C O NT E NT S
PAGE 29 ALL HANDS ON DECK The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival — a four-day extravaganza — returns for its 16th year, with subthemes including experimental art, fringey fun, raw emotion, social justice and the wildly weird. On the cover: Puppeteer Keith Shubert in costume as America’s Favorite Cartoon Witch. Shubert’s latest work, Total WTF, will debut at this year’s festival. COVER PHOTO Jennifer Bennett COVER DESIGN Hillary Edgin
FEATURES
C ONTAC T US
(828) 251-1333 fax (828) 251-1311
news tips & story ideas to NEWS@MOUNTAINX.COM letters/commentary to LETTERS@MOUNTAINX.COM sustainability news to GREEN@MOUNTAINX.COM a&e events and ideas to AE@MOUNTAINX.COM events can be submitted to CALENDAR@MOUNTAINX.COM or try our easy online calendar at MOUNTAINX.COM/EVENTS
WELLNESS WE PREVENT DOWNTIME!
GREEN Tue-Fri 11-6, Sat 12-5 • 828.505.2506 842 Haywood Rd. West Asheville
16 SPEAKING OUT Global ‘Me Too’ movement hits close to home
19 SORTING IT OUT How does Asheville’s single-stream recycling facility work?
FOOD
NOW OPEN
26 RISING TO THE TOP WNC’s artisan baking community nurtures aspiring talent
31 LIVING LARGE BIGBOIFLY Fashion Show returns to the runway
32 SERVING THE SONGS Steep Canyon Rangers will be joined by symphony members for hometown concert
oneclickavl.com 828-318-8558
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
business-related events/news to BUSINESS@MOUNTAINX.COM
get info on advertising at ADVERTISE@MOUNTAINX.COM place a web ad at WEBADS@MOUNTAINX.COM question about the website? WEBMASTER@MOUNTAINX.COM
3 LETTERS 3 CARTOON: MOLTON 5 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 12 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 13 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 14 CONSCIOUS PARTY 16 WELLNESS 19 GREEN SCENE 23 FOOD 28 SMALL BITES 29 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 34 SMART BETS 38 CLUBLAND 43 MOVIES 44 SCREEN SCENE 45 CLASSIFIEDS 46 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 47 NY TIMES CROSSWORD
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Mountain Xpress is available free throughout Western North Carolina. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 payable at the Xpress office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of Xpress, take more than one copy of each issue.
info@oneclickavl.com Shop Hours: 9-3 M-F 438 Montford Ave. Asheville, NC 28801
2
wellness-related events/news to MXHEALTH@MOUNTAINX.COM
venues with upcoming shows CLUBLAND@MOUNTAINX.COM
A&E
Handmade custom fit lingerie and ethically made brands from around the world
6 DEBTORS PRISON Poor defendants jailed for months awaiting trial for misdemeanors
A&E
NEWS
food news and ideas to FOOD@MOUNTAINX.COM
To subscribe to Mountain Xpress, send check or money order to: Subscription Department, PO Box 144, Asheville NC 28802. First class delivery. One year (52 issues) $130 / Six months (26 issues) $70. We accept Mastercard & Visa.
MOUNTAINX.COM
find a copy of xpress JTALLMAN@MOUNTAINX.COM
WWW.MOUNTAINX.COM FACEBOOK.COM/MOUNTAINX follow us @MXNEWS, @MXARTS, @MXEAT, @MXHEALTH, @MXCALENDAR, @MXENV, @MXCLUBLAND we use these hashtags #AVLNEWS, #AVLENT, #AVLEAT, #AVLOUT, #AVLBEER, #AVLGOV, #AVLHEALTH, #AVLWX
COPYRIGHT 2018 BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS ADVERTISING COPYRIGHT 2018 BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com. STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith NEWS EDITOR/WRITER: Carolyn Morrisroe OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, David Floyd, Max Hunt, Carolyn Morrisroe
CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O LT O N
Leave stereotypes of large families at home Last week, my family and I were walking in downtown Asheville to have dinner. My husband and I have six children. A man walked by me and said very clearly and condescendingly, “What, one wasn’t enough?” Unfortunately, this is a common insult when we are in public. What I find most appalling is that in a society in which we’re expected to be sensitive to others, a man can still say this to a woman and expect it to be acceptable. In a time when we’re expected to challenge assumptions and teach cultural sensitivity, I want to take a moment to express my frustrations as a woman and a mother and to take this opportunity to address only a few of those stereotypes that I hear from strangers on a weekly basis. Yes, they are “all mine.” No, my children were not accidents, and, yes, I have “figured out what’s causing it.” Yes, I have a job. I am a full-time university instructor, and so is my husband. Yes, I am educated. We have four graduate degrees between the two of us. No, I do not belong to any organized religion. No, I do not home-school. Will I have more? I don’t know, but what I do with my uterus is none of your business. Yes, I sleep. Yes, my “hands are full.” Yes, I am aware of our carbon impact.
Do I care? No, I’m too busy raising children so that they don’t grow up to be jerks who get amusement by insulting strangers minding their own business. If I am in public, don’t assume that I need your help. The last thing my toddler needs is a stranger picking her up. And, to the woman who stood next to me in line at the bakery while I was getting coffee, I am not a “baby factory.” Forget what’s trending and stick to this rule: Treat others how you would like to be treated, Asheville, and be a little kinder. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve been made to wait for a table with the expectation that after waiting for a half-hour that we’ll leave while we watch those who arrive after us seated immediately. Or, when we do finally get a table and people request not to be seated next to us. Consider this: Replace our experiences with others historically marginalized because of their gender, race, and ethnicity and ask yourself if it’s acceptable to be treated in such a way, especially in a town that prides itself as being progressive or open-minded. And if, by the end of this, you’re wondering: Did I say anything to the stranger? I did. I asked him to repeat what he said to me just a little louder so my husband could hear, which he refused. — Stephany Davis Leicester
CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin CLUBLAND EDITORS: Abigail Griffin, Max Hunt MOVIE REVIEWERS: Scott Douglas, Francis X. Friel, Justin Souther CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Jonathan Ammons, Liisa Andreassen, Kari Barrows, Leslie Boyd, Jacqui Castle, Scott Douglas, Tony Kiss, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Kate Lundquist, Monroe Spivey, Lauren Stepp, Daniel Walton ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Norn Cutson, Hillary Edgin, Scott Southwick, Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Bryant Cooper, Niki Kordus, Tim Navaille, Brian Palmieri, Heather Taylor INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Bowman Kelley, DJ Taylor BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen, Lauren Andrews DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jeff Tallman ASST. DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Denise Montgomery DISTRIBUTION: Gary Alston, Russell Badger, Frank D’Andrea, Jemima Cook Fliss, Adrian Hipps, Clyde Hipps, Jennifer Hipps, Joan Jordan, Laura Stinson, Brittney Turner-Daye, Thomas Young
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
3
OPI N I ON
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
In praise of local bookstores I spend way too much of my waking hours prowling the shelves of Downtown Books & News and The Captain’s Bookshelf. I have credit at the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, so I can either pick up a “previously loved” novel, or my wife can sink down in a black leather sofa, and we can sip on a bottle of Champagne in the heart of Asheville, for free! The most unusual place I’ve found is [Morrison’s] Paperback Palace on Possum Trot Road, across from Discount Shoes. One side of the store has a fabulous array of used paperbacks, mostly popular fiction, but I’ve found some good, serious literature there as well. The other side of the store, run by the same guy, is Morrison’s [Ammo & Gun Specialties]. Not being much of a gun guy, I don’t spend any time on that side of the store, but if I ever get invited to go duck hunting, I’ll know where to pick up my shotgun cartridges. And just in case I get bored sitting in the blind all day, I’d choose a few Nordic Noir paperbacks to take with me. So, here’s a big shoutout to the Paperback Palace and all the other local purveyors of gently used poetry and prose. — Charlie Miller Asheville
Thanks for taking care of your neighbors, WNC The board members of Neighbors in Need extend their heartfelt thanks to our community of friends, volunteers and donors. Our generous patrons in caring this past year included, but were not limited to, churches, musicians, artists, schools, banks, local businesses and, of course, our wonderful WNC citizens! Every day, we are heartened by your giving spirit. In 2017, many of you stepped forward to ensure that our neighbors who may be less fortunate or are experiencing a crisis had access to food, home fuel, medical assistance and other emergent needs through our nonprofit Marshall Food Pantry. Again, we thank you and value your partnership and continued assistance as we enter 2018. Happy New Year [from] the NIN board. — Dana Deyette NIN board member Marshall
We want to hear from you! Please send your letters to: Editor, Mountain Xpress, 2 Wall St., Asheville, NC 28801 or by email to letters@mountainx.com.
Lunch
2 courses for $15 Daily soup with your choice of bento box
Dinner
3 courses for $30 Call, stop in, or use reserve.com to make a reservation MENUS ARE AT REZAZ.COM
828.277.1510
Historic Biltmore Village 4
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N
Celebrating 30 years in Asheville!
828.254.5677
600-B Centrepark Drive, Asheville, NC MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
5
NEWS
DEBTORS PRISON
Low-income defendants jailed for months awaiting trial for misdemeanors
BY LESLIE BOYD
park goes in and sits down, he or she can be arrested for trespass, and I have seen people being harassed this way,” Cantrell explains. “I missed a court date,” says Ohlin. “But I don’t have no way to tell time. I live under a bridge.” Cash bail leaves many lowincome people facing an impossible dilemma: If they pay the bondsman, they may not be able to pay the rent, but if they pay the rent instead, they’re jailed and will probably lose their job when they don’t show up for work.
leslie.boyd@gmail.com Some days, Tray Smith feels as though the justice system is out to get him. Last September, Smith missed a Buncombe County court date for a misdemeanor because he was already in jail in Caldwell County on a charge of possessing marijuana paraphernalia. “I didn’t have pot,” he says. “But there was residue.” Smith was jailed because he couldn’t come up with bail money. “Bail was $7,500,” he explains. “That would mean I had to pay $750 to a bail bondsman, and that’s not refundable.” Smith was released after nearly two months in jail, but the missed court date — he was charged with trespassing for sleeping on a park bench — puts him at risk of spending still more time behind bars. He has another court date on Jan. 29. Across the nation, people are being held in jail for days, weeks, even months awaiting trial on misdemeanor charges, because they can’t raise the cash to get out. That, in turn, can lead to job loss and homelessness. Some attorneys now argue that this is tantamount to debtors prison, which is unconstitutional. Smith, who has diabetes, has been homeless since being released from foster care seven years ago and lives in a tent. For the past several months, the 25-year-old says, his disability check has been held up in a bureaucratic nightmare. That he should have to come up with $750 to make it to a court
CRIMINALIZING POVERTY
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: Tray Smith, 25, plays guitar on Sundays for worship services at BeLoved House in Asheville. He spent two months in jail in another county and missed a Buncombe County court date, which puts him at risk of more time behind bars. Photo by Leslie Boyd date in another county just because he fell asleep on a park bench infuriates the Rev. Amy Cantrell, founding director of BeLoved House in
The
Sustainability
Series CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018
Each week in April 6
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
Asheville. The nonprofit works to support people experiencing homelessness and build community. Smith’s case is far from unique, Cantrell points out. Nationally, about 60 percent of the folks in jails are there awaiting trial, often because they can’t come up with as little as $50 for bail. Cantrell says she’s accompanied dozens of people to court who found themselves in that situation. Some have spent weeks in jail for misdemeanors such as sleeping in a public place. “For these folks, it’s your money or your body,” she notes, adding, “There’s a basic inequality in that.” In almost two years living without a home in Asheville, Brandy Ohlin, 31, has been arrested and held three times for trespassing, the automatic charge after the first such arrest. “If a person who’s been banned from the
A report released Jan. 3 by the University of North Carolina’s N.C. Poverty Research Fund documents the extent of the problem. In “Court Fines and Fees: Criminalizing Poverty in North Carolina,” researchers Heather Hunt and Gene Nichol use a combination of stories and data to document the massive impact of court fines and fees across the state. “Most criminal defendants are poor,” the report notes under the heading “Perpetual Debt.” Nationally, it continues, “about 80-90 percent of those charged with a criminal offense are poor enough to qualify for a courtappointed lawyer. Around 20 percent of jail inmates report having no income before they were incarcerated, and 60 percent earned less than … $16,000 a year. Almost a third of defendants are unemployed before their arrest. Many defendants are disadvantaged in other, related ways.” In North Carolina, the picture is equally grim: “Thirty percent of prison inmates have no more than a ninth-grade education; 99 percent are, at most, high school graduates. Seventy percent of newly arrived prisoners screened for chemical dependence need substance abuse treatment.” Homelessness is another big problem. “A state Department of Correction survey found that 36 percent of people entering prison had been homeless at some point, and 7 percent had been homeless immediately before imprisonment,” most often due to unemployment, substance abuse or a previous criminal conviction.
JAILHOUSE BLUES: The Rev. Amy Cantrell, founding director of BeLoved House in Asheville, says she’s been to court with dozens of defendants who couldn’t afford bail and wound up spending days or weeks in jail awaiting trial for misdemeanors. Photo by Leslie Boyd Meanwhile, a 2016 study from the University of Pennsylvania found that defendants who were held in jail while awaiting trial for a misdemeanor were 43 percent more likely to be sentenced to serve time, and when they were, the average sentence was more than twice as long. Furthermore, the study found that defendants who are detained pretrial are more likely to commit crimes in the future. Thus, the current system of cash bail punishes low-income people more than others and keeps people who are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty locked up for weeks or even months, notes constitutional attorney Scott Holmes. “It should really be reserved for people who truly are a flight risk — say, someone with a passport that’s been stamped in several countries or who might be a safety risk,” says Holmes, a professor at the North Carolina Central University School of Law. “The burden of proof should be on the state. … Too often, people can’t even afford bus fare, so they’re not really a flight risk.” PUNITIVE FEES Last year, Southerners On New Ground, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, raised more than $1 million nationally to secure the release, on Mother’s Day, of more than 100 African-American mothers from jail. Asheville resident Nicole Townsend works with SONG.
“Some people are doing what they do — sex work, for example — just to survive. It’s the only way they know to survive,” she points out. “They shouldn’t be in jail just because they’re poor. … The bail is usually under $10,000, but coming up with just 10 percent of that is impossible for someone with a low-wage job.” Bail, notes Holmes, is not the only problem low-income people face when they get pulled into the justice system. A $15 traffic ticket, for example, also comes with a $187 court fee. “You don’t just have to come up with the fine, which is reasonable. You have to come up with that $187 too,” he points out. Cristina Becker of the American Civil Liberties Union of N.C. details some of the charges people often face when accused of a crime in North Carolina: $10 a day before conviction and $40 a day afterward, if they’re in jail; $600 for lab tests; $187 or more for court costs; $40 a month for probation. Even the appointed attorney for a person who can’t afford to hire one isn’t free if the defendant is found or pleads guilty. That legal representation costs $50 for the first appointment and $55 an hour after that — even for a misdemeanor such as trespassing. And often, defendants are pressured to plead guilty to a crime just so they can get out of jail. The University of Pennsylvania study found that defendants who are held in jail while awaiting trial
CONTINUES ON PAGE 8 MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
7
N EWS are 25 percent more likely to plead guilty than those who are released — at which point they end up owing the attorney’s fees as well as jail and court fees. “People leave prison owing tens of thousands of dollars, and then they can’t find a job because they’ve been in prison,” Becker explains. “In Guilford County, a young man whose grandmother had given him a new pair of sneakers had those shoes confiscated because he didn’t have any money. He left court in his socks.” In Robeson County, a single mother who was on her way to pay her rent after court was forced to hand her rent money over to the court, continues Becker. The judge said he knew she had money. UNCONSTITUTIONAL PRACTICES After 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Mo., police officer in 2014, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation. The resulting report, released March 4, 2015, found that Ferguson Municipal Court had a pattern of “focusing on revenue over public safety, leading to court practices that violate the 14th Amendment’s due process and equal protection requirements.” Those practices, the report concluded, exacerbate the harm caused by the town’s unconstitutional police practices, “imposing particular hardship upon Ferguson’s most vulnerable residents, especially upon those living in or near poverty. Minor offenses can generate crippling debts, result in jail time because of an inability to pay, and result in the loss of a driver’s license, employment or housing.” In addition, the investigation found, “The harms of Ferguson’s police and court practices are borne disproportionately by AfricanAmericans and ... are due, at least in part, to intentional discrimination.” All of this violates the U.S. Constitution, notes Holmes. “We don’t do debtors prisons in this country,” he says. Under President Barack Obama, the Justice Department urged local courts to seek alternatives for indigent defendants and refrain from levying fines and fees merely to generate revenue.
Last month, however, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded that and many other Obama-era policies. SIGNS OF CHANGE Nonetheless, Becker believes the tide is beginning to turn. In Georgia, a judge found that the court must conduct a financial assessment to determine whether a defendant has the means to pay. If nonpayment is willful, the person can be jailed for noncompliance; otherwise, the fees must be adjusted. Kentucky, meanwhile, is experimenting with alternatives to bail such as pretrial risk assessment, supervised release, drug treatment and ankle monitors. According to a March 2017 report by The Pew Charitable Trusts, local jurisdictions from Alabama to Ohio have also begun changing their bail systems. And in December, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled that the state’s judges must consider releasing defendants without bail, and if they do set bail, they must consider the accused’s financial situation and set the lowest amount of bail that is feasible under the circumstances. Closer to home, Buncombe County’s pretrial release program helps hundreds of low-income, nonviolent offenders get out of jail every year without having to come up with cash, notes District Attorney Todd Williams. But that’s not the case in other Western North Carolina counties, says Becker. “I think there should be an assessment to ascertain that people are safe and that people will come to court,” Williams explains. “I mean, unless they’re in jail with no bond because they’re suspected of a violent crime, everyone awaiting trial in jail is there because they can’t come up with bond. … Our goal is to ascertain who really needs to be in jail and who doesn’t.” And ultimately, keeping people in jail doesn’t even make financial sense, Becker maintains, since it costs about as much as offering services such as drug treatment, mental health assessment and referral, and job counseling, which would be more humane. “It’s just mean,” she says. X
The
Sustainability
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018
Ever y week in April
8
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
Series
B U N C O M B E B E AT
County finances in good shape despite Greene investigation The federal investigation into former County Manager Wanda Greene threw a wrench into what is typically a pretty undramatic affair: the county audit. “Under normal circumstances, I would highlight our unmodified opinion and speak about how our financial position is sound and stable, which it is,” Finance Director Tim Flora told the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners during a presentation of the fiscal year 2017 audit on Jan. 16. “However, as is wellknown, there is currently an investigation of our former county manager, and the nature of this investigation is related to potential fraud.” Tightening internal controls against impropriety became an overarching theme at the commission meeting. During the audit presentation, Flora outlined a broad timeline detailing how the county first became aware of financial irregularities tied to the former county manager, and commissioners took time to highlight controls they have developed to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again. WHAT THE COUNTY KNEW AND WHEN The early signs began in fall 2016. “There were some peculiar decisions and directions provided by the former county manager that came across as odd,” Flora said. “Nothing concrete, mind you — just things
that made me scratch my head and wonder, ’What’s going on?’” In spring 2017, Flora said Greene took some questionable actions that raised red flags among staff in the county Finance Department. “Not much detail can be provided at this time, but these actions led to an increased level of scrutiny regarding specific financial events,” he said. “It is likely you the board and the public are unaware of these actions, because ultimately they were prevented from occurring because of our internal controls.” On May 30, Greene announced her retirement after 23 years of employment with the county, effective July 1. Flora said that over a four-day period in June, the Finance Department noticed several irregularities tied to Greene. Internal controls caught these events, too, but not until after they had already occurred. Staff determined that some of these irregularities were inappropriate. The county started an internal review, and the internal auditor and the human resources director were notified. County staff documented these irregularities the weekend after the discovery and delivered them to the county’s senior attorney on the following Monday. “Based on this, it was determined that a potential breach had occurred,” Flora said. “While the senior attorney immediately notified the proper legal authorities, finance, HR and IT began the process of restricting county manager
access to our systems as well the administration building.” Flora said county staff notified Greene of the restrictions placed on her access and the county began preserving evidence. In July, as Mandy Stone was assuming the role of county manager following Greene’s retirement, the Finance Department broadened its internal review to determine the financial impact of the events and worked with authorities as they began their investigation, according to Flora. In the same month, Flora said the county notified its external auditor, the Gould Killian CPA Group, which had already started working on the audit, of the findings uncovered by the internal review and the existence of an investigation. The county then notified its state oversight agency, the Local Government Commission, as well as the state treasurer and state auditor. In August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office confirmed that there was a federal investigation involving Greene and others. AUDITING THE AUDIT Within the framework of the criteria the financial auditors evaluated, the results of the county’s FY 2017 audit are good. The Gould Killian CPA Group delivered a clean (or unmodified) opinion to the county, meaning that the auditor sampled, assessed and tested county financial records and found nothing that would
result in a misstatement of the county’s financial situation. However, in anticipation of questions from the public about how the county could receive a clean audit amid an ongoing federal investigation, Flora and Ed Towson, a principal at the Gould Killian CPA Group, took time during the commission meeting to explain the reasoning behind this decision. “The scope of the audit — what we hired our external auditors to do — was to audit the accuracy of our financial statements,” Flora said. “These are accurate and have always been accurate to the best of our knowledge. The auditor does not make a determination of whether fraud has occurred— rather, whether there have been unreasonable misstatements in the financial statements. There are none. That’s all a clean audit means.” Flora also clarified that a clean audit does not mean that there has been a total absence of wrongdoing. He divided Greene’s questionable actions into two categories: actions that were inappropriate and actions that were technically in her authority but were questionable because of other factors. “The dollar value of the first category, those that are inappropriate, as far as I currently am aware, are not large enough to affect county operations, and we remain in a stable financial position despite these events,” Flora said. “All other questioned events as discovered through our internal reviews happened through budgeted expenditures and also do not affect our financial position in any new ways.” Flora also clarified that the county is not missing any money. “Every dollar
CONTINUES ON PAGE 10
TIMELINE OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY FINANCE DEPARTMENT’S REACTION TO IRREGULARITIES APRIL-JUNE 2017 Questionable county manager actions occur
JUNE 2017 • Series of financial irregularities tied to county manager discovered • Internal audit; Human Resources consulted • Events documented and delivered to senior attorney
JULY 2017 • External auditor notified • Local Government Commission notified
JULY 2017 TO PRESENT • Historical review of financial transactions • Internal audit and organizational changes made
AUGUST-OCTOBER 2017 County works with external auditors to determine impact on financial statements
TIME AFTER TIME: The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners heard a report on Jan. 16 detailing the county Finance Department’s response to irregularities it identified in regard to the actions of former County Manager Wanda Greene. Timeline information courtesy of Buncombe County; graphic by Olivia Urban MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
9
N EWS RESTORING FAITH
in our financial system is accounted for in these statements we present to you tonight,” he said. Towson said Buncombe County does have a functioning system of internal control, with the detection part of the system being instrumental in flagging some of the irregularities tied to Greene. “The system itself is designed in a way that is reliable, and therefore it is not deficient,” he said “Can it be improved? Any system can be improved, but it was reliable and … it did detect the problem.” One recommendation the firm has for strengthening the county’s system of internal control involves adjusting “the tone at the top” — making sure every employee realizes they have a duty and responsibility to report anything they think is inappropriate. “There was an old saying, I think in World War II: ‘See something, say something,’” Towson said. “That should be the encouragement for the educational processes, the systems to allow people to report to supervisors or on the whistleblower line or any other mechanism. We agree that that is important to strengthening the system.”
Before the audit presentation, commissioners presented a list of internal reforms the board has undertaken that build on reforms implemented since last July 1: 1) “If it is determined that public funds have been used for illegal or unethical purposes, the Board of Commissioners instruct the county manager to continue efforts to recover funds, as legally permissible.” 2) “The Board of Commissioners shall provide a performance review of all appointed staff (county manager, chief financial officer, county clerk, Board of Commissioners attorney) in July of each year. Due to the special circumstances of FY 2018, the BOC will also conduct a mid-year goal-setting session and review with appointed staff, to take place no later than February 2018.” 3) “The budget director will provide budget to actual reports, and the chief financial officer will provide financial updates on a monthly basis.” 4) “On a quarterly basis, the internal auditor will report to the Board of Commissioners on the current priorities of the internal audit committee.”
Commissioner Mike Fryar said Stone and county staff have already started following through with several of these directives, specifically Nos. 1, 3 and 4, and suggested that the items were merely formalizing steps that Stone had already taken. “I didn’t know it was going to be put in the paper and brought forward, so I think it needs to be relooked at, because three of the things here are already part of what she [Mandy Stone] has put in place herself without instructions from us,” he said. Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara told Xpress via email that these reforms do build on work that’s been performed under Stone’s leadership, which is exactly the point. “In regards to #1, #3, and #4, the instructions provide new specific guidelines that, in my view, it’s critical to be clear and precise about so we are communicating clearly with staff and so that community members are as informed as possible,” she stated. Commissioners also discussed other changes the county could implement in the near future. Commissioner Joe Belcher said one item the board should consider is a one-cent reduction in the property tax rate in the 2018 budget to return money to the taxpayers, a move that
Commissioner Robert Pressley said he supported. Belcher also noted that the county could benefit from adding a watchdog function to the county system. “If something does not fall exactly within policy in a gatekeeper or watchdog function, it immediately kicks it out. ... It’s a part of the private sector, and it is a good policy for us to explore,” he said. Belcher said he was glad the commissioners were taking the opportunity to have this conversation in front of the public — something Commissioner Ellen Frost also appreciated. “Too often in the past, commissioners have been the last to know things, and it’s hard to lead when you’re in a position of not knowing things, so going forward I look forward to greater transparency not just with the public but on us too,” she said. Frost said she remembers being told during her training not to micromanage the county manager. “Well, that has burned all of us, so I think we’re all ready to move on from that strategy,” she said.
— David Floyd X
Mission aims to build facility near Swannanoa Mission Health plans to build an off-site health care facility on U.S. Highway 70 at Warren Wilson Road near Swannanoa, according to plans approved by the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment on Jan. 10. “Health care providers are getting away from the big behemoth hospitals and going out into the community so you have less travel time for the folks that you’re going to be serving,” said Derek Allen, an Asheville attorney who presented the application to the board on behalf of Mission Health. The project, which will be an inpatient facility, will cost $20 million to $25 million and be a maximum of 130,000 square feet and three stories tall. The board had to review the project because the proposed structure is more than 50,000 square feet. According to parking calculations submitted with the permit application, the facility will have enough spaces to accommodate 144 patients, 10 doctors and 60 employees. “I think it’s an excellent project … certainly the east end of the county needs closer medical facilities,” said board member James Wilson. 10
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
EASTWARD HO: During its first meeting of 2018, the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for Mission Health to build a health care facility along U.S 70 and Warren Wilson Road near Swannanoa. Map courtesy of Buncombe County Sonya Greck, senior vice president for behavior health, safety net, community investment and facilities at Mission, said in a statement to Xpress that the health system’s plans
for the building as well as the type of service it will provide are still in the planning phase
— David Floyd X
NEWS BRIEFS by Max Hunt | mhunt@mountainx.com CITY SEEKS INPUT FROM MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES The city of Asheville’s Blue Ribbon Committee, tasked with developing an Asheville Human Relations Commission, is calling for community input at a meeting Wednesday, Jan. 24. The meeting will be held 6:30-8 p.m. at the Shiloh Recreation Center. A light dinner, child care and Spanish interpreters will be available for this meeting. Discussions will focus on marginalized communities in Asheville, their needs, and how the new Human Relations Commission can best engage these communities and strengthen relationships citywide. Recommendations will be reviewed by the committee and integrated into its final report to City Council in February. Recommendations will also be shared electronically via the committee’s webpage (avl.mx/4hr). More info: 828-232-4541 or jmatthews@ashevillenc. gov OPIOID TOWN HALL PLANNED FOR JAN. 30 On Tuesday, Jan. 30, 6-8 p.m., Buncombe County will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the opioid epidemic. The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners hopes to increase public awareness about the disease of opioid addiction and explore ways the community can be a part of stemming the tide of this public health crisis. Speakers will include medical experts from the Mountain Area Health Education Center, peer support specialists from Family Preservation Services and Sunrise Community Wellness, and community members who have been affected by the issue. The event is open to the entire community. It will take place at the A-B Tech campus, Mission
Conference Center, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville. More info: avl.mx/4k8 PARTY TO LAUNCH ARTSPACE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SURVEY The Center for Craft, Creativity & Design will host Artspace on Thursday, Jan. 25, 5:30-7 p.m. for the launch of the Arts Market Survey. The launch party will kick off a two-month comprehensive community campaign to quantify Asheville’s creative community and understand space needs (housing and otherwise). The event is free and open to the public, RSVPs are requested via Eventbrite. Free parking is available at HomeTrust Bank. More info: Facebook event: avl.mx/4k6, Eventbrite: avl.mx/4k7. HELP KEEP BUNCOMBE COUNTY SAFE AND WARM Ingles Markets, in partnership with Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, is appealing to the community for donations of blankets, along with funding for utility assistance to keep residents of Buncombe County safe and warm. The Safe & Warm campaign will kick off Monday, Jan. 29, and run through Saturday, Feb.10. People can drop off new or gently used blankets at donation bins at area Ingles. Shoppers can also buy Safe & Warm icons at the register for $1. This donation will go directly toward heating assistance for families in crisis. Safe & Warm is an effort to support households whose private and public access to heating assistance has been depleted. To help ABCCM meet these immediate needs, donations can be made now to the Safe & Warm campaign at abccm.org.
CITY LOOKS TO FILL COMMITTEE OPENINGS The city of Asheville has several openings on various committees. Serving on city committees gives residents an opportunity to have a voice in the city’s growth and future. Visit the city’s Boards and Commissions webpage at avl.mx/3wv or contact the city clerk’s office at 828-259-5839 or by e-mail at sterwilliger@ashevillenc. gov for an application form. Current vacancies include the audit committee, Multimodal Transportation Commission and Riverfront Area Development Commission. The deadline for applications for these openings is Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 5 p.m. LAND OF SKY SEEKS APPLICANTS FOR SENIOR TAR HEEL LEGISLATURE
CECILIA JOHNSON Attorney at Law
DIVORCE IS SCARY but your lawyer’s bill shouldn’t be. •
My $125/hour rate is ALMOST HALF other attorneys’ rates in Asheville.
•
I have 21 years’ experience.
Divorce • Child Custody • Child Support Property Division • Separation Agreements
•
I handle all my cases personally, rather than handing the work to a paralegal.
$125 PER HOUR
•
Skype appointments days, nights and weekends; so no need to travel to my office.
ceciliacjohnson.com ceciliacjohnson@bellsouth.net
Land of Sky Regional Council’s Area Agency on Aging is calling on older adults in Madison, Henderson and Transylvania counties to apply for vacant positions as a North Carolina Senior Tar Heel Legislator. The volunteer STHL works to bring legislative attention to issues affecting the senior population in the county it represents. STHL delegates also provide information to senior citizens regarding legislative actions taken by the state General Assembly. STHL meets three times a year, in March, June and October, to review issues and develop recommendations for the state. Applicants for open positions must be 60 or older and live in the county they wish to serve. Each delegate serves a two-year term. Applications will be accepted until vacancies are filled. More info and application: atleeanne@landofsky. org or 828-251-6622 X
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
11
F E AT UR E S
ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com
Rumor has it George Vanderbilt arrives to the mountains, 1889
OFFER EXPIRES 02/05/18
“The Coolest Gym in Town!” THE COOLEST GYM IN TOWN JUST GOT COOLER... All New Memberships are now Month to Month! NO LONG TERM CONTRACTS* * 30 day notice required to cancel
Yoga • Cycling • Group Fitness Personal Training • Smoothie Bar Biltmore Fitness www.biltfit.net • 828-253-5555 711 Biltmore Ave
see website for class schedule and hours 12
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
On Jan. 9, 1889, The Asheville Citizen featured an article first published by the New York Herald. The report stated: “Some months ago the good people of Asheville were surprised by the presence in that beautiful little city of Charles McNamee, the New York lawyer, of the well known firm of Davis, Work, & McNammee. Mr. McNamee entered at once, with business-like promptness, upon the purchase of sundry tracts of land just south of the corporate limits of Asheville, across the Swannanoa River. It was soon surmised from the extent of his purchases that he represented some Northern capitalist, and it presently leaked out that his client was none other than George Vanderbilt, the young railroad millionaire.” The article included a slew of rumors surrounding the purpose of the acquisition. Speculation included the establishment of a women’s college, “an industrial and agriculture school for the poor boys of the south,” a private park “dotted with handsome villas” and “a great game preserve.” As rumors continued to spread, concerns developed. A Jan. 12, 1889, headline in The Asheville Citizen read: “STILL BUYING LAND: Mr. Vanderbilt’s Domain Extending in Buncombe.” The article went on to report: “That Mr. Vanderbilt contemplates purchasing the southern portion of the county, is a conjecture that is at present disturbing the minds of the people residing in that section of the ‘State of Buncombe.’ “The purchases still go on, and there is no telling where they will stop. Mr. McNamee is as active and energetic as ever, regarding the acquisition of other tracts to the already large acreage described in these columns before. “What Mr. Vanderbilt proposes to do, and how he is going to set out about doing it, are problems we are unable to solve. The reticence of his agent and the utter ignorance of the wise-acres, who pretend to know all about it, establishes a veil of mystery, into which, the reportorial eye fails to penetrate.” On May 12, 1889, The Daily Citizen shared with its readers infor-
MYSTERY MAN: Early reports of George Vanderbilt’s real estate dealings in Western North Carolina were shrouded in mystery. Many in the community were both curious and concerned about his then-unknown plans. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville; used with permission from The Biltmore Company, Asheville, N.C. mation provided from an unnamed source. Described only as a “close friend” to the Vanderbilts, this individual informed the paper that Vanderbilt had plans to “erect at once a residence on his large purchase[.]” Several months later, on Oct. 27, The Daily Citizen confirmed this with a piece reporting a recent model of Vanderbilt’s future “country house.” The paper noted “a chateau in the French Renaissance style over 300 feet long, with steep roofs and towers, and sharp gables, and generally elaborate ornamentation.” By December, Vanderbilt’s land purchase had doubled to 6,000 from the 3,000 acres originally reported that January. (This number would continue to climb over the years and total 125,000 acres; Edith Vanderbilt would sell off much of the land after her husband’s death in 1914.) Despite the October report, the
ongoing secrecy surrounding the estate led one unnamed reporter to hop on a horse and take a ride across the property. On Dec. 15, 1889, The Daily Citizen published the account. It began: “Asheville, ‘the Land of the Sky,’ is rife with rumors about what Vanderbilt has done and is going to do, but strange to relate, few facts have been stated, and that, too, when his property lies only a few miles south of the city. “It was with a view of ascertaining what was really being done that a reporter of THE CITIZEN mounted a horse and galloped down Main street until he reached the Asheville Junction, two miles south of the city.” What the reporter found included men “drilling, blasting and getting out stones which are being used for the foundations of Vanderbilt’s mansion,” as well as details concerning a large well, stables and men “busy ploughing up the ground and planting rows of white pine[.]” The article concluded with an account of the reporter’s departure from the estate: “On the return home as we rode slowly along, looking at those acres and acres of uncultivated farm land, with houses standing untenanted save here and there where a faint blue curl of smoke betrayed the presence of some of Vanderbilt’s workmen, a feeling of loneliness stole over us and both horse and rider would have been cheered by the sound of even a dog barking or a black picaninny running after us asking for a penny. But all was silent and lonely, a deserted village, which will years hence be covered by the forest, which the white man won years ago from the Indian, and clearing off the timber, converted into good arable farm land after many years of hard toil and labor. It was with a sense of relief that we left the oppressive stillness behind, and while the wind in wild gusts seemed to be chanting a soft, sad requiem, we stole away, leaving it to rest in peace, and hailed with delight the hum and bustle of the city as we alighted from our morning’s ride.” Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents; antiquated and offensive word choices included in these excerpts reflect the language of the time period. X
COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN. 24 - FEB. 1, 2018
CALENDAR GUIDELINES (828) 299-3000
For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.
ANIMALS BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (1/25), 6pm Science based dog training presentation with Kathryn Gubista. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. WNC AGRICULTURAL CENTER 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, 828-687-1414, mountainfair.org • FR (1/26) & SA (1/27), 8am-2pm & SU (1/28), 8am-noon - American Kennel Club dog agility trials. Free.
BENEFITS PENLAND POST OFFICE PROJECT 32auctions.com/ penlandpostofficeProject • TH (2/1) & FR (2/2) Proceeds from this online Valentines auction featuring an overnight stay at the Chinquapin Inn Bed and Breakfast benefit the Penland Post Office Project. POSITIVE CHANGE PROJECT 828-254-9277 • MO (1/29), 5-9pm Donations at the "Party for #PositiveChange" event benefit printing, marketing and costs for portraits related to the #PositiveChange project. Free to attend. Held at The BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 South Market St.
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc
• TH (1/25), 3-6pm "An Entrepreneur's Guide to Bridging the Digital Divide," class. Registration required. Free. • SA (1/27), 9am-noon SCORE: "Are You Ready to Start a Business," seminar. Registration required. Free. • TU (1/30), noon4:30pm - "Marketing with a Bang," seminar. Registration required. Free. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 828-2733332, floodgallery.org/ • THURSDAYS, 11am5pm - "Jelly at the Flood," co-working event to meet up with like-minded people to exchange help, ideas and advice. Free to attend.
CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Beginning Aerial Arts on Sundays 2:15pm, Mondays 6:30pm and Tuesdays 1:00pm. Beginning Pole on Sundays 3:30pm, Mondays 5:15pm and Thursdays 8:00pm. Floor Theory Dance on Wednesdays 7:30pm. More Information at EmpyreanArts.org. Call/ text us at 828.782.3321. FOURTH WAY SCHOOL (PD.) Know Thyself - Wisdom Through Action, a Fourth Way School in the tradition of Gurdjieff & Ouspensky teaching practical application of the Work. Meets Thursday evenings. 720.218.9812 www. wisdomthroughaction. com
Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
800 Fairview Rd (at River Ridge Marketplace)
$25 OFF ANY JUNK PICKUP
This offer excludes our minimum charge.
we remove anything. . . from anywhere CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS PANEL DISCUSSION: Monuments, memorials, streets and buildings named after figures from the Civil War are under increasing scrutiny as contemporary society examines them through the lenses of slavery and racism. On Friday, Jan. 26, 2-3:30 p.m., the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville explores these issues in a panel discussion titled Confederate Monuments – Their History and Their Future at the campus’s Reuter Center. The panel will be moderated by Darin Waters, UNCA assistant professor of history. Panelists include Deborah Miles, director of UNCA’s Center for Diversity Education; Steven E. Nash, associate professor of history at East Tennessee State University; and newly elected Asheville City Council member Sheneika Smith. Free. Photo of Smith by Pcho Pictures (p. 15) VILLAGERS... (PD.) ...is an Urban Homestead Supply store offering quality tools, supplies and classes to support healthy lifestyle activities like gardening, food preservation, cooking, herbalism, and more. 278 Haywood Road. www.forvillagers.com A-B TECH MISSION HEALTH CONFERENCE CENTER 16 Fernihurst Drive, 828-398-7900, abtech.edu • TU (1/30), 6-8pm "Opioid Town Hall," panel discussion featuring MAHEC experts and peer support counselors discussing the issue of opioid addiction and opioidrelated deaths. Sponsored by the Buncombe County Commissioners. Free. ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 828-259-5881, ashevillenc. gov/Departments/Police • Through WE (2/28) Open registration for the Asheville Police Department’s spring Citizens Police Academy. Registration: bit. ly/2uVozmf. Free. ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org
• THURSDAYS, noon1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. ASHEVILLE SKEPTICS • SA (1/27), 2-4pm Asheville Skeptics Meetup group with presentations by social workers regarding mental health and mental illness. Free to attend. Held at Standard Pizza, 755 Biltmore Ave. CHILDREN FIRST CIS OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY 828-259-9717, childrenfirstbc.org • TH (1/25), 6-8pm Recognition and appreciation event celebrating the appointment of Natasha Adwaters as the new Executive Director and appreciating former director, Allison Jordan. Free to attend. Held at Wedge Foundation, 5 Foundy St. LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS' GUILD OF AMERICA 828-686-8298, egacarolinas.org • TH (2/1), 10am-noon - Monthly meeting with a class on the blackwork bookmark, a petite project. Registration at 9:30am. Free. Held at Cummings
United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe LENOIR RHYNE UNIVERSITY, 2nd Flr Boardroom, 36 Montford Ave. • TH (2/1), 5-7pm - Open house focused on students interested in the health sciences. Free to attend. MARINE CORPS LEAGUE ASHEVILLE 828-273-4948, mcl.asheville@gmail.com • Last TUESDAYS - For veterans of the Marines, FMF Corpsmen, and their families. Free. Held at American Legion Post #2, 851 Haywood Road ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • FR (1/26), noon-1:30pm - "Budgeting and Debt," class. Registration required. Free. • TU (1/30), noon-1:30pm - "Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Registration required. Free. • TU (1/30), 5:30-7pm "Budgeting and Debt," class. Registration required. Free.
YES EVEN YOUR TRASH!
WHAT WE PICK UP IS 85% OFRECYCLED OR REUSED
828.707.2407
junkrecyclers1@gmail.com
TRANZMISSION PRISON PROJECT tranzmissionprisonproject. yolasite.com • Fourth THURSDAYS, 6-9pm - Monthly meeting to prepare packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the U.S. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road
DANCE For dance related events please see Dance in the A&E Calendar on p. 36
ECO 25TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 9-11, 2018. at UNCA. 150+ practical, affordable, regionallyappropriate workshops on organic growing, homesteading, farming, permaculture. Trade show, seed exchange, special guests. Organicgrowersschool.org. (828) 214-7833 FARM DREAMS (PD.) February 3, 2018, 10:00am - 4:00pm - Lenoir Rhyne 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC Farm Dreams a great entry-level workshop to
Live Edge Coffee Table Find on Bourbon St.
26 Glendale Ave 828.505.1108 Mon-Fri 10a - 6p Sat 10a - 7p Sun 10a - 5p facebook.com/TheRegenerationStation
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
13
C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com
Penland Post Office Project auction
COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R
attend if you are in the exploratory stages of starting a farm and seeking practical information on sustainable farming. THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401, 1828, thecollider.org/ • TU (1/30), 7pm - The Burden, film screening presented by Oskar Blues Brewery with Citizens' Climate Lobby, $10.
FARM & GARDEN BUNCOMBE COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE 49 Mount Carmel Road, 828-255-5522 • TH (2/1), 6pm - Tax workshop for small farmers. Registration required: meghan_baker@ncsu.edu or 828-255-5522. Free.
SNAIL MAIL CHARMS: The Penland Post Office and General Store was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. An online auction is being held Feb. 1-8 to raise funds for the next step of its restoration. Photo by Alicia Swaringen WHAT: An online auction to raise funds for restoration of the Penland Post Office and General Store WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 1-Thursday, Feb. 8 WHERE: www.32auctions.com/ PenlandPostOfficeProject WHY: The Penland Post Office and General Store holds a special place for the Mitchell County town. In operation since 1879 and housed the same 1902built structure since the 1930s, it’s a place many residents visit on a daily basis to pick up their mail and where Postmaster Rebecca Davis has worked for over 50 years. “It’s a nexus point for the community. It’s the heart of the community of Penland,” says Alicia Swaringen, whose great-great-great-grandparents Col. Isaac Bailey and Louisa Penland Bailey constructed the building. To help preserve its legacy as what Jennifer Cathey, restoration specialist for the state Historic Preservation Office, has deemed a perfect representation of buildings from its era, Swaringen and her mother, Marsha Bailey, started the Penland Post Office Project in 2002. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012, and in the same year the community formed a nonprofit to which Swaringen, Bailey and their family gave the building so that people could donate money toward its restoration. “When I started looking into the history of the building and what it meant 14
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
to the community, I didn’t want to be that generation that let this cool old building fall down — and once it’s gone, it’s gone,” Swaringen says. “The community, I discovered that tons of people up there wanted to keep it, only it’s an expensive project.” Over $75,000 has been raised and primarily used to stabilize the building’s foundation. In order to accomplish the project’s next step and replace the electrical system, the nonprofit is holding an online auction Thursday, Feb. 1-Thursday, Feb. 8. Artists from the nearby Penland School of Crafts have donated such items as ceramics, pottery and photography. Those and many other items may be shipped around the country, but services like power washing and gift certificates to local clothing stores must be redeemed within the Penland area. There’s also a dinner by awardwinning chef Kyle McKnight at the town’s Chinquapin Inn. Once the General Store side of the building is finished, it will be leased by Thrifty Adventures. The Spruce Pine adventure travel company had already been ending its river trips in Penland and is looking to start a new run from its second location, leading Swaringen to call the pending partnership “a match made in heaven.” The Penland Post Office Project’s online auction runs Thursday, Feb. 1-Thursday, Feb. 8. www.32auctions. com/PenlandPostOfficeProject X
MOUNTAINX.COM
LIVING WEB FARMS 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, 828-505-1660, livingwebfarms.org • TU (1/30), 6-7:30pm "Building a Germination & Healing Chamber for Seedlings and Grafted Tomatoes," workshop. Registration required. $10. MCDOWELL TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 54 College Drive Marion, 828-652-6021, mcdowelltech.edu • Through FR (2/2) Open registration for the McDwoell Honey Bees' Bee School. Classes take place SATURDAYS (2/3) until (2/17), 8:30am4:30pm. Registration: mcdowellhoneybees.org. Free.
FOOD & BEER ASHEVILLE GREEN OPPORTUNITIES 828-398-4158, greenopportunities.org • TH (1/25), 5:30pm & 7pm - Proceeds from this three-course dinner cooked by the students of the Green Opportunities Kitchen Ready training program benefit the Kitchen Ready training program. Registration required. $15. Held at Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center, 133 Livingston St.
CALDWELL CUSINE 726-2478, kandreasen@cccti.edu • TH (2/1), 6pm - Caldwell Community College culinary program dinner. Registration: 828-2973811, x.5222. $21. Held at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 4th SATURDAYS, 5:306:30pm - Asheville Vegan Runners, open group meeting. Free to attend. FLETCHER CHILI COOKOFF 828-687-0751, fletcherparks.org • SA (1/27), 11:30am Donations at this chili competition and tasting event benefit the Fletcher Park Development Fund. Free. Held at Veritas Christian Academy, 17 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher FOOD NOT BOMBS HENDERSONVILLE foodnotbombs hendersonville@gmail.com • SUNDAYS, 4pm Community meal. Free. Held at Black Bear Coffee Co., 318 N. Main St. Hendersonville
FESTIVALS ASHEVILLE FRINGE ARTS FESTIVAL ashevillefringe.org • TH (1/25) through SU (1/28), 7pm & 9pm Performance arts festival with over 30 ticketed performances featuring fringe artists. See website for full schedule. $13-16. Held at Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Ave/College St. MILLS RIVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River, 828-891-7101 • Through SA (1/27) "Puzzlefest," community event to put together a 9,000 piece puzzle. Potluck luncheon on Sunday, Jan. 21, at noon. Contact for daily schedule. Free.
by Abigail Griffin
GOVERNMENT & POLITICS ASHEVILLE CITY SCHOOLS FOUNDATION 828-350-6135, Julia.Shuster@asheville. k12.nc.us • TU (1/30), 6-8pm Choosing Equity: "The Legacy of Desegregation in Asheville City Schools," part-one in a four-part community series on integration, inclusion and equity in schools. Free. Held at Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • WE (1/24), 7-8:30pm - Community feedback event for draft recommendations for the state Human Relations Committee to support unity and harmony and resolve discrimination issues. Dinner and childcare provided. Free. Held at Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • WE (1/24), 7pm Citizens Accountability Project, progressives meetup that features short films and discussions. Free to attend.
KIDS ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 828-2547162, colburnmuseum.org • SA (1/27), 2pm Saturday Science: Worms, "Dirt, and more with Asheville GreenWorks," activities to explore soil and compost. Admission fees apply. BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 828-296-7335 • SA (1/27), 11am Storytime reading of Fancy Nancy. Free to attend. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library
• FR (1/26), 4pm "Animals After Dark," presentation and activity with the WNC Nature Center. For ages 5-12. Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TU (1/30), 4pm - "Animal Tracks," presentation and activity with the WNC Nature Center. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • 2nd SATURDAYS, 1-4pm & LAST WEDNESDAYS (1/31), 4-6pm - Teen Dungeons and Dragons for ages 12 and up. Registration required: 828-250-4720. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 828-754-2486, caldwellarts.com • Through FR (3/16) Submissions accepted from Caldwell and contiguous counties high school students for the Shakespeare Monologue Competition. Information: caldwellarts.com/ 227-shakespearemonologue-competition/. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • MO (1/29), 6-7pm Aryelle Jacobson presents her book for teens, A is for Awkward. Free to attend.
OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Join a Park Naturalist on Groundhog Day, Friday, February 2, at 10am, to see if Greta the Groundhog sees her shadow. chimneyrockpark.com FOLKMOOT FRIENDSHIP CENTER 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville, 828-452-2997 • TH (1/25), 5-7pm -Blue Ridge Parkway public input open house session regarding Waterrock Knob and Plott Balsam region. Free.
Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com
HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • TU (1/30), 6:30-7:30pm Henderson Count Wildlife Series: "The Snakes of Henderson County," presentaion by Alan Cameron, volunteer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission . Free. LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126, Nebo, 828-584-7728 • SA (1/27), 1:45pm Ranger-led boat tour. Registration required. Free. SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM HIKES 828-669-9566, swannanoavalleymuseum. org • SA (1/27), 9:30am-2pm - "Swannanoa Creek and Tunnel Hike," moderate, 4-mile, guided hike past railroad tunnels, Civil War grave sites and old homesteads. $35/$25 members. Held at Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St., Black Mountain
PARENTING BUNCOMBE PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDRE buncombepfc.org • TH (1/25), 10-11:30am or 5:30-7pm - "It’s Time for Kindergarten," information session. Childcare and Spanish interpretation provided. Registration required. Free. Held at First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, 40 Church St.
PUBLIC LECTURES PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • FR (1/26), 2-3:30pm "Confederate Monuments – Their History and Their Future," panel discussion moderated by UNC Asheville Assistant Professor of History and BPR radio host Darin Waters. Panelists include Deborah Miles, Sasha Mitchell, Steven E. Nash, Dan Pierce and Sheneika Smith. Free. Held at UNCAsheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road PUBLIC LECTURES AT WCU bardoartscenter.edu • MO (1/29), 6:30pm 2018 MLK keynote speech by Jane Elliott, teacher, lecturer and diversity trainer. Free. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive
SENIORS ASHEVILLE NEW FRIENDS ashevillenewfriends.org • TU (1/30), 1pm - Carpool to Montreat College for a 3-mile, group walk around campus. Free. Held at Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway COUNCIL ON AGING OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, INC. 828-277-8288, coabc.org • FR (1/26), 2-4pm "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road • WE (1/31), 2-4pm - "Medicare Choices
Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, 2579 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville WNC BAPTIST RETIREMENT HOME 213 Richmond Hill Drive • 2nd & 4th FRIDAYS, 2:30pm - Yoga class for seniors. Registration required: 828-254-9675. Free.
SPIRITUALITY A COURSE IN MIRACLES (PD.) A truly loving, open study group. Meets second and fourth Mondays. 6:30pm, East Asheville, Groce United Methodist Church. Information, call Susan at 828-712-5472. ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY TALK (PD.) Meditation is fully effective when it allows you to transcend—to effortlessly settle inward, beyond the busy or agitated mind, to the deepest, most blissful and expanded state of awareness. TM is a tool for personal healing and social transformation that anyone can use to access that field of unbounded creativity, intelligence, and well-being that resides within everyone. NIH research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened mental performance. Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut. 828-254-4350. TM.org
ASHEVILLE INSIGHT MEDITATION (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation. Learn how to get a Mindfulness Meditation practice started. 1st & 3rd Mondays. 7pm – 8:30. Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Suite H, ASHEVILLE, NC, (828) 808-4444, www. ashevillemeditation.com.
(828) 200-5120. asheville.shambhala.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. Readings also available. Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229.
CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • 4th FRIDAYS, 10amnoon - Contemplative Companions, meditation. Free. • Last Tuesdays, 7-9pm - Aramaic, Hebrew and Egyptian vocal toning, breath work and meditation. Admission by donation. • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 2pm - Intentional meditation. Admission by donation.
GROUP MEDITATION (PD.) Enjoy this supportive meditation community. Mindfulness meditation instruction and Buddhist teachings at Asheville Insight. Thursday evenings at 7pm and Sunday mornings at 10am. www. ashevillemeditation.com. OPEN HEART MEDITATION (PD.) Now at 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212. Tuesdays 7-8pm. Experience the stillness and beauty of connecting to your heart and the Divine within you. Suggested $5 donation. OpenHeartMeditation. com SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER (PD.) Thursdays, 7-8:30pm and Sundays, 10-noon • Meditation and community. By donation. 60 N. Merrimon Ave., #113,
BLUE RIDGE SPIRIT CUUPS 978-500-2639 • SU (1/28), 5pm - Imbolc celebration for all ages and genders. Free/Bring a potluck dish to share. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place
GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • WEDNESDAYS through (2/7), 5:45-7pm - “Anxious for Nothing” adult class regarding spirituality and anxiety. Free.
SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113, 828-200-5120, asheville.shambhala.org • THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 10amnoon - Meditation and community. Admission by donation.
SPOKEN/ WRITTEN WORD For spoken and written word related events please see the Spoken/ Written Word section in the A&E Calendar on p. 36
SPORTS ASHEVILLE WOMEN’S RUGBY ashevillewomensrugby. com, ashevillewomensrugby@ gmail.com • Through SA (4/7) - Open registration for the spring season that runs through Sat., April 7. No experience necessary to participate. Free.
VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Dedicate two hours a week to working with an immigrant who wants to
learn English or with a native English-speaking adult who wants to learn to read. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 2/13 (9:00 am), 2/15 (5:30 pm), or 2/27 (5:30 pm) by emailing volunteers@litcouncil.com. www.litcouncil.com BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave. Ste. #213., 828-253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (1/25), noon Information session for those interested in volunteering to share their interests twice a month with a young person from a single-parent home or to mentor one-hour a week in elementary schools and after-school sites. Free. • TH (1/25), 5:30-7pm Mentor appreciation party with refreshments, door prizes and the announcement of the nominees for 2018 Big Brother and Big Sister of the Year. Free to attend. Held at The Anchor Kitchen and Bar, 747 Haywood Road HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION 297 Haywood St., 828-246-4250 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 10am-noon - Workshop to teach how to make sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. Information:
828-707-7203 or cappyt@att.net. Free. THE MEDIATION CENTER OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY 40 North French Broad Ave., Suite B, 828-2325140, mediatewnc.org • Through FR (2/2) Volunteers to become a mediator in Buncombe County. Volunteers complete an application, interview and 32-hour training. For more information contact: coreyh@mediatewnc.org. TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF WNC 828-513-0498, tipofwnc.org • Through FR (3/2) - Open registration for a training academy for those interested in volunteering as part of a team of volunteers who provide immediate emotional and practical support to survivors of traumatic events. Academy takes place nights and weekends from March 8 - 17. For information or registration: 828-513-0498. For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/volunteering
Buying, Selling or Investing in Real Estate?
(828) 210-1697
www.TheMattAndMollyTeam.com
You: Experienced literary agent? Nationally published non-fiction author seeks literary agent to place landmark natural/ cultural history with publisher with established regional and national book sales.
Interested? Write Ross at ross@rosswrites.com MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
15
WELLNESS
Magical Offerings
SPEAKING OUT
Z
SILENT READING PARTY
Global ‘Me Too’ movement hits close to home
10% off books during event!
Z
Wednesday, January 31st 5:30-7pm 1/25: Tarot Reader: Bobbi Oshun 1-6pm Meditation and Channeling with All That Is w/ Ann-Lee Waite 7-8pm, $15 Cash 1/26: Psychic: Andrea Allen 12-5pm 1/27: Tarot Reader: Edward Phipps 12-6pm Healing for Empaths w/ Renewed Spirit 3-5pm, $20 Cash
RAISING VOICES: Barbie Angell, center, holds a sign referencing the national movement to call attention to sexual harassment of women at the Women’s March on Asheville on Jan. 20. Photo by Cindy Kunst
BY KIM DINAN dinankim@gmail.com
1/28: Scrying with Angie 12-6pm 1/29: Cardologer: Ashley Long 1-5pm 1/30: Tarot Reader: Byron Ballard 1-5pm 1/31: FULL MOON IN LEO Tarot Reader: Jonathan Mote 12-6pm
Over 100 Herbs Available!
“The ‘Me Too’ movement has been phenomenal,” says Angelica Wind, executive director of Our VOICE, Buncombe County’s rape crisis and prevention center. “We are astounded as to what we’ve seen at the local level and at the national level.” In the months since the movement gained worldwide headlines last October in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct against film producer Harvey Weinstein, Our VOICE has seen a 50 percent increase in clients
January Stone: Agate January Herb: Yarrow
(828) 424-7868
ashevilleravenandcrone.com
555 Merrimon Avenue
Daily readers including Scrying, Runes, Tarot, & More! Walk-ins welcome! 16
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
accessing its services. “It isn’t as though there is suddenly a higher prevalence of sexual violence or harassment,” notes Wind. “The difference is that survivors feel that it is safe for them to come out, and that the stigma has been eroded to a certain extent.” Other local service providers echo those sentiments. The Buncombe County Family Justice Center, which provides coordinated services to survivors of domestic and sexual assault, has also seen an increase in women seeking help. “Anecdotally, we are hearing that lots of people have been impacted by the ‘Me Too’ movement and are finding that
strength and courage to come forward and seek additional services,” coordinator Julie Klipp Nicholson reports. April Burgess-Johnson, executive director of Helpmate, also has high praise for the social media phenomenon. “The ‘Me Too’ movement is a beautiful and long-overdue thing in our social consciousness and in our country,” she declares. “Workplace harassment and sexual violence are crimes that, for way too long, have been hidden in the shadows and shrouded in shame and silence. It’s unfair that victims of these types of crimes are treated differently than victims of other types of crimes.” Helpmate, an Asheville-based nonprofit, provides
safety, shelter and support to survivors of domestic violence and works to enlist community support for change. Most of the calls to Helpmate’s crisis line, says Burgess-Johnson, are from people who have recently experienced abuse. But since last fall, the nonprofit has been getting more calls concerning incidents that happened further in the past. “They’re calling us and saying, ‘All of this conversation and awareness in the community has really made me think about my experience, and it’s brought up some things for me that I want to talk through,’” she explains. DEEP ROOTS Like the issues that “Me Too” is bringing up, however, the movement’s roots go much deeper. In 1997, Tarana Burke was working at a camp for youths in Alabama. When a young girl confessed that she was being sexually abused, Burke could not find the strength to tell the girl that she’d had a similar experience herself. That bothered Burke, however, and nearly 10 years later, she founded the nonprofit Just Be Inc., gradually growing “Me Too” into a program to support young victims of sexual assault, abuse and exploitation. Meanwhile, as the allegations against Weinstein mounted, actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter, encouraging women who’d been sexually harassed or assaulted to use the hashtag “me too” to demonstrate the extent of the problem. Milano wasn’t aware of Burke’s work, but her call to arms unleashed a tsunami of testimony from women across the country and beyond, including here in Western North Carolina. In the process, the movement has highlighted how deeply ingrained misogyny and sexual violence are in our culture. VULNERABLE WORKERS Susan Simmons (not her real name) is a student at A-B Tech. Last year, she says, her employer, who has no connection with the school, sexually harassed her and touched her without her consent. And when she spoke out about the harassment at work, she reports, she was shamed by her co-workers and her supervisor. “It was absolutely terrifying to be living in a reality in which my voice didn’t matter,” says Simmons. When the harassment didn’t stop, she quit her job. But that kind of all-or-nothing choice puts many employees in a vulnerable position. “Working people are precarious,” notes Eva Hesse (not her real name), who says
she uses the pseudonym to avoid being isolated and targeted. Hesse is a member of the Asheville Survivors Coalition, an ad hoc group that supports survivors of sexual assault and harassment. “Many people can’t afford even a couple of weeks unemployed to look for a new job,” she points out. “It’s really hard to be experiencing something that you know is not fair but you don’t have a safety net.” The trauma of speaking out about her workplace abuse still affects Simmons, but she says “Me Too” gave her the courage to share her story. “I never would have spoken up if the ‘Me Too’ movement hadn’t happened. I never would have felt that people would support me and not just hate me. I don’t have words for the fear that comes with telling the community that you’ve been abused by someone that they love.” COMMUNITY RESPONSE Sexual violence, local activists say, exists against a backdrop of cultural complicity, and addressing the problem will require a communitywide shift. “At Our VOICE, we feel that how a community responds to a disclosure of sexual violence sets the tone to whether other survivors will come out of the shadows and disclose as well,” notes Wind. The community surrounding the victim, says Simmons, must step into the role of advocate. “One big takeaway from the ‘Me Too’ movement and how it affected me is my understanding of the victim, the perpetrator and the bystanders/community,” she explains. “The perpetrator is on one side of the teetertotter, and the person being abused is on the other. The bystander can either stand in the middle and have no effect, and say, ‘It’s their marriage; it’s an issue between boss and employee,’ or they can say, ‘This is our problem; this is a place where I am empowered to act.’ It’s often not safe for us to speak out, so that bystander needs to walk that plank out to the survivor and say, ‘You have the right to speak, and I’m going to stand by you so you’re not hurt.’” CREATING LASTING CHANGE But beyond that, these activists maintain, we have to address destructive, deep-seated cultural norms in order to create lasting change. “We need to have a critical conversation about gender,” says Burgess-Johnson. “We need to talk about what healthy gender roles look like. For too long in our society, there has been a culture of toxic masculinity. It’s not just harmful to women: It’s
harmful to men as well. It puts a lot of unfair expectation on them for behavior that may not be intuitively comfortable for them. I think what toxic masculinity robs from men is that full range of human expression. The ‘Me Too’ movement is showing what it robs from women — that we often suffer the violent end of that toxicity. But in the end, we all lose.” Those conversations, Burgess-Johnson believes, need to happen at both the individual and the community level, and must make it clear “that only yes means yes, but also that when I tell you to give me some space, that means that you don’t text me 52 times. Communicating boundaries doesn’t mean that I don’t care about you: It means that I also care about me and that I deserve some space. That has to be an acceptable and healthy thing in a relationship.” In terms of society as a whole, notes Wind, Our VOICE approaches the problem “through the lens of the public health model ... working with the individual, working within the community, looking at the national and public policy level. The best way I can explain it is, in the 1980s and prior, it was perfectly OK for individuals to drink a six-pack of beer
Center for massage & Natural health
Next Class Starts March 3, 2018
6 Months/600 Hour Massage Certification Post-Secondary Accreditation Federal Financial Aid & Scholarships Available 2 1/2 Days/Week Student Clinic Best School 2017 World Massage Festival
start your journey now! Apply! 828-505-1033 CenterForMassage.com
CONTINUES ON PAGE 18
Authentic Chinese Medical Treatment for Injury & Illness
Acupuncture Chinese Herbal Prescription learn more from our site walk in or schedule online
Our Team Brings 30+ Years experience in China to Asheville 828-424-7415 / www.alternativeclinic.org 23 Broadway St, Downtown Asheville
THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE at the Alternative Clinic
• Pregnancy Massages by DONA trained Doula • Sports & Deep Tissue massage for aches & pains • Deep Qi work to rebalance & reset energy flow • Relaxation & anti-stress massages to feel your best
$45 for 30 minute/$75 for 60 minute massage – we are a tip free establishment walk in, call or schedule online: 828-424-7415 www.alternativeclinic.org MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
17
W ELL NESS and get behind the wheel. And then somewhere in the late ’80s or early ’90s, there was a strong movement around anti-drunk driving. There were lots of things happening in numerous spheres that allowed for a shift in social attitudes and norms,” Wind says. “We were hearing it, we were seeing commercials, we were looking at tougher laws around drinking and driving. In the local schools, people would talk to students about the dangers of drinking and driving. And we now have seen that shift, where someone is going to ask you, ‘Are you OK to drive? Can I call you a cab?’” Wind continues, “We feel that we can have the same impact with sexual violence, if ... we can switch attitudes and norms to where someone will say, ‘No, that rape joke was not OK. No, it’s not OK for you to objectify your server. No, it’s not OK for you to sexually harass your staff. And so forth.’” EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL Some advocates, however, argue that a fundamental legal change is also needed. Although laws such as the Equal Pay Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and Titles VII and IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act were designed to protect women from gender-based discrimination, many activists say that’s not enough. Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment have been trying to get explicit legal protection for women into the Constitution since 1923, when Alice Paul, an activist who’d fought for women’s suffrage, introduced the ERA. Half a century later, in 1972, it was approved by both houses of Congress but failed to gain ratification by the 38 states needed for it to take effect. “We need two more states to ratify to make it a constitutional amendment,” explains Ellen Perry, an ERANC Alliance action team member for
675 hr. Massage Certification Program DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE Apply Online AshevilleMassageSchool.org 828-252-7377 18
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
the 11th Congressional District. “North Carolina is one of the states that has not yet ratified.” Even if that happened, however, there would be legal complications, because the ratification deadline has passed and several states later rescinded their ratifications. Nonetheless, says Ann Von Brock, “Until equal rights are guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution, women are not full citizens. The statutes and case law that have produced major advances in women’s rights since the middle
of the last century are vulnerable to being ignored, weakened or reversed,” explains Von Brock, who serves on the ERA-NC Alliance’s board and the 10th Congressional District action team. “By a simple majority, Congress can amend or repeal anti-discrimination laws, the administration can negligently enforce such laws, and the Supreme Court can use the intermediate standard of review to permit certain regressive forms of sex discrimination.”
Despite those daunting obstacles, however, local professionals who’ve worked with survivors of sexual assault and misconduct for years are hopeful. “I have not seen a movement quite to this magnitude since I have been doing this work,” says Wind. “What is currently happening at the local level here in our community, where survivors are feeling empowered and, for the first time, speaking out to their experience that ‘Me too, this happened to me’ — there’s a lot of power in that.”X
W E L L N E S S CA LEN DA R
WELLNESS A COURSE IN MIRACLES AND HEALING (PD.) Heart of Healing offers 6 week in-depth class beginning January 11, Thursdays, 3pm, Namaste Center, 2700 Greenville Road, Flat Rock Square, Flat Rock. Meet Up, Rev. Joan Rogers. 828-676-1422 or www. heartofhealing.energy ATTENTION TRAVELING VEGANS! (PD.) Join Veg Jaunts and Journeys, a travel company, to learn tips for traveling as a vegan and vegan travel opportunities. Raffles, socializing and find travel companions. • Free treats from Campfire Vegan Bakery. • Sunday, January 28, 2-4pm. Location: The Block Off Biltmore. www. vegjauntsandjourneys. com SECRETS OF NATURAL WALKING (PD.) Workshop, FRIDAY Feb. 2, 9-5pm. $150 Call to register, 828215-6033. naturalwalking.com. Proper alignment = healthy joints, energized body, calm minds. "Let Your Walking Be Your Healing." SHOJI SPA & LODGE • 7 DAYS A WEEK (PD.) Private Japanese-style outdoor hot tubs, cold plunge, sauna and lodging. 8 minutes from town. Bring a friend to escape and renew! Best massages in Asheville! 828-299-0999. www. shojiretreats.com HAYWOOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, myhaywoodregional. com/
MOUNTAINX.COM
• TH (1/25), 4pm - Haywood Health Authority Board meeting. Free. • TH (1/25), 5pm Tired vein and varicose vein educational seminar. Registration required: 828-452-8346. Free. JUBILEE! COMMUNITY CHURCH 46 Wall St. • TH (2/1), 6:30-8pm Women's Mindfulness Series: "Exploring the Myth of Inadequacy," four-week series for women to explore mindfulness led by Sarah Shoemaker. RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES redcrosswnc.org • TH (1/25), 10:30am Appointments & info.: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Black Mountain Fire Department, 106 Montreat Road, Black Mountain • FR (1/26), 11:30am4pm - Appointments & info.: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Hominy Valley Elementary School, 450 Enka Lake Road, Candler • SU (1/28), noon-4:30pm Appointments & info.: 800-RED-CROSS. Held at Weaverville United Methodist Church, 85 N. Main St., Weaverville RICEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT 2251 Riceville Road • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Community workout for all ages and fitness levels. Bring yoga mat and water. Free. SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • THURSDAYS, 2:303:30pm - "Slow Flow Yoga," yoga class adapted for all ages and abilities. Free.
SUPPORT GROUPS ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 2548539 or aancmco.org ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP 828-231-2198, bjsmucker@gmail.com • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm - Learning and sharing in a caring setting about dealing with one’s own anxiety. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:308pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave. ASPERGER’S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents. Meets every 3 weeks. Contact for details. CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 828-242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm - Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood Waynesville • SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. • TUESDAYS 7:30pm - Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First
Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 828-367-7660, depressionbipolarasheville.com • SATURDAYS, 2-3pm – Held at Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance Meeting Place, 1316-C Parkwood Road EATING DISORDERS ANONYMOUS 561-706-3185, eatingdisorders anonymous.org • FRIDAYS, 4:30pm - Eating disorder support group. Held at 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 4th SATURDAYS, 2:30pm - WNC Adult Type 1 Diabetes meetup. FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 828-423-6191 828-242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11amHeld at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 828-233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm - Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin • TUESDAYS, 3:304:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 828-483-6175 • THURSDAYS 6:30-7:30pm - Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 378 Hendersonville Road
HAYWOOD COUNTY COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS 828-400-6480 • 1st THURSDAYS - Support group for families who have lost a child of any age. Held at Long’s Chapel United Methodist, 133 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:308pm - For adults managing the challenges of life limiting illnesses. Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave. MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:308:45pm - Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program. Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway NARANON nar-anon.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at West Asheville Presbyterian Church, 690 Haywood Road • WEDNESDAYS, 12:30pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville, 204 6th Ave. W., Hendersonville OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 828-665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon-1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler
OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@ sos-mission.org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings. RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples.org • MONDAYS 6pm - For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road REFUGE RECOVERY 828-225-6422, refugerecovery.org • WEDNESDAYS 5:30pm - Held at Heartwood Refuge and Retreat Center, 159 Osceola Road, Hendersonville • FRIDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Held at Urban Dharma, 77 Walnut St. • TUESDAYS, 7:30pm & SATURDAYS, 6pm - Held at Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Woodfin • THURSDAYS, 7:30pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave. SANON 828-258-5117 • 12-step program for those affected by someone else’s sexual behavior. Contact 828-258-5117 for a full list of meetings. SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/ Meetings/UnitedStates • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Covenant
Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. • SUNDAYS, 7pm Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. SMART RECOVERY 828-407-0460 • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. • FRIDAYS,2pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave. • TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Held at Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, 24 Varsity St., Brevard SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/ Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness. Held at Kairos West Community Center, 604 Haywood Road SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE LOSS SUPPORT GROUP 828-254-5878, earthboundclayworks@ gmail.com • Last MONDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Peersupport group. Free. Held at Care Partners Solace Center, 21 Belvedere Road T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 50 S. French Broad Ave. #250, 828-3374685, thecenternc.org • WEDNESDAYS, 6-7pm – Adult support group, ages 18+.
GREEN SCENE
SORTING IT OUT
How does Asheville’s singlestream recycling facility work? Efficiencies put in place by the city’s contracted recycler, Curbside Management, deserve some of the credit for Asheville’s performance. The company picks up and sorts recycling at its North Woodfin Avenue materials recovery facility for Asheville, Woodfin, Weaverville and Fletcher. The facility is also the destination for recyclables collected from homes in unincorporated Buncombe County and much of Western North Carolina, even stretching into Tennessee and South Carolina. CURBIE GROWS UP
SORTING IT OUT: Material moves from the bottom left of the picture to the top right through the sorting system atop a raised platform, then out of the photo to be baled. Below the platform, piles of different types of items wait to be baled. Photo courtesy of Curbside Management
BY GREG PARLIER gparlier88@gmail.com There’s a sustainable soirée happening in the big blue bins at the end of Asheville driveways every week. The former beer cans, shoeboxes, spray bottles and cream cheese containers are celebrating the first step toward their next, reinvented life as a recycled material. Yes, the mixed recyclables you indiscriminately toss in the commingled blue bins are actually being recycled, not trashed. There’s a whole industry dedicated to it.
Municipal recycling has come a long way in recent years, as many cities, Asheville included, move toward “single-stream” recycling, which allows residents to collect unsorted recyclables in one receptacle to ease — and increase — participation. Asheville joined the single-stream movement in 2011 with City Council’s approval of the Zero Waste Asheville program, intended to drastically reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill. Big blue roll carts were distributed to homeowners in the city in 2012, a convenience that led to a 25 percent increase in recycled
materials collected in the first year of the program. That success has continued, as Asheville recycled 590 pounds per household per year in fiscal year 2016-17, the highest rate among North Carolina cities and a 74 percent increase over the city’s rate before the 2011 transition to cartbased single-stream recycling. Rob Taylor, head of the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Recycling and Materials Management Section, calls Asheville’s curbside recycling program one of the highest-performing in the state year after year.
Curbside Recycling began as a oneman show in 1991, when the then-owner drove around collecting recyclables in his pickup truck. The company grew enough to get the first contract to handle residential recyclables for the city of Asheville in 1997 and became a materials recovery facility in 2003. The company has made numerous upgrades to the facility since current owners Barry and Nancy Lawson bought the business in 2006, including adding elements that lower their dependence on hand sorters and decrease the amount they send to the landfill, says Nancy Lawson. Today, after a truck dumps a load of commingled material at Curbside’s warehouse facility, a staff-operated front-end loader piles material into a hopper. From there, a steady flow of material rides a conveyor belt to a presorting area. A handful of staffers form the first line of defense against unwanted items entering the sorting system. They pull out things that don’t belong, like plastic
CONTINUES ON PAGE 20
The
Sustainability
Series Each week in April CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
19
G RE EN S CEN E The container sorting line runs atop an elevated platform. From the observation deck in the Curbside office, it appears to be the most active spot in the facility. Sorters toss jugs and bottles in one direction and fling off other items that don’t belong. Plastic bags hover in the air like jellyfish floating in the ocean. The conveyor belt moves fast. “Let’s say there’s so many containers that our guys can’t pick them fast enough. The [containers] go through that system and then they fall into a big pile on the ground at the end of the line,” Nancy says. Past the container line, a giant magnet snatches up steel cans, and an air current shoots aluminum cans into containers. Every sorted item type is eventually baled and piled up to be placed in the appropriate truck for shipment to an end user.
bags or general trash, plus larger recyclables such as cardboard boxes. Next, the mixed material falls down on iron discs that chew up the heaviest substance: glass. The shards fall into a separate bin, eliminating the need for hand sorters to touch the sharp pieces. Below the iron discs, an air jet blows lighter objects like bottle caps and paper that have fallen through the discs along with the glass back onto the mixedmaterials line. Spinning rubber wheels send paper to its own conveyor belt, where hand sorters remove items like cardboard and “chipboard” (the stiffer product that makes up cereal boxes), which shouldn’t go into a paper baler. Below the paper line, workers ply the container line. One sorter picks off milk jugs, while another grabs water bottles and 2-liter bottles. The workers toss the materials into huge cages.
Any items that go unsorted are looped back to the beginning of the line by a front-end loader. It’s quite an operation, with about 30 of the company’s 57 employees working on site at any time. END USERS Manufacturers that use recycled material are the economic engine for all municipal and county recycling facilities, and Curbside sends its sorted recyclables to companies and distribution centers all over the Southeast. Anything within a five- to six-hour drive of Curbside is in range. “We have lots of vendors,” Nancy says. “We are constantly looking for new markets. Our goal is not to take anything to the landfill here. That’s our job, to recycle as much as possible. It’s our business.”
All sorts Ask yourself three questions when determining what to recycle, says Curbside Management co-owner Nancy Lawson. Is the item a container? Does it have a recycling symbol? Does it come from a grocery store, generally? If the answer to all three is yes, you can recycle it in Asheville. There are, however, many exceptions. “What we can and can’t accept is completely dependent on whether or not we have a factory manufacturer close by to us that will actually take and utilize (the items). You might have a cousin in California that can recycle some stuff that we can’t because they have a factory that’s close by to them that can utilize it,” Lawson says. PLASTICS All plastic containers that come from a grocery store are acceptable, from hummus containers to laundry detergent to household cleaners. And lids, even spray bottle lids, should stay on, Lawson says. Recycled plastics are burned down to be remade, and different plastics melt at different
20
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
temperatures. The end users Curbside sells to use all of the plastics, so it’s preferable for ease of sorting that lids remain on the bottles. The one exception to the plastics rule is black microwaveable trays you might find in a TV dinner. These are made to only melt at extremely high temperatures, and therefore can’t be recycled, Lawson says. Any noncontainer plastics, like forks, are not recyclable. Also, plastic cups from fastfood stores generally can be recycled, but the lid and straw should go to the landfill. Curbside does not take any type of styrofoam, plastic bags, plastic wrap or Bubble Wrap. Publix, however, is able to recycle food-grade Styrofoam at their stores, as can The Open Box Moving Solutions. Ingles Markets and Publix recycle plastic bags. PAPER If you can tear it, it probably can be recycled, Lawson says. Laminate is a no-go, but glossy paper, Post-it sticky notes, chipboard, Manila envelopes including the clasp, envelopes and anything that is just paper are all acceptable.
MOUNTAINX.COM
If there is a glossy lining, like in to-go coffee cups, it probably should be landfilled. Gable-top containers that hold beverages like orange juice and almond milk can be recycled. Additionally, anything with any remnants of food waste or grease can’t be recycled because it won’t mix properly when the paper is made into a watery pulp at the manufacturing facility. That means no pizza boxes tainted with grease. Lawson recommends tearing off the top half of your pizza boxes for recycling and tossing the rest in the trash can. Paper towels and tissues, used or not, cannot be recycled; they’re at the end of their life. Brown paper towels should be composted, Lawson says. METAL AND GLASS This is where the grocery store rule really rings true. All metal food cans can be recycled, both steel and aluminum, but other metal objects like clothes hangers or paint cans cannot be recycled through Curbside. Same for glass. Glass bottles and jars that might come from a grocery store, including Mason jars, should be recycled while
other types of glass like window panes or coffee table glass should be trashed. Broken glass is OK as most of it will probably be broken in the truck anyway, and glass is gravity sorted, not hand-sorted. Completely empty aerosol cans, including spray paint cans, can be recycled, as can aluminum pie plates. Aluminum foil, however, cannot be. SHOULD I CLEAN IT FIRST? Lawson says how much you clean your recyclables first is really up to you. Curbside doesn’t want half-full mayonnaise jars, for example, but if something is pretty empty, it really doesn’t even have to be completely rinsed out, she says. If it works for your home recycling system, it probably works for Curbside as far as cleanliness goes, she says. Recyclers shouldn’t go to the trouble to wash their recyclables as they would a dish, however, because that probably uses more energy than the item is even worth, therefore offsetting the positive environmental impact of recycling in the first place, she says. For a comprehensive list of recyclables, go to www.curbie. com. — Greg Parlier
Some items have more uses than others. Milk jugs, for example, are made from a pliable plastic and can be made into other plastic items like garbage cans or toys, making them more valuable. Milk jug plastic is at the beginning of its useful life. The more brittle the plastic, the nearer it is to the end of its lifespan, Nancy says. Plastic bottles and 2-liter jugs often head to carpet manufacturers or T-shirt makers. Cardboard becomes more cardboard. Paper recyclers turn wastepaper into a pulp, combining the fibers to create new paper. If the fibers are cut too short, however, processors have less ability to weave the material into new paper. Shredded documents, Nancy says, can only be turned into toilet paper. While she understands that some documents should be shredded for security reasons, people shouldn’t feel the need to “overshred,” Nancy warns. Employees sign a nondisclosure agreement about such items, and there’s no way someone could snatch sensitive documents once they hit the recycling facility, she says. While shipping glass to manufacturers actually costs Curbside more than it receives for the material, aluminum is a valuable commodity.The company ships a tractor-trailer full of aluminum every four to six weeks, while it ships one to two trucks of glass daily. Paper is the most common recyclable in Asheville, with three to four trucks of baled paper leaving Curbside daily, Nancy says. “We survive on pure volume,” she adds. CONTAMINATION Inevitably, Curbside receives material the company can’t recycle. Asheville’s contamination rate, or the percentage of what city residents throw in their big blue bins that should go to the landfill, is about 5 percent, according to Curbside. That’s a pretty decent percentage compared to other municipal recycling facilities, says Barry Lawson, but it still costs Curbside, and in turn Asheville, a good chunk of money. Curbside limits its own landfill expenses by adopting an active sorting process for nonrecyclable trash, Barry says. The stuff Curbside sends to the landfill has been actively picked off the conveyor belts by employees. Curbside loops everything that sorters miss the first time through — which often includes both recyclables and trash — back to the beginning of the system to
FIRST STOP: Sorters work to pull trash from the presort line. They are the first line of defense in keeping nonrecyclables out of the system. Photo courtesy of Curbside Management limit the number of truckloads diverted to the landfill. “It costs us money to take stuff to the landfill. It costs us labor and efficiencies. Trust us to know that we are constantly looking for new homes for things that we can recycle. Because we don’t want to take things to the landfill — it costs us money,” Nancy Lawson says. PROBLEM PLASTIC Plastic bags are by far the biggest problem at Curbside and similar facilities across the country. Bags get tangled in gears and equipment, sometimes forcing the facility to shut down for hours at a time for servicing, Barry Lawson says. “About every day, if not more than once a day, we literally have to shut down the machines and crawl up and cut the bags off some of our equipment. [The sorters] try to pull as much as they can out, but it’s just a nuisance,” Nancy Lawson says. Stores such as Ingles and Publix accept plastic bags for recycling. In addition to the danger they pose to equipment, the bags pick up too much dirt in a single-stream recycling facility to maintain their value for manufacturers. Even worse than single bags are the “onion” bags, bags stuffed with bags that are stuffed with bags. Or more problematic still, bags that contain a mix of bags and other materials. It takes too much time for sorters to pull apart bags that contain garbage and one or two recyclables, Barry Lawson says.
In that instance, unfortunately, it all goes to the landfill, he says. Curbside also doesn’t like getting black or opaque bags they can’t see through. That’s when the weird stuff comes out. They’ve gotten dead animals before, as well as hazardous things they don’t want their people sorting through, Nancy Lawson says. “At some point you just have to say, ‘Throw it away,’” she says. Between landfill tipping fees, unanticipated servicing of equipment and time spent ridding the lines of the industry’s most notorious “tanglers,” Barry Lawson estimates Curbside spends $150,000 to $200,000 a year just on plastic bags, costs they ultimately pass on to contracts with entities such as the city of Asheville. One of the contributors to Curbside’s bag bind is Buncombe County’s “Blue Bag” program. BUNCOMBE’S BAGS Residents in Buncombe County pay Waste Pro directly for trash service, which also includes recycling pickup. Waste Pro takes the recyclables it collects in Buncombe to Curbside for sorting. But instead of the big blue bins distributed to residents in the city of Asheville, Buncombe County asks residents to place recyclables in a company-provided bin (which carries an additional cost) or transparent blue or clear bags. “You’ll have to ask Buncombe County why they decided to go with plastic
bags,” Nancy Lawson says, a hint of frustration in her voice. Buncombe County Solid Waste Director Chip Gingles, who says he’s only
been in his position for six months, says the decision to go with blue bags was made when the county’s 10-year franchise agreement with Waste Pro was negotiated. That arrangement expires at the end of 2019, he says. While county businesses may contract with other vendors for trash pickup, county residents must either pay Waste Pro or deal with their refuse themselves, explains Michael Frue, senior staff attorney for Buncombe County. According to Frue, county staff will begin examining the franchise agreement soon in preparation for releasing a new request for proposals in 2019. Gingles says residents who sign up for Waste Pro service can put their recyclables in any approved container instead of blue or clear plastic bags. But on the recycling page of the county’s website, recyclables are often referred to as “blue bag recyclables,” and the instructions even tell residents where they can buy the approved blue bags. Those guidelines were originally intended to help distinguish trash from recyclables at roadside pickup
CONTINUES ON PAGE 22
Responsible Automotive Service & Repair
Comprehensive Inspection w/ Digital Report
$51.11
Great for pre-trip vehicle insepctions!
(Usually $102.22)
Buy a comprehensive inspection and savings are guaranteed! Discounts offered on any work that is recommended based on our report.
• Buying/Selling a car • Before/After long road trips • Regular total vehicle assessment
Also receive $150 off any full Timing Belt service
Voted one of the BEST OF WNC for 12 years in a row. Thank you!
Call us!
255.2628
organic-mechanic.com • 568 Haywood Rd • West Asheville MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
21
KIDS ISSUES
GR EEN SCEN E
2018
PLENTY OF PLASTIC: Sorters on the container line toss plastic bottles into this heap, which will be scooped up and pressed into bales of plastic bottles to be sent to an end user. Photo courtesy of Curbside Management points for Waste Pro, Gingles says, and the county worked with Waste Pro to come up with that policy eight or nine years ago. “That is definitely one of the things we will look at when we draw up a new contract (in 2019),” Gingles says. RECYCLE FORWARD
Coming MARCH 14 & 21 22
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
In 2014, Asheville City Council passed a resolution promising to reduce the waste going to the landfill by 50 percent by 2035, based on a 2010 baseline. As of 2016, the city had reduced landfilled waste by about 7 percent, so some progress has been made, says Asheville Solid Waste Manager Jes Foster. That improvement — which saw waste decline even as Asheville’s population has grown — has saved the city more than $353,000 since 2011 in landfill tipping fees, she notes. However, a 2015 audit revealed that 18 percent of waste sent to the landfill was recyclable, so there is still work to do, Foster says. Foster says the city’s relationship with Curbside has been instrumental in improving the city’s landfill diversion rates. The city paid Curbside $1.225 million for the fiscal year that ended on June 30, which was the seventh year of a 10-year contract. Increased curbside recycling is leading to literal growth at the company, where plans are in the works to grow its current 5,500-square-foot facility by 33 percent. That’s a relief for Nancy
Lawson, who says the warehouse is bursting at the seams after the winter holidays and a shortage of tractor-trailer trucks in the wake of a busy hurricane season in Texas and Florida. Another player in Asheville’s relatively successful recycling game is environmental nonprofit Asheville GreenWorks, which gathers unique recyclers at its quarterly Hard2Recycle events. A number of partner companies and nonprofits congregate at the GreenWorks-hosted events in different areas of Buncombe County and Asheville five times a year to collect items that can’t be recycled by Curbside. Biltmore Iron and Metal Co. recycles metal, batteries, electronics and appliances, The Open Box Moving Solutions recycles Styrofoam and packing peanuts, One Click Fix accepts computers, and the national TerraCycle program recycles personal hygiene products. Curbside, Asheville Humane Society, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity and others also participate in these events. For information on upcoming Hard2Recycle events, visit avl.mx/4k2. While Asheville bests other cities its size in its recycling habits, that doesn’t mean improvements can’t be made. Ultimately, all of the players share the same goal: Keeping junk out of the landfill. “Asheville is very good at recycling. We live in a beautiful place, and we’re trying to take care of our beautiful environment, one can at a time,” Nancy says. X
FOOD
TEA PARTY
Hot toddies to the rescue in Asheville’s cold and flu season favorite recipes for this classic coldweather tipple, plus I threw in one of my own. And it just so happens that all involve tea. KEEP IT SIMPLE
The original market
Lexie Harvey, one half of craft cocktail catering company Cordial & Craft, suggests a boozy, bourbonbased drink she calls (in a tip of the hat to the Talking Heads) Lady Don’t Care. “The thing I like about hot toddies is that they are so flexible and unassuming,” she says. “They can fill any space in the cocktail spectrum — warming, comforting and cozy, medicinal and soothing, boozy or not-so-boozy — and be as few as three ingredients or as many as your kitchen and creativity provide.” She adds a dash of cayenne pepper to this one for clearing up that stuffy nose. “I like unfussy cocktails — simple cocktails that are as good as the ingredients in them, which is exactly what this drink is,” she says, adding that a hot toddy is perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather but still want to imbibe with your friends. Harvey warns, “Any more honey, and the drink is too sweet, which may be what you want if you have an itchy throat.” And any less water, she adds, and the whiskey will taste too hot when combined with the warm water as liquor tends to amplify heat.
LADY DON’T CARE
MUG SHOTS: For the house hot toddy at Vivian restaurant, co-owner Shannon McGaughey amps up the alcohol with cognac and amaro and includes medicinal herbal tea. “I like the addition of tea for a more herbal-spice flavor,” she says. Photo by Brendan Hunt
BY JONATHAN AMMONS jonathanammons@gmail.com Winter has arrived in full force, and unfortunately, so has the cold
and flu season. Nothing knocks out a cold, or at least the suffering victim of that cold, quite like a hot toddy. We asked a couple of Asheville cocktail mavens to give us their
Biltmore
Find amazing savings here! Get your GO Local card & you’ll receive 5% off purchases $25 or more *excludes alcohol • available now
Check out other locations:
Downtown & Black Mountain
www.hopeyandcompany.com
SOUTH ASHEVILLE’S NEW HOME FOR COMFORT FOOD AND CRAFT COCKTAILS
1.5 ounces midrange bourbon (Bulleit or Larceny work well. Brandy can also be substituted with less honey.) 6 ounces hot water Tea bag of choice (Harvey uses green tea) 1 tablespoon good dark honey Juice of half a lemon Two dashes of cayenne Dash of ground cinnamon
2155 Hendersonville Rd. Arden, NC, 28704
Combine in your favorite mug and enjoy.
828.676.2577
Sun-Thurs | 11am-10pm Fri & Sat | 11am-Midnight
post25avl.com CONTINUES ON PAGE 24 MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
23
Heirloom Corn Tor tillas Ground Onsite Daily Slow Roas ted Chicken & Pork Pas tor Tacos Tor tas Tequila
ORDER ONLINE @ M A M AC I TA S TACO T EM PLE. CO M
132 CHARLOTTE STREET, ASHEVILLE, NC M-TH 11AM-9PM 828-255-8098 F & S 11AM-10PM • CLOSED SUNDAYS Plateau de la Mer Special Dozen Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail, Ceviche and Tuna Tartare $32.50 (Reg. price $50) $1.75 oyster of the day every day
Valentine’s Day Special! Bottle of Prosecco, dozen fresh oysters, choice of 3 charcuterie items, and a cannoli $75 (Reg. price $100) The fabulous Jesse Barry will be performing from 6 to 9!
2 Hendersonville Road
Biltmore Station | Just behind the railroad tracks
828.222.6555
F OOD HERBS AND SPICE
ANISE AND OOLONG
At Vivian in the River Arts District, co-owner and bar guru Shannon McGaughey adds some herbal healing power to her restaurant’s house toddy. “Essentially, I am taking a classic hot toddy recipe, amping up the booze amount and adding tea,” she explains. “The cognac adds more body, and the Amaro Montenegro adds some orange and clove flavor to the cocktail. Most classic toddy recipes just call for hot water as the base with lemon, honey and spirits, but I like the addition of tea for more herbal-spice flavor.” Although she has experimented with several types of tea in this recipe, the one she likes best is Traditional Medicinals’ organic Stress Ease Cinnamon, which is full of skullcap, licorice and cinnamon. “The overall flavor is a big burst of cinnamon, which works perfectly for a toddy,” she says. “I also love the fact that the whole point of a winter-warming toddy is to make you feel calm, relaxed and cozy, and we’re using a tea that is a legit homeopathic medicine to relieve stress and tension.”
I’ve been a sucker for oolong teas lately and have been making my own anisette. I recently realized the two go well together — there is great compatibility between the licorice flavors in the liqueur and the citrus notes of the oolong. During a recent bout with a cold, I whipped up this concoction as a late-night remedy, drawing the name from the Irving Berlin tune sung by Ella Fitzgerald. Making your own anisette couldn’t be easier. Just take a bottle of brandy and add a little over a teaspoon of crushed whole coriander, about a teaspoon of fennel seeds and five to seven whole star anise seeds. Let the bottle sit for two weeks, then strain and add 8-10 ounces of simple syrup (equal parts sugar and hot water). I use the finished product sparingly, as many are put off by the heavy anise flavor. But when added with a light hand, it really complements the flavor of the tea and accentuates the subtleties of the cognac. If you’re not feeling crafty, don’t worry — Pernod works perfectly well in this cocktail, too. This drink is meant to be a kick in the pants, so I tend to like it without added sugar since the anisette has a decent amount of sweetness. If it’s too strong for your liking, feel free to add honey or top it off with a little more tea. The cognac has the added benefit of being a natural decongestant and expectorate. X
VIVIAN’S WINTER TODDY 1.5 ounces Old Forester whiskey 0.5 ounce Amaro Montenegro 0.5 ounce Salignac cognac Juice of half a lemon 1 teaspoon honey One bag Traditional Medicinals Stress Ease Cinnamon Two dashes of cinnamon bitters Fill a mug three-quarters full with hot water, stir in the honey, add the tea bag and let it steep for three to five minutes. Add the whiskey, cognac, amaro and bitters. Stir in the juice of half a lemon and enjoy.
Shannon says that if you can’t find cinnamon bitters, Angostura or Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters will do the trick. If you want to get creative, you can make your own cinnamon bitters: Fill a Mason jar with cinnamon sticks or pieces and cover with a strong grain liquor (Mr. Boston is my favorite, but Everclear works too). Let it sit for three to four days or until the flavor is what you want. Strain before using.
24
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN 1.75 ounces cognac 0.25 ounce anisette 4-6 ounces hot oolong tea Dash of orange bitters Honey to taste (optional) Combine in a glass and enjoy.
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
25
FOOD
by Jarrett Van Meter
jarrettvanmeter@gmail.com
RISING TO THE TOP 1478 Patton Ave
WNC’s artisan baking community nurtures aspiring talent
ACROSS FROM SKY LANES
Serving craft cocktails with locally distilled spirits Kitchen open late
FLOUR POWER: “The baking community, broadly, is incredibly supportive,” says Old World Levain Bakery owner Susannah Gebhart. “There is a lot of shared knowledge, openness and community among bakers. This is especially true in Asheville.” In addition to producing naturally leavened breads and European-style pastries at her West Asheville shop, Gebhart now offers baking classes for both professionals and amateurs. Photo by Cindy Kunst
KIDS ISSUES 2018 Coming MARCH 14 & 21 26
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
While Western North Carolina is widely known for its craft beer scene, brewing isn’t the only artisanal industry on the rise. The Asheville area is also emerging as a nexus in the Southeast for baking knowledge. The growing popularity of home baking, abundance of educational opportunities and strong network of seasoned professionals combine to make Asheville a baker’s paradise. WNC has long been home to its fair share of skilled bread makers and pastry chefs, but it was the Asheville Bread Festival, launched 14 years ago by Steve Bardwell and Gail Lunsford, that first fostered cohesiveness in the local baking culture. “That was the first time all of us bakers came together, and we realized what a rich baking community we had,” explains Jennifer Lapidus, co-organizer of the event.
MOUNTAINX.COM
She recalls a dinner event held at The Market Place restaurant in conjunction with the inaugural festival as a turning point for the local industry. “All of us were a bit nervous to sit down and start talking to each other because we were each other’s competition,” she says. “But then once we [did], we realized that, of course, we all liked each other — we were all bakers. We all became fast friends.” The festival has since evolved into a two-day happening featuring a Bread Fair plus a full day of hands-on workshops for hobbyists, a networking dinner and a six-hour master class for professionals. This year’s event takes place May 5-6 with a few changes that are aimed at cementing a relationship between WNC’s baking and brewing communities, which Lapidus says have a “symbiotic” history of fostering local talent and creativity.
The Bread Fair and “ground zero for the festival” will relocate from its longtime home at AshevilleBuncombe Technical Community College to New Belgium Brewing Co., says Lapidus. Workshops will be hosted at a variety of locations, including the facility of brewing-yeast producer White Labs, along with Rhubarb, Smoke Signals Bakery and Living Web Farms. Lapidus, who at the time of the first Asheville Bread Festival was running Natural Bridge Bakery, later moved into the realm of milling, opening the Carolina Ground flour mill in response to the 2008 spike in wheat prices. But she believes the idea for the business originally took root before the economic downturn. “The very first seed for ‘what if we launched a mill’ was brought together by bringing us all together
at the bread fest,” she says. “When the idea came about, I was the one to do it because I had been milling in-house at my bakery.” Carolina Ground has served to further localize WNC’s independentminded baking culture by providing a specialty resource. “We have connected these bakeries with growers here in North Carolina by providing them with superhigh-quality, cold stone-milled, North Carolina-grown flour,” says Lapidus. “Inspiring bakers and pastry makers is what enables this mill to exist.” BAKING BASE CAMP Lapidus now fields orders from all over the U.S., which she admits “wasn’t even on my radar when I first started it.” Yet her product remains most popular close to home. Among the many area bakers who use Carolina Ground flour is Rhubarb and The Rhu pastry chef Kaley Laird. Originally from upstate New York, Laird came to Asheville two years ago by way of California and was immediately struck by the area’s wealth of baking talent and knowledge. “This is a really big baking town,” Laird says. “San Francisco is just a great food town with great bakeries in it, but Asheville is a very concentrated area of bakers. It’s not just professionals — it’s people who have an underground operation or do it at home as a passion or side hobby. It’s very saturated; there
are a lot of us, and we all kind of know each other. Even some restaurants, like Biscuit Head, do their own baking. As someone who is in the middle of it, it’s huge. It’s all start-to-finish here, to the point where [a major yeast supplier like] White Labs has set up in Asheville, and Carolina Ground provides freshmilled flour right here in town.” In addition to doing the day-to-day baking for The Rhu and Rhubarb, Laird works to engage the growing community through education (see sidebar for details on an upcoming sourdough lecture). With the benefit of access to Rhubarb’s event space and demonstration kitchen, she is developing a consistent rotation of educational offerings with the goals of not only bolstering local baking acumen but also of attracting students from around the country. Like The Rhu, Old World Levain Bakery is a known commodity in Asheville hoping to parlay the popularity of its baked goods into a consistent rotation of classes. “This community is really rooted in making your food at home using natural and local foods,” says owner Susannah Gebhart. “It is part of the common lexicon of Ashevilleans, so I think a lot of our customers are people who are attuned to those values and desires.” Gebhart hosted her first class in the OWL space in September with New York-based James Beard Foundation Award winner Sarah Owens. The positive response to the event prompted plans for future workshops for professionals and amateurs alike.
Sourdough bread workshop
Photo by Rich Orris Rhubarb pastry chef Kaley Laird and Jennifer Lapidus of Carolina Ground flour mill will partner with Edible Asheville magazine to host a FED Talk workshop, The Secrets of Sourdough Bread, with seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, in the Rhubarb event space, 7 S.W. Pack Square. Laird will present a bread-tasting and sourdough starter demonstration, and Lapidus will discuss the milling process and the ways various grains impact baking. Each guest will leave with a jar of sourdough starter and instructions for baking bread at home. The ticket price of $28 also includes snacks from Rhubarb. For details and tickets, visit facebook.com/EdibleAsheville.
“The baking community, broadly, is incredibly supportive,” says Gebhart. “There is a lot of shared knowledge, openness and community among bakers. This is especially true in Asheville. The bread fest has been great for bringing all bakers from the area together — home bakers, amateurs and all the rest — to create community around that space.” EDUCATION FIRST Marshall-based artisan wood-fire baker Tara Jensen takes the passion for sharing knowledge even further by making education the primary mission of her business. In 2013, Jensen opened Smoke Signals in the space that had previously been occupied by Lapidus’ Natural Bridge Bakery and David Bauer’s Farm & Sparrow Bakery. She specializes in workshops and wood-fire baking intensives with a mission to “inspire self-actualization through the craft of baking.” Jensen, originally from Maine, came to the area to work for Bauer at Farm & Sparrow before starting Smoke Signals six years ago. She refers to Smoke Signals as a “project” rather than a bakery due to the transformations the concept has undergone. Like many getting their start with artisan food businesses, she began selling her products at local tailgate markets with the intention of one day opening a retail space. But everything changed about a year into the project when she hosted a weekend apple pie workshop. “It sold out, and the whole experience was really comfortable for me,” Jensen recalls. “I am supersocial and loved connecting with people in that way, so I kept offering [workshops], and they became really popular and lucrative, so I made the switch from selling bread to teaching people how to make their own bread.” People come from throughout the U.S. and as far as Canada, Ireland and Puerto Rico to take part in Jensen’s small workshops, which often sell out months in advance. Her ever-growing popularity even garnered a glowing 2016 write-up in Bon Appétit magazine celebrating her rural bakery’s signature dedication to simplicity and mindfulness. Lapidus, whom Jensen counts as a mentor, still owns the Smoke Signals bakehouse and loves what is going on in her former workspace. “I think Tara is doing amazing stuff out there,” she says. “It’s so exciting to see all the workshops happening because the avid home-baker movement seems to continuously be bubbling up. It’s a continuous growth that has been really neat to watch.” X
Dinner 7 days per week 5:00 p.m. - until Bar opens at 5:00 p.m. Brunch - Saturday & Sunday 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. LIVE MUSIC Tue., Thu., Fri. & Sat. Nights Also during Sunday Brunch
Locally inspired cuisine.
Located in the heart of downtown Asheville. marketplace-restaurant.com 20 Wall Street, Asheville 828-252-4162
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
27
SMALL BITES
FOOD
by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com
Launch party for REACH A year ago, Asheville real estate agent Ryan McCullough was stumped by a question raised by an out-of-town client: What was the reason for the city’s large homeless population? “I didn’t really have an answer for him,” McCullough acknowledges. The question, however, stuck with him, and after “some soul searching,” McCullough says he decided to do something about it. “My job is to find homes for people,” he explains. “So why could I not contribute to finding homes for the homeless?” On Friday, Jan. 26, McCullough, in partnership with Homeward Bound of WNC, will celebrate the launch of the Real Estate Agents Combating Homelessness fund. REACH, he explains, seeks to end homelessness in Asheville one sale at a time. “If we got every agent to donate a penny of every dollar of commission earned at each closing, we’d raise three-quarters of a million dollars every year,” he explains. The celebration will take place at Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium. The brewery will provide guests with complimentary charcuterie and cheese platters featuring salami and pancetta from The American Pig, Snow Camp goat cheese from the Goat Lady Dairy, bread from OWL Bakery, sourfermented pickled vegetables, olive tapenade, crostini and Wicked Weed’s house-made Medora blackberry-raspberry sour ale jam, hummus and shortbread with honey yogurt dip. Along with food, the gathering will include a live auction and a musical performance by Supatight. Wicked Weed will also release BaNONOs Foster, a bananas Foster-inspired hefeweizen aged on cinnamon, vanilla and rum spirals, sans bananas. Meanwhile, Urban Orchard will release its own specialty beverage, a semidry hard apple cider aged on American and French toasted oak from H&H Distillery. Proceeds from the sales of both beverages will benefit REACH. Currently, the foundation has a small core of agents committed to the cause, but McCullough hopes the launch party will attract a larger pool of participants. “It’s a way for us to become part of the community and contribute to and counteract the negative effects of gentrification, as well as the lack of affordable housing in Asheville,” says McCullough. “This is our com28
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
from the gallery’s latest exhibit, Into the Blue. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will go to the Asheville Area Arts Council. Eat Your Art Out! happens at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29, at Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave. Tickets are $100 per person. For details, visit avl.mx/4jt. SOUPS TO WARM YOUR WINTER Laura Beck, founder of Your Vegan Mentor, will host a soup-focused cooking demonstration at Firestorm Books & Coffee on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Beck will discuss a range of soup varieties, including those that can be made with blenders, in a slow-cooker or Instant Pot or simmered on the stove. Samples will be provided, and participants will go home with a collection of recipes. A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit Firestorm Books & Coffee. Soups to Warm Your Winter runs 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30 at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road. Tickets are $15 and are available at avl.mx/4jn. FEED THE RESISTANCE
A SALES PITCH TO END HOMELESSNESS: Real estate agent Ryan McCullough seeks to end homelessness in Buncombe County with his foundation, REACH. The organization is in partnership with Homeward Bound of WNC and will celebrate its launch party at Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium on Friday, Jan. 26. Photo by Thomas Calder munity, and everyone in it deserves to have a home.” The REACH launch party and fundraiser runs 6-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 26, at Wicked Weed Brewing’s Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave. Admission is free. For more information, visit avl.mx/4ju. 17TH ANNUAL FLETCHER CHILI COOK-OFF The town of Fletcher will host its 17th annual Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, Jan. 27. All types of chili will be featured at the event, including traditional, white and vegetarian varieties. Awards will be given for best overall chili, best individual chili, best business chili, best table décor and people’s choice. The event is free to attend. Donations will be accepted at the event for the Fletcher Park Development Fund, which helps improve Fletcher’s parks. The 17th annual Chili Cook-Off runs 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at Veritas Christian Academy, 17 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher. For more information, visit fletcherparks.org.
MOUNTAINX.COM
FOOD SOVEREIGNTY & AGRICULTURE IN CUBA The Organic Growers School will host an information session at Lenoir Rhyne University on Sunday, Jan. 28, focusing on food sovereignty and agriculture in Cuba. Eric HoltGimenez, food justice author and First Food executive director, will lead the discussion via Skype. According to its website, Food First “is a ‘people’s think tank’ dedicated to ending the injustices that cause hunger and helping communities to take back their food systems.” After the presentation, participants will have the option to stay to watch the 45-minute film, The Power of Community. Food Sovereignty & Agriculture in Cuba runs 12:30-2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, in the boardroom at Lenoir Rhyne University, 36 Montford Ave. Admission is free. To RSVP, visit avl.mx/4jm. EAT YOUR ART OUT! Blue Spiral 1 will host its first art pairing charity dinner with a five-course meal prepared by chef Jacob Whitman of Native Kitchen and Social Pub. Each plate will be inspired by a work of art
Author Julia Turshen will join Nightbell chef Katie Button on Wednesday, Jan. 31, for a communal, multicourse dinner with dishes from her latest cookbook, Feed the Resistance. Menu highlights include JUSTUS collard greens, The People’s Grits and Adobo sa Gata. Feed the Resistance was named the Best Cookbook of 2017 by Eater.com. All proceeds from sales of Feed the Resistance go to American Civil Liberties Union. Feed the Resistance runs 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Nightbell, 32 S. Lexington Ave. Tickets are $80 per person or $145 per couple and include a signed copy of the cookbook. For tickets, visit avl.mx/4jo. ELIZABETH BUTTON NAMED CHAIR OF AIR DIRECTORS Heirloom Hospitality Group’s Elizabeth Button has been named chair of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association board of directors, replacing outgoing chair Kevin Westmoreland of Corner Kitchen and Chestnut. Westmoreland will remain on the board. The organization, made up of over 120 locally owned, independent restaurants, is dedicated to maintaining a diverse, authentic food scene in Asheville. In 2011, Button, along with her daughter Katie Button and son-inlaw Félix Meana, opened Cúrate. X
A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T
ALL HANDS ON DECK
The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival returns for its 16th year
BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Entering its 16th year, The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival is experiencing a growth spurt. “We have eight ticketed venue locations, which is more than we’ve ever had,” says Jocelyn Reece, the festival’s artistic co-director. This includes its new Fringe Central location at the LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave. The festival has also doubled its number of random acts (a series of free installations, workshops and performances scattered throughout the multiday happening). Along with this, the Fringe team has expanded to include new managing director Katie Jones. Its mission, however, remains the same. The four-day multidisciplinary arts festival, which runs Thursday through Sunday, Jan. 25-28, is a place for artists to showcase new, innovative works. Subthemes for this year’s Fringe include experimental art, fring-
Random acts of Fringe Random acts of Fringe are free events taking place throughout The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 25-28. • Open-Handed — FridaySunday, noon-5 p.m. at Upstairs at Henco Reprographics, 54 1/2 Broadway. • Diorama Ding Dong — Thursday-Sunday, noon-8 p.m. at Zapow Gallery, 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101. • Expecting Altamont — Thursday, 1-4 p.m. at The Refinery Creator Space, 207 Coxe Ave. • Finding Our Footing — Saturday, 2 p.m., Wall Street. • Hangry — Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. at Realta Salon, 12 1/2 Wall St. • Unhinged Acceptance: Strange Daughters Sightings — ThursdaySunday, location and time announced daily through social media and email. For more information on these events, visit avl.mx/4jg.
LEND A HAND: At The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival, dancers, from left, Melissa Wilhoit, Mikhale Sherrill, Shari Azar, Kathleen Meyers Leiner and Elizabeth Huntley, will perform in Open-Handed, an installation and movement performance. Photo by Tom Leiner ey fun, raw emotion, social justice and the wildly weird. Reece says guests who have attended previous performances know to expect the unexpected. But for those in the community who are new to the scene or on the fence about unconventional works, Reece encourages an open mind. “Just be present,” she says. “Be curious. It may be completely different than what you expected but still wonderful in its own way.” NOT JUST FOR KIDS For veteran Fringe artist Keith Shubert, his 20-year career as a puppeteer is the direct result of a lifetime spent embracing his inner child. “I never stopped playing with toys,” he says. To this day, the Asheville artist remains an avid collector of playthings, only now, that’s part of his profession. His childhood fascination with action figures has developed into an award-
winning career with performances throughout the country. The Asheville Fringe, however, remains special for Shubert. It’s where he debuts new work. This year’s show, Total WTF, takes place at The Magnetic Theatre on Friday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 28. The story chronicles a subterranean interdimensional troll who awakens after years of hibernation under a dormant volcano. Energized by its extended rest, the troll seeks to become the galaxy’s greatest chaos wizard. Shubert admits that in writing Total WTF, he strived to create something truly bizarre. “My intention was to make the weirdest thing that I’ve ever done,” he says. “Something that people will literally walk out of and be like, ‘What the f*ck was that?’” Beyond its shock value, the show is also a reaction to the times. “Trump is the president of the United States of America,” Shubert says. “Things could not be more bizarre or surreal.” After a year of outrageous tweets and ongoing
scandals, Total WTF is Shubert’s attempt to process the current, strange state of the union. At the same time, Total WTF is part of Shubert’s ongoing effort to transform people’s perception of puppetry. He believes the popularity of shows like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” has limited audiences’ understanding of the art. “People sort of put puppetry in this box,” he says. “But there’s so much variety, and there’s so much that can be done.” From marionettes to shadow puppetry, from rod and hand puppets to ventriloquism and Bunraku (traditional Japanese puppet theater), Shubert considers the possibilities within the medium limitless. “The struggle is getting people to come,” he concedes. “But once they’re there … you’ve got them for life. They’re transformed. They realize: ‘Wow, puppetry is something that’s not just for kids.’”
CONTINUES ON PAGE 30 MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
29
A& E
COLLEGE-LEVEL ART COURSES FOR THE COMMUNITY
Extraordinary times call for expressive art.
COLOR THAT SINGS
Beginning/Intermediate Painting Instructor Glenn Hirsch, MFA 8-week class, $120 Wed. 6:30 - 9:30pm • JAN 24 - MARCH 21 Jewish Community Center 236 Charlotte Street INFO/ENROLL: Glenn, 415-987-1226 glennhirsch@earthlink.net • www.glennhirsch.com
DON’T BOX ME IN
Identity & Expression in the Age of Mass Connection Instructor Pamela Lanza, MFA 10-week Mixed Media Class, all skill levels $175 Wed. 6:30 - 9:30pm • FEB 14 - APRIL 25 Rainbow Community School 574 Haywood Road INFO/ENROLL: Pam, 415-297-4207 lalanza@earthlink.net • www.pamelalanza.com
2018
Wellness Issues Publish Jan. 31 & Feb 7
Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x 320
advertise@ mountainx.com
30
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
HANDY WORK: Keith Shubert calls puppetry a limitless art form that incorporates a multitude of mediums, including set design, acting, animation and dance. Photo by Jennifer Bennett A WALL THAT UNITES Multimedia artist Kathleen Meyers Leiner’s Open-Handed is another piece at this year’s Fringe that deals with fingers and fists. But, unlike Shubert’s show, Leiner’s work does not include puppets. Instead, the 16-year Fringe veteran says she is creating an installation and movement performance that uses images and phrases related to hands as a way to examine both unification and division. The work evolved out of Leiner’s frustration with the current political climate and the conflicts it has generated. The installation portion of her piece will include a wall created from photographs of hands. Leiner calls it a wall of connections. Brief stories will be included beneath each picture. People who attend will also be encouraged to share their own accounts of unity by way of the written word or by recording themselves. This portion of the show is free and open to the public, Friday-Sunday, Jan. 26-28, at Henco Reprographics. Meanwhile, the movement performance — a collaboration between Leiner and dancers Shari Azar, Elizabeth Huntley, Melissa Wilhoit and Mikhale Sherrill — will take place at the same location. This component of Open-Handed is a ticketed event. It, too, grapples with and explores the issues of unity and division. Along with personal anecdotes, Leiner says the choreographed movements are inspired by idioms such as “hand in glove,” “hand over fist,” and “bite the hand that feeds.”
MOUNTAINX.COM
Leiner hopes the performances and installations at this year’s Asheville Fringe will bring together people from all walks of life. The festival’s offerings include works from Xpress staffers Alli Marshall (as part of the Literary Circus) and Heather Taylor. So often, Leiner says, those who shy away from experimental art do so out of fear. “You don’t have to get it,” she says. “I never liked that: [People] thinking that they have to get it. You’re just stepping into an experience.” The benefit of doing so, she believes, has the potential to be lifealtering. “It is huge for the arts and for people to recognize diversity,” she says. “That’s what I like most about the Fringe. This is a creative atmosphere where you’re going to see diverse voices. ... And by experiencing that, I really feel like you’re opening yourself up to new things. It’s a way to build our empathy.” X
Ticketed events The Asheville Fringe Arts Festival runs Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 25-28. $13-$16 per show. $50 all-access pass. Tickets can be purchased online at ashevillefringe.org. Ticket sales end 24 hours before start time. Tickets are also available at Fringe Central inside the LaZoom Room, 76 Biltmore Ave., Monday-Saturday, Jan. 22-27, noon-6 p.m. The BeBe Theatre • Performances by The Mothlight 20 Commerce St. Asheville Improv 701 Haywood Road • Marx in Soho by Bob Collective and Wrong • Mothlight triple feature Weick — Thursday and Shelf — Saturday, 9 p.m., (see website for lineups), Saturday, 7 p.m. and Sunday, 6 p.m. — Thursday and Friday, • The Falling Love by 7 and 9 p.m. Edwin Salas — Thursday LaZoom Room and Saturday, 9 p.m. 76 Biltmore Ave. Sly Grog Lounge • The Color of Dance by • LaZoom Bus Fringe 271 Haywood St. Open Hearts Arts Tour — Friday and • The Experiment by Center — Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m., and IRTE — Thursday and and Sunday, 4 p.m. Sunday, 4 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. • BeBe Triple Feature — • Poetry Cabaret — Friday, 9 p.m. and The Magnetic Theatre Thursday and Saturday, Sunday, 6 p.m. 375 Depot St. • Mother Jones in 9 p.m. Heaven by Si Kahn, Downtown Books • Later Rain by Eric performed by Vivian and News Mullis — Friday, 7 p.m., Nesbitt — Thursday and and Sunday, 4 p.m. 67 N. Lexington Ave. • Ox by In/Visible Saturday, 7 p.m. • Topload by The Theatre — Friday and • Stripped by Phillipe Actor’s Center of Saturday, 5 p.m. Andre Coquet — Asheville — Friday, 9 Thursday and Saturday, p.m., and Sunday, 6 p.m. 9 p.m. Habitat Tavern • Flying Clothes & Prose and Commons Upstairs at Henco by The Literary Circus 174 Broadway Reprographics • The Adventure Society — Friday, 7 p.m., and 54 1/2 Broadway and The Secret of Priori Sunday 4 p.m. • Open-Handed by Island by Dalton Gray • Total WTF by Keith Kathleen Meyers Leiner — Saturday, 5 p.m., and Shubert — Friday, 9 Sunday, 4 p.m. p.m., and Sunday, 6 p.m. — Friday-Sunday, 5 p.m.
by Shawndra Russell
shawndra@shawndrarussell.com
LIVING LARGE Go online to shop for men’s big and tall items, and you’ll typically find XL models showcasing XL outfits. That means guys size 2X and up rarely see themselves represented in print or online catalogs. This lack of size diversity frustrated Joe Greene and motivated him to launch his own clothing line, BIGBOIFLY Apparel, in order to feature “different size models from 2XL-6XL modeling clothes looking fly,” he explains. Greene grew up in Asheville and attended Asheville High School. Today, he’s a serial entrepreneur and involved with many community outreach programs such as My Daddy Taught Me That (which fosters the development and education of boys), Asheville Goombay Festival and the Funny ’R’ Us comedy shows. He’s also been a promoter for nearly 20 years, founded news and resource site Asheville411.com and recently became a member of the Civic Center Commission, a city-appointed group that makes recommendations for the use and management of the U.S. Cellular Center. With all these commitments, why did Greene want to launch a fashion line now? “After my biggest show of my life, T.I. at the US Cellular Center, that didn’t do the numbers I needed it to,” he says. “I had the idea to take a break from promoting entertainment and put some real focus into a project I already had created and would make sense. Bigboifly. com and the BIGBOIFLY clothing line were birthed.” The label will be featured at a fashion show at Ellington Underground on Saturday, Jan. 27. Greene says he named the clothing line BIGBOIFLY “because I’m a fly big boy, and I wanted the name to stand out with a meaning and swag behind it.” He wants to share this swag with his customers and help “big men have style, and to show that big men have confidence.” To bring his designs to life, Greene has partnered with Legend-Tees, a custom clothing print shop based in Arden that allows customers to order large volumes or a single item. “They believed in my ideas from day one and helped me create my product, so why would I go anywhere else? We good and loyal to each other,” Greene says. He knew he needed to work with a company with whom he could build from the bottom up and felt LegendTees grasped his vision “to make the
BIGBOIFLY Fashion Show returns to the runway
BIGGER IS BETTER: Joe Greene, left, and Kenneth Drummond model some pieces from the Green’s BIGBOIFLY clothing line, which features sizes 2XL-6XL. Photo by Indulge Images hottest clothing line out there for all the big men of the world.” Part of his resolute determination comes from his kids, whom he calls his biggest inspiration. His advice to them — and to anyone interested in starting their own fashion line — is: “If you’re going to do it, go do it and don’t let nobody or nothing deter you from your goals.” That focus is paying off as orders are starting to roll in from the website. Arsenal in the Asheville Mall is already carrying BIGBOIFLY items, and New York Fashions is set to carry items from the line soon. BIGBOIFLY fashions will also be carried in Charlotte at Metro Fashion Avenue, and Greene has his sights set on getting into major department stores with big and tall sections, such as Dillard’s, as soon as possible. “I’m definitely trying to take it worldwide, city to city, state to state, giving out big-guy flavor,” he says. Greene has long had the fashion bug, and last year, he organized his first fashion show featuring clothing from Dillard’s and New York Fashions that
were size 3X and up. He promises his upcoming fashion show will be “much fresher because we have five clothing lines in this one [with] a whole lot of big men ripping the runway in a flyway” including, of course, his own line. He describes Ellington Underground, located under the historic Asheville S&W Cafeteria, as “a new and sexy venue with a cool owner and great staff.” Hosting the fashion show will be Ladii Socialite accompanied by DJ
Twan Bryant. Also on hand will be Tye Mo of Go-Diva Photography and Patrice Kennedy-Murillo of Indulge Images capturing the models in action and bringing photo booths for attendees to strike a pose in. After the show, guests and models will mingle at the Ellington Underground after-party. X
WHAT BIGBOIFLY Fashion Show WHERE Ellington Underground 56 Patton Ave. ellingtonunderground.com WHEN Saturday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $15 advance/$20 day of show
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
31
A& E
by Bill Kopp
bill@musoscribe.com
SERVING THE SONGS Steep Canyon Rangers will be joined by symphony members for hometown concert
OPEN-MINDED: Grammy-winning bluegrass stars The Steep Canyon Rangers have always applied a wide, all-encompassing approach to building on their traditional foundation. The Jan. 27 album release show will feature members of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra joining the band — from left, Michael Ashworth, Mike Guggino, Woody Platt, Graham Sharp and Nicky Sanders — onstage. Photo by Abbey Ley As the 20th century approached its end, a group of college students began gathering informally to play bluegrass. None of them could have imagined that they’d still be together in 2018, performing concerts backed by members of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra. In support of their 13th and latest album, Out in the Open, the Steep Canyon Rangers play the U.S. Cellular Center’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena on Saturday, Jan. 27. It’s just one in a string of noteworthy events for the band. In October, the Rangers were formally inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Banjo player Graham Sharp says that the experience was mind-blowing. For a display at its Kannapolis facility, the hall had requested one of his instruments. “It was this old Sears guitar, barely holding together,” he says. “But if you stand in just the right place, you can see the guitar, and in the background is one of John Coltrane’s saxophones. And at that point, you’re just like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’”
32
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
Sharp and his bandmates — currently guitarist Woody Platt, mandolin player Mike Guggino, fiddler Nicky Sanders and percussionist Michael Ashworth — were moved to be honored by an institution that pays tribute to the state’s giants of music, a roster that includes James Taylor, Doc Watson and Nina Simone. “The breadth and depth of North Carolina music is just so staggering, from the mountains to the Piedmont to youname-it,” Sharp marvels. “Whatever style, whatever era.” The Hall of Fame induction recognizes the Steep Canyon Rangers’ part in that rich and ongoing musical tradition. “It’s a ridiculously crazy honor to be in there,” Sharp says, “but it’s also just a reminder of how great this state is for the music we love.” Though nominally a bluegrass group, the Steep Canyon Rangers have never been slavish about coloring inside the lines of their chosen musical idiom. “Obviously, we cut our teeth on really traditional bluegrass,” Sharp says. “That’s where
we got our start, but I think there are lots of traditional kinds of roots music that we love. Bringing in elements of different stuff — whether it’s blues, rock ’n’ roll, rockabilly, or just some of the songwriters’ styles that we love — just feels natural.” Sharp says that if there’s an overriding philosophy to the band’s approach to music, it’s this: “Let’s really serve the song. We find a song that we love and not try to shoehorn it into a particular style.” The group’s open-minded approach means that elements of classical music can often be seamlessly worked into arrangements. And that’s what will happen when the Steep Canyon Rangers play their Asheville date the day after the official release of Out in the Open. Ten members of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra will join the group onstage for several songs. And, while the Rangers have augmented themselves with classical musicians before, this hometown show will be different. “We’ve never had a symphony out for a show where people will be standing, dancing and
stuff like that,” Sharp says. “So that’ll be a new experience.” In the early days in Chapel Hill, “It was just us hanging around, having a good time,” the banjo player recalls. “We were loving the music, and we just did it and did it.” But once they graduated, the original core set of musicians — Sharp plus Platt and upright bassist Charles R. Humphrey III (who left late last year) — focused more intently on making music. The musicians collectively relocated to Asheville shortly thereafter. “We had a house up above the Charlotte Street Pub,” Sharp recalls. “I can’t believe the house is still standing ... if it even is.” But Asheville would serve mainly as a base for the group. “We went out to Colorado and won a band competition at a festival,” Sharp says. “And it was unlike anything I had ever imagined.” To date, the band has been recognized with two Grammy nominations, one of those (for the 2013 release Nobody Knows You) winning Best Bluegrass Album. In 2009, the Rangers began a musical relationship with comedian/actor/author/playwright/banjo
player Steve Martin; world tours, high-profile television and festival dates and a string of recordings would follow. The third of those, The Long-Awaited Album, was released in September and soared to the top spot on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album chart. Sharp considers himself fortunate to be in a group of musicians who are “in it together, moving in the same direction, and with very complementary talents. I couldn’t have drawn it up on a piece of paper [at the beginning],” he says, “but it’s worked.” X
WHO The Steep Canyon Rangers with members of Asheville Symphony Orchestra and River Whyless WHERE ExploreAsheville.com Arena 87 Haywood St. uscellularcenterasheville.com WHEN Saturday, Jan. 27, 8 p.m. $30-$40
2018 Poetry Contest Xpress announces a poetry contest in celebration of National Poetry Month and our four-issue Sustainability series in April. Poets are asked to submit work around the themes of sustainability, environmental awareness or nature, and should refer to Western North Carolina’s environs. Submissions will be accepted throughout the month of February and at least one winning poem will be published in print in our April 18 Earth Day issue. Find full details at avl.mx/4ig. MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
33
SMART BETS
A&E
by Edwin Arnaudin | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com
Galaxy Girl
34
Floyd Is Dead
Flying in from the cosmos to a stage near you, Galaxy Girl claims a new Asheville-born subgenre of alternative pop, complete with its own forthcoming name. The former frontwoman of the local teen band Bri and the Astrotones, which broke up when several members enrolled in college, Brianna Tabor pivoted to the solo project with aid from a Hong Kong-based producer. The two are nearing completion on a concept album about her alter ego’s interstellar adventures. The YouTube video for Galaxy Girl’s song “13” includes a note that she was born on Friday the 13th and that her lucky number is 13 — which will also be the total number of tracks on the self-titled record. Her latest live Earthbound showcase takes place Sunday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. at The Grey Eagle. Philadelphia alt-rock trio Alright Junior opens. $8. thegreyeagle.com. Photo courtesy of the musician
Combining the work of two of music’s most passionate fan bases, the multisensory experience Floyd Is Dead straddles the boundaries between faithful tributes to Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead, and boundary-pushing originality. Dreamed up by Asheville funk-fusion band The Snozzberries, the show debuted in September at The Altamont Theatre and returns with a new look Friday, Jan. 26, around the corner at Asheville Music Hall. Ethan Heller (guitar/vocals), Wilson Stern (bass/vocals), Ian Taylor (keys/vocals) and Sean Mason (drums/vocals) will lead audience members on the psychedelic journey with help from yet-to-be-announced special guests. The experience begins at 10 p.m. $7 advance/$10 day of show. ashevillemusichall.com. Photo courtesy of the band
Dom Flemons
At the River
Among the co-founders of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rhiannon Giddens has gone on to become the most prominent household name. Taking less publicized routes, the African-American string band’s other initial members have also forged successful solo careers, including multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons. Deft with banjo, guitar, harmonica, fife, bones, bass drum, snare drum, quills and singing, he combines old-time music with tales of how traditional songs have connected Southern people to their history for generations. As part of the Center for Cultural Preservation’s “Keeping the Fires Burning” series, Flemons visits Blue Ridge Community College’s Thomas Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. The benefit concert will support the production of the center’s new documentary film about the river heroes of Western North Carolina. $15. saveculture.org. Photo courtesy of Flemons
For the past two years, filmmakers Carolyn Crowder and Rod Murphy have interviewed white Southern Presbyterian ministers — many of whom now live in Western North Carolina — about the risks they took to promote equality in Alabama and Mississippi during the civil rights era. Compiling more than 50 hours of footage with as many subjects, the two have a three-pronged plan for the oral history project under the name At the River, including a feature-length documentary. Edited profiles of Phil Noble (who served in Anniston, Ala.), Tom Engle (Troy, Ala.) and Dick Harbison (Canton, Miss.) receive their first public screening on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. at White Horse Black Mountain. Free, but donations toward the cost of making the film are gratefully accepted. whitehorseblackmountain.com. Photo of Crowder, left, John Kuykendall, center, and Eade Anderson by Murphy
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
A&E
by Hayley Benton
hayleyebenton@gmail.com
ANATOMY OF AN ALBUM Last year was big for local musician Ian Ridenhour. In the spring, a single from his sophomore album, Cry About It, tied for first place at the Music Video Asheville awards, and, by summer, the pop-rock artist was already hard at work on a third album, laying down tracks at Echo Mountain. Then, just before the close of the year, the 17-year-old musician received a letter of acceptance to the prestigeous Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he expects to fine-tune his passion for songwriting in the fall. “It’s just crazy exciting,” Ridenhour says of his Berklee acceptance. “Every time I’ve been to Boston, I’ve gone and visited Berklee, so I can’t wait to be up there.” With this news, 2018 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever for the piano-driven musician — not only because of his prospective college career, but also because his new album, Ribcage, debuts on Friday, Jan. 26, with a release party at Isis Music Hall. The show promises a live performance of the record in its entirety, accompanied by a horn line featuring members of Empire Strikes Brass. “I feel like my writing has improved a lot since Cry About It, so I’m really excited to release this new music,” Ridenhour says. “The songs in it feel more visceral to me, I guess. I took more of a raw approach. Cry About It was a great pop album — and that’s what we were going for — but, with Ribcage, we went for more of a rock approach. A little more angsty. A little more from the heart.” Many kids begin an instrument in grade school — around age 10 or 11, but Ridenhour was already drumming professionally (in an adult band) at just 6 years old, taking up songwriting a year later. “I started [music] as a drummer, and I adhered to that for a long time,” he says. “But I found that it was much more fun and rewarding for me to experiment on multiple different instruments. Songwriting is where I feel like my strength and passion are … but only part of that is actual writing. A huge part of it is also tapping into your creative energy — exploring new instruments and writing parts for those instruments. It changes up your entire approach and playing around with that gives you a really unique sound. “I’ve been trying to explore different possibilities,” he says, “taking this really cool, jazzy bullshit I can do on the piano and writing that same vibe
Ian Ridenhour puts heart and soul into ‘Ribcage’ by a close friend’s nearly attempted suicide, and the album’s single, “You Help Me Fall Asleep,” deals with toxic relationships and “just being sort of apathetic to your own situation,” the musician says. Showing vulnerability is important to Ridenhour, he says, because “it helps to hear from someone else. It helps to know that you’re not alone in struggling with something. “It’s terrifying, of course,” he adds, “and it’s something that I’m still learning to be comfortable with. … But, when I first started struggling with my own emotions, it was really easy for me to ... see it as insignificant because someone else has it worse. It’s easy for people to invalidate what they’re feeling for any number of reasons, and that’s really harmful.” Once he began opening up about these feelings, though, they suddenly became easier to deal with. “And now I want to share what I’ve been through,” he says. “ It’s a conversation that, I think, is really important to have. It’s really scary to not have someone to talk to.” X
BONE DEEP: Ian Ridenhour’s new EP, Ribcage, sees the local pop-rock musician upping his writing game and moving in new directions. “The songs in it it feel more visceral to me,” he says. “I took more of a raw approach.” Photo by Keeley Ann Turner on guitar to make songs that are catchy and really resonate in your chest.” A six-song EP, Ribcage, features the talents of fellow local artists Jacob Rodriguez and Justin Ray (who also perform with Michael Bublé), vocalist Brie Capone and others — and its lyrics also dive deep into Ridenhour’s personal experiences. In fact, the name of the album is meant as a metaphor: The tracks come from the songwriter’s heart and soul. “I put a lot of thought into this,” Ridenhour explains. “The title of the album is not something that ever actually appears in the songs or lyrics. The inspiration came, actually, from the band Elbow, a British alt-rock group. “The first song off of one of their albums … repeats the line, ‘Pull my ribs apart and let the sun inside,’” Ridenhour says. “It was just gorgeous imagery that really resonated with me — sort of letting the light in and letting everything evaporate. And that same sentiment is reflected pretty strongly in a poem my dad wrote
about 15 years ago about opening your chest to other people, letting things out and also letting others in.” Ridenhour’s new album does exactly that, exploring the darker side of human existence and bringing those emotions to the light. The first song was inspired
WHO Ian Ridenhour with Beau + Luci and Lost Stars WHERE Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Friday, Jan. 26, 9 p.m. $15 advance/$20 day of show
rows & rows of REAL books at REALLY GREAT PRICES
BUY • SELL TRADE
OVER 10,000 SQ FT. of used books, CDs, DVDs, rare & out-of print books, video games, audio books, vinyl records, comic books & more!
800 Fairview Road • Asheville (River Ridge Shopping Center)
299-1145 • www.mrksusedbooks.com MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
35
A&E CA LEN DA R
ART ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • MONDAYS (1/29) until (3/26), 2-5pm - Weaving class for veterans. Registration required. Free. Held at Local Cloth, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE FRINGE ARTS FESTIVAL ashevillefringe.org • TH (1/25) through SU (1/28), 7pm & 9pm Performance arts festival with over 30 ticketed performances featuring fringe artists. See website for full schedule. $1316. Held at Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Ave/ College St.
AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (1/26) - Exhibition proposals accepted from Buncombe County artists. See website for full guidelines. ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS 828-254-1776, ashevillegreenworks.org • Through FR (1/26) Design ideas accepted for possible inclusion in the Awards & Trashion Show on Saturday, April 14. Contact for full guidelines. ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY CHORUS ashevillesymphonychorus. com • TU (1/30), 3-6:30pm - Open auditions. Registration required: mlancastercond@gmail. com. Free. Held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 10 North Liberty St. CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave SW, Lenoir, 828-754-2486 • Through WE (1/31) Portfolios accepted for 2019 exhibition opportunities. Information: caldwellarts.com/ 157-guidelines/.
36
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
by Abigail Griffin
Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com
MADSTONE CAFE & CATCHING LIGHT BOOKS 732 Centennial Dr., Suite 5, Cullowhee • TH (2/1), 5pm Elizabeth Gillespie McRae and Robert Ferguson present their books, Mothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy and Remaking the Rural South: Interracialism, Christian Socialism, and Cooperative Farming in Jim Crow Mississippi. Free to attend.
DIFFERENT STROKES PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE 828-275-2093, differentstrokespac.org • SU (1/28), 1-4pm - Open auditions for African-American or bi-racial actresses able to play ages 14-17. Registration required. See website for full guidelines. Free. Held at The Colourfield, 54 Ravenscroft Drive THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY & DESIGN 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign. org, info@ craftcreativitydesign.org • Through TH (3/15) Applications accepted for a materials-based research grant. Contact for full guidelines.
DANCE DO YOU WANT TO DANCE? (PD.) Ballroom, Swing, Waltz, Latin, Wedding, TwoStep, Special Events. Workshops, classes and Dance Events in Asheville. Certified instructor. Contact Richard for information: 828-333-0715 • naturalrichard@mac.com • www.DanceForLife.net EXPERIENCE ECSTATIC DANCE! (PD.) Dance waves hosted by Asheville Movement Collective. Fun and personal/community transformation. • Fridays, 7pm, Terpsicorps Studios, 1501 Patton Avenue. • Sundays, 8:30am and 10:30am, JCC, 236 Charlotte Street. Sliding scale fee. Information: ashevillemovement collective.org STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Bootcamp 12pm Barre Wkt 5pm Teen Dance Fitness & Technique 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bellydance Drills 7pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Tribal Bellydance Level 1 8pm Tribal Bellydance Level 2 8pm Raks Azure Pro Bellydance
TUNES AFTER DARK: The Magnetic Theatre opens its 2018 Mainstage Season on Thursday, Feb. 1, with Asheville-based playwright David Brendan Hopes’ Night Music. The coming-of-age drama centers on a pair of polar opposite boyhood friends. As the duo embark on a camping trip in the mountains, a young woman sees their flashlights high on a hill and imagines one is the love of her life but has to figure out which is her intended target. A creative writing teacher at UNC Asheville, Hopes says he wrote the play in response to the 2007 Virginia Tech campus shooting. “That dark event made me wonder about the lives these young people led before their intersection with history,” he says. The show runs Thursdays-Saturdays, Feb. 1-17, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 for the Feb. 1-2 previews and $16 for all other performances. Photo of Serena Dotson-Smith, left, Quinn Morris, center, and Nick Biggs, courtesy of The Magnetic Theatre (p. 36) Troupe • Tuesday 8am Bootcamp 9am Hip
www.studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595
Hop Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Creating a Solo • Wednesday 10am Hip Hop 12pm Bootcamp 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bhangra Series 7pm Irish Dance 8pm Modern • Thursday 8am Bootcamp 9am Hip Hop Wkt 3:15pm Kids Hip Hop and Creative Movement 4pm Kids Hip Hop and Creative Movement 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm On Broadway! 7pm Stiletto Sculpt Dance 8pm West Coast Swing • Friday 8am Bootcamp 12pm Bootcamp • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt 1pm Hip Hop • $14 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $8. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue.
MOUNTAINX.COM
MUSIC ASHEVILLE CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES 828-259-3626, ashevillechambermusic.org • FR (1/26), 8pm - Camerata Chamber Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra concert. $40. Held at Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave. DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 18 Biltmore Ave., 828-257-4530, dwtheatre.com • TH (1/25), 8pm - Lucia Micarelli, violin concert. $35/$30 student/$20 children. J.E. BROYHILL CIVIC CENTER 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior, broyhillcenter.com
• TH (1/25), 7:30pm - American Spiritual Ensemble, concert. $20/$9 students & children. SALT BLOCK AUDITORIUM 243 3rd Ave NE, Hickory, 828-324-4906, saltblockfoundation.org • SU (1/28), 3-5pm - Bob Sinclair and The Big Deals concert. $15. SLY GROG LOUNGE 271 Haywood St, 828-552-3155, slygrog.wordpress.com/ • SUNDAYS, 7pm - Openmic for storytellers, poets, musicians and all kinds of performance artists. Sign ups at 6:30pm. Free to attend. THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION 828-692-8062, saveculture.org • TH (1/25), 7pm - Concert
featuring banjoist Dom Flemons. $15. Held at Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College Hendersonville
SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • TH (1/25), 7:30pm "Listen to This" storytelling series hosted by Tom Chalmers and featuring stories and original songs from locals. $15. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 4th THURSDAYS, 1pm Words and Actions Writing Group. Free to attend.
MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (1/25), 6pm David Collins presents his book, Accidental Activists: Mark Phariss, Vic Holmes, and Their Fight for Marriage Equality in Texas. Free to attend. • SU (1/28), 3pm - Christine and Dennis McClure present their book, We Fought the Road. Free to attend. • TU (1/30), 6pm - Local publisher Orison Books presents a reading by essayist Jessie van Eerden and poet and artist Sam Roxas-Chua. Free to attend. • WE (1/31), 6pm Diane Cantor presents her book, When Nighttime Shadows Fall. Free to attend. NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS 828-329-4190 • THURSDAYS, noon-1pm - General meeting. Information: 828-329-4190. Free to attend. Held at Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Through TU (1/30) Submissions accepted for the 2018 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize. See website for full guidelines.
THE WRITER'S WORKSHOP 828-254-8111, twwoa.org • Through WE (2/28) Submissions accepted for the 29th Annual Writer’s Workshop Poetry Contest. Contact for full guidelines. • Through TH (5/31) Submissions accepted for the Hard Times Writing Contest. See website for full details. $25 for up to three entries. • FR (1/26), 6-8:30pm - Monthly potluck and writers' group. Bring a covered dish to share and a piece of writing to share. Free. Held at The Writer's Workshop, 387 Beaucatcher Road UNC-ASHEVILLE REUTER CENTER 1 Campus View Road • WE (1/24), 6:30-8:30pm - Greater Asheville Science For All Book Club: The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier. Free. WRITER IN YOU 828-776-8248 • MO (1/29), 10am-2pm - Writers group. Bring something you are reading, six copies of something you are writing and a packed lunch. Free. Held at First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, 40 Church St.
THEATER MAGNETIC 375 375 Depot St., themagnetictheatre.org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (2/1) until (2/17) - Night Music, by David Brendan Hope and directed by Christine Eide. $16. NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (2/18) - Jeeves Takes a Bow. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $18 and up.
GALLERY DIRECTORY
A CAST OF THOUSANDS: In the middle of 2013, artist and educator Gwen Diehn gave herself the challenge of drawing 10,000 things and documenting the journey. Four years later, she achieved her goal, using pen, ink and watercolors to fill over 50 handmade journals that accompanied her wherever she went. Asheville BookWorks opens the resulting exhibition, Drawing Ten Thousand Things, with a reception and artist talk by Diehn on Friday, Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m. All of the journals will be on display along with many reproductions of the drawings. The exhibition runs through March 31. For more information, visit ashevillebookworks.com. Photo from Diehn’s sketchbook courtesy of Asheville BookWorks. ART AT UNCA
MOMENTUM GALLERY
art.unca.edu • Through FR (2/23) Exhibition of works by David Shurbutt. Held at UNC Asheville, Owen Hall, 1 University Heights • Through FR (2/23) Drawing Discourse, ninth annual juried international exhibition of contemporary drawing. Held at UNC Asheville, Owen Hall, 1 University Heights
24 North Lexington Ave. • Through WE (1/31) Exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints by Andy Farkas. • Through WE (1/31) - Small Works, Big Impact, curated group exhibition featuring paintings, original prints and sculptural works.
ASHEVILLE BOOKWORKS 428 1/2 Haywood Road, 828-255-8444, ashevillebookworks.com • FR (1/26) through SA (3/31) - Drawing Ten Thousand Things, exhibition of drawings by Gwen Diehn. Reception: Friday, Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30pm. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through SA (5/19) Variations/Seven Decades of Painting, exhibition of works by Gerald van de Wiele. CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave SW, Lenoir, 828-754-2486 • Through SA (1/27) - Young at Art, elementary school art exhibition.
PUSH SKATE SHOP & GALLERY 25 Patton Ave., 828-2255509, pushtoyproject.com • Through WE (1/31) Culture War: The Art of Yamabushi and Granpappy, featuring Super Mega Collage and multimedia works. THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 828-254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through TU (3/13) - Marking a Movement: Selections From Hear Our Voice, an exhibition of posters by contemporary artists. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY AND DESIGN 67 Broadway, 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org/ • Through SA (7/28) - Scale Up: 10 Years, 10 Fellows, 10 Projects, curated exhibition of ten craft artists who received $10,000 grants.
TRACKSIDE STUDIOS 375 Depot St., 828-545-6235 • Through WE (2/28) - New Artists - Fresh Visions, group exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 10, 4-7pm. TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (2/2) - Faces of Freedom, group exhibition. UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, 828-859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • SA (1/27) through FR (3/9) Capturing Light: Photographs by Brian S. Kelley, exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 24, 5-7pm. • SA (1/27) through FR (3/9) - R. Olof Sorensen: Paintings and Engravings, exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Jan. 27, 5-7pm. WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234 • Through TU (1/31) Exhibition of works by Marilyn Sholin. • TH (2/1) through MO (2/26) - Seconds Sale, exhibition of imperfect works from local artists. Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
37
CLUBLAND
MONKEY BUSINESS: While MonkeyJunk may hail from snowy Ottawa, Ontario, the blues-rock trio’s soul is rooted in a swampy delta swagger. Since forming in 2008, the band has delighted crowds across the world – and garnered a collective 20 Maple Blues Awards and other accolades in the process – with their potion of mud-puddle thick guitar licks, steam whistle harmonicas and muscular yet melancholic vocals. Catch one of Canada’s hardest working bands when MonkeyJunk hits Asheville’s Isis Music Hall on Saturday, Jan. 27, for a 9 p.m. show. Photo by Sean Sisk WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BYWATER Drayton & The Dreamboats, 6:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Aimee Mann w/ Jonathan Coulton, 8:00PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ Saylor Bros (bluegrass), 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN CAAMP, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Mare Wakefield & Nomad w/ Wes Collins, 7:00PM
38
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Open Jam Session, 5:00PM MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ El Mexicano Isaac, 8:00PM NOBLE KAVA Open Mic, 7:30PM ODDITORIUM Hardcore/Punk/Oi Records w/ DJ Jimbo Rosario, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/ DJs Zeus & Franco, 10:00PM
THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio, 9:00PM
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM
THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Bingo Night w/ Bag O' Tricks, 7:00PM
BANKS AVE Bass Jumpin!, 9:00PM
THE MOTHLIGHT The Nude Party w/ Kitty Tsunami & Jon Dwyer, 9:00PM THE PHOENIX & THE FOX Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 7:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Hot Point Trio, 10:00PM
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM
THE SOUTHERN Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM
ONE WORLD BREWING Billy Litz (multi-instrumentalist), 9:00PM
TIMO'S HOUSE Open Mic w/ JJ Smash & Genetix, 8:00PM
POLANCO RESTAURANT 3 Cool Cats, 8:00PM
TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM
POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Mountain Valley Acoustic Jam, 6:30PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Get Weird Wednesdays, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Phantom Pantone, 8:00PM
BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Gene Holdway, 7:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ Sawyer Johnson, 8:00PM CASCADE LOUNGE DJ Oso Rey (mashups, dance party), 9:30PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (ragtime jazz), 9:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Lucia Micarelli, 8:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND “Ghostcats” Phantom Pantone & friends, 10:00PM
TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 8:00PM
FLEETWOOD'S Dan LaMorte & friends (comedy), 9:00PM
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night w/ The Jacob Secor Group, 7:30PM
FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Sister Ivy (jazz, soul), 9:00PM
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM
FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Billy Litz (soul, roots), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM
WED
GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Tim O'Brien's Banjo Tramps w/ JD Hutchinson & Old Man Luedecke, 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS AIC Improv Jam, 7:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Roots & friends open jam (blues, rock, roots), 6:30PM
PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt & friends (roots, reggae, ska), 6:30PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Mare Wakefield & Nomad, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Gabe Smiley, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE IRTE improv, 7:00PM
ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 An evening w/ Taj Mahal (blues, Americana), 9:00PM
THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Set 4 Life & Spaceman Jones (hip hop, soul), 8:00PM
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Clydes pre-jam, 7:00PM Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 9:00PM
THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings, 9:00PM
MG ROAD DJ Sam Thompson, 9:00PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Krista Shows & Scott Sharpe, 7:00PM ODDITORIUM The White Oak Splits w/ Rye (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/ Franco, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM Desmond Jones (jazz, funk), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Jeff Thompson Trio (singersongwriter), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Legs of Steel: Same Difference (movie), 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Jef Chandler (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM
THE MOTHLIGHT Fringe Fest Triple Feature w/ Cognitive Dissonance, After Party & Old Tricks (early show), 7:00PM Fringe Fest Triple Feature w/ Meeting the Edge, Experiments in Connection & Pollock: A Frequency Parable (late show), 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Simon Thomas George & Ryan Oslance, 10:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Brrrzdayz w/ JJ Smash & Genetix, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP No Any Walls, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Dave Desmelik Songwriter Series, 7:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ unplugged w/ Ashley Heath, 8:00PM
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
PULP Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic w/ Moira Goree, 9:00PM
185 KING STREET The Aquaducks, 8:00PM
PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders & Joey Wilton (acoustic rock), 8:00PM
5 WALNUT WINE BAR Matt Walsh (blues, rock), 9:00PM
550 TAVERN & GRILLE Fine Line, 9:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Floyd Is Dead w/ The Snozzberries, 10:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Vinyl Dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Canaan Cox, 6:00PM BYWATER Lyndsay Pruitt & The Inglorious Gary's, 9:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ DJ Abu Disarray, 9:00PM CORK & KEG One Leg Up (gypsy jazz), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Charm City Hot Club (gypsy jazz), 9:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Camerata Chamber Ensemble of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, 8:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Scoundrels Lounge (jam, funk), 10:00PM
NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Bommer & Crowell, 9:00PM NOBLE KAVA Noble Pursuits w/ Jason Moore, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Kink Night (18+), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM The Groove Orient (rock), 10:00PM
THU
25 FRI
26
CAAMP
MON
29
TIM O’BRIEN’S BANJO TRAMPS
TUE
30
FLOBOTS
THU
1
W/ MCLOVINS
DESTROYER W/ MEGA BOG
OPEN MIC NIGHT THE CLEVERLYS
SAT
9TH ANNUAL DJANGO REINHARDT’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
FRI
2
THE MUSIC OF MEMPHIS & MUSCLE SHOALS
SUN
GALAXY GIRL + ALRIGHT JUNIOR
SAT
WILLIE WATSON
27 28
3
AMY BLACK PRESENTS
W/ ANNA TIVEL
Asheville’s longest running live music venue • 185 Clingman Ave TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HARVEST RECORDS & THEGREYEAGLE.COM
ONE WORLD BREWING Calvin Get Down (funk, soul, groove), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL An evening w/ David Rawlings [SOLD OUT], 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Jonlyn Linville & Cody Siniard (rock), 6:00PM Steep Canyon Rangers (bluegrass), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM
FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Brooks Dixon Band (Americana), 6:00PM
PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Reasonably Priced Babies (improv comedy), 7:00PM
GOOD STUFF Joy Blair, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Flobots w/ McLovins, 9:00PM
SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Chris Jamison's Ghost, 8:00PM
HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Grandpa's Cough Medicine (bluegrass), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Ian Ridenhour w/ Beau & Lucy and Lost Stars (CD release), 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Modern Strangers (rock), 9:00PM
JARGON Bill Bares & Kevin Kehrberg (jazz), 9:00PM
10 24
SLY GROG LOUNGE Ruckzuck (psychedelic space rock), 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Ton Of Hay (Grateful Dead tribute), 9:30PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ sets, 9:00PM
THIS WEEK AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL
THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:
DO CA$
THU 1/25 Desmond Jones - [Funk/Jazz] FRI 1/26 The Groove Orient - [Rock] SAT 1/27 The Paper Crowns - [Blues/Folk]
NA H TIO N$
UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:
FLOYD IS DEAD
LARRY KEEL EXPERIENCE
PRESENTED BY THE SNOZZBERRIES
w/ The Grass to Brass All-Stars (Late Night Super Jam)
FRI 1/26 - SHOW 10pm (DOORS 9pm) TICKETS adv. $7 | day of show $10
SAT 1/27 - SHOW 9pm (DOORS 8pm) TICKETS adv. $10 | day of show $15
2/1 2/2 2/3 2/9
Consider the Source w/ Opposite Box Psymbionic + The Widdler, illanthropy & Crash Course The Funk Hunters w/ DeFunk, BomBassic & Captain EZ Harmonia Benefit: Winter OnesieLand
Tickets available at ashevillemusichall.com @avlmusichall MOUNTAINX.COM
@OneStopAVL JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
39
C LUBLAND THE MOTHLIGHT Fringe Fest Triple Feature w/ Cognitive Dissonance, After Party & Old Tricks (early show), 7:00PM Fringe Fest Triple Feature w/ Meeting the Edge, Experiments in Connection & Pollock: A Frequency Parable (late show), 9:00PM Fringe Fest After Party w/ Human Energy Field, 10:30PM
Set 4 Life & Spaceman Jones Lyrical Hip Hop & Soul Thursday, 1/25 • 8pm
39 S. Market St. • theblockoffbiltmore.com
COMING SOON wed 1/24
7PM–MARE WAKEFIELD & NOMAD W/ WES COLLINS thu 1/25
9PM–TAJ MAHAL fri 1/26
9PM–IAN RIDENHOUR CD RELEASE W/ BEAU + LUCY AND LOST STARS sat 1/27
7PM–HEATHER MALONEY 9PM–MONKEY JUNK sun 1/28 5:30PM–NEW ORLEANS MUSIC W/ TAYLOR SMITH & THE ROAMIN’ JASMINE
7:30PM–RUSS WILSON’S
“SWINGING IN THE NEW YEAR”
tue 1/30 – 7:30PM TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 1/31
7PM–THE TRAVELING ONES W/ MATT HIRES
1/24 wed the nude party
w/ kitty tsunami, jon dwyer
1/25
thu
7 pm & 9 pm
1/26
fri
7 pm & 9 pm
1/27
sat
1/29
mon
1/30
thu 2/1
fringe festival mothlight triple feature
7PM–MISSY RAINES AND THE NEW HIP
fringe festival mothlight triple feature
7PM–BOB SINCLAIR AND THE BIG DEALS
Fri 2/2
9PM–DAVID MAYFIELD W/ THE MAGGIE VALLEY BAND’S
below the bassline
ALBUM RELEASE sat 2/3
w/ les amis, oso rey
tombstone highway w/ dropshot, spearfinger, styrofoam turtles
tue
free!
w/ blois, indigo de souza
Yoga at the Mothlight
Tuesdays and Thursdays- 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at
themothlight.com
40
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Bommer & Crowell, 9:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Bommer & Crowell, 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Bass Freaks w/ DJ BentIt, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Goodnight Wolf, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Peggy Ratusz (live music), 7:30PM The Place 28 w/Lenny Pettinelli (live music, funk), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters (Americana), 8:00PM VIRGOLA Adi The Monk (jazz, blues), 6:00PM WATER'N HOLE BAR AND GRILL Chicken Coop Willaye, 10:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Marcel Anton Band, 8:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ electric w/ Phantom Pantone, 8:00PM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 185 KING STREET Allen Thompson Band (folk, rock, Americana), 8:00PM
7PM–BLUE CACTUS
5 WALNUT WINE BAR Tom Waits 4 No Man (blues, folk, rock), 9:00PM
W/ THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND
550 TAVERN & GRILLE Dirty Dead Band, 9:00PM
9PM–AN EVENING OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD sun 2/4
lomelda
THE PILLAR 3 Cool Cats, 7:00PM
5:30PM–WELCOME TO JAZZVILLE ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM
TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Larry Keel Experience, 9:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Larry Dolamore, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER The Super 60s, 7:00PM
BYWATER Indiana Holiday Family Band, 9:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ The Anne Combs Trio, 9:00PM CHESTNUT Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM CORK & KEG The Old Chevrolette Set, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Posey Quartet (swing jazz), 9:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND Big Boi Fly Fashion Show, 8:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Simon George & friends (jazz, funk), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Steven Cole & Salt of the Earth (folk, blues), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF No Any Walls, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN 9th annual Django Reinhardt's Birthday Party w/ Stephane Wrembel, Steve Karla and Gypsy Guitars & more, 7:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Fringe Festival Fearless Improv w/ You, Me, and Them, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Bayou Diesel, 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Heather Maloney, 7:00PM MonkeyJunk, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Gruda Tree (blues, rock, funk), 9:00PM MG ROAD Late Night Dance Party w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM NATIVE KITCHEN & SOCIAL PUB Ben Phan, 7:30PM NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER GLOW: "Asheville's Largest Dance Party", 9:00PM NOBLE KAVA Shane Parish & Michael Libramento, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Horseflesh w/ Maharaja & Busted Chops (metal), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Shakey's Flea & Craft Market, 5:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Paper Crowns (blues, folk), 10:00PM
ORANGE PEEL Kid Hop Hooray! (indoor kids' dance party), 10:00AM Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan & Corey Ryan Forrester [SOLD OUT], 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Carpal Tullar (arty rock trio), 6:00PM PACK'S TAVERN The Lowdown Band (classic rock, dance), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Phuncle Sam, 9:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Ellen Trnka & Dan Keller Trio, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Pets, 10:00AM The Resonant Rogues, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE IRTE improv, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE WNC Solidarity Concert Series w/ Jason DeCristofaro & friends (Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy benefit), 2:00PM Latin Rhythms & Saturday Salsa Dance Night, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Below The Bassline w/ Les Amis & Oso Rey, 9:00PM THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL LEVEL, 9:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL LEVEL, 9:00PM THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Steep Canyon Rangers w/ River Whyless & members of the Asheville Symphony, 8:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE DJ Deacon, 8:00PM TOWN PUMP 7 Mile Mushroom, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Lenny Pettinelli, 7:30PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Hot Club of Baltimore (original gypsy jazz), 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues w/ Patrick Dodd, Ashley Heath & Joshua Singleton, 3:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Musicians Jam & Pot Luck, 3:30PM
Seasonal, craft-made hard ciders and tasting-room delights from local farmers & artisans.
BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons, 7:00PM
Check Out Our Winter Specials!
BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Garrett Owen, 3:00PM BYWATER Bluegrass Jam, 3:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Del McCoury Band, 7:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic (5 p.m. sign-up), 5:30PM FUNKATORIUM Gypsy Jazz Sunday Brunch, 11:00AM GOOD STUFF Open Mic w/ Fox Black & friends, 6:00PM
210 Haywood Road, West Asheville, NC 28806
(828)744-5151
www.urbanorchardcider.com
HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 1:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 An evening of New Orleans music w/ Taylor Smith & The Roamin’ Jasmine, 5:30PM “Swinging in the New Year” w/ Russ Wilson, 7:30PM
US CELLULAR CENTER Steep Canyon Rangers w/ River Whyless & members of the Asheville Symphony, 8:00PM
JARGON Sunday Blunch w/ Mark Guest & Mary Pearson (jazz), 11:00AM
WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Abby the Spoon Lady, 8:00PM
- Food & Wine Magazine
HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Fringe Festival Fearless Improv w/ Family Dinner, 6:00PM
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Celtic Jam, 3:00PM
VIRGOLA Jason Hazinski (jazz, blues), 6:00PM
#1 Best Place to Drink Cider in U.S.A.
GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Galaxy Girl w/ Alright Junior, 8:00PM
TWISTED LAUREL Phantom Pantone (top 40's, dance), 11:00PM
UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Billingsley, 8:00PM
North Carolina’s First Cider Bar Family Owned & Operated
ODDITORIUM The Egg Eaters vs. Skunk Ruckus (rock), 7:00PM Children of the Reptile w/ Knightmare & Mortal Man (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
41
CLU B LA N D
TAVERN Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 15 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night
15 TV’s!
FOOTB ALL RGERS, PIZZA &, BUEER! B
THU. 1/25 Jeff Anders & Joey Wilton
Open daily from 4p – 12a
WEDNESDAY 24 JAN:
RICHARD EUGENE (ARTIST RECEPTION) 5:00PM – 7:00PM
THURSDAY 25 JAN:
BOBBIE BURNS BIRTHDAY SCOTCH TASTING 5:00PM – 7:00PM
(acoustic rock)
BEN PHAN
FRI. 1/26 DJ MoTo
( dance hits, pop)
7:00PM – 10:00PM
FRIDAY 26 JAN:
3 COOL CATS
SAT. 1/27 The Lowdown Band (classic rock, dance)
7:00PM – 10:00PM
SATURDAY 27 JAN:
KING GARBAGE 7:00PM – 10:00PM
MONDAY 29 JAN:
ASHLEY HEATH
7:00PM – 10:00PM
20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com
309 COLLEGE ST. | DOWNTOWN | (828) 575-1188
w w w. p i l l a r a v l . c o m
ORANGE PEEL Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan & Corey Ryan Forrester [SOLD OUT], 6:00PM Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan & Corey Ryan Forrester, 9:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Travers Jam w/ Nicky Sanders, 6:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Stipe Brothers, 2:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Sly Grog Open Mic, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE De La Noche Tango Orchestra, 8:00PM THE FAIRVIEW TAVERN Hallelujah Hilliary's Comedy Revival, 9:00PM
UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Old Sap Round Robin, 7:00PM
MONDAY, JANUARY 29
GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Destroyer w/ Mega Bog, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Game Night, 4:00PM
FRIDAY
FINE LINE 9PM - 1AM
TUESDAY
MOUNTAIN SHAG
SATURDAY JANUARY 27
WEDNESDAY
THE DIRTY DEAD BAND 9PM - 12AM
KARAOKE (8PM)
THIRSTY THURSDAY
SUNDAY
ALL DRAFTS $3
NFL
FULL MENU — 15 TAPS OPEN WEEKDAYS 4 PM OPEN FOR LUNCH, FRI-SUN NOON Located Next to Clarion Inn — 550 Airport Road Fletcher — 550tavern.com — www.facebook.com/550TavernGrille
42
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM
THE MOTHLIGHT Tombstone Highway w/ Dropshot, Spearfinger & Styrofoam Turtles, 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE R3Z0N8 w/ Rob Breax, 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Ryan Barber's RnB Jam Night (R&B, jam), 9:00PM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 30 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:30PM
GOOD STUFF Bingo Wingo Thingo, 6:00PM
JANUARY 26
SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM
TIMO'S HOUSE BYOV Open Decks, 8:00PM
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Mondays, 7:30PM
MONDAY
THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio, 9:00PM
550 TAVERN & GRILLE Shag Night, 6:30PM
ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam, 6:00PM
65¢ WINGS!
POLANCO RESTAURANT Taco Tuesday & Blues w/ Michael Filippone's Blues Review, 8:00PM
THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ sets, 9:00PM
5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Sound Club (R&B, soul, jazz), 8:00PM
LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT NO COVER CHARGE!
THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Party for #PositiveChange, 5:00PM
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM Open mic, 9:30PM MG ROAD The Living Room Series, 7:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Night (7:30 p.m. sign-up), 7:30PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic Night, 6:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE The Brazen Youth w/ Alexa Rose & Juan Holladay, 9:00PM
ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Ben's Live Hip Hop Cypher, 9:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ben Phan, 7:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Groovy Tuesdays (smooth world vinyl), 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open Mic Night, 6:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Primitive Studio, 6:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions w/ Unspoken Tradition, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Kyle Lacy & The Harlem River Noise (vintage rock 'n' roll, blues), 7:00PM MG ROAD Keep it Classic Tuesdays w/ Sam Thompson, 5:00PM ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM
SLY GROG LOUNGE Black Box Theory w/ Walk Home & CD Grave, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-nJustice Tuesday w/ Billie Holidays (dance lessons @ 7 & 8 p.m.), 9:00PM THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE Rat Alley Cats, 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Lomelda w/ Blois & Indigo De Souza, 9:30PM TIMO'S HOUSE Flow Jam w/ XII Olympians, 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Tuesday Jazz & Funk Jam (jazz, funk), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Team Trivia Tuesday, 8:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic Night w/ Arrow Sound, 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish jam & open mic, 6:30PM
ODDITORIUM Hardcore/Punk/Oi Records w/ DJ Jimbo Rosario, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM ORANGE PEEL In This Moment w/ P.O.D., New Years Day & DED, 6:30PM POLANCO RESTAURANT 3 Cool Cats, 8:00PM POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Mountain Valley Acoustic Jam, 6:30PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Get Weird Wednesdays, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Phantom Pantone, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio, 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31
Bingo Night w/ Bag O' Tricks, 7:00PM
5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM
THE PHOENIX & THE FOX
550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM
Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 7:00PM
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & Friends, 7:30PM
THE SOCIAL LOUNGE
BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Cajun Dance Party & The Running of the Winos, 8:30PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ Saylor Bros (bluegrass), 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM
OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday!, 10:00PM
ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Traveling Ones w/ Matt Hires, 7:00PM
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Open Jam Session, 5:00PM
PULP Panic Succession (album release show), 8:00PM
MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ El Mexicano Isaac, 8:00PM
The Resonant Rogues, 10:00PM THE SOUTHERN Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM TIMO'S HOUSE Weasel Beats & XII Olympians , 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Adi The Monk (jazz, blues), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night w/ Roberta Baum & friends, 7:30PM
MOVIES
REVIEWS & LISTINGS BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X. FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER
HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H
Daniel Day-Lewis and P. T. Anderson stitch together a beautifully twisted romance in Phantom Thread.
Phantom Thread HHHHS
DIRECTOR: Paul Thomas Anderson PLAYERS: Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Brian Gleeson DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: A world-renowned dressmaker enters into a contentious MayDecember romance with a young waitress. THE LOWDOWN: A far more compelling film than its superficially frivolous premise might imply, Daniel Day-Lewis’ swan song ranks among P. T. Anderson’s best work to date. At this point in his storied career, there can be little doubt that P.T. Anderson is a master of film form. While some may argue for or against his specific aesthetic or narrative strategies, I don’t know of many people well-versed in cinema history who would contend
that he might not deserve his position in the pantheon of great American auteurs. It is Anderson’s status as one of the most proficient filmmakers of his generation that makes his latest work, Phantom Thread, so simultaneously confounding and seductive. It’s a picture that will undoubtedly have its detractors as well as its ardent supporters — and I count myself among the latter. My initial thought on leaving the theater was that Phantom Thread is to Anderson’s oeuvre what Barry Lyndon is to Kubrick’s — a movie that defies any reasonable expectation of what this esteemed filmmaker would produce and yet shows the unquestionable characteristics that unify his body of work. My esteemed predecessor referred to Barry Lyndon as “Boring Lie-down,” whereas I considered it one of Kubrick’s finest achievements. Similarly, Phantom Thread may not be
my favorite Anderson film, but it’s up there — and I have no doubt that my affection for it will grow with subsequent viewings, as was the case with Lyndon. While the Kubrick comparisons are my own, Anderson himself has compared this work to Hitchcock — specifically, Rebecca and Vertigo. To that list, I might add a touch of Suspicion, for reasons I won’t divulge at the risk of spoiling a significant plot twist. Where Anderson takes his tale of obsessive love is potentially more twisted than even the darkest corners of Hitchcockian tragedy but shares a similarly demented sense of gleefully dark humor. It’s an incredibly delicate balance to strike, and I can’t think of any other director currently working who could pull it off. But let’s talk about the elephant in the room — if this is, in fact, Daniel DayLewis’ final performance, he’s gone out with a bang. His portrayal of a middleage couturier to the elite is far more restrained than some of the actor’s better-known roles, lacking the bombast of Daniel Plainview or Bill the Butcher — but it’s every inch as subtly menacing and enigmatically impenetrable. Day-Lewis delivering a tour de force is perhaps to be expected, but potentially of greater note are the incredible turns from Lesley Manville as his creepily devoted sister and Vicky Krieps as his unlikely muse and love interest, both actresses more than holding their own in every scene. Krieps, in particular, deserves praise for managing her gruelingly demanding role — due in no small part to the fact that, from a story perspective, she’s actually the protagonist of the plot. Anderson handles this narrative bait-and-switch with characteristic dynamism, his script playing absolutely straight with its byzantine character arcs. He tells us exactly what he’s doing all the way down the line, but I remained shocked when he arrived at a conclusion both unexpected and inevitable. Still, even if the plotting weren’t so expertly crafted, even if the performances weren’t so strong, Phantom Thread would nevertheless warrant my unequivocal recommendation for a very simple reason: This movie is gorgeous to look at. Whether it falls at the top or bottom of your PTA list is almost irrelevant — Phantom Thread is a Paul Thomas Anderson film in every sense that attribution connotes. Is there really a stronger
M A X R AT I N G Xpress reviews virtually all upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print. You can find our online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include:
HHS HHHH
12 STRONG BPM
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
HHH
H THE FINAL YEAR HHH FOREVER MY GIRL S DEN OF THIEVES
PHANTOM THREAD (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHHS
recommendation than that? Rated R for language. Now Playing at AMC Classic River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM
Call Me by Your Name HHH
DIRECTOR: Luca Guadagnino PLAYERS: Armie Hammer, Timothee Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel DRAMA RATED R THE STORY: A young boy has a summer fling with an older man in the Italian countryside. THE LOWDOWN: A premise worthy of more than a cursory eyebrow
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
43
SCREEN SCENE
MOVIES
T H E ATE R I N F O R M ATI O N ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. (254-1281) ASHEVILLEBREWING.COM/MOVIES CARMIKE CINEMA 10 (298-4452) CARMIKE.COM CAROLINA CINEMAS (274-9500) CAROLINACINEMAS.COM CO-ED CINEMA BREVARD (883-2200) COEDCINEMA.COM EPIC OF HENDERSONVILLE (693-1146) EPICTHEATRES.COM FINE ARTS THEATRE (232-1536) FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM FLATROCK CINEMA (697-2463) FLATROCKCINEMA.COM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE (239-9392) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM REGAL BILTMORE GRANDE STADIUM 15 (684-1298) REGMOVIES.COM
raise, executed with an emphatically eroticized male gaze that serves little purpose beyond its own sensual gratification. Sometimes I just don’t get it. I’ve heard nothing but glowing praise for Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name since its premiere at Sundance last year, so I was understandably excited to see what all the fuss was about. I have to confess I was distressed by the results — two hours and 15 minutes of male pornographic fantasy in which an older man seduces a young boy in a seemingly conflictand consequence-free bubble of sensuous surreality. While Guadagnino and screenwriter James Ivory adapt author André Aciman’s novel with a deep level of tact and emotional honesty, I personally could never move beyond the fundamental flaw of the story’s premise — namely the problematic sexualization of a 17-year-old. Maybe it’s just me, but I found the ick factor unassailably high on this one. The film follows the brief but passionate love affair between Elio (Timothee Chalamet), a precocious adolescent musical prodigy, and Oliver
FILM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, 828-669-0816 • MO (1/29), 7:30pm - Movies and Meaning Series: Film screening of Boy. Potluck at 6:30pm. $7-$10.
44
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
(Armie Hammer), an implausibly goodlooking grad student interning for Elio’s archaeology professor dad (Michael Stuhlbarg). Their romance is slow burn personified, as the seemingly inevitable coupling doesn’t occur until well after the film’s midway point. But this lengthy and melodramatic buildup belies an odd lack of dramatic tension — there’s never any question of if these two could get together, leaving only the issue of whether or not they should. It’s in this central question that Ivory and Gudagnino’s narrative falters, as there’s no real conflict in the script — Elio’s parents seem oddly unperturbed by the obvious attraction developing between their teenage son and their significantly older short-term houseguest, and no one else seems to bat an eye as the two spend languid afternoons indulging in each other’s exclusive company. Perhaps there’s a fundamental prudishness to my reading of this film, but I strongly suspect that, had I taken long bike rides with an underage girl when I was in my mid-20s, some very serious questions would have been raised. But beyond my problems with the premise, Call Me is beleaguered by a host of other issues. The pacing of Ivory’s script is unduly languorous, dwelling far too long on story beats that do little to advance the plot or develop character. Guadagnino’s aesthetic approach is unrefined, soft focus and low light being handled almost intentionally amateurishly, as though he couldn’t be bothered to adequately light or frame a shot — unless it was a shot of a writhing teen consummating his relationship with a particularly juicy piece of fruit, that is. Self-indulgence is far from the greatest cinematic sin out there, but ideally such indulgences should be in service of a point. Call Me doesn’t seem to have much of one, at least beyond bemoaning the anguish of young love. Your mileage may certainly vary, as I seem to be in a minuscule dissenting minority here, but if I wanted Bertolucci by way of Sirk, I’d find my time better spent revisiting those directors directly. Rated R for sexual content, nudity and some language. Now Playing at Carolina Cinemark, Fine Arts Theatre, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM
MOUNTAINX.COM
by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com
KIWI REUNION: James Rolleston stars in Boy. Taika Waititi’s coming-of-age dramedy is the latest selection in White Horse Black Mountain’s Movies and Meaning series. Photo courtesy of Unison Films • Casablanca Cigar Bar, 18 Lodge St., will screen Casablanca on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m. in honor of the 75th anniversary of the film’s U.S. premiere. Popcorn will be provided. Free to attend. casablancacigarbar.com • On Thursday, Jan. 25, at 6 p.m., the North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave., shows Alice’s Ordinary People. Craig Dudnick’s documentary profiles civil rights activist Alice Tregay’s 50-plus year fight for equality. The filmmaker will be in attendance and will lead a post-screening discussion. Free. avl.mx/251 • The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., presents Legs of Steel: Same Difference on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. The ski documentary follows alpine race legend Felix Neureuther through a full competitive season, Fabian Lentsch and Sven Kueenle as they explore freeride skiing in Alaska, and freestyler Paddy Graham’s attempt to set a new record for biggest jump. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 the day of the show. Children ages 10 and younger get in for $5. theorangepeel.net • On Friday, Jan. 26, at 9:30 a.m., the Asheville Home-school Co-op hosts its annual Home-school Movie Morning at Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co., 675 Merrimon Ave. All area home-school families are invited to watch James and the Giant Peach and encouraged to meet after the film in the game room for lunch
and socializing. Free to attend. ashevillecoop.org • White Horse Black Mountain, 105-C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, hosts a screening of Boy on Monday, Jan. 29, at 7:30 p.m. Written and directed by Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Thor: Ragnarok), the coming-of-age dramedy follows a preteen Maori boy as his estranged father comes back into his life. The film is part of the Movies and Meaning series, which seeks to foster a dialogue around cinema that touches on themes of storytelling, healing, arts and justice. A community potluck meal precedes the film at 6:30 p.m. $7-10 donation suggested. whitehorseblackmountain. com • The latest selection in the monthly climate and environmental film series at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401, is The Burden, which will be screened Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. The 2015 documentary examines the U.S. military’s leadership role in reducing its dependence on fossil fuels and the approach’s subsequent impact on national security. Refreshments will be provided by Oskar Blues Brewery. The film will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with a panel of experts, including retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Rick Devereaux and Steffi Rausch, lead organizer for the Asheville chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Suggested donation of $10 per person and $20 per family. thecollider.org X
MARKETPLACE STA RTI NG F RI DAY
I, Tonya
Biopic from director Craig Gillespie, starring Margot Robbie. According to the studio: “Based on the unbelievable but true events, I, Tonya is a darkly comedic tale of American figure skater Tonya Harding and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history.” Early reviews positive. (R)
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Final installment in the series of adaptations of James Dashner’s tween-lit sci-fi novels, directed by franchise helmer Wes Ball. According to the studio: “In the epic finale to the Maze Runner saga, Thomas leads his group of escaped Gladers on their final and most dangerous mission yet. To save their friends, they must break into the legendary last city, a WCKD-controlled labyrinth that may turn out to be the deadliest maze of all. Anyone who makes it out alive will get answers to the questions the Gladers have been asking since they first arrived in the maze.” Early reviews mixed, leaning negative. (PG-13)
REA L ESTATE | REN TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SER VI C ES JOB S | A N N OU N CEM ENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL A SSES & WORKSH OPS | M USI C I ANS’ SER VI C ES PETS | A U TOMOTI VE | X C HANG E | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com REAL ESTATE HOMES FOR SALE
SP E CI AL SCREENI NGS
WANTED TO RENT SEEKING SMALL APARTMENT Professional pianist seeks small apartment in exchange for house/yard work/cash. References from Emory University area in Atlanta. Guitar/music lessons also possible. Call John: (404) 740-6903.
EMPLOYMENT
Pan’s Labyrinth HHHHH
DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro PLAYERS: Sergi Lopez, Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones FANTASY HORROR Rated R Given the awards push behind The Shape of Water, I thought it might be an opportune time to revisit the film that made Guillermo del Toro the oddest bankable director working today, Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). When my illustrious predecessor reviewed this one over a decade ago, he put it pretty bluntly: “This isn’t just the best film of 2006; it may be the best film of the decade.” Ken Hanke would later call Pan’s Labyrinth “one of the most remarkable films of the 21st century,” and I remain inclined to agree with him, although I doubt he could have predicted the film’s resurgent relevance to a world in which fascism has returned from a seemingly certain demise like Michael Myers at the end of Halloween. Del Toro’s surrealist sensibilities were cemented with this fantastical fairy tale of Franco’s Spain, and while the stylistic cues drawn from Buñuel and Cocteau are still evident in later work like Water, the prescient political subtext on display in Pan’s Labyrinth makes it well worth a contemporary rewatch. The Asheville Film Society is showing Pan’s Labyrinth on Tuesday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse as part of the Budget Big Screen series. Admission is $6 for AFS members and $8 for the general public. Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas will introduce the film.
Rhapsody in August HHHH
DIRECTOR: Akira Kurosawa PLAYERS: Sachiko Murase, Richard Gere, Hisashi Igawa, Narumi Kayashima DRAMA Rated PG Extremely late-period Kurosawa, from a time when the lauded auteur seemed to have either given up or lost the knack entirely. While Kurosawa often delved into the melancholic, especially in his later works, Rhapsody in August (1991) digresses into the downright maudlin. While the film offers some vaguely humanist sentiment about the bombing of Nagasaki, it also offers Richard Gere as an ostensibly half-Japanese man visiting his grieving aunt. As unlikely as that may seem, what’s potentially more difficult to buy is that Gere isn’t even the biggest problem here. The real issue is that Kurosawa seems to have lost his filter, drifting between heavy-handed visual metaphors and awkward characterization ill-befitting his legacy. Had this come from any other director, there’s a good chance it would have been more acceptable — but this is Kurosawa, and we could be justified in expecting more. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Rhapsody in August on Friday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 U.S. 70, Swannanoa.
our advertisers! Thank them for supporting local, independent jounalism!
Still free every Wednesday.
MOTIVATED SELLER • PRICE REDUCED! $204,900! Log cabin-style cottage on large lot in North Asheville, 3BR/2BA. Near UNCA, minutes to downtown. Convenient one-level living: would also make a great rental property. MLS#3340175. Call Suzanne Fitzgerald: (828) 200-1236. BeverlyHanks and Associates.
RENTALS CONDOS/ TOWNHOMES FOR RENT NORTH ASHEVILLE TOWNHOUSES 2BR: $795 • 3BR: $895 • 1 mile from downtown. • Hardwood floors. • (no pets policy). (828) 2524334.
SHORT-TERM RENTALS 10 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE Separate entrance apartment vacation/short term rental in Weaverville, pets allowed/ pet deposit. Complete with everything including internet. $100/day (2 day minimum, $650/week, $1500/month. duffwhazzup@gmail.com 15 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE Guest house, vacation/short term rental in beautiful country setting. • Complete with everything including cable and internet. • $150/day (2-day minimum), $650/week, $1500/month. Weaverville area. • No pets please. (828) 658-9145. mhcinc58@yahoo.com
GENERAL DELUXE OPPORTUNITY DATA ENTRY An Ashevillebased art glass supply company is looking for someone to join our crew. We are looking for people who want to be recognized for working hard and treated with respect. A happy person that embraces what makes Asheville unique. We encourage our employees to have positive attitudes, be hard working, dedicated, detail oriented and responsible. This position involves the processing of international and domestic orders for shipment. This is a critical part of our order flow system. It requires a great eye for detail, computer proficiency, focus and customer service skills. Processing orders includes reviewing each order for discrepancies, tracking errors when discovered, electronically fulfilling quantities pulled, billing credit cards, requesting funds from PayPal, dealing with credit card declines etc. In addition; processors run orders through various shipping software programs including OzLink, UPS WorldShip, UPS Freight and USPS international while applying the proper shipping labels to each box. This is a full time position starting at $12.00 per hour. Hours are Monday - Friday 11:00am to 7:00pm. Benefits include health care, profit sharing, 401K, paid vacations and paid breaks. Reviews are conducted at regular intervals to determine promotions and pay increases. We are a Fair Wage Certified company. Applicants MUST live in the Asheville area to be considered. Tell us a little about yourself, hobbies
and interests. References from former employers and letters of recommendation are good to see as well. Email your cover letter, resume, references and letters of recommendation to hiringavl@yahoo.com No phone calls please, all applications will be fully reviewed. NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES - HIRING CANOPY GUIDES Thrill, Educate and Inspire! Spend 2018 working outside in the trees with a world class team! We are seeking enthusiastic and adventurous canopy guides for the 2018 season. Learn more at www.navitat.com. 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. Fulltime and seasonal parttime positions available. Training provided. Contact us today! 828-251-868. Info@GrayLineAsheville.com www.GrayLineAsheville.com
ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE WANTED I would like to inquire about your availability for a position with us as representative in your region. Please bear in mind that it will in no way interfere with your current employment. Contact betschelderek@raipuraagro. com For more details
SALES/ MARKETING AERO TECHNICAL COMPONENTS IS NOW HIRING FOR OUR BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC LOCATION Aero Technical Components has expanded to Black Mountain, NC. We are looking for career minded sales reps to join our family and be a part of a growing company. Position Description Global Aerospace and Defense sales to OEM’s, CM’s, Militaries, and Governments This is a hourly + commission base position. Starting date is March 19th 2018 Please submit
resume to gabe.thomas@ aerotechcomp.com 727-5776115 ext.209, gabe.thomas@ aerotechcomp.com, www. aerotechcomp.com
HUMAN SERVICES OWEN MIDDLE SCHOOL RESOURCE COORDINATOR Experienced in building and sustaining strong school-community partnerships? Passionate about supporting student achievement and promoting family and community engagement? Bilingual candidates encouraged. Learn More and Apply: http://unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities.
PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT OUR VOICE SEEKS DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Our VOICE, Inc., Buncombe County's Rape Crisis and Prevention Center, is hiring an experienced fundraising professional to help end sexual violence and human trafficking. For more information, please visit: http:// www.ourvoicenc.org/ employment-opportunities/ RESIDENTIAL LODGE MANAGER FOR HOLISTIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER IN RURAL WEAVERVILLE Experience in human relations, detail-oriented a must, enthusiastic, organized. Work entails various tasks to help open Center and run lodge. Apartment on site plus small weekly stipend. Send cover letter with resume to morgaineofthemountains@ gmail.com
TEACHING/ EDUCATION
INTERESTED IN WORKING AT A-B TECH? Full-Time, Part-Time and Adjunct Positions available. Come help people achieve their dreams! Apply for open positions at abtcc.peopleadmin.com
The
Sustainability
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018
Ever y week in April
Series
MOUNTAINX.COM
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
45
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Anders Haugen competed for the U.S. as a ski jumper in the 1924 Winter Olympics. Although he was an accomplished athlete who had previously set a world record for distance, he won no medals at the games. But wait! Fifty years later, a sports historian discovered that there had a been a scoring mistake back in 1924. In fact, Haugen had done well enough to win the bronze medal. The mistake was rectified, and he finally got his long-postponed award. I foresee a comparable development happening in your life, Aries. Recognition or appreciation you deserved to have received some time ago will finally come your way. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1899, Sobhuza II became King of Swaziland even though he was less than five months old. He kept his job for the next 82 years, and along the way managed to play an important role when his nation gained independence from the colonial rule of the United Kingdom. These days you may feel a bit like Sobhuza did when he was still in diapers, Taurus: not sufficiently prepared or mature for the greater responsibilities that are coming your way. But just as he received competent help in his early years from his uncle and grandmother, I suspect you’ll receive the support you’ll need to ripen. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In my ideal world, dancing and singing wouldn’t be luxuries practiced primarily by professionals. They would be regular occurrences in our daily routines. We’d dance and sing whenever we needed a break from the numbing trance. We’d whirl and hum to pass the time. We would greet each other with an interpretative movement and a little tune. In schools, dance and song would be a standard part of the curriculum — as important as math and history. That’s my utopian dream, Gemini. What’s yours? In accordance with the astrological omens, I urge you to identify the soul medicine you’d love to incorporate into your everyday regimen. Then go ahead and incorporate it! It’s time for you to get more aggressive about creating the world you want to live in. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Psychology pioneer Carl Jung believed that most of our big problems can never be fully solved. And that’s actually a good thing. Working on them keeps us lively, in a state of constant transformation. It ensures we don’t stagnate. I generally agree with Jung’s high opinion of our problems. We should indeed be grateful for the way they impel us to grow. However, I think that’s irrelevant for you right now. Why? Because you have an unprecedented opportunity to solve and graduate from a major long-running problem. So no, don’t be grateful for it. Get rid of it. Say goodbye to it forever. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Between now and March 21, you will be invited, encouraged, and pushed to deepen your understanding of intimate relationships. You will have the chance to learn much, much more about how to create the kind of togetherness that both comforts and inspires you. Will you take advantage of this eight-week opportunity? I hope so. You may imagine that you have more pressing matters to attend to. But the fact is that cultivating your relationship skills would transform you in ways that would best serve those other pressing matters. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In December, mass protests broke out in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city. Why? The economy had been gradually worsening. Inflation was slowly but surely exacting a toll. Unemployment was increasing. But one of the immediate triggers for the uprising was a 40 percent hike in the price of eggs. It focused the Iranian people’s collective angst and galvanized a dramatic response. I’m predicting a comparable sequence in your personal future, Virgo. A specific irritant will emerge, motivating you to stop putting up with trends that have been subtly bothering you. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the late 1980s, Budweiser used a bull terrier to promote its Bud Light beer in commercials. The dog, who became mega-famous, was presented as a rich macho party animal named Spuds MacKenzie. The ad campaign was successful, boosting sales 20 percent. But the truth was that the actor playing
46
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
BY ROB BREZSNY
Spuds was a female dog whose owners called her Evie. To earn money, the poor creature, who was born under the sign of Libra, was forced to assume a false identity. To honor Evie’s memory, and in alignment with current astrological omens, I urge you human Libras to strip away any layers of false identity you’ve been pressured to acquire. Be your Real Self — to the max. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The giant panda is a bear native to China. In the wild, its diet is 99 percent bamboo. But bamboo is not an energy-rich food, which means the creature has to compensate by consuming 20 to 30 pounds of the stuff every day. Because it’s so busy gathering its sustenance, the panda doesn’t have time to do much socializing. I mention this, Scorpio, because I want to offer up the panda as your anti-power animal for the coming weeks. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you should have a diversified approach to getting your needs met — not just in regards to food, but in every other way as well. Variety is not just the spice of life; it’s the essence. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You’re the star of the “movie” that endlessly unfolds in your imagination. There may be a number of other lead actors and actresses, but few if any have your luster and stature. You also have a supporting cast, as well as a full complement of extras. To generate all the adventure you need, your story needs a lot of dramatis personae. In the coming weeks, I suggest that you be alert for certain minor characters who are primed to start playing a bigger role in your narrative. Consider the possibility of inviting them to say and do more to advance the plot. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Thirty-five miles per hour is typically the highest speed attained by the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. That’s not very fast. On the other hand, each ship’s engine generates 190 megawatts, enough to provide the energy needs of 140,000 houses, and can go more than 20 years without refueling. If you don’t mind, I’m going to compare you to one of those aircraft carriers during the next four weeks. You may not be moving fast, but you will have maximum stamina and power. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The pawpaw is a tasty fruit that blends the flavors of mango, banana and melon. But you rarely find it in grocery stores. One reason is that the fruit ripens very fast after being picked. Another is that the pollination process is complicated. In response to these issues, a plant scientist named Neal Peterson has been trying to breed the pawpaw to be more commercially viable. Because of his work, cultivated crops have finally begun showing up at some farmers’ markets. I’d like to see you undertake metaphorically similar labors in 2018, Aquarius. I think you’ll have good luck at developing rough potentials into more mature forms of expression. You’ll have skill at turning unruly raw materials into more useful resources. Now is a great time to begin. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): An iceberg is a huge chunk of ice that has cracked away from a glacier and drifted off into the open sea. Only nine percent of it is visible above the waterline. The underwater part, which is most of the iceberg, is basically invisible. You can’t know much about it just by looking at the top. This is an apt metaphor for life itself. Most everyone and everything we encounter is 91 percent mysterious or hidden or inaccessible to our conscious understanding. That’s the weird news, Pisces. The good news is that during the next three weeks you will have an unprecedented ability to get better acquainted with the other 91 percent of anything or anyone you choose to explore.
MOUNTAINX.COM
INTERIM LOWER GRADES TEACHER IC Imagine, a local public charter school is currently seeking an interim elementary school teacher. This individual will join an innovative, collaborative team focused on the development of the whole child. Please email all inquiries and resumes to careers@ icimagine.org • For more details visit http://sites. icimagine.org/home/careers SITE LEADER • AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM Local non-profit Children First/ CIS has a part-time position as a Site Leader in our After-School Program. Must be upbeat and welcoming of K-5th graders from diverse cultures. Living Wage. Full job description and application details at www.childrenfirstcisbc.org
ARTS/MEDIA
SALON/ SPA
LEGAL
CAMP ILLAHEE SEEKS ART DIRECTOR Brevard, NC - June 3rd to August 10th - Mon to Sat Weekly - Organizational skills, creativity, interest in working with young people required; For information, email lindsey@campillahee. com - www.campillahee. com
STYLISTS • NAIL TECHNICIAN Studio Chavarria, 17 Rankin Avenue. Seeking talented Commission Stylists and Nail Technician. We're located in downtown Asheville. Convenient parking. Established clientele. Please call to interview: 828-236-9191.
DENIED CREDIT? Work to repair your credit report with the trusted leader in credit repair. Call Lexington Law for a Free credit report summary and credit repair consultation. 855-620-9426. John C. Heath, Attorney at Law, PLLC, dba Lexington Law Firm. (AAN CAN)
RETAIL PT GALLERY ASSOCIATE & NCGC SPOKESPERSON NC Glass Center is searching for enthusiastic & kind individuals to help shape our future. Join our community today. More info at ncglasscenter.org contact us at info@ncglasscenter. org 828-505-3552 info@ ncglasscenter.org
SERVICES ENTERTAINMENT DISH NETWORK-SATELLITE TELEVISION SERVICES Now over 190 channels for only $49.99/ month! HBO-Free for one year, Free Installation, Free Streaming, Free HD. Add Internet for $14.95 a month. 1-800-373-6508. (AAN CAN)
MEDIATION FOR SEPARATION, DIVORCE & CO-PARENTING Divorce isn't fun. We offer friendly, easy, even online services to help you through a separation or coparent situation as cost effectively as possible. (828) 279-8166 / SARABENSMAN@GMAIL. COM / www.sarabensman. com
2018
Wellness Issues Publish Jan. 31 & Feb 7
Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x 320
advertise@ mountainx.com
HOME IMPROVEMENT
T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE
ACROSS
HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. $1 million liability insurance. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.
HEATING & COOLING MAYBERRY HEATING AND COOLING Oil and Gas Furnaces • Heat Pumps and AC • Radiant Floor Heating • Solar Hot Water • Sales • Service • Installation. • Visa • MC • Discover. Call (828) 658-9145.
ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS MAKE THE CALL TO START GETTING CLEAN TODAY Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & drug addiction treatment. Get help! It is time to take your life back! Call Now: 855-732-4139. (AAN CAN) PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 877-3622401. (AAN CAN)
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS SYSTEMIC FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS AT EPIONE INTEGRATED CLINIC Systemic Family Constellations workshop Saturday 27 January 10:00-6:00pm. Jeffrey Rich, facilitator. Increase the flows of Love in your Family System! Release trans-generational entanglements and repeating patterns. register: (828) 771-6126 www.epioneintegratedclinic.com
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK LIVING ENERGY ADVANCED PROFESSIONAL BODYWORK Living Energy Massage and Healing now offering advanced professional massage, Systemic Constellations, and Shamanic Healing. Hands-On Healing clinic in North Asheville. 19 years experience, 3,000+ hours training. www. livingenergymassageandhealing.us
COUNSELING SERVICES CONSCIOUS LIFE COUNSELING DeAnne Hampton BS/MA Energy Intuitive, Author, Teacher. You are the instrument - understand yourself as energy, become empowered to create new life. It is a NEW DAY! deannehampton.net 828-275-7151
POSITIVE HYPNOSIS | EFT | NLP Michelle Payton, M.A., D.C.H., Author | 828-681-1728 | www.MichellePayton.com | Michelle’s Mind Over Matter Solutions include: Hypnosis, Self-Hypnosis, Emotional Freedom Technique, NeuroLinguistic Programming, Acupressure Hypnosis, Past Life Regression. Find Michelle’s books, educational audio and videos, sessions and workshops on her website. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING Feeling like you're ready to make a change? Don't let addiction or mental health symptoms control your life. Come see me for individual counseling, and take back control. 828-515-1246 resilientmindcounseling.com
FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments). 35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 917-916-1363. michaeljefrystevens.com
1 Russian ruler 5 Themes 11 Gathering of people with a shared interest 13 Pennsylvania, for example 14 Nixes, as a proposal 16 Bibliophile 17 Possess, in the Bible 18 Sunrise’s direction, in Sonora 20 “We shall never know all the good that a simple ___ can do”: Mother Teresa 21 & 22 Certain way to make 60-Across 24 Game-ending cry at a card table 25 Designer Jacobs 27 V.I.P. at boot camp 28 Dunham of “Girls” 29 Some businesses: Abbr. 31 Assessing, with “up” 33 & 34 Another way to make 60-Across
35 Colorful bird with a big bill 37 Dole (out) 38 Carrier of electricity 39 Electricity, e.g. 41 Be flippant with 45 Office data: Abbr. 46 & 47 A third way to make 60-Across 48 Absurd 50 Opera set partly on the banks of the Nile 52 Food or air 53 19th-century Midwest territory 55 Annie and the Little Mermaid, notably 57 Like paradise 58 Network (with) 59 Voiced 60 This puzzle’s theme
DOWN
1 More concise 2 Month number 60-Across: Abbr. 3 Had a date, say 4 Like cutting in line 5 Deface
edited by Will Shortz
6 Sunset’s direction, in Sorrento 7 60-Across, in baseball 8 Person native to an area 9 Kind of station 10 First name in women’s tennis 11 2016 Disney film set in Polynesia 12 Pretend to be 14 Singer Yorke of Radiohead 15 Ado 19 Nestful 23 Mate for a bull 26 ___ 60-Across (state of euphoria) 27 Difficult situation 28 A cat is said to have 60-Across of them 30 ___ Jacquet, director of “March of the Penguins” 32 Problem before a big date, informally 33 Left bereft 35 What transported Dorothy to Oz 36 Burst in space 37 Gregor who pioneered in genetics
No. 1220
PUZZLE BY TALITHA RANDALL
38 Upbraids 40 Small dam 42 “Relax, soldier!” 43 Greta Garbo or Ingrid Bergman 44 Gains yardage?
46 Arrive, as a storm 49 Prefix meaning 60-Across 51 Possible score after 40-all
52 German homophone of 60-Across 54 “___ now!” (infomercial phrase) 56 Japanese “yes”
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE
AUTOMOTIVE AUTOS FOR SALE
Make more than a living, make a difference!
Clinical Director 2002 FORD F150 Harley Davidson, Great Shape, Low Miles, $3500. Info at: (336) 573-8962
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES WE'LL FIX IT AUTOMOTIVE • Honda and Acura repair. Half price repair and service. ASE and factory trained. Located in the Weaverville area, off exit 15. Please call (828) 275-6063 for appointment. www. wellfixitautomotive.com
ADULT ADULT LIVELINKS Chat Lines. Flirt, chat and date! Talk to sexy real singles in your area. Call now! 1-844-3595773 (AAN CAN). WORK IN ADULT FILMS Or on live streaming websites from the convenience of your own home. No experience, all types, sizes and races. Call United Casting Now! 212726-2100 (AAN CAN)
The Clinic Director will be responsible for the overall management and development of the Caring Clinic Outpatient therapy program. Must have current North Carolina active clinical licensure (ex: LPC, LCSW). Must have 3-5 years experience in direct care as well as management delivery of mental health services.
Mental Health Counselor Fully licensed clinician (LPC, LCSW) needed for a full time salaried outpatient therapist position. Duties will include providing individual/family therapy, group therapy and comprehensive clinical assessments.
Paul Caron
Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing
Must have 3-5 years’ experience working with children 3 to 11 years old, current NC licensure (ex: LPC,LCSW).
• Furniture Repair
Please send cover letters and resumes to our Clinical Office Manager: chris.farmer@caring4children.org
• Antique Restoration
Caring for Children is a nonprofit mental health agency serving WNC.
• Seat Caning
• Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625
MOUNTAINX.COM
• Black Mountain
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
47
48
JAN. 24 - 30, 2018
MOUNTAINX.COM