAFF in 2001 with her ex-husband, Michael Mooney. At that time, they owned Sky People Art Gallery and Studio. “When I first came to Asheville, Lexington Avenue was one of the first things that drew me here because I saw the strong presence of creative and alternative culture, and so we opened the gallery on Lexington,” Love says.

They started hearing rumors that a giant convention center was in the works.

Whether that was true or not, Love says she doesn’t know, but the possibility caused worry that such a center would absorb portions of Lexington Avenue.

“We were concerned about how growth might threaten independent business, so we wanted to do a street festival that celebrated not only what we were doing, but the street itself, and to highlight how amazing Lexington Avenue culture is,” she says. “So that’s how LAAFF started.

We were just going to do a block party.

We didn’t expect to do something three blocks long, but every time we met with people there were more and more ideas.

LAAFF evolved into this thing with a manifesto. There were probably 75 collaborators, and it touches on everything from sustainability to environmental consciousness to healthy lifestyle food choices to art and creativity. The manifesto in a nutshell is all local, all original, handcrafted, local creativity.”

Popularity of the festival led to public safety concerns. More than 20,000 people attended in 2010 and crowded the three festival blocks. They tried to alleviate this problem by expanding the

Street Fair on Main Street during the North Carolina Apple Festival, photo courtesy of NC Apple Festival festival to two days and expanding the footprint, but ultimately lost money and had to take a brief hiatus.

It’s back on track with funky events, colorful costumes, kids’ activities, and creativity galore. “LAAFF is about purchasatory creativity,” says Love. “Anything they spend their money on at the festival supports that concept. Everything is hand picked. It’s handcrafted, artisanal, farm-to-table. If we purchase things that send our money out of the geographic area, we’re losing wealth.”

Arts 2 People is an organization that emerged out of LAAFF, and Love served as its executive director for 10 years before moving to her current role at the Asheville Arts Council. Arts 2 People continues to organize and operate the festival. As for the future, Love hopes for expansion.

“I would like to see us expand the footprint,” she says. “I think we’ll have to if the popularity is there. I think that now with the kind of governance we have it should be stable, but it could always rain.”

Tantalizing Tastes: Asheville Wine and Food Festival The Asheville Wine & Food Festival (AW&FF) is an opportunity to sample some of the best farm-to-table cuisine that Asheville has to offer. In addition, wineries, breweries, distilleries, food producers, and vendors will be in attendance with plenty of samples.

The event is divided into three sections: Elixir, Sweet, and the Grand Tasting.

Each event takes place on a separate day.

Competitions began in early May to select the best mixologists and chefs to compete in the festival events. Already slated to compete at Elixir on August 20 are mixologists Justin Ferraby of Pulp, Noah Hermanson of Sunny Point Café, and Spencer Schultz of Rhubarb Asheville. Chefs chosen to compete at the Asheville Scene’s Chef’s Challenge on August 22 include chef Steve Goff and chef Hollie West.

Bob Bowles, director of the Asheville Wine & Food Festival, says the competitions are more like showcases, especially with the high caliber of talent. The Iron Chef style competition requires each participant to make the best dish using a secret ingredient. Likewise, six mixologists will compete for the most sumptuous elixir made with a secret ingredient.

As stated by Bowles, the festival attracts a wide range of visitors. About half of attendees are from Western North Carolina, for the other 50% it’s a great destination festival.

Asheville often ranks among the best places to live and retire, but it’s also a highly touted foodie destination Livability.com ranked Asheville number four in its ‘Top 10 Foodie Cities of 2014.’ In June 2015, Business Jet Traveler magazine listed Asheville among the six ‘Best U.S. Foodie Meccas.’ In April 2015 Collaborate Magazine included Asheville in its ‘Top 12 Foodie Cities For Meetings in 2015.’

More than 145 local and international wineries will be present, with wines to taste and bottles to purchase. There will also be dozens of breweries and distilleries on hand.

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1. The Bob Timberlake Inn and Timberlake’s Restaurant at Chetola Resort are aglow during the annual Festival of Lights, photo courtesy of Todd Bush 2. Ryan Singer performing at the Laugh Your

Asheville Off Comedy Festival, photo courtesy of Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival

3. Lee Ann Womack performing at MerleFest, photo by Gordon Burns 4. John Matthews demonstrates blacksmithing at the Folk Art Center’s annual Heritage Weekend, photo by Diana Gates 5. Jason Bolton, fire painter at Fringe Festival, photo courtesy of Asheville Fringe Arts Festival 6. Sourwood City Apiaries bee demonstration and

Sourwood honey sellers, photo courtesy of Sourwood Festival 42

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L “The emerging trend is spirits,” Bowles says, “bartenders like to come to the event to taste new spirits.” And one place they can sample them is the AFWF, especially because the Asheville Board of Alcoholic Control (ABC) does not allow tasting.

Last year the festival added the commercial winery component to the competition, attracting quite a few more wineries.

“Watch what you wish for,” Bowles quips, “now the judges have to taste them all.”

With 140 exhibits and 165 food producers and vendors, AFWF fills all three floors of the U.S. Cellular Center for the grand tasting event.

AW&FF chooses a nonprofit to make a contribution to each year. This is the second year they will support Asheville Independent Restaurant Association’s grant for students enrolled in the A-B Tech Culinary Program.

With 140 exhibits and 165 food producers and vendors, AFWF fills all three floors of the U.S. Cellular Center for the grand tasting event.

“Bring comfortable shoes,” Bowles advises.

Stretchy pants might not be a bad idea either.

Venture Local As mentioned earlier, Franzi Charen has been hard at work planning for the new Venture Local Fair on September 25 and 26, with a conference the first day and a fun festival the second day. It’s an example of an event that has been re-envisioned and repurposed.

“Venture Local Western North Carolina was originally a conference put on by AdvantageWest. It was a business conference/entrepreneurial conference focused on local businesses in our region,” she said. “It was for folks who wanted to obtain capital, meet other entrepreneurs, and learn about different aspects of business. In 2013 they no longer had the capacity to run the conference, so in 2014 we went to them and asked if they would mind if we took it over because it had a name and had a draw.”

In 2011 Charen helped create the Big Love festival in partnership with the organizers of the Big Crafty. They ran Big Love jointly for three years. Last year, the Big Crafty group took over running Big Love while Asheville Grown Business Alliance went into a new direction. Now, Big Love isn’t happening this year, but Charen is incorporating some

asapconnections.org August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 43

leisure & libation

Dixie-Darlins at the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, photo by Wendy-Olsen

of the elements of Big Love into the Venture Local fair on Saturday, September 26. It runs noon to 6pm, with 100 vendors, food trucks, and buskers.

“Garlic Fest is also going to be part of it. Every year True Seed does a Garlic Fest and we’re incorporating that within the [Venture Local] festival, so there will be a garlic trail, like a scavenger hunt, and we’ll partner with Asheville Flyer for Kids and have lots of great activities for kids, and Roots+Wings School will also be there,” Charen says.

Mountain Dance And Folk Festival Not all of the festivals are youngsters; one long-running festival is now in its 88th year. The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival runs August 6, 7, and 8 at the Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville.

Bascom Lamar Lunsford, a Madison County native known as the “Minstrel of the Applachians,” founded the festival in 1928. He had a unique style of organizing on the fly. Performers and dancers never knew ahead of time when they’d appear on stage.

“I remember standing on the loading dock of the old City Auditorium and Bascom coming out and saying, ‘You all are next.’ You never knew if you would dance at 7pm or 1:30 in the morning. He did the line-up in his head,” says Carol Peterson, member of the Folk Heritage Committee and long-time square dancer at Shindig on the Green and the Mountain Dance and Music Festival.

It’s much different today as organizers have to be very regimented to keep it flowing smoothly.

“We have many more people wanting to play and sing and dance than we have slots for,” says Peterson, “so it’s the brightest and best, as well as new folks and young folks.

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Cole-Mountain-Cloggers at the 88th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, photo by Wendy-Olsen

L Attendees of the 5Point Film Festival at the Flagship event in Colorado, photo courtesy of 5Point

One of 15 local apple growers who have booths, photo courtesy of NC Apple Festival

Everybody brings their flavor. On Thursday night it’s hometown night with a more local crowd. Friday and Saturday includes people who may have to make a trip to come here. We had a group from England who performed last year.”

The festival is the culmination of the summer Shindig on the Green series, and that event does follow the more casual approach Lunsford initiated, with potential performers trying out for the committee under the trees with hopes of getting a nod to go to the stage. It’s fitting that Buncombe County named the stage at Pack Square Park after Bascom Lamar Lunsford.

Celebrating The Apple Harvest Keeping the North Carolina Apple Festival fresh continues to be a priority for executive director David Nicholson. He realizes that many families across the region head to Hendersonville each year for this fourday festival, and he wants to create new energy so that folks never get bored and fail to return.

“This is my 10th year as executive director and I decided early on that we would rotate vendors,” he says. “We rotate our arts and crafts vendors after three years. This means we exchange out 35% of our arts and crafts vendors every single year. We also have an exhibit block where we try to do something new and different. This year we have PNC Bank’s Mobile Learning Adventure. It’s a program designed for preschool children. You’re going to see a lot of new things at our festival every single year.”

He’s also excited about updates to the festival website at www.ncapplefestival.org. They’ve made it mobile friendly so that festival participants can access important information while they’re in downtown Hendersonville.

“They’ll be able to access a complete list of entertainment and all events by clicking each day,”

Nicholson says. “They’ll also find answers to frequently asked questions like ‘Where are the restrooms?’ and ‘Where is First Aid?’” Now in its 69th year, the North Carolina Apple Festival originally started as a spring event in Saluda. Nicholson says it moved to Hendersonville at the end of World War II and was changed to September. About 20 years ago, organizers launched the street fair.

This year’s festival runs September 4 – 7 on a nine-block stretch of Main Street and features 15 local apple growers, along with other vendors and entertainment. “I tell folks you can get a single apple, a caramel apple, or a bushel of apples that were picked that week,” says Nicholson. “There are also fried apple pies or a slice of apple pies—they are actually from our apple growers. We don’t let anyone else sell that.”

5Point Film Festival New to the region, and set to launch later this month, the 5Point Film Festival brings its presence to the Southeast via its regional concert-style film festival on August 14 and 15 at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, the New Mountain Amphitheater, and various spaces around Asheville, with a two-day celebration of art, community, and short adventure films.

The festival offers a “film concert” experience, including special guests, live performance, and what are dubbed “5Point style” surprises throughout the evening.

“This area was my first introduction to what ‘outdoor lifestyle’ really meant. It is incredibly rewarding to be bringing 5Point back to this area that inspired me to live a life of adventure. I look forward to inspiring that same passion in others, and introducing audiences to the balanced, committed, humble, respectful, and purposeful side of adventure,” said Sarah Wood, executive director. “Those are the ‘5 points’.”

Included among over 30 short films over the two days are regional premiere screenings of Denali, 55 Hours August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 45

leisure & libation

Beer lovers enjoying the Brewgrass Festival, photo courtesy of Asheville Ale Trail in Mexico, and Frank and the Tower. Special guests include South Carolina locals Thomas Woodson and Karl Thompson, West Virginia locals, Pat Goodman, Asheville locals, Pat Keller and Brett McCall as emcees, and a special 5Point premiere performance by modern dance company Blue Ridge Dance Collective.

“5Point believes in celebrating and building strong communities around positive shared experiences. We believe in being good stewards of the environment. And we believe that inspiring storytelling through film and moving live experiences are the best way to impact a community, bring them together, ignite local economic development through our outdoor industry network, and spark positive change,” said Sarah Wood. “Asheville is a vibrant, outdoor, forward-thinking community that matches the ethos of 5Point.”

adventure and storytelling of all kinds, the nonprofit created a unique 5Point style show in each region, rather than bring the Carbondale show on a tour. By creating regional hubs across the country, 5Point intends to inspire other communities and celebrate their local filmmakers, athletes, and artists. 5Point also plays an important role in the economic development and recreational tourism in these regions. Other regional festival hubs located in Somerville, Massachusetts, Bellingham, Washington, and future Midwest location to-be-announced, are scheduled for future dates in 2015 and 2016.

Beer Festivals Another area of festival life exploding in the mountains revolves around events focused on the ever-expanding craft beer industry.

Now in its 19th year, the Brewgrass Festival created

by Barley’s Taproom owner Jimi Rentz is Asheville’s original beer festival and remains popular. It’s slated this year for September 19 at Memorial Stadium, which is just above McCormick Field. This year’s event features more than 50 breweries. A $55 ticket gives beer lovers a chance to taste creative brews from local and national breweries.

This festival has endured some growing pains. When it was held at Martin Luther King Park, the crowds and traffic produced headaches for some residents who complained. Rentz ultimately found a solution by moving the festival in 2014 to Memorial Stadium.

Other beer related festivals have popped up along the way, including the Beer City Festival at the end of Asheville Beer Week, which runs the last week in May, and the Asheville Beer Fest Winter Warmer in January.

The Asheville Downtown Association (ADA) produces Oktoberfest to focus on the local beer economy. “It’s been on the South Slope for the past two years,” says ADA executive director Meghan Rogers. “Before that it was on Wall Street, which

“Festivals play a pivotal role in the building of any community... It’s a colorful way to build community and have an impact through music and art. ” 5Point works with local outdoor retailers, bike shops, and community organizations as well as local artists to showcase the talents of the region and inspire the outdoor communities’ growth. With aspirations to grow its Asheville festival into another large four-day event similar to its Rockies region signature event, 5Point Film Festival is in its eighth season producing a four-day festival in Carbondale, Colorado, at the end of April each year. In an effort to expand its mission of inspiring 46

| August 2015

L we outgrew. We’re actually considering moving it again. Just in the two years it has been on the South Slope, we’ve had a huge number of businesses go in.

One of the things we think a lot about when we program an area of downtown is having a positive impact on business, and a Saturday in October shutting a street down may not have a positive impact on the businesses, so we are considering moving it.”

As to why this area has so many festivals, Rogers says, “I think it’s a combination of things. I think we have a community that wants to be engaged.

They want to be out and about. They want to see their friends and bring their family downtown. I think it also builds a sense of community pride and gives people an opportunity for civic engagement.”

In Brevard, Oskar Blues Brewery offers its Burning Can Festival in July.

This festival started at Oskar Blues in Colorado four years ago, and has finished its second year in Western North Carolina. Oskar Blues was the first craft brewery to can its beer. Since founder Dale Katechis is an avid mountain biker, he wanted to be able to take his beer in a backpack and crack it open on the trail.

The Burning Can Festival celebrates canned craft beer in all its glory and combines a love of fresh beer with bands and outdoor adventures.

“We are looking to do more festivals that include beer, music, and sports.

We just haven’t done the full program yet,” says Anne-Fitten Glenn, Oskar Blues marketing director. “Festivals are a great way for people to showcase their communities and interests and the natural beauty here.”

She also sees potential at the REEB Ranch that Oskar Blues purchased in late 2012. It’s located a few miles from the brewery, with great access to Dupont State Forest.

“We’d like to take advantage of this beautiful property and plan more festivals,” Glenn says. “We’re big on music too. Music isn’t an afterthought for us.

It’s part of what our culture is, and we’re invested in getting great acts.”

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Partial List OF Yearly Festivals IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

AUGUST LEAF Downtown Avl August 1 – 2, 2015 theleaf.org/downtown/ Mountain Dance & Folk Festival August 6 – 8, 2015 folkheritage.org/75thannua.htm Riverfest August 8, 2015 riverlink.org/experience/riverfest/ 38th Annual Sourwood Festival August 8 – 9, 2015 sourwoodfestival.com Laugh Your Asheville Off Comedy Festival August 12 – 15, 2015 laughyourashevilleoff.com Dirty Dancing Festival August 14 – 15, 2015 dirtydancingfestival.weebly.com

Waynesville Craft Beer Faire August 15, 2015 waynesvillebeer.com

LAAFF Festival September 6, 2015 facebook.com/lexfest

Asheville Wine and Food Festival August 20 – 22, 2015 ashevillewineandfood.com

Historic Morganton Festival September 11 – 12, 2015 morgantonfest.org

High Country Beer Fest August 29, 2015 hcbeerfest.com Organicfest August 30, 2015 organicfest.org

SEPTEMBER N.C. Apple Festival September 4 – 7, 2015 ncapplefestival.org Mile High Kite Festival September 5 – 6 averycounty.com/upcoming-events/mile-high-kite-festival

Goombay Festival September 11 – 13, 2015 ashevillegoombayfestival.com/ Brewgrass Festival September 19, 2015 Brewgrassfestival.com 11th Annual Shine to Wine September 19, 2015 tourism2.wix.com/s2w2 Heritage Weekend Festival, Folk Art Center September 19 – 20, 2015 southernhighlandguild.org/pages/ posts/heritage-weekend-7.php Venture Local, Asheville September 25 – 26, 2015 venturelocalfair.com

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Greek Festival, Asheville September 25 – 27, 2015 holytrinityasheville.com/greekfestival Art on the Island Fest September 26, 2015 madisoncountyarts.com/art-onthe-island-2/ 4th Annual French Broad Brew Fest, Hot Springs September 26, 2015 frenchbroadbrewfest.com

OCTOBER Forest Festival, Cradle of Forestry October 3, 2015 cradleofforestry.com Colorfest Arts Fest October 3, 2015 dillsboronc.info/events.html Heritage Folk Festival October 3, 2015 marshillheritagefestival.org

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L Oktoberfest, Asheville October 10, 2015 ashevilledowntown.org/oktoberfest LEAF Festival October 15 – 18, 2015 theleaf.org/the-festival Sugar Mountain Octoberfest October 10 – 11, 2015 skisugar.com/event/oktoberfest-2/ HardLox Jewish Festival October 18, 2015 hardloxjewishfestival.org

NOVEMBER WNC Pottery Festival November 7, 2015 wncpotteryfestival.com Asheville Cinema Festival November 5 – 8, 2015 ashevillecinemafestival2014.com Festival of Lights November 27, 2015 – January 31, 2016 chetola.com/thanksgiving.html

DECEMBER Biltmore Village Dickens Festival historicbiltmorevillage.com

JANUARY Asheville Winter Warmer Beer Fest January 24, 2016 ashevillebeerfest.com Asheville Fringe Arts Festival ashevillefringe.org Blowing Rock Winterfest January 28 – 31, 2016 blowingrockwinterfest.com

FEBRUARY Asheville Bluegrass First Class Festival bluegrassfirstclass.com

Merlefest, Wilkesboro April 28 – May 1, 2016 merlefest.org

MAY Asheville Herb Festival ashevilleherbfestival.com LEAF theleaf.org Mountain Sports Festival Mountainsportsfestival.com Americana Burlesque & Sideshow Festival absfest.com

WinterFest Smoky Style winterfestsmokystyle.com/

Asheville Beer Week/Beer City Festival Avlbeerweek.com

MARCH

White Squirrel Festival whitesquirrelfestival.com

Biltmore Village Dickens Festival historicbiltmorevillage.com

APRIL Greening Up the Mountain April 23, 2016 greeningupthemountains.com

Garden Jubliee Festival historichendersonville.org/ garden_jubilee.htm Lake Lure Arts Festival lakelureartsandcraftsfestivals.com

JUNE NC Gold Festival, Old Fort ncgold.org/info.htm Livermush Festival, Marion facebook.com/pages/Liver-MushFestival/413348218697512 Bluff Mountain Festival blueridgemusicnc.com/find-music/ location/bluff-mountain-festivalat-hot-springs-resort-and-spa

JULY Wild Goose Festival wildgoosefestival.org Coon Dog Day Festival saluda.com/events_coondog.php Bamboo Festival, N.C. Arboretum ncarboretum.org The Big Crafty, Asheville thebigcrafty.com Spruce Pine BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival sprucepinebbqbluegrass.org Folkmoot Folkmootusa.org

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 49

Asheville’s make-and-take French Broad Boatworks and Western North Carolina’s oldest, most eccentric body of water

Joseph Sommerville at the bow of the boat with Jason Brownlee as the guide for the day 50

| August 2015

Rowin’ River ON THE

written by roger mccredie

photos by anthony harden

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

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Image of the shop space. Batten Seam Construction boat and several jigs in the background for various boats and paddleboards

M

eet him at the shop he said.

I swear that’s what he said.

I have followed Jason Brownlee’s directions: turn off Amboy Road into Carrier Park. Go straight ahead till the dirt road tees into a paved road. Keep going until you come to a gravel driveway. Follow the driveway …

Through some bushes and into a clearing where there’s an automotive shop, but no sign (literally or figuratively) of French Broad Boatworks. So I ask at the mechanic’s. “On around back,” somebody says.

So I drive around the corner. Gravel road is now a track of mashed-down weeds. Exit vehicle and stand in calf-high grass.

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A fair-sized blacksnake crosses in front of the car. Encouraging: probably no copperheads in immediate vicinity. On my left, through some trees, the world’s third-oldest river glides, brown and placid. On my right is the rear of the building and a blank white door in a blank white wall. I try the door. It’s locked. It’s humid; I swat at gnats.

Just then a dark SUV turns the corner and the man himself bounces out, extending his hand. “Hey,” he says. “I’m Jason.

I was waiting for you over at the launch site. I called your cell but no answer. I left you a message.” (I probably forgot to turn the phone on, but don’t mention this.) “That’s okay,” he says “You’re in the right place; this is the shop.”

He turns a key in the blank door, and we enter a smallish, tidy, two-room work area. The first room contains orderly stacks of planks arranged by size, the walls lined with shelves stocked

with building supplies. There’s a welcoming, home-workshop smell of wood and paint. The inner room is dominated – filled, actually—by a Cadillac of rowboats.

It’s twenty or so feet long, high-sided like a dory. But where a dory is made of overlapping planks, this craft’s sides are as smooth and sleek as an automobile. The inside is fitted with two upholstered seats, the starboard one wide enough for two; the other, slightly aft and amidships, is obviously for the rower, centered between two heavy-duty, chrome-plated oarlocks.

And something else: the very center of the hull, a space of about four feet wide is…

“Completely flat,” says Jason. “You can stand on it, walk around on it, fish from it, whatever,” he says. “We call it the Rogue River pattern; it was introduced out there and, since the Rogue is bigger and deeper and faster than the French Broad, we

French Broad Boatworks’ private river launch within Carrier Park that they designed and built August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

53

Will Evert in the Electric River Skiff.

Joseph Sommerville (resident guide) is in the distance in the Classic River Dory

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“We consider ourselves creative builders, so we’re always looking at new ideas and new ways to enhance the ideas we’ve already got going.”

| August 2015

Jason Brownlee holding a current build and the jig which built the boat

Boat launch with the Dory being pulled by a mechanized winch from the water August 2015 | capitalatplay.com

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clock wise from lower lef t:

Jason Brownlee standing in the River Dory with Joseph Sommerville guiding the boat Rear of the Dory that is held in the container on-site for daily tours Will Evert operating the Electric River Skiff.

Hands on the Sheer Rail of a Dory done in Batten Seam Construction 56

| August 2015

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thought it would make an ideal design to incorporate into our business plan.”

Jason and his partner, Will Evert, are not, strictly speaking, in the boatwright business, though they do make and sell “four or five boats a year,” with a price range, according to size, from $12,000 to $18,000. (Another, smaller Rogue River model is beginning to take shape in the far corner of the room.) Instead, what they’re doing is constructing their own fleet, custom-designed for the second half of their business, which is getting folks into the boats and taking them on the river for various recreational activities—one in particular.

“Our premium offering is a nice, leisurely trip down the river to Smoky Park Supper Club and back, “ Jason says.

“The idea is, we take one or two couples at a time down to the supper club, drop them off for drinks and dinner, pick them back up and drop them off. I can show you from the launch site easier than I can describe it. Come on; we can walk.”

We leave the workshop and walk south by east through the high grass along the riverbank. About fifty yards on we come to the launch site. It’s a gatelike affair of still-new wood, flanked by a set of wooden steps. Suspended from the lintel of the gate is a sturdy looking pulley.

Below, parallel to the steps, a pair of metal rails, set into substantial wooden posts, runs at a gentle angle directly into the water.

“We’re pretty proud of this setup,” Jason says. “The pulley’s winch is electric. You hook the boat up, guide it onto the rails, let your party get in, and slide everything nice and easy into the water. You don’t even risk getting your feet wet.” Having thus embarked, the passengers are rowed at a leisurely pace down – down being up, because this is the French Broad – to their supper destination some two miles away.

Jason’s arm sweeps forward and back across this view of the French Broad, maybe 150 yards and no more than shoulder high at this point, mirroring the first white, puffy clouds of the day.

“The round trip itself is about two hours,

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plus the time they spend at the supper club,” he says. “Altogether it makes for a really nice, pretty evening in the later spring and summer, when the sun stays up a long time, and it doesn’t even begin to get dark until about nine o’clock. And in the fall of the year, it makes a really spectacular trip for the leaf-lookers.

It’s beautiful. They don’t mind a bit that it gets chilly; they wrap up and enjoy it.

I could even see doing it in winter. Winter on the river is beautiful; with the leaves off the trees you get a whole different view.”

He turns and indicates a “tiny house” a few feet away.

“This is our ticket booth,” he says. “Let’s go in.”

I have been hearing about tiny houses a lot lately. They are an up-and-coming niche construction business designed to help take up some of the slack in the affordable housing market.

This one is redwood stained and from the exterior seems to be about the same size as a six-person camping tent. Inside it’s a

dwelling big enough for two— living space, shower and toilet, sleeping area and kitchen— as compact and self contained as a ship’s galley. “We—Will and I—have our own construction company apart from this,” Jason says, “ and this serves as a demo unit, if you don’t count the booking area,” which is a counter and office nook placed at what would ordinarily be a living area window. “We plan to open the excursion business July 4th weekend,” he says. “And we can comfortably handle four or five tours a day.”

“Construction reminds me,” Jason says. “Come on back up to the workshop.

I remembered something I want to show you.

Back we go. Jason reaches onto a shelf and hands me a panel of what at first seems to be a sort of translucent Styrofoam with a curious, honeycomb-like pattern running through it.

The boatbuilding venture, Jason says, was not a spontaneous spinoff but was instead the product of several years’ worth of research and prototype development.

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“This is Plascore,” he says. “It’s great for buoyancy. It’s lightweight and really, really strong. Once we get the planking done” — he indicates the partially finished hull in the corner —“we’ll sheathe everything in this. Then we’ll laminate it with fiberglass and Kevlar and paint the whole hull with Linex. Between the way we finish the boat and the initial Rogue River design with the flat amidships, we’ll have a craft that’s lightweight and really durable, besides being super-stable. That’s important in a boat anytime, but particularly when you’re going to be carrying passengers who may never have set foot in a rowboat before.”

“The boats, the tiny houses, the other green construction that we do, they’re all part of Will’s and my vision of ourselves,” Jason says. “We consider ourselves creative builders, so we’re always looking at new ideas, and new ways to enhance the ideas we’ve already got going.”

“For instance,” he says, indicating a small-bodied, longshanked marine motor stowed in back of the finished Rogue boat, “this is a Torqeedo motor. They’re made in Germany.

We got very interested in them a few years ago because of the concept behind how they’re made. See, they use lithium batteries and they’ve developed this brushless motor that uses rare earth magnets. All very ‘green’ technology. And they’re quiet. Perfect for use on our cruises when you need

just a little extra power, and for fly fishing, when quiet is just as important.”

This process of discovery and adaptation has been a hallmark of the 15-year-long collaboration between Jason and Will (who was out of town at the time of this interview). The two founded Evert & Brownlee, Inc., “your basic construction contracting company, but with a focus from the beginning on ecology-friendly design” in 2005. The boatbuilding venture, Jason says, was not a spontaneous spinoff, but was instead the product of several years’ worth of research and prototype development.

The boatworks, the river excursions, the tiny model house doubling as a ticket office – it’s all a well laid out and obviously carefully planned setup. But one thing seems problematic: Does it concern the partners that their operation is in the middle of a floodplain?

Jason Brownlee smiles. “We build boats,” he says.

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 59

Evaluating Online Marketing Info

T

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adrianne gordon

is Director of Marketing & Operations for JB Media Group.

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HER E A R E DA ILY HEA DLINES ON WHAT ’ S new and next in marketing. “Facebook is dead,” they say.

“Pinterest is the new place for business,” another proclaims.

“Email comes back from the brink,” “Google wants businesses to go mobile,” and so on. There are more choices and information about how to market your business than ever before. So how do you know what’s best for your business?

How do you evaluate the options and information for your Internet marketing choices in order to know what’s valid and, most importantly, understand the right answers that will help your brand, product, or service reach prospective customers?

W hen evaluating information on Internet marketing, there are a few things to look for and look out for; being aware of both will help business owners cut through the noise and determine what information to trust and what is most relevant to their company and target market. Overall, evaluating information and resources on marketing will help you make informed decisions for your business. And by the way, Facebook is not dead, Pinterest may not be the right place for your business, email was never on the brink, and, yes, Google does want businesses to go mobile. Here are some ways to start your evaluations:

Recent = Relevant

First, check the date. Information published within the last six to nine months is recent enough to still be relevant. This is particularly true for

| August 2015

articles, videos, or webinars that provide how-to information. Whether it’s “how to be successful on a particular social media platform” or “how to improve search engine optimization,” relevance comes down to being current. A 2012 article on “how to build links to your website for improved search engine rankings” will likely contain strategies that are not only outdated in 2015, but could actually earn your site penalties from Google. Even seemingly innocent topics like “tips for writing email subject lines that get more open rates” have a shelf life. As email filters shift to keep spam and scams from inboxes, businesses have to stay up-to-date to ensure their messages get through. Right now, dollar signs ($) or the word “offer” increase the chances that your email will end up in a spam folder. This wasn’t always the case and may not be true a year from now.

For resources on the principles of marketing, social media, or search engine optimization, older content can still have significant value. This information (as inspiration, not a sales pitch) takes a wider perspective and focuses on “why” rather than “how.”

Topics such as “why social media has achieved such high levels of adoption” and “what users expect from

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a social media experience” provide important context for evaluating or creating a social media strategy for your business. Still, it’s important to cross check articles, blogs, and videos in this category, as examples from 12 or 24 months ago may not have the same relevance now.

Repeated = Reassuring Whether what you are reading, watching, or listening to is two weeks, two months, or (gasp) two years old, look for consistency on a topic – it’s a key filter for determining if the information is reliable. It is unlikely that one person has an insight or strategy that other people in the field aren’t also talking about. There are always people who are on the cutting edge and who see trends before others do and that, of course, has value. Internet marketing visionaries like Gary Vaynerchuk provide context for where things are going in the big picture and let us know what we should listen for more of in the future. These insights lead to decisions that will have a longer lasting impact.

Like anything in business, there is no crystal ball. Even search engine giant, Google, can’t say exactly how their platform will look and function two years from now. Internet marketing is simply too dynamic. Changes come from how we as a society choose to communicate, research, and connect the world’s many technological advances, and how marketing channels respond to both. Google, for example, is clear that they want to help people find the information that they seek in the least amount of time. That’s why they have pushed businesses to make their websites mobile friendly.

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Does connecting efficient and relevant search results to mobile friendly websites seem like a stretch? Consider this: Internet searches from mobile devices are on the rise. They have been rising steadily and are expected to continue to do so. Not to mention, accessing a website from a phone that is not mobile-ready (we’ve all been to those pages that require pinching and scrolling) is something no one likes.

We leave those sites – quickly – and then we go back to Google and search all over again. In other words, we haven’t found what we need, and we’re not happy about it. This is not what Google wants for its users. So, they began prioritizing changes to sites that are not mobile-friendly earlier this year. In many ways they have done businesses a favor by making companies address how their websites don’t serve a growing number of their prospective customers. There was a lot of conversation, articles, and headlines about Google’s mobile update before and when the algorithm was changed. The overwhelming theme discussed was the importance of businesses August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 61

ensuring their websites were mobile friendly before a certain date.

Similar to how there are a lot of theories about how to motivate There was considerable speculation about how important this employees, there are also many schools of thought on the best change would be for businesses, and a range of opinions developed, ways to gain customers from online marketing. Information including those that said it would only have significant impact based on actual trends rather than projected trends is on some websites and always more reliable. those that felt it could Keep an eye on your be disastrous (although own data via Google AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE it wasn’t). Still, there was A nalytics, Goog le wide agreement: Mobile Search Console, and the ANSWER TO “HOW TO SUCCEED IN friendliness is something insights available from ONLINE MARKETING” IS VERY MUCH, businesses should be individual social media “IT DEPENDS.” BUT ARMED WITH GOOD paying attention to. A platforms. Businesses INFORMATION, YOU CAN MAKE THE lone voice saying, “This who were paying doesn’t matter, don’t attention to their own BEST DECISIONS FOR YOUR BUSINESS. worry about it,” stands website user data saw out a nd , t herefore, (as early as 2013) that should be questioned. bounce rates – when someone leaves a website from the same page they arrived on – were high for mobile visitors; meanwhile, mobile visits to their site were growing. So when marketers and then Google The use of data or case studies to support a trend or strategy is began talking about the importance of a mobile friendly another important truth test for online marketing information. website, these businesses weren’t very surprised. While your

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exemption to the “the website comes first” rule in all things online. If you sell supplies to that food truck, social media might not be the place for you, unless you want to use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool for your staff.

Like any aspect of your business, when it comes to deciding where to invest time and money into your Internet marketing, it’s best to avoid fads and instead use strategies that are more likely to deliver long-term results. While Pinterest may be one of the fastest growing social media platforms (currently), that doesn’t mean it’s where your prospective customers are looking for the solutions you provide. As a visual platform that is used heavily for recipes, crafts, shopping, and events like weddings, Pinterest is not likely a great fit for a law office. At the end of the day, the answer to “how to succeed in online marketing” is very much, “it depends.” But armed with good information, you can make the best decisions for your business.

own marketing results are just one example, they are the most relevant case study to your business.

It’s All Relative All of the recent data-backed information from multiple sources is still only as useful as it relates to your desired audience. When evaluating what new channels to explore in Internet marketing, use the same thinking as you would when choosing what print publications to place ads in or which events you should sponsor; in other words, go where your target market will most likely be. Just as you would look at the readership demographics for a publication, look at the user demographics for a social media platform. Investigate where others in your industry have found success and where they haven’t. There is not one answer to “how to do online marketing.”

If you have a food truck, Twitter and Facebook are good places to start. They offer real-time updates to followers, allow for paid promotions to reach new audiences, are very mobile friendly for on-the-go customers, and are searchable via hashtags. This type of business might not even need a website to start – a rare

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news briefs

Early Boat Gets the Prize morehead city, north carolina

The 57th annual Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament brought lots of visitors to Morehead City restaurants and hotels. Big Rock is a fishing competition. Registration fees are tiered and run in the thousands of dollars, but a host of prizes make the fees worth the gamble. The tourney lasts six days, with fishers choosing which four they’ll fish. Last year, the captain and angler aboard the boat Inspiration won first place, having caught a 750-pound marlin the first day. The first day this year, captain Brian Komer and angler Earle Hall aboard Viking 62, a boat that rolled off the production line four days prior to the event, caught the 680-pound prize just fifteen minutes into fishing.

]

Eighteen minutes before the tournament ended, the captain of Suzie Q reported a major hookup that might have taken the prize, but it turned out to be a dolphin. A total of 149 captain-angler teams entered this year’s competition, competing for portions of the competition’s $1,632,650 in prize money. Viking 62 won $560,000, and three other teams won six-digit cash prizes.

American Steel Dumped on charlotte, north carolina

Only two steel manufacturers remain in the United States, and one of them is in Charlotte. Nucor became the largest in the nation last year, passing Pittsburghbased US Steel. The two companies are very different. Nucor attributes its

success to two innovations: (1) using electric arc furnaces and mini-mills instead of old-fashioned blast furnaces and humongous integrated mills, and (2) flattening its organizational chart.

Industry observers also credit the company’s success to flexibility afforded by its nonunion workforce. Both producers, however, now face what Nucor’s CEO John Ferriola described as “a tsunami of imported steel.” China’s practice of “dumping” mass amounts of low-cost steel in the United States has exerted substantial downward pressure on pricing. Steel imports into the United States now account for 32 percent of the market, as opposed to 26 percent this time last year. Consequently, Nucor stock is expected to run between 20 and 25 cents per diluted share, as opposed to 46 cents at the same time last year. Both domestic steel producers are actively lobbying the federal government for protective tariffs.

Let’s Give Them Something to Talk about raleigh, north carolina

Two homeless men have started a business. Tom Richardson and Rob Frohlking

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were inspired by something that transpired in a Raleigh shelter. A man wearing a T-shirt with the word “College” on it sparked a conversation about sparking conversations. Frohlking says a conversation is what turned his life around.

He was sleeping outside a church when somebody stopped to talk. Rather than talking down to him, the person treated him with respect and as someone worthy of company and conversation. The encounter gave him a sense of belonging, making him feel “almost human again.” Now, Richardson and Frohlking have started the company Conversation Tees (conversationtees.com). They sell T-shirts displaying a single word they hope will serve as an ice-breaker. Their idea of success is relieving the pain of isolation and seeing people making connections. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to organizations bent on preventing homelessness.

And Did I Say Surcharge? charlotte, north carolina

The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, with prodding from the North Carolina attorney general’s office, has agreed to settle

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national & world

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with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association out of court. The upscale inn was threatened with a lawsuit for failing to clearly notify guests of a 15 percent surcharge. During the CIAA tournament last February, the hotel added a “CIAA Svc. Chg.” to all drink and food orders placed in the main lobby. Guests were outraged, taking to social media and crying racism; the hotel had added no special charges for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament or the NASCAR races. The Ritz-Carlton denies any wrongdoing, but agreed to settle to avoid court costs and ongoing bad publicity. The hotel will be paying $5000 to the state for consumer protection programs and $75,000 to the CIAA scholarship fund. It will also refund the surcharge to all customers who file a complaint form with proof of purchase with the attorney general’s office within a 90 day window. They are also tripling up on efforts to notify customers upfront about all added charges.

required state regulators have approved BB&T Cor poration’s purcha se of Susquehanna Bancshares, Incorporated.

The deal would mark BB&T’s entry into the Northeast. In exchange for $2.5 billion in cash and stock, BB&T would acquire assets valued at $18.7 billion, or 9.8 percent of the bank’s current value. At the time of the purchase, Pennsylvaniabased Susquehanna was a top-50 bank with 240 branches and 3,400 employees. The deal approximates BB&T’s largest acquisition, the 2009 purchase of Colonial Bancshares in Alabama, valued at $20 billion. The latest move follows BB&T’s $363 million cash and stock purchase of the Bank of Kentucky Financial Corporation, in June, through which the Winston-Salem-based institution acquired $1.9 billion in assets. CEO Kelly King expects industry acquisitions to ramp up as more and more smaller banks find themselves unable to manage costs of regulatory compliance.

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don’t let exorbitant costs of ever-changing high-tech investment quench their dreams; they pool resources. Interest in makerspaces is growing on a global level. The concept originated in the Pacific Northwest over a decade ago.

Since then, several spaces have sprung up in the Triad, including The Forge in Greensboro, Alamance Makers Guild in Burlington, and facilities at Elon University and the UNC-Greensboro campus. Right now, Mixxer is just a gleam in the eye of an enthusiastic, organized group of visionaries, technicians, and craftspeople that meets monthly and shares on Facebook. If seen through to fruition, Mixxer would provide a hangout for creative types to share 3-D printers and power tools as well as ideas. Although he has not yet settled on a location, Shelton is determined to follow through because he has met so many others in the Winston-Salem area with a passion for the idea. Bennett Harris, founder of the Alamance Makers Guild, says of Shelton: “He gets that it’s about convincing everybody that they’re a maker.” Shelton agrees, but places the emphasis on growing community.

What Does BEE Stand for? wilmington, north carolina

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Captain Doug Springer has launched a new water taxi service. Wilmington Water Tours, which he co-owns, is branching out from its tour and cruise format to carry passengers to and from the battleship USS North Carolina. A single ship, the Bizzy Bee, will leave the battleship every hour on the hour, from 9am to 8pm, and return to Market Street on the half hours. That’s just for starters.

Springer hopes to grow the business until tourists flying into the area can be water-taxied to at least six or seven destinations. But he doesn’t necessarily want to be the one running all the boats.

He intends the new business, Beeline, to serve as a consultancy for others who

want to operate water taxis, each with a bee-themed name. BEE, he says, is an acronym for “building an economic engine.” Wilmington Water Tours was able to get the contract after Cape Fear Riverboats, the former holder of an exclusivity agreement with the USS North Carolina, made clear its intentions not to pursue the service anymore. Taxis are now running as the grounds of the battleship are being revamped for enhanced tourist engagement.

Cheaper Megawatts kings mountain, north carolina

A new $440 million, 475-megawatt electric power plant will soon be constructed on a 290-acre parcel in Cleveland County. The plant will run on natural gas, supplied by a pipeline already running through the property. Kings Mountain and three other cities have signed 20-year contracts with NTE Energy to buy wholesale power from the plant.

Kings Mountain will therefore not be renewing its current contract with Duke Energy when it expires in 2018. Mayor Rick Murphrey described the decision as cost-motivated. It is expected to save the city as much as $8 million a year. NTE executives promise the plant will create 350 construction jobs and 30 permanent operator jobs once the facility is online.

Kings Mountain will be moving its utility center to the site, where it has plans to develop an industrial park within five years. NTE is building two other plants, in Ohio and Texas, in conjunction with this project, with financing from Capital Dynamics in Switzerland and Wattage Finance in New York.

A New 200-Year-Old fayetteville, north carolina

Chemours, a spinoff of DuPont, began trading publicly July 1. Then DuPont vice president Mark Vergnano was named president and CEO. Plans

N RVI SE

to turn DuPont’s Performance Chemicals division into a separate company were announced as early as August. One of the company’s many sites will be a 350-acre campus shared with Dupont and Kuraray America, Inc. located eighteen miles outside of Fayetteville. Describing its relationship with DuPont, Chemours advertises itself as “a new company with over 200 years of history.” The company manufactures a wide range of chemicals, including auto paint, gold-refining compounds, surfactants, Teflon and other lubricants, and swimming pool treatments. On the horizon is a focus on Opteon®, a low carbon footprint refrigerant for automobiles; Ti-Pure® Select TW-6300, a one-coat paint; and Virkon®, a line of disinfectants for both plants and animals. The Fayetteville Chemours plant will focus on the company’s line of fluoroproducts, while Kuraray, having acquired DuPont’s laminated glass operations, will be making products like SentryGlas®, known to withstand hurricane-force winds and bomb blasts.

Insuring the Insurers chapel hill, north carolina

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) hopes to soon increase insurance rates in North Carolina. If successful, individual rates would increase on average 25.7 percent. BCBS experienced a loss of $50.6 million in 2014, the company’s first loss since 1999.

The hit is attributed to the company’s first year of insuring subsidized customers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The law forbids insurance companies from turning down applicants with pre-existing medical conditions, and it imposes maximums on rates that may be charged to seniors. The scenario was anticipated by the drafters of the ACA, and so they set up a pot of $8 billion for reinsurance in the program’s first year. The amount would be decreased to $6 billion in the second year and $4 billion in the third and final year. The phasing out was based on the assumption that the sickest people would apply for the program first. BCBS is eligible for $295 million in ACA payouts, $263.7 million of which is for reinsurance. Coventry Health Care is the only other North Carolina insurer to offer ACA plans. It will be receiving $25 million in reinsurance payouts, but it will have to pay $29.4 million into the system because its customers were, statistically speaking, healthier.

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Teach YOU CAN

AN

Old Brain New Tricks Dr. Michael Trayford and Apex Brain Centers are working to help our brains keep up with our bodies. written by melissa stanz

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photos by anthony harden

Dr. Trayford directing a client through visual (hemifield) stimulation exercises

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 69

Testing of various eye functions is a critical component of the neurological evaluation

Training the brain

EEG electrode caps used to collect electrical activity from the brain to help direct brain training

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Who doesn’t want to improve their memory, concentration, and be smarter? Especially those of us who have a little more “life experience”, who occasionally can’t remember names or what we wanted when we walked into the kitchen.

Dr. Michael Trayford, owner of APEX Brain Centers, assures me it can happen, but it takes a commitment that must last long after the typical weeklong sessions that APEX Brain Centers conducts for motivated clients.

Dr. Trayford, age 43, is a board certified chiropractic neurologist committed to helping people improve their brain functions. He works with those who have conditions such as traumatic brain injury (TBI), OCD, ADD, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. He also works with anyone who has a strong desire to think more clearly, retain things longer, or improve their performance as an athlete, teacher, artist, or student. In short, just about anyone can benefit from these treatments.

APEX Brain Centers uses high frequency intensive brain training programs to tap into the brain’s ability to change and grow over time.

They apply functional neurology using state-of-the-art brain mapping, objective neurological testing, research-based brain training methods, and nutritional intervention. Dr. Trayford and his partner, Dr. David Hardy, work with clients in what are typically weeklong sessions—most of this type of training occurs over months in a clinical setting.

“I started APEX Brain Centers two years ago after closing my private practice in Asheville that focused on movement and balance chiropractic treatments,” said Dr. Trayford. “It was a huge leap of faith, and a massive shift from seeing people once a week to seeing them several times a day, but I saw stimulating the brain frequently was causing changes in clients in two to three days.”

Trayford is a life learner, constantly reading medical literature, surfing the web, and looking for alternate ways to train the brain.

Through his research and his practice he’s found that high-intensity, high-frequency training is the best way people can work with their brains.

Some clients go through the process in a week; others take a little longer. During the week clients receive treatments several times a day, relaxing between sessions. Because the process is so intensive, Dr. Trayford says most clients take time off to focus only on the treatments.

He sees clients locally, across the nation, and from other countries such as Israel, Australia, Canada, and Africa. About half of his client base comes from referrals from other chiropractors; others come from neurologists, family practice physicians, and by word of mouth.

“Although many practices are using neurofeedback and functional medicine, no one is putting it together with the approach we’re using,” he said. “The brain works best by repetition. We do the training fast and it’s working—our recipe is unique.”

Joe Kimmel is a client and the founder of Kimmel and Associates, the largest specialty executive search firm in the United States. He holds degrees in nuclear engineering and mathematics from the

The APEX team Left to Right: Glenna Butera, Dr. Michael S. Trayford, Dr. Denise M. Trayford, and Dr. David Hardy

University of Nevada-Reno, is a lover of the arts, and is well known for his philanthropic efforts in Asheville and the region. He came to APEX Brain Centers to help him gain a competitive edge and protect his cognitive function moving into later life.

“This process is a means by which, using simple procedures, you can affect the signals between different lobes of the brain,” he explained. “The training caused a change in my brain, and I’m a different person now. Other people saw it, too.”

Kimmel has a deep passion for this training and says he wants as many people as possible to know it’s available.

Dr. Trayford emphasized that many things impact brain function, including stress and blood sugar. Most people have bad habits that need to be changed, and it’s critical that people want to make changes and move forward.

“We can train the brain, but if people are not committed to change lifestyle and habits, then it won’t work as well,” he said. “We’re a catalyst, a trigger for change. We’re foundation people who help people improve brain functions, but I don’t expect clients to go from butter knife to samurai sword in a week.”

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From chemical engineering to chiropractic neurology…

Dr. Trayford started college in a chemical engineering program, but quickly realized that he wasn’t cut out to sit in a lab.

From chemical engineering he moved into biology and physics and made the connection between movement and better brain function. This was his ‘aha moment’, leading him to chiropractic study.

“I found the greatest scope of what I needed to do with chiropractic,” he explained.

“It was the broadest overall portal to entry and a conduit to study the human brain.”

He went on to post graduate work in neurology, earning his board certification in chiropractic neurology. He’s been practicing in the neurology area for 15 years. His former practice based in Fletcher, North Carolina, was Carolina Functional Neurology.

Inspired by his elders As a young child, Dr. Trayford enjoyed hanging out with older people to glean their wisdom and to learn—he said he’s always been an old soul.

Thinking back, he was the kid always trying to discover where the picture was coming from in the TV. His uncle was an engineer and helped him figure things out, feeding his desire to learn more.

A professor of veterinary science at Cornell, Dr. Trayford’s grandfather was an inspiration to him. He lived a long, full life, dying at age 95 while shoveling snow from his driveway in Maine.

“My grandfather was not just a vet, he was a singer, a musician, a safari hunter, and more. He learned a new skill every three years—saying it kept him sharp.

When he died he had all his wits about him. Although I was only 12, I learned so much from his example.”

Throughout his life he’s been a keen observer, watching many people (including his parents) grow older and seeing how lifestyle choices impact the aging process.

He realized that most health care was focused on diagnosis and treatment and saw a huge void in health care for people who were aging.

“I wanted to help people deal with things before they became problems, before dementia or a bad fall. I saw so much cognitive decline in our older population and I wanted to be proactive, not reactive,” said Dr. Trayford.

Arriving in Asheville, he hit the streets, meeting with any provider with an open mind and a desire to collaborate in the best interest of their patients.

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Walking the talk Dr. Trayford and his partner have both participated in the Center’s brain training.

Office manager Glenna Butera has also participated in some of the training, and Dr. Trayford says that going forward all his employees will go through the training.

Partner Dr. David Hardy, assistant director of operations, is a board certified doctor of chiropractic who has extensive experience working with patients in the Functional Neurology clinic of Dr. Ted Carrick. His background in education, coaching, and athletics includes work in Australia, Japan, and Canada, teaching age groups from preschool to senior citizens. As a former competitive rugby player and IRONMAN competitor, he’s helped himself and other athletes make improvements in brain function, notably those with concussion and mild TBI.

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HOW ALIVE ARE YOU?

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TOP 10 apex brain centers offers these top

BRAIN

HEALTH

10 ways to help your brain perform at its maximum potential...in no particular order.

3.

2.

1.

get plent y of sleep

­

Most experts say a minimum of seven hours of uninterrupted sleep be observed by most. Memories are formed when we sleep, and improved quality and duration of sleep can stave off cognitive decline due to aging.

4.

manage your stress

­

The long-term continuous stressors many of us face on a day-to-day basis and the ill effects it brings on are touted as the root cause of the majority of chronic diseases of our modern society. There are countless techniques available to us to help us manage stress, including meditation, journaling, counseling, prayer, and yoga.

5.

1

#

e at the right kind of fat ­ Avoid processed, man-made fats that fall under the general heading of trans fats. Minimize saturated fat intake (e.g. red meats, butters, etc.). Poly and monounsaturated fats found in whole food sources (nuts, vegetable oils, greens, etc.) and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are desirable for a better brain.

7.

set goals and move towards them Our brain’s reward system is intimately linked to our older emotional brain on one end and our newer cognitive brain on the other.

To help balance and improve function in either of these regions, exercising our reward system is a critical step in the process.

8.

Numerous studies over the past 100 years have shown how social isolation can cause significant psychological and neurological impairment, and even death in extreme cases. Social isolation disrupts myelin production, which is critical for nerve signaling and transmission.

| August 2015

exercise Make the time instead of trying to find the time. The evidence is irrefutable; exercise makes your brain work better...period!

6. le arn something new Learning new subjects, skills, and hobbies can help to preserve and build your brain’s resources to ensure it functions at its highest ability. Novel stimulation has been shown to enhance brain activity immeasurably.

9. eliminate bad habits Eliminate drinking, smoking, laziness, poor diet, sedentary behavior, dangerous physical activities, and anything else that’s not improving your health.

10.

be social

74

TIPS

eat your fruits and veggies The benefits of REAL/WHOLE foods in our diets are endless. They are low-calorie and loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, good sugars, and fiber; which are all good for our brain.

drink plent y of water­ Water should be your main source of hydration as it will eliminate intake of sugars, sugar substitutes, artificial flavors/colors, etc. that can all be harmful to your brain.

These are both ‘smooth pursuit’ eye tracking tests in the horizontal direction. The right one is at a faster speed compared to the left image. The blue line represents the target moving side to side and the superimposed green line is the client’s eyes; which, in this case, are having a hard time following the target as demonstrated by all the defects in the green line; particularly at the faster 0.2 Hz speed.

“Dr. Hardy and I met through several neurology conferences and had continued conversations about him joining our team at APEX. The challenge was he is from Canada and we had to apply for a very specific visa given to those with advanced education degrees. These visas are quite limited in the amount authorized. It was a long, drawn out process, but well worth the investment,” said Dr. Trayford.

Trayford’s wife, Denise, is doctor of chiropractic with a degree in exercise science. She also works at the center and assists with diagnostic testing and designing physical exercise programs for those with balance and other physical disorders. She benefited from the training; so have their daughters, ages seven and ten.

His 10-year old especially loves working with the interactive metronome exercises as they allow her to gain control over her focus and attention—they are also fun to do.

“There’s a role in medical care for people who need brain improvement and we fill it,” said Denise. “People should come wanting to better their overall health and cognitive function so they live long and healthy lives. We can help them achieve that.”

Falling in love with Asheville Many people come to this area once and move here because the mountains called them, or they felt a spiritual connection or they appreciated the plethora of holistic, alternative opportunities.

The Trayfords appreciate all those factors, but they made a more considered, thoughtful move. They knew Asheville was a hotbed of health care, offering services to suit anyone’s needs.

Over the course of many visits to the area, they began to appreciate the influx of people from all over the world coming here for a higher quality of life, and health care was a big factor in the decision process. They also noted those people were proactively taking care of their brains and bodies.

“I had left the Long Island Integrated Medical practice where I was a partner. My wife and I moved to the Hamptons for three years and would travel around on weekends. We never thought about North Carolina, but someone mentioned Asheville so we visited once, and then came back several times. One day we went for a walk on the beach and decided it was Asheville. In a matter of weeks we called this home.”

Fitting into the area’s healthcare culture Dr. Trayford’s position at a large integrated health care practice in New York gave him plenty of time to work with all types of doctors, therapists, and complementary/alternative health care providers. He managed relationships with a wide variety of referring health care providers in the community and learned to communicate well with all types.

Arriving in Asheville, he hit the streets, meeting with any provider with an open mind and a desire to collaborate in the best interest of their patients. Those meetings created a great network of health care providers who steadily refer clients. Dr. Trayford also frequently refers patients back to those providers as appropriate.

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Mohammed Ali Giving back to the community is part of Dr. Trayford’s DNA. Everyone at APEX gives back each month or more frequently, whether it’s Rotary Club, Manna Food Bank, or other volunteer work. He believes anyone working with him should put service above self and make a difference in the community and the world.

All office staff are members of Rotary Clubs in the area; Dr. Trayford has been a member for nearly 15 years. “When we August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 75

came to town I went to the Rotary Club and fell in love with the group. I’ve served on Rotary boards and many committees because I support their mission.”

They currently use the program to make price adjustments in exchange for volunteer time. One woman volunteers with a local school, doing an hour-for-hour exchange. She must complete half her service before treatments begin to assure there is real commitment.

As our population ages, more and more people are searching for ways to stay sharp.

Brain training takes a lot more than an application on a smart phone to make a brain work better and to sustain that improvement.

Dr. Trayford also serves on the Advisory Council for Buncombe County Schools, is a Leadership Asheville graduate who continues to stay involved, and participates in United Way. He was formerly vice chair of the Rathbun Center.

Work is now in progress for APEX Assist, a nonprofit they hope to establish to support people who cannot afford the treatments.

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316% growth over previous year

Now in their second year of business, APEX Brain Centers experienced 316% growth over the previous year when Dr. Tray ford ow ned Carolina Functional Neurology. The center created jobs, never operated in the red, and did not have to borrow money for operations.

The practice continues to grow. APEX was selected for the Entrepreneur in Residence program at A-B Tech funded by the Kauffmann Foundation. The 18-month program will attract legacy investors to help them get to the next, scalable level. They are also one of 15 regional companies selected to join ScaleUp Western North Carolina due to their entrepreneurial spirit and high growth potential.

Spreading the word APEX Brain Centers incorporates an unusual approach to brain training, so it’s important that Dr. Trayford gets the word out. He does this by teaching at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at U NC Asheville (OLLI), where he teaches a course called “Building a Better Brain”. In only two classes he’s taught nearly 300 students.

He also offers seminars in the area and networks with other health care professionals via monthly dinners and continuing education.

He uses online marketing to let people know about him, including blogging and advertising. His website, www.

APEXbraincenters.com, is detailed and content rich.

Looking Ahead

Charlotte is their first potential site for expansion due to the large number of corporations there given the interested in neuroscience-based applications for job performance, talent development, and stress/burnout.

“I feel it’s most important to surround myself with the highest quality, self-motivated individuals who have a passion for helping people help themselves. We have that with our current APEX team, and plan to use the same strategy when expanding elsewhere.”

As our population ages, more and more people are searching for ways to stay sharp. Brain training takes a lot more than an application on a smart phone to make a brain work better and to sustain that improvement. APEX Brain Centers has something special happening, and they have established a niche that will benefit its clients by staying on top of the science and building on their successful brain training model.

Dr. Trayford’s five-year plan includes expansion into multiple locations and offering more educational opportunities. APEX will soon provide subscription-based brain education services through webinars and podcasts.

“We only see four clients per week—it’s very personal and sustainable, but we can only do so much here. We are developing a waiting list,” he said.

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UPDATES FOR

&

NATIONAL WORLD [

news briefs

McDonald’s Was Your Kind of Place oakbrook, illinois

McDonald’s announced it would be closing more stores in the United States than it opens this year. This would be the first year in the corporation’s recorded history that the number of stores has actually shrunk. Executives believe an overly complex menu, leading to botched orders and longer wait times, was primarily to blame for slumping sales.

Industry analysts, however, argue the company suffers from a low hip factor.

McDonald’s marketing of consistent food at affordable prices appealed to families and seniors in the 1970s. Today’s fast food consumers are more attracted to Chipotle’s health-conscious marketing and Starbuck’s edgier décor. The

]

company has also been stigmatized by Michael Moore’s negative documentary and organized protests demanding a living wage for all on the corporations giant payroll. In spite of it all, McDonald’s remains America’s largest hamburger chain with 14,300 locations, almost twice as many as second-place Burger King. At about 27,000, Subway has the most stores of any fast food chain, but it handles nowhere near the volume of business as McDonald’s.

Just an Ordinary Space Explosion cape canaveral, florida

SpaceX’s seventh mission to the International Space Station blew up shortly after liftoff, blowing over 5200

pounds of payload into the Atlantic from 27 miles up. The wreck was the third for ISS resupply missions in eight months.

Russia and Orbital Sciences own the other two. Each botched launch was unique, SpaceX’s being attributed to excessive pressure buildup in a liquid oxygen tank. The latest wreck is being written up as a cost of making progress.

The astronauts have enough supplies to last four months, and NASA will be sending reinforcements in late July.

The blowup was the first for SpaceX, which had a winning streak of eighteen launches for the Falcon 9 craft. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk hopes to perfect the craft for manned launches in the relatively near future. Musk founded the company in 2002 to make space exploration faster, cheaper, and more innovative. Breaking government monopolies, the business has been credited with introducing business sense to the space industry.

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Allison Wood is making the rounds, delivering presentations at the 2015 SxSW and TEDxTeen futuristic techno conferences. Wood is showcasing her

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new business, REIFY. The problem she wanted to solve was the reduction of music to electronic configurations.

While modern downloads are convenient and flexible, Wood felt there was community value in gathering around actual instruments with musicians, or at least album art or a ghetto blaster.

She therefore resolved to use the latest in technology to create a new tactile focus for a shared experience. REIFY plays sound into a computer program that converts the waves into a three-dimensional object that looks something like a lacy tree stump. The objects, which Wood calls totems, are then 3D printed, being readable by an app sold by REIFY that works like the old diamond-tip phonograph needles on the grooves in a vinyl disc. Music is available in plastic, bronze, and coconut husk, but the storage and retrieval of something as complex as a hit single is a little way off in the future.

Fall into the Gap san francisco, california

Gap, Incorporated, the clothier that specializes in selling apparel that doesn’t make people stand out in a crowd, has announced it will lay off 250 workers at

32

64

carolina in the west

the old north state

its San Francisco headquarters and close 175 retail outlets. The move is expected to save the company $25 million annually. It’s no news that retailers in general have been downsizing floor space as consumers enjoy the control and convenience of shopping online. Clothing sales in general are taking an additional hit as America’s style conscious are preferring to make their statements through electronic gadgetry. Following the closures, the company will continue to run or franchise 800 Gap stores, 500 specialty stores, and 300 outlets in fifty countries.

Headquarters has not yet announced which locations will get the axe.

Courting in the Kitchen

national & world

had a problem with Electrolux securing contracts with parties that furnish appliances en masse and faulted the company for resolving to purchase GE instead of competing with it. GE, meanwhile, was attempting to divest its cooking appliance division in part because its marginal utility was diminishing with Asian competitors like Samsung and LG. In the last ten years, those two companies have managed to capture about 20 percent of the United States’ large appliance market. Another reason is that GE wants to focus resources more on complex heavy machinery, like aircraft engines, locomotives, medical imaging devices, and oil drilling apparatus.

Electrolux markets most of its American products under the Frigidaire name.

new york, new york

Electrolux attempted to buy General Electric’s appliance division, but the United States government will have none of it. The Department of Justice filed suit, directing a United States District Court to stop the $3.3 billion deal, which had been announced in September. The department feared the consequences of leaving Electrolux and Whirlpool as a duopoly in the household cooking appliances business. The department

Might Airports Return to Normalcy? warwick, england

Rather than complaining about those long lines to the naked body scanners in airports, Terry W hall and Evan Parker, scientists at the University of Warwick, are doing something about it. They have invented a sensor that works in the terahertz portion of the

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electromagnetic spectrum. They claim it detects concealed objects faster and more thoroughly than airport scanners, which recently missed 95 percent of mock weapons in an investigation. The sensor is described as little more than a stressed silicon-aluminum interface, and therefore is easy to manufacture.

Following successful tests on the lab bench, the professors were awarded 100,000 English pounds from Innovate UK to build a better demo. Warwick Ventures, which transfers university innovations to the private sector, has helped the professors spin off Q-Eye, Li m ited. Disti ngu ished Wa r w ick alumnus Phil O’Donovan, with years of experience transforming infant technologies to scalable businesses, will serve as consultant.

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Flitto. It’s sort of like Uber, only it crowdsources translators instead of drivers. Founder Simon Lee said the idea started when he was in school. Peers kept asking him to translate things until the workload was so great he had to enlist his friends. The idea didn’t work very well as a business because people would have to wait for somebody to fire up their computer to see if there were any translation requests. But then along came smartphones. Flitto now boasts 3.7 million users. At the time of this writing, Flitto had translated 11,586,573 requests in seventeen languages. Flitto is superior to computer translation platforms because it enlists humans, who are better at capturing slang, dialect, and colloquialism.

People may even send a photograph of something like a sign or the funny pages for translation. Submissions may be up to 10,000 words, and longer documents are divided up to ensure Flitto lives up to its reputation for fast and accurate translations. Translators are rated, and they earn points when users select their

translations as the best. Points can be cashed out or applied to the purchase of translations or other products. They may also be donated to charity. One Indonesian girl reportedly was earning $300 a month translating only 30 minutes a day.

Wanted: Missing Pieces for Mixed Reality portland, oregon

Microsoft has been developing an augmented reality headset called HoloLens.

In a promotional video, HoloLens users are shown interacting with holograms to design a motorcycle, plan a village, and explore rocks on Mars. There’s just one glitch. There is no way to print those 3D images it generates into the real world. So, rising to the occasion is Object Theory. The company was founded in July by Michael Hoffman and Raven Zachary. Hoffman was one of the lead engineers developing HoloLens, and Zachary worked at Walmart, having sold them his startup that built apps for Starbucks and Whole Foods. The two expect existing game developers to innovate software for that industry while they focus on business applications. Hoffman suggested doctors could generate scale models of patients, and Zachary saw potential for reviewing custom orders in a number of industries. A lot of money now flows into the mixed-reality field, with Facebook, Google, Sony, and Apple trying to invent the missing pieces.

Without Incident new york, new york

July 8, at 11:32am, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) went black.

Reportedly, it was due to compatibility issues resulting from a computer upgrade. A statement from the NYSE speaks in broad language, avoiding

technical details, but assuring the shutdown was not related to a cyber attack. NYSE president Tom Farley made the decision to shut the system down entirely because most stocks are traded on more than one exchange, and the ten other United States exchanges were operating just fine. After three and a half hours, the NYSE began running again without incident. N YSE and NYSE MKT canceled all open orders and worked with customers to restart.

Overall, the sense is that nothing was lost, and, if anything, the exercise was a boon in that it showed how resilient the system is with backup routes. This “crash” was not as devastating as the one in 2010, when the system became infected with bogus orders.

Snoring and sleep apnea pose serious health risks.

Don’t let these conditions go untreated.

Following the Triremes athens , greece

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is pulling out of Greece. The bank is restructuring after a brief stint as the world’s largest bank. Featured in the bank’s Greek portfolio is $5 billion in shipping loans. The bank will retain its $6 billion in loans for shipping in other parts of the world. For decades, RBS has been a top lender in the shipping industry. RBS’ former shipping boss, Lambros Varnavides, is credited with developing the bank’s high Greek profile. The Greek fleet remains one of the largest in the world, with Hellenic ship owners among the nation’s wealthiest tycoons. While the magnates typically operate from Piraeus and Athens, ships are often registered abroad and fly foreign flags. The international nature of the business has allowed it to survive in spite of Greece’s crumbling economy.

Lloyds Banking Group is among other European banks retreating from the shipping sector.

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capital adventurist

Off on the

the

Grid

TR ANS-AMERICA TR AIL written & photos by arthur treff

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M

y lips are gritty from the dust, and through the seat, I can feel my rear wheel dance a lazy samba in the loose gravel surface as it gains and loses traction. Brilliant blue skies peek through the tree canopy, and yellow wildflowers are blooming everywhere. Farm scents mix with wild rose and honeysuckle, my entire being feels the delight…except my feet; they’re encased in squishy socks and waterlogged boots — a constant reminder of an earlier stream crossing.

It’s spring in Tennessee, and I’m traveling by motorcycle on the Trans-America Trail.

This trail was blazed by moto-explorer, Sam Correro, a man who dreamed of crossing the country entirely on dirt roads.

Years later, the passion has been converted to a business.

His website, transamtrail.com, sells paper maps, paper roll

map courtesy of Trans-American Trail and Sam Correro

charts, and GPS coordinates for a route that begins in Eastern Tennessee and terminates on the Oregon coast; a distance of nearly 5,000 miles of mostly off-pavement riding.

I’ve crossed the country twice by motorcycle by taking all paved back roads and it was amazing, but to do the same on dirt roads seems like stepping back in time, possibly 100 years or more. I mean, back in 1776 didn’t it take John Adams days to travel from his farm in Boston to Philadelphia to attend the Continental Congress?

Not sure if I wanted to go all the way on the Trans-America Trail (TAT), I decided to ride the four hundred mile Tennessee portion to see if I liked it. But, I wanted to feel like Lewis without Clark, so I decided to travel alone, ensuring that all the navigation (and whatever else should arise), fell to me. A decree to leave the cell phone behind, elicited a less than supportive spousal retort, so I would be taking my phone.

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No canoe for this Meriwether: the author riding a tame water crossing… note the waterproof bags

But…Christopher Columbus didn’t have an iPhone or GPS, so I opted for old-school roll charts to guide my voyage. A roll of cash register tape with hand written symbols, it sits in a plastic case displayed between two rollers. A twist of the knob advances the paper to the next waypoint…and there are many, as most intersections on the Tennessee section are a half-mile to two miles apart. This will keep my mind occupied, calculating mileages and looking for the next fork in the road, in addition to looking at scenery and piloting the bike.

The first day out is grey; I’m wearing all of my clothes to keep warm because I’d packed for the hotter weather near Nashville and Memphis. After a series of wrong turns, (definitely not used to roll charts!) I find the beginning of the trail; its pavement is cracked and laden with forest debris, then quickly becomes dirt. The route twists, climbs, and descends…so does the rain.

I’m suddenly feeling very alone.

A few miles in, and the dirt road disappears under water — dark, still water — resurfacing 40 feet distant. What’s an adventurer to do? In my best Meriwether Lewis imitation, I dismount to check the depth.

I’m pleasantly surprised by the firm bottom as I wade into the shallow stream. I’m also complimenting myself on footwear choice: high, waterproof boots. Not very deep, my crossing is uneventful, as is the next one.

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The third stream crossing is not wide, but the water is flowing quickly, and the bottom surface is algae-coated rock with jagged furrows running parallel to my path of travel. My friend, Russ, who has ridden the TAT all the way to Trinidad, Colorado, warned me about this river crossing weeks ago: “You want to cross it on the extreme right, it’s a bit deep there, but it’s the safest way across.” …or was he talking about the fourth crossing? Russ talked a bunch about one river, the details of which seem to have slipped my addled mind. Well, he must be mistaken, I think, because on the right side, there’s a beaver dam downstream and the water is really deep.

I find a better option on the left side: an 8” wide groove lined with sand. Perfect. I motor slowly, slipping the clutch, ready for anything, except…my front wheel being stopped entirely by something submerged halfway across. Instantly, I’m out of momentum and ideas, so I put one booted foot down. The rock is slick as ice and the water just as cold.

Foot sliding sideways, water cascades over the top of my boot, and that’s the moment I recall the rest of Russ’ warning.

It was about a cleverly deceptive, sand-lined groove with a big obstruction in the middle, which I seem to have found. I arrest the bike’s fall and, with both boots filled, manage to herd my mount across to dry land and shut down.

Tenessee in Spring — rose and honeysuckle waft through the air, yellow wildflowers are everywhere

All Natural & All Local Movement catches my eye. Across the river, another motorcyclist is gesturing, pondering which way to go. Clearly, I am not the one to ask. He tries a route to the right of center, and ten feet in, his eyes say ‘Oh, crap!’ and slowly, like a toddler in diapers, his bike falls… whoopsie-daisy! Gurgling noises arise from my boots as I wade back in.

Straining against the torrent, we hoist. Eventually his bike emerges, water coursing out of everywhere. I got off light, I think. Together, we urge it to the other side, and suddenly, I’m not feeling so alone. His name is Kevin; we ride together for a few miles.

The fourth crossing is easy, and eventually, Kevin rides off, while I

stop to drain my boots in the gathering sun. Surviving my baptism and helping another rider leaves me with a confidence borne of hubris. My name is Lewis, but you can call me Meriwether.

Robert Pirsig, in his philosophical treatise, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, says that if travelling by car is to watch a movie, then piloting a motorcycle is being in the movie.

Really? What’s so great about that?

There are no buttons to control the climate, the rider is exposed to the weather: when it’s hot, you sweat; when it rains, you get wet: when it’s cold, it’s very cold due to the wind chill. If a car skids, it’s not big deal; if a bike skids, it’s not big deal either, as long as the rider’s

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A restorative break — no cars, people, or signs to disturb the view

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skills are sharp. Uncertainty lurks around every corner, which is the point after all.

Think back to trips you’ve taken and the stories you’ve told about them. Sure, the rooms were luxurious, the umbrella drinks plentiful, and you had the island to yourself. But, don’t those memories of the ‘Good Life’ begin to dissolve even before you’ve unpacked?

I’ve discovered that my most-cherished travel memories are borne of the uncertain moments, the unexpected disappointments, which can lead to something better. Taking a ‘wrong turn’ puts you off your itinerary, yet you see something or meet someone special.

Racing nightfall one evening on the TAT, I miss a turn, round a corner, and in the failing light a horse lopes across my path and stops me. He wears no halter, no rope dangles from his neck; I’m a rare sight in his world, apparently, so he’s checking me out.

His octogenarian owners, and hoarders, it would appear, begin to shout and wave hands at him, as if he were the disobedient family dog. As they retake their seats in front of the single-wide trailer, I turn around and ride out the way I came, waving enthusiastically.

World-circling motorcyclist, Renee Cormier, in his book, The University of Gravel Roads, advises the reader not to prepare too much for a trip because there is magic in getting lost. For him, machine break-downs in the middle of nowhere, though frightful, would usually become miraculous moments where Renee was humbled by the kindness of strangers.

Piloting my motorcycle and camping along the way is addicting. I get a feeling of deep satisfaction knowing that my bags contain all I need; I can stop where and when I want, fall asleep, then keep going the next day. The scenery goes by faster or slower with a twist of my wrist; it’s a blast.

It’s the second morning on the TAT, and I’ve been riding on gravel for miles. Looking at the roll chart, I see that my next turn is a left between two churches. Churches? I muse; I’m in the middle of nowhere! Their steeples appear, I slowly roll between them and look right: the road disappears into a deep, fast-flowing river.

Glad I’m not going right, I think.

I go left; a thousand feet later, the road bends to the right, and suddenly disappears into the water. Uh-oh, my hair stands up on end. Wherefore art thou, now, my plucky explorer?

Before I can panic, a battered Toyota, its roof laden with inflatable water toys and filled to bursting with passengers, bounces and squeaks across the stream, water lapping at the door bottoms.

“Piece of cake,” mutters the driver as he rolls past me. Do I look that nervous?

Moments later, a pair of open-cockpit Jeeps splash through the water, slowing as they parade by me. An over-caffeinated youth hops out and volunteers to shoot pictures of my own crossing.

My bike plies the river water effortlessly. It feels so good, I turn around and do it again for the camera.

The roll chart leads the way

It is Sunday, and this last water crossing seems to be the entrance into a designated Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) area, a place where non-registered dirt vehicles can legally play. The road turns from gravel to fluffy, red clay with numerous corners and hills.

A red rooster tail is visible in my rearview mirror. The air all through the woods is glowing red in the hot sun; apparently, I’m not alone in this dusty playpen. A squadron of motocross riders in helmets and goggles materializes out of a crimson cloud, then vanish just as quickly, engines echoing like ripping canvas.

I come upon a conga line of families in four-wheelers promenading majestically in the red dust, seemingly oblivious. They’re all dressed for Sunday church, and no one, not even the baby, seems to be bothered by the suffocating red air. It’s a carnival atmosphere where everyone is having some sort of motorized fun on the dirt.

According to the online forums, the Tennessee TAT has the least amount of dirt roads when compared to the other states.

Maybe 50% of the route is paved, but these are not just connectors August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 87

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To my right, a hillside is crammed with cows. Three of them have escaped and are on the road; I slow to avoid a collision, they stop and turn to look at me. I move forward, they move forward, then turn around to look at me again. I stop. We keep up our little dance until they become used to my bike and let me pass.

How often does that happen?

I ignore street signs (targeting truckers) saying things like: “Your GPS is Wrong! Turn around and go back”, but I don’t have to, my roll chart guides me from gravel to paved and back, treating my senses to the sights like startled red tailed hawks in low branches, or a stunning black colt happily cantering across a wildflower hillside.

At another intersection, I turn onto a half paved road bearing a large warning sign: “Road Closed. No Turn Around.” I recheck my map and odometer, then I proceed. Besides, I’m on a dirt bike, I can turn around anywhere, I reason. The road narrows, houses vanish, and pavement ends. Here, I realize the sign was right: a four-foot high red clay berm has been built across the path.

But, this is the TAT, so I ride over it, and discover a wonderfully rickety, wooden bridge on the other side, not a problem for a lightweight motorcycle. The forest ends at the bridge exit, opening onto a sandy, golden road painted between expansive green crops. Is this Oz or the Silk Road? A mile later, massive

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back to the dirt roads. Sam has chosen them carefully for their beauty and lack of traffic; they’re all small.

They are roads that you’d never take unless you lived nearby.

Some are derelict of care; cracked, broken, and covered in debris, they require dirt-bike riding techniques. Some are brand new; the scent of fresh tar rises from the smooth, hot, surface, tires hissing effortlessly.

The longer I ride this canned route, the happier I feel. I do not possess the patience nor commitment to lay out such an energetic path. Mr. Correro made all the decisions for me. Every intersection has been defined for 400 miles, and I didn’t have to spend days poring over a maps with a magnifying glass to find the best, least-used roads. The TAT is a bargain.

On this ride, I experience a side of rural Tennessee I’d never see, except by motorcycle. The roll chart sends me down public roads so narrow, I keep thinking I’m in someone’s driveway; and sometimes, when I make a wrong turn, I find that I am in someone’s driveway.

At a stop sign, a pair of 14 year old boys pull up next to me, riding in a very high performance, four-wheel woods vehicle, every inch of which is encrusted with mud. Around here, they can use public roads without much chance of getting nabbed by the police.

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farm equipment blocks the road, and the attendant farmer stops pouring chemicals into a hopper, stands, and waves me around like a neighbor.

At mile 403.22, the Mississippi border passes unannounced and the roll chart has no more to tell me. The Tennessee segment of the Trans-America Trail ends here. This has been the most unique travelling experience to date. A sense of accomplishment fills me; it’s the perfect ribbon to wrap my collection of new memories. I don’t want the ride to end.

Roll charts cannot be followed in reverse, so I venture to take smaller paved roads home, meandering up the Natchez Trace toward Franklin, Tennessee; east through Murfreesboro, and back to Tellico Plains. It’s a lovely ride on pavement, with little traffic and beautiful things to see, but something’s not right. I should be happy, I think.

Meandering long stretches of country blacktop is not the same as riding a rabbit warren of intersections. Riding the TAT, I felt as if I were travelling inside Tennessee, as opposed to rolling over her pavement. The ever-changing route was an amusement park ride, a tunnel without walls; it was magical. Following the roll chart was so engrossing that time seemed to stand still, and the course it followed so remote that I often had no idea where I was relative to the landmarks of Knoxville, Nashville, or Memphis.

I vow to retrace the route soon. But next time, when I reach mile 403.22, I’ll not be turning around. Instead, I’ll replace the Tennessee roll chart for the Mississippi, and follow its magical trail to the Arkansas border, where it too will be replaced. And, in this way, my bike and I will leap frog, roll by roll, following the enchanted ribbon of paper for five thousand miles until we reach the Pacific…just like Meriwether Lewis.

I’ve discovered that my mostcherished travel memories are borne of the uncertain moments, the unexpected disappointments, which can lead to something better.

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august

EVENTS august 1-16

Gypsy

2 or 8pm, Consult Schedule Flat Rock Playhouse 2661 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, NC This interpretation of the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee is often considered the greatest american musical, and Rose one of the very few complex characters in the genre. It tells the story of a domineering stage mother, Rose, who will stop at nothing to push her two daughters, dainty June and Louise, to stardom.

Ethel Merman took the show to fame with hits like “Let Me Entertain You” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”

>Tickets: $15-40 > 828-693-0731 > Flatrockplayhouse.org

august 1- 2

8TH Annual Coin & Currency Show 10am-5pm (Sat), 10am-4pm (Sun) Virginia Boone Building, Gate 5, Western North Carolina Ag Center 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher, NC The Black Mountain Club will host this show. Black Mountain Coins, beginning as DGL Coins in Florida fifteen years ago, now covers 4,500-square-feet with over 15,000 pieces. On display will be ancient coins, early American coins and currency, gold and silver coins, and bullion. Door prizes will be awarded hourly.

> Free > 828-684-6902 > blackmountaincoins.com august 1-7

The Denim King: The Moses Cone Story 2 or 7pm, Consult Schedule Hayes Auditorium, Lees McRae College 235 Main Street, Banner Elk, NC This musical is based on the book, A Mansion in the Mountains. It was

commissioned by the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation to tell the history of the cone dynasty and their parkway mansion in Blowing Rock, Flat Top Manor. It is a biography of brothers Moses and Caesar, early entrepreneurs who made it big in textiles, and their sisters, who amassed a sizeable collection of contemporary art.

>Tickets: $18-40 > 828-898-5709 > Lmc.edu august 2

Equine Volunteer Orientation 12-2pm Heart of Horse Sense 6919 Meadows Town Rd, Marshall, NC Horsemanship is a great way to relieve stress, learn responsibility, and feel appreciated. The professionals at heart of horse sense are committed to helping veterans who suffer PTSD, chronic pain, and depression, and at-risk youth, prone to acting out and seeking trouble, recover through building confidence and a sense of belonging. But they can’t do it alone.

They therefore invite all members of the public to a volunteer orientation to find

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out more about horse therapy and sign up for fundraising activities and horse care.

> Free > 828-649-7064 > heartofhorsesense.org

Live Piano with Patrick Lopez 6pm Lex 18 Moonshine Bar and Restaurant 18 North Lexington Avenue, Asheville, NC

august 2

Gran Fondo 8am 164 South Depot Street, Boone, NC This highly prestigious bike race will route competitors to and through Appalachian State University, Winklers Creek, the scenic Shull’s Mill Road climb, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the roller-coastery Highway 221, Grandfather Mountain, Beech Mountain, the Tennessee state line, Sugar Grove, and Valle Crucis. An untimed respite will be availed in the tranquil creek-fed North Toe River Valley. Entrants may register up until start time. Categories are the 100-mile gran ($120), the 55-mile medio ($100), and the 20-mile piccolo ($75). A more metro Gran Fondo will take place in Asheville on the 30th.

> Spectators: Free > granfondonationalchampionship series.com

august 5 , 12 , 19, 26

Patrick Lopez is studied, accomplished, seamless. A master of all things music, this multi-instrumentalist knows the most important thing is reaching people, and he does that well, too. Patrick has performed and recorded with big names, and he is fluent in all genres. His Latin Band Xpresso performs regularly at Lex 18.

> Free > 828-582-0292 > patricklopez.com august 5-30

SART Presents: Radio Gals Doors open at 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm dinner, and 7:30 pm showtime Crest Mountain Dinner Show In the twenties, when radio ruled the airwaves and small stations thrived, music

teacher Hazel C. Hunt received a transmitter as a retirement gift and station WGAL was born in Cedar Rapids, Arkansas. A Wacky quintet of singer/ musicians gather daily in her parlor to set hearts thumping and toes tapping with rib tickling songs, homey chat, and plugs for a rejuvenating tonic that owes its kick to the still out back.

Hazel’s habit of wave jumping to find a clear channel brings a government inspector to shut her down. She discovers the stage struck tenor beneath his bureaucratic facade and he is quickly ensnared in musical and romantic shenanigans.

>Tickets: $20-$25;

Group Rates Available > 828-689-1239 > artplays.org

august 6 - 8

88TH Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival 6:50pm Diana Wortham Theatre Pack Place, Asheville, NC Since 1928, mountain folk have come together to square dance or clog to fiddles, banjos, dulcimers, and other traditional instruments. Bascom Lamar Lunsford

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244 North Main Street • Hendersonville, NC 28792 (828) 693-8276 • tempomusicwnc.com August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 91

events

founded the festival to showcase dance traditions of the Southern Appalachians.

Featured entertainment draws from Scottish, English, Irish, Cherokee, and African heritages. Today, the Folk Heritage Committee carries on the legacy. Each night is loaded with a different lineup of musicians and dance teams.

>Tickets: single night: adult $22, child (12 and under) $12; three night package: adult $54, child (12 and under) $24

> 828-257-4530 > dwtheatre.com august 7, 14 , 21, 28

Music in the Valle 7pm Valle Crucis Community Park 2892 Broadstone Road, Valle Crucis, NC Everybody’s invited every Friday this summer to pack a picnic dinner and enjoy music in the park. August’s weekly entertainment, in chronological order, will be early American music by the Major Sevens, electric acoustic sounds from the Dashboard Hula Boys, bluegrass by Surefire, and Celtic folk from the Mountain Laurels.

> Admission: free, recommended donation: $5

> 828-963-9239 > vallecrucispark.com august 7- 9

3rd Annual Native American Gathering 10am-10pm West Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir 499 Reservoir Road, Wilkesboro, NC Like all festivals, this will have native foods, storytelling, and crafts. But these dancers will really put on a show to 92

| August 2015

flutes and drums, and you can’t exactly experience flintnapping just anywhere.

> Free > 336-921-3390 august 7- 29

Richard III 7:30-10pm Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre 92 Gay Street, Asheville, NC Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, North Carolina’s longest running Shakespeare Festival will be performing Richard III. The Players’ description bears repeating.

“Shakespeare’s Richard III may be a product of historical fact or Tudor propaganda, but there is no doubt that he is Shakespeare’s greatest villain and dark comedian. His bitterness at his outward disfigurement fuels an inward deformity, leading this “bottled spider” on a bloody rise to the throne. Feel the paranoia of the times and witness the tragic and thrilling end to the Wars of the Roses in Shakespeare’s hit, Richard III.”

> Free > montfordparkplayers.org august 8

Blue Ridge Brutal Bike Ride 8am-4pm Ashe Civic Center 962 Mt Jefferson Road, West Jefferson, NC Participants have the choice of a 3.1-, 57-, 75-, or 100-mile competition. All rides take on a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway and promise “many hills.” The short ride, the assault, undergoes a 1454-ft increase in elevation, and the altitudes only get worse for the other rides. Mt. Jefferson is not classified officially, but it’s approximately Category 2.

Reportedly, the scenery is so beautiful

you won’t feel a thing. (Nod, nod. Wink, wink.) This fundraiser for the Ashe Civic Center is in its 26th year. Spectators are welcome.

> Registration: $70, spectators: free > 336-846-2787 > blueridgebrutal.org august 8

Falconry: The Sport of Kings 10am-12pm Cradle of Forestry Historic Site 11250 Pisgah Highway, Pisgah Forest, NC Licensed falconers Peter Kipp and Jeff Curtis are experts in the ancient art.

They will get into the history of the sport and show how to handle these birds of prey. Last of all, participants will get to meet the birds and watch them fly. Think of it as the analog version of droning. Call in advance to register.

Participants must be aged four and over.

> Admission: $60 > 828-884-3443 > cfaia.org august 8 - 9 38TH Annual Sourwood Festival 9am-8pm (Sat), 9am-5pm (Sun) Downtown Black Mountain, NC Celebrating the work of the sourwood honeybees, the Town of Black Mountain opens its street to over 30,000 visitors.

This year, about 200 vendors will display arts, crafts, and food. The event promises a weekend of family fun with special activities for children. The Sourwood Idol Contest will unfold Friday evening before the festival.

Pre-registered contestants who think they can sing will compete for cash prizes. The event is sponsored by the August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 93

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events

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> Free > 828-669-2300 or 800-669-2301 > sourwoodfestival.com august 10

Western NC Civil War Roundtable

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828.277.2500

See front desk for details.

See front desk for details.

“Celebrating 17 Years”

ORGANIC MATTRESSES, INC.

ORGANIC MATTRESSES, INC.

•

ORGANICMATTRESSES, MATTRESSES, INC.• •www.omimattress.com www.omimattress.com next to Nevada Bob’s Golf www.omimattress.com ORGANIC INC.

6:30-8:30pm HFR Administration Building, Room 101 Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC This lecture and roundtable will be led by historian, author, and cofounder of Emerging Civil War Kris White. The topic will be the Battle of Antietam.

> Free > 828-227-7211 > wcu.edu august 12 -16

A Life of Sorrow: The Life and Times of Carter Stanley 7:30pm (Wed-Sat), 2:30pm (Sun) North Carolina Stage Company 15 Stage Lane, Asheville, NC The show is a one-man play, a biography about Carter Stanley. Half of the Stanley Brothers until his untimely passing at the age of 41, Carter helped found the bluegrass genre. A Life of Sorrow tells a story of childhood memories, life on the road, emotional struggles, and alcohol, and how they all fed into the creative process. The presentation is the well-researched creation of actor, historian, and bluegrass enthusiast Gary Reid.

> Admission: $10-20 > 828-239-0263 > ncstage.org

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august 14 -16

august 16

2015 Lake Lure Olympiad

SART Presents: As Time Goes By

Consult schedule for times Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure 112 Mountains Boulevard, Lake Lure, NC

7:30Pm Ebb’s Chapel 271 Laurel Valley Road, Mars Hill, NC

In three days, the festival will take in a golf tournament, various runs, a water ski show, a triathlon, basketball competitions, track and field, open swimming, and bike races. Events are offered for all ages and levels. Many are going for the 3 Races in 3 Days Challenge. Athletes have been training, but registration runs through August 11. Medals will be awarded in a formal ceremony. The scenery promises to be beautiful if not breathtaking, and food opportunities will abound. Since 2005, the event has raised more than $275,000 for charities in the Lake Lure and Chimney Rock area.

> Spectators: free > 828-407-0244 > lakelureolympiad.com august 15 -16

Come to Leicester Studio Tour 10am-6pm See website for studio map Leicester, NC Seventeen artists will be participating by showcasing their work, creating, and interacting with visitors. This year’s show features a wide variety of high-quality work, ranging from the astonishingly brilliant realist, surrealist, and abstract country scenes of Olga Dorenko to the spriteful fantasy figurines of Amy Goldstein-Rice. Other features include weaving, quilting, candles, brooms, and primitive-inspired amulets and figurines.

Gary Verni-Lau’s mastery of light on canvas alone will brighten your day.

> Free > cometoleicester.org

Talent from the Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre will perform classic music from the silver screen like “Moon River,” “Over the Rainbow,” “Mona Lisa,” “The Way We Were,” and a few hits from Disney movies. The crowd will probably sing along whether they’re supposed to or not.

> Admission: $20-25 > 828-689-1239 > sartplays.org august 16

Benefit Harp Concert: A Celtic Celebration 4pm Cathedral of All Souls 9 Swan Street, Biltmore Village, Asheville, NC The critically-acclaimed harpist Linda Barton Paul will take advantage of the exceptional acoustics at one of Asheville’s most notable historic buildings. She’ll play heavenly hymns on the angels’ instrument of choice, but she’ll also get down with jazz and Beatles’ hits. Paul has played internationally with symphony orchestras and flying solo. As a special treat for those who’ve wondered how the ancients made cavity resonators with no knowledge of wave mechanics, architect and preservationist Robert Griffing will preface the concert with a primer on sacred geometry and how the cathedral works acoustically. The event is hosted by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County.

>Tickets: $20 > 828-254-2343 > psabc.org

august 22

Forest To Fork 10am-1pm John Rock/Fish Hatchery Parking Lot, Pisgah National Forest 49 Pisgah Highway, Suite 4, Pisgah Forest, NC Certified herbalist Laura Gardner will lead hikers through the woods and point out local plants and flowers fit for human consumption. This works so much better than trying to read between the lines of a guidebook. Gardner’s will be only an identifying venture, as the Forest Service would frown upon eating one of this country’s national treasures.

Participants must be at least 18. Call to register; space is limited.

> Admission: $35 > 828-884-3443 > cfaia.org august 23

Sweet Tooth Dessert Tour In Black Mountain 2-4pm Creative Mountain Food Tours West State Street, Black Mountain, NC This is a sugary small plate crawl.

Participants will be treated to cheesecakes, pastries, fudge, pies, crepes, cakes, and more from Black Mountain’s bakers and confectioners. And for a special treat, sweet crawlers will enjoy a behind-thescenes meet and greet with some of the best chefs, owners, and head servers.

Reservations are required.

>Tickets: $35 > 828-419-0590 > creativemountainfoodtours.com

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ASHEVILLE STARTUP WEEKEND 2015 PRIZE PACKAGE “The only event where you’ll be able to spend 54 coffee-fueled hours with the brightest people in WNC building something real.”

august 29 - 30

Railroad Heritage Weekend 9am-6pm Tweetsie Railroad 300 Tweetsie Railroad Lane, Blowing Rock, NC

TOTAL AMOUNT

$12,230 $14,730

SITE CONTENT

BUSINESS COACHING

ANGELA RAIMONDO

STEVE RUDOLPH COACHING

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Train enthusiasts will have a special opportunity to get hauled around by historic steam locomotives. One, Locomotive No. 12, is the state’s oldest operational. For a $5 donation, passengers may be admitted to ride the 1870s No. 5 Vintage Coach Car. Between rides, park visitors can roam memorabilia displays and take guided tours to learn about the technology that goes into the locomotives. All but the No. 5 rides are covered with admission.

> Admission: Adult $41, Child 3-12 $27 > 800-526-5740 > tweetsie.com

IP CONSULTING

$12,230 ADAPT IP

“How I met my first investor.”

events

from

VENTURES

august 30

THREE MONTHS FREE OFFICES

“How I launched my successful company”

from

BILTMORE FARMS

BRAND PLATFORM

ONE YEAR FREE HOSTING

COMPOSIA

SITEGROUND HOSTING

from

from

STARTUP TEAM CONSULTATION

“Like the 48-hour film fest, but for startups.”

from

VAN WINKLE LAW FIRM

MARKETING COURSE

New Century Saxophone Quartet 5:30-7pm Blowing Rock Art & History Museum 159 Chestnut Street, Blowing Rock, NC This unique, first-place winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition will play a diverse selection of tunes, from Baroque to contemporary, with funk and swing. The artists have played a number of prestigious venues worldwide, recording seven CDs. They even played twice for saxophonist Bill Clinton in the White House. Reviews at their 1993 debut in Carnegie Hall extolled their “panache” and “virtuosic display of dexterity and keen ensemble work.”

>Tickets: Members $15, Nonmembers $20 > 828-295-9099 > blowingrockmuseum.org

from

JB MEDIA

“We couldn’t have succeeded without the amazing connections we made at Startup Weekend.”

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| August 2015

CUSTOM WEBSITE from

ZEROZEN DESIGN

If your organization has any local press releases for our briefs section or events that you would like to see here feel free to email us at events@capitalatplay.com. Please submit your event by the first day of the month preceding your event.

hosted byby the MARTIN hosted the MARTINNESBITT NESBITTACADEMY ACADEMY

AVLSTARTUPWEEKEND.COM AVLSTARTUPWEEKEND.COM TWITTER @AshevilleSW | |FACEBOOK.COM/AshevilleSW TWITTER @AshevilleSW FACEBOOK.COM/AshevilleSW

AVLSTARTUPWEEKEND.COM TWITTER @AshevilleSW | FACEBOOK.COM/Ashe

AUGUST AUGUST28 28- -30, 30,2015 2015

hosted by the MARTIN NESBITT ACADEM

LAUNCH a company

AUGUST 28 - 30, 2015

LAUNCH a compan

PITCH an idea PITCH aan idea BUILD team BUILD team LAUNCH a acompany

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 97

VACATION in PARADISE Get away from it all and relax in comfort.

ASHEVILLE: Historic Biltmore Village • 9 Kitchin Place • 828-274-2630 STORE HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9:30am-7pm • Sat. 9:30am-6pm • Sun. 12pm-5pm

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| August 2015

MADE YOU LOOK.

THE FIRST-EVER BMW 4 SERIES CONVERTIBLE. UN4GETTABLE. It should be no surprise the BMW 4 Series Convertible grabs attention. Long, elegant lines accentuate the exterior, its 240-hp engine sounds an unmistakable roar, and its three-piece hardtop comes down with the ease of a button, even while moving. The only downside to this convertible is taking your eyes off it.

BMW 4 Series Convertible

bmwofasheville.com 828-681-9900

NO-COST MAINTENANCE

UP TO 4 YRS / 50K MILES*

For special lease and finance offers available through BMW Financial Services, visit bmwusa.com.

BMW of Asheville

649 New Airport Road

Fletcher, NC 28732

828-681-9900

bmwofasheville.com

Experience the Difference. *For model year 2015 or later vehicles sold or leased by an authorized BMW center on or after July 1, 2014, BMW Maintenance Program coverage is not transferable to subsequent purchasers, owners or lessees. Please see bmwusa.com/UltimateService or ask your authorized BMW center for details. ©2015 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.

August 2015 | capitalatplay.com 99

Schools Will Soon Be Starting Back, So Remember To Spend Some End Of Summer Quality Time With Family, Friends, & Loved Ones!

Whether It’s an Outdoor BBQ, Picnic, Or Everyone Gathered Around The Dining Room Table, When you Bring Ingles To The Party, You Bring the Best In Quality and savings!

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| August 2015