Mountain Xpress 01.20.20

OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 25 JAN. 15-21, 2020

Locals honor MLK’s life and legacy

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Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns

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OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 25 JAN. 15-21, 2020

C O NT E NT S Locals honor MLK’s life and legacy

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Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns

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Our annual Animal Issue dashes right in with articles ranging from a look at our area’s animal rescue operations to the emotional support offered by our pet friends and the way we immortalize our fur babies in art.

COVER ART “Hey ... I’m Watching You!” by Angela Alexander COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

FEATURES NEWS

9 KILLING WITH KINDNESS Animal rescue and the limits of compassionate care

NEWS

14 PEACE AND PROGRESS Local groups honor MLK’s life and legacy

WELLNESS FOOD A&E

33 STARDUST, BROUGHT TO ASHEVILLE Neil deGrasse Tyson presents ‘An Astrophysicist Reads the Newspaper’

A&E

21 CREATURE COMFORT Emotional support animals offer four-legged therapy

26 RECIPES FOR A NEW YEAR Reenvision your culinary capabilities for 2020

34 CRITTERS ON CANVAS Local artists offer portraits of our furry friends

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OPINION

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STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR: Gina Smith GREEN SCENE EDITOR: Daniel Walton OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Laura Hackett, Brooke Randle, Daniel Walton

CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O L T O N

Why no Asheville Women’s March?

The Women’s March to defeat Trump is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 18, in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The womensmarch.com website does not indicate that a march is scheduled for Asheville. How is this possible in the most progressive city in Western North Carolina?

I am a 70-year-old woman with no organizing experience — are there no young women activists in this city anymore?

Please get this done! Speaking out publicly against this corrupt president is the only tool we have to defeat him.

— Mary Linda Palmer Asheville Editor’s note: WLOS reported last week (avl.mx/6uu) that Asheville Women’s March organizers said the financial strain of putting on the event was too much and were encouraging people to attend the Saturday, Jan. 18, march in Black Mountain. They said they do plan to hold an Asheville march in the fall, closer to Election Day.

12 Baskets Cafe also fills hunger gap Your superb recent article on food scarcity and hunger in Western North Carolina [“Feeding the Soul: Spiritual Organizations’ Food Efforts Address More Than Just Physical Hunger,” Dec. 18, Xpress] was a fine bit of research and writing by your staff. Listing so

many organizations responding to the critical situation of regional hunger should encourage from your readers more volunteers with time, talent and treasure for all those worthy groups.

Unfortunately, the article omitted one of the most significant and successful such efforts — the 12 Baskets Cafe in West Asheville, created and supported by the Asheville Poverty Initiative. This program feeds scores of area residents from all walks of life, five days a week, offering a wide range of rescued and repurposed food from some of the finest restaurants of the city, grocery stores, retirement communities, hospitals, caterers and others in the food-service industry.

The sit-down-and-served meal is offered by donation, if able, for all those who hunger for nutritious and tasty food, who hunger to belong to a supportive community, as well as those who hunger to help remedy the reality of food scarcity. By being waitpersons, washing dishes, cleaning up after lunch, picking up food from the various donors or making financial donations to help pay the rent and utilities, participants contribute in many different ways.

Similar to the biblical story of 12 baskets of loaves and fishes left over from feeding the multitudes, this cafe serves rescued, untouched food that would otherwise be discarded. This powerful program builds relationships among diverse segments of our beloved city. Stereotypes are dismantled. Fear reduced. Hope empowered.

12 Baskets Cafe is located below Firestorm Books & Coffee on

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Haywood Road across State Street from Sunny Point Café. Consider joining this diverse community for a delicious lunch and interesting, communitybuilding conversation, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Recently, the monthly rent for their West Asheville site has been doubled from this venerable, indispensible but vulnerable program, 12 Baskets Cafe of the Asheville Poverty Initiative.

So financial major support is of crucial significance at this time. So, also consider financially supporting this worthy cause.

— Jim Cavener Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress checked in with the Rev. Shannon Spencer of Asheville Poverty Initiative, who reports: “Our rent has increased but only because Kairos West, the ministry that previously was the leaseholder, moved. Whereas Kairos paid the rent, and we paid a portion when we were sharing the space, we are now paying the full amount, which comes out to being nearly tripled.

We still use the space as a community center with other organizations and gatherings occurring in addition to the cafe, but it is a big jump for us.”

The elephants in the room “Decaying cities, declining economies, and mounting social troubles travel together. The combination is not coincidental.”

— author Jane Jacobs Sounds like Asheville/Buncombe struggles with the TDA and HCA. Unsolved city problems spread to regions.

Substitute Robert Moses, the powerbroker of urban renewal, with either or both entities to see a path forward.

Quasi-official boards created by our villain(s) mislead us. Appearing as legitimate, we bow to demands and suffer the daily consequences. Reporters, letters and editorials serve to inform and inspire, but “feet on the street” is evolutionary action. A path forward to egregious profit-driven corporations is “feet on the street.”

— Annie Butzner Asheville

More gingerbread houses, please Can we suggest it to local businesses to start a gingerbread display for anyone who wants to enter or anyone who wants to come see it? Since the Omni Grove Park Inn has made it so expensive and out of reach for most people.

Going to see the gingerbread houses and having the gingerbread smell would just start off the holiday season.

Just wanted it to be put out there for another business to be open to the public to see gingerbread houses made by those who like to make them. Maybe the Asheville Mall or Blue Ridge Mall: It could bring in business and give people something beautiful to see also.

— Karen Tomlinson Weaverville

Helping children with autism I see autistic kids around town with their fingers stuck in their ears to block out noise that they are intolerant of because they are autistic.

What they really need are a pair of earplugs or noise-reduction earmuffs so they can remove their fingers from their ears in order to free up their hands so they have use of them.

Alas! Because they are autistic, their skin is supersensitive to contact and to touch and, unfortunately for them, they cannot tolerate earplugs in their ears or noise-reduction earmuffs covering their ears and pressing down on their ears.

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Also, unfortunately, autistic kids should not be given earplugs because they might get stuck in their ears or swallowed and get lodged in their throat or cause an intestinal blockage.

So the million-dollar question is: How can we help autistic kids who cannot tolerate noise and who are tortured and tormented by noise and who lose all functioning in a noisy environment?

We need to find the answer or solution to this question so that these autistic kids will stop being tortured and tormented by noise.

One thing we can try is to explain that it’s a trade-off. And that they should be willing to tolerate the discomfort caused by wearing earplugs and noisereduction earmuffs for the relief from noise that they provide.

We should also make free earplugs and free noise-reduction earmuffs available to autistic children whose families are too poor to supply them with noise-reduction products.

We make free tampons available to poor girls and poor women who otherwise cannot afford to buy feminine hygiene products. And we likewise should make free noise-reduction products available to children on the autism spectrum!

— Richard Pope Hendersonville Editor’s note: Xpress contacted FIRST Resource Center, a local organization whose website notes that it “connects persons with disabilities and their families with the resources they need to thrive in the community,” which includes autism resources for parents in the Asheville area. Although FIRST’s Melissa Parker says the organization doesn’t have any headphones on hand, the group may be able to offer assistance on how to get them. FIRST can be reached at 828277-1215 or via its website at firstwnc. org. Also, H. Michele Louzon, executive director of Arms Around ASD, a local resource center providing therapies for people on the autism spectrum and their families, notes that the WNC Nature Center offers sensory kits (including noise-canceling headphones) to use while at the center, and low-cost headphones can also be found via Harbor Freight.

Asheville, racist and unequal as it ever was In the area of diversity in hiring, Asheville is just as segregated, racist and unequal as it ever was, and while whites promote Asheville as a tourist and artistic mecca, African Americans are still cleaning rooms in expensive hotels instead of front desk or management positions and not being hired in banks,

C A R T O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N restaurants and trendy bars in downtown, Biltmore and West Asheville.

Don’t believe the hype; I regret that because of family illnesses and death, I had to return here and see this economic apartheid and old-school segregation.

Asheville’s so-called progressives don’t see it, or if they do, they do not admit or say anything or work to change it. You Can’t Go Home Again.

— Johnny Penley Asheville Editor’s note: For more on Asheville’s history, Penley included a link to an oral history interview with him and his father, James Etheridge “Jim” Penley, who died Sept. 1, conducted in 2018 through the North Carolina Room at Pack Library: avl.mx/6uj

Make a positive change with an electric vehicle The new year is here, and no doubt a new car is on your mind, lol. However, with data showing we only have 10

years before runaway climate change, you should choose your next transport vehicle wisely (28% of emissions are from the transportation sector).

If you are a two-car family, make at least one of these vehicles electric, either short- or long-range. There are many charging options in Asheville (including your home), and you will be amazed at how much you will save from not buying gas! If you are a one-car family, a plug-in hybrid is a great choice and goes a long way to reducing emissions (perhaps 80%-90%) from driving. Or maybe you want to jump right into the world of EVs with a pure long-range EV. There are so many varieties of EVs available, used and new, that there is no excuse to not make your next vehicle electric. Not only are EVs better for the environment, they are better on your pocketbook. The only tons they emit are tons of fun — you should not die without owning an EV! So go ahead, make a positive change for this decade.

— Rudy Beharrysingh Asheville

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OPINION

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Editor’s note: Beharrysingh adds that he is president of the Blue Ridge EV Club, a nonprofit, diverse group of EV owners devoted to the proliferation of electric transportation through education and advocacy. For more information about electric vehicles, you may contact the group at blueridgeevclub@gmail.com or visit its web site: www.blueridgeevclub.com.

Take action to support immigrant families Do you remember what it was like to be 6 years old and lose your mother in the grocery store? The panic, the fear that you’ll never see her again, that something terrible might happen to you? Children of immigrants in our communities here in Western North Carolina are living with that fear of separation every day while decisions are made regarding Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson’s proposed rule titled Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status.

The rule will revoke eligibility for mixed-status families receiving feder-

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al housing assistance. A mixed-status family is one in which at least one household member (usually a parent) is without documentation, for a multitude of reasons. Oftentimes a visa has expired, and it is too dangerous for the person to return to their country of origin. In the meantime, they can work and pay taxes, but only eligible family members receive aid.

This proposed rule incites fear and alienates immigrant communities. The consequences are significant for children, most of them U.S. citizens, living in constant fear of losing their parents. Anti-immigrant policymaking traumatizes children and poses a risk for mental and physical health disparities. Policies that damage the lives of children do not speak to the American I want to be. I am writing for a call to action. Please call your state representatives and ask them to support

Correction The cover photo for our Jan. 8 issue should have been credited to Stephan Pruitt.

and vote for H.R. 2763, the Keeping Families Together Act of 2019, which prohibits Secretary Ben Carson from passing his changes.

As a community, we must come together and support our most vulnerable members. Imagine that this was your 6-year-old, afraid of never seeing Mommy again. Not in a grocery store, but in their own home.

— Brianna Travell Asheville

In memoriam We are sorry to share the sad news that Mark Hamilton Low, Mountain Xpress’ Hendersonville route driver for the past year, passed away unexpectedly last week. Mark was a cheerful person and an avid photographer with a great sense of adventure and a love for exploring the area around Asheville. Born in Los Angeles, he moved here with his wife, Deanna, in 2012 with much enthusiasm for their new home. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. ― Xpress staff

NEWS

KILLING WITH KINDNESS Animal rescue and the limits of compassionate care istic and, more importantly, inhumane.

Inevitably, however, those life-and-death decisions are controversial.

BEHAVIORAL EUTHANASIA

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Whether it’s volunteering to walk a dog or clean a kennel, donating money or offering time to compose animal biographies for a pet adoption page, “Everybody has something they can do to help an animal facility,” says Fred Strohm, administrator at Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation. Photo courtesy of Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Cartoons can reveal a great deal about Americans’ changing attitudes toward animals, says Angela Prodrick, executive director of the Blue Ridge Humane Society. In the 1955 Walt Disney animated feature film Lady and the Tramp, for example, the stray dogs’ greatest fear is being taken to the pound. And for good reason, Prodrick explains: At the time, it amounted to a death sentence.

In the modern-day cartoon series Family Guy, on the other hand, Brian Griffin, a white Labrador retriever who writes novels, is prone to “lounging on the couch and drinking martinis,” Prodrick says with a laugh.

Over the last half-century or so, she notes, the nation’s relationship with our furry, four-legged friends has gradually shifted — particularly the way we deal with homeless dogs and cats.

In the 1970s, an estimated 13.5 million unwanted or unclaimed animals were euthanized each year, according to a September 2019 New York Times story. Back then, says Prodrick, “All the shelters were next to landfills,” to facilitate disposal of the carcasses that accumulated daily.

By the 1980s, communities across the country had launched spay-and-neuter

campaigns, seeking to reduce the staggering number of homeless cats and dogs. That momentum carried into the ’90s, by which time no-kill shelters and more organized adoption programs had also begun springing up.

Yet as the new millennium began, the death rate remained high. Nationally, “More than 8 million dogs and cats a year end up in shelters,” the Asheville Citizen-Times reported on July 22, 2001.

About half of those animals, the article noted, were euthanized.

More recently, however, those numbers have declined sharply. In 2017, American shelters euthanized some 2 million dogs and cats, according to the Best Friends Animal Society. The Utahbased national nonprofit operates the country’s largest animal sanctuary. And by last year, the organization’s website notes, the national death toll had dropped below the 1 million mark — to an estimated 733,000 — for the first time on record.

Here in Western North Carolina, a number of animal rescue groups and county-funded shelters are committed to keeping the local numbers down. At the same time, staffers at those organizations lament the fact that many members of the public mistakenly believe it’s possible to avoid ever euthanizing any animal. That noble sentiment, these field workers maintain, is both unreal-

“Most people don’t know the details of animal rescue, and that makes sense,” says Leah Craig Fieser of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue. “Shelters are facing scrutiny from the public — who, through no fault of their own, don’t understand the term ‘no-kill.’ This is not a Brother Wolf problem; this is not a Brother Wolf crisis.

This is a national problem.”

Since taking the reins as executive director of the no-kill shelter last year, Craig Fieser says she’s been tasked with stabilizing the organization’s financial woes, which included a $1 million funding gap. She’s also faced passionate criticism by community members outraged about dogs euthanized due to what the nonprofit said was aggressive behavior.

Like many other organizational leaders who spoke with Xpress, Craig Fieser says she understands the confusion and anger that result when a no-kill shelter euthanizes an animal in its care. But the term “no-kill” is misleading, she maintains. The industry standard for these shelters is a 90% live-release rate, which the organization’s website says Brother Wolf surpasses.

Nonetheless, some animals are euthanized, both on-site and through veterinary partners. The practice, says Craig Fieser, predates her arrival and continues today — a fact that she and her team have made clear to both current and prospective employees and volunteers. Area residents, she says, rarely object to euthanizing pets for medical reasons, “but it’s very hard for the public to understand behavioral euthanasias.”

In response to those criticisms, Craig Fieser posted an open letter titled “Warehousing Isn’t Working” on the nonprofit’s website last month. In it, she outlines Brother Wolf’s approach in such cases (see sidebar, “Behavioral euthanasia criteria”). The animals in question, she says, were unadoptable longterm shelter residents that had displayed aggressive behavior toward people or other animals. Putting dogs like these up for adoption and releasing them into

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FIRST OFFICIAL FOSTER: In 2002, Jim Fulton helped launch the Asheville Humane Society’s foster program. In the process, he became the program’s first official foster parent. Eighteen years later, Fulton still works for the organization. Photo courtesy of Asheville Humane Society

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the community places everyone at risk, Craig Fieser argues.

“Aggression cannot be fixed; it can only be highly managed,” she maintains.

Behavioral euthanasia criteria Leah Craig Fieser, executive director of Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, recently published a letter on the nonprofit’s website listing eight behaviors that can result in euthanasia. Evaluations are done on a case-by-case basis, the letter states.

The impermissible behaviors are: • Damaging bite history toward children or adults.

• Showing no warning signs before attempting to bite.

• Having severely injured or killed another dog.

• Unmanageable by handler due to aggressive behaviors.

• Showing offensive aggression toward humans.

• Stalking children in a predatory manner.

• Displaying uninterruptible aggression toward other dogs.

• Exhibiting poor bite inhibition.

And even that, she says, requires skills that a well-intentioned volunteer may not have. For these reasons, Craig Fieser believes, it would be unethical to let such animals be adopted — or, for that matter, kept in a shelter indefinitely.

“These dogs do not lead lives that any of us would want for our own animals,” the letter states. “They spend up to 22 hours a day in isolation in their kennels, as almost all of them are too dangerous to interact with other dogs, and most of them can only interact with a small group of staff or volunteers with expert handling skills due to their aggression.

Most are on prescription medicine multiple times a day to help them cope with the life a dog must endure when sheltered long term.” A previous plan to create a permanent sanctuary for unadoptable animals unraveled due to financial issues, the letter notes. Meanwhile, it continues, attempts to place these animals in other facilities around the country have failed: “Almost 20 sanctuaries already responded, letting us know that they are full.”

A LIVE OUTCOME? Still, many in the community continue to object to Brother Wolf’s approach to behavioral issues and are making their voices heard. At press time, an online

“It’s very hard for the public to understand behavioral euthanasias.”

— Leah Craig Fieser, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue petition (avl.mx/6ui) calling for a moratorium on all scheduled euthanasias at the nonprofit had collected more than 21,000 signatures. Among the demands is that Brother Wolf use “an independent, unbiased panel of behaviorists” to evaluate dogs selected for euthanasia.

Supporters also call for an independent panel to screen potential adopters interested in caring for dogs with a history of aggressive behavior.

Joelle Warren, the former director of shelter operations at Brother Wolf, recently joined the public outcry, criticizing what she sees as the nonprofit’s change in philosophy and approach.

The whole point of no-kill shelters, she says, “is to explore all possible opportunities for a live outcome.”

Speaking on Jan. 9, Warren focused on the situation of Zurich, a male shepherd Brother Wolf had identified for euthanasia based on his aggressive behavior. Warren, a certified trainer, says she tried to adopt the dog, but

Brother Wolf declined her offer on account of Zurich’s history.

“I’m not for placing dogs that have mauled someone out into the community,” Warren explains. Despite Zurich’s bite history, she maintains, “I have experience; I can manage him. I could give that dog a good quality of life. … If [Brother Wolf doesn’t] want this dog to be adopted by the average person on the streets, I understand that.” But denying qualified handlers the opportunity to save a life, continues Warren, “doesn’t make sense to me.”

On Jan. 11, Brother Wolf posted a message on its Facebook page announcing that “several dogs” had been euthanized that day due to their history of aggression. In an email follow-up with Xpress, Craig Fieser confirmed that Zurich was among those euthanized.

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Regardless of which organization they work for, folks in the animal rescue field say they don’t like putting down healthy, adoptable dogs and cats. “Most people in this industry are in it because they want to help the animals,” says Fred Strohm, the administrator at Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation in Waynesville.

But for someone with a nurturing disposition, the realities of the job can prove overwhelming. “Compassion fatigue is a huge thing,” he explains. Animal rescue “is an unbelievably stressful and mentally taxing career. … You have to be able to separate yourself from the job and understand that there is only so much somebody can do. You can’t place the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

Nonetheless, he says, many in the field — whether they’re staffers, volunteers or foster “parents” — do just that.

Heather Hayes, marketing manager for the Asheville Humane Society, tells of one foster parent who converted her entire basement into a cat sanctuary, aiming to save as many felines as possible.

She can house up to 25 at a time.

On several other occasions, Hayes adds, colleagues at the shelter have taken home litters of kittens, feeding them every two hours throughout the night in order to keep them alive.

“We all do it for the animals,” says Strohm. “We want to do everything we can to help those animals succeed, and we don’t want to have to make those euthanasia decisions any more than anyone else.”

FOSTER FAILURE Asheville Humane Society staffer Jim Fulton describes himself as a nine-time “foster failure” — an industry term for those who end up adopting animals they intended to house only temporarily.

In 2002, Fulton helped launch the organization’s foster program. In doing so, he also became its first official foster parent, taking home Lulu, an Australian shepherd-collie mix with a neurological tic. Lulu was the first of many cats and dogs to join the Fulton family.

“It takes a real special person to foster, because it’s hard to give back an animal that you’ve put so much time and effort into,” he explains.

In the foster program’s first year, says Fulton, 23 families housed 45 animals.

Today, the Humane Society has 300 active foster families housing roughly 1,400 animals per year.

These volunteers play a crucial role in helping shelters and rescues save the lives of thousands of dogs and cats each year. Like Lulu, most foster pets are recovering from or learning to cope with

MOUNTAINX.COM

PET EDUCATION: Angela Prodrick, executive director of the Blue Ridge Humane Society, leads a recent class on pet care and needs at the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County.

Each year, notes Prodrick, her organization makes hundreds of educational presentations like this one throughout the community. Laverne, Prodrick’s rescue dog, accompanies her at most of these events. Photo courtesy of Blue Ridge Humane Society physical ailments. Others have behavioral problems that require more attention than a shelter can give. All of which means foster parents usually house the most difficult cases. And while there’s no compensation for the work, there are no added costs either. The shelter or nonprofit rescue organization pays for each animal’s food and medication.

For many people, fostering becomes a way of life. “We have this one volunteer, Sharon, who has fostered probably 1,000 animals over 10 years,” says Fulton. “Some people can do it. They understand that if they keep an animal, then they can’t take in others.

I wasn’t able to do that: I just kept adopting them.”

Earlier in his 19-year involvement with the Humane Society, however, being a foster failure was the least of Fulton’s worries. Plenty of community members, he says, were openly hostile to him and his colleagues; picketers called the staff killers as they entered the shelter. That’s no longer the case, though, thanks to the declining euthanasia rate.

“Believe it or not, saving lives costs money,” says Fulton. Back then, he continues, “We had to euthanize animals because we didn’t have the resources to save them. … Nobody wants to euthanize animals. People that have to aren’t

Saving lives “It seems so black and white: Spay and neuter your pets!” proclaims Meredith Pitcairn, communications and digital fundraising manager at the Asheville Humane Society. “But it’s still an issue.” Forgoing the procedure, she points out, “is why there are still so many homeless animals.”

North Carolina shelters have the third-highest euthanasia rate in the nation, behind only those in California and Texas. In 2018, the Buncombe County shelter had an 11% rate, with 619 animals killed, according to a June 10, 2019, WLOS News report.

Percentages in neighboring counties varied widely: Haywood (6%), Henderson (23%), Jackson (14%), Madison (11%), Mitchell (18%), Polk (2%) and Rutherford (17%).

“Sheltering is a reaction,” says Leah Craig Fieser of Brother Wolf. “It’s taking care of the problem once the problem already exists. As animal welfare activists, we have to get ahead of the problem, which is done through spay and neutering. We have to keep these animals from reproducing so that there are not all of these unwanted litters.”

To address the issue, Brother Wolf launched its mobile spay-and-neuter clinic in November 2018, offering low-cost services in Alexander, Buncombe, Burke, Haywood, Iredell, McDowell, Rutherford and Transylvania counties.

To learn more about the mobile service, visit avl.mx/6tg. Additional low-cost spay-and-neuter programs can be found at avl.mx/6ta.

“Believe it or not, saving lives costs money.”

— Jim Fulton, Asheville Humane Society evil: They’re still giving up their time and their love for these animals while they’re in their care.”

BEYOND NO-KILL Accounts differ as to what the catalyst was for the no-kill movement.

Some point to 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans: As a way to cope with the tragedy, folks across the country began adopting animals rescued in the storm’s aftermath. Others say the campaign gained traction following the 2007 arrest of NFL quarterback Michael Vick, who pleaded guilty to a felony dogfighting conspiracy charge (he was sentenced to 23 months in prison and served 21). Still others cite the rise of social media and the sudden flood of available information about euthanasia as key factors in the shift, both locally and nationally.

Whatever the explanation, the results have been dramatic, says retired veterinarian Kristen Hammett, a longtime staffer at the Haywood County Animal Shelter.

Hammett’s more than 30-year career began in the late ’80s. In the early days, she estimates, the shelter euthanized about 70% of the animals in its care. “It was pretty miserable,” she recalls.

These days, notes Hammett, the shelter works closely with Sarge’s Animal Rescue Foundation to ensure that no animal is euthanized due to lack of space. Still, she’s not entirely comfortable with the no-kill movement’s chosen name. “I wish we could find a better term, because there are going to be euthanasias,” says Hammett.

Others in the field agree, and several local organizations are rethink-

ing the way they describe themselves.

One option, notes Craig Fieser of Brother Wolf, is “ethical no-kill.”

The phrase, she says, is informed by the “five freedoms,” an industrywide standard for ensuring animal welfare (see sidebar, “Fundamental rights”).

All animals, the thinking goes, should have the freedom to express normal behavior, including sufficient space and the company of their own kind.

But animals unfit for adoption, she points out, do not enjoy that freedom.

Similarly, says Hayes, the Asheville Humane Society is looking into what it calls a “beyond no-kill philosophy.”

Rather than meeting an arbitrary 90% no-kill goal, she explains, “It’s all about a life worth living.”

Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge Humane Society has dropped the no-kill term entirely, despite maintaining a more than 90% live-release rate. The reason, says Prodrick, is simple: “When you use a word, it evokes a lot of emotion, and when you take two very abrasive words like ‘no’ and ‘kill’ and put them together, a lot of emotions get stirred up, especially when it’s in big letters and used as tag lines.”

But however a shelter or rescue organization characterizes its work, continues Prodrick, they all share the same basic mission: eliminating premature and unnecessary deaths.

“We’re all in this together — Brother Wolf, the Asheville Humane Society, us and all the other rescues in the area,” she says. “We’re like grocery stores: We’re all doing the same thing; we just have different variations of it. And I think everyone comes at it with a passion and dedication to animals. We put in tireless time and effort to save lives.” X

progressive, comprehensive and compassionate care 32 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville, NC 28787 (828) 658-0099 • reemscreekah.com

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Fundamental rights According to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians, the “five freedoms” widely recognized by animal shelters and rescues are: • Freedom from hunger and thirst: by ready access to fresh water and diet to maintain health and vigor.

• Freedom from discomfort: by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

• Freedom from pain, injury or disease: by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

• Freedom to express normal behavior: by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

• Freedom from fear and distress: by ensuring conditions and treatment that avoid mental suffering.

Coming February 19th

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N EWS

by Brooke Randle

brandle@mountainx.com

PEACE AND PROGRESS Local groups honor MLK’s life and legacy

Holding onto hope — even when things appear darkest — was a key aspect of Martin Luther King Jr.’s message at the height of the struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and ’60s, says local civil rights icon Oralene Simmons. And that notion still rings true today, more than 50 years after King’s death, she adds.

“We are still dealing with some of the things that Dr. King talked about in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and other things that he advocated for.

You might not recognize them, the way that you did some years ago,” Simmons says. “Some of the dynamics have changed, but those same concerns are still there.”

Asheville’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Prayer Breakfast — which Simmons founded in 1982 — kicks off a weeklong celebration of King’s life and legacy at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18. Held at the Crowne Plaza Resort, the breakfast (which is sold out) will feature Joy

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TUESDAY, JAN. 21

FREEDOM FIGHTER: Local organizations and institutions will honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with a series of rallies, lectures and gatherings. A statue of King that stands in Asheville’s Martin Luther King Jr. Park was the 1998 gift of the MLK Association of Asheville and Buncombe County. Photo by Virginia Daffron DeGruy, author of Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury and Healing. More information is available at avl.mx/6u0.

If you didn’t manage to secure a ticket to the prayer breakfast, never fear: Opportunities to honor King are planned throughout Western North Carolina.

SUNDAY, JAN. 19 • Asheville Poetry Series and poet Kevin Evans present the I Have A Dream Slam-Jam at The BLOCK Off Biltmore in downtown Asheville. Starting at 5 p.m., the event will include a partial reading of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech followed by original poetry from local artists. Tickets are $5 to attend, $10 to perform. More information at avl.mx/6ue.

MONDAY, JAN. 20

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

• Following a community potluck at 5 p.m., Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, 123 Kenilworth Road, hosts Environmental Injustice: Race, Class and Climate Change. William Barber III, co-chair for the N.C. Poor People’s Campaign’s Ecological Devastation committee, will be the keynote speaker. For more information, contact Katie Adams at 828-273-3747 or visit avl.mx/6ud.

• Asheville Poetry Series presents an MLK Day reading, featuring guest speaker Barbara Milford and poets Kevin Evans and Caleb Beissert.

Members of the public can share poems and thoughts on King and his teachings during the open mic portion of the event. Suggested donation is $5 at door. More information at avl.mx/6uf.

• Blue Ridge Community College will hold a Martin Luther King Jr. Unity Breakfast starting at 8:30 a.m. Vergel L. Lattimore III, president and professor of pastoral psychology and counseling at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, will be the keynote speaker. More information at avl.mx/6uk.

• A peace march and rally presented by the The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County (which also produces the prayer breakfast) will begin with an 11:30 a.m. ser-

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vice at the former Berry Temple United Methodist Church at 34 College Place in Asheville. Following the program, participants will march to City County Plaza, where speakers will address themes of justice and peace. The event is free and open to the public. More information at avl.mx/6u1.

• The MLK Association will hold a candlelight service at the Central United Methodist Church at 27 Church St. at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. More information at avl.mx/6u2.

• Western Carolina University will hold a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unity March 11 a.m.-1 p.m. The march will begin at the Central Plaza fountain near the alumni tower and is open to students, faculty, staff and community members.

More information at avl.mx/6u3.

• Asheville GreenWorks will hold an MLK Jr. Day of Service roadside cleanup in the historic East End/Valley Street neighborhood 10-11:30 a.m. Prior to the cleanup, Renée White, president of the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association, will speak about the history and importance of the neighborhood.

More information at avl.mx/6u7.

• Western Carolina University’s Black Student Union presents Let’s Talk Colorism, Speak and Paint from 6-8 p.m. at the University Center Grandroom. While painting, students will hear from the BSU on building strong communities for people of color. More information at avl.mx/6u3.

• UNC Asheville will feature a keynote address by the award-winning journalist, author and civil rights pioneer Charlayne Hunter-Gault. The event begins at 7 p.m. in the Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room.

Hunter-Gault will also lead a master class at 4 p.m. in Highsmith Room 228. More information at avl.mx/6u4.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 • Oralene Simmons, founder of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, will speak on Western Carolina University’s 2020 King celebration theme, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Legacy of Connection: The Story of U.S. The event takes place at WCU’s Bardo Performing Arts Center 7- 9 p.m.

More information at avl.mx/6u3.

• UNC Asheville will present a screening of Always in Season, a documentary film from director/producer Jacqueline Olive on the history of lynching in America, 7-9 p.m. at the

Highsmith Student Union Grotto. More information at avl.mx/6u5.

THURSDAY, JAN. 23 • Western Carolina University presents Indivisible Not Invisible: Focus on Mental Health for Poor, Marginalized and People of Color, 6-8 p.m. at WCU’s University Center Multipurpose Room.

More information at avl.mx/6u3.

• Cortina Caldwell, founder and creative director for Artists Designing Evolution, will lead Why We March. How We March: The Culture of Organizing and Community Building. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. at UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Student Union Mountain Suite.

More information at avl.mx/6u4.

TUESDAY, JAN. 28

LISTEN UP: Author and former foreign correspondent for National Public Radio Charlayne Hunter-Gault will provide a master class and a keynote address at UNC Asheville Tuesday, Jan. 21. Photo courtesy of UNCA

• Memphis-born poet and novelist Arthur Flowers will present Literary Blues and the Hoodoo Way — In the Footsteps of MLK. Starting at 7 p.m in UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Student Union Blue Ridge Room, the performance will also feature opening music by UNC Asheville’s Afro Music and Dance Ensemble.

More information at avl.mx/6u4. X

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

Buncombe County employs new technologies for property revaluation When the taxman comes calling to inspect each of Buncombe County’s 127,000 individual properties for the purpose of establishing their tax value this year, in many cases he won’t be a man at all.

Reveal 250, a high-definition camera system deployed using flyover technology, and Cyclomedia, a vehicle-based 360-degree measurement system, will be among the tools in a hybrid data-collection effort that will save the county time and money, Tax Assessor Keith Miller told the Board of Commissioners at its Jan. 7 pre-meeting.

Beginning this month, the department will use a variety of methods — which might still include in-person walkarounds, as well as referencing existing data — to bring tax assessments into line with current market values, Miller said.

“The new flyover with the Reveal 250 — we can do roof inspections; we can do siding inspections; we can actually see damage anywhere on these houses. We can actually see the dog standing in the door, if he was there,” Miller said. “By looking at the roof, we can make a determination on how many bathrooms are in the house, how many fireplaces are in the house. We can see cracks in a wall.”

The Cyclomedia street-level vehicle photography setup accurately measures the height, length, width and area of properties, Miller said. The Tax Department plans to share the imagery generated using both technologies with county emergency service agencies, such as the Sheriff’s Office and fire departments, as well as the

2017 and produced an approximately 28% increase in the value of the county’s property base, according to previous reporting by Xpress.

And while the results showed that the county could have cut the property tax rate by 7 cents without losing revenue, that year’s figure ended up being 2.6 cents higher than the revenue-neutral rate. The county’s current tax rate stands at 60.4 cents.

FERNWOOD RESIDENTS

SMILE FOR THE CAMERA: Buncombe County will use a new high-definition camera system (which yields images like the one shown at right) to gather detailed data on residential and commercial real estate for the 2021 property revaluation. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County departments responsible for planning and for tracking addresses, he added.

Parcel reappraisals are required every eight years by state law unless a four-year schedule is adopted by the county. The county changed its revaluation schedule last February, citing an upward trend in home values and the need to maintain adequate tax revenue to finance public services.

Miller said his department will be evaluating properties through December, and property owners can expect video, television and social media outreach from the agency. A reappraisal guide is also expected to be released in February.

NO JOB TOO LARGE OR SMALL

“When citizens hear that they’re going to be reappraised, the first thing they think is that their taxes are going to go up,” Miller said. “What I also want to stress [is that] reappraisal is a good thing.”

The new property values will be effective Jan. 1, 2021, and property owners can appeal the valuations in February and March 2021. County commissioners will then determine a new tax rate by the end of June 2021, which means property owners could see a change in their tax bill in August 2021, according to Miller’s presentation.

The results of Buncombe County’s last revaluation were approved in

Commissioners heard tearful pleas from members of some of the nearly 20 households in Fernwood Mobile Home Park in Fairview during the regular meeting of the board on Jan. 7. The residents worried about being displaced by developer David Day’s plans to redevelop the park, which is located off Charlotte Highway, for a commercial use.

“I’ve been in that park since I was 6 years old. I’m 53 now,” said resident Renee Hensley. “I feel like people want us gone from there because they think mobile homes are an eyesore. We actually have a good-looking community, for the most part.”

County staff had favored the zoning change on the grounds that the mobile home park doesn’t comply with current floodplain regulations, while the Planning Board said the request was inconsistent with the county’s land use plan and recommended commissioners deny the rezoning.

Commissioners rejected the proposal on a unanimous vote.

— Brooke Randle X

Six-week Creativity Workshop Facilitated by James Navé

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Feb. 24 - March 30, 2020 Monday evenings, 7-9 PM Downtown Asheville Register now: JamesNave.com Text or call (919)

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“James Navé and I Have worked together for over 20 years, His work as a poet, teacher, and exemplar is an important force for change.”

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FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘To breed promiscuously’

Residents tackle animal homelessness

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FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS: National spay and neuter programs began gaining momentum in the 1970s. However, in Asheville, early efforts began in the 1950s. This photo, circa 1934, is believed to have been taken outside the Grove Arcade during the Rhododendron Festival. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville “There are more than 40,000,000 homeless dogs and cats in the United States,” wrote Mrs. Fred Hester in a letter published in the May 5, 1957, edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times. “Many people, finding it impossible to find homes for the animals they permitted to be born but are unwilling to keep, resort to drowning, abandonment and other inhumane acts[.]”

Hester stressed the dire circumstances that arose from overbreeding throughout her piece: “The gnawing pains of hunger, penetrating cold in winter or thirst in soaring temperatures, mutilating injuries, the agony of severe illnesses, the sheer exhaustion of trying and failing to escape the many and dreadful forms of anguish that pursue them — this is what animal owners inflict on dogs and cats while they continue to breed an oversupply.”

By letter’s end, Hester implored readers to spay their female pets. As a resource, she directed residents to a recent leaflet published by the Humane Society.

For the next few decades, the local paper continued to feature occasional articles and letters regarding animal population control. In one particularly colorful piece, published in the Nov. 23, 1958, Sunday edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times, local

veterinarian E.L. Shuford warned of the “potential menace,” commonly found in communities overrun by homeless dogs and cats.

Fortunately for readers, the veterinarian wrote, “Buncombe County and Asheville are far ahead of many communities in control measures.” According to Shuford, the county employed four dog catchers and had three trucks in operation, as well as “a fair sized building ... to house homeless animals.”

Still, Shuford argued, it was the duty of citizens, not local government, to limit the number of strays: “The responsibility for our vast country rests squarely upon the shoulders of the person who breeds puppies and kittens that he cannot or will not take care of, and upon those owners who allow their bitches through negligence or indifferent, to breed promiscuously.”

A similar, albeit more subdued letter, appeared in The Asheville Citizen on April 18, 1962. Irid Wilson of Hendersonville bemoaned the rate of euthanized cats and dogs. “[A]gencies are killing the homeless animals somewhere nearly as fast as they are born,” she wrote. To allow such a pattern to continue was cruel, she proclaimed: “This has been called a blot on a humane

nation, and a burden on all those who constantly try to remedy the situation.”

By the mid-1970s, as the spay and neuter movement slowly picked up steam across the county, local resident Susan Elbasher offered her ideas on the topic in a Jan. 24, 1976, letter to the editor. She argued against animal shelters as the solution, claiming they were a breeding ground for the spread of disease.

Instead, Elbasher called on residents to act. Veterinarians, she wrote, should volunteer one hour each week to administering to strays. Meanwhile, if every pet owner paid 50 cents a year to cover the costs associated with treating these animals, “much of the problem would be eliminated,” Elbasher wrote.

“A small tax allocation should go for spaying and attending homeless animals until there are no more,” she continued.

“People have Medicaid. Homeless animals should have Medipet-Medical Aid to Homeless animals.”

Elbasher concluded her letter with a question: “Who will take the first step?

Veterinarians, pet owners or shall we continue to leave it all up to the helpless animals raiding your trash cans?”

Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN. 15 - 23, 2020

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext.

137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.

ACTIVISM MLK CANDLELIGHT SERVICE • MO (1/20), 6pm - Annual Candlelight Service for Martin Luther King, Jr. Free. Held at Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church St. MLK PEACE MARCH & RALLY • MO (1/20), 11:30am - Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative service then march to City-County Plaza to hear speakers on justice and peace. Free. Held at Berry Temple United Methodist Church, 34 College Place

ANIMALS ASHEVILLE ANIMAL RIGHTS READING GROUP • 3rd FRIDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Animal Rights Reading Group. Free to attend.

Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road

PUNK FOR PITS 2 • FR (1/17), 9pm - Proceeds from Punk for Pits 2 with live music: Cloud City Caskets, Gäk and the Deathbots benefit Pinups for Pitbulls. $7.

Odditorium, 1045 Haywood Road RUNNING WOLFE AND THE RENEGADES • SA (1/18), 6-9pm - Proceeds from Running Wolfe and the Renegades with the J. Creek Cloggers for traditional country and rock, clogging, line dancing, two-step, swing, mountain dancing and a cake walk benefit Manna Foodbank. $5. Held at Fines Creek Community Center, 190 Fines Creek Road, Clyde TIM SONEFELT MAGIC SHOW • SA (1/18), 3pm Proceeds from the Tim Sonefelt Magic Show benefit The Vanishing Wheelchair, teaching people with disabilities skills in the arts. $10/$5 children. Held at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 337 Charlotte St.

BENEFITS ASHEVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL BENEFIT • SU (1/19), 4-9:30pm Proceeds from the all-day concert with 10 local bands, an auction and a rafle benefit Asheville Middle School enrichment activities. Free.

Held at The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave. JOHN MAC KAH FUNDRAISER • SATURDAYS in January, 10am-4pm - Proceeds from the fundraiser for John Mac Kah benefit the chemotherapy expenses for John Mac Kah, landscape painter, studio 234. Held at Riverview Station, 191 Lyman St.

18

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY FLETCHER AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION • 4th THURSDAYS, 11:30-noon - General meeting. Free. Held at YMCA Mission Pardee Health Campus, 2775 Hendersonville Road, Arden

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Aerial Kids/Parents Night Out! is on Friday, January 17th, 6:158:00pm, $25 per student.

Intro to Handstands

weekly on Thursdays, 7:45pm. Aerial Yoga weekly on Mondays, 6:15pm. Intro to Pole Fitness weekly on Tuesdays, 7:15pm, and Saturdays, 11:30am.

Intro to Pole Dance weekly on Mondays 7:30pm. empyreanarts. org. 828.782.3321.

A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TH (1/16), 9-11am - Deep Dive Lab: The Deliberate Creative Entrepreneur - How to Innovate on Demand.

Registration: avl.mx/5zx.

Free.

• FR (1/17), 10am-noon - Building Your Business - Study Hall. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

• WE (1/22), 9-11am - Preparing for a Small Business Loan. Registration: avl.mx/5zx. Free.

ASHEVILLE FRIENDS OF ASTROLOGY • FR (1/17), 7-9pm - Liv Woodford discusses the Saturn-Pluto-Jupiter conjunction of 2020.

Free to attend. Held at EarthFare - Westgate, 66 Westgate Parkway COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR ADULT CARE HOMES • 3rd FRIDAYS, 9-10:30am - Committee meeting. Registration: julia@landofsky.org. Free.

Held at REI Asheville, 31 Schenck Parkway EXPLORING THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY • WE (1/22), 7pm Exploring the Blue Ridge Parkway talk by a park ranger. Free. Held at Land of Sky Regional Council Offices, 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140 GENEALOGY MADE EASY • TU (1/21), 4pm Genealogy Made Easy: Getting Started the Right Way with Regina Mize, MLIS. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa HARD 2 RECYCLE • SA (1/18), 10am-2pm - Bring your hard-torecycle items. Asheville Humane Society collect-

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ing pet supplies. Free.

Held at Aaron's Rent to Own, 1298 Patton Ave. HOMINY VALLEY RECREATION PARK • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Hominy Valley board meeting. Free.

Held at Hominy Valley Recreation Park, 25 Twin Lakes Drive, Candler LEICESTER HISTORY GATHERING • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - The Leicester History Gathering, general meeting.

Free. Held at Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester SKATE NIGHT • SA (1/18) - Kids, 5-7pm, Adults, 8-11pm.

Bring your own skates. $3. Held at Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road

ECO ASHEVILLE CITIZENS' CLIMATE LOBBY • 3rd MONDAYS, 6:30-8:30pm - General meeting for non-partisan organization lobbying for a bipartisan federal solution to climate change.

Free to attend. Held at Paulsen Lodge at Asheville School, 360 Asheville School Road CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES • TH (1/23), 5:30-7:30pm - Effective strategies for climate change communication with reception. Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 CONNECT BUNCOMBE • WE (1/22), 6-8pm - Connect Buncombe annual meeting with guest speaker Tristan Winkler, Director of the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization and hear about plans for 8 the regional Hellbender Trail. Free. Held at Lenoir-Rhyne University, 36 Montford Ave.

GINSENG WELLSPRING: The N.C. Ginseng Association hosts its second annual Ginseng Gathering and Auction on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2-4 p.m., at Warren Wilson College in the Upper Ransom Hall. Sample food, beverages and medicine made with local organic American ginseng (Panax Quinquefolius). The silent auction includes ginseng roots, tinctures, teas and food items. The $20 admission includes a one-year membership to the N.C. Ginseng Association. (p. 22) MLK ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICE: RACE, CLASS AND CLIMATE CHANGE • MO (1/20), 6:30pm Kenilworth celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with keynote speaker William Barber III of The Climate Reality Project.

5-6:30pm - community potluck in Kenilworth Center, behind the church.

Held at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church, 123 Kenilworth Road

FARM & GARDEN 27TH ANNUAL ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 6-8, 2020. at Mars Hill University, NC. Pre-conference workshops & Leah Penniman lecture in Buncombe County.

150+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate workshops on organic growing, homesteading, farming, permaculture.

Organicgrowersschool. org. (828) 214-7833.

ADVANCED ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT (PD.) THU. FEB 6TH 3PM-7PM. Advanced Enterprise Development will dig into enterprise development and help farmers understand the factors that influence farm profitability, assess recordkeeping and farm

documentation in order to enhance their farm financial picture. https:// organicgrowersschool. org/farmers/advancedenterprise-development/ FARM DREAMS WORKSHOP BY ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL (PD.) SAT. JAN. 18TH & SAT. FEB. 8TH, 10AM-4PM. A day-long workshop designed to help people who are seeking commonsense information on sustainable farming and how to move forward.

Learn more at www. organicgrowersschool.org/ farmers/farm-dreams IMPROVING FARM COMMUNICATIONS (PD.) JAN. 12 & JAN. 19.

10AM-4PM. In Improving Farm Communication workshop participants will use real life farm situations to learn communication styles, how to have better conversations, and practice new skills. For farmers and employees on farms. https:// organicgrowersschool.org/ farmers/improving-farmcommunications/ COMMUNITY GARDEN MEETING • WE (1/15), 6pm - Leicester Library Community Garden is starting up.

Learn how to get involved.

Free. Held at Leicester

Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8am - Monthly breakfast with presentations on agriculture. Admission by donation. Held at Green Creek Community Center, 25 Shields Road, Columbus

FOOD & BEER FLETCHER CHILI COOKOFF • SA (1/18), noon-2pm - The Town of Fletcher hosts the 19th annual Chili Cook-Off. Prizes for Best Overall Chili, Best Individual Chili, Best Business Chili, Best Table Décor and People’s Choice. Free.

Held at Veritas Christian Academy, 17 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community.Center • WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am-1pm - Welcome Table, community meal.

Free.

• 3rd TUESDAYS, 2:30pm - Manna food distribution.

Free.

WINTER ARTS SMOKIES STYLE CHILI COOK-OFF • SA (1/18), noon-4pm Winter Arts Smokies Style Chili Cook-Off. $5. Held at Haywood County Arts Council, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville

FESTIVALS ASHEVILLE FRINGE ARTS FESTIVAL • SU (1/19) through SU (1/26) - Performance arts festival with 100+ ticketed performances featuring cross genre fringe artists.

See website for full schedule. $14-19. Held at Downtown Asheville PUZZLEFEST • Through SA (1/18), noon8pm - The 11th Annual Puzzlefest includes a 3,000piece 'Peaceful Reflections' showcase puzzle. Free to attend. Held at Mills River Presbyterian Church, 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS DEMOCRAT WOMEN OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY • TH (1/16), 5:15pm - January meeting with catered dinner. Registration: buncombedemwomen@ gmail.com. $18/$15 member. Held at Buncombe

County Democratic Headquarters, 951 Old Fairview Road HENDERSON COUNTY LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS • TH (1/16), 11:30am1pm - Henderson County League of Women Voters Lunch and Learn.

Free. Held at Agudas Israel Congregation, 505 Glasgow Lane, Hendersonville INFORMED PROGRESSIVE WORKSHOP • WE (1/22), 5:30 - Food.

6pm - Workshop to discuss and further understand the current progressive movement and a discussion of a progressive vision for the community. Childcare available. Free. Held at Donaldson Room, 1216 Sixth Ave. W., Suite 500 (in back), Hendersonville SILENT VIGIL FOR IMMIGRATION REFORM • FR (12/20), 4-4:30pm - Progressive Alliance's monthly Silent Vigil to

promote compassionate Immigration Reform policies. Held at Henderson County Courthouse, 200 N. Grove St., Hendersonville MLK SOCIAL JUSTICE IN ACTION • TH (1/23), 5:30pm - Why We March.

How We March: The Culture of Organizing and Community Building, workshop by Cortina Caldwell. Free. Held at Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights, Mountain Suites.

KIDS EMPOWERING THE LEADER IN EACH YOUNG MAN (PD.) Journeymen is supporting adolescent boys on their paths to becoming men of integrity. Our cost-free program is now enrolling young men 12-17. Mentees ("J-men") participate in bi-weekly mentoring groups and a semi-annual Rites of Passage Adventure Weekend, where

they develop compassion, self-awareness, accountability, resilience and authenticity. Learn more: journeymenasheville.org Contact: journeymenasheville@ gmail.com (828) 771-6344.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • FR (1/17), 4pm - Sign up to read for 15-minutes with J.R. the therapy dog.

Registration required.

Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TU (1/21), 4-5:30pm - Read with Olivia the Therapy Dog. Registration required: 828-250-6482.

Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville STEM WITH DR. K • TU (1/21), 3:30-5:30pm - STEM with Dr. K: Build a toy. Registration required.

Ages: 6-106. Free. Held at Mountains Branch Library, 150 Bill's Creek Road, Lake Lure

OUTDOORS

WOMEN IN BUSINESS

LOOKOUT STAR GAZE • FR (1/17), 5:42pm - A public stargazing party with a weather backup date as Saturday, Jan. 18.

Registration: avl.mx/6ly.

Free. Held at Lookout Observatory, 1 University Heights SWANNANOA VALLEY BIRD WALK • SA (12/21), 9-11am Bird walk. Free. Held at Charles D. Owen Park, 875 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa WINTER’S FOR THE BIRDS • SA (1/18), 1-3pm Examine some of the adaptations that allow even small songbirds to survive. After, we’ll look for winter birds on the trails. Registration: jknight@bmtrust.org or 828-631-1061. Admission by donation. Held at Balsam Mountain Trust, 81 Preserve Road Sylva

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PARENTING BABY GYM • TUESDAYS, 11am - Play time with baby and toddler toys, tunnels and climbing structures. Free.

Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. FOSTER PARENT TRAINING • WE (1/22), 6-9pm - Foster Parent Training classes begin.

Registration: 828-694-

CONSCIOUS PARTY

by Deborah Robertson

6252 or families4kids@ hendersoncountync. gov. Held at Department of Public Health, 1200 Spartanburg Highway, Hendersonville

PUBLIC LECTURES CULTURAL CRASH COURSE • WE (1/15), 5:30-8pm - WCU's Dr. Christopher Hoyt speaking on the Philosophy of Love and Sex. Registration required.

$9. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville

pioneer Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Free. Blue Ridge Room.

MLK HIGHSMITH STUDENT UNION 1 University Heights, highsmithunion.unca.edu • TU (1/21), 4pm - Master Class: Up Close and Personal: A Chat with Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

Free. Room 228.

• TU (1/21), 7pm - A keynote address by the award-winning journalist, author and civil rights

MLK UNITY BREAKFAST • MO (1/20), 8:30am - Martin Luther King, Jr. Unity Breakfast with program at 9:15am with keynote speaker Dr. Vergel L. Lattimore III, speaking on Intelligence plus Character: The Goal of True Education. $15/$5 children. Held at Blue Ridge Community

Banner year for Give!Local Grassroots fundraising pays off

A heartfelt thanks is in order, to the 414 individuals who donated to 2019’s Give!Local partner nonprofits, generating a total impact of $178,804. Every dollar goes directly to local nonprofits making a difference in the WNC community.

Category

Total donated Total matches $25,976

$10,000

Community (5*)

$5,919

$2,533

Creativity & Literacy (5*)

$7,017

$0

Education (7*)

$15,575

$7,314

Environment (6*)

$21,707

$0

Health & Wellness (7*)

$13,516

$3,883

Social Justice (8*)

$51,497

$13,195

$141,207

$36,925

Animals (7*)

Total raised

*Number of nonprofits in category Mountain Xpress’ fifth annual campaign to raise funds and awareness for local organizations benefiting the community has nearly quintupled the first year’s effort in 2015 of $36,981 thanks to more people participating and significant matching funds. The project has reached more people and raised more money every year since its 2015 inception. Compared to last year, about 30 more individuals donated and the total donations increased from $111,778 to $141,207. The average donation size rose to $336.21 thanks to 10 gifts in excess of $2,000, but the median donation was $100. And 111 donors gave less than $30 — reflecting that Give!Local is a grassroots project that encourages new and young philanthropists.

Three cheers to Ingles for underwriting the printing of the Give!Local guide, to the Salvage Station for hosting the kickoff party where $672 was raised in a silent auction as well as a grand group of local business for providing rewards, in partnership with Mountain Xpress, for the hundreds of this year’s generous donors.

Nonprofits wishing to be part of next year’s Give!Local campaign can apply now at avl.mx/6o8.

— Able Allen, Give!Local coordinator X 20

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

PUNKS FOR PITS: Proceeds from Punk for Pits benefits Pinups for Pitbulls, dedicated to raising funds to fight breed-specific legislation. The evening includes live music from the Cloud City Caskets, Gäk and the Deathbots, and is planned for Friday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m. at the Odditorium. Suggested donation is $7. (p. 18)

College, Technology Education & Development Center, 180 W. Campus Drive, Flat Rock THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM 87 Haywood St., 828259-5544 • WE (1/16), 6pm - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium celebrates 80th anniversary with the unveiling of the conceptual design for the upgrade. Free.

• TU (1/21), 8pm - Neil deGrasse Tyson for An Astrophysicist Reads the Newspaper. $34-$250.

‘WALKING IN ANOTHER’S SHOES’ • SU (1/19), 2:30-4pm - Walking In Another’s Shoes: Stories from Asheville’s Past and Hope for the Future presented by Al Whitesides, Buncombe County Commissioner, at the meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Free. Held at Asheville Friends Meetinghouse, 227 Edgewood Road

SENIORS ASHEVILLE ELDER CLUB • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths.

Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Jewish Family Services of WNC, 2 Doctors Park, Suite E

HENDERSONVILLE ELDER CLUB • WEDNESDAYS, 11am2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths.

Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Agudas Israel Congregation, 505 Glasgow Lane, Hendersonville INTRODUCTION TO MEDICARE: UNDERSTANDING THE PUZZLE • FR (1/17), 4pm Introduction to Medicare – Understanding the Puzzle, explains how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties and ways to save money.

Registration: coabc.org or 828-277-8288. Free.

Held at Goodwill Career Training Center, 1616 Patton Ave. • WE (1/22), 4pm Introduction to Medicare – Understanding the Puzzle, explains how Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties and ways to save money.

Registration: coabc.org or 828-277-8288. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, 2579 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville

SPIRITUALITY ANATASATI MAGGA (PD.) Sujata Yasa (Nancy Spence). Zen Buddhism.

Weekly meditations and services; Daily recitations w/ mala. Urban retreats.

32 Mineral Dust Drive, Asheville, NC 28806.

828-367-7718. info@

anattasatimagga.org.

ANATTASATIMAGGA. ORG ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services.

Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.

DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE • 3rd SATURDAYS, 7:30-9:30pm - Spiritual group dances that blend chanting, live music and movement. No experience necessary.

Admission by donation.

Held at Haw Creek Commons, 311 Old Haw Creek Road SONGS & SILENCE, ALL FAITH TAIZE SERVICE • THURSDAYS, 6:30-7:15 pm - All faith Taize service of meditation and music. Free. Held at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W., Hendersonville

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS/ YOUTH IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) 43% of adults with low literacy live in poverty.

Volunteer and help our neighbors rise above the confines of poverty.

Orientation 2/3 (9am) or 2/6 (5:30pm) RSVP: volunteers@litcouncil. com. Learn more: www. litcouncil.com. Free.

MLK 6TH ANNUAL MLK DAY OF SERVICE • MO (1/20), noon - 6th annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service bagging family meals and boxing cookies. Held at St. James Episcopal Church, 766 N. Main Street, Hendersonville ASHEVILLE PRISON BOOKS • 3rd SUNDAYS, 1-3pm - Send books to inmates in NC & SC. Information: avlcommunityaction.com or ashevilleprisonbooks@ gmail.com. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT • Fourth THURSDAYS, 6-9pm - Monthly meeting to prepare packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the US. Free to attend.

Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road VOLUNTEER INFO SESSION AT THE FREE CLINICS • TH (1/16), 10-11am - Opportunities for volunteers as front desk reception, building maintenance, Spanish interpreting, gardening and bicycle repair.

Information: volunteer@ thefreeclinics.org or thefreeclinics.org/ volunteer. Held at The Free Clinics, 841 Case St., Hendersonville For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

WELLNESS

Magical Offerings

CREATURE COMFORT Emotional support animals offer four-legged therapy I was self-medicating at the time, and I just wanted to die.”

After working with numerous care providers and a combination of medications, behavioral therapy and other treatments, Colin decided to try a different approach: She adopted an emotional support animal.

Nearly five years later, Colin says Petunia, her charcoal gray cat, has helped her rely less on anti-anxiety medication, and the frequency of panic attacks has decreased dramatically.

“It definitely made a huge difference in my overall emotional well-being,” she reports. “She’s not a lap cat at all: She tends to keep to herself. But whenever I feel stressed or panicked, she will come to me. She will put her paw on my face or just sit with me and purr.”

Proponents say ESAs can offer relief to people experiencing a wide variety of mental health conditions. But as they continue to grow in popularity, these animals are increasingly making their way onto airplanes and into college dorms, restaurants and other public places. That’s led some folks to question both their legitimacy and effectiveness.

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BY YOUR SIDE: Judith Loniak says her trained service dog, Dixie, has improved her ability to cope with PTSD and bipolar disorder by using a technique called deep pressure therapy. “It’s like being hugged. When someone is hugging you, you feel good if you want them to hug you,” she says. “That interaction absolutely settles me.” Photo by Brooke Randle

BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com When she was just 17, Melissa Colin decided to join the military as a combat medic.

“When I first went in, I actually really loved it,” Colin recalls. “I had just gotten out of high school; I had to have my parents’ signature and all that.”

Shortly after enlisting, however, she was sexually assaulted, which led to

debilitating anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Soon after, Colin’s father committed suicide, and her ex-fiance died from cirrhosis of the liver. These traumatic experiences, and the resulting mental health hurdles, left her feeling despair, unable to face the world around her.

“I was very suicidal,” she remembers. “I was in and out of psychiatric hospitals for numerous suicide attempts. I could not hold down a job to save my life, and I tried really hard.

Kim Brophey, who owns the The Dog Door Behavior Center in downtown Asheville, is an applied ethologist. In that role, she works individually with people and their animals, focusing on their relationship in order to guide behavior. The idea of using animals in therapy isn’t new, notes Brophey, but the increased use of ESAs is due, in part, to a lack of public understanding about their role and legal status.

“Lord knows there’s a lot of confusion, and this is exactly why there’s so many fake service dogs and ESAs: People are exploiting the confusion,” Brophey maintains.

Current federal law recognizes three categories of animal helpers, she explains: ESAs, therapy dogs and service dogs. Each of these designations dictates where those animals can or cannot be.

Therapy dogs, she says, live with a family and are brought into a medical facility such as a hospital or nursing home so patients can experience

CONTINUES ON PAGE 22

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W ELL NESS the general therapeutic benefits of interacting with animals. They receive only limited training, however, and therefore are not allowed on planes or in restaurants that have a no-pet policy.

Service dogs, on the other hand, are specially trained to assist an individual who has a mental, physical or emotional disability that makes it harder for them to lead a normal life. Such people may obtain a service dog for assistance with a wide range of issues, as defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act: everything from visual impairment and mobility limitations to anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. Service dogs can also learn how to detect a change in their handlers’ body chemistry and alert them that they may be about to experience a seizure, mental health episode or the onset of vertigo.

“Really, the sky is the limit,” notes Brophey.

Asheville resident Judith Loniak, who has lived with PTSD, depression and bipolar disorder since serving in the Navy more than 30 years ago, decided to adopt her dog, Dixie, after numerous stints in and out of psychiatric care.

“I didn’t get her until last year, because I did not want to believe that that’s what I need. I’ve been hospitalized six times since the ’90s, mostly at the [the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville] for depression and bipolar disorder and suicidal ideations,” says Loniak, who now works as a professional landscape photographer.

The training process for both human and animal was lengthy — it took nearly a year — and cost about $700 a month, she says. Besides learning how to navigate public places without disruption, Dixie also learned to apply deep pressure therapy by leaning or laying her weight across

person” rather than being trained to perform specific jobs or tasks. “‘My dog makes me feel good’ is not a task, even if it is the primary benefit to the person,” she explains. “Some people with service dogs, 90% of what makes that dog beneficial to them is the fact of just having them with the person.

It helps enable the person to leave the house and go to the store rather than stay home, because they know the dog can help them if they need it. But if it ends there, technically it’s an ESA.” Further muddling public understanding is the fact that several federal laws do grant ESAs certain specified rights.

The Air Carrier Access Act allows these animals on airplanes, provided there is documentation from a licensed mental

WELLN ESS CA LEN DA R

HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND: Melissa Colin says her cat, Petunia, has helped her navigate trauma and cope with the subsequent mental health conditions. “I know she’s not a service dog, but honestly there were times that just having her with me definitely made a huge difference in my overall emotional well-being.” Photo by Melissa Colin

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Loniak’s body to reduce the symptoms of anxiety or the impact of a panic attack. And while Loniak still takes medication for her mental health conditions, having a service dog by her side has provided much-needed support and reassurance during crises, she says.

“I struggled for a number of years, but since I’ve had her, it hasn’t really been an issue.”

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JUST BEING THERE ESAs, though, fit into a somewhat murky legal category, notes Brophey.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, emotional support animals “provide comfort just by being with a

SOUND HEALING • SATURDAY • SUNDAY (PD.) Every Saturday, 11am and Sundays, 12 noon. Experience deep relaxation with crystal bowls, gongs, didgeridoo and other peaceful instruments. $15.

At Skinny Beats Sound Shop, 4 Eagle Street. www.skinnybeatsdrums. com ASHEVILLE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION CENTER: INTRODUCTORY SESSIONS • THURSDAYS, 6:307:30pm - Introductory session for Transcendental Meditation. Registration: 828-254-4350 or MeditationAsheville.org.

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health professional. And according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Fair Housing Act lets people live with their emotional support animal even in places that don’t allow pets. But they can’t bring the animal into restaurants, bars or other establishments that have a no-pet policy. In some cases, state and local laws may grant additional access; North Carolina does not, however.

Because of the legal ambiguity surrounding ESAs and the proliferation of companies selling service animal and ESA vests, growing numbers of people are now using the law as a way to keep their furry (or feathered or scaly) friend with them during flights or in their home even if they don’t actually have a legally recognized medical need, Brophey maintains.

GINSENG TASTING AND AUCTION • SA (1/18), 2-4pm Sample foods, beverages and medicines made with locally grown American Ginseng. Plus the opportunity to purchase American Ginseng roots, tinctures, teas and food items in a silent auction. $20. Held at Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa OPEN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION • WEDNESDAYS, 3:305pm & 6:30-8pm - Open mindfulness meditation.

Admission by donation.

Held at The Center for Art and Spirit at St. George's Episcopal Church, 1 School Road RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES redcrosswnc.org

• TH (1/16), 1:30-6pm Appointments & info: 828669-2725. Held at Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Road, Black Mountain • TU (1/21), 2:30-7pm Appointments & info: 828776-8699. Held at Beverly Hills Baptist Church, 777 Tunnel Road • TH (1/23), 10am-3pm - Appointments & info: 800-733-2767. Held at Walmart, 146 Monticello Road, Weaverville VAGUS NERVE REFLEXOLOGY • TH (1/23), 3pm & 4:15pm - Phyllis Weimar speaks on Vagus Nerve reflexology and wellbeing. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain

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“Whenever I feel stressed or panicked, she will come to me.”

— Asheville resident Melissa Colin on her cat, Petunia “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and it’s just getting so much worse,” she says. “People think it’s really harmless when they put a vest on them and fly with them and just call them an ESA. That’s not funny. You’re making life so difficult for the people who really need these service dogs, because your untrained dogs could create problems and distractions for the trained dogs, create a horrible template and precedent for the other people who don’t want a dog on an airplane.”

Loniak adds that when people claim their pet is a service animal or ESA, it may lead others to question even people with a legitimate challenge that isn’t apparent, such as a mental health issue.

“Disabilities can be invisible,” she points out. “I was walking in Ingles one time, and this man was looking at me with this terrible look on his face. He said, ‘Get that dog out of here: That dog doesn’t belong here.’

I said, ‘Sir, she’s a service dog.’ He said, ‘I don’t believe it.’ It was very upsetting and humiliating.”

ESA should look into obtaining a trained service animal that could provide more tangible benefits.

At the same time, she continues, “All animals are emotional support, because of the valid physiological, scientifically established benefits of animals in our lives. They’re all emotional support animals.” Having animals — even ordinary pets — in our lives, she says, brings “therapeutic benefit to the human psyche, physiology, emotional states, longevity.” Touching animals and interacting with them, having relationships with them, Brophey explains, is healing because “we’re all living in an overly sterile world where we don’t always have those things, and they’re immediately beneficial to us.”

For her part, Colin says that while her cat has given her valuable support, she also understands ESAs’ limitations in treating mental health conditions. For that reason, she’s in the process of obtaining a service dog from Wags4Tags to help with PTSD. The Raleigh-based nonprofit rescues dogs from shelters, trains them and gives them to veterans free of charge.

“Having a trained service animal makes a huge difference,” she notes. X

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FOOD

FUR-MENTING FUNDAMENTALS Local experts discuss DIY fermented foods for pets

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Gut-friendly ferments are big business in the Asheville food scene, and now those probiotic-rich bites may be becoming popular with pets as well.

“Our pets are just like us humans: A lot of them are eating horrible food, and it’s creating a lot of health problems,” says local pet nutrition and fermentation educator Noel Thurner.

Thurner, who keeps two bearded collies, two cats and a flock of chickens at her home near Sapphire, partners with local veterinarians, the WNC Fermenting Festival, the Asheville-based Green Earth Pet Food company and others to offer workshops and demonstrations on using ferments to improve pets’ microbiomes — the colonies of beneficial microorganisms that inhabit the digestive systems of humans and animals.

She first began creating her own fermented foods at home decades ago after reading the works of Sally Fallon, Weston A. Price and Sandor Katz.

And it wasn’t long before it occurred to her that her pets could benefit from ferments as well.

“As more information started coming out on the gut biome and that we need a variety [of beneficial bacteria], I thought, ‘Gosh, so do my pets,’” she says.

Thurner was already providing her canine and feline companions with a fresh, raw diet. And as a vegetarian, she had plenty of kitchen vegetable scraps available, which she had been feeding her chickens. So she began grinding those veggie peels and trimmings then fermenting them into a probiotic relish to add to her pets’ meals. During a fermenting workshop with Katz, she mentioned what she was doing, and he coined the term “fur-ments,” which she still uses.

“I teach [this process] to people because it’s not expensive. And if you think about what people throw away with their vegetable waste, there’s so much diversity,” she says. “Each vegetable comes with its own set of nutrients and phytates.”

Thurner’s process for making furments is simple: She keeps a container in her freezer where she collects her raw vegetable scraps until she has the amount she wants. She then thaws them, weighs them, grinds them in a food processor and mixes them with 1 teaspoon of salt (she uses Redmond brand unre-

MOUNTAINX.COM

FUR-MENTS FOR FRIENDS: Pet nutrition educator Noel Thurner, left, uses her kitchen vegetable scraps to make a fermented relish for her animals, including dogs Sapphire, back, and Parker, front. Also pictured is her human friend Patrick Horan. Photo by Barbara Short fined salt for its mineral and nutrient content) per pound of vegetable matter.

Once salted, the relish can be packed into glass jars with lids or airlocks and fermented at room temperature — about 68 degrees — for three to five days, then refrigerated. “A spoonful of this relish gives them a really good foundation for probiotics and nutrients,” she says.

Kefir, yogurt, raw goat milk and fresh seed sprouts, she adds, are other good probiotic foods for pets, but the vegetable ferments are crucial. “There’s a lot of variety, and the fiber also feeds the resident bacteria in the gut.”

Animals that are unaccustomed to ferments can be started off with a bit of the brine, then work their way up to the veggies themselves, she points out. And mixing ferments with canned

sardines can increase appeal along with levels of omega-3 fatty acids. “If someone has a picky pet, I highly recommend sardines packed in water and blending with ferments,” she says.

Thurner notes that pet owners who are not DIY-inclined can also opt to purchase high-quality vegetable ferments normally intended for people, such as those made by local companies like Fermenti.

Unsurprisingly, Fermenti owner Meg Chamberlain, who keeps a cat, a dog and chickens on her Madison County homestead, also tends to her pets’ microbiomes with fermented foods. Her dog receives a mostly raw diet with eggs, meats and a tablespoon of plain sauerkraut mixed in with kibble for each meal. The cat receives

five colors of organic fermented vegetables — including cruciferous varieties for their cancer-fighting sulfur groups — can be very beneficial. She also recommends incorporating raw goat milk kefir (which is incubated at a low, probiotic-friendly temperature) and raw organ meat, such as kidney and heart, regularly into pets’ diets.

“I think you can overcome a lot of the ills of dog food by adding those things,” she says. X

regular canned cat food augmented with a teaspoon of plain sauerkraut.

Even Chamberlain’s chickens get gut-healthy foods, including fermented and fresh vegetable scraps and even fermented locally grown, organic corn.

“We knew about feeding the chickens ferments from our time homesteading, but we only recently started feeding it to our home pets within the last three years,” says Chamberlain.

In making ferments for animals, she prefers to keep it plain. “I like

Dog Daze Expo On Sunday, Feb. 23, The TailGait Market and Holistic Veterinary Services of Asheville will host a Dog Daze Expo panel discussion on boutique and grain-free pet diets and their alleged link to heart disease. “This is the first of many discussions on veterinary issues where there are several opposing ideas,” says event organizer Dr. Lisa Pantzer. “I hope we can learn together and agree that we may disagree on some things, but we want the best health for our beloved pets.”

WHAT Panel discussion on grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy WHERE Marshall Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall 165 S. Main St. Marshall WHEN Sunday, Feb. 23, 1 p.m.

Suggested donation of $50 to help fund future events. No pets allowed at the event. For more details and updates on scheduled speakers, visit “Dog Daze Expo — Marshall” on Facebook.

PROBIOTIC PLANTS: Fermenti owner Meg Chamberlain feeds her dog and cat sauerkraut and other simple ferments with their meals. Photo courtesy of Fermenti jicama and red cabbage together a lot.

Just avoid garlic, onions and such,” she says.

Chamberlain echoes Thurner on the multiple benefits of veggie ferments for pets. “When you consume fermented foods, you are getting 400-700% more nutritional value than from regular foods; the same is true for our animal friends. You are also getting soluble fiber, which feeds prebiotics and helps remove toxins from your system.”

Veterinarian Dr. Lisa Pantzer, owner of Holistic Veterinary Services of Asheville, adds that going organic is also important for boosting good bacteria to combat toxins. “Glyphosate is incorporated into the cells of plants, and it really inhibits bacterial growth, so the most important thing is to try to feed organic or natural food,” she says.

“We’re getting a very lethal buildup [of toxins] in the food that we eat, and we can’t avoid glyphosate,” she continues. “I think there are some very important things that we can add to the diet, like ferments, to help [pets] not be affected so badly.”

Even if pet owners are simply feeding kibble, says Pantzer, adding all

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

25

APPETITE FOR LIFE

FOOD

by SG Séguret | sgseguret@gmail.com

Recipes for a new year

A culinary little black dress for every occasion GO OFF THE WALL

A new year is like a new palette, pristine and inviting, a stage for innovation and self-expression. As we craft our vision for the next 12 months of meals, here are some suggestions for making your life both easy and delicious — and, of course, nutritious.

Remember that your point of reference is new and refreshing for anyone who sits at your table, and glory in your own particular sleights of hand. At the same time, dare to try new things, reaching out to embrace other cultures and ingredients not usually within your frame of reference. Take advantage of the phone in your hands or the computer at your elbow and look up the culinary traditions of a culture that has always intrigued you. Find a shop in your area that specializes in unique ingredients and try something new to give you a fresh window on the year ahead.

As you contemplate the ingredients that make your heart go pitter-patter, consider the following appetizer, which combines the earthiness of beets, the unctuosity of butter, the crispness of bacon and the depth of bourbon all in one mouthful. X

USE WHAT YOU HAVE There is something that can be confected with every ingredient in your larder. The greatest path to innovation grows from pairing unlikely elements and finding a way to make them sing together. This can be done through the addition of a sauce that ties unexpected flavors together or through some bridge ingredient that unites two strangers in a dish. Go through your pantry regularly and isolate ingredients you would like to use up quickly. Then consult the following list of basic dishes that can be

Transport Your Senses

BEET MUSIC: The addition of bacon, bourbon and butter take an earthy and ordinary winter ingredient — beets — to a new level. Photo by SG Séguret adapted to multiple expressions. Keep your mind open and experiment.

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RIFF OFF RECIPES YOU KNOW Surely, you have a collection of recipes in your go-to arsenal that can be tailored to any ingredient you might pull out of your kitchen — quiches, soups, stir-fries, casseroles, omelets and risottos are a few. You can also dress up simple dishes, such as adding peas, squash, turnips or bacon to mashed potatoes. And, of course, you can pair any kind of pasta with any kind of sauce, from fresh vegetables in season to refried beans with shallots and chopped winter greens.

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As we all know, foods gathered in their natural growing season are those richest in nutrients as well as being the most beautiful specimens on the market. This highlights foods grown

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naturally in your geographic area.

Wild greens in March. Asparagus in April. Strawberries in June. Tomatoes in July. Corn in August. Apples in September. Root vegetables and dried beans in winter. Make the most of what grows right outside your back door or the items you find available at a nearby farmers market. Celebrate each time a new ingredient becomes available.

EMBELLISH As the chef in your household, you have carte blanche to season and adorn dishes as your tastes dictate. Throw in a handful of fresh seasonal herbs; whip up a cream sauce; spice with chile peppers, curry or lemon grass; add sautéed ramps, onions or shallots; garnish with edible flowers, chervil or chopped roasted nuts; serve on a bed of sautéed greens, whipped root vegetables or funky pasta. The sky’s the limit, and the contents of your kitchen will determine what you serve.

Roasted beets with butter, bacon and bourbon • Fresh beets with greens • Bacon • Bourbon • Salt • Pepper • Thyme Wash beets and cut off the greens about an inch above their base. Set beets in a pot with a few inches of water and a little salt, and simmer until almost tender. Slip off skins and, if beets are large, cut into generous chunks (about an inch square).

Marinate in bourbon while cooling down, then wrap each beet morsel in a thin slice of bacon. (Fasten with a toothpick, only if necessary.) Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, lay thyme sprigs over the ensemble and bake at 400 degrees until the bacon is crispy. Serve hot.

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

27

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Pet Wants launches in Asheville Ginseng tasting and auction

Yes, Asheville loves its beer, local art and farm-to-table restaurants. But city residents also love their pets. So it only makes sense that dog and cat owners might be interested in healthy food options for their four-legged companions.

That was certainly the case for local resident Christian Ray, who was seeking natural food options for his two dogs, Bean and Biscuit, both of whom compete in flyball, a canine relay race. His research led him to Pet Wants, a national franchise based out of Cincinnati.

Soon after finding the brand, Ray took his enthusiasm for the product a step further, launching his own mobile franchise, Pet Wants Asheville, serving all of Buncombe County.

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The N.C. Ginseng Association is kicking off 2020 with a ginseng tasting and auction on Saturday, Jan. 18. Samples of locally made ginseng honey and ginseng truffles will be available, and items will be for sale at the event. Ginseng farmers will be available to answer questions from the public. Admission is $20 and includes a one-year membership to the NCGA. The tasting and auction run 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Warren Wilson College-Upper Ransom Hall, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa. To learn more, visit avl.mx/6ua.

Spaghetti dinner fundraiser

TOP DOGS: Christian Ray recently launched Pet Wants Asheville, a mobile franchise that offers fresh pet food, home delivered. Also pictured are Ray’s dogs, Bean, left, and Biscuit.

Photo by April Shamel claims Ray, who offers personal delivery throughout the county.

All products, notes the owner, are made with fresh, quality and nutritious ingredients, including salmon, chicken, lamb and brown rice. The company, he adds, does not use corn, wheat, soy, sugar or animal byproducts in its recipes.

By year’s end, Ray hopes to open a retail space and has plans to launch the Blue Ridge Flyball Club for dogs. He’s actively searching for warehouse space to host regular practices (interested building owners can contact him directly at cray@petwants.com).

In the meantime, he continues to hand-deliver dog and cat food orders,

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as well as treats and supplements to local animal owners throughout Buncombe County.

To learn more about Pet Wants Asheville and to place orders, visit avl.mx/6ug.

Black Bear Brunch On Saturday, Jan. 18, Black Bear BBQ will host a brunch pop-up featuring dishes including sausage balls, corned beef and egg, St. Louis ribs with red-eye gravy, and smoked trout toast. Prices range from $5-$25.

Brunch runs 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 18, at Black Bear BBQ, 800 Fairview Road, Suite C8. To learn more, visit avl.mx/6u9.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Henderson County will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 18, featuring Italian salad, garlic bread and angel hair pasta with iced tea or water. Tickets are $10. Proceeds will support the organization’s ongoing mission to transform children’s lives through one-on-one mentoring relationships.

The dinner runs 4-7 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 18, at Three Chopt Sandwich Shoppe, 103 Third Ave. E., Hendersonville. For details and tickets, visit avl.mx/6u8.

Tea Discovery Workshop Whether you’re a tea connoisseur or neophyte, all are welcome at Dobra Tea Asheville’s Sunday, Jan. 19, Tea Discovery Workshop. Samples will be served from around the world followed by discussions on tea production, regions of origin, brewing methods and tasting notes. Tickets are $20.

The workshop runs 9-11 a.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19, at Dobra Tea Asheville, 78 N. Lexington Ave. To learn more, visit avl.mx/6ub.

Visit Asheville’s

Bone & Broth Italian wine dinner Metro Wines will team up on Monday, Jan. 20, with Bone & Broth for La Cena, an Italian wine dinner hosted by Volio Fine Wine Imports. Highlights from the four-course menu include grilled squid salad, mushroom gnocchi and biscotti with crème. The wine pairings will include Fattoria Poggerino Chianti Classico 2015, Ventisei Rosato Tocana 2018 and Cascina san Lorenzo Moscato d’Asti 2018. In a press release, Gina Trippi, co-owner of Metro Wines says, “We are all delighted to finally bring Italian cuisine to Charlotte Street.” Tickets are $80, including tax and gratuity.

Dinner starts at 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 20, at Bone & Broth, 94 Charlotte St. To purchase tickets, visit avl.mx/6tj.

Closed: Iannucci’s Pizzeria & Restaurant After 43 years in business, Iannucci’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant closed on Dec. 31. “As my children get older, I want to see them grow and experience life

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with them,” said owner Nick Iannucci in a video posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page. Iannucci purchased the restaurant from his father, founder John Iannucci, in 2015. Regulars of the pizzeria shared memories and well-wishes on the eatery’s Facebook page. “My family will surely miss Iannucci’s,” wrote patron Kelly Kiser McDill. “Thanks for providing a family environment, delicious food and great support for the community.”

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Remembering Frank Palmeri Frank Palmeri, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native who founded the Frank’s Roman Pizza restaurants in Asheville in the late 1970s, died Dec. 29. Funeral services were held Jan. 4 at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church. In his obituary, the Palmeri family thanked the Asheville community for its years of support. “Frank loved serving everyone who came in for first dates, family movie nights, anniversaries and every meal in between,” his obituary reads.

“In lieu of flowers, kindly support local small-business owners and their hard work, long hours, big dreams and gutsy decision to take risks to get ahead.” X

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29

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SHADOW CITY

Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns for its 18th year

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com

2020

issues

Publish in March Contact us today! advertise@mountainx.com

In his 1951 book Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self, Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung contemplated the shadow — a term he used to describe any unconscious aspect of a person’s identity. “The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort,” Jung wrote. “To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.”

Nearly 70 years after its publication, performer Christian Prins Coen is bringing Jung’s shadow theory to stage during the 18th annual Asheville Fringe Arts Festival with his solo dramatic production, Abomination: Memoir of Ambiguity.

The work explores Prins Coen’s life as a biracial, first-generation American

FROM NEAR AND FAR: This year’s Asheville Fringe Arts Festival features more than 40 acts from nine states, as well as Mexico. Photos courtesy of Asheville Fringe Arts Festival who identifies as genderqueer. “It is an immersion into my personal psyche,” says the artist, examining the ways homophobia and racism have shaped his public persona. “As you grow, you start to put pieces of yourself away that are unwanted by your society and you basically hide them, and eventually they end up creating your shadow.”

Abomination: Memoir of Ambiguity is one of more than 40 local and national acts scheduled for this year’s Asheville Fringe. The four-day ticketed portion of the festival runs Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 23-26, with additional parties and free events taking place now through Sunday, Jan. 26 (for a complete list, see sidebars).

Prins Coen debuted at last year’s Asheville Fringe with Café Negro, a production that combined comedy with hip-hop.

“We definitely got a lot of flack,” says the artist, who worked alongside fel30

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

low creatives Melvin Penn and Nazeer Artaud. “We got chewed out for using the N-word by somebody. They told us they found it offensive. They were white. ... I was like, ‘It’s not your thing.’” The three also received criticism for their frequent use of the term “bitch” throughout the rap portion of their performance.

Despite Asheville’s adverse reaction to the production, Prins Coen says he has since taken the show on the road, performing it throughout the country to more receptive audiences.

In his forthcoming solo dramatic production, the performer is taking a different approach. “When I’m doing standup, I’m telling the story,” he explains.

“But when I’m doing theater, I become the story.” In the latter, continues Prins Coen, “you’re essentially exposing your emotional vulnerabilities.”

Though elements of comedy will appear in the 45-minute production, the story will unfold primarily

through free-form poetry and prose.

Throughout the production, says Prins Coen, he’ll go back and forth between his true self and “a tactfully cultivated shadow version of myself.”

Prins Coen, who divides his time between Asheville and Brooklyn, N.Y.,

CONTINUES ON PAGE 32

Ticketed events The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival runs Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 23-26. $14-$17 per show/$65 all-access pass. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online or in person at Fringe Central (LaZoom Room), 76 Biltmore Ave. Sales end at 3 p.m. ThursdaySaturday, Jan. 23-25 and at noon on Sunday, Jan. 26. Find more info and details about parties and free Random Acts of Fringe events at avl.mx/6tq.

BeBe Theatre 20 Commerce St. • Levee Damned + To the Foxes (double feature) by Michelle Torino-Hower + Steward/Owen Dance — Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 23-25, 7-8 p.m.

• Dracula Killed My Mom by Edwin Salas — Thursday, Jan. 23, and Saturday, Jan. 25, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 2-3 p.m.

• This Place of Ours by Moving Body Dance Company — Friday, Jan. 24, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.

• Dinner Bell: A Field Guide to Impolite Southern Dinner Conversation by Taproom Ensemble — Saturday, Jan. 25, 5-6 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

Magnetic Theatre 375 Depot St. • Wacky Warehouse of Honchos by Tesseract Theatre — Thursday, Jan. 23, 5-6 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, 7-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.

• Urikubu by La Gaviota Teatro — Thursday, Jan. 23, 7-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, Jan. 24-25, 5-6 p.m.

• Spanko! A Tex-Mex Commedia by Skylar Goff — Thursday-Friday, Jan. 23-24, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

• Lupita’s Revenge — Saturday, Jan. 25, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 1-2 p.m.

Tina McGuire Theatre at Wortham Center 18 Biltmore Ave. • The Miraculously Inventive Machine of Charlie Mean by Toybox Theatre — Saturday, Jan. 25, 7-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.

• Radical Softness by Yuhas and Dancers — Saturday, Jan. 25, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

• Cara Vita: A Clown Concerto by Felicity Hesed — Thursday-Friday, Jan. 23-24, 7-8 p.m.

• Hymns & Oscillations

by Matthew Marcum — Thursday-Friday, Jan. 23-24, 9-10 p.m.

• Dating and Daily Task: A D&D Adventure + After the ______ by Critical Hit + The Aftermath (double feature) — Thursday-Friday, Jan. 23-24, 9-10 p.m.

• The Pride of Pripyat: Tales from the Chernobyl Disaster + Biophilia Asheville

by Perspective Collective + Emmalee Hunnicutt (double feature) — Saturday, Jan. 25, 5-6 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

Sly Grog Lounge 271 Haywood St.

Static Age Records 110 N. Lexington Ave.

• Pathogen by The Adventure Society — Thursday, Jan. 23, 5-6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, 7-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

• Centrifuge + Monsters Under the Bed by The Cardboard Sea + Lau Magie (double feature) — Thursday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 25, 7-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 2-3 p.m.

• Sweetheart/Bitter Heart + Carousel Part II by Alli Marshall + Okapi (double feature) — Thursday, Jan. 23, 9-10 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 24, 5-6 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 25, 9-10 p.m.

• Ripper + Abomination: Memoir of Ambiguity by Dark Horse Theatre + Christian Prins Coen (double feature) — Friday, Jan. 24, 9-10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 25, 5-6 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.

• Sonic Parlour + Under the Influencer by Derek Dominy + Rachel Thomas Levy (double feature) — Thursday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 25, 9-10 p.m.

• Between You & Me by Wishbone Theatre — Friday, Jan. 24, 7-8 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5 p.m.

• Cookie Tongue’s Dream Seed Ceremony — Friday, Jan. 24, 9-10 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.

The BLOCK Off Biltmore 39 S. Market St.

Downtown Books & News 67 N. Lexington Ave.

The Mothlight 701 Haywood Road

• Son of a Man + Big Tits 69 by Cooper Bates + Dean Grosbard (double feature) — Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 23-25, 7-8 p.m.

LaZoom Room (Fringe Central) 76 Biltmore Ave. • LaZoom Festival Bus Tour — Friday-Saturday, Jan. 24-25, 7-8:30 p.m.; Sunday, Jan. 26, 4-5:30 p.m.

• Intimate Dinner; or “Tap Water is Fine,” by Lauren French — Friday-Saturday, Jan. 24-25, 5-6 p.m.

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

31

A &E represents the broad range of local and national talents that will converge on the city throughout the four-day festival. Of the 48 acts scheduled for this year’s event, 31 are local. The remaining 17 are coming from the likes of California, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Mexico.

“This year is about the most diverse range of performers and artists I think we’ve ever had,” says Asheville Fringe co-founder Jim Julien. “We’re running the gamut of geographical diversity and personal diversity.”

On top of that, adds festival director Katie Jones, about 120 acts submitted applications. “We just about had enough where we could have done two festivals.”

Julien attributes the festival’s growing popularity among regional and national artists to its consistency and longevity. After 18 years, he says, “people have gotten used to the idea that we are here and we aren’t going away.”

At this year’s Asheville Fringe, Julien hopes audiences “will have an opportunity to see something that

they didn’t know existed,” he says.

“That’s the thing I’m always hoping for — that audiences are just kind of amazed by the breadth of the human experience in performance.”

Jones adds, “It’s all about the ephemeral nature of these performances, which is one of the things that makes Asheville Asheville.”

But, equally important, notes Prins Coen, are the messages conveyed in each performance. With respect to Abomination: Memoir of Ambiguity, “I really want people to walk away from it realizing that whether their actions are out of kindness or not, what people do often determines the identity someone presents to them,” he says.

“There’s an undercurrent, I believe, in Asheville, of a competitive queerness or a competitive liberalness,” he continues. “And I think that poisons the water of what people are trying to do. ... I think people are lost in the passion of it — this competitiveness that you’re not queer enough or you’re not liberal enough. And I think it isolates a lot of people, especially people like me, from the actual community.” X

Parties and Random Acts of Fringe All events featured are free to attend. avl.mx/6to.

Lazy Diamond 4 Woodfin St.

The Conundrum 1 Battle Square

• Fringe 2020 kickoff party featuring Dr. Aqueous and the Fantastik Apparatus — Sunday, Jan. 19, 5-9 p.m., free event

• Osteometry by Strange Daughters Butoh — Thursday, Jan. 23, 4-4:30 p.m.

• New Day by Robert Ladislas Derr — Saturday, Jan. 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The BLOCK Off Biltmore 39 S. Market St.

Wortham Center Courtyard 18 Biltmore Ave.

ZaPow Gallery 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 1010

BUBBLE & OYSTER THURSDAYS

• Fringe 2020 Opening Party featuring Lara Nguyen + Strange Daughters Butoh — Tuesday, Jan. 21, 5-8 p.m.

• Un-broken by Lara Nguyen — Saturday, Jan. 25, 4-4:45 p.m.

LaZoom Room 76 Biltmore Ave. • Future Nature by Zed Art Ambulance — Wednesday-Sunday, Jan. 22-26, 1-5 p.m.

LT Laundry 697 Haywood Road

828-350-0315

SMOKYPARK .COM 32

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

• Solidago: A Laundromat Installation by A. Eithne Hamilton — Wednesday, Jan. 22, 10-10:30 p.m.

• Thursday afterparty featuring out-of-town artist pop-ups + DJ Nex Millen — Thursday, Jan. 23, 10 p.m.

• Prompt! A 6 Minute Writing Workshop by Mandy Gardner — Saturday, Jan. 25, 1-2 p.m.

Empyrean Arts 32 Banks Ave., Studio 108

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center 120 College St.

• Osteometry by Strange Daughters Butoh — Saturday, Jan. 25, 5:30-6 p.m.

Girl and Goblin 375 Depot St., Suite 201 • Shattered Road by Claire Dima — Saturday, Jan. 25, 8-8:30 p.m.

Sly Grog Lounge 271 Haywood St.

• Flying Catastrophe Circus — Friday, Jan. 24, 7-7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 25, 5-5:30 p.m.

• Ra Ra Ra Da Da Da by Cilla Vee Life Arts — Saturday Jan. 25, 10 p.m.

The Mothlight 701 Haywood Road

The Crow & Quill 106 N. Lexington Ave.

• Friday afterparty featuring Dancekrieg — Friday, Jan. 24, 10 p.m.

• Fringe 2020 closing party featuring The Accidentals — Sunday, Jan. 26, 7-10 p.m.

by tinacurrin

tinacurrin@gmail.com

STARDUST, BROUGHT TO ASHEVILLE Neil deGrasse Tyson presents ‘An Astrophysicist Reads the Newspaper’ Since the emergence of television, each generation has had its own special scientist. The boomers had Carl Sagan; millennials grew up with Bill Nye. Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and face of the modern-day “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” is today’s astrophysicist-at-the-kitchen-table. “We are stardust, brought to life,” Tyson writes in 2019’s Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. With a mind-boggling output of books, podcasts, television and tweets — plus an audience that includes hardcore science enthusiasts and pop-culture aficionados alike — it seems that Tyson is built from a special kind of stardust, both ubiquitous and dazzling.

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Tyson takes the stage at Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville for An Astrophysicist Reads the Newspaper, where he’ll parse current events in real time. He recently spoke to Xpress about journalism, the internet and the current status of Pluto.

Xpress: When I think of you, science isn’t the first word that comes to mind. It’s curiosity.

Tyson: All of us, as children, are curious to the point of putting our lives at risk. As soon as we are mobile, we are investigating. This curiosity, if you retain it, is a fundamental part of being a scientist. When I think of scientists, I think we’re all just kids.

Now, as adults, we have more expensive toys. Telescopes and microscopes and particle accelerators ...

Yes, we all have one of those.

Laughs. But it’s coming from the same place. When people ask me how to get their kids interested in science, I say, “They’re already scientists, because they’re already curious.

Just get out of their way.”

As a public figure, you’re very accessible. When did you start taking such a social approach to your discipline and why?

I was just doing my normal thing of being a scientist when people on Reddit said, “Neil, they want you to do an [Ask Me Anything].” So, I got pulled in. There’s an appetite for what I have to offer, and I’m being called to express

STELLAR AND INTERSTELLAR: Neil deGrasse Tyson, voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People magazine in 2000, returns to Asheville on Jan. 21. In this show, he’ll explore and discuss current events happening in the world and Asheville.

Photo courtesy of Tyson it. I would be irresponsible if I didn’t come to that calling. With tweeting, it’s a little more selfish. I’m sharing my curiosity, but when I see different reactions, I take notes. I fold that into how I deliver my public talks, which are now much more informed by my audience. It helps feed my capacity to entertain.

It’s an experiment, just like everything else.

It’s an experiment in communication.

How have you seen scientific literacy change in the age of social media?

It’s scary. In the old days, you’d have some crazy idea, and you might go to the library or the encyclopedia. If no one supports your idea, you realize it’s probably crazy and move on. Today,

you type your crazy idea into search and you get a false sense of objectivity. If you’re not the only one who thinks that way, then it must be true.

And all of a sudden the earth is flat again.

And vaccines are bad for you, and the climate is not changing. This is the opposite of science literacy. This is a slope that landed in some dungeon. Everyone around you is saying, “You’re in paradise,” but you’re really in a dungeon. There’s more access to science than ever before, and there’s more access to nonscience than ever before. They are operating at the same time, and that’s quite a challenge.

In Asheville, you’ll be reading the newspaper. Talk me through what that looks like.

You will see the fun, the folly and the fiction of what people are presenting as facts. Trump says we need a Space Force.

In Florida, there’s a storm and the sheriff says, “Do not shoot your guns into the hurricane.” It’s basically current events through the lens of an astrophysicist.

Finally, can you set the record straight on this hot-button issue? Is Pluto a planet, or no?

Get over it! The classification system, which classifies Pluto as a dwarf planet, was voted on in 2006. It’s been that way for 13 years.

It came back around this summer.

It did, and that’s because the person who was the principal investigator of the mission to Pluto, New Horizons, is making a big stink. But, no. We are silently moving on. Pluto is exactly where it should have always been: It is a dwarf planet. X

WHO Neil deGrasse Tyson WHERE Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville 87 Haywood St. ticketmaster.com WHEN Tuesday, Jan, 21, 7 p.m. $34-$105

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

33

A&E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

CRITTERS ON CANVAS For both Lucinda Moeller and Angela Alexander, their forays into pet portraits were precipitated by the loss of dependable day jobs. “I hadn’t painted in 15 years, but I had a snow day and I didn’t have anything else to do, so I thought, ‘Hey, I’ll just paint a picture of one of my dogs today,’” says Moeller. “I posted it on Facebook, and everyone loved it.” Shortly thereafter, she was laid off from her corporate job, so she started painting other people’s pets.

Sixteen years ago, Alexander was between jobs. “I started taking craft paints and doing little caricatures of Sadie and Casey,” she says of her Chihuahuas. “One thing led to another, and here I am. … If you told me 15 years ago, someone would pay for something I painted, I would have laughed at you.” But these days, Alexander’s work is in demand, and she’s based in the River Arts District’s NorthLight Studios.

Stephanie Grimes, who has a studio in the RAD, at Pink Dog Creative, moved to Asheville five years ago from Florida, where she’d been making art.

“Someone bought a few bird paintings and asked me if I ever did pets,” she remembers. “I’d been drawing dogs my whole life, so I said, ‘Well, sure!’”

All three mainly work on commission to clienteles with similar objectives. “The most common reason is because the animal has recently passed or [the owner] found out the pet is near the end of its life,” says Grimes. For Moeller, “The majority of [the portraits] are as gifts. ‘This is my son’s dog; my wife loves her dog, and I’d love to get a picture for her birthday.’ … Sometimes it’s just people who love their pets and really

KEEPSAKE: Clients who commission pet portraits often do so as a memorial for a deceased animal or as a gift for a pet lover. And sometimes it’s just for fun: “We love our pets,” says local pet portrait artist Angela Alexander. “They make us happy.” Pictured, “Adorable Cutie,” ink in clayboard by Stephanie Grimes want a nice picture of them.” Moeller has also placed art in local veterinary businesses, such as Pet Vet on Patton and WNC Veterinary Hospital.

The artists work from photographs.

“No matter how good your dog is at sitting, it’s not going to do it for that number of hours,” Moeller says with a laugh. She

Offering healthy and fun provisions for Your companion creatures. We are a friendly, family-owned, local pet supply shop in downtown Weaverville 1 Merrimon Ave. Weaverville • Mon.-Fri. 10-6, Sat. 10-5 828-484-9247 • weavervillepetpantry.com facebook.com/weavervillepetpantry Instagram@weavervillepetpantry 34

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

Local artists offer portraits of our furry friends

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tries to get a number of photos from her clients — one that’s the pose they’d like painted and a few more to give the artist a sense of the detail in the pet’s eyes and to make sure the colors are correct.

Grimes also asks her clients for a selection of images and a description of the pet’s personality. “Then I go through the photos knowing what I’ve been told about the personality and I look for the traits in those photos,” she explains. If a client does live in the Asheville area, Grimes sets up a photo shoot with the pet and takes the images herself. “That way I can assure that I can get the photos I need and I get to meet the animal so I know what the personality is like,” she says.

Alexander’s process is to make an initial black-and-white sketch and share composition options. The pet owner chooses the canvas size and background color. “That sets the tone for what some of the coloring will be,” she says.

Alexander also senses a color palette associated with each pet, correlating to age, energy level and other factors.

“It’s like, ‘You might be a little brown

dog, but what are you really?’” she explains. “When I see pets, they’re the purest form of unconditional love and joy. When I look at them, I feel those things.”

Though there are similarities in the work, each artist also adds personal touches and techniques. For Alexander, it’s the happy vibe inherent in her work. For Grimes, it’s her option of mediums. “People who found me online would generally get a pen-andink [piece] or a pastel, but people who saw my work in person would almost always get a scratchboard,” she says.

The latter format entails a layer of India ink over a layer of clay, and she etches down to the clay layer. “It takes a lot longer to do than other mediums, but I can get every hair of the animal, so I get very, very intricate, tight work done this way.” Grimes adds that while other artists do work in scratchboard, they’re few and far between.

And, while dogs are the most popular fur baby portrait subjects, they’re not the only requests when it comes to animal art. Moeller names local pet celebrity Emmylou AdventureCat as an exceptional subject. “In the photo [her owners] wanted me to paint, she was wearing little butterfly wings,” Moeller recalls.

Alexander also cites a piece of feline art: “A marine biologist commissioned a portrait of his two cats, with five saltwater fish, as if they were scuba diving,” she says.

For Grimes, her most unusual project took her farther afield: “That would have to be a family of otters,” she remembers. “A couple of years ago I got an email out of the blue.

This lady said she wanted a portrait of these otters that came to visit her pond every year. I took one look at the photo and I really, really wanted to do the commission. There were four otters at the edge of the pond looking straight at the person taking the picture. They reminded me of that famous painting of the farmer and his wife [“American Gothic” by Grant Wood] with those stern looks on their faces.”

Perhaps surprisingly, while Ashevilleans love their pets, all three pet portrait artists who Xpress spoke to work with a mostly out-of-town clientele. Grimes has received commissions from as far away as Washington state; Alexander recently shipped a piece to England and had two commissions from Japan. But, for the two artists working in the RAD, those

WILD SIDE: Among the usual commissions painted by local artist Lucinda Moeller is Emmylou AdventureCat, pictured. Fellow pet portrait maker Stephanie Grimes has created likenesses of otters and passenger pigeons, the latter of which is featured in IMPACT! at Pink Dog Creative, currently on view. Photo courtesy of Moeller often-visited studios do attract pet lovers who get in touch later to purchase a portrait. And business shows no sign of slowing: “We love our pets. They make us happy,” says Alexander. “I want to

capture more than just the look [of the animal], I want to capture the energy.”

Find Alexander at angelaalexanderart. com, Grimes at artist-f.com and Moeller at mountainpetportrait.com. X

2020

Wellness Issues

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

35

SMART BETS

A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Hiss Golden Messenger Led by frontman M.C. Taylor, indie rockers Hiss Golden Messenger continued to win over Asheville audiences in 2019 with memorable opening sets for Steep Canyon Rangers at the ExploreAsheville. com Arena and at Highland Brewing Co.’s meadow in support of Andrew Bird. Strong as those performances were, concertgoers who’ve seen the band headline — including a packed house at The Mothlight in fall 2016 — are well aware of what the Durham-based ensemble can do with a full set. The next opportunity to see Taylor alongside multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook and a revolving cast of players that frequently includes Asheville’s own Michael Libramento, is Friday, Jan. 17, at The Orange Peel. Secondgeneration Americana royalty Lilly Hiatt warms up the stage at 9 p.m. $19 advance/$21 day of show. theorangepeel.net. Photo

by Graham Tolbert

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Too Many Zooz Originators of the self-described Brasshouse genre, Too Many Zooz built a reputation in the later half of the 2010s for its high-energy shows. The trio of King of Sludge (drums), Leo P (saxophone) and Matt Doe (trumpet) unite dub, soul, funk and ska sounds that were honed on New York City subway platforms.

Their skills caught the attention of Beyoncé and Harry Styles, who recruited the instrumentalists to join them on the Billboard Music Awards and “Saturday Night Live,” respectively. Requiring a larger Asheville venue with each new performance, the band returns to town Saturday, Jan. 18, this time at The Grey Eagle. Brooklyn-based “bedroom producer” Birocratic gets things started at 9 p.m. $18 advance/$20 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo courtesy of the band

Girls Rock Rockathon

Andrew Scotchie’s Birthday Bash

Looking to play with a band and support a great cause in the process? Girls Rock Rockathon is your ticket. Women, trans and nonbinary folks ages 17 and older of all musical ability levels are invited to register online by Monday, Jan. 20, and attend a kickoff meeting Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m., at Asheville Music School. There, players will be placed into a band with other participants and grouped to balance experience levels and instrumentation. Over the next eight weeks, groups will create a short set of originals or covers in any genre. Each ensemble will then perform in an afternoon concert on Sunday, March 29, at Salvage Station. The band that raises the most money for the local nonprofit music camp Girls Rock Asheville will win a recording studio session to have its set professionally recorded, mastered and released online. bit.ly/2ReNDSU. Photo by Sally Sparks

Somehow, someway, local rocker Andrew Scotchie is only 26 years old. In that time, the prolific guitarist, singer and songwriter has released multiple albums with his band The River Rats, toured the U.S., founded the annual Barnaroo festival and made numerous connections along the way. To ring in the big 2-7 on Saturday, Jan. 18, at Asheville Music Hall, Scotchie has recruited such talented friends as Hustle Souls, Side Hustle, Jack Mascari, David Earl Tomlinson, Amanda Hollifield, Alex Bradley, Kyle Snuffer and Josh Blake to help celebrate the occasion with a big night of — what else? — playing music. The evening gets underway at 9 and will also serve as a celebration of life for Scotchie’s father, Tom, who tragically passed away on his son’s 15th birthday, and a winter clothing drive for area homeless advocacy group Grateful Bread. $10 advance/$12 day of show. ashevillemusichall.com. Photo by Tom Farr

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

A & E CALENDAR ART ASHEVILLE ART THEORY READING GROUP • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - Asheville art theory reading group.

Free. Held at Revolve, 821 Riverside Drive, #179 ASHEVILLE FRINGE ARTS FESTIVAL • SU (1/19) through SU (1/26) - Performance arts festival with 100+ ticketed performances featuring cross genre fringe artists. See website for full schedule. $14-19. Held at Downtown Asheville BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (1/16), 10:30am - Story Time and Art with the Asheville Art Museum. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TU (1/21), 6pm - Spinning Yarns knitting and crochet group. Free.

Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road CRAFT CONVERSATION • FR (1/17), 6:308:30pm - Conversation with Marilyn Zapf and Alicia Ory DeNicola about research and projects connected to craft studies. Free. Held at Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

by Deborah Robertson

THE PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY • Fourth TUESDAYS, 10am - Volunteer to knit or crochet prayer shawls for community members in need. Free.

Held at Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W., Hendersonville

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS THIRD THURSDAY IN MARSHALL • 3rd THURSDAYS, 5-8pm - Gallery openings, studio tours, shops, food and drinks.

Free to attend. Held at Downtown Marshall

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ARTSCAPE BANNER • Through SA (1/18) Applications accepted for artists who wish to participate in the 2020 ArtScape Banner Project in downtown Hendersonville. Information: artscapehvl.org.

CALL TO WNC ARTISTS • Until SA (2/1) - Call to WNC illustrators and narrative artists for the second annual juried open show in March.

To apply email two jpgs to Lauren@zapow.com.

Free. Held at ZaPow!, 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101

DANCE

DRAWING CLASS • WE (1/15), noon-2pm - Dominick DePaolo teaches Magic Marker and colored pencil drawing class. Supplies provided. $35/$30 members. Held at Haywood County Arts Council, 86 N. Main St., Waynesville

2-HOUR DANCE CLASS - TWO-STEP & WALTZ (BEGINNER) (PD.) Saturday, January 18th: 12-2pm at Grey Eagle, Asheville. Take one or both. $15 each or $25 for both. Info & online discount at: www.

Danceforlife.dance, naturalrichard@mac. com, 828-333 0715.

POTTERY FOR VETERANS • FR (1/17), 10am-1pm - Pottery for veterans with an overview of techniques and plenty of one on one attention. Free. Held at Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road

IMPROVER CONTEMPORARY LINE DANCING • THURSDAYS, noon2pm - Improver contemporary line dancing. $10. Held at Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave.

A MEAN CHILI BEAN: The Galleries of Haywood County and the Haywood County Arts Council present the third annual Chili Cook-Off Stroll planned for Saturday, Jan. 18, noon-4 p.m. Waynesville restaurants and merchants from the Main Street, Hazelwood and Frog Level districts compete in the chili cook-off. Members of the public can sample and vote on their favorite chilis. A portion of the proceeds benefits the MANNA Backpack Program. (p. 18)

IN HIS STEPS DANCE MINISTRY 159 Church St. • TU (1/16), 9:45-1:45am - Beginner/Advanced Beginner Clogging/Flatfoot class, 4-week series. $16.25-$18.

• TU (1/16), 11am-noon - Intermediate/Advanced Clogging/Flatfoot Clogging/ Flatfootclass, 4-week series. $16.25-$18.

INTERMEDIATE/ ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY LINE DANCING • WEDNESDAYS, noon-2pm - Intermediate/advanced contemporary line dancing. $10. Held at Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Road OLD FARMERS BALL CONTRA DANCE • THURSDAYS, 7:30-11pm - Old Farmers Ball, contra dance. $8/$7 members/$1 Warren Wilson Community.

Held in Bryson Gym Held at Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB • SA (1/18), 6pm - Winter Wonderland dance.

Advanced dance at 6 pm.

Early rounds at 7 pm. Free.

Held at Whitmire Activity

Center, 310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville ZYDECO DANCE AND LESSON • SA (1/18), 2pm - Zydeco dance, 1pm - lesson. Free.

Held at Gastro Pub at Hopey Downtown, 45 S. French Broad Ave.

MUSIC ACAPELLA - SINGING VALENTINE (PD.) Help out Cupid this Valentines Day! Quartet brings singing Valentines to your home, business, or restaurant. Order at www.ashevillebarbershop. com/singing-valentines 866.290.7269 AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS SOUND SHOP (PD.) Wednesdays 6pm. Billy Zanski teaches a fun approach to connecting with your inner rhythm. Drop-ins welcome. • Drums provided. $15/class. (828) 768-2826. www.skinnybeatsdrums. com THE VILLAGE SONG LEADER (PD.) Want to learn how to start and lead a Singing Group? Here’s your chance.

Training will be held over two consecutive weekends beginning February 28. For more information, mypantssing@gmail.com.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (1/15), 3:30pm - Ukulele jam, all levels. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • WE (1/22), 3:30pm - Ukulele jam, all levels. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 18 Biltmore Ave., 828-2574530, worthamarts.org • WE (1/15), 8pm - Jesse Cook world music. $38.60 • TH (1/16), 7pm - The Black Market Trust, soulful sounds and gypsy jazz. $20-$35.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD APOLOGIES • TH (1/16), 6-7:30pm - Hear your written apology read aloud. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (1/15), 3pm - Black Mountain Afternoon Book Club. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain • WE (1/15), 3pm - Enka History Book Club: The Lost City of Z by David Grann.

Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • TH (1/16), 2:30pm Skyland Book Club: Windy City Blues by Renee Rosen.

Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TU (1/21), 7pm - Evening Book Club: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview • TU (1/21), 7pm - Mystery Book Club: The Trust by Ronald Balson. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain MALAPROP’S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • WE (1/15), 6pm - Elwood Watson, PhD presents his

book, Keepin’ It Real: Essays on Race in Contemporary America.

Free to attend.

• TH (1/16), 7pm - Notorious History Book Club reads Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age by Modris Eksteins. Free to attend.

• TU (1/21), 6pm - John Russell presents his book, All the Right Circles. Free to attend.

• TU (1/21), 7pm Spanish-Speaking Book Club reads Que Nadie Duerma by Juan Jose Millas. Free to attend.

• WE (1/22), 6pm Beneficial relationship building for authors with Gold Leaf Literary Services, Caroline Christopoulos and Lauren Harr. Registration required by WE (1/15): goldleafliterary@ gmail.com, subject: Malaprop’s session.

Free to attend.

• TH (1/23), 6pm - E. Patrick Johnson, PhD presents his book, Honeypot: Black Southern Women Who Love Women. Free to attend.

SALUDA TRAIN TALES • 3rd FRIDAYS, 7pm - Saluda Train Tales, storytelling to help educate the community of the importance of Saluda’s railroad history and the Saluda Grade.

Free. Held at Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W. Main St., Saluda MLK THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 S. Market St., 828-254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore. com • SU (1/19), 5pm Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with recital of ‘I have a dream’ speech followed by original poetry by local writers then a competition between poets and musicians. $5 to attend/$10 to compete.

• MO (1/20), 7:30pm - Asheville Poetry Series presents annual MLK Day reading, featuring guest speaker Barbara Milford and poets Kevin Evans and

MOUNTAINX.COM

Caleb Beissert, plus an open mic. $5.

TRUE HOME OPEN MIC NIGHT • THURSDAYS, 6:30-8:30pm - Singers, speakers or readers, we would love to hear what you’ve got.

Signups start at 6pm.

Free to attend. Held at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain

THEATER ‘BRILLIANT TRACES’ • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (1/26) - Brilliant Traces, drama.

Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm, Sun.: 2:30pm. $16.

Held at 35below, 35 E. Walnut St. DISNEY’S ‘FROZEN JR’ • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (1/9) until (1/19) - Frozen Jr, musical. Thurs.-Sat.: 7pm, Sun.: 2 or 4pm. $12.

Held at The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St. ‘NEW OWNER’ • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (1/16) until (1/19) - New Owner combines puppetry, live action and animation.

Thurs. & Fri.: 8pm, Sat.: 2pm & 8pm, Sun.: 2pm & 7pm. $32/$20 child. Held at Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave. PUPPETRY WORKSHOP WITH THE LAST GREAT HUNT • FR (1/17), 4pm -Join the puppeteers of The Last Great Hunt for a workshop and behindthe-scenes examination of puppet manipulation and the creative process. Participants will examine performance techniques and craft their own paper puppet. $10. Held at Henry LaBrun Studio at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave.

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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CLUBLAND

LEADER OF THE LANDSLIDE: Folk/Americana collective The Lumineers recently released III. The album continues the band’s knack for storytelling. Listeners are introduced to three characters and, over the course of nine songs, narratives of family dynamics, love and loss are explored and analyzed. The visual accompaniment to the project includes a video series directed by Kevin Phillips. The Lumineers return to Asheville for a two-night run at Harrah’s Cherokee Center - Asheville on Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. $36.50-$115. uscellularcenter.com.

Photo by Danny Clinch

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesday, 6:00PM

12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad ISA'S BISTRO Trivia, 7:00PM Jay DiPaola, 185 KING STREET 5:30PM

NC Songsmiths: Will ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Franke, 8:00PM Andrew Hibbard 5 WALNUT WINE & Paul Decoster, BAR 7:00PM Les Amis, (African Cashavelly folk music), 8:00PM Morrison, 8:30PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Karaoke w/ Kari Okay, 9:00PM ASHEVILLE CLUB Free Live Music, 6:00PM ASHEVILLE DISPENSARY Herbal Winter Wellness (music, community, treats), 6:30PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Open Mic Showcase, 6:30PM FLEETWOOD'S Bad Taste Cinema, 7:00PM FUNKATORIUM Grass at the Funk featuring the Saylor Brothers, 6:30PM

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

ODDITORIUM Tula Vera, The Styrofoam Turtles, Uncle Kurtis, 8:00PM

PISGAH BREWING. Acoustic Wednesdays w/ Kyle Travers, 6:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Michael Jefry Stevens, 7:30PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray and the Space Cooties, 7:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING CO. FBVMA Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ashley Heath, 8:00PM

COLLABORATORY Geeks Who Drink Quiz w/ Party Grampa, 7:00PM

WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Jess Cook, 8:00PM

CROW & QUILL Big Dawg Slingshots Western Swing, 10:00PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Weird Wednesday Jam, 5:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

5 WALNUT WINE SOVEREIGN KAVA BAR OLE SHAKEY'S Poetry Open Mic Pleasure Chest, w/ Caleb Beissert, Sexy Tunes w/ 7:00PM 8:00PM DJ Franco Nino, AMBROSE WEST 10:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY Bald Mountain ONE STOP AT CAFE Boys & The Lazy ASHEVILLE MUSIC Cat and Canary, Birds, 8:00PM HALL 6:00PM Disclaimer Stand-Up ASHEVILLE THE BLOCK OFF Lounge Comedy BEAUTY Open Mic, 9:00PM BILTMORE ACADEMY Wednesday Night Cuban Night ONE WORLD Hump Night Jam, w/ Simón Y Las BREWING WEST 9:00PM Reglas, 8:00PM OWB West: Latin Dance Night w/ DJ THE GOLDEN ASHEVILLE CLUB Oscar (Salsa lesson FLEECE Free Live Music, Scots-Baroque w/ Emily Hamilton 6:00PM at 9 p.m., Bachatta, Chamber-Folk w/ the Tune Merengue, Salsa), ASHEVILLE Shepherds, 7:00PM 9:30PM DISPENSARY THE JOINT NEXT Cacao Night Owl ORANGE PEEL DOOR (music, community, Donnie Baker, Mr Jimmy, 6:00PM treats), 7:00PM 8:00PM

FLEETWOOD'S Vinyl Nights, 8:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Southern Word Tour, 7:00PM Lovers Leap & Bill and the Belles, 8:30PM LAZOOM ROOM LaZoom Comedy: Mo Alexander, 7:30PM LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Vinyl Night Free tastings, 7:00PM ODDITORIUM Foreplay In the Mountains, 7:00PM On The Cinder, The Spiral, Penny, 8:00PM

THU

16 OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10:00PM

THE MAGNETIC THEATRE Disney's Frozen Jr, 7:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:00PM 3rd Thursday Hersday (local rotating lineup & open jam), 10:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT The Moth: True Stories Told Live (Theme: Adventure), 7:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Lenny Pettinelli, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: One World Family Band Jam, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL The Dead South: Served Cold Tour [SOLD OUT], 9:00PM PISGAH BREWING. JackTown Ramblers, 7:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR The Paper Crowns, 7:00PM POLANCO RESTAURANT Pop Up DJ Dinners w/ DJ Phantome Pantone Collective, 10:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE The Get Right Band, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Billy Litz, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Freaks & Follies, A Uniquely Asheville Variety Show, 8:00PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Noble Pursuit: An Evening w/ Jason Moore, 8:00PM

THIS WEEK AT AVL MUSIC HALL & THE ONE STOP!!!

THE GREY EAGLE Chris Smither, 8:00PM

TOWN PUMP Dave Desmelik, 9:00PM TRISKELION BREWERY Open Irish Jam hosted by Cornell Sanderson, 6:30PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke, 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Acoustic Karaoke!, 10:00PM WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS The Black Market Trust, 7:00PM

185 KING STREET Carolina Blue, 8:00PM 27 CLUB Spellbound: Haunted Dance Party, 10:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Mug, 9:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Life Like Water, 6:00PM CORK & KEG Big Dawg Slingshots, 9:30PM CROW & QUILL Queen Bee & the Honeylovers (swing jazz & Latin music), 9:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Ugly Runner, The Straightjackets, Heavy Liquid, 9:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Captain T and the Lobster Mamas (funk, jam), 10:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Dave Curley, Ashley Davis & Colin Farrell, 7:00PM South for Winter & The Blue Eyed Bettys, 8:30PM LAZOOM ROOM LaZoom Comedy: Scott Eason, 9:00PM

AMBROSE WEST Reasonably Priced Babies Improv Comedy, 8:00PM

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP RD Johnston (original country style Americana, 8:00PM

ASHEVILLE CLUB Free Live Music, 6:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Michal Menert, Late Night Radio & Robbie Dude, 10:00PM

MICHAL MENERT,

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (Gypsy jazz), 7:00PM

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

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ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy hosts the Big City Blues Jam, 8:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Friday After Work Concert Series, 5:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays feat. members of Phuncle Sam (acoustic), 5:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: The Living Street, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Rockstead & Higher Education, 9:00PM

FRI

17 SAT

18

CHRIS SMITHER DOLLY DAY A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO

MON

20 TUE

21

DOLLY PARTON

TOO MANY ZOOZ

THU

23

W/ BIROCRATIC

BURLESQUE 19 BRUNCH - 12PM SUN

SUN

19

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24

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25

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JESSE MALIN

W/ TUK SMITH & THE RESTLESS HEARTS, KELLEY SWINDALL

STOP LIGHT OBSERVATIONS

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FT. MARK & MAGGIE O’CONNOR

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ORANGE PEEL Hiss Golden Messenger plus Lilly Hiatt, 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ RexxStepp, 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING. Ethan Heller Trio, 8:00PM RUSTIC GRAPE WINE BAR Adi the Monk (smooth jazz), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Progressive Alliance Postcard Parties, 4:30PM Shabudikah, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Parrotice, Vibe Emissions, Snakko, Sophron, 8:00PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Comedy Night w/ Justin Blackburn, 9:00PM

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FRI, 1/17 - SHOW: 10 pm (DOORS: 9 pm ) - adv. tix : $15

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1/24 - SoDown • 1/25 - Jonathan Scales Fourchestra • 1/31 - AVL All-Stars present ‘Talking Lizzo Heads’ • 2/1 - Supatight & Eggy • 2/6 - Bob Marley Birthday Bash w/ Chalwa • 2/7 - Blockhead, Arms and Sleepers + il:lo World Famous Bluegrass Brunch - 10:30am-3pm Shakedown Sundays - 4pm-7pm MOUNTAINX.COM

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SAT. 1/18 The Gary Mackey Band

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ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark and Joels B'day Bash w/ Hard Rocket, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Andrew Scotchie’s B-Day Bash, 8:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Rewind Goodtimz Band, 6:00PM CORK & KEG Zydeco Ya Ya, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Drayton & the Dreamboats (vintage pop & crooner music), 9:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Kat Boomcat (funk, jam), 10:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Likewise, 7:00PM LAZOOM ROOM LaZoom Comedy: Carter Deems, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Dance Party w/ DJ Lyric, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Daydream Creatures, 9:00PM

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ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Dance Party w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM

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DUSTBOWL REVIVAL

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BÉLA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES

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THE GREY EAGLE Too Many Zooz w/ Birocratic, 9:00PM THE MAGNETIC THEATRE Disney's Frozen Jr, 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Beach Fossils w/ Negative Gemini, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Billingsley & the Log Noggins, 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE Karaoke, 9:30PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Wild Wild Life, 9:00PM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Get Right Band, 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues, 4:00PM ASHEVILLE CLUB Free Live Music, 6:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Alex Culbreth, 3:00PM BROWN MOUNTAIN BOTTLEWORKS Michael Reno Harrell, 5:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Gun Jr., Nostaginoid, Sleepy Poetry, 8:00PM FUNKATORIUM An Afternoon of Bluegrass feat.

Gary "Macfiddle" Mackey, 1:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 2:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 A Newberry New Year w/ Joe Newberry, 6:00PM Nashville In Asheville: Writersin-the-Round feat.

Natascha Myers with Nicole Miller & Paige Rose, 7:30PM LAZY DIAMOND Fringe Festival Kick Off w/ Dr Aqueous (festival organizers present to answer Q's!), 5:00PM

ODDITORIUM Lair, Forest of Legend, Earth Witch, Harsh Realm, 8:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL World Famous Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM ORANGE PEEL Grace Potter & Devon Gilfillian, 8:00PM [SOLD OUT] PURPLE ONION CAFE Songs From the Road Band, 8:00PM SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Roots and Dore, 2:00PM

COMING SOON WED 1/15 7:00PM– ANDREW HIBBARD AND PAUL DECOSTER 8:30PM– CASHAVELLY MORRISON

THU 1/16 7:00PM– THE SOUTHERN WORD TOUR FEAT. KEVIN DANIEL & SETH POWER

SOVEREIGN KAVA Reggae Sunday w/ Pop-Up Dinner, 4:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE I Have a Dream Slam&jam (poetry competition), 5:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Burlesque Brunch, 12:00PM Asheville Middle School Fundraiser feat. Melodic AF, Modern Strangers & more, 4:00PM THE MAGNETIC THEATRE Disney's Frozen Jr, 2:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Modelface Comedy Presents: Michael Palascak, 8:00PM UNITY OF THE BLUE RIDGE In honor of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" legacy, Charles Holt will be featured as Guest Speaker as well as (special guest musician on Sunday, January 19th, during both services, 9:15 and 11:00 AM), 11:00AM WILD WING CAFE NFL Sundays w/ DJ Razor!, 1:00PM

MONDAY, JANUARY 20 185 KING STREET Karaoke Night, 7:30PM 27 CLUB Monday Mayhem Karaoke, 9:00PM

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SAT 1/25 7PM– ALIEN MUSIC CLUB PRESENTS “THE BRITISH ARE COMING” 8:30PM– AN EVENING WITH THE WOODSHEDDERS & SUGAR LIME BLUE

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5 WALNUT WINE BAR CaroMia, Michael Martinez, & Maddie Shuler, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Saxsquatch w/ Evil Note Lab, 8:45PM ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Monday Movie Night, 8:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam, 6:00PM

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ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Open Mic, 8:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Jazz Jam, 12:00AM ORANGE PEEL BRB at PULP w/ Circle Verse, 8:00PM

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27 CLUB Dirty Bingo, 9:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys, (hot jazz), 8:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING CO. Open Mic Night w/ It Takes All Kinds, 7:00PM SOVEREIGN KAVA Stage Fright Open Mic (sign up at 8PM), 8:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Ambiguous Roots, 9:00PM THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 8:00PM

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ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions hosted by The Theo and Brenna Band, 7:30PM ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy, 8:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Jack Pearson's Comedy Cosmos (stand-up), 8:00PM

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OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJ Franco Nino, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Latin Dance Night w/ DJ Oscar (Salsa lesson

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MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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MOVIE REVIEWS

Hosted by the Asheville Movie Guys HHHHH

= MAX RATING

EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com

H PICK OF THE WEEK H

BRUCE STEELE bcsteele@gmail.com

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

Kevin Evans

not just about resisting evil and doing the right thing — it also vividly portrays the suffering that comes with such bold life choices. At times, this film is difficult to watch, but it’s nevertheless worth the effort.

Starts Jan. 17 at Grail Moviehouse REVIEWED BY KEVIN EVANS K.A.E.0082@GMAIL.COM

Like a Boss HHH

A Hidden Life

DIRECTOR: Miguel Arteta PLAYERS: Rose Byrne, Tiffany Haddish, Salma Hayek COMEDY RATED R

HHHHS

DIRECTOR: Terrence Malick PLAYERS: August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Matthias Schoenaerts BIOPIC/DRAMA RATED PG-13 In Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, the presence and weight of moral obligation are felt in practically every scene. Based on the life of Austrian World War II conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter (played by Inglourious Basterds’ August Diehl), the film clocks in at almost three hours — a length that may cause many of its brilliant, beautiful twists and turns to become lost in viewers’ restless longing for peace and security that, by design, never really subsides.

In fact, the proverbial knots grow tighter as Franz’s fate as a Nazi resister grows clearer and nearer, a tension aided by much of the film being shot from skewed angles that, particularly at the beginning, often suggest an innocent, childlike perspective. Augmenting this compelling visual approach, Malick turns his camera to colors, shadows and lighting that showcase nature’s spectacular sides within the film’s primary setting of picturesque, mountainous terrain and rolling farmlands.

Strangely enough, even A Hidden Life’s darker scenes and settings still manage to bring in some kind of light and hope. They’re evident in the many warnings Franz receives from his countrymen — including the local priest — not to resist, as well as when he’s sent off to prison, leaving his wife Fani (Austrian actress Valerie Pachner), two children, mother 44

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

and sister-in-law to fend for themselves.

Inevitably, the family is ostracized by most of the village, but the wife continues to support her husband from afar, via letters and prayers.

Though A Hidden Life takes place in 1940s war-torn Europe, its focus on faith, duty, family and conviction remains potent and relevant today. The film is

If you want to start out the new year with a few chuckles, Like a Boss could scratch that itch — but don’t expect side-splitting laughter or anything particularly groundbreaking.

Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) are lifelong besties who built their own cosmetics company together from the ground up. But when a corporate cosmetics empire run by cutthroat power-

Melissa Myers

Michelle Keenan

Kristina Guckenberger

house Claire Luna (Salma Hayek) offers to buy into the brand, their relationship is put to the test as they navigate their different visions for the business.

Like a Boss is a relatively realistic portrayal of female friendship — minus the usual romantic chase plot. For once, the main storyline isn’t about a boy meeting a girl, but the importance of remaining loyal and communicative with your best friend, even after fame and fortune threaten to break the bond.

Although the message is something that I definitely appreciate, I didn’t get the belly-laugh-until-I-cry that I expected, a la Byrne’s breakout film, Bridesmaids.

When it comes to chick flicks, I like my humor a little edgier — and, especially given the stellar cast, I think they were capable of more than this fairly safe endeavor.

Ultimately, Like a Boss isn’t likely to leave a lasting impression, nor is it very bold (beyond the welcome normalization of smoking marijuana) or all that different from other girls-night-out movies — but it’s still worth a watch for some lighthearted laugh therapy. Just steer clear of watching the trailer before

XPRESS REVIEWERS’ TOP 5 FILMS OF 2019: PART THREE Josh McCormack 1. Marriage Story — A love story set in the midst of an ugly divorce that’s both heartbreaking and rousing. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson each give the best performances of their careers, and Noah Baumbach has crafted a modern masterpiece.

2. Parasite — A darkly comic satire of class that will go down as one of the best films of the decade. Suspense filmmaking at its very best, all helmed by the masterful hand of Bong Joon-ho.

3. The Irishman — Martin Scorsese directing a new crime epic starring Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino! This is my Avengers: Endgame. What begins as a nostalgic story as explosively exciting as Goodfellas soon becomes a heartbreaking story of age and regret. Now 77 years old, Scorsese has not lost a step.

4. Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood — Quentin Tarantino’s ninth feature is one of his most exciting and grown-up movies since Jackie Brown. It also fea-

tures the most cathartic finale of any film this year.

5. The Lighthouse — Robert Eggers’ follow-up to The Witch is a frighteningly beautiful assault on the senses, featuring mesmerizing performances from Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson. A darkly comic love story between two men as they lose their minds.

Douglas Davidson 1. Who Will Write Our History — This docudrama is not the first film to explore WWII’s Warsaw ghetto, but director Roberta Grossman’s wholly immersive adaptation of Samuel Kassow’s book takes a unique approach to a lesser known story.

2. Avengers: Endgame — As often as the Marvel Cinematic Universe gets lambasted for lacking any sense of weight, Endgame doesn’t slack in instilling significant stakes by acknowledging that this battle has been coming for nearly a decade. Plus, it treats audiences

to the sight of Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man cold-cocking a Leviathan.

3. Portrait of a Lady on Fire — Writer/director Céline Sciamma’s period romantic drama pulses with longing and desire, pain and melancholy. It’s a love story that’s honest in its depiction of an age when women are property, personal aspirations mean little and sometimes all we can do is hold onto treasured memories, no matter how painful.

4. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot — The title suggests grindhouse schlock, but the content is a masterful drama about the cost of heroism. At the center is a year’s best — if not careerbest — performance from Sam Elliott.

5. Rocketman — Nothing less than a Broadway-esque musical is fitting for biopic subject Elton John. Between the new arrangements for his hits, the incredible costume design by Julian Day to capture the look and Taron Egerton’s transformative performance, it fires on all cylinders and rarely misses.

you go, unless you want all the best parts spoiled.

REVIEWED BY MELISSA MYERS MELISSA.L.MYERS@GMAIL.COM

Underwater HHS DIRECTOR: William Eubank PLAYERS: Kristen Stewart, T.J. Miller, Vincent Cassel ACTION/HORROR RATED PG-13 Sometimes it’s good to have low expectations. After seeing a trailer for Underwater a while back, I presumed it was going to be an over-stylized, big budget piece of cinematic rubbish.

While it is indeed derivative sci-fi/horror schlock, director William Eubanks (The Signal) mercifully delivers a nonstop adrenaline ride that comes in at a tight 95-minute running time and manages to pack a couple of crowd-jumping “gotcha” moments along the way.

Underwater is essentially Alien set a couple of leagues beneath the sea, but is nowhere near as good as the Ridley Scott classic. Eubanks takes cues from other movie juggernauts, such as James Cameron’s The Abyss and Titanic, the most recent version of Godzilla and even The Poseidon Adventure. But whether this is a case of homage or imitation being the greatest form of flattery . . . who can say?

Kristen Stewart leads a solid cast, which also includes the always enjoyable Vincent Cassel (Ocean’s 12).

Unfortunately, the actors are not given enough to work with. The script ranges from B movie (which can make for a great popcorn flick) to taking itself altogether too seriously.

Like her former flame and Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson, Stewart strives to avoid being pigeonholed and proves she’s got the talent to handle an action film — but silhouetted cutaways to pensive moments in her skivvies while facing death at the bottom of the ocean doesn’t bring gravitas to her performance or the film.

For moviegoers who aren’t beating a path to this year’s Oscar-nominated films and just want a few thrills, Underwater delivers, as somewhat annoyingly demonstrated by the enthusiastic audience with whom I saw it. If all of the above sounds appealing, maybe you won’t mind throwing $13 per ticket into the great box office abyss.

REVIEWED BY MICHELLE KEENAN REELTAKES@HOTMAIL.COM

When Lambs Become Lions HHHHS DIRECTOR: Jon Kasbe PLAYERS: X, Lukas, Asan DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED Massive clouds of thick black smoke billow above blazing ivory tusk towers, as Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta condemns the catastrophic sins of the ivory trade industry and the devastating impacts it has had on his country. As the 105 tons of confiscated ivory, valued at $150 million on the black market, are ceremoniously set aflame, he sends an incontrovertible message of rejection — elephant poaching, and all those involved with it will no longer be tolerated. As the flames engulf the unsold ivory, a sight so pure and yet so morally corrupt, it’s clear that this is an effigy of those

who think Kenya’s “national heritage can be sold for money.”

This is not the first visually arresting scene in When Lambs Become Lions, nor is it the last, but it is certainly the most significant as it provides the central thesis of the film. John Kasbe’s latest documentary masterfully captures gorgeously tragic scenes such as this while lending a complex humanity to the dark underbelly of the elephant-poaching industry and those who rely on it to survive.

When Lambs Become Lions focuses on three Kenyan men directly involved in the illegal exchange of elephant tusks — X, the ivory trader; Lukas the poacher; and Asan the wildlife ranger — and follows their punishing journey through the deadly business over the course of three years.

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

A Hidden Life (PG-13) HHHHS (Pick of the Week) When Lambs Become Lions (NR) HHHHS JUST ANNOUNCED

Dolittle (PG) Robert Downey Jr. is the latest actor to portray the physician who discovers he can talk to animals.

CURRENTLY IN THEATERS 1917 (R) HHHHS 63 Up (NR) HHHHH A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (PG-13) HHHH Bombshell (R) HHHH Cats (PG) H Frozen II (PG) HHS The Grudge (R) S Harriet (PG-13) HH Jumanji: The Next Level (PG-13) HHHS Just Mercy (PG-13) HHHHS Knives Out (PG-13) HHHHH

REVIEWED BY KRISTINA GUCKENBERGER KRISTINA.GUCKENBERGER@GMAIL.COM

SCREEN SCENE

STARTING FRIDAY

Bad Boys For Life (R) Miami PD detectives Lowrey (Will Smith) and Burnett (Martin Lawrence) reunite for a third action-packed adventure.

What Lambs does differently from National Geographic ivory trade documentaries is to posit the important and necessary question of choice. X and Lukas are shown explicitly remarking that they could very well embark on another line of work, yet they don’t because poaching is much more lucrative than other socially acceptable jobs. Similarly, we see Asan in his ongoing struggle to stay on the right path amid unpaid wages and growing tensions at home. They exist on two sides of the same coin, each choosing to navigate comparable problems with very different methods.

Read the full review at mountainx.com/ movies/reviews Starts Jan. 17 at Pisgah Film House

OSCARS MOMENTUM: Lee Sunkyun, left, and Jo Yeo-jeong star in Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite. The South Korean social thriller was awarded Best Narrative Film of 2019 honors by the N.C. Film Critics Association.

Photo courtesy of Neon The N.C. Film Critics Association has named Parasite the best narrative film of 2019. Among the group’s members are Asheville-area writers Cameron Allison for Xpress, Marcianne Miller for Arts & Faith, Jill Boniske for Chickflix, Gareth Higgins for Sojourners and The Porch, James Rosario for Xpress and The Daily Orca, and Bruce Steele and this writer for Xpress and AshevilleMovies. com. Parasite also earned best foreign language film, while director Bong Joon-ho won best director and shared best original screenplay with his cowriter, Han Jin-won.

The awards for performing honored Lupita Nyong’o (Us) for best actress, Florence Pugh (Little Women) for best supporting actress, Adam Driver (Marriage Story) for best actor and Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood) for best supporting actor. Other winners include Greta Gerwig (Little Women) for best adapted screenplay; Roger Deakins (1917) for best cinematography; Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood for best music; Avengers: Endgame for best special effects; Toy Story 4 for best animated film; and Apollo 11 for best documentary film.

In 2016, the NCFCA renamed its Tar Heel award, which honors a film or performer with a special connection to North Carolina, in honor of the late Xpress film critic Ken Hanke. The winners of the 2019 Ken Hanke Memorial Tar Heel Award are Manteo native Tyler Nilson and his writing/directing partner Michael Schwartz for The Peanut Butter Falcon, which is set on the Outer Banks. Other nominees were the Durham-set Best of Enemies; former University of North Carolina School of the Arts student Jonathan Majors for his work in The Last Black Man in San Francisco; and Asheville-based filmmaker Joshua Overbay for his narrative feature Luke & Jo. ncfilmcritics.org X

Like a Boss (R) HHH Little Women (PG) HHHHH Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) HHHS

FILM

Parasite (R) HHHHH Spies in Disguise (PG) HHHH

'ALWAYS IN SEASON'

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (PG-13) HHHHS

in Season, documentary

Uncut Gems (R) HHHHH Underwater (PG-13) HHS

• WE (1/22), 7pm - Always on the history of lynching in America. Free. Held at

Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights MLK ‘SELMA’ • SU (1/19), 3pm & 6pm - Selma, stars David Oyelowo as MLK, Jr. and portrays the march from Selma to Montgomery

which led to the enactment of the Voting Rights Act in 1965. Free. Held at Lazy Hiker Brewing, 617 W. Main. St., Sylva WORLD CINEMA FILM • FR (1/17), 8pm Equinox Flower, comedy/

MOUNTAINX.COM

drama, first color film for Yasujiro Ozu about an old-fashioned father and his newfangled daughter.

Free to attend. Held at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain

JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Comedian John Cleese has an insight I hope you’ll consider. He says, “It’s easier to do trivial things that are urgent than it is to do important things that are not urgent. It’s also easier to do little things we know we can do than to start on big things that we’re not so sure about.” I hope you’ll make this advice a priority in the coming weeks. You’ll be wise to prioritize important tasks, even those that aren’t urgent, as you de-emphasize trivial matters that tempt you to think they’re crucial. Focus on big things that are challenging rather than on little things that are a snap.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Honoré Balzac (1799–1850) was born with sun and Mercury in Taurus and in the tenth house. Astrologers might hypothesize from these placements that he was ambitious, productive, tenacious, diligent, realistic and willful. The evidence supporting this theory is strong. Balzac wrote over 80 novels that displayed a profound and nuanced understanding of the human comedy. I predict that 2020 will be a year when you could make dramatic progress in cultivating a Balzac-like approach in your own sphere. But here’s a caveat: Balzac didn’t take good care of his body. He drank far too much coffee and had a careless approach to eating and sleeping.

My hope is that as you hone your drive for success, you’ll be impeccable in tending to your health.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Before he was 21 years old, William Shakespeare and his wife had birthed three kids.

When he was 25, while the brood was still young, he started churning out literary masterpieces. By the time Will became a grandfather at age 43, he had written many of the works that ultimately made him one of history’s most illustrious authors. From this evidence, we might speculate that being a parent and husband heightened his creative flow. I bring this to your attention because I want to ask you: What role will commitment and duty and devotion play in your life during the coming months? (I suspect it’ll be a good one.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian-born painter Stanley Spencer (1891–1959) didn’t align himself with any artistic movement. Early on, his work was an odd blend of French Post-Impressionism and 14th-century Italian painting. I appreciate his stylistic independence and suggest you draw inspiration from it in 2020.

Another unique aspect of Spencer’s art was its mix of eroticism and religiosity. I think you’ll enjoy exploring that blend yourself in the coming months. Your spiritual and sexual longings could be quite synergistic. There’s one part of Spencer’s quirky nature I don’t recommend you imitate, however. He often wore pajamas beneath his clothes, even to formal occasions. Doing that wouldn’t serve your interests. (But it will be healthy for you to be somewhat indifferent to people’s opinions.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1440s. In subsequent decades, millions of mass-produced books became available for the first time, making their contents available to a far wider audience than ever before.

The printing press caused other changes, too — some not as positive. For instance, people who worked as scribes found it harder to get work. In our era, big culture-wide shifts are impacting our personal lives. Climate change, the internet, smart phones, automation, and human-like robots are just a few examples. What are doing to adjust to the many innovations? And what will you do in the future? Now is an excellent time to meditate on these issues.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re skilled at the art of self-editing. When bright new ideas well up in you, you understand they are not yet ready for prime time but will need to be honed and finessed.

When your creativity overflows, tantalizing you with fresh perspectives and novel approaches, you know that you’ll have to harness the raw surge. However, it’s also true that sometimes you go too far in your efforts to refine your imagination’s breakthroughs; you over-think and over-polish. But I have a good feeling about the coming weeks, Virgo. I suspect you’ll find the sweet spot, self-editing with just the right touch.

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Thomas Love Peacock was a Libran author whose specialty was writing satirical novels that featured people sitting around tables arguing about opinions and ideas. He was not renowned for cheerful optimism. And yet he did appreciate sheer beauty. “There is nothing perfect in this world,” he said, “except Mozart.”

So much did Peacock love Mozart’s music that during one several-month stretch he attended six performances of the genius’s opera Don Giovanni.

In this spirit, Libra, and in accordance with astrological indicators, I encourage you to make a list of your own perfect things — and spend extra time communing with them in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Jean-Michel Basquiat started his career as a graffiti artist.

When he evolved into being a full-time painter, he incorporated words amidst his images. On many occasions, he’d draw lines through the words.

Why? “I cross out words so you will see them more,” he said. “The fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.” In the coming weeks, you might benefit from discreetly using this strategy in your own life. In other words, draw attention to the things you want to emphasize by downplaying them or being mysterious about them or suggesting they are secret.

Reverse psychology can be an asset for you.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Because of the onslaught of the internet and social media, lots of people no longer read books. But in 2020, I highly recommend that you not be one of that crowd. In my astrological opinion, you need more of the slow, deep wisdom that comes from reading books. You will also benefit from other acts of rebellion against the Short Attention Span Era. Crucial blessings will flow in your direction as you honor the gradual, incremental approach to everything.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “I love to be surprised by something I have never thought of,” declares Capricorn actor Ralph Fiennes. According to my analysis of the astrological aspects, you’ll be wise to make that one of your top mottoes in 2020. Why? First, life is likely to bring to your attention a steady stream of things you’ve never imagined. And second, your ability to make good use of surprises will be at an all-time high. Here’s further advice to help ensure that the vast majority of your surprises will be welcome, even fun: Set aside as many of your dogmas and expectations as possible, so that you can be abundantly receptive to things you’ve never thought of.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I love fools’ experiments. I am always making them.” So said one of the most famous and influential scientists who ever lived, Aquarian-born naturalist Charles Darwin. In accordance with upcoming astrological factors, I invite you to draw inspiration from his approach. Allow yourself to explore playfully as you conduct fun research. Just assume that you have a mandate to drum up educational experiences and that a good way to do that is to amuse yourself with improvisational adventures.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “How do you get your main pleasure in life?” That question was posed to Scorpio author Evelyn Waugh and Piscean social reformer William Beveridge.

Waugh said, “I get mine spreading alarm and despondency.” Beveridge said, “I get mine trying to leave the world a better place than I found it.” I hope you will favor Beveridge’s approach over Waugh’s in 2020, Pisces — for two reasons. First, the world already has plenty of alarm and despondency; it doesn’t need even a tiny bit more. Second, aspiring to be like Beveridge will be the best possible strategy for fostering your mental and physical health.

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EMPLOYMENT GENERAL TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great Tour Guide. Full-time and seasonal part-time positions available. Training provided. Contact us today! 828 251-8687.

Info@GrayLineAsheville.com www.GrayLineAsheville.com FULL-TIME EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position Executive Director, Research and Planning. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin. com/postings/5304

SALES/ MARKETING

SALES PROFESSIONAL Mountain Xpress is looking to add a new member to our sales team.

Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present confidently, while working within a structure. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and working well in a team environment. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies, and working to meet or exceed sales goals. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walkins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com

RESTAURANT/ FOOD DISHWASHERS/ FULL TIME AND PART TIME DISHWASHERS at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. play an important role in the success of our Taproom & Restaurant. This entry-level position allows you the opportunity to learn how our kitchen works, gain and improve your culinary skills, and show your dedication toward a long-term kitchen career. Dishwashers thoroughly clean and inspect dishes, silverware, glasses and kitchen equipment. To ApplyPlease visit our website https:// sierranevada.com/careers/

MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week.

Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is is sometimes needed or an option. E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Available routes are to the South and West of Asheville.

HUMAN SERVICES OUR VOICE IS SEEKING A BILINGUAL CONTRACT COUNSELOR & ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING CASE MANAGER! Our VOICE is hiring a part-time Bilingual Contract Counselor and a full-time Anti-Human Trafficking Case Manager to provide trauma-informed and client-centered services to survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking. For full details, please visit our website. https://www.ourvoicenc.org/ employment-opportunities/ OVERNIGHT RESIDENTIAL COACH Black Mountain Academy is seeking an Overnight Residential Coach for 3rd shift to work at our therapeutic boarding school supporting adolescent males with Level 1 (high-functioning) Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) or who have social challenges, anxiety, and difficulty in traditional academic settings. Interested candidates, please email your resume and cover letter to jobs@ theblackmountainacademy.com.

RESIDENTIAL DIRECTOR - MILL SPRING Location: Mill Spring Evening Schedule; scheduling/supervising staff, recruitment/training of new hires, facilities recreational/ social/cultural activities, supervisory experience in mental field and crisis management setting, develop/support/maintain healing community and programming 828-894-7117 hr@cooperriis.org www.cooperriis.org

RETAIL FULL-TIME SALES POSITION Must have knowledge of music, musical instruments and musical equipment. Sales experience preferred. Must be very customer oriented. Must be able to work Saturdays 10a-5p. Spanish as a second language is a plus. Compensation: Salary based upon experience+commission+health benefits.

Email becky@ musiciansworkshop.com for application.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION ADJUNCT POSITION A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an adjunct instructor position Instructor, High School Equivalency

(HSE) Prep in Correctional Institution . For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/postings/5310

HOME IMPROVEMENT CONSTRUCTION INGLE & SONS CONSTRUCTION Since 1980. No job too small. Build & sell steel buildings and storage sheds, install windows, doors, new roofs, decks, ect. Reliable, reasonable, trustworthy. Free estimate. Call Rory @ 828-231-3271

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HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. Insured. References and estimates available.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE SALE NORTH CAROLINA, HAYWOOD COUNTY Under and by virtue of a Power of Sale contained in that certain Deed of Trust executed by Janice A. Woodlief, dated January 23, 2009, recorded on February 3, 2009 in Book 753, Page 326 of the Haywood County Public Registry conveying certain real property in Haywood County to Paradise Settlement Services, Trustee, for the benefit of World Alliance Financial Corporation.

Default having been made of the note thereby secured by the said Deed of Trust and the undersigned, having been substituted as Trustee in said Deed of Trust, and the holder of the note evidencing said default having directed that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at thecourthouse door of the county courthouse where the property is located, or the usual and customary location at the county courthouse for conducting the sale onJanuary 21, 2020 at 11:30 AM, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property situated in Haywood County, North Carolina, to wit: WAYNESVILLE TOWNSHIP, HAYWOOD COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA BEGINNING AT A COMMON CORNER OF LOTS 213 AND 214 OF THE SUBDIVISION HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO, WHICH POINT IS IN THE CENTER LINE OF A 60-FOOT RIGHT OF WAY; THENCE ALONG THE CENTER LINE OF SAID RIGHT OF WAY FOUR CALLS AS FOLLOWS: N 50-28-25 E 89.57 FEET, ALONG A CURVE TO THE RIGHT AND IN AN EASTERLY DIRECTION WITH A RADIUS OF 40.00 FEET AN ARC LENGTH OF 95.54 FEET, S 07-16-30 W 83.32 FEET AND ALONG A CURVE TO THE LEFT AND IN A SOUTHEASTERLY

DIRECTION WITH A RADIUS OF 115.00 FEET AN ARC LENGTH OF 134.22 FEET; THENCE LEAVING SAID RIGHT OF WAY S 07-30-00 W 188.76 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE; THENCE N 74-2920 W 200.00 FEET TO AN IRON PIPE; THENCE N 06-58-35 E 311.27 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING, AND BEING LOT 214 OF APPLE CREEK ACRES, SECTION B, ACCORDING TO THE MAP THEREOF FILED IN CABINET A, SLOT 11-B, HAYWOOD COUNTY RESGISTRY. TOGETHER WITH AND SUBJECT TO THE RIGHTS OF WAY AS SHOWN ON SAID MAP AND, FURTHER, SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS AS RECORDED IN DEED BOOK 299, PAGE 519, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. BEING THE SAME PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN A DEED DATED MAY 1, 1997, FROM KENNETH E. HAYES AND WIFE, BONNIE L. HAYES, TO ERIC J. WOODLIEF, AND RECORDED IN DEED BOOK 549, PAGE 80, HAYWOOD COUNTY REGISTRY. Save and except any releases, deeds of release or prior conveyances of record. Said property is commonly known as 925 Apple Creek Road, Waynesville, NC 28786; A.P.N.: 8606-43-1196 A cash deposit (no personal checks) of five percent (5%) of the purchase price, or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, payable to Bell Carrington Price & Gregg, PLLC, will be required at the time of the sale.

Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts are immediately due and owing. Pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 45-21.30, if the highest bidder at the sale, resale, or any upset bidder fails to comply with its bid upon the tender of a deed for the real property, or after a bona fide attempt to tender such a deed, the clerk of superior court may, upon motion, enter an order authorizing a resale of the real property. The defaulting bidder at any sale or resale or any defaulting upset bidder is liable for the bid made, and in case a resale is had because of such default, shall remain liable to the extent that the final sale price is less than the bid plus all the costs of any resale. Any deposit or compliance bond made by the defaulting bidder shall secure payment of the amount, if any, for which the defaulting bidder remains liable under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 45-21.30. THIRD PARTY PURCHASERS MUST PAY THE EXCISE TAX AND THE RECORDING COSTS FOR THEIR DEED. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance “AS IS WHERE IS.” There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to any and all superior liens, including taxes and special assessments. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owner(s) of the property is/are the heirs of Janice A. Woodlief. An Order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 45-21.29, in favor of the purchaser and against the party or parties by the clerk of superior court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who

TH E NEW Y O R K T IMES CRO SSWO RD P UZZL E

ACROSS 1 Swear 5 “America” begins and ends with this occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination. The notice shall also state that upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination [N.C. Gen. Stat. § 45-21.16(b)(2)]. Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of the termination. If the trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the sale is challenged by any party, the trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have

10 Greeting card text, often 14 Mother of Castor and Pollux merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Cape Fear Trustee Services, LLC, Substitute Trustee ___________________ _______________, Attorney Aaron Seagroves, NCSB No. 50979 W. Harris, NCSB No. 48633 5550 77 Center Drive, Suite 100 Charlotte, NC 28217 PHONE: 980-2013840 File No.: 19-42888 NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA BUNCOMBE COUNTY In the General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division Case No. 19-CV-04481 Bank of America, N.A., Plaintiff, v. Emma Lue B. Robinson; Any Spouse of Emma Lue B. Robinson; Harvard Home Mortgage, Inc.; World Alliance Financial, LLC; The United States of America, by and through its agent, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Defendants. To: Emma Lue B. Robinson and Any Spouse of Emma Lue B. Robinson: Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-entitled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: Reformation and Declaration of Validity of Deed of Deed of Trust and Judicial Foreclosure of Deed of Trust. You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than forty (40) days after the date of the first

15 Rigel’s constellation 16 Tolstoy heroine 17 Australian wind instrument publication of this Notice, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This, the 2nd day of January, 2020. J. Martin Page, Esq. Bell Carrington Price & Gregg, PLLC 339 Heyward Street Columbia, SC 29201 803.509.5078 Attorneys for Plaintiff BCPG No. 19-43710

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edited by Will Shortz 19 Old story 20 Commencement 21 Pinochle plays 23 It may be checked at a station 24 Decorative garden element 27 Build up charges 30 Impolite onlooker 31 ___ interface 32 [Like magic!]

35 Dot follower 36 Cavernous opening 37 Petulant 39 Sound of a penny dropping?

42 Map abbr. before 1991 44 Garment in Gujarat 45 “Rats!”

46 Word of greeting or farewell 49 Gently boosted, as someone’s ego 51 “Grease” song with onomatopoeic lyrics 54 Figure on some greeting cards SPIRITUAL

puzzle by Jake Halperin 55 Ltr. accompaniers 56 How seafood may be shipped 60 ___ Blanc, highest of the Alps 62 Phrase in an article on grownup child stars, perhaps … or a hint to this puzzle’s shaded squares 64 Clip 65 Pandemonium 66 Dungeons & Dragons figure 67 Locale of Charon’s ferry 68 Worries 69 Travels (about)

DOWN

1 Brand of shoes and handbags 2 Target for a phlebotomist 3 Racetrack ratio 4 Engage in conflict 5 Frat.’s counterpart 6 Mafia don, for one

No. 1211

7 One who’s not “it” 8 Penner of the line “Language is wine upon the lips” 9 Some terminals 10 Brand of cooking spray 11 Line heard from the starting line 12 Unabridged 13 “Das Lied von der Erde” composer 18 “L’___ c’est moi” (declaration of Louis XIV) 22 Nickname for Louis Armstrong 25 Fiesta finger food 26 Confucian path to enlightenment 27 Ingredient in a Bahama Mama 28 Its members are represented by stars 29 Reuters or Bloomberg 33 Cost-controlling W.W. II org.

34 Winter milestone 37 Put pen to paper

38 Wielders of the dark side of the Force 40 Tint 41 Contribute 43 ___-mo 45 Carnival fare on a stick 46 Overwhelms 47 Billy 48 Their days are numbered

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

heville M Join tfhorethAesnext Movie Noivghiet! Guys

CHANGE YOUR FUTURE For 37 years, Julie King has helped thousands create a happier, fulfilled life. She's a gifted Psychic, Counselor, Spiritual Mentor, and Licensed Minister. Call 831-6019005 or www.AcuPsychic.com.

The evening includes a brief introduction by the Asheville Movie Guys, Bruce C. Steele and Edwin Arnaudin of AshevilleMovies.com, as well as a lively discussion with the audience after the credits.

HE'S KNOWN AS THE CHRIST, THE BODHISATTVA, THE IMAM MAHDI, MAITREYA BUDDHA, ETC. He is inspiring major, benevolent, world changes. He loves everyone, & won't send anyone to hell. We'll all see Him shortly after the collapse of the corrupt world economic system. Learn more: www.share-international.org

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50 Steed stopper 52 Onetime instantmessaging app 53 École attendee 57 Female role in “Young Frankenstein” 58 Thin rope 59 Members of a flock 61 It borders Mex. 63 Window boxes, for short

ROCKETMAN Mon., 1/20, 7pm • Fine Arts Theatre 36 Biltmore Ave., Asheville

Do you want an email reminder prior to each Asheville Movie Guys night?

Send an email with ‘Asheville Movie Guys’ in the subject line to ashevillemovies@gmail.com

celebrating 25 Years!

Xpress readers who say “Reggie” at the box office receive a discounted ticket price of $6.50 per person.

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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JAN. 15 - 21, 2020

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