Mountain Xpress 01.08.25

FEATURES

‘SMOBERING UP’

Asheville Quits is a Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) program adapted from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Designed to be worked in order, one of the steps is to accept a higher power. While NicA literature refers to God as the higher power, members can rely on anything that’s bigger than the individual — including the group itself. In fact, many Asheville Quits members point to that community as their motivation for staying “smober,” or sober from smoking.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Gina Smith

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS:

Lisa Allen, Thomas Calder, Brionna Dallara, Justin McGuire, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS:

Edwin Arnaudin, Oby Arnold, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Carol Kaufman, Tessa Fontaine, Kay West

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Cindy Kunst

ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson

LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS:

Tina Gaafary, Caleb Johnson, Olivia Urban

MARKETING ASSOCIATE: Sara Brecht

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES:

Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

WEB: Brandon Tilley

BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler

OFFICE MANAGER: Mark Murphy

ADMINISTRATION & BILLING: Hinton Edgerton, Lisa Watters

DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst

DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Ashley Alms, Cass Kunst, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner, Mark Woodyard

Quarter-century brings gratitude and sadness

As we look to the quarter-century, we have a lot to be grateful for and a lot to be sad about.

I am grateful to see the amount of electric vehicles on the road. We have come a long way in the years since EVs first hit our roads. We saw a reduction in emissions, but we have a long way to go.

I am sad to see the destruction from Helene, the great loss of life and property that came to a place where we thought we were safe. But I was happy to see the counties and everyone in them pull together as we rise out of this devastation. I am grateful to all the people, from local to all over the nation, who are coming to our rescue.

I was very sad to see the election of a group of oligarchs to run the nation. However, I am grateful to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the endless work they have done to bring us out of the throes of COVID-19 (perhaps some forget) and to give us a thriving nation. I am grateful to Gov. Roy Cooper and all under him who worked to push us forward despite the obstacles.

The coming years will be tough, so it is up to us “libs” (I write this with a smile) to be points of light through this dark time.

To paraphrase and adapt a speech from a famous politician, for the love of goodness: “We’ll fight in the valleys and the peaks. We’ll fight in the creeks and in the coves; we’ll fight in the Piedmont and in the ocean. We’ll never surrender!”

—

Rudy Beharrysingh Asheville

Now’s the time to apply for SBA loans

One of the most impressive things I have witnessed here in my deployment to North Carolina as part of disaster recovery and resilience efforts for the U.S. Small Business Administration

MY STORY

Writing my obituary, a how-to manual and love note

I’m dying.

We are all dying.

But, unlike most people, I know I’m going down that road within the next year or two. I have an incurable disease, emphysema, that is progressing daily.

I try not to get bummed out about it. It is what it is, and I must say that I’ve had a pretty good life. I graduated from Warren Wilson College in 1980, then owned and operated Duncan’s Plumbing Repairs 19832019 and was a soccer referee for 20 years.

So, I try to make the best of the time I have left and stay positive.

I’m writing this because I have some thoughts to share on the subject of dying.

My wife, Kim Grugan, and I had two of our best friends over for dinner recently. They are about the same age as us, late 60s.

I was talking to my friend’s wife, and I mentioned that I had started to write

my own obituary. She was impressed and thought it was a good idea.

The main reason I started it was because I read the obits every day. Most are written by grieving relatives, and it seems like an afterthought. Although there is the occasional obit that tells a wonderful story of that person’s life and seems like a well-thought-out tribute.

The obit I have started for myself is more or less a general idea of what it will eventually be. I’m just putting the pieces in a pile, and I will leave it to my family to finish it when the time comes.

I also told my friend that I’m writing a “How-to Manual” for my wife to reference when I’m gone. She was really excited to hear this and immediately told her husband that he should make one for her.

I have been very handy around the house my whole life, fixing just about anything. And I have kept up with technology as best I can. Even though I have told my wife how to deal with some of these issues, she forgets.

(SBA) is the way the people of Western North Carolina have come together to support each other in this terrible time after the unprecedented Hurricane Helene. Neighbor to neighbor, family to family, town to town, county to county, you have been there for each other.

That is why it was with such a heavy heart that I, as a public affairs specialist with SBA, was engaging you. Before I even arrived to raise awareness about how SBA could help you, the programming I was promoting had run out of money all the way back in the middle of October, precisely when people were just beginning to realize our special disaster loans could really make a difference — not just for business owners, but for renters, homeowners and nonprofits, all with zero interest and zero payments for the first year, no early repayment penalty, and covering not just physical damage but economic injury.

You had each other’s backs, but with funding that had been allocated long before Helene used up because so many other folks around the nation applied for assistance for earlier disasters, we were unable to get most of you money before.

But all that changed recently, when bipartisan efforts in Congress saw new funding for us signed into law by President Biden. Now I can tell you to apply, not in the hopes of potential funding, but for money that is already being released. It costs nothing to apply, and the sooner your application is in, the sooner you will know your full options

So, I started taking note of all the little things, like how to:

• Restart the ice maker when it jams up.

• Return the TV to proper working order after a power outage.

• Turn the power and water on and off.

• Replace the furnace and water filters.

• Connect the generator properly.

• Replace batteries in certain important things.

• Perform yearly maintenance on household appliances.

I also made a huge list of all important passwords and made sure she knows what services (like Amazon, PayPal and Hulu) she will have to rejoin when my credit card stops working. Also, how to close my bank accounts and what insurance policies there are.

So, if you want to make it easier on your loved ones when you pass on, take a look around and determine what pertinent information you can

leave behind for them. Be sure to tell them about anything valuable you might have locked away in the bank or buried in the backyard. And don’t forget to tell them you love them.

— Duncan Grosboll Asheville Duncan Grosboll has lived in Asheville since 1975. X

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

DUNCAN GROSBOLL

and any approved money will be sent. Please check SBA.gov for more details.

— Brian Frydenborg Public affairs specialist Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience U.S. Small Business Administration Asheville

Make the connection between war and climate change

Since Helene visited our area, there have been comments and letters and articles about the effects of carbon on our climate. In one Asheville Watchdog article, it quoted Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists: “Our best estimate is that climate change may have caused as much as 50% more rainfall during Hurricane Helene in some parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.”

A letter to the editor from Ken Jones connected the dots of how oil and wars for oil have made carbon levels in our atmosphere much worse [“Connect the Dots on Storm, Climate and War,” Oct 23, Xpress].

But I want to share information on one conflict: the destruction of Gaza. Here is a quote about how carbon levels increased from all the bombings from the book Overshoot: How the World Surrendered to Climate Breakdown: “The destruction of Gaza is executed by tanks

and fighter jets pouring out their projectiles over the land … but only after the explosive force of fossil fuel combustion has put them on the right trajectory. All these military vehicles run on petroleum. So do the supply flights from the U.S., the Boeings that ferry the missiles over the permanent airbridge. An early, provisional, conservative analysis found that emissions caused during the first 60 days of the war equaled annual emissions of between 20 and 33 low-emitting countries: a sudden spike, a plume of CO2 rising over the debris of Gaza.”

There is an old saying: What goes around sometimes comes around. Our endless war-making and support for other countries’ war-making are putting loads of carbon into the air. Our military is the world’s biggest producer of carbon. It is destroying our climate and home. The future will not be boring. It will be terrifying.

— Susan Oehler Asheville X

Word of the week

smober (adj.) not having one’s mind affected by nicotine; sober from smoking

This week’s cover story shares the stories of several local residents who have given up smoking and are now smober. X

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

The Landslide Development Co.

New beginning post-Helene or business as usual?

BY BILL BRANYON

As of Dec. 1, the U.S. Geological Survey had identified over 2,000 landslides caused by Tropical Storm Helene; more than 300 of them were in Buncombe County. According to official figures, 43 of the state’s 103 storm-related fatalities were also in Buncombe. And though it’s hard to know how many of those deaths were due to landslides, North Carolina has a long history of discouraging attempts to identify and reduce such risks.

For instance, in 2004, hurricanes Ivan and Frances hit the county mere days apart; in response, the state created a Landslide Hazard Mapping Team. But after mapping only four of the 19 targeted counties, it was disbanded.

“Politics came in,” professor Brad Johnson, a Davidson College landslide expert, told The New York Times. “Developers in the mountains pushed back about people being fully informed of their risks.”

But it didn’t end there. “Over the past 15 years,” another New York Times article noted in October, “North Carolina lawmakers have rejected limits on construction on steep slopes,” due in part to “the influence of the North Carolina’s home building industry.” According to Johnson, “The established threshold for landslides in North Carolina is 5 inches of rain.” But Helene and its precursor rainstorm averaged “2 feet of rain in a two-and-a-half-day period.”

And though Helene is now history, “There’s an elevated landslide hazard now that there’s been so much destabilization,” USGS geophysicist Paula Burgi told the Asheville Watchdog. “The No. 1 driver of landslides is slopes,” Johnson said in an interview with Xpress, “and humans tend to increase the slope angle when they build things or cut roads or add mass to the slope.”

HUMANS HELPING HIDEOUS HELENE

But landslides aren’t the only way human activity contributed to the catastrophe. In a joint statement to USA Today, three Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists wrote, “Our best estimate is that climate change may have caused as much as 50% more rainfall during Hurricane Helene in some parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.”

And meanwhile, the increase in impervious surfaces continues unabated. Between 2010 and 2019, City Council approved at least 25 new hotels, according to an Asheville Citizen Times story, and some had adjacent surface parking lots. Since 2021, the Asheville Watchdog reported, an additional 1,700 new hotel rooms and their associated parking spaces have been built or approved.

Then there’s the seemingly endless infill construction that’s devouring the few remaining water-absorbing green spaces in our lower- and middle-income neighborhoods, not to mention the new, often immense, residential developments springing up in many parts of the city and county.

Johnson thinks impervious surfaces accounted for less than 10% of the tropical storm’s devastation, but due to the extraordinary amount of rain in a short period, the ground itself had become an impervious surface. And besides, he maintains, “Fighting against impervious surface is more important for day-to-day floods … because those are events that are certain to happen again.”

Mere days before Helene hit, an Asheville Watchdog article, citing the county’s hazard mitigation plan, noted, “From 2000 to 2020, 44 floods occurred in Buncombe, causing more than $85 million in property damage.” The article also pointed out, “By one estimate, the county will add more than 83,000 residents by 2045, meaning there will be more rooftops and other impervious surfaces, more runoff and more rainwater clogging or overrunning already taxed streams and stormwater drains.”

And in mid-October, a state Department of Transportation spokesperson said the storm damage was unlikely “to have a significant impact on the end date” for the massive Interstate 26 Connector project, which is slated to add the equivalent of another 70-80 football fields’ worth of impervious surface.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

When Helene reached peak fury, Asheville’s streets and parking lots became raging black rivers that crashed into buildings, spawning torrential waterfalls. And all of that water, mud and debris descended upon the city’s low-lying population while rendering surrounding moun-

BILL BRANYON

“The increase in impervious surfaces continues unabated.”

tainsides more and more unstable. Swamped by the swelling Swannanoa and French Broad rivers, areas like the River Arts District and Biltmore Village were also engulfed from above by the cascading deluge.

People living or working in those areas should cringe every time developers cram another monster apartment complex into our community. Or when they stuff smaller-scale infill housing into the neighborhoods looming over them.

During the weeks of warm mountain sunshine after the storm, I joined several hundred volunteers at BeLoved Asheville’s warehouse on the Old Charlotte Highway. Forming a sort of bucket brigade, we unloaded crates of donated supplies that were constantly arriving from organizations across the city, county, state and nation. We then sorted the toys, clothes, food, toiletries and other items, packed bags containing some of each and shipped them out to the needy.

Almost everyone was in a good, hardworking humor, bolstered by the alt-folk music playing in the background. Along with organizations ranging from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to World Central Kitchen, from Samaritan’s Purse to Topwater Energy Solutions, we conducted a real-time experiment in phil-

anthropic socialism: from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs. Most of us didn’t think of it in those terms, of course, but simply as caring for others and doing what needed to be done, taking advantage of the excess capacity generated by our predominantly capitalist economy.

IMPERVIOUS THINKING

In an Oct. 17 press conference, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg declared: “We can’t have the same assumptions that led us in the 1950s. The reality is the United States is in for more frequent and extreme weather events.”

So do we really want to return to maximizing profits and exploiting the beauty of our marvelous mountains and the brilliance of our creative people, while risking ever more floods, landslides and the havoc they wreak?

Against the backdrop of 44 flooding events in the last couple of decades, the impact of hurricanes Ivan, Frances and Helene, and escalating climate change, shouldn’t we instead establish zoning regulations reflecting the fact that we may already have all the buildings, housing and roads that Buncombe’s mountainous terrain can handle? The answer to that is obviously a resounding yes!

Yet when we recover from this latest catastrophe, we’ll almost certainly climb back on the development and profit-maximizing gravy train, setting up Buncombe County for perhaps even more horrendous Helene-type events. And unquestionably, for many more floods and landslides.

Yes, we want a healthy mixture of capitalism and socialism, but in the end, we will most likely keep following the lead of the N.C. General Assembly. In recent years, The New York Times noted, our esteemed legislators have taken actions that “blocked a rule requiring homes to be elevated above the height of an expected flood, and weakened protections for wetlands, increasing the risk of dangerous stormwater runoff.”

For the moment, though, our prevailing economic theory seems to be: Help those in need, with no questions asked. At least for a little while, development and capitalism have to take a back seat.

Freelance historian Bill Branyon has been reporting on Asheville’s environmental scene for over 30 years. X

Getting by for now

Service workers ‘moving pennies around’ to pay bills

BY MARK BARRETT

Working three jobs hasn’t been enough to protect service industry worker Kelli Rowe from the economic damage Tropical Storm Helene inflicted on Buncombe County.

Rowe’s shifts three days a week at a West Asheville bar shrank to one, her work for a caterer virtually dried up, and the country club where she works in the dining room was scheduled to close for three weeks over the holidays.

Rowe, a 42-year-old Oakley resident, worked out extended payment plans for her power bill and her auto loan. Her landlord gave her a break on rent, even turning away one payment Rowe offered. “She told me to keep it and … to use it to get through Christmas,” Rowe said.

Still, Rowe says there are some bills like car insurance and cellphone — a must for a job seeker — that she said she has no choice but to pay.

“I constantly feel like I’m moving the pennies around right now to make ends meet,” she says.

Many people in service industry jobs in the area, especially those tied to tourism, are having similar financial struggles, and many fear that at least the first two months of 2025 will be even worse.

The number of people unemployed in Buncombe County jumped by almost 12,000 from September to October, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. That Helene-induced shift moved the county from having one of the lowest jobless rates in the state in September at 2.5% to the highest rate in October, recently adjusted to 10.4%. The unemployment rate fell to 7.2% in November.

It couldn’t have happened at a worse time for local workers in tourism-related jobs. October and July are ordinarily the two most lucrative months for the local tourism industry and its workers, and a busy October provides a needed financial cushion

for the lean times after the first of the year. As Rowe puts it, “October is the money that’s going to get us through the winter.”

A SORT-OF RECOVERY

Many tourism-related businesses that were hobbled by Helene or the loss of potable water service had reopened by the middle of December, but anecdotal reports suggest the level of activity they are seeing is often well below normal.

At downtown restaurant Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill, bar manager Orion Milligan says customer traffic there has “been very up and down. It feels

made their holiday plans [to go elsewhere] by the time the water came back on,” she says. As of mid-December, Detour Asheville had led only one tour since Helene and just one more booked “and that’s all.”

Hotchkiss said her post-Helene experience has “definitely not been the most fun roller coaster I’ve been on, but I’m holding on and hoping for the best.”

She had success in late 2024 with an Asheville Detours sideline, selling holiday gift boxes of items produced in the Asheville area. She benefited from donations from family and friends, unemployment benefits, food stamps, a business loan through Mountain BizWorks and a weekend fundraiser at the Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge in downtown Asheville in which half the proceeds from certain cocktails went to Asheville Detours.

Hotchkiss appreciates the help but says her finances are still shaky and she is reluctant to borrow more money. She is seeking grants instead.

For small-business owners like herself hurt by Helene, “Loans aren’t that helpful in the long run because it’s really just putting us more in debt,” she says. “We were all very responsible business owners. We just hit bad luck.”

THE CHILL AHEAD

As difficult as it has been financially to get through the end of 2024, Rowe said in mid-December that she worried even more about what’s next for herself and many others.

like there are some tourists coming back, but sales definitely are not like they were this time last year.”

Meghan Rogers, executive director of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, hears similar stories from many of her group’s members. “It seems to be a mix for restaurants,” she says. “Some people have been able to hire back most of their … staff while others are operating on limited hours with limited menus.”

Woodfin resident Kasey Hotchkiss says sales at her small guided tour company, Asheville Detours, were down 90% as of mid-December.

Customers canceled plans for tours after Helene, and “People had already

“I’m terrified of January and February, what the cold months are going to mean for this community,” Rowe says.

Buncombe County’s unemployment rate was higher each January than the month before in every year since at least 1991. Service industry employees who do keep their jobs after New Year’s Day often get fewer work hours and smaller paychecks.

The local tourism industry is not as seasonal as it once was, thanks in part to the rise of downtown Asheville as a destination and the growth of breweries, arts and crafts businesses, and other attractions not as dependent on good weather.

Still, the government statistics and service workers’ stories reflect this assessment by Gay Weber, chief oper-

PLAN B: Woodfin resident Kasey Hotchkiss folds a box before filling it with products made in the Asheville area. Selling holiday gift boxes is one way she is bringing in money after a dramatic drop in her tour business following Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Mark Barrett

RIDING IT OUT: Mary Katherine MacGregor recently got a tattoo that reads “Shelter from the storm, AVL strong.” Photo courtesy of MacGregor

ating officer at Carolina Mornings, a vacation rental company. “It’s just a hard sell to get people to come to Asheville in the winter.”

The Asheville-based company lowered rates on the rentals it manages, but reservations for the first part of 2025 were only about 65% or 70% of where they were a year before, he said last month.

Unless that trend changes, it is inevitable that paychecks for housekeepers, for example, will be lower this winter. “If a guest doesn’t come and stay, there’s nothing to clean,” Weber says.

Even in good economic times, wages for many tourism-related jobs are lower than in other sectors of the local economy. Industry workers’ finances were squeezed a few years ago by the pandemic, and many are challenged by the high cost of housing in the area.

Oteen resident Mary Katherine MacGregor, 52, says it is difficult for people in food and beverage jobs to bank savings to see them through events like Helene or provide retirement income.

“I don’t think a lot of us really thought about the future. You just kind of struggle through,” she says. “I know folks in their 60s who are still working full time in this industry [and] don’t have a retirement fund.”

MacGregor broke her ankle in June that put her out of work for much of this year. She had planned to return last fall to her job as a host in a downtown bar, but it did not reopen after Helene.

She counts herself as lucky because she sold her home in 2024 and has been living on the proceeds, but that is not a perfect solution. “That was

my retirement money. I was definitely not planning on spending it” on living expenses, she says.

SHOULD I STAY?

Faced with uncertainty about a slow winter, many service industry workers have moved away.

Several drivers who used to work at local delivery service Kickback AVL have left, owner Jennie Townsend says. “They left because their homes were damaged and they didn’t have anywhere to go back to.”

Hotchkiss, the Detour Asheville owner, says if she doesn’t get some grant money in 2025 or see an uptick in bookings, “I’m definitely facing the prospect of closing my business.” She opened it in 2017.

She hopes that would not force her to move. “I don’t see myself leaving Asheville,” she says. “I very much love Asheville, but I’ll have to do what I have to do and follow wherever that leads me.”

Although people think of Asheville as a tourist town, health care employs more people than tourism in Buncombe and three adjoining counties.

Nathan Ramsey, director of Land of Sky Regional Council’s Mountain Area Workforce Development Board, says there are available jobs in the Asheville area and programs to match job seekers with employers and provide worker training.

Ramsey said many workers seeking to leave tourism for other fields can find jobs that match their skill sets and previous pay.

He says if service workers move away, that’s “where our economy will really take a hit.”

Alanah Rempel, a former tour guide for Hotchkiss’ company, already made that call. She was working as a cook at a restaurant in Chattanooga, Tenn., in December and plans to start a permanent job in Huntsville, Ala., this month.

Before Helene, Rempel, 32, had been making ends meet by working her version of what Hotchkiss calls “the Asheville hustle.” She worked at a local hostel in exchange for housing, was a cook at Dobra Tea’s West Asheville location and was one of four contract tour guides at Asheville Detours.

Originally from Colorado, Rempel had worked in several states before coming to Asheville in 2023. She had thought of staying here longer. “I had been looking into apartments and things in Asheville before the hurricane and, oof, it’s expensive.”

But when Helene hit, she says she had less than $100 in her bank account, and “all of my jobs kind of came to a halt.” X

Executive order

BY GERARD ALBERT III A BLUE RIDGE PUBLIC RADIO REPORT

news@bpr.org

Under an executive order, North Carolina will be able to purchase up to 1,000 temporary housing units for victims of Hurricane Helene without going through a lengthy procurement process, Gov. Josh Stein said Jan. 2 in Asheville.

The executive order, one of five issued that day, was Stein’s first official act as governor after being sworn in on Jan. 1. That same day, his office announced the visit to Asheville with Stein saying during his swearing-in ceremony that North Carolina must “act with urgency” in Western North Carolina’s recovery from Hurricane Helene.

Stein’s first order addressed the need for more temporary housing in the area and will temporarily waive procurement regulations for mobile housing units.

“When I have met with affected folks here in the mountains, the need for housing assistance and the repairing of private bridges and roads has come up in nearly every conversation. Western North Carolina, I want you to know that I hear you,” he said. In response to questions from BPR, the governor’s office said a third-party vendor will reach out directly to families who are eligible for temporary housing units. They must have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance and be approved, according to a spokesperson.

The state, Stein said, will be reimbursed fully by FEMA for the up to 1,000 units it purchases. This is in addition to the normal procurement process the state is using to find vendors for temporary housing units. This process takes at least a month to receive and analyze bids from these vendors.

“While we are not losing focus on our longer term rebuilding goals, I want to reiterate that people need temporary housing now,” Stein, a Democrat, said.

Hurricane Helene damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of housing units throughout the region, according to the governor. More than 12,000 people remain displaced in North Carolina.

Stein’s second order waived procurement regulations for the services of bridge and road builders.

“ We estimate that Hurricane Helene damaged more than 8,000 of these. Without these bridges or roads, people cannot access their properties. First responders, school buses, delivery trucks, private cars, cannot access affected properties,” he said.

Three additional executive orders will:

• Create the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC), a dedicated recovery office for Western North Carolina within the office of the governor, and establish a Division of Community Revitalization within the Department of Commerce to address housing needs and community resilience.

• Establish a Governor’s Advisory Committee on Western North

Carolina Recovery to advise GROW NC to meet the community’s needs quickly and cost-effectively.

• Direct the N.C. Office of State Human Resources to authorize an additional 16 hours of Community Service Leave for state employees to volunteer for organized storm-related efforts. The announcement comes on the heels of the Republican-controlled legislature overriding former Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto on a bill that critics blasted for not including enough relief money for Western North Carolina. The legislation, which also strips many executive powers from the governor’s office, was initially opposed by Republican lawmakers from the region where Helene left widespread devastation

in September. Later, only local Democrats in the General Assembly voted in opposition.

As governor, Cooper called the bill a “sham” and accused Republican lawmakers of playing politics in the midst of disaster recovery. GOP leaders in Raleigh defended the measure, saying broadly they expected more federal funding was in the pipeline to help in WNC’s recovery and that the state had already allocated millions in funding that was still available.

Stein succeeds Cooper, also a Democrat, who served two terms as governor. Newly elected Council of State leaders also sworn into office on Jan. 1 were Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt, State Auditor Dave Boliek and Superintendent of Public Instruction Mo Green. X

ADDRESSING REPORTERS: Gov. Josh Stein speaks to reporters in Asheville on Jan. 2. Photo by Gerard Albert III of BPR News

Back to school

BY CLARK WILSON

clarkjenkwilson@gmail.com

Elzy Lindsey, a middle and high school math teacher in his 19th year with Asheville City Schools, awoke the morning of Sept. 27 to see a sycamore tree on fire in his Montford neighborhood. An exploded transformer had ignited the tree’s branches, and the fire was extinguished only after the sycamore crashed down upon a neighbor’s roof. “It was easily 30 feet high, just on its side, and basically blocked the entire street,” Lindsey recalls.

For Kaeta Seimer, a second grade teacher at Weaverville Elementary in her seventh year, it was the silence that signaled something was amiss. “We sleep with a sound machine, and so I remember waking up because the power had gone out and it was too quiet,” Seimer says.

Meanwhile, Jessica Bragdon, a high school earth and environmental science teacher at The Franklin School of Innovation, recalls the anxiety she felt in the days leading up to the storm. That Wednesday, she spent a sleepless night listening to sheets of rain beating down on the roof of the primitive cabin she was staying in as part of the school’s annual ninth grade trip to the Green River Preserve. The impending Friday storm forced the staff and students to hastily return home first thing Thursday morning.

With the new year upon us, Xpress recently caught up with these three educators to reflect on the demands our local teachers navigated in the immediate aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene and how they’re using what they’ve learned from the previous three months to inform the remainder of the 2024-25 school year.

Local educators reflect on the lessons learned from Tropical Storm Helene

‘EMERGENCY MODE’

Like many Asheville residents in the days immediately following the storm, Lindsey determined his best option was to seek supplies and relief outside of town. Ironically, this led him back to his hometown of New Orleans, a city he left 19 years prior in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, after he and some 4,000 other displaced teachers were dismissed by the Louisiana legislature. Despite his visceral experience with the 2005 storm, Lindsey reflects on feeling unprepared for the devastation wrought by Helene.

“This was very different,” he says. “I thought it was going to be kind of like where Biltmore Village and maybe the soccer field would flood. But I didn’t expect this at all. When I got to New Orleans, I found out Asheville was now a nationwide story.”

What followed was nearly a month without classes, replaced with tenuous days of upheaval and uncertainty. Despite initial challenges caused by service outages, the educators who spoke with Xpress say school leaders worked diligently in verifying teach-

ers’ well-being while they extended similar efforts toward their students.

“You just hit emergency mode,” Bragdon says. “Our No. 1 mission was to contact students’ families to see if they were OK. ... I’ve been a teacher for 23 years, and I’ve had to do memorial services for students we’ve lost [in the past]. We were very lucky we didn’t lose any [during Helene].”

At Weaverville Elementary, Seimer had a similar experience. “As soon as cell service came back, it was like ‘Go through your roster and call everybody,’” she recalls.

BACK TO SCHOOL

In the post-COVID world, educators and families understand more than ever the lasting impact a prolonged disruption to learning can have on students. But during the worst of Helene, little from the COVID-era playbook was applicable for trying to continue any form of learning.

“In a lot of ways it was actually more of a disruption than COVID because during COVID we had these set rules, and yeah, it wasn’t comfortable, but we knew everybody was

going to be remote and we were going to have a system,” Bragdon says.

But during Helene, she continues, “it was really difficult to get a system when you had people that were not even in town, you had people who were leaving for resources and you had people who didn’t have a home.”

When schools finally announced reopening dates, teachers were relieved but also apprehensive, knowing students’ capacity and needs would vary widely in the aftermath of the storm. In a profession heavily dependent on establishing consistency and routine, Seimer didn’t know if her second graders would essentially be starting over. “We were basically out of school for the same amount of time we had been in school,” she says. Lindsey agrees, saying that in his freshman math class, “I had just gotten them ready to use all the algebra basics, and that’s when the storm hit.”

Balancing students’ social-emotional needs with a practical recognition of how dramatically the school year had been truncated required a deft touch, these educators say.

“I definitely try to relate my personal experiences as a teacher,”

BACK AT IT: Kaeta Seimer, a second grade teacher at Weaverville Elementary, says despite the early challenges Tropical Storm Helene presented, she was pleased to see how happy her students were to return to school. Photo by Clark Wilson

Lindsey explains. “Every kid knows my Katrina story — I think these stories are important so [students] have an appreciation and understanding of me as a human being. But, I also let them know we aren’t going to sit around and not do school.”

NEW NORMAL

Despite the severity of the storm, the educators who spoke with Xpress say their students’ first days back were predominantly joyful experiences. Of her second graders, Seimer says, “they were just really excited to be back in the school environment and getting to be in a routine. I was pretty impressed with them getting back into the swing of things.”

Bragdon recalls a similar response. “I was afraid that coming back to the classroom the kids were going to be disheveled like they were with COVID [but] they weren’t. They were appreciative to be back in the school and to go back to normal.”

Still, schools recognized the need to manage the pace of returning. Both county and city schools initially returned with modified schedules, granting families later start times and shorter days. Seimer says this approach was helpful to her second graders in readjusting. “The day we got back, I was like, OK, we’re going to do extralong morning circle time, and I’ll give everybody the floor to share if they want to share something,” she recalls.

And just as masks and social distancing signs were the signifiers of a new normal back in 2021, taped off water fountains, crates of prepackaged water and countless forgotten, half-empty bottles were the ubiquitous icons of making do after Helene.

“The sound of a crinkling water bottle is an ever-present din around our building,” Lindsey says with a laugh. However, water access was also a rallying point for meaningful partnership. Bragdon says of her experience

saw an opportunity to connect her lessons with everyone’s shared experience. “One of the standards for the AP class is that they need to know about water treatment,” she explains. “[Post-Helene] was a good example for my class about the importance of the EPA, or any environmental protection agency, and how in situations like this, there is a national standard..”

But continuing to acknowledge the storm’s impact on the students’ learning remains important. For Lindsey, making time to address the most essential math standards has required some experience-based discretion. “What I ended up doing was ‘Nice to Know’ and ‘Need to Know.’ But I also hipped them to the process. I let the students know that I understand how much they can handle on a daily basis and they trust me, because it is about trust.”

For Seimer, the final three months of 2024 were a mix of complex but rewarding work. And at the end of the day, she says, “I was just very pleased with how happy everybody was to be back and that my kids just seemed happy to see their friends and be back in a routine. That was a big early win.”

Lindsey adds, “There is so much individual responsibility on a teacher.

CONNECTING

Jessica

a high school earth and environmental science teacher at The

saw an opportunity to connect her lessons with everyone’s shared experience during and after the storm. Photo courtesy of The Franklin School of Innovation

What a person in this position has to do in times like these is make really informed decisions about what these kids need to learn to be able to go on to their next class, to minimize the learning loss and instead maximize the learning opportunities. And to make it so that our students are going to be successful in the future.” X

at The Franklin School of Innovation, “This is the first time I’ve seen charter schools and public schools work together. The county said ‘OK, we have bottled water and we will ship it and bring it to you so that everybody has access to water and can go to school.’”

LOOKING AHEAD

Despite teachers’ attentiveness to their students’ emotional well-being, the educators who spoke with Xpress say there is always the imperative to deliver content, stressing that most classes are beholden to covering statewide standards.

In her advanced placement earth/ environmental sciences class, Bragdon

REMINDERS OF THE STORM: Educator Elzy Lindsey stands outside his Montford home in North Asheville, where a neighbor’s tree caught fire in the early hours of Tropical Storm Helene. Photo by Clark Wilson

THE DOTS:

Bragdon,

Franklin School of Innovation,

Who will run the BID?

The public will get an opportunity to learn about the entity that will run the city’s Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), which will focus on three key areas: safety and hospitality; enhanced cleaning; and special projects.

Asheville City Council will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, and consider a contract to launch the services in the BID, which received final Council approval in June.

The BID is a taxing overlay that adds a property tax increase in that area that will generate $1.25 million a year for additional services. The BID will add 9 cents per $100 of taxable property. For the owner of property assessed at $400,000, that’s about $360 more per year.

A nine-member committee consisting of city staff from the departments of public works, planning and urban design, city manager’s office, fire and community responders, police, homeless strategies, business inclusion,

communications, sustainability and a member of the Downtown Commission reviewed two responses to the city’s request for proposals (RFP).

The city issued the RFP on Sept. 20 with a submission date of Nov. 13. After Tropical Storm Helene, Council extended the deadline a month and changed the contract length from one to three years.

The RFP evaluation committee scored the proposals on the service providers’ understanding of the scope of the work, their startup plan, experience managing similar community-focused programs and alignment with the city’s goals. The staff recommendation will be revealed at the Jan.14 meeting.

The two applicants include the Asheville Downtown Community Improvement District (ADCID), a partnership with the Asheville Downtown Association, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nexstreet. In its proposal, ADCID plans to fulfill the BID’s operation-

THE BIG REVEAL: City staff’s recommendation for a BID operator will be revealed during the Asheville City Council public hearing Jan. 14.

al requirements by entering into a management agreement with the Asheville Downtown Association.

The Downtown Association will hire a deputy director to oversee contracts with Nexstreet to implement cleaning operations and engage the Asheville Chamber of Commerce for financial services and board administration.

The other applicant, the Sally Blagg Family Foundation, has BID experience in Brooklyn, N.Y., Philadelphia and Salisbury, N.C. If selected, it would set up its office in the YMI Cultural Center.

The scope of work includes budgeting, reporting requirements and public accountability. The service provider also will be responsible for establishing a BID steering committee made up of individuals from downtown industries and stakeholders, to help address the three focus areas.

If the contract is approved by City Council, BID services will begin to roll out early this year and the service provider’s first progress report will be expected in the spring.

— Brionna Dallara

X

BID Timeline

October 2012:

Asheville City Council approved a BID and created a board consisting solely of downtown property owners and residents to oversee the district’s funding goals. However, Council never approved funding for it.

Early 2023:

Public perception grows that downtown is grimy and can be unsafe. The city launches a safety initiative that has positive results. The initiative triggers conversations about a BID.

Feb. 6, 2024:

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce hires consultants to hold a public presentation about a possible BID in downtown Asheville. Asheville Downtown Association also advocates for a BID.

April 23:

Asheville City Council holds a public hearing on the proposed BID. More than 50 spoke, of which only 13 spoke in favor of the BID.

May 14:

By a 5-1 vote, with Council member Kim Roney voting in opposition and member Sheneika Smith absent, the City Council gives initial approval of the BID and sets the rate of 9 cents per $100 of taxable property, a $360 increase for those with property assessed at $400.000.

June:

The cars of two business owners who supported the BID were vandalized.

June 11:

City Council approves the BID, 6-1, with Council member Roney opposed.

Summer:

THANKS FOR GIVING LOCAL

The results of online surveys help shape the desired services requested of potential vendors.

Fall:

Two responses to the RFP are submitted, then reviewed by a nine-member committee.

Jan. 14:

The City Council will hold a public hearing after the staff makes its recommendation. The Council is expected to approve a contract with the chosen vendor. X

Collaborative effort

BY TESSA FONTAINE

The morning is cold and clear when I meet Gina Elrod and Chloe Lieberman in an empty parking lot in Barnardsville, an unincorporated community about 30 minutes north of Asheville. They are the first of several local residents who’ve agreed to show me around the ongoing recovery efforts in this small rural section of Buncombe County, which like many areas in Western North Carolina was devastated by Tropical Storm Helene.

Elrod looks down at my muddy boots and says, “Good, you’re wearing the right thing.”

She then leads us on a meandering walk through muck and grass, heading in the direction of the Big Ivy Community Center, which Elrod manages. Despite being several months out from Tropical Storm Helene, the debris in Barnardsville is relentless — crushed cars, piles of insulation, a white wooden house set askew beside the road where there clearly hadn’t been a house before.

Along the way, Elrod explains that the Big Ivy Community Center has been operating since 1974, offering at various points child care, a playground, walking trails, a swimming pool, a thrift store and a food bank. Before the storm, they served 100 people a week; now, their traffic has increased eightfold.

Inevitably, our conversation turns to the day of the storm and the immediate aftermath. Because there is just one main road running along the river, sections of Barnardsville were completely cut off from one another. But nobody sat around waiting for outside help, the two women tell me.

Lieberman — co-director and Wild Abundance’s Online Gardening School (and a fellow Xpress contributor) — worked with volunteers to set up a mutual aid hub in the former fire station downtown, which the ad hoc group operated out of through November. “So many people wanted to help,” she says. “People started coming with loads of food from their freezers, which were going to go bad without electricity.”

Meanwhile, Elrod adds, other residents sprang into action clearing roads. “And then there was a team of medics riding around on four-wheelers too,” she notes.

We’ve walked much of the park and stop along the creek.

“There used to be a great swimming hole right here,” Lieberman says, pointing just upstream from where we stand. “I came here every year for my birthday. I tell all my friends to bring flowers from their gardens, and we give the flowers to the river.”

We look to where the swimming hole used to be, where there had once been a beach. It’s just a fast-flowing river now, brown banks, fallen trees. The river has fundamentally changed shape. “It’s hard to see,” Lieberman says.

“This is what our lives are going to be now,” she continues. “And our kids’ lives, their kids’ lives. This isn’t a thousand-year flood. It will happen again. That’s what motivates me to keep up the recovery work, to make sure we’re as prepared as can be for next time. To build the community for that.”

THE WALMART OF BARNARDSVILLE

One thing the storm did, Elrod explains, is reveal needs that had already been present in this community — dental care, mental health assistance, access to fresh produce. In the storm’s aftermath, some of these resources were more readily available.

Meanwhile, the Big Ivy Community Center also pivoted to address the unique and specific repair needs brought on by Helene — connecting muckers, carpenters and arborists with community members. The center’s command station, which they call the Pod Palace — since it’s a large collection of metal storage sheds and containers — is also affectionately referred to as “the Walmart of Barnardsville.” It’s a huge operation, well-organized, with a crew of volunteers moving quickly to unload a big box truck filled with supplies. Along with these services, Elrod has observed an uptick in people wanting to learn old skills and others who are excited to teach them. The desire, Lieberman adds, comes from wanting to know how to take care of yourself and your community for the next time. There’s a sense, with everyone I talk to in Barnardsville, of the inevitability of this — or something like it — happening again.

arrival. Photo by Tessa Fontaine

Granted, it isn’t just the storm that has inspired this movement of self-sufficiency. Lieberman’s colleague Natalie Bogwalker founded Wild Abundance in 2009. Long before the storm’s devastation, the organization has offered building and gardening classes, including its Tiny House Workshops and Women’s Woodworking Classes, among others.

In the past, Bogwalker tells me, the tiny homes that Wild Abundance constructed were sold at-cost to community members to address the ongoing housing crisis. Since the storm, however, they have been using donations to pay for materials and offering the homes to flood victims at no cost.

Additionally, the organization has set up a number of initiatives, including the Wild Abundance Disaster Relief Fund, raising over $120,000 for its Tiny House Workshops and pledging $22,500 to Mutual Aid Barnardsville to further assist with ongoing recovery efforts. Among other things, these funds have helped purchase a community sawmill to turn downed trees into lumber.

“I’m pretty good at putting people to work,” Bogwalker says, noting the growing list of community needs she organized on white boards at the mutual aid hub at the onset of the recovery. The idea, she explains, was to avoid delays, duplicated efforts and confusion.

The system also gave community members an outlet, Elrod adds. “There was as much intensity around people needing to help as there was around people who needed help.”

’PLAYING FLOOD’

Among the community’s many residents impacted by the storm is painter Melanie Norris, who lives across the street from Barnardsville Elementary School. As I drive up, enormous piles of debris line the road. There are swarms of kids out in the playground, yelling and running. The wreckage is all around.

Norris, her husband and their two young girls were at their house during the storm. Just down the hill from their home was Norris’ 336-squarefoot art studio. The four of them watched Ivy Creek rise, eventually surrounding the studio. “It looked like maybe [the studio] just tilted a little bit at first,” she says, “and then suddenly, whoosh, the whole thing was gone.”

Norris also had original pieces on display at the Tyger Tyger Gallery in the River Arts District — also destroyed by the storm.

As we talk, we’re shivering out on her deck, where she’s set up a

temporary studio. She’s working on a beautiful portrait of two children’s faces. But winter has barely begun, and it is hard to imagine how long this can work. “I’m having a hard time focusing,” she says. “It’s like my lens is constantly shifting focus” between caring for her family and then the people who lost everything and are living in tents.

One of the things Norris can’t stop thinking about is all the trash surrounding her community. Her art is already incorporating it. She shows me a painting in progress of what looks like a self-portrait, her neck rising out of blue-gray water covered by layers of sticks and debris.

“My 3-year-old and her friends have been playing ‘flood,’” she tells

me. “They run from the water, climbing things, being chased. ’Here, quick, hand me the baby!’ one of them will yell. It’s the way for them to process what’s happened, just like we all have to. And they’re doing it together, safely. They’re doing it with friends.”

And it was friends who helped Norris retrieve her art studio downstream; friends who cleared it out and are readying it for use again, this time, situated much further from the creek.

THINKING IT THROUGH

My final stop is with Mary Rich, who recently purchased a home in

lower Dillingham Creek. She tells me to hop into her truck, Ernest. Rich has called Western North Carolina home for 22 years, and she and her husband had saved for a long time to fulfill their dream of owning a small house and lavender farm in the area.

We drive a few hundred feet and then, without warning, she turns onto a dirt road leading straight into the creek. “Hold on,” she says, and suddenly we are driving through the water.

I realize, halfway across, that it’s shallow, maybe a foot or two deep. She keeps us at a steady pace to get across. “All four bridges that connected the main road to these families were wiped out,” she tells me. Meaning there remains no access point to enter or leave this segment of the community. “But there’s a farmer over here who is letting all 14 families use this ford to get across.” We bump up the bank, through his yard and over to Rich’s property.

Surrounding her house are massive piles of debris and mud, downed trees and muck and rocks. Rich points to the bank of the creek, where there was once rows of oak and linden trees shading the area and a big sandy field beside it, where she had intended to plant her lavender. Echoing what I’d heard Elrod and Lieberman say, Rich talks about how much the shape of the creek has changed.

Rich has been consulting with environmental specialists to help restore the creek in a sustainable way. There are massive boulders and new rock beds, and they can’t be moved just anywhere, she notes. The specialist is helping her think through drainage and erosion, as well as which plants to replant and how to think about the future. “We need to have healthy respect for what the river needs,” Rich says. “Because she’ll take it either way.”

In addition to regular insurance, Rich also had FEMA flood insurance and a homeowners policy with a special provision for short-term rental coverage. But none of that will pay to replace the bridge or to restore the surrounding landscape. “It feels like we tried to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s, but we are still left with minimal coverage by the agencies we paid into. I’m just not sure we could’ve done any more.”

Two weeks after the storm, the flowers that survived in her yard were going gangbusters. In recent years, Rich has been making flower headdresses. So she cut a few storm flowers on her property and made crowns. Something to share. Something beautiful. X

IN BLOOM: Despite the storm, local resident Mary Rich continues to make her flower headdresses with the blooms that survived Helene. Photo courtesy of Rich

ART OF RECOVERY: Artist Melanie Norris watched as Ivy Creek flooded her property, carrying her art studio away. Photo by Tessa Fontaine

Hog heaven

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

Editor’s note: This story was reported and written before Tropical Storm Helene. Xpress followed up with sources after the storm for updates.

A few years ago, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) asked Don Collins to come to a house in Woodfin. Collins arrived with one of his trailers, and he met Otis, a potbellied pig, living inside a yard with a chain-link fence.

Otis’ owner had bought the pig for his grandchildren. But the porcine pet had “gotten too big and [they] couldn’t care for him anymore,” Collins explains. So he loaded 350pound Otis into a trailer and brought the pig to Buncombe County Farm in Black Mountain, where Collins is the manager. The farm is part of the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services.

Such is a common story for how pigs end up in Buncombe County’s care. When livestock is removed from someone’s home, it’s usually because the owner is incapable of caring for the animal properly, explains BCSO Animal Crimes Unit Cpl. Billy Ecklund. Though animal cruelty and neglect do occur, it’s more common that people are well-intentioned but get in over their heads by underestimating the animal’s needs.

’POTBELLIED PIG EPIDEMIC’

Recently the county has been awash in pigs needing homes. “We have a potbellied pig epidemic,” says Collins. Unscrupulous breeders lie to customers about so-called “minipigs,” Collins explains. Minipigs are selectively bred to be smaller — anywhere from 50-150 pounds. But some breeders sell Vietnamese potbellied piglets that they claim are miniature pigs — and prospective buyers can’t tell the difference. When babies, “they’re all small and cute and cuddly,” he explains.

Then that piglet grows into a 200to 300-pound potbellied pig, Collins explains. And a “meat” pig, meaning a breed raised for pork, can grow up to 500-600 pounds. (Collins advises potential pig adoptees to ask to see or meet the piglet’s mother and father first.)

Otis, whom an Xpress reporter met at his shady resting spot in the barn, has been living at Buncombe County Farm for four or five years since being picked up by Collins. “Poor little

Unwanted livestock find homes at rescue farms

Otis,” he says. “Nobody wants to take a 400-pound pig to their house.”

Buncombe County Farm has 18 adoptable pigs, who Collins and his assistants James Hewitt, also known locally as the Black Mountain duck whisperer, and Jeff Lewis care for daily. The pigs eat Purina pig feed, occasionally supplemented by other foods — sandwiches to doughnuts to cans of fruit — donated by local shops.

The “potbellied pig epidemic” is presenting challenges. Some pig rescues are overwhelmed by surrendered pet pigs and are no longer accepting more, according to Collins, so now Buncombe County Farm is a de facto pig rescue. (Buncombe County Farm was not damaged by Tropical Storm Helene and no animals were harmed, Collins tells Xpress.)

The cost of feed is about $20,000 for all the pigs for a year, not including medical care, Collins estimates. A veterinarian visit can cost $2,000 to $3,000, depending on an animal’s health issues.

Despite their size, pigs are “excellent companion animals,” Collins says, noting that they are also very smart.

The pigs’ home was intended for rescued horses when BCSO Animal Control — also called the Animal Crimes Unit, which investigates allegations of animal cruelty, picks up strays and collects information about animal bites — built the barn 10 years ago. But then the pig population took over.

Luckily, there are many sanctuaries, rescues and working stables where horses can go when they need a new home.

Shannon Knapp, horse trainer and executive director of Heart of Horse, a nonprofit in Marshall, says many of the calls she receives are from aging owners who are “starting to recognize the physical toll of caring for horses,” particularly cleaning stalls and moving hay bales, she explains. Domesticated horses commonly live 25-30 years, she says.

RESEARCH FIRST

Before adopting livestock, the animal rescue community implores people to do research.

Ecklund advises people to know the ordinances and laws about owning live-

stock and to check whether their homeowners associations restrict livestock.

The cost of livestock upkeep can be onerous. Some animals need hoof trimming by a farrier. And livestock veterinarians may have different pricing than people are used to with a cat or dog. “Most of the time, it’s like $200 just to do the site visit — just to show up,” explains Ecklund. “That doesn’t include anything they do on-site,” like administering medication or addressing injuries.

Jessica Silver, the Buncombe County Public Health Department’s environmental health program manager, encourages people to call her office and ask for information before adopting — or for help if livestock ownership isn’t working out. “We definitely try to get people connected to resources regardless of the breed or size,” she says. Her office handles several animal-related issues, including rabies outbreaks.

The wrong thing to do is let animals loose or leave them along the side of a road — something Collins has seen all too frequently during his lifetime. He’s also seen a lot of species that need new homes. Buncombe County

HAPPY AS A PIG IN MUD: Buncombe County Farm manager Don Collins cares for 18 pigs, who are all adoptable via Asheville Humane Society, at the county’s barn in Black Mountain. Tiny tusks are visible on the snout of the pig named Otis, far left. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

Farm’s guest list has included donkeys, cows, emus, llamas and minihorses.

Buncombe County contracts with the Asheville Humane Society (AHS) for the adoption of livestock, including horses, pigs, roosters and chickens. Adoptable livestock are posted on AHS’ website, and the nonprofit counsels prospective owners, explains Jen Walter, AHS director of operations.

The counseling is similar to that of adopting a dog or cat but will be a more in-depth conversation, especially for first-time pig or horse owners.

Counselors confirm that the person interested in adopting understands the animals’ nonnegotiable dietary and behavioral needs. For example, does the potential pig adopter know about rooting behavior? “If someone is looking to have a lush green lawn, then a pig might not be the best pet for them,” Walter says. Pig owners should also have adequate fencing because pigs are “escape artists,” she says.

Adopters must agree the animals will be pets and “will not be used for meat or human consumption,” Walter adds.

INVESTIGATING NEGLECT

BCSO receives calls about livestock two or three times a week. Fowl — that is, chickens and ducks — prompt the most calls, Ecklund says. Oftentimes, an animal has simply wandered from home. But once livestock, including free-range fowl, leave the owner’s property, it is “running at large,” which is a Class 3 misdemeanor per North Carolina statute, Ecklund explains.

The public also contacts BCSO frequently about horses and cows, often because the animal escaped its pen or barn during a storm, Ecklund says. Some calls pertain to neglect. The Animal Crimes Unit’s first step in an investigation is to drive by and look at the animal. Sometimes officers can confirm visually that an animal is not being neglected. “A lot of times, people don’t understand the different breeds of livestock and what they’re supposed to look like,” Ecklund explains. “You have your black Angus and your Herefords, which are very fat cattle, which are used for meat and stuff. And then you have Jersey cows, which have bones showing on their hips. But that’s just the way they’re bred.”

If the Animal Crimes Unit can’t see livestock during a drive-by, officers do a “knock and talk” to meet the owner, ask to see the animal and learn more about the animals’ circumstances. “Most of [the livestock owners] welcome us in because they understand that they’re not doing anything wrong,” Ecklund says.

The Animal Crimes Unit does encounter animals that need their

hooves trimmed or that need veterinary care. “Most of the time with that, we will go with an ordinance violation, which is failure to provide vet care,” Ecklund says. “That requires the owner to have that care provided within a, like, 30-day window — a reasonable amount of time.”

Then there are the people who starve or physically abuse their livestock. In those cases, BSCO will conduct a seizure if the owner isn’t willing to hand over their rights to the animal “peacefully,” which Ecklund says is the department’s goal. If needed, it will “go the search warrant route” to take possession.

The county is limited in its ability to rehouse some of the livestock that residents surrender. While roosters, chickens and ducks can go to the AHS and pigs go to the farm, other livestock typically require an introduction to Collins. A lifelong Western North Carolina resident who began raising horses at age 12, Collins works his connections to see who may be able to, say, adopt a goat.

“Mr. Collins might have other outlets, as far as farms that are willing to take the animal so that it’s not a seizure — it’s just [the owner] giving the animal to a farm,” Ecklund explains.

Collins personally conducts an assessment on each horse that may be surrendered or seized. The county’s goal is to encourage the horse’s owner to take better care of the animal. Still, horses do come into the county’s care “because people would just not adhere to instructions,” he says.

Collins endeavors to find the animal a caring home. He has also taken in sick or underfed horses at his home in Black Mountain, where he personally nurses them back to health.

A HORSE, OF COURSE

Heart of Horse Sense is caring for 27 horses on its 110 acres in Marshall. (All the animals were safe during Helene, says Knapp. The nonprofit received large donations of hay and horse grain, which she would like to disperse to the community and said interested parties should reach out.)

In addition to aging horse owners, Knapp says she gets many calls from parents whose child has gone to college, and the parents don’t want to care for the horse. These horses are usually healthy, so Knapp refers the callers to Hope for Horses, a nonprofit rescue in Leicester with a horse matching program, to ensure a “good future.”

In addition to potential therapy horses for Heart of Horse Sense’s work conducting equine therapy with veterans, the nonprofit takes horses that are in “imminent dan-

ger” of death. Knapp says this means the horse’s owner says to her, essentially, the options are “you or the slaughterhouse, now.”

Oftentimes these horses have been starved. Sometimes they have been beaten by people who mistakenly believed they had to use physical violence to “break” horses, Knapp says.

She acknowledges that sometimes the most compassionate decision for an animal is to put it down because of its physical pain. But horses that have been starved or beaten can often be slowly nursed back to health and trained to trust humans again. That may take years.

What’s most important for people who need to relinquish a horse is to do research about its future home; some buyers will kill horses to sell their meat (laws on horse meat vary state by state). For this reason, people should not offer to give a horse “free to a good home,” Knapp warns. “Have a sense of where they’re going.”

Knapp also encourages horse owners to make financial preparations for a horse’s future, in the event the owner dies, and to include those wishes in a will. Owners need to “plan for your, and your horse’s, retirement,” Knapp says. X

Golden Agers

Asheville man is shy until you give him a microphone

BY CAROL KAUFMAN

ckaufman828@gmail.com

According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Phil Lenowitz is an introvert. But hand him a microphone, and he becomes as animated as the most outgoing person in the room — or so he claims.

“During my years working as deputy director of human resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Atlanta, I would give presentations, and instead of using graphs to convey ideas, I would tell stories,” Lenowitz says.

When he was asked to host one of NIH’s annual ceremonies, he jumped at the opportunity.

“That experience was incredibly fulfilling and helped me realize my passion for storytelling.”

Perhaps it’s no surprise then that Lenowitz is drawn to standup comedy.

“In 2016, I enrolled in an eight-session comedy writing and performing workshop at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). Inspired by the experience, I returned for another round of the workshop in 2022.”

Given that Lenowitz loves to make people laugh, he naturally slips funny quips into conversations.

“The only catch?” he adds with a grin. “I tend to think I’m way funnier than everyone else does.”

At 74, Lenowitz resides in Asheville with his wife, Peggy Greene , an Asheville native. Retired for over seven years, he still brings his comedic charm, storytelling skills and HR expertise to his volunteer efforts, including his contributions to AARP.

“As a retiree with no paid work since January 2017, I’ve been able to dedicate my time to volunteering with organizations like AARP, primarily focusing on supporting older workers,” he says. “Our major focus in 2024 was on Social Security and voter engagement. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, we’re dedicated to ensuring Social Security remains a vital resource for all seniors.”

Since March, Lenowitz has served on the AARP North Carolina Executive Council, deepening his commitment to the organization.

During his years as an HR professional, he focused on teaching others when and how to seek help and how to navigate workplace challenges.

“As a member of the executive council, I’m able to apply those same skills to shape strategies and advocate for fair employment opportunities for older workers,” he says. “I strongly believe in the immense value older workers bring to the workforce. Without a doubt, their contributions have always been a top priority for me and continue to be.”

Lenowitz has also played a key role in establishing a partnership between AARP and the YMCA, leading to presentations at YMCA facilities on topics like fraud prevention, brain health and Red Cross emergency preparedness. Many of these presentations are delivered by Lenowitz.

“Our biggest challenge is getting people to attend these events,” Lenowitz admits. “We usually stick to venues where we’ve had good turnout before, like the local YMCAs. We’ll organize a one-hour, lunch-and-learn session, where I often get to play the presenter, actor and storyteller, and then we hope for a strong turnout.”

Editor’s note: Golden Agers is a monthly feature that explores local residents who are retired or semiretired but remain active in the community. X

STORYTELLER: Phil Lenowitz adds a bit of laughter to his lessons. Photo by Carol Kaufman

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JAN. 8 - JAN. 16 , 2025

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.



Online-only events

 Feature, page 26

 More info, page 32-33

WELLNESS

Zumba Gold

A weekly interval-style dance fitness party that combines low- and high-intensity moves. Burn calories as you move to the rhythm.

WE (1/8, 15), noon, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Strong Slow Flow Yoga

w/Kimber Jones

A yoga practice focused on sinking in, letting the dust settle, and connecting with the body.

WE (1/8), 5pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

Therapeutic Recreation

Adult Morning Movement

Wednesday mornings are all about active games, physical activities, and sports adapted to accommodate all skill levels

WE (1/8, 15), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Kitten Yoga

A 60-minute kitten

yoga class taught by Elizabeth. Bring your yoga mat and recharge your energy while being assaulted by adorable, adoptable kittens.

WE (1/8), 6pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Friday Fitness

This class focuses on strengthening, stretching, and aerobics every Friday.

FR (1/10), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Tai Chi

Improve your movement and flexibility with relaxation techniques.

FR (1/10), 1:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Deep Rest: An Extended Restorative Yoga & Sound Healing

Journey

Immerse yourself in an extended restorative yoga class designed to bring deep relaxation and rejuvenation, enhanced by the calming vibrations of sound healing.

SA (1/11), 6:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Himalayan Sound Bath Meditation

Imagine the soothing tones of Himalayan singing bowls washing over you, calming your mind, and rejuvenating your spirit.

SA (1/11), SU (1/12), 11am, Somatic Sounds, 157 S Lexington Ave

Prenatal & Postpartum

Yoga

A rejuvenating and relaxing yoga session designed specifically for pregnant and postpartum folks.

SU (1/12), noon, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Queer Yoga

This class is donation-based and centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for all queer folks.

SU (1/12), 1:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Strength & Exercise

Workout at your own pace in a fun atmosphere in this weekly class for active adults working on overall fitness and strength.

MO (1/13), 9:30am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Zumba Gold & Silverobics

Calorie-burning, fun, low-impact class that incorporates dance and fitness for older adults each week.

MO (1/13), 10:30am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Prenatal Yoga

Paulina, a yoga teacher and certified birth doula, will guide you through gentle poses and breathing exercises to help you connect with your changing body.

MO (1/13), 5:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Balance, Agility, Strength, Stretch

This weekly class for adults focuses on flexibility, balance, stretching, and strength. Bring your own exercise mat.

TU (1/14), noon, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Qigong

A gentle form of exercise composed of movement, posture, breathing, and meditation used to promote

WINTER WASTELAND METAL FEST: On Saturday, Jan. 11, Blue Mountain Mischief brings its Carnival of Chaos Vol. 3.5: Winter Wasteland to Sly Grog Lounge, starting at 4 p.m. This festival of hardcore and metal music will feature performances from Dunktank, Two Stroke Smoke, Gravenlore, Bleedseason and more. Photo courtesy of Momo Riley

health and spirituality.

TU (1/14), 1:15pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Intro to the Fitness Center

Learn how to use equipment and machines in the fitness center to jump start a regular wellness routine.

TH (1/16), 1pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

SUPPORT GROUPS

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.

SA (1/11), 2pm, First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St

Maternal Mental Health Support Group for Mommas w/Sistas Caring 4 Sistas Sistas Caring 4 Sistas invites you to an afternoon of mental health support.

MO (1/13), 3pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Infant Feeding Support Group

Learn helpful approaches to feeding from a local International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and other mothers. Topics may include feeding in the early days, establishing milk supply, milk storage and more.

TU (1/14), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Becoming An EX

Gain clarity and take action through stages of having first doubts, seeking alternatives, making a turning point, and creating a new Ex-role identity.

TU (1/14), 6pm, East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Rd

Community Narcan Training

A free community narcan training led by Sunrise Recovery and hosted by AmeriHealth Caritas. Learn how to use Naloxone, an introductory into harm reduction, and more.

WE (1/15), 10:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

DANCE

Open-Level Adult Dance

Each class will feature a full-body warm-up, specific skill practice, and a dance combination to your favorite music.

WE (1/8), 5:30pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Latin Night Wednesday w/DJ Mtn Vibez

A Latin dance social featuring salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, and reggaeton with dance lessons for all skill levels.

WE (1/8, 15), 8pm, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd

Tap Dance: Beginner Tap dance for beginners teaches the basics through a combination of exercise, music, and incredible fun. Students provide their own tap shoes.

TH (1/9), 11:45am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

We Line Dance

Brenda Mills will teach an exercise class that uses line dancing to get your body moving.

TH (1/9), 6:15pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Bachata Dance Lesson & Social

Live DJ Bachata nights with some Cha Cha, Cumbia, Merengue and Salsa added to the mix.

TH (1/9), 8:30pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. South Slope, 24 Buxton Ave

Contact Improv Dance

Explore mindful, unscripted movement in deep connection with others.

MO (1/13), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Intro to Line Dance

A true beginners course for those who are new to line dance taught by Liz Atkinson.

WE (1/15), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

Zumba Gold

A weekly interval-style dance fitness party that combines low- and high-intensity moves. Burn calories as you move to the rhythm.

WE (1/15), 12pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Moving

An immersive experience that explores the ideas of death and regeneration in nature. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday.

Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

The Last Chair of the Forest & the Plastic Bottle Immerse yourself in a poignant virtual reality (VR) short film that delves into environmental consciousness and the delicate balance of nature. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2

S Pack Square

The Farm Built on more than a decade’s worth of deep, original archival research, this exhibition will constitute a comprehensive new history of Black Mountain College. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Jan. 11, 2005.

Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Standing Strong

This exhibition features artworks by artists who have been affected by Hurricane Helene. There will be 14 artists participating: Annie Kyla Bennett, Elizabeth Porritt Carrington, Greg Carr, Heather Clements and more. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am and Sunday, noon. Exhibition through Jan. 25. See p26 Bender Gallery, 29 Bilmotre Ave

Valley Talent Exhibition

An annual exhibition that invites eight local valley schools/programs to have their art teachers select works to be featured in at BMCA.

Artists range from kindergarten to high school students. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through Jan. 31.

Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Anti Form: Robert Morris’s Earth Projects

The Suite of lithographic drawings by Robert Morris presents a series of ideas for ten works of art shaped out of earth, atmospheric conditions, and built environments.

Gallery open Wednesday through Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through May 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

American Made Paintings & Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection

The exhibition beautifully illustrates distinctive styles and thought-provoking art explored by American artists over the past two centuries with more than 100 works of art by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Monday and Tuesday. Exhibition through Feb. 10, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination

This exhibition explores an imaginative landscape of plant forms that come to life when activated with augmented reality. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

The Totem: Celebrating Family, Spirit & Culture Ten Asheville artists offer unique interpretations of totems, exploring family, spirit, and cultural themes. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am. Exhibition through Jan. 31.

UpMarket Events & Gallery, 70 N Market St Forces of Nature: Ceramics from the Hayes Collection Forces of Nature is drawn from the collection of Andrew and Hathia Hayes, demonstrating the different approaches to ceramics in Western North Carolina.Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through March, 2025. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Amanda N. Simons: Forest Feels Forest Feels invites its viewers to participate in two distinct realities of an art museum experience: to observe the work as it is in this moment, and also to change the work by contributing to its evolution. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Jan. 20, 2025. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Men in Harmony: Open Singing Jam

Men's a capella ensemble hosts an open jam session to scout for new talented members as well as share an evening of music. For more

ART

Stillness: Mount Rainier

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

information contact Jim Gordon at (828) 545-2262.

WE (1/8), 6:45pm, St. Matthias Church, 1 Dundee St

ACMS Presents: The Lysander Piano Trio

This program explores romantic and modern era compositions while finding exciting and creative ways to connect common musical threads across cultures and times.

SU (1/12), 4pm, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St

Bronwyn Cronin & Jazzville

This swinging quartet impressively improvises the jazz standards you love from the great American songbook.

SU (1/12), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Dreams I'm Never

Gonna See: The Takeover of WDIZ Rock 11/FM

This title piece relates to the takeover of central Florida's hottest rock radio station by the Ida Lupino Liberation Organization, of which he was a member.

WE (1/15), aprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

Golden Years Gallery

This program offers older adults an opportunity to express creativity through painting while engaging imagination and memory.

FR (1/10), 5:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Introduction to Yoga

In this four part series, each class will review the basics of yoga, as well as provide new breath exercises and poses to learn about in each session.

SU (1/12), 5:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Pressure-Canning

Participants will learn what supplies are needed to preserve food at home, how to identify a tested recipe, how to determine which foods require pressure canning versus hot water bath processing and more.

MO (1/13), 2pm, Madison County Cooperative Extension Office, 258 Carolina Ln Marshall

Change Your Palate

towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers.

WE (1/15), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Mountain Stitchers Gather with other makers while you work on knitting, crocheting, stitching, or other personal fiber projects.

WE (1/15), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

LITERARY

H. Byron Ballard: A Feral Church Book

Launch Party

A book launch for A Feral Church: A Guided Journey to Find Magic, Kinship, and the Goddess by H. Byron Ballard.

WE (1/8), 6pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave

The Stakeout

A moving parable about dysfunctional relationships between fathers and sons, following two FBI agents on a stakeout of two FBI agents on a stakeout of them.

TH (1/9), FR (1/10),

Flooded Poetry

Each poet will be able to share 2-3 poems, and occasionally we will have local celebrity poets close out our night with a featured reading.

MO (1/13), 6:30pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

Pen to Paper Writing Group

Share stories of your life with others on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

WE (1/15), 10am, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

THEATER & FILM

Film Screening: Home

A collaboration of Sue Schroeder and filmmaker Adam Larsen, connects the foundations of human existence, home, body and nature as inextricably linked.

TH (1/9), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Movie Night: What About Bob?

An evening of some laughs with Richard Dreyfuss and Bill Murray in this famous doctor

Foreign Film Fridays

Every Friday visitors can enjoy a cozy movie night in the gallery featuring some amazing foreign films curated by film-buff Carlos Steward.

FR (1/10), 7pm, Flood Gallery, 802 Fairview Rd Ste 1200

Classic Southern Folktales w/Becky & Pat Stone

Enjoy an evening of music and storytelling with distinctly Southern Roots from Asheville storyteller, actor, Chautauqua scholar and her husband and long-time collaborator.

TH (1/16), 7pm, Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

IBN Breakfast Club:

Mills Rivers

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

WE (1/8), 8am, Mills River Restaurant, 4467 Boylston Hwy, Mills River

er is nice) with themed music each week.

WE (1/8, 15), 10:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Choosing Love w/April E. Conner, RScP

In this workshop, with the use of meditation and exercises, you will walk away with specific and individualized tools to remind you of the Love You Are.

WE (1/8), 6:30pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

WNC Sierra Club

Presents: Our Trees & Forests after Helene Dr. Steve Norman will discuss Helene's devastating impacts on our forests with maps of greatest impacts, historical context, and current challenges of fire and more. While, Dr Alison Ormsby will speak about Asheville's urban forest, the need for protection, restoring damage from Helene and other topics.

WE (1/8), 7pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd

Vet now offer male cat neuters every other Thursday. You must schedule and pay for your appointment prior to showing up.

TH (1/9), 8am, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

IBN Biz Lunch: Brevard & Pisgah Forest

Bring a stack of business cards, and if you like, a door prize to add to our drawing at the end of the meeting.

TH (1/9), 11:30am, Hawg Wild Smokehouse & Taproom, 91 Pisgah Hwy, Pisgah Forest

Free Sober Disc Golf

This is a great opportunity to get outside and get some exercise. It's also a fun time to meet others in recovery, build community and create connection. No experience is necessary.

TH (1/9), 3:30pm, Richmond Hill Park, 300 Richmond Hill Dr

Nerd Nite Asheville

A monthly event held in 100+ cities around the world featuring fun-yet-informative presentations across a

Therapeutic Recreation After Dark Experience fun activities with old friends and make new friends along the way. This week features bingo and it's open to individuals with disabilities, ages 14 and over.

FR (1/10), 6pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

Life Stories for 2025

This program helps share your vision for the future by sharing your dreams and aspirations, encouragement and support from others, manifest your vision for the year ahead and more.

FR (1/10), 7pm, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

Western NC Woodworkers Associating Meeting

Dewey Sides, President of the WNC Woodworkers Assoc. will demonstrate compound scroll saw projects. He will answer scroll saw questions along with showing a useful technique, producing 3-D projects.

Belay Clinics

This hour long clinic covers the basics of knot tying, gear checks, and belaying using the PBUS technique.

SU (1/12), 1pm, $5, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Coloring w/Cats: Teens & Adults

Set time for yourself and cuddle with the panthers, meet other cat-lovers, and color a beautiful picture of a cat from our adult coloring books.

SU (1/12), 2pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Adult Community Basketball

Shoot some hoops or play a pick up game with friends. No pre-registration required.

SU (1/12), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Open Gym Climb

Climbers must attend and pass an APR climbing course or belay clinic to belay. Any participants who attend a belay clinic the day of open climb receive free entry to open climb on the day of the clinic.

SU (1/12), 2:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Connecting Conversations

Explore conversations built around curiosity, understanding, and openness to develop stronger connections, to be heard, and to empathize with different viewpoints.

SU (1/12), 3:45pm, Peri Social House, 406 W State St, Black Mountain Family Open Gym

Weekly time in the gym reserved for all ages to shoot hoops and play other active games as a family.

SU (1/12), 4pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Full Moon Circle

Facilitated by Sierra Hollister, author of Moon

Path Yoga, these circles are held at each new moon and full moon and are open to all who wish to join.

SU (1/12), 7pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Alive After 55+

A program for active older adults to socialize, play board games and puzzles, create in group art activities, and more. Fitness and cardio room also available.

MO (1/13), 10am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Random Acts of Flowers: Floral Arrangements for Those Needing a Smile

Random Acts of Flowers improves the emotional health and well-being of

individuals in healthcare facilities by delivering recycled flowers, encouragement, and personal moments of kindness.

MO (1/13), 11am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Park Bench Chat w/ Asheville Parks & Recreation

Asheville Parks and Recreation Director D. Tyrell McGirt will host a one-on-one or in a small group conversations during casual Park Bench Chats.

MO (1/13), 3pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Beginning Cherokee Language

Learn a new language in the new year with beginner Cherokee lessons on the Qualla Boundary. This offering is free of charge and open to all. Drop-ins are also welcome.

MO (1/13), WE (1/15), 5pm, Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee

Black Men Monday

A local group that has stepped up in the community to advocate for and mentor students through academic intervention. Kids, ages 7 and up, are welcome to join.

MO (1/13), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

The Foxy Chef: A Night of Vegan Cooking Chefs will take us on a culinary journey, explaining health benefits of nature's herbs and spices. This class is open for anyone and everyone.

MO (1/13), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave, Entrepreneurship & Education Over Violence 101

A program for high school students who wish to guide their futures to education and business ownership instead of violence and crime. Advance registration required.

MO (1/13), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

Dharma & Discuss w/ Ann-Marie Polanski

This evening of a Dharma talk, meditation, and discussion will focus on a practice of Generosity and Compassion that involves each of us directly where we are in this moment.

MO (1/13), 6:30pm, The Lodge at Quietude, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

IBN Biz Lunch: Candler

The meeting will consist of introductions by every guest, a discussion of future networking opportunities in the area, a roundtable business needs and solutions segment and more.

TU (1/14), 11:30am, Elena's Mexican Grill, 101 Westridge Market Place, Candler

Lunch & Learn Series w/ Rev. Michele Laub, RScP

This Lunch & Learn series was specifically designed for those of us who want to continue to expand their spirituality and are not comfortable driving in the dark.

TU (1/14), noon, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way

IBN Evening Social No fees or memberships to attend, just show up and network with other entrepreneurs and business people from the Asheville and Hendersonville areas.

TU (1/14), 5:30pm, 12 Bones Brewery, 2350 Hendersonville Rd, Arden

Veterans Creative Retreat

The mission of the retreat is to provide a safe space for veterans to explore various artistic mediums, socialize with peers, and find calm and comfort in creating.

Free to all Veterans, their spouses, partners and adult children.

TU (1/14), 5:30pm, Givens Gerber Park, 40 Gerber Rd

NSA-WNC Meeting

Professional keynote speakers, coaches, trainers, facilitators, and consultants who cover a broad range of topics, skills, & knowledge.

TH (1/16), 10am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

IBN Biz Lunch: Canton

All are invited to attend and promote their business, products, and services, and meet new referral contacts.

TH (1/16), 11:30am, Southern Porch, 449 Main St, Canton

GAMES & CLUBS

Bid Whist

Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the community.

SA (1/11), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St Bid Whist

Group meets weekly with light refreshments and teams formed based on drop-in attendance. MO (1/13), 5:30pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Ultimate Bid Whist & Spades

Bring a partner or come solo for a fun evening of competitive bid whist and spades every Tuesday.

TU (1/14), 6pm, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd

KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS

Little Adventurers

Little Adventurers is designed to promote physical development, coordination, and social

skills through fun, safe, and engaging activities.

WE (1/8), 2pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Black Cat Tales: Story Time w/Cats

A special after-school workshop where families with children age 7 and under can relax and foster a love of reading while also socializing with the cats in the lounge.

WE (1/8), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Teen Gaming Night

Play your favorite PS5 games with friends. Refreshments and snacks provided.

FR (1/10), 6:30pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St .

Kid Hop Hooray!

Open floor dance party for kids featuring DJ

Oso Rey. Free admission for kids under 2. See p33

SA (1/11), 10am, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

Kids Yoga & Art Pop Up: Set Your Intention

This series helps children increase mind and body awareness, strength, flexibility, focus, and creativity.

SA (1/11), noon, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Coloring w/Cats: Kiddie Edition

An artistic session with coloring books and markers for children ages 13 and under to relax by coloring as they pet cats to reduce stress and anxiety.

SA (1/11), 1pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd

Kids Quiet Play Session

Some benefits, especially useful for children, include mental clarity for distracted youngsters as well as immune boosting, respiratory relief and relief from skin conditions.

SU (1/12), 10am, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St

Rookie Readers

An engaging literacy program designed specifically for toddlers with an aim to foster a love for reading while nurturing creativity through crafts.

MO (1/13), 10:30am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St

Toddler Discovery Time Interactive play and hands-on activities for toddlers. This week features fun with lion crafts, games, and an exciting lion scavenger hunt.

TU (1/14), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave World of Games

Grab a controller and best your opponent to play games like Fortnite, Warzone, Madden, and 2K. Board and card

games available for those not gaming.

TU (1/14), 6pm, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Tiny Tykes Wednesday Play Dates

Open play for toddlers to explore bikes, balls, inflatables, climbing structures, and more fun.

WE (1/15), 10am, Stephens-Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Beginner Climbing: Ages 5-7

A three-week instructional climbing class designed for beginners. Adults belay their own children.

TH (1/16), 12:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

LOCAL MARKETS

RAD Farmers Market

A vibrant mid-week market with dozens of high-quality artisan food businesses. Fresh vegetables, baked goods, pastured meats, raw honey, ferments, hot sauces, and more.

SA (1/11), 3pm, AB Tech, 24 Fernihurst Dr

Mourning Mass: Market & Music

Live music by rotating local talent, art market, brunch by Good Hot Fish, and beverages at the bar.

SU (1/12), noon, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

All Bodies Movement & Wellness Community Day

Start your morning with free coffee and donuts and free samples of classes. No registration is needed. There will also be a chili cook off.

SA (1/11), 9am, All Bodies Movement and Wellness, 211 Merrimon Ave

Carnival of Chaos 3.5

Blue Mountain Mischief brings their Carnival of Chaos 3.5: Winter Wasteland with performances from Dunktank, Two Stroke Smoke, Gravenlore, Bleedseason and more.

SA (1/11), 4pm, Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St

Winter Jam 2025

Featuring musical talent on both floors of Asheville Music Hall and The One Stop. This Winter Jam will bring

incredible regional and Asheville-based talent such as: Domocile, Ranford Almond, E'Lon JD, JLloyd and more.

SA (1/11), 4pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition

NewSong Music Performance and Songwriting Competition will welcome eight finalists for an evening of songs and connection. See p32 SA (1/11), 7pm, Citizen Vinyl, 14 O Henry Ave Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games Clinics

Enhance skills and discover new passions through APR's free clinics, available to all interested participants in this year’s Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games.

TU (1/14), 10am, W Asheville Park, 198 Vermont Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Oakley Community Closet

A cost-free opportunity to shop clothes, shoes, and toys. Donations for Oakley Community Closet happily accepted at Murphy-Oakley

Community Center throughout the week. WE (1/8), 1pm, Murphy-Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd WNC Community Blood Drive

Each donation provides blood to WNC communities and can help save up to 3 lives. Brunch and donor gifts will be given out at the donation. Visit avl.mx/eem to make an appointment.

TH (1/9), 9am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave Comedy for Community Supporting Bounty & Soul Comedy for Community brings all your favorite local comedians together each week to support the town we love through a variety of local charities and organizations. SU (1/12), 6:30pm, Catawba Brewing Co. South Slope Asheville, 32 Banks Ave

Read 2 Succeed New Tutor Training Volunteer reading tutors are needed to build a lasting relationship with a student for the entire school year, meeting with them twice a week either during or after school. Visit avl.mx/bto for more information.

WE (1/15), 6pm, Online

WELLNESS

‘Smobering up’

BY CARMELA CARUSO

carmela.caruso@yahoo.com

“Smoking was my first love,” says Laura Marie, who lit her first cigarette at age 15. Despite seeing the effects of smoking up close — her grandmother died of emphysema, and her sister died of lung cancer — Laura Marie just couldn’t quit. She tried hypnosis and patches, then switched to vaping, thinking it would be healthier. But things only got worse.

She says vaping “took on its own life.” With low odor and no flame, Laura Marie was able to vape in more places and more frequently than she would have with cigarettes. She says it got to the point where she couldn’t even go to the bathroom without a smoke. “It scared me that I was that dependent on it,” she admits.

Laura Marie says vaping soon started to consume her thought process. Do I have enough? Do I need to get more? she regularly asked herself.

She had been smoking for 40 years, four of those spent vaping, when a friend, El, “tricked” her into going to Asheville Quits — a 12-step recovery meeting for nicotine addiction.

(In keeping with the ethos of the recovery community, Xpress is using people’s first names only.)

With support from El and others in the group, Laura Marie set a quit date of Aug. 14. She says she used a friend’s expired, leftover patches for the first five days to help curb the cravings and has been nicotine-free ever since. “I’m going to crave it whether I do it or not,” she says of smoking. For her health — both mental and physical — she’d much rather not.

ASHEVILLE QUITS

Like Laura Marie, El started smoking as a teen. She was just 13 years old. She began by sneaking cigarettes from her mother and father; she liked the way smoking made her feel. “I got a little buzzed off of them in the beginning,” she explains. Back then, cigarettes were only $1.29 a pack, and El found it easy enough to scrape together her allowance to buy a supply.

Smoking became a 50-year habit for El. She says she tried a variety of methods to quit: acupuncture, hypnosis, patches and the prescription drug Wellbutrin. But nothing

12-step group helps smokers overcome nicotine addiction

worked. “It was just horrible. I just couldn’t put them down, and I really needed to,” recalls El. As a result of her pack-a-day habit, she suffered frequent bouts of bronchitis, and she couldn’t even lie down to sleep because her coughing was so bad. El, who had been involved in other 12-step recovery groups, wondered if there was one for smoking. A Google search turned up a host of online meetings. She quickly joined one and set a quit date of Feb. 2, 2022 — 2-2-22. She found an accountability buddy in one of the meetings, and both quit the same day and helped each other stay “smober” (sober from smoking) through daily text messages.

While the virtual groups were helpful, El craved the community that comes with in-person meetings. She’d had a taste of them in April 2022, when she drove to Little Rock, Ark., to attend the Nicotine Anonymous World Service Conference, and then again last April, when the annual conference was held in Asheville. With years of sobriety under her belt, she established Asheville Quits in August. The group meets every Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at the Asheville 12 Step Recovery Club in a row of nondescript commercial spaces at 1 Kenilworth Knolls.

Asheville Quits is a Nicotine Anonymous (NicA, pronounced

SUCCESS MARKERS: Tokens chronicle milestones of “smobrity.”

Nick-ay) meeting adapted from the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. The steps are designed to be worked in order — acknowledging powerlessness over nicotine addiction, accepting a higher power, admitting wrongdoings, making amends and sharing the work with others. While the group’s literature refers to the higher power as God, El says members can rely on anything bigger than themselves. Some choose nature as their higher power, while others depend on the group itself. In fact, it’s community that members point to again and again as the motivation for staying smober.

IN IT TOGETHER

“Without this room, I would be dead,” says Joseph, a member of Asheville Quits who attends additional 12-step meetings at Asheville Recovery Club. After 26 years of smoking, Joseph has been nicotine-free for the past month. He says it’s the camaraderie that has kept him smober. When a craving comes, help is always just a phone call, text or meeting away. “Somebody is here for somebody every time,” he says.

Colleen, who has been attending Asheville Quits meetings since September, agrees. “The support I get from these guys is huge. And it works,” she adds.

Colleen was a smoker for 50 years. After so long, she says, “You get to the point where you think, ‘I’m just going to die from it [smoking.]’ And you give in.” But seeing El, who also smoked for 50 years, quit and stay smober gave her hope.

Colleen chose Sept. 24 as her quit date and was quickly put to the test when Tropical Storm Helene hit a few days later. But she’d made a commitment to the group and to herself. “I thought, what the heck am I doing? This is nuts. But I just kept going,” Colleen recalls. “If I can do it during a devastating hurricane, then I have it.”

Despite the cravings, those who quit saw positive changes within weeks. Members say their lungs feel stronger and they have less difficulty breathing during activities. They’re more present, no longer planning their days around when to smoke or where to buy more. El’s cough has gone away, and she’s able to sleep lying down again. Her hair has gotten thicker and her nails stronger. And without the numbing effect of nicotine, she’s more in tune with her emotions. “This is me,” says El. “This is the real me.”

Photo by Carmela Caruso

CLEARING THE AIR: A new 12-step group in Asheville puts smoking in its crosshairs. Photo by Carmela Caruso

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

On a Thursday night in November, about 10 people attended the Asheville Quits meeting, a handful of them regulars. Each group begins with a reading of the 12 steps and an excerpt from the available literature, for example, a brightly colored NicA pamphlet or Nicotine Anonymous: The Book. Next, El invites attendees to share either something related to the day’s reading or a check-in about their recent experiences with smoking or sobriety. The group ends with everyone joining hands and reciting the Serenity Prayer, an oft-quoted prayer attributed to theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Going forward, El hopes group attendance will continue to grow. Marian, based in the Netherlands, is the chair for the Nicotine Anonymous worldwide fellowship. She says that although larger groups can be more sustainable, allowing meetings to continue even as members come and go, small groups like Asheville Quits can be just as successful. “A small group could be very strong because there is lots of responsibility if members know each other, and if they’re not there, they will ask, ‘Hey, where have you been?’ So people can get very committed.”

El believes membership has been low because so few people realize there’s a 12-step program for nicotine addiction. Marian agrees that NicA meetings are less well-known compared with programs like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. Many don’t realize nicotine can be just as addictive and sometimes harder to quit than alcohol or drugs.

“I thought other substances were the real addiction and that quitting smoking was just easy … and I was very wrong,” Marian explains. “Nicotine for me has been the most difficult one, and when I look around me in meetings, I hear more often that nicotine is the last substance that people let go of.”

This sentiment has been true for many members of Asheville Quits who became sober from drugs and/ or alcohol before going smober.

El, who has been nicotine-free for nearly three years, says she still experiences cravings and still thinks about going back to smoking. “But then I think of all my friends. I think of my husband, I think of my quit buddy. I think of the people on Thursday afternoon who have thanked me and, oh, man, I don’t want to do it.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/ef2  X

ARTS & CULTURE

Road to recovery

BY OBY ARNOLD

oby.arnold@gmail.com

Painter Kelcey Loomer used to have a studio on the second floor of Riverview Station in the River Arts District. During Tropical Storm Helene, the 700-square-foot space filled with 18 inches of water, and she lost about half of her paintings.

Loomer was still scrubbing mud off things when she was contacted by Bernadette Bender, co-owner of Bender Gallery downtown, with the idea of a group benefit show.

“Belonging is a central theme in my work, and the storm has certainly affected my sense of it,” says Loomer. “I feel profoundly moved by the way the RAD community of artists has come together in this time.”

Bender Gallery will host an opening reception 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, for its benefit exhibition Standing Strong. A direct response to the ongoing challenges faced by artists in the River Arts District, the show will run through Saturday, Jan. 25, featuring the work — mostly paintings — of 14 artists who were affected by the storm.

Participating artists are Annie Kyla Bennett, Elizabeth Porritt Carrington, Greg Carr, Heather Clements, Lissa Friedman, Linda Gritta, Amanda J. Kendrick, Kelcey Loomer, Daniel McClendon, Kasey Moran, Jodi O’Hara, Jeremy Phillips, Peter Roux and Jeff Snell

The exhibit can be viewed online via the gallery’s website as well as in person. All proceeds from sales of artwork will go directly to the artists.

Additionally, several artists have donated work to support the benefit portion of the exhibition, including Laine Bachman, Michael Hedges and others. Proceeds from sales of their pieces will go to the River Arts District Artists (RADA) association’s fund to support area artists affected by Helene.

FACING THE AFTERMATH

With its downtown location, Bender Gallery was unharmed by the storm. But after witnessing the devastation faced by so many local creatives, Bender and her husband and gallery co-owner, Miles, felt compelled to organize the exhibition as a meaningful way to contribute to the Asheville arts community. The show will feature art pieces created before Helene. “We curated work that we were attracted to and compelled by,” says Bernadette Bender.

Bender Gallery exhibit showcases RAD artists affected by Helene

SHINING A LIGHT: Bender Gallery co-owner Bernadette Bender is pictured with Elizabeth Porritt Carrington’s painting, “In the Light Between Decay and Seeds Stirring.” Porritt Carrington is among the artists participating in the gallery’s Standing Strong exhibition. Photo courtesy of Bender Gallery

“We focused on figurative and representational work rather than abstract pieces, and we leaned toward showcasing younger artists.”

At least one artist exhibiting in Standing Strong had already lived through a natural disaster before experiencing Helene. In 2023, Heather Clements moved to Asheville from Panama City, Fla., to seek refuge after a hurricane destroyed her home. The occurrence completely shook up her artistic practice.

“I made no art for a year, for the first time in my life,” Clements recalls.

“My art took on a focus of resilience and growing beauty out of unexpected — and often dark — places. This was absolutely influenced by the hurricane and my depression following it.”

Clements, whose murals, oil paintings and watercolors often draw from nature, says she was infused with a renewed sense of inspiration after finding solace in the mountains. After Helene wiped out her gallery and teaching studio on Lyman Street in the RAD, she’s looking to this exhibition to serve as a launching point to help her rebuild.

Although the work in Standing Strong predates the storm, the artists note Helene’s impact on their creative

endeavors. “It was too major an event to not take a large part of my themes moving forward,” Clements says. “But I am already making art again, so I am hopeful and even looking forward to seeing what will be created out of this.”

Unlike Clements, fellow Standing Strong exhibitor Jeremy Phillips’ home and studio at Pink Dog Creative were left intact after the storm, albeit filled with mud. Philips has played a crucial role in the RAD’s recovery efforts, helping clean up damaged studios and supporting fellow artists.

A multimedia artist who works with ceramics, textiles and oil paints, he plans to capture aerial landscapes of the RAD in his upcoming works. “I have felt an even deeper connection to Asheville and WNC since Helene,” says Phillips.

HEALING THROUGH ART

Formed in 1985, the RAD eventually grew to include over 450 artists, making it a crucial driver of tourism and contributing to Asheville’s reputation as a creative regional hub. After Helene, with the majority of the neighborhood’s studios and galleries damaged or destroyed, countless artists have been left struggling.

Yet Phillips and Clements both point to the spirit of solidarity in Asheville’s art community as one of the greatest forces driving the recovery. Arts organizations like RADA have succeeded in leveraging the collaborative strength of local creatives, distributing donations and resources to support artists and help one another rebuild.

“It was no surprise to me that after Helene so many artists mobilized into a heightened community focus,” says Clements.

Area residents and arts boosters can help Asheville artists recover, she says, by offering them affordable spaces to rent, buying art and donating to RADA and other fundraisers. “Without extra support right now, I fear many art careers could end, which would just be so heartbreaking.”

Phillips agrees. “There is a lot of support right now in attending shows and buying work and keeping that energy alive by supporting creative work that is out in the public,” he says. “Attending shows and buying work is the best way to keep the scene thriving.”

In addition to offering participating artists a platform for marketing their work, Standing Strong serves as an essential reminder of the role art plays in recovery, both personal and communitywide.

“I anticipate my [future] work will reflect not only the physical and emotional impact of the storm but also the strength and creativity that have emerged in its wake,” Loomer says. “It’s a reminder that even in destruction, there’s space for rebuilding and reimagining, and I want my work to contribute to that dialogue.”

Bender says that she’s proud for Bender Gallery to be part of the overwhelming outpouring of support that RAD artists have received in the wake of the storm. “If people are looking to support the overall infrastructure of the arts community, we’re also accepting donations for the River Arts District Artists fund, which has been pivotal for many,” she adds. X

WHAT

Standing Strong benefit exhibition, free admission

WHERE 29 Biltmore Ave., avl.mx/eek

WHEN Exhibition - Jan. 11-25, opening reception - 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11

Reelin’ in the classics

BY BILL KOPP

The recent interest in so-called “yacht rock” — sparked by a new HBO documentary on the subject — has brought the names of several bands from the ’70s back into the public consciousness. One of the acts mentioned in the film is Steely Dan, the three-time Grammy Award-winning group. But in the minds of some of Western North Carolina’s top musicians, the appeal of Steely Dan’s music has never waned.

Nearly a dozen of those WNC players and singers have come together as Dirty Logic, a tribute band devoted to the idiosyncratic and unconventional group. Dirty Logic plays the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Like everyone who eventually joined Dirty Logic, Patrick Armitage is a busy, in-demand musician who has been involved in many high-profile musical projects in and around Asheville. In 2018, the former drummer for the Jon Stickley Trio was in discussions with other performers after performing in a one-off “pickup gig” in Asheville, when one of the musicians asked Armitage what his dream project would be. “What I’ve always wanted to do,” he replied, “is put together a Steely Dan tribute.”

HIGH STANDARDS

Steely Dan came together in upstate New York in 1971, when studio musicians Walter Becker and Donald Fagen decided to do something more interesting and challenging than their previous gigs. While the earliest Steely Dan lineup was a proper band, by the mid-1970s Becker and Fagen retreated to the studio and worked with carefully selected artists chosen for what they could bring to each track.

Between 1972 and 1980, Steely Dan released seven studio albums, six of which would go Platinum (1 million copies sold) or better. Though more of an “album band” than a purveyor of singles, Steely Dan nonetheless landed 10 of its 18 singles of that era on the U.S. Top 40 charts. Songs like “Do it Again,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” “Peg,” “Deacon Blues” and “Hey Nineteen” are among the band’s many classics.

Those and other songs in the group’s catalog are catchy and memorable. Any serious musician will tell you something else that characterizes Steely Dan songs: They’re not easy to

Dirty Logic pays tribute to Steely Dan with a hometown show

play. The arrangements are complex, and the jazz-tinged (and sometimes just plain jazz) compositions require real skill and commitment.

Armitage realized that if his dream were ever to become a reality, he’d have to aim high. “I knew that I had to get some of the best session [musicians] in town,” he recalls. “And that it would be hard to put something like that together and get people to commit.” But when he made the decision to move forward and started making calls, he found the collaborators he needed.

One week after that fateful postgig conversation, Dirty Logic held its first rehearsal. “We set a superhigh standard,” he says. “We rehearsed every week.”

Five months later, the new group played its first show, at the now-shuttered Isis Music Hall in West Asheville. “That show sold out,” Armitage says with pride. “We knew right there: ‘OK, this is really a thing.’”

Inevitably, there was some turnover in the group’s lineup. But overall, Dirty Logic has remained remarkably stable since its early days. Bassist Jake Wolf joined a few months after the group’s launch; then as now, he’s impressed by the caliber of musicianship within the band. “Everyone is really good at walking that tightrope: having deep respect for the music as it was written and recorded, and doing the thing authentically while still being themselves,” he says.

Armitage notes that because of the demands of such a large ensemble — typically 11 people onstage — when a

show is booked, each musician has a replacement lined up. “Every person in this band has at least two people that they can call on if they can’t do a gig,” Armitage says.

NOT JUST YACHT ROCK

Because of the band members’ many commitments, Dirty Logic plays an average of only eight shows each year. The farthest the large ensemble has traveled for a show was a “crazy festival” in Alabama. (“We all got food poisoning,” Armitage recalls with a pained laugh.) In general, the group books shows within a few hours’ drive from Asheville.

Against that backdrop, hometown shows for Dirty Logic are rare. The upcoming performance at the Wortham Center will be the group’s first local gig since an early September show at Salvage Station shortly before the venue fell victim to flooding from Tropical Storm Helene. Wolf says that in the aftermath of the devastation to the region, the upcoming show “feels like a homecoming. These shared experiences — to be performing and to be in the audience — feel really meaningful,” he says.

For this show, the group — which Wolf estimates has at least 50% of Steely Dan’s music in its current repertoire — will play two albums in their entirety. The program will feature hardcore fan favorite The Royal Scam (released in 1976) and the 1977 blockbuster album Aja

Wolf says that while The Royal Scam isn’t the best-known Steely Dan album, “from a musician’s standpoint, it’s a big, big album. It signaled a departure from what they had been doing and toward jazz-rock.” Aja is immersed in a jazz vibe as well, and it holds the distinction of being Steely Dan’s biggest-selling record. “Playing Aja shows the true versatility and the essence of why we wanted to do this band,” Armitage says.

The Dirty Logic performance in January will also feature a selection of popular hits from other Steely Dan records. Emphasizing that the group enjoys all of the songs in its deep repertoire, Armitage chuckles and says, “You kind of have to play [the hits]. ... If you play a bunch of B-sides, maybe they’re not going to come see you again.”

On the subject of that yacht rock, neither Wolf nor Armitage is on board with describing Steely Dan with that label. “They have some hits that coincide with that movement,” Wolf allows. “But I always think of Steely Dan as a bunch of jazz prodigies playing pop music.” X

WHAT Dirty Logic WHERE

Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave., avl.mx/eay

WHEN Saturday, Jan. 11, 7 p.m. $40

DON’T LOSE THAT NUMBER: Each of the busy members of Steely Dan tribute band Dirty Logic has at least one substitute musician lined up in case they can’t make a gig. Photo by David Simchock

Writing retreats

The Dead Tongues and Kevin Rumley release new albums

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Listen to The Dead Tongues’ complementary records Body of Light and I Am A Cloud, and one can’t help but be amazed at the diverse range of styles group mastermind Ryan Gustafson has united on a single collection.

Following the more traditional indie rock Body of Light’s drop in June, the connected works were released as a double album on Aug. 9. The 16 tracks present a bold creative statement — albeit one that feels wholly natural to its creator.

“I’m not sure what gives me the confidence [to craft such a diverse collection], other than just needing to explore those spaces,” says Gustafson, who’s lived in the Asheville area since 2013. “To me, there’s not that big of a difference between the more improvisational or meditative pieces and the songs. A lot of the lyrics are touching on the same stuff.”

Helping encourage that sonic freedom while adhering to the work’s central themes is the song “I’m a Cloud Now.” The rousing, seven-plus-minute jam was the first piece the multi-instrumentalist/vocalist wrote for the second album and wound up being the jumping-off point for I Am A Cloud’s other tracks.

“It also just made sense, conceptually, that it would be this morphing, changing thing,” Gustafson says. “After this long song that ends with me saying ‘I’m a cloud now,’ I thought of it as different cloud formations passing by. They can never quite stay the same — they’re just different iterations of the same material.”

On the other end of the spectrum is the lovely and oddly meditative penultimate track “Letters of Returning,” an extended spoken-word piece full of rich imagery, laid over increasingly complex yet soothing instrumentation. The work of artists such as the ambient group Stars of the Lid, percussionist/producer Carlos Muñoz and saxophonist/ spoken-word artist Alabaster dePlume have furthered his interest in experimental sounds.

“Things that blur the lines between compositions and improvisational things,” Gustafson says. “Along with lots of poetry of the likes of anything from Gwendolyn Brooks to Frank Stanford

— all of that stuff through the filter of the songwriting that I’ve been growing.”

To prep for Body of Light and I Am A Cloud, Gustafson hunkered down at “the Shack,” his workshop in the far reaches of Buncombe County, for a month of what he calls “preproduction.” He feels that this time of demoing and writing is important for his process and gives him time to explore what he thinks “the guts of the thing are” and the common threads between the songs.

“I can get as far into them on my own as I want, structure-wise or idea-wise. And that way, when I go to a studio afterwards, I really know where I’m at with the project,” Gustafson says.

“Then I can guide the thing, hopefully from a place of really knowing what I’m trying to do. And it actually becomes a lot more freeing at that point, because I can set things up in a way that I can let it go rather than trying to hang on too tight. It gives me time to go through my process of being crazy with it, and then I can be real free with it with other people.”

Such was the case when he went to Betty’s, Sylvan Esso’s Durham-based studio, to collaborate with Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak; Bon Iver), Mat Davidson (Twain), Matt Douglas (The Mountain Goats), Joe Westerlund (Califone; Megafaun), plus fellow Asheville-based artists Maddie Shuler (Indigo De Souza), Ryan Oslance (Ahleuchatistas) and former longtime local Michael Libramento (Floating Action; Bonny Light Horseman).

Dipping into his vast collection of modified cassette tapes that play 3-second loops, Gustafson used the repeated grooves as baselines for the ensemble to go in whatever direction they desired — encouraging them to “hear what’s happening and just respond.”

“It was on the more extreme side of open-ended for these sessions,” he says. “And then I sat with the material after and tinkered with some things here and there. But for the most part, I was just riding off of what we had done in those moments.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/e3y.

THE BASEMENT TAPES

Speak the name “Kevin Rumley,” and images come to mind of the longhaired, gifted drummer sitting behind a kit for such Asheville-area acts as

TRUST THE PROCESS:

Tyler Ramsey, Jeremy Boger, Joshua Carpenter, Electric Owls, Bandazian and Ivy Eld.

Now it’s time to also add visuals of him singing while lush, layered instrumentation surrounds his concise poetic lyrics.

The longtime fixture of the local music scene displays this newfound prowess on his debut solo EP VI which, as its Roman numeral title suggests, features six tracks — all featuring layered vocals and bright sonic landscapes. Though the collection clocks in at a mere 18 minutes, the good vibes linger long after the final track, “For Clifford,” ends.

Rumley began his journey as a solo artist in 2022, when his friend Adam McDaniel, producer and engineer at West Asheville’s Drop of Sun Studios, gifted him a mini-Mellotron.

“I went home and was like, ‘Oh man! This has every instrument,’” Rumley says. “My skills are limited when it comes to everything but drums. With this Mellotron, I can kind of fake it and stack it — just like Billy Corgan.”

While Rumley is a big fan of the Smashing Pumpkins frontman’s penchant for guitar stacking, he cites Phosphorescent as a huge inspiration in his audio approach, particularly the singer-songwriter’s use of vocoder. Also lighting his creative fire is Nightlands, the side project of The War on Drugs bassist and fellow Asheville resident Dave Hartley, with whom Rumley collaborated on an upcoming single.

But simply getting to create and play music is something Rumley doesn’t

Magical Offerings

their own,

Rumley photo by Justin Bowman

take for granted. After playing in bands since middle school, he was serving in the U.S. Marines on the Iraq-Syria border in 2004 when he was injured by an improvised explosive device (IED). Rumley underwent 32 surgeries over 18 months at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland and was told he would never walk again. Though he regained mobility in 2005, chronic physical pain resulted in an opioid and heroin addiction.

Sober since 2010, Rumley is the program director for the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court, a two-year program for veterans facing felony charges. And as he’s gradually gotten back into regular drumming, escaping into music has become key to his ongoing healing.

“Every day, if not every week, I’m recording something in my basement,” Rumley says. “Because of my physical disabilities from being injured in the war, I don’t skateboard anymore. And so to do things for my health, I just go to the basement. It’s a safe space.”

These sessions have produced over 300 songs — though Rumley says he uses the term “song” loosely and thinks of his creations more as “feelings or landscapes.”

“It’s just an evening putting together a melody that I hear, and then I’ll throw around drums,” he says. “My process is just a reflection of truly whatever that day was, so it’s not always the most profound, deep intellectual exploration. But if a song lingers in my psyche

for longer than just an evening, then there’s usually something to that.”

Helping Rumley achieve that desired end result is a process he calls “Muppets,” in which he takes a vocal line and sings it in a falsetto reminiscent of a Jim Henson creation.

“If you stack 10 of those, then it starts to take shape and become almost this children’s choir,” he says. “I do a main vocal, and then tucked underneath would be this children’s choir, which gives it that kind of Phosphorescent effect. It’s wild — you’re sort of painting a picture with just a few phrases here and there.”

Layer in additional vocals from Julie Odell and instrumental contributions from David Messina and the Mellotron-gifter himself, McDaniel, and the sonic landscapes on VI were fleshed out in increasingly creative ways.

As for selecting a release date, Rumley didn’t set out to have it coincide with the 20-year anniversary of his IED injury and 14 years from the date of beginning his recovery. But as he was finalizing the mixes in March, he realized that if he hustled, he could have everything ready by that doubly meaningful April 7 date.

“The experience of being blown up shaped these songs, and together I was like, ‘Oh sh*t! Every one of these ties back to themes of loss and love and end of life and healing,” Rumley says. “So it was fitting that I finished these and was able to release it on that day.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/e3x. X

Ryan Gustafson (The Dead Tongues), left, and Kevin Rumley work out songs on

then invite collaborators to help flesh out the sound. Gustafson photo by Hunter Savoy Jaffe;

What’s new in food

Joey’s Bagels opens first Asheville location

On Dec. 27, Joey’s Bagels — Hendersonvile and Fletcher’s go-to bagel emporiums for over a decade — debuted its first Asheville location. The Merrimon Avenue store was opened by Gabe Willis, who in February 2024 purchased the business from brothers and cofounders Joe Scarlata (the business’s namesake) and Michael Scarlata.

Willis, who moved to Asheville in 2021 for a job in corporate strategy for the North American headquarters of a manufacturing company, says he was ready for a life change and seeking to be more engaged with the community by owning a small business. Though “bagel maker” was not in his search engine, when he saw the company offered for sale, he was intrigued

“My mother is from the Bronx, and my grandfather still lives there,” he says. “I’ve probably eaten 10,000 bagels in my life. I’m very good at

consuming them, but didn’t know much about making them.”

As Willis discovered shortly after buying the company, some customers are happy to tell him and his staff how they should do it. “I had no idea bagels would be so controversial,” he says. “Every day someone comes in and tells us what we’re doing wrong or posts it on social media. It’s like the wild west of bagels.”

Fortunately, four of Joe Scarlata’s kids still work for Willis, one of whom is the baker in the Hendersonville store. Also, Willis says he’s quite certain they are doing it the “right” way, which notably includes boiling the bagel before baking it.

“We make fresh dough every morning, seven days a week,” he says. “And we bake seven nights a week.” The Hendersonville store makes the bagels for that location and the one in Fletcher, going through 600-800 pounds of dough per day. The new Asheville location is autonomous, producing about 400 pounds of dough per day for the shop.

Joey’s Bagels has a healthy wholesale business in Western North Carolina as well, delivering about 140 dozen bagels a week to restaurants, coffee shops and markets. All three locations also sell bagel breakfast sandwiches, omelets, subs, wraps and lunch sandwiches on a bread of choice. The best seller overall is the Regular Joe — two scrambled eggs, sausage or bacon and cheese on a bagel.

With the opening of the third store, Willis has noticed a difference in buying habits. The four most pop-

ular bagel flavors are everything, asiago, plain and cinnamon raisin. But in Fletcher and Hendersonville, he points out, people also really like the sweet flavors like French toast, cranberry orange and blueberry. In Asheville, though, poppy, sesame and pumpernickel rule. It’s similar with the cream cheese spreads — Hendersonville and Fletcher love their strawberry, while Asheville prefers plain or scallion.

As for lox, fuggedaboutit. “Our first day open on Merrimon, we sold out of every lox product in three hours. I ordered double for the next day, and we still went through most of it.”

When asked if he had considered changing the business name to Gabe’s Bagels when he took over, Willis laughs. “Nobody wants that; there’s a lot of brand equity and customer loyalty in Joey’s Bagels. It would be smarter for me to change my name to Joey.”

Joey’s Bagels’ new Asheville location is at 707 Merrimon Ave. at the rear of the parking lot. For more information, visit avl.mx/eev.

Golden Hour on fire

The Radical Hotel closed for a few months after Tropical Storm Helene caused the French Broad River to roll over its banks in the River Arts District in late September, but overnight guests were welcomed back the first week of January. Food and beverage operations at the hotel’s full-service restaurant Golden Hour, café-styled Afterglow and The Roof

bar remain suspended, but on Saturday, Jan. 11, Golden Hour will turn on the lights and light the woodfired oven for Keeping the Fire Alive, a special, one-night-only dinner to celebrate Asheville’s resilience.

Keeping the Fire Alive will offer a family-style, wood-fired menu from Golden Hour chefs Jacob Sessoms and Kevin Chrisman. Among the dishes are bottom-pot cornbread with aged butter; beignets with North Carolina blue crab; Low Country barbecued carrots, ash baked rutabaga with caramelized whey and smokey savoy cabbage; slow-roasted lamb; and chocolate chess pie.

There will be live music by the LEAF Kono Band, live painting from Colton Dion and local goods from The Culinary Gardener. The dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person. Wine pairings from North Carolina-based Haw River Wine Merchant are an extra $30. Golden Hour is at The Radical Hotel, 95 Roberts St. For tickets, visit avl.mx/eeu.

Reopened for business

Several local food and beverage businesses that closed in the wake of Helene are reopening, in the same location or at different addresses. Here are a few updates: French Broad Chocolate Factory & Café: The French Broad Chocolate Lounge on Pack Square downtown reopened in late October following the acquisition of a ginormous water tank at the French Broad Chocolate Factory & Café at

BAGEL O’CLOCK: It’s bagel time at the first Asheville location of Joey’s Bagels. Pictured is owner Gabe Willis. Photo courtesy of Willis

821 Riverside Drive that allowed the company to make chocolate again. On Dec. 18, the Riverside Drive location, which sustained severe damage due to flooding, opened again to the public, offering brownies, bonbons, hot chocolate and a full coffee and espresso menu noon-6 p.m. daily. On Dec. 26, the location’s popular Chocolate Factory tours resumed at 1 and 3 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays. Book tours at avl.mx/cdd.

Hillman Beer: Launched in 2017, family-owned Hillman Beer’s Biltmore Village location on the banks of Sweeten Creek was a big part of its appeal and the cause of post-Helene flooding that closed the taproom. As of Thursday, Dec. 12, the beer was back to flowing seven days a week, and the following day, the kitchen was also back in operation, sending out the HB classic burger and fries. The brewery also has locations in Morganton and Old Fort. Hillman Beer’s Biltmore Village location is at 25 Sweeten Creek Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/eex.

Eda Rhyne Distilling Co.: Eda Rhyne’s Biltmore Village production facility and tasting room was inundated with over 5 feet of water after Helene. That was so 2024. On Dec. 31, the Garden & Gun Made in the South award-winning distillery threw a party to celebrate the reopening of its tasting room and cheers in 2025. Eda Rhyne’s Biltmore Village tasting room is at 101 Fairview Road. For hours, visit avl.mx/eet.

Mattie Lou’s Café & Bakery: The decision by the owner of Asheville institution Geraldine’s Bakery to close after Tropical Storm Helene opened a door for Mattie Grey to take over the Merrimon Avenue space and open Mattie Lou’s Café & Bakery on Nov. 13. The new shop sold out its first day of business and continued to be popular, but less than a month later after baking over 70 pies for Thanksgiving orders, a series of unfortunate mechanical breakdowns, including the heating system, water pipes and oven — forced Grey to temporarily put a “closed” sign on the door. The first week of December, a group of boosters who had already become attached to her cardamom morning buns, iced cinnamon rolls, savory Danish and miso caramel pastry cream-filled cruffins, insisted she start a GoFundMe campaign. She managed to raise the money for repairs, and the shop gradually reopened beginning Dec. 14. In the new year, Grey plans to adjust her winter operating hours according to customer demand.

Mattie Lou’s Bakery & Café is at 840 Merrimon Ave. For hours, visit avl.mx/ec1.

Veganuary

Veganuary is a 31-day challenge launched in the United Kingdom in 2014 that encourages people to try a vegan diet; as the name implies, it takes place each January. To sweeten the pot for WNC locals, on Jan. 1, The Hop debuted its new pea-protein vegan ice cream base, which co-owner Ashely Garrison describes in a press release as “a game-changer — a clean, smooth and creamy canvas for flavors.”

Throughout the month, The Hop will spotlight its new and expanded vegan ice cream flavors — PennyCup cold brew, cinnamon maple pecan butter, lemon bar, cookie butter, chocolate, mint royale and fudge brownie CBD — and continue its sorbet and no-sugar-added vegan option. The north and west Asheville Hops will have nine flavors, Black Mountain eight and the S&W Market will scoop six. Special promotions will take place through Veganuary at various shops. For the calendar of events and The Hop locations, visit avl.mx/ees.

Business of Farming Conference

Farming is hard work — ask any farmer. And at the annual Business of Farming Conference, you can. Presented by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), the event on Saturday, Feb. 22, at the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center brings together professional farmers from across the Southeast region to network and share resources for growing their farm businesses. Designed for aspiring, beginning and established farmers, the event offers more than a dozen workshops on marketing, business planning and financial management. Experts will also be available to provide farmers with individual support. This year’s conference will have a special focus on poststorm recovery and resilience. ASAP offers early bird pricing of $75 per person or $125 for two farm partners who register together until Saturday, Feb. 1. On Sunday, Feb. 2, the price increases to $95 and $165, respectively. A limited number of full scholarships are available for BIPOC farmers or those with limited resources.

For more information, avl.mx/c7w.

by Kay West |

Coverfest IV NewSong Music Competition

The sound of music will fill the room at Citizen Vinyl on Saturday, Jan. 11, as Asheville hosts to its fourth NewSong Music Performance & Songwriting Competition. Now in its 23rd year, the event — previously held at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City — attracts aspirants from coast to coast and around the globe. NewSong Music co-founder, Citizen Vinyl CEO and North Carolina native Gar Ragland culls the list down to eight finalists. In the first round, all eight will perform two songs each for a panel of judges; three contenders will be brought back

for another song, and from those, a winner will be chosen. The 2024 grand prize is a fully funded six-song EP, recorded and mixed at Citizen Studios, plus 300 vinyl records pressed at Citizen Vinyl. Doors for the all-ages show open at 6 p.m. VIP tickets are $121.23 and include early entry at 5:30 p.m. with preferred seating, drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a meet-and-greet with the finalists and a digital recording of the night’s performances mixed by Ragland. General admission tickets are $36.36 per person, including concert-style seating at café tables and on bar stools. avl.mx/eeq. X

Whatever genre of music is on your personal playlist, Coverfest IV is bound to strike a chord when 10 local bands take the stage at The Grey Eagle on Sunday, Jan. 19, to raise the roof and raise funds for Asheville Middle School’s annual eighthgrade capstone trip to Washington, D.C. Why, Why?, Double Love & the Trouble, Santiago y Los Gatos, Eleanor Underhill & Friends, The Moon and You, Moon Water, Fancy and the Gentlemen, John Kirby Jr. & the New Seniors, Paul Edelman (of Jangling Sparrows) and PINKEYE will perform minisets, covering some of their favorite tunes. An accompanying online silent auction kicked off Jan. 6 and closes Monday, Jan. 20, featuring a multitude of music-related items, including swag and signed

memorabilia from national acts R.E.M., They Might Be Giants and Old Crow Medicine Show. Concert organizer and PINKEYE member Joe Hooten — a teacher at Asheville Middle School by day — says proceeds from the show and auction help about 40% of the school’s 200 eighth-graders with the cost of the four-day spring trip. “This event is a fun way for our community to come together and give our students an unforgettable experience that will help shape their education and memories for years to come,” he says. Doors open for the all-ages show at 4 p.m., performances start at 5 p.m. Tickets are $19.95. The Grey Eagle Taqueria will be open serving food and drinks. Donate and bid on auction items at avl.mx/een. For tickets, visit avl.mx/eeo. X

Photo of PINKEYE by Heather Askew Photography

Photo of 2023 NewSong finalists with Gar Ragland, back center, by Aaron Stone

Readings from author Brian Lee Kopp

On Aug. 6, 1981, the five members of the mysterious and previously unknown Ida Lupino Liberation Organization took over Central Florida’s largest FM radio station, WDIZ Rock 100 Orlando. No shots were fired, no one was hurt or arrested. The getaway vehicle was a beater Plymouth Fire Arrow. That escapade is the subtitle of author Brian Lee Kopp’s new book, Dreams I’m Never Gonna See: The Takeover of WDIZ Rock 100/FM and Other Essays. On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe will host a hybrid event (both in person and virtual) featuring Kopp reading from that tall tale — perhaps answering the burning questions of who, how and why — along with excerpts from some of the nine other essays. Among

the subjects and life experiences Kopp delves into are a 1920s Flapper ghost; coming face to face with a wolf while shearing a sheep; Kopp’s personal hero, French high-wire artist Philippe Petit; and underground Disney World circa 1979. Kopp spent nearly three decades as a private investigator, working primarily in WNC, where he still lives. His 2009 memoir Mayhem in Mayberry: Misadventures of a P.I. in Southern Appalachia, was Malaprop’s top seller in 2010. The reading begins at 6 p.m. and will include time for audience Q&As. Kopp will also appear at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18. Register for the Malaprop’s event at avl.mx/eep. For more on the Sylva event, visit avl.mx/eew. X

Parents whose precious treasures are driving them a little batty with a seemingly endless holiday break, long winter nights and dreary days can turn their frowns upside down with a trip to The Orange Peel on Saturday, Jan. 11, for the Kid Hop Hooray! DJ Oso Rey will spin the tunes for the open-floor dance party where kids can get decked out with free glow sticks and other illuminated accessories. For three glorious hours, all wee ones, from tiny toddlers to pre-teens can run, jump, dance, hurl

their bodies about, yell and scream to their hearts’ content. Parents, too! The bar will be open serving adult refreshments plus juice boxes for the kids. Pizza, popcorn and snacks from The Hop Handcrafted Ice Cream will be for sale as well. There will be face painting available for all and a padded area for crawlers and new walkers to let it all hang out. The drop-in event runs 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $2 for kids and free for ages 2 and younger. avl.mx/eer X

Photo by Greg Garrison

Image courtesy of the author

For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

FLOOD GALLERY

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

EULOGY

Live Music Bingo, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S

PSK Karaoke, 9pm

HI-WIRE BREWING -

BILTMORE VILLAGE

Free Weekly Trivia, 7pm

IMPERIÁL

DJ Otto Maddox (soul, funk), 9pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

5j Barrow (folk, indierock), 10pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Trivia Wednesdays, 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE ODD

Red Beard Wall & Gnarled (rock, metal), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

White Horse's Irish Session, 7pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 9

BATTERY PARK BOOK

EXCHANGE

Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5pm

FLEETWOOD'S

East Ritual Residency (punk, garage, indie), 9pm

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

IMPERIÁL

DJ Mark Majors (hiphop, funk, R&B), 9pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

J.Dunks (folk, rock, pop), 7pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Warm Fuzzies (multigenre), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Curious Strange (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm

STATIC AGE LOFT

Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Laurel Canyon East (folk rock), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Charlie Starr w/Benji Shanks & Stevie Tombstone (folk, country), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Horus Blue (soul, groove, R&B), 8pm

VOODOO BREWING CO.

Music Bingo Thursdays, 7pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10

27 CLUB

Pathologic, Return to Sender, Divinicide & Vudu Revival (deathcore, metal), 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Adam Knight's Buried Alive (Phish tribute), 9pm

CLUBLAND

CORK & KEG

The Old Chevrolette Set (country), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Vaden Landers Trio (country, honky-tonk), 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY

Brother Oliver (psychrock), 8pm

EULOGY

Push/Pull, Group Chat, Musashi Xero, Toh, PTP, & DJ Grimmjoi (hip hop, electronic), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Bum Monk (rock), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Tan & Sober Gentlemen (Celtic, punk-grass), 9pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

• Josh Sewell (psych, reggae, folk), 6pm

• Lucid Evolution (psych-rock), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

MerylJane (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Alien Music Club: And Now For Something Completely Different (multi-genre), 8pm

SHAKEY'S Grabriel Knows

Everything (alternative, R&B), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Reggie Headen & Jason DeCristofaro (jazz), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Feeling Format, Corker, & Porcelain Parrot (indie rock, shoegaze, post punk), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE Asheville Vaudeville, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Yonder Mountain String Band w/ Fireside Collective (bluegrass, jamgrass), 8pm

THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN

Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

The Jeff Little Trio (Appalachian), 7:30pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11

27 CLUB

Lamps Required, Morrowville, Porcelain Parrot & Leaving Echoes (alt-indie, rock, jazz-punk), 8pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm

We look forward to continuing to grow and change with the community. What won’t change is our commitment to promoting community dialogue and encouraging citizen activism on the local level.

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5pm

CORK & KEG

Soul Blue Rocks (soul, blues, R&B), 8pm

CROW & QUILL Hearts Gone South (country, honky tonk), 9pm

EULOGY

Pink Pony Party - A Chappell Roan Dance Party (pop, electronic), 9pm

NEW YORK-BASED SYNTH POP ARTIST: On Monday, Jan. 13, The Grey Eagle hosts a performance by synth-pop and indie-rock songstress, Half Waif, starting at 8 p.m. Photo courtesy of Logan White

WEEKLY DEALS & EVENTS

Monday:

Wing

Burger

FLEETWOOD'S Monster Wave & Tiny TVS (garage-punk, surf-rock), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Fancy & The Gentlemen (blues, rock, honkytonk), 5pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Heavenly Vipers (jazz, country, Americana), 9pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING

Red Rock Hill (Americana, indie rock), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• 5j Barrow Trio (folk, indie-rock), 4pm

• Flamenco Appalachia, 8pm

SHAKEY'S Underground Enigma w/DJ Wit My Demons, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

The Late Shifters (Southern-rock, Americana, rock'n'roll), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

The Get Right Band w/ Krave Amiko (indie rock, indie pop), 8pm

THE ODD

Party Foul Drag, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Lazr Luvr (pop, rock, tribute band), 8pm

THIRD ROOM

Wreckno (edm, bass, dance), 9pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

Roots & Dore (blues, soul), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Richard Smith (folk, country, bluegrass), 7:30pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 12

GINGER'S REVENGE Jazz Sunday, 2:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Watkins (indie-folk, alt-rock), 2pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• The Bluegrass Boys, 12pm

• Traditional Irish Music Session, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Peggy Ratusz (blues, jazz, R&B), 3pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Suns of Stars: Sunday Residency (bluegrass), 2pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Country Brunch w/ Hearts Gone South, 11am

• Byrds of a Feather (country-rock, folk-rock, Americana), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Tycho w/ Bad Tuner (electronica, EDM), 8pm

MONDAY, JANUARY 13

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE

Musicians in the Round: Open Mic, 5:45pm

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Trivia Night w/Two Bald Guys & A Mic, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Night, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/ JLloyd, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Half Waif w/NOIA (pop, indie-pop, experimental), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14

LOBSTER TRAP

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm

SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/DJ Wit My Demons, 10pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Love Is A Rose (Linda Ronstadt tribute) w/ Paula Hanke & Peggy Ratusz, 7pm

VOODOO BREWING CO. Trivia Tuesday w/ Principal Mike, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

EDA'S HIDE-A-WAY Bless Your Heart Trivia w/Harmon, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S PSK Karaoke, 9pm

HI-WIRE BREWINGBILTMORE VILLAGE

Free Weekly Trivia, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Falcon4 (funk, dance), 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Kindred Valley w/ Malachi Fletcher (Americana, indie folk, folk rock), 8pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

BOTANIST & BARREL TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP Oh! Comedy Show, 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S East Ritual Residency (punk, garage, indie), 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA Eyes Up Here Comedy Presents: AVLGBTQueer Comedy, 7pm

LEVELLER BREWING CO. Open Old Time Jam, 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kid Billy (Americana, indie, blues), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Alma Russ (country, folk), 8pm

• Fee Fi Phaux Fish (Phish tribute), 8pm PULP

James Tucker w/ Bucko (country, Americana), 8pm

SHAKEY'S • Comedy Showcase w/ Hilliary Begley, 8pm • Karaoke w/Franco Nino, 9pm

SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO.

Sold Out: Talib Kweli (hip-hop), 6pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Auto-Tune Karaoke w/ Who Gave This B*tch A Mic, 10pm THE GREY EAGLE The Moth Presents: Asheville StorySLAM

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries poet Charles Baudelaire said that if you want to fully activate your personal genius, you will reclaim and restore the intelligence you had as a child. You will empower it anew with all the capacities you have developed as an adult. I believe this is sensational advice for you in 2025. In my understanding of the astrological omens, you will have an extraordinary potential to use your mature faculties to beautifully express the wise innocence and lucid perceptions you were blessed with when you were young.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In many Asian myths, birds and snakes are depicted as adversaries. Their conflict symbolizes humanity’s problems in coordinating the concerns of earth and heaven. Desire may be at odds with morality. Unconscious motivations can be opposed to good intentions. Pride, self-interest, and ambition might seem incompatible with spiritual aspirations, high-minded ideals, and the quest to transcend suffering. But here’s the good news for you, Taurus: In 2025, I suspect that birds and snakes will cooperate rather harmoniously. You and they will have stirring, provocative adventures together.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Using a fork to eat food was slow to gain acceptance in the Western world. Upper-class Europeans began to make it a habit in the 11th century, but most common folk regarded it as a pretentious irrelevancy for hundreds of years. Grabbing grub with the fingers was perfectly acceptable. I suspect this scenario might serve as an apt metaphor for you in 2025. You are primed to be an early adapter who launches trends. You will be the first to try novel approaches and experiment with variations in how things have always been done. Enjoy your special capacity, Gemini. Be bold in generating innovations.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Psychologist Abraham Maslow defined “peak experiences” as “rare, exciting, oceanic, deeply moving, exhilarating, elevating experiences that generate an advanced form of perceiving reality, and are even mystic and magical in their effect upon the experimenter.” The moment of falling in love is one example. Another may happen when a creative artist makes an inspiring breakthrough in their work. These transcendent interludes may also come from dreamwork, exciting teachings, walks in nature, and responsible drug use. I bring these ideas to your attention, Cancerian, because I believe the months ahead will be prime time for you to cultivate and attract peak experiences.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, your life in 2025 will be pretty free of grueling karmic necessity. You will be granted exemptions from cosmic compulsion. You won’t be stymied by the oppressive inertia of the past. To state this happy turn of events more positively, you will have clearance to move and groove with daring expansiveness. Obligations and duties won’t disappear, but they’re more likely to be interesting than boring and arduous. Special dispensations and kind favors will flow more abundantly than they have in a long time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): One of my most enjoyable goals in life has been to expunge my “isms.” I’m pleased that I have made dramatic progress in liquidating much of the perverse cultural conditioning that imprinted me as I was growing up. I’ve largely liberated myself from racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heteronormativity, looksism, and even egotism. How are you doing with that stuff, Virgo? The coming months will be a favorable time to work on this honorable task. What habits of mind and feeling have you absorbed from the world that are not in sync with your highest ideals?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here’s one of my predictions for you in 2025, Libra: You will reach the outer limits of your domain and then push on to explore beyond those limits.

Here’s another prediction: You will realize with a pleasant shock that some old expectations about your destiny are too small, and soon you will be expanding those expectations. Can you handle one further mind-opening, soul-stretching prophecy? You will demolish at least one mental block, break at least one taboo, and dismantle an old wall that has interfered with your ability to give and receive love.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you’re not married and would like to be, 2025 might be your best chance in years to find wedded bliss. If an existing intimate bond is less than optimal, the coming months will bring inspiration and breakthroughs to improve it. Let’s think even bigger and stronger, Scorpio, and speculate that you could be on the verge of all kinds of enhanced synergetic connections. I bet business and artistic partnerships will thrive if you decide you want them to. Links to valuable resources will be extra available if you work to refine your skills at collaboration and togetherness.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I wonder how you will feel about the fact that I’m declaring 2025 to be the Year of the Muses for you Sagittarians. Will you be happy that I expect you to be flooded with provocative clues from inspiring influences? Or will you regard the influx of teachings and revelations as chaotic, confusing or inconvenient? In the hope you adopt my view, I urge you to expand your understanding of the nature of muses. They may be intriguing people, and might also take the form of voices in your head, ancestral mentors, beloved animals, famous creators, or spirit guides.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Astrologers in ancient China had the appalling view that over two-thirds of all omens are negative, threatening, or scary. I haven’t seen formal research into the biases of modern Western stargazers, but my anecdotal evidence suggests they tend to be equally pessimistic. I regard this as an unjustified travesty. My studies have shown that there is no such thing as an inherently ominous astrological configuration. All portents are revelations about how to successfully wrangle with our problems, perpetrate liberation, ameliorate suffering, find redemption, and perform ingenious tweaks that liberate us from our mind-forged manacles. They always have the potential to help us discover the deeper meanings beneath our experiences. Everything I just said is essential for you to keep in mind during 2025.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Over the years, a few people who don’t know me well have accused me of “thinking too much” or “overthinking.” They are wrong. While I aspire to always be open to constructive criticism, I am sure that I don’t think too much. Not all my thoughts are magnificent, original, and high-quality, of course; some are generated by fear and habit. However, I meticulously monitor the flow of all my thoughts and am skilled at knowing which ones I should question or not take seriously. The popular adage, “Don’t believe everything you think” is one of my axioms. In 2025, I invite you Aquarians to adopt my approach. Go right ahead and think as much as you want, even as you heighten your awareness of which of your thoughts are excellent and which are not.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m pleased, bordering on gleeful, that your homecoming is well underway. All the signs suggest that as 2025 unfolds, you will ripen the processes of deepening your roots and building a stronger foundation. As a result, I expect and predict that your levels of domestic bliss will reach unprecedented heights. You may even create a deeply fulfilled sense of loving yourself exactly as you are and feeling like you truly belong to the world you are surrounded by. Dear Pisces, I dare you to cultivate more peace of mind than you have ever managed to arouse. I double-dare you to update traditions whose emotional potency has waned.

MARKETPLACE

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com

EMPLOYMENT

GENERAL HELP WANTED Kind lady needed for monthly grocery run in Arden. $25 per hour. Call Julie at 828-676-0523

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edited by Joel Fagliano

23 Speak gently

Multivolume ref. work

.

You might pick one to get gold

One-named singer featured on the 2013 hit “Play Hard”

Steels (oneself)

Problem for a homeowner or government worker

Major muddle

Word with history or surgery 43 Purveyors of roast beef and Reubens 45 Gran Canaria, por ejemplo 47 Experimental musician whose name sounds like a cry

–

Biblical boat

/

Ever’s partner

Jack who hosted “The Morning Show” and “The Tonight Show”

Selects from a group

One-named singer featured on the 2013 hit “Play Hard”

Woodworking fastener

Passion

Fluid-filled sac

Fresh answer, maybe

OId-fashioned “Darn!”

Prefix with practice

“There you ___!”

Invite initials

TV regulatory grp. 54 Sounds from a stumbler

The tiniest amount

Frees from

Volleyball team, e.g.

Sudden impulse

What self-driving cars and spell check are meant to compensate for

Tickle pink

Put a strain on

Draws back, as before throwing

“Groovy, daddy-o!”

Of an arm bone

Fin beneath a surfboard

Like most hippos and hyenas

Flies off the handle

Competitor of Korean Air 51 “All right, why not” 52 Currency of Switzerland

Genuine articles

“Ay, Dios ___!”

“___ California” (Grammywinning Red Hot Chili Peppers hit)

Place on the schedule