Mountain Xpress 01.25.17

OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 27 JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

The

pt. 1

Wellness Issue

Healthy Futures

Preventive health care

Diverting Buncombe’s opioid epidemic Folkmoot welcomes the Year of the Rooster Jan. 28

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Laughable, lovable Jeeves returns to NC Stage

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OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 27 JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

C O N T E NT S

The

pt. 1

Wellness

PAGE 12

Issue

KICK-START YOUR HEALTH

Healthy Futures

Preventive health care

Diverting Buncombe’s opioid epidemic Folkmoot welcomes the Year of the Rooster Jan. 28

18 45

Laughable, lovable Jeeves returns to NC Stage

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FEATURES

In Part 1 of Xpress’ two-part Wellness special section, we take a look at preventive medicine — and the local programs and resources aimed at promoting health and preventing disease.

COVER DESIGN Norn Cutson 13 18 25 28 32

BIRTHING HEALTHY BABIES PREVENTING OPIOID DEATHS ADDRESSING CHILD OBESITY BUILDING ‘HERD IMMUNITY’ TIPS FOR ORAL HEALTH

C ONTAC T US

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Pisgah Legal urges ACA action

WELLNESS

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O PINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

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Housing for citizens, not tourists Asheville City Council, [should not] issue the $25 million housing bonds if [they] vote to use our existing whole homes as hotels. The bonds passed by a large margin. This is your proof that the citizens want more, not less housing. Building homes with bond money and then changing zoning to allow an equal or greater number of homes to be converted for use as hotels is fiscally irresponsible. We have a choice to make here: We either need more housing or we don’t.

Council member [Cecil] Bothwell is leading the charge to convert residential-zoned homes such as garage apartments to be used as short-term rentals for tourists. The next step is to allow whole single-family homes to be run as STRs. According to Bothwell, “We can’t control it unless it is legalized.”

I reject this and stand with those who are on the side of housing for citizens, not tourists. City staff, Planning and Zoning, the ADU Task Force, neighborhood associations and advocates of affordable housing all speak clearly against using entire homes as hotels. Let’s face this fact: Accessory dwelling units are real homes for our neighbors.

Enacting policies allowing landlords

to displace citizens for higher-paying tourists would be a step backward in addressing the housing crisis.

We can and are enforcing the existing rules. This is not a waste of money when you do the math and see how much it costs us as taxpayers to create units of housing. Every unit not used as an STR is one more potential unit of housing for a citizen to call home. We need to enforce the rules in place today or we will end up losing hundreds of homes converted to sheltering tourists. This is clearly what Bothwell is advocating for — the conversion of homes to hotels.

Jackson Tierney and John Farquhar have certainly made their case to Bothwell and here in the Mountain Xpress a few weeks ago [“Backyard Bungalows: Easing ADU Limits Will Boost Long-Term Rental Stock,” Jan. 4].

These two men bought homes in 2014 that had ADUs used as long-term rentals and now they want to change our policies to run hotels.

Are Tierney and Farquhar the poster boys of what we want folks to do with our housing stock? They are not impoverished individuals scraping by. … They want to put their own selfinterests and profits above the greater needs of the community. It’s their right to do what they want within the limits of the zoning, and I understand not wanting to have a long-term tenant in the backyard. It is their right not to be landlords. I reject the “I am entitled to

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Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

do whatever I want” attitude displayed in these men’s arguments about running a hotel in their backyards.

We have policies in place for many reasons. One is to help preserve what housing we have for use sheltering citizens.

We really can’t afford to allow hundreds or thousands of homes to be converted to hotels. Thousands may sound like crazy talk, but how many hotel rooms have been built in the last five years? What is the trend line here?

If you feel the same, please let your City Council know. The folks wanting to run hotels in residential neighborhoods are well-organized and vocal. They are not the majority, but it seems that way when they show up at City Council meetings. They are advocating for policies to put their personal self-interest and profits above that of the community by converting homes to hotels. We have a choice to make. We either need more housing or we don’t.

— David L. Rodgers

Real estate broker, investor and member of the ADU Task Force

Asheville

Xpress’ situational First Amendment interpretation Interesting to see that the Xpress’ editorial staff claims that the statement, “I also hope [Trump] will bomb Mecca …” is not hate speech [Editor’s response to the letter “Don’t Print Hate Speech,” Jan. 11]. Some kind of bending the duty of the press into pretzel shapes to avoid the self-evident-toeveryone-but-you that that statement is the definition of hate. Situational First Amendment interpretation.

Just because the writer didn’t snarl about “those [f***ing Mu**ies],” that apparently in your minds gives you an out. Any normal person would parse the situation quite differently.

All together now, what could possibly be behind a wish to bomb the home of a religion?

Come on, you can do it. Complete the sentence: “It’s clearly _____ speech.”

— Karl Moeller

Asheville

Standing up for what made America great I want to thank Michael Breck [“The First Amendment Has Limits,” Jan 11, Xpress] and Jenna Melissas [“Don’t Print Hate Speech,” Jan. 11, Xpress] for their recent letters in the paper standing up MOUNTAINX.COM

for what made America great. And that the editor’s response disgusted me.

It will take decades or possibly centuries to undo what took place on Nov. 8 and what the future holds under a fascist dictator — Trump — and a fascist Congress. The Constitution states that the country should be governed by the presidency, the Congress and the Supreme Court. Trump and the Republicans will do their best to turn the court into their lackeys. I consider those who voted for Trump and Republicans as traitors to this country.

— Lloyd Kay

Asheville

Politicians and preachers During the 2016 presidential election, I got confused, possibly along with many other people, by the words expressed by Franklin Graham. He apparently carries considerable weight among his Christian followers across America as evidenced by the outcome of the election. He is the son of famous evangelist Billy Graham.

He also leads his own organization called Samaritan’s Purse. Try to imagine the scope/influence Graham has interpreting his religion around the globe.

Two things troubled/confused me as he sidled up to Donald Trump during the campaign. The first thing was that he asked his followers to “hold your nose” and vote for Trump as well as other office-seekers. He persuaded many to “vote for candidates who support biblical principles.” Actually, one powerful biblical principle is not to judge others. ... Apparently Graham had made some judgment which he considered unacceptable to Christians when he asked them to hold their noses and vote for Trump in spite of his errors (sins?). So, is it somehow OK for Graham to judge a presidential candidate? ...

Further, Graham stressed that Trump had apologized for his erroneous deeds and statements belittling other people — minorities and women. How could Graham know this without politicking with the man himself? Where in the Bible does he get the inspiration to involve himself with worldly political activity anyway? ...

As though this situation were not already confusing enough for someone trying to understand the relationship of biblical teaching to worldly power, think of this second confusing element.

Even if Trump had, in fact, apologized to the people he had offended/belittled, what does this accomplish from a biblical standpoint? Christians have to do more than apologize. Even non-Christians can apologize and often do. But, there is a more difficult step that Christians are

taught by Jesus in Matthew 5:23-24 (King James Version). ...

So, does Preacher Graham have some idea that Trump has begun a form of restitution as called for in this Scripture? Or has he somehow held his nose and, thereby, held Trump to a lower (non-Christian) standard? What will this message mean to people who want to do as Jesus taught us to do?

Millions are watching and listening to Graham’s voice and message. As an evangelist, he has to get biblical principles right. Should the president of the United States of America not be held to higher standards rather than lower standards of behavior? ...

Further complicating this crucial matter is the fact that while at a political rally in Hickory, N.C., Trump declared that he would be the best Christian representative they have had in a long time. Does he mean since Jesus lived?

Is he, in fact, belittling Christians by this foolish statement, mocking what he sees as their ignorance of Scripture?

He vowed to empower Christians by removing the barrier to churches advocating for political candidates. Do Christians really need to be empowered by a worldly government? ...

The time may be fast approaching when people are unable to differentiate between a politician and a preacher.

Remember this remark made long ago by someone unknown to this writer: “Politics can survive religion. But, religion can’t survive politics.”

Another way to say it might be this: When you have a tiger by the tail, the tiger has you by the hand. How do you let go? When do you let go? Are politics and religion, by necessity, intertwined?

Country singer/songwriter Dan Seals sang, “For everything you win, there’s somethin’ lost.” If Republicans won the 2016 presidential election with considerable help from Christians who held their noses, what did the Christians lose in the process? Can Franklin Graham be both — preacher and politician?

― Dave Waldrop

Webster Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

Questions on dismantling the ACA As we move toward the end of open enrollment four in the Affordable Care Act, my thoughts have turned to our North Carolina senators and a few simple questions I would like to ask them.

As expected [last] week, the two of you both voted to begin to dismantle the ACA. I have just a few very simple questions for you to answer.

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N When was the last time insurance companies did not raise their rates?

When was the last time that insurance companies didn’t raise rates on employer-based health insurance?

Why do you conflate the broadest false interpretations of rate increases to support your position? ACA rates have risen less overall than national health insurance rates.

How much profit do you feel is appropriate for insurance companies, already the most profitable businesses in America, to gouge out of customers?

Please tell my why it is better for citizens to not have health care? Why must people suffer to assure tax breaks for the very wealthiest Americans?

Please tell me how rural hospitals can stay in business without the ACA and Medicaid expansion. Look to the Pungo Hospital experience Down East [in Belhaven] and tell me how small, rural hospitals in areas of lowest income will and can survive?

Please tell me why haven’t you given up your government-funded health care if government-funded health care is so bad.

How do you see it as possible for poor people, living from paycheck to paycheck or with public assistance, to set aside significant amount of money in health saving accounts, an idea that gets revived yearly by Paul Ryan? Which do you recommend that they do: not

pay rent, not buy food, not send their children to school, not drive to work? Or would you rather they just die?

If the ACA is such a bad deal, why did you all tout Romney-care, a plan that is what the ACA is modeled after, and a plan developed in The Heritage Foundation, a Libertarian Republican think tank?

It appears that the much-feared death panels are on the way, only it’s Republicans who are going to put them in place. Should we just say goodbye to our disabled children and our poor now while we still can?

And finally, how much have you accepted in bribes (political donations) from the insurance and Big Pharma lobbies?

— Michael Beech

Asheville

Corrections In our Jan. 18 article “Safety First: Proposed APD Policy Favors De-escalation Over Force,” we incorrectly identified the head of the WNC chapter of the ACLU of North Carolina.

Hilary Chiz is the board president of that organization. In the same article, we mistakenly printed the incorrect first name of work group member James Lee. MOUNTAINX.COM

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B U N C O M B E B E AT

Pisgah Legal urges ACA action Rezoning requests draw party line vote Pisgah Legal Services and the N.C. Justice Center held a press conference to highlight the importance of access to affordable health insurance coverage on Jan. 17.

Speakers included advocates for the Affordable Care Act, as well as local residents who shared their experiences with health insurance.

Efforts to repeal the ACA loom large in Congress, but the health insurance program remains the law of the land for now. And with the Jan. 31 deadline for the 2017 Health Insurance Marketplace fast approaching, Asheville advocates for affordable coverage are urging and assisting people to enroll so they can lock in insurance for the year. PLS attorneys are also asking concerned constituents to contact lawmakers to tell their stories. The attorneys say they want people’s

CARE ABOUT CARE: Recently elected Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara addressed a room full of Affordable Care Act supporters at a Pisgah Legal Services event. She recommended people use every tool available to influence policy. “And that can mean being in the streets, it can mean lobbying, it can mean litigation; it can mean a full array of things. We can’t always predict which combination of those ways that citizens can use their voices will have an impact on specific policy issues,” she said. Photo courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services

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voices to be heard on why they want to preserve the ACA, or at least portions of it.

According to Jaclyn Kiger, a Pisgah Legal Services managing attorney, the passage of the ACA has coincided with a decrease in the number of people who are uninsured in Buncombe County.

Since 2013, the uninsured rate has dropped 8 percentage points.

That decrease means that nearly 20,000 people now have insurance who didn’t before. If the law is repealed, those people might again be without coverage.

ACA repeal could also mean hospitals might suffer without a stable solution. “The burden on emergency departments can be overwhelming,” Kiger said. “If we don’t have as many

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NEWS people in Buncombe County insured as are currently insured, that means that more people will be going to emergency departments in crisis,” she explained. Alternatively, they might wind up at area safety-net providers, like WNC Community Health Services, which could become similarly overloaded. She warned of significant local consequences if the area returns to pre-ACA numbers of uninsured.

The repeal could also result in the loss of 76,000 jobs in North Carolina, including over 26,000 jobs in the health care industry, according to a recent health care study.

Both WNC U.S. Representatives, Mark Meadows R—11 and Patrick McHenry R—10, favor repeal of the law and voted in early January to begin the process. Meadows has been a leader in the movement to repeal the ACA and said in a statement Jan. 13, “While Republicans continue to debate how to best repeal and replace Obamacare, we agree on the big picture: Our current system does not work.” He says he wants to see a replacement bill right away — after a successful repeal measure. “I believe it is critical that we give the American people a clear direction and assur-

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ance of a smooth transition toward a sound, high-quality and affordable health care market — especially so the most vulnerable can get the coverage they need.”

Neither representative offered specifics of an acceptable plan.

Jim Barrett, executive director of Pisgah Legal Services, urged attendees to reach out to their representatives. One audience member countered that telephone calls and messages don’t make a difference with members of Congress. Barrett disagreed. “I do think they pay attention to how many calls they get,” he said. Elected officials tally the volume of calls and visits to their offices, Barrett continued. “I think those are very powerful messages,” which should be shared with every member of the House and Senate,” he said.

See a longer version of this story at avl.mx/3c7 — Able Allen YOUR ATTENDANCE IS REQUESTED The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners started its Jan. 17

meeting with a unanimous agreement to halt funding of all capital projects for A-B Tech until the school’s president, Dennis King, presents an update to the board.

Commissioner Mike Fryar, who serves on the community college’s board, said, “Dr. King needs to come before us, like other school leaders have come before us.”

Commissioners have asked staff to arrange the update on capital projects for the board’s first meeting of next month.

— Dan Hesse REQUEST DENIED Commissioners heard from developers looking to rezone four parcels of land in order to build a multiuse project at and around 101 Cedar Ridge Drive, adjacent to Charlotte Highway in South Asheville. The request was to rezone the parcels from various residential designations to Neighborhood Service District, which would allow for commercial uses.

The county Planning Board recommended approval of two properties: one south of 19 Staak Drive and one

CECILIA JOHNSON west of 204 Charlotte Highway. The board asked commissioners to deny the other two requests at 19 Staak Drive and 101 Cedar Ridge Drive.

Commissioner Joe Belcher said he was in favor of giving the goahead to all four requests. “I think the properties are close enough there could be some synergy,” he said, noting neighbors could benefit from walking to some potential services provided.

Commissioner Ellen Frost countered by stating nobody spoke in favor of the project while it was before the Planning Board. She also expressed concerns about it affecting the character of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Ultimately, commissioners unanimously approved rezoning the two parcels recommended for approval by the Planning Board.

The other two parcels, recommended for denial by the planning board, failed to get a rezoning by a 4-3 vote, with Commissioners Belcher, Fryar and Robert Pressley in favor.

— Dan Hesse AMENDING ORDINANCES Commissioners next heard a presentation from county staff about amending Chapter 70 of the county’s subdivision ordinance. Staff said the move is to clarify development procedures, shore up some loopholes and increase fees for violation of procedures.

Fryar then said he’s concerned about the county telling people what they can do with their property. “That’s why you can’t live in Buncombe County, because it’s $20,000 before you even stick a shovel in the ground,” he said. “I understand we have to change some stuff, but we’re trying to make too many rules.”

Belcher then thanked staff mem-

bers for their work on the amendments while offering some concerns.

“There’s a lot of what Fryar said I agree with. It would be good to know if the number of pages increased or decreased, because some things were lined out, making it simpler,” he said.

With that, commissioners approved the amendment by a vote of 6-1, with Fryar voting against the measure.

— Dan Hesse

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OPIOID UPDATE Commissioners next heard from Jim Holland, the county’s business manager for the Department of Health and Human Services. He presented data that shows Buncombe County was 39th out of the state’s 100 counties in the amount of pain pills prescribed in 2015. He said that translated to having more than 16 million pills in the county, or almost 65 pills per county resident.

Holland said the community is looking at collaborative efforts to combat the use of opioids, including increasing early intervention and treatment and recovery support options, especially inpatient and resident-based treatment programs. “If there was more capacity for inpatient therapy it would be used. We don’t have that capacity.

The volume is so big we’re not able to meet that need,” he said, noting that residential treatment with child care options would also be an asset in recovery efforts.

Holland said they would research best practices and report back to commissioners down the road.

Read Xpress’ in-depth report on opioids, Cure for pain, on page 18 of this issue. — Dan Hesse X

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11

WELLNESS

PREVENTION For many people, health care begins when they’re diagnosed with a disease or other medical problem. They visit care providers, take medications and pursue other practices to mitigate the symptoms and help them heal.

But there’s a different vision of health that’s more proactive, focusing on preventing diseases rather than treating them once they’ve already taken root. Preventive medicine aims to protect and promote the health and well-being of both individuals and communities; it’s more cost-effective and leads to improved quality of life. The Affordable Care Act requires health insurance providers to cover certain preventive services, but

An alternative model of health

this could change under the new administration.

An estimated 80 percent of diseases and 90 percent of health care services stem from preventable causes. Preventive health measures often focus on such illnesses as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes, unintentional injuries, infectious diseases and cancer.

In Part I of Xpress’ two-part wellness special feature, we take a look at local programs and resources aimed at promoting health and preventing disease (see box, “Staying Healthy”).

We invite readers to explore these options as a gateway to enhanced well-being. X — Susan Foster, Wellness Editor

In this issue • “Cure for pain: Preventing opioidrelated deaths,” Dan Hesse’s story on opioid addiction, addresses prevention on a very broad social level.

• Similarly, in “Asheville professionals help mothers birth healthy babies,” Kate Lundquist looks at primal prevention, which seeks to ensure that children receive the attention and affection they need in the first year of life. Both these pieces reflect attempts to head off larger social harms. From this angle, maternal health is seen as a first step in promoting child health.

The remaining stories in this week’s supplement focus on primary prevention, which tries to avoid disease by eliminating potential causes or increasing resistance to particular ailments.

• “Buncombe County groups collaborate to prevent childhood obesity,” by Nick Wilson, considers the problem of childhood obesity and local efforts to prevent it.

• In “Vaccinations prevent disease and build ‘herd immunity,’” Clarke Morrison examines community attitudes toward immunization efforts aimed at creating “herd immunity,” including the question of whether vaccines are related to autism.

• Cindy Kunst, in “Local dentists offer tips for preventing oral health problems,” presents information from local dentists about pre-emptive ways to promote oral health.

Together, these stories provide assorted windows into the diverse world of preventive medicine.

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SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

Kick-start your health preventive health care

AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION Asheville professionals help mothers birth healthy babies

BY KATE LUNDQUIST kvlundo@gmail.com Local professionals agree that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” when it comes to maternal and infant health. And they stress that preventive efforts to improve child health start with maternal health.

“We are always trying to plan for that next pregnancy,” says registered nurse Connie Roberts, supervisor at Nurse-Family Partnership in Asheville.

NFP uses an evidence-based model that has been in place for over 35 years and serves first-time low-income mothers enrolled by 29 weeks of pregnancy. The organization assists with routine prenatal and dental care, vaccinations for mothers prior to birth, birth control and breastfeeding. The breastfeeding initiation rate is 94 percent. NFP also provides education about a variety of subjects: nutrition, secondhand smoke, use of car seats, bonding with a newborn, choking, substance abuse, and domestic abuse and its impact on the baby. “We talk about pregnancy spacing and ensure our mothers are on birth control so that they can realize they can choose to have babies other than just when they occur,” says Roberts, who notes that the cornerstone of their work is the relationships they build with clients. “There is strength in recognition, encouragement and praise for things they are accomplishing.

“We are always monitoring for the doctor visits, and when they are not making them, we start asking what is keeping them from making appointments and if it is transportation. Then we work with them to figure it out. Sometimes it’s not the client’s priority, and that is one of the hardest ones,” Roberts says.

INFANT MORTALITY AS INDICATOR OF COMMUNITY HEALTH Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, Buncombe County medical director, says that prevention is a big focus because it’s easier to prevent rather than tackle complications further down the line. “If a woman has access to contraception, she can better fulfill her education and career goals in order to provide better for herself and her family,” Mullendore says. “Infant mortality is the single best indicator of a health of a community, and we are at a plateau.

HEALTHY MOM, HEALTHY KIDS: Shanice Clark enjoys a happy moment with her children, Ja’Marr Bowen, left, and Amariah Bowen, right. Clark received assistance from Nurse-Family Partnership for the first two years of her children’s life. Courtesy of NurseFamily Partnership Something in our system, in our society, is out of whack. We are trying to look at what those things are — poverty, racism and bigger systemic issues I can’t fix with seeing a client for 15 minutes.”

Over the past three years, the number of children in foster care in Buncombe County because of substance abuse and dependence of the parents has increased significantly, Mullendore says. As of December in Buncombe County, there were 322 children in protective custody (foster care), 164 of whom were under the age of 5. The majority (85 percent) of these children enter foster care because they have a parent with a substance abuse issue. Without parents having access to substance abuse treatment or mental health services, these numbers are likely to continue to increase, Mullendore says.

NFP asks what can be done to help them make choices or modify to become a little healthier — like offering birth control to reduce the chances of women becoming pregnant while abusing substances, con-

necting them to medical care, enrolling them in Medicaid, finding treatment to help them wean off opiates or admitting them to a substance abuse facility.

Racial disparities in infant mortality are not new, Mullendore says. Nationwide, the infant mortality rate in 2014 for white babies was 4.93 deaths per 1,000 live births, whereas for black babies it was 11.05 deaths per 1,000 live births. In 2014, black babies in North Carolina were 2.4 times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. And in 2015, black babies in Buncombe County were 3.1 times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.

Those statistics are clearly unacceptable, Mullendore says.

She notes that at the Diversity Summit held at MAHEC in August, keynote speaker Dr. Arthur James, an obstetrician/ gynecologist from Ohio State University, called out the community regarding these statistics, emphasizing that there is no

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PROUD MAMA: Nurse Claire Fontaine, left, of Nurse-Family Partnership celebrates with new mom Roshana McKnight and her baby, Zolei Burgin, on graduation day from the NFP program. Photo courtesy of Nurse-Family Partnership genetic, biological or medical explanation for the differences in black versus white birth outcomes. “Clearly nobody thinks this disparity is a good thing,” Mullendore continues, “but his words really lit a fire for us to say, ‘What are we going to do about this?’ Community efforts are underway to look at what can we do, and what other people are doing to really close that disparity gap.”

THE IMPLICIT MODEL Dr. Dan Frayne, medical director of MAHEC Family Health Centers and a family physician, has been focused on improving access to care in vulnerable populations in Buncombe County and

nationwide. As the co-chair of the clinical work group for National Preconception Health and Healthcare Initiative, Frayne says this national initiative is being locally implemented. Frayne is working on project IMPLICIT: Interventions to Minimize Preterm birth and Low birth-weight Infants using Continuous Improvement Techniques, a local program through the March of Dimes. “What we designed and developed is a model of providing women’s health screening that would improve future birth outcomes,” Frayne says. “During a child’s well visit, we screen for the mom’s health and for future pregnancy.”

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SOBERING STATS: Racial disparities in N.C infant mortality rates. Graph courtesy of Dr. Dan Frayne, medical director of MAHEC Family Health Centers on their children or work, Frayne adds.

Women can also lose insurance after pregnancy, especially in high-risk and vulnerable populations, resulting in a lack of care. But with 90 percent of well-child visits attended by the mother, Frayne says, the visits become opportunities to screen for four things in the mother: smoking, depression, multivitamins, and family planning and birth spacing to reduce unintended and “rapid” pregnancies (those that take place within 12-24 months of the previous pregnancy).

Using the IMPLICIT model, 70 percent of the women in the program are sustainably taking multivitamins, while the national average is 20-40 percent.

The other big win, Frayne says, is that they have increased use of effective birth control methods within the first year of life. In the traditional model, many women miss the postpartum visit, or if they decide on a method like the birth control pill but have an issue with taking it, they don’t go back to address the problem. The ideal birth spacing is 18 months, Frayne says, and if a woman gets pregnant within six months of delivering the last child, the risk of significant preterm birth and other poor birth outcomes increases.

“The national issues of the key drivers of infant mortality are preterm and low birth weight and birth defects, and that counts for more than 70 percent of infant mortality across the board,” says Frayne, who reiterates that the majority of factors have to do with the health of the mother before she becomes pregnant. “We know there is a significant equity gap in access to care and resources, and those all play a role in driving the outcome of infant mortality. You have to look further and further upstream to find where the problem is, ... and you will end up in social determinants of health. Twenty percent of what I do as a clinician impacts a person’s health, and 80 percent is outside of my realm in social determinants.”

With half of pregnancies either untimed or unwanted, the fact that

medical professionals are only focused on preconception health when women are trying to get pregnant doesn’t work, Frayne says. The evidence-based One Key Question, which NFP also uses, asks women, when doing vital signs during a well visit, if they would like to become pregnant in the next year. The answer can guide discussion around reproductive health risks. If the answer is yes, providers can ask how they can help her be as healthy as possible. But if the answer is no, they can connect her with birth control education.

“If everyone had access to care, then this issue would be a lot easier to address,” Frayne says. “We don’t have a unified system of care; we all operate in silos. We are all doing good work; we are just not necessarily connected and therefore inefficient. If you don’t have access to care, transportation or health insurance, then you will never be able to achieve the results we want.”

EMPOWERING WOMEN AND ELIMINATING RACISM The YWCA is working to help mothers with access to care and transportation, and especially with those who may not have their driver’s license yet. “The YWCA’s mission is to empower women and eliminate racism. All the programs in Buncombe County are designed around trying to reach that goal,” says Amanda Read, director of MotherLove, a program offered by the YWCA. MotherLove started 30 years ago, when the social norm was that teens who were pregnant dropped out of school.

Last year, MotherLove had 10 out of 10 pregnant and parenting seniors graduate high school, while 74 percent of such teens statewide drop out of high school. “If they feel like they don’t have a voice with a school or hospital or doctor, or they don’t have people behind them that will listen to them, I am there.”

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TRACKING TRENDS: The solid line represents the average number of deaths per 1,000 live births in Buncombe County, while the dotted line is the trend of averages over time. Graph courtesy of Dr. Dan Frayne, medical director of MAHEC Family Health Centers Read serves on MAHEC’s Infant Mortality Committee, which discusses actions for Buncombe County.

“Communication is a huge part of making a woman’s visit to the doctor’s office less stressful, like having a translator or a representative of a community to go and be with the mother, or meeting with a doctor that looks like you or you are comfortable with, so as not to feel judged,” says Read, who helps to organize transportation and is always looking for volunteers to help bring the teens to appointments.

Teens do receive sexual health education, Read says, though there is a limit to how much they can learn in school. “You cannot do a condom demonstration in the school. We do a safe sex curriculum in MotherLove that is mandatory for moms and dads before they graduate from our program,” says Read, who helps them learn about sexual health in order to plan for their future and protect themselves and their children.

“I think because I am a woman of color, I feel that I may have a different perspective of working with people of color,” Read says. “Sometimes it can be uncomfortable going to a doctor, especially when you feel that being a minority is a barrier or that they don’t see you as an equal — and being a teen and mother, you are already stigmatized.” She notes that MAHEC and advocacy groups in Asheville, including NFP, MAHEC and Homegrown Families, are trying to address this issue.

Homegrown Families in Asheville is also working on improving perinatal and child health for Asheville families. “The impact of the environment on expression of genome in an organism is epigenetics,” says Chloe Lieberman, who holds a certification in functional nutrition and is a certified birth doula at Homegrown Families. When a woman is pregnant, Lieberman explains, her body is the environment, and how she takes care of her body, including what she puts

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into it, affects the genetic expression of the baby as it’s growing.

“Everyone has a different story, and the least effective way to support a pregnant woman is to tell her she is doing something wrong,” Lieberman adds.

“That doesn’t motivate change.”

It can feel empowering to a woman when a doula teaches her about nutrition, exercise and the effects of smoking and drug use, Lieberman says. “She can start taking care of her future children in a really profound way right then,” says Lieberman, who will be offering nutritional classes at Homegrown Families this spring. “We need to look at the root issues in our community to support pregnant women, so they are feeling taken care of, not alone, and believe they can nourish themselves and rest. X

More Info NC PUBLIC HEALTH PRECONCEPTION whb.ncpublichealth.com 1 KEY QUESTION 1keyquestion.org MOTHERLOVE OF YWCA ywcaofasheville.org NATIONAL PRECONCEPTION HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE INITIATIVE showyourlovetoday.com IMPLICIT www.fmec.net/numo/extensions/ wysiwyg/uploads/u.8.revised_ ICC%20Brochure_v4_10%20 28%2013.pdf HOMEGROWN FAMILIES homegrownbabies.com NURSE FAMILY PARTNERSHIP nursefamilypartnership.org

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PEER PRESSURE: Kevin Mahoney and Geena Hammond, both with the nonprofit Sunrise Community, will lend their expertise to a new diversion program the Buncombe County district attorney is rolling out that’s aimed at prioritizing treatment over convictions. Photo by Michelle McHugh

BY DAN HESSE dhesse@mountainx.com Buncombe County, like many places across the country, is in the throes of an opioid epidemic, many local sources say. Despite law enforcement efforts and increased awareness of overprescribing, the last few years have seen a dramatic rise in opioid-related overdoses and deaths.

Between 2005 and 2014, the county had 110 homicides, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. During the same period, 195 county residents died from opioid overdoses. And between 1999 and 2015, Buncombe ranked eighth among the state’s 100 counties, with 304 opiate deaths. Worse yet, those numbers are accelerating rapidly. During a 15-year stretch (1999-2013), Buncombe County recorded 17 deaths from heroin overdoses. In the next two years alone, the county had 27 heroin-related deaths. The number of overdose emergency calls has also soared, according to Asheville Police Department statistics. In 2015,

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city emergency personnel responded to 70 overdose calls. Last year, that number jumped 67 percent, to 117 calls.

Hope may be on the horizon, however, thanks to a sea change in how the problem is viewed. Increasingly, county officials, law enforcement personnel and health care providers are framing addiction as a public health issue rather than a crime. And a proposed diversion program could prevent deaths and ruined lives while creating a healthier community.

THE VICIOUS CYCLE Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams wants to establish a program aimed at helping first-time users get treatment, avoid the judicial system and escape the stigma of a felony arrest that would follow them for the rest of their lives.

“The old way was to offer a deal, reduce it to a misdemeanor, give time served and put that notch on the belt,” the DA explains. “But there are so many collateral consequences to that misdemeanor. You’re going to be check-

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ing boxes on job applications, and it doesn’t get that person who has that issue out of the weeds.”

Addiction, continues Williams, “is a mental health and substance abuse disorder: It’s a medical condition.”

And it often begins with a legitimate prescription for pain medication that eventually leads to illegal activity.

“The folks who are transitioning from pills to street drugs … these people are at risk,” he says. And when they’re arrested, “The wheels of justice grind slowly. That person is going to get their continuance for their court date; that person might not come back for their court date: They might be dead.”

That, says the DA, is where the carrot comes into play. Having a remediation option available at the very first court date, he maintains, can immediately get people back on track before they’ve fallen into the so-called vicious cycle.

Here’s how it would work: “Someone comes in with a felony charge; we have them do an assessment, they comply with the recommendations, they come back for their court dates,” Williams explains. “Once they’ve done that … we’re not breaking it down to a misdemeanor: Let’s dismiss it. Set them up so they can get that charge expunged, so they can have this completely behind them.”

The DA envisions a probation period of six to nine months before the case actually comes to trial; during that time, the offender would have to meet certain benchmarks in order for the conviction to be expunged.

“There are different ways to enforce the law,” he points out. “By diverting cases, we’re not saying people can use heroin: You’re in the criminal justice system. If you don’t want to do the program, we’ll put you on probation, give you the criminal conviction. But we want to show people a light at the end of the tunnel.”

SLIPPERY SLOPE Opioids are chemicals, either natural or synthetic, whose effects are similar to those produced by opium and its derivatives. And the problems associated with them aren’t limited to Buncombe County. Between 1999 and 2015, more than 183,000 people

PROBLEM PILLS: OxyContin, pictured above, is a commonly prescribed opioid for pain management. Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan says that, for many, heroin addiction begins when they are dealing with post-surgery pain. Photo courtesy of APD across the country died from overdoses of prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Every day, notes the CDC, more than 1,000 people nationwide need medical help related to misusing these drugs.

Many of those who struggle with opioid addiction are veterans.

“Most of our veterans, their issues start with pills,” says Eric Howard, who coordinates the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court. About half of the vets coming through the court, he notes, have opioid problems. “You see it happen more and more frequently.

That’s just the trend, because of the overprescription of opioid medication.

The VA just happens to be the largest hospital system in the nation, so they contract for a lot of medication.”

But when patients can no longer get, or afford, the prescription meds, they sometimes turn to other drugs. “We have a gentlemen who was hit with an IED explosion; he got spacers put in his knee,” says Howard. “So two years after he gets back from Afghanistan he’s on pain management, doing well.

Doctors start pulling him off the pain management, and heroin is cheaper and easier to get.”

It’s not just veterans, either, notes Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan. “There’s one case that I personally know of where a young man — good student, high school athlete — hurt his shoulder, got on prescription medication and eventually went to heroin, which killed him. We’re begin-

ning to hear now a lot of older folks are switching [to heroin] because they can’t afford their meds, or maybe they sell their meds because of other hardships and buy the heroin and try to selfmedicate, because it’s cheaper.”

Those street drugs also tend to produce more fatalities, because they’re cut with unknown, often dangerous fillers such as fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. “We see more than one overdose death a month; some months we might have as many as five. And those are just the ones we respond to,” Duncan reports.

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES The current trend of opioid users transitioning to heroin, says the sheriff, is an unintended consequence of a crackdown on pills. “If you go back three years ago, the big focus was on prescription pills. What happened is we got way better at dealing with the issue of diversion of prescribed medication to people who are not supposed to have it. … You don’t have the amount of prescription narcotics out there that you used to have,” he says, noting the success of the prescription drug take-back program his department started about five years ago. “Not that you can’t still get them, but it’s driven up the cost of prescription pills on the illegal market.

So what we’ve seen is that, in trying to do the right thing, it just opened the door for heroin.”

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It isn’t just the primary user who’s affected, adds Duncan: The impact is felt by families, schools, workplaces and more. Even infants aren’t safe. Of the 4,898 babies born in Mission Health System’s six hospitals last year, 399 (more than 8 percent) were born with opioids in their bloodstream. Many of those babies (154) were born in Buncombe County.

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Doctors, stresses Duncan, are also in a difficult position. “They don’t want to get in trouble for underprescribing and letting someone suffer in pain. At the same time, they want to thread the needle of not giving too much medication.”

Striking the right balance isn’t easy.

“There are patients who are appropriate for prescribing, and there are tools we can use to help us determine that. People who abuse opioids make it more difficult for people who really need them to get them,” says Dr. MaryShell Zaffino, medical director of the Blue Ridge Health Center in Hendersonville.

“It’s also important to have serious conversations with patients who are appropriate for opioid pain medication to discuss the risks of taking them.”

Sometimes, notes Dr. Michael Dowling of Appalachian Mountain Community Health Centers, patients being treated for acute pain “find that they either like the feeling of the pills or feel poorly when they stop, either because of withdrawal symptoms or because it is difficult to enjoy previously pleasurable activities. The pain pills can give a sense of well-being, euphoria or relaxation, which can be addictive.” Addiction, he continues, “is not a moral weakness. There is complex interplay between the drug, the individual’s genetics, and their situation and environment. Stress and mental illness are important co-factors.”

Meanwhile, protracted use of pills actually changes the brain, says Dowling.

“It gets used to being bathed in opiates, and the person can have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms if they suddenly stop the medication.”

That, in turn, makes it very hard to kick the habit, says Zaffino. “Withdrawal symptoms — fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dysphoria, anxiety, muscle cramps and jitteriness — are quite uncomfortable, and a long-term user will often go to great lengths to avoid them.”

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Changing these patterns is hard, due in part to larger social issues, says Kevin Mahoney, a state-certified peer counselor with 11 years of sobriety

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under his belt. “Pain medication is being overprescribed, and the medical community is trying to reel it in a little bit, but then you have Big Pharma giving out free samples,” notes Mahoney, who’s executive director of the Sunrise Community. The Asheville-based nonprofit provides peer support to people recovering from mental health and substance abuse challenges.

Dowling, too, sees some signs of change in the way physicians prescribe these drugs. “It has changed, especially in the last two years,” he says, “with more publicity about the risks and opioid deaths and the CDC getting involved, publishing recommendations.

Some would also say because it has hit the more politically connected and Caucasian communities as well.”

But while that awareness is spreading, overprescribing remains a significant problem, stresses Dowling. “Recently I had a person given 90 pills for what the CDC would have recommended no more than 21, with follow-up.” Nonetheless, he hopes that new long-term studies will shine a light on the issue. In the meantime, says Dowling, resources for those grappling with addiction are becoming more accessible.

Technology is also helping physicians make better decisions, says Zaffino.

“Having the controlled substance database — in which we, as prescribers, can assess the controlled substances being filled by anyone in North Carolina prior to prescribing — has been very helpful in identifying abusers and people who are trying to get prescriptions from multiple providers,” she maintains. But it’s not a silver bullet, in part because the database “does not include prescriptions filled in other states. We still have a long way to go.”

CHANGING THE CONVERSATION Often, notes Mahoney, the people who overdose on opioids are those who’ve gained some traction with sobriety, perhaps through a program such as Narcotics Anonymous, but then slip up. “Some folks who have had some recovery time lapse: They go back to using at the level they did before they got clean, and it’s too much for their system to handle.”

Mahoney supports the diversion program, which the Sunrise Community will partner with. But he’s also adamant that the community needs to change the way it views and talks about addiction.

Peggy Weil of The Steady Collective agrees. “If we call someone an ‘addict,’ it makes them less than. If we use the word ‘clean’ vs. ‘dirty,’ there are connotations there.”

The Asheville-based collective, a peer-to-peer support group, also provides access to naloxone (a drug that can treat opioid overdoses), syringes, harm-reduction education, treatment options and more. In addition, says Weil, the nonprofit tries to give recipients a sense of dignity. “If we continue to look at these people as criminals, we’ll never get the community support we need for these programs.”

But it’s not just about changing language, either, she maintains. “There are a lot of families that are suffering quietly, in shame, because they feel they can’t tell their friends, their church members, about what they’re dealing with,” Weil points out. “If you have a family member that dies of cancer, people bring you a casserole. If you have a family member die of an overdose, nobody calls: Nobody knows what to say. The community, even family members, don’t know how to address the issue. It’s often looked at as a moral failing.”

COURTHOUSE CLEMENCY Judge Calvin Hill is well aware of the impact of opioid abuse on the criminal justice system. “We certainly deal with

a large volume of these cases and would be able to use those resources elsewhere if we didn’t have to use them in this area,” says Hill, chief judge of Buncombe County’s 28th Judicial District.

Hill says he likes the idea of the proposed diversion program, at least in some cases. “With regard to first-time offenders, I think people that come to the courts with genuine addiction issues are well-served to have a treatment option rather than prison. I view sellers of these drugs in our community differently,” he continues. “I cannot stress enough, however, that I believe there should be judicial oversight of these programs and processes at every stage, to ensure they’re administered in a fair and nonprejudicial manner, open and available to people regardless of socio-economic status.”

Sam Snead, a Buncombe County public defender, has represented a number of people facing legal troubles stemming from opioid use. “Preventing overdoses is something that’s in everyone’s best interest,” says Snead, who also supports the idea of steering some indictments away from the courts. “It’s good that all the stakeholders in the

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But Snead also sees a need for legal reform. The active ingredient in pain pills, he points out, constitute only a tiny fraction of the pill’s overall weight, but the law doesn’t take that into consideration. “If I have 10 pills, I have over 4 grams, but in essence what I have is 50 milligrams of an opiate. Yet an officer has the authority to charge that person with trafficking, and case law — which is derived mostly from possessing cocaine, heroin — supports it.” District attorneys, says Snead, “recognize these arguments. You have to continually advocate that the public policy behind the criminalization of some of these circumstances is ludicrous. You keep doing it and hope they agree with you.”

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of my best friends works at Mission Hospital and relays that it would be hard to overstate the scope of the problem. ... When I first heard the term ‘heroin use,’ you think of some kind of really rough, biker gang element. … But it is so pervasive throughout society.” For these reasons, Newman supports the DA’s proposed program, calling it “an excellent idea.”

For Williams, that’s yet another hopeful sign that the opioid diversion program will soon become a reality. “I don’t think we’re going to have much resistance,” he observes. “I think there’s broad consensus that the community needs this program.”

Although the DA doesn’t need anyone’s permission to implement the diversion program, he’s been talking with judges, defense attorneys and other stakeholders so it’s not a surprise when he starts rolling it out. Williams is also working on defining benchmarks such as drug testing, attendance at meetings hosted by groups such as Narcotics Anonymous or the Sunrise Community, and not being charged with any additional crimes.

And though he wants to set the bar high for getting charges dismissed, the DA also wants to build in some flex-

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ibility, so the rules can be considered on a case-by-case basis. Funding is not an issue, as there are no additional costs connected with the program, and Williams hopes to have it up and running within the next few months.

For his part, Sheriff Duncan is convinced that it’s time for law enforcement to pivot in order to combat the problem. “What we’re doing now is not working,” he notes. “Shooting heroin is truly playing Russian roulette. And the threat of dying doesn’t dissuade someone from using. So, really, the threat of incarceration is not something that stops people.”

Like Judge Hill, Duncan believes “We have to have some good, accountable law enforcement for people who are trafficking and making a profit off the devastation this causes.” For the end user, however, he favors “looking at that more from an epidemiology standpoint — as a chronic disease, as opposed to a crime.”

Eric Howard of the Veterans Treatment Court couldn’t agree more.

“Going to jail is just stupid,” he says bluntly. “Treatment is your better route, because we’ve got people getting back into college, getting engineering degrees. If they just sit in jail, you’re

paying for it, and they still end up out there in that vicious cycle.”

But to prevent opioid deaths and heal the physical, emotional and social wounds caused by drug abuse, he maintains, will require a deeper kind of change. “We need to get over our American idea of

drug use,” says Howard. “The general public needs to understand that the cost is in this cycle. We have to make a concerted effort to change. There’s a lot of opportunity in Buncombe County: We’ve just got to start directing people through those routes.” X

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SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

Kick-start your health preventive health care

NO SIMPLE SOLUTION

Buncombe County groups collaborate to prevent childhood obesity

BY NICK WILSON nickjames.w@gmail.com Public awareness of the issue of childhood obesity is at an all-time high, and actions are being taken to solve this crisis on a local and federal level. Local organizations — such as the Buncombe County school district, Buncombe County Health and Human Services, the city of Asheville, Mission Health Partners, Mountain Area Health Education Center and many others — are working together to increase awareness and implement new strategies to help overweight and obese children lose weight and to prevent other children from straying outside a healthy weight in the first place.

Debbie Bryant, healthful living coordinator for Buncombe County Schools who oversees the health and physical education of K-12 stu-

TASTE BUDS: Buncombe County students, from left, Maryah Marlowe, Bella Vizzy, Lyla Gidley and Summer Noel take a bite of fresh local fruits during a produce fair. Photo by Sheryl Harris

dents, notes that things are at least heading in the right direction.

“We’ve made some progress over the past 10 years,” says Bryant.

“We collect information every year on how many of our Asheville City and Buncombe County K-5 students are at a healthy weight as part of annual health screening.

In the 2003-2004 school year, 61 percent of our students were at a healthy weight, with 36 percent overweight or obese. In the 20142015 school year, 64 percent of our students were at a healthy weight, and 33 percent overweight or obese.”

The American Heart Association’s startling statistic shows that obesity in children has more than tripled from 1971 to 2011.

For the first time in two centuries, the youths of today are at risk of being unhealthier and having a

CONTINUES ON PAGE 26

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The major challenge is that there’s no simple solution for childhood obesity. There’s no single factor that causes a child to be overweight; rather, it’s a confluence of many factors ranging from behavioral issues like unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity to environmental factors such as family, community or geographic settings that aren’t conducive to healthy lifestyles and even unavoidable factors like genetics.

“Health experts often refer to obesity as a perfect storm,” says Terri March, health improvement specialist in the Healthy Living Division of Regional Services at MAHEC. March works in partnership with Buncombe County Health and Human Services to address community health priorities identified in the Community Health Assessment, which takes place every three years.

Buncombe County Health and Human Services developed the Community Health Assessment document in partnership with Mission Hospital, CarePartners and MAHEC as part of a local community health needs assessment process. Priority issue No. 1 from the 2015 CHA document is “obesity and chronic disease prevention.”

“Obesity is defined differently for adults and children,” says March.

“Although the body mass index is an imperfect measure, it’s generally where we start. Overweight is defined as a BMI at 25 or above.

Because children are growing, we use a measure that considers their age as well as height and weight.

Children with a BMI at the 85th percentile for their age are considered overweight and obese at the 95th percentile.

“The most basic explanation [for the obesity epidemic],” says March, “is one of energy balance — more

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calories in and few calories burned.

Our calorie consumption is a little higher than it has been in the past, and that small increase every day adds up. Couple this with a more sedentary lifestyle, and it really adds up.”

March continues, “It is so much more than eating and activity behavior. Sugary foods are much more available and inexpensive.

Our communities and lifestyle make it harder to be active ... many drive everywhere because communities are spread out, and many parents feel it is more dangerous for their children to play outside. It’s hard to walk or bike because we often lack sidewalk connections and bike lanes or we feel unsafe.” March also notes how kids spend much more time glued to their digital devices than in previous years.

IT’S COSTING US MORE THAN OUR LIVES The effects of excess weight and obesity can really take a significant toll on the body, explains Melanie Batchelor, health management programs coordinator for Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term health effects. Obese children and adolescents ... are at greater risk for joint problems, sleep apnea, as well as social and psychological problems. [They] are likely to be obese adults and therefore are at risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis.”

Batchelor notes that the negative effects of obesity extend beyond physical and mental health of individuals and into the realm of economics. “The cost of obesity is in the billions of dollars and ultimately provides a hardship economically for our society,” says Batchelor.

The 2015 Buncombe County Community Health Assessment states that because obesity impacts over 30 chronic health conditions, it is responsible for nearly a quarter of all health care costs.

Dr. Calvin Tomkins, assistant medical director of Mission Health Partners, notes that “economic pressure on the health care industry is driving two things: improved quality (and demonstration of it) and containing costs. The U.S. has a poor track record with these two attributes: It is ranked 37th by the World

SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

Health Organization’s “Overall Health System Performance” paper and has the most expensive health care on the planet. This translates to $200 billion annually or 21 percent of health care costs,” notes Tomkins.

ALL HANDS ON DECK Awareness and understanding of these widespread obesity-induced hardships have led to an enthusiastic, coordinated effort among communities and organizations in the region. The fact that Buncombe County has seen a slight improvement in children’s healthy weight levels over the past decade is not the result of any one organization or program, but what Batchelor says is an “overall societal change that promotes healthy environments in all sectors.”

“It really is a team effort for us,” says Bryant, referring to Buncombe County Schools. “We work with the school nurses, teachers, guidance counselors; we try to hit students in as many different directions as possible to reinforce the messages.”

One major tool that Bryant and other Buncombe County organizations are using to communicate the message of developing and maintaining healthy weights in children is the 5-2-1-Almost None program.

Developed and led by Erin Braasch of the WNC Health Network, the program is a marketing tool that reinforces four healthy habits to live by each day: five fruits and vegetables, no more than two hours of screen time, one hour of physical activity and “almost none” when it comes to sugary drinks.

Other efforts from Bryant and the Buncombe school district include: the implementation of produce fairs, which educate students about healthy foods; a revised core curriculum that focuses on including physical movement in each class; and the improvement of fitness centers at each of the district’s high schools (using funds from a $2.25 million federal grant the school system received for physical education).

Additionally, each community is required by the state to have a School Health Advisory Council — an advisory group composed of individuals selected primarily from the health and education segments of the community. The group acts collectively in providing advice to the school system on aspects of the school health programs. The mem-

bers of the council are appointed by the school system for advisory purposes. SHAC meetings are open to the public, and parents and families interested in getting involved are encouraged to join.

Local government and community organizations are also working to provide healthy food and economic resources for those who are food insecure, says the 2015 Community Health Assessment.

According to the CHA, the plan is to “increase access to healthy foods in low-resource communities and increase access to local and healthier choices in our schools and throughout the community, through initiatives such as farmto-school programs, farmer support initiatives and our many tailgate and farmer’s markets.”

PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS Furthermore, the CHA notes that Buncombe County is also making progress in improving community infrastructure. Programs such as Watch for Me NC and the Bicycle Friendly and Pedestrian Friendly Cities initiatives make it safer for walking and biking, and schools are beginning to support Safe Routes to Schools programs.

Another major infrastructure program is the massive greenway project that is currently in the works. “The city of Asheville is about to construct a series of greenways that will be connected and create our first greenway network, called the River to Ridge Greenway Network,” says city greenway coordinator Lucy Crown. “When finished, it will be 10.25 miles of connected greenways spanning from the River Arts District to Beaucatcher Mountain.”

“The goal of having a connected system of greenways along with sidewalks and bike lanes is to provide opportunities for people to incorporate active living into their everyday lives,” says Asheville landscape architect Mary Weber.

“It’s important to design our communities so that people of all ages and abilities can easily walk or bicycle throughout the city both for recreation and transportation.

Generally, if people incorporate healthy habits such as walking and/or bicycling into their regular routines as a child, they tend to carry these habits into adulthood, resulting in a healthier lifestyle.”

“I think we all need to remain hopeful that we’ll be able to

change this and turn things around,” says Bryant. “But again, it’s a combined effort ... not just from schools and medical providers, but from the entire community, parents and individuals as well. As long as we continue to work together, I think we’ll be able to see some change.” X

More Info Local School Health Advisory Council meetings are held the second Monday of each month at the Lenoir-Ryne University campus on Montford Avenue from 4-5:30 p.m.

More community organizations and programs involved in the fight against childhood obesity include: Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries; Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council (and member organizations); Asheville-Buncombe Institute for Parity Achievement; Asheville-Buncombe Youth Soccer Association; Arc of Buncombe County; Asheville Greenworks; Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project; Asheville City Schools; Asheville Area Bike & Pedestrian Task Force; Blue Ridge Bicycle Club; Buncombe Bike Ed Network; Bountiful Cities Project; Buncombe County Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Parks, Greenways and Recreation, Buncombe County Schools Child Nutrition; Buncombe County Health and Human Services, WIC Nutrition and the Office of Minority Health Equity Grant; MAHEC School Health; CarePartners Health Services; Asheville Parks & Recreation and Transportation; Community Care of WNC; FEAST/ Slow Food Asheville; Healthy Buncombe Eat Smart Move More Coalition; Innovative Approaches; Land of Sky Regional Council; MANNA FoodBank; Mission Health Community Investments, Health Education and Children’s Hospital Weight Management; North Carolina Center for Health and Wellness; Rainbow in My Tummy; Smart Start – Shape NC; Black Mountain Greenways Health Initiative; MountainTrue; WNC Pediatric Care Collaborative; WNC Trips for Kids; Youth Empowered Solutions (YES!); YMCA of Western North Carolina; and YWCA of Asheville.

SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

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Kick-start your health preventive health care

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STICK IT TO ME: Asheville resident Mason Scott gets an influenza shot from Lisa Waid, nurse at the Buncombe County Immunization Clinic on South French Broad Avenue. Photo by Clarke Morrison

BY CLARKE MORRISON clarkemorrison1@gmail.com Defending against infectious diseases remains a critical goal in a county that leads the state in the percentage of unvaccinated children, say Buncombe County health officials.

“We look at immunizations as the way we build a shield of protection around ourselves and our community against serious and potentially deadly diseases,” says Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, medical director of the Buncombe Department of Health and Human Services. “It’s important for children to be vaccinated, but there are vaccines that adults need as well.

By increasing the number of people in the community who have received their recommended immunizations, the hope is that we can keep out some of those illnesses that are popping MOUNTAINX.COM

up across the country, like measles and mumps, and keep our community members safe.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 732,000 American children were saved from death and 322 million cases of childhood illnesses were prevented between 1994 and 2014 due to vaccination. The measles vaccine has decreased childhood deaths from measles by 74 percent.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC recommend that healthy children get vaccinated against 14 diseases by age 2, with boosters later for some, along with an annual inoculation against the flu.

And yet, Buncombe County leads the state when it comes to unvaccinated children. Last school year, says Mullendore, 4.5 percent of the county’s kindergartners didn’t have all the state-mandated vaccinations.

SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

That’s more than four times above the North Carolina average of slightly less than 1 percent.

Dr. Mark McNeill, a family physician in solo practice in Asheville, says receiving immunizations is important both for the health of the individuals receiving them and the community as a whole.

“Immunizations have done more for the health of our community than likely all the doctors in our community combined,” he says. “Historically, diseases like influenza, measles, mumps, diphtheria and tetanus cause death and cause serious disability and harm. When people get their recommended immunizations, it goes a long way in helping to prevent them getting these diseases and protecting their overall health.”

Mason Scott, 28, recently received an influenza vaccination at the county’s Immunization Clinic on South

French Broad Avenue. The Asheville resident says he wants to avoid catching the virus as well as spreading it to others.

“My wife and I both work at public institutions where we come into contact with a lot of people every day,” Scott says. “And in our personal lives we have friends with young children or who are also caring for their aging parents. I don’t want to lose time with them for fear of taking home or carrying back a virus that I could have prevented. I don’t think that we should chance our own health or that of those around us. Many terrible things have happened in history because vaccinations and immunizations were not available. I would always want to be safer than sorrier.”

Mullendore says county health officials came up with the “shield of protection” slogan a couple of years ago as part of a campaign to increase immunization rates, especially among children. Parents of children entering kindergarten have to submit proof of required immunizations, and for the past 16 years the number of kindergartners who are not fully vaccinated has steadily increased, she says.

“We have led the state in this for a very long time,” she says.

In looking at reasons why this is the case, Mullendore cites the preponderance of alternative medicine practitioners such as chiropractors, naturopaths and acupuncturists. But she says she doesn’t consider parents who don’t vaccinate their children to be bad parents.

“I think everybody is trying to do right by their children, and I think we might just have a population that is more questioning of the Western medicine recommendations for vaccines and a population that is more into nature and natural stuff,” Mullendore says. “But the unfortunate thing about nature is that before vaccines, it was natural to get very sick and sometimes die. That’s what happens still in parts of the world where there aren’t vaccines. There is still polio or there’s still measles killing children every day in parts of the world.”

In the U.S. and other places where vaccines have become the norm, Mullendore believes people have become complacent about the harm that can be caused by infectious diseases. She points out that even though she’s a medical doctor, she’s never seen a patient with a case of the measles.

“We’ve kind of lost our fear,” Mullendore says. “My great grandmother lost a child to a vaccine-preventable disease, but in our current daily life we just don’t see that.”

Health officials also cite the internet’s role in spreading misinformation about vaccines, but Mullendore points out there are reputable online sources that explain the importance of vaccines and how they work.

“There are good resources out there that we encourage people to look at or to talk to — their medical provider or their child’s medical provider — because it does matter,” she says. “Every time there is a case of measles or mumps in our state or in surrounding states, we do tend to hold our breath waiting for that to come into our community. Every couple years it seems we have a big outbreak of pertussis, or whooping cough, locally.”

One factor feeding the “anti-vaxer” mentality is the myth that vaccines cause autism, says Mullendore. Fears about a link to the disorder go back to 1998, when an article published in a medical journal by British physician Andrew Wakefield claimed to find evidence that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine had caused autism in 12 children. While the research was later found to be fraudulent and Wakefield was stripped of his medical license, fears have persisted, prompting some parents to decide against getting their children vaccinated.

“Once misinformation is out there, it’s really hard to erase it from the public perception,” Mullendore says.

“So in spite of numerous studies showing there is no link, that myth still persists. “We try to counteract it, but it’s really difficult.”

The trend against vaccination became more evident with recent infectious outbreaks, including an outbreak of measles that began in Disneyland in California in 2014. Even though the government had declared measles eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, 159 children in 18 states were diagnosed with the disease.

When children enter school in North Carolina, parents have two options if they don’t want their child to be vaccinated. One is a medical exemption in which a medical provider must complete paperwork saying there is a legitimate medical reason why a child can’t be vaccinated for a particular illness; parents must turn the form into the state.

The other option is what’s called a religious exemption. Mullendore says parents who claim this one should have a bona fide religious reason; Christian Science is the only religion that has such a belief. And the state doesn’t require parents to prove they have a religious reason for avoiding immunizations.

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Kick-start your health preventive health care “You can’t make people prove their religion,” she says. “And there is no specific form that has to be filled out. It doesn’t have to be signed by any person except for the parent. If it’s not a real religious exemption, then I don’t think people should be using that.”

Mullendore says there has been a push in recent years in some states to do away with religious exemptions. A bill that would do that was filed in the last long session of the N.C. General Assembly, but it didn’t get far.

When there is an outbreak of a particular illness at a school, students with exemptions who might be at risk of getting sick can be sent home for three weeks or more or until the outbreak is over. Health officials strive to create what’s called “herd immunity” in the population.

“It’s the idea that if enough people in the community are vaccinated against a particular illness, that illness has a hard time breaking through and getting into the community,” Mullendore says. “The higher the number of people in the community who are vaccinated, the harder it is for those illnesses to come in and cause havoc.

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SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

“There are some people who can’t get vaccinated, like little babies,” she says. “Until they’re fully vaccinated, they’re at risk. Some people have weakened immune systems and can’t be vaccinated. That herd immunity can help protect those who are most vulnerable.”

McNeill, who serves on the executive committee of the Western Carolina Medical Society, says some of his patients are reluctant to get vaccinated, and he attempts to allay their concerns.

“Since immunizations began well over 100 years ago, there’s always been some level of anxiety surrounding immunizations,” he says.

“So this is not necessarily a new issue, but it has definitely become more of [one] recently, particularly in Buncombe County. Unfortunately there are a lot of myths and folklore that are circulating among certain communities in the area, and there also is a lot of just bad information coming from the internet and from nonscience-based providers in the community, and that leaves people confused. And on some level that’s understandable.”

McNeill says that when patients raise concerns about vaccines, he

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Center for Massage & Natural Health tries to answer their questions and understand where they might have gotten bad information. “And I just do my best to educate them on what the science tells us and what’s most healthy for them and their family,� he says. “I think our community attracts a lot of people who really value healthy lifestyles and also look for more what’s considered ‘natural’ ways of staying healthy. It’s kind of a cultural value here in Buncombe County, and I think with that comes some good things like healthy diets and exercise. “But unfortunately what comes with that are some suspicion of things that may be manufactured in a lab or in a factory, whether that be pharmaceuticals or immunizations,�

McNeill says. “And I think there’s some cultural fear around these vaccinations being non-natural.�

Mullendore is a mother who made sure her children were vaccinated. “I trust vaccines,� she says. “I believe in the importance of vaccines, and I want everyone in our community to benefit from them.�  X

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Kick-start your health preventive health care

TOOTH TALK

Local dentists offer tips for preventing oral health problems

BY CINDY KUNST info@clicksphotography.net Maintaining a healthy set of teeth and gums is a goal pretty much everyone shares. For this special wellness issue, three Asheville-area dentists share some of their wisdom about the best ways to build strong teeth, prevent cavities and generally take good care of your choppers. Their recommendations range from regular brushing and flossing, limiting sugary foods and drinks, and using either fluoride-containing or alternative dental products to strengthen tooth enamel.

Dr. Kani Nicolls, a dentist who’s practiced in Asheville for over 20 years, explains that a big part of dental health comes down to a tiny but complex ecosystem of bacteria. “There are at least 700 different kinds of bacteria in our mouths,” she says. When those bacteria stick to one another and to teeth and gums, she continues,

NOT SO SWEET: Sugar in liquid form, especially in sodas, is the worst thing for teeth, says dentist Mark Knollman. Photo

by Cindy Kunst

they create a “biofilm.” Even though it might not sound like it, that can be a good thing. “In a healthy biofilm the good bacteria keep the bad bacteria in check,” Nicolls says.

But without proper oral hygiene, the biofilm can take a turn to the dark side. In the absence of regular brushing and flossing, or if a person consumes a lot of sticky, sugary foods, the bad bacteria can overwhelm the good, Nicolls explains. When that happens, the bacteria mutate into a new form that secretes acids. Those acids can damage tooth enamel, leading to cavities and gum disease.

In addition to brushing, flossing and avoiding sugars, Nicolls says there are other ways to neutralize the acids that attack your teeth. Saliva contains bicarbonate, an alkaline substance that helps with normalizing the mouth’s pH after eating. Drinking water throughout the day or chewing sugar-free gum can help keep the salivary glands flowing, Nicolls says.

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Another aid Nicolls recommends is sugar-free chews that contain the alkaline substances arginine, bicarbonate and calcium carbonate. In addition to the ingredients that neutralize acid, the calcium in the chews helps strengthen tooth enamel.

Oral probiotics can also serve as an ally in what Nicolls describes as a benign form of germ warfare. Studies have found that people with healthy mouths have a distinct culture of oral bacteria. So researchers have analyzed the composition of the healthy biofilms in those people and replicated it in a probiotic product, Nicolls says.

NOW, SUGAR...

As a college chemistry major, dentist Dr. Mark Knollman says he learned, “If your goal was to destroy teeth, you would take a mild acid and sugar and put them together in a container and say, ‘Drink this.’ And it would rot your teeth out.”

Based on that lesson, Knollman continues, he assumed during the early years of his career that those who formed cavities were eating large amounts of candy, cookies and cake.

Now, after 28 years practicing dentistry, he says, “I don’t find many patients where that’s really the problem. Those are actually very few and far between.” The larger culprit, he explains, is the sugar people consume in liquid form.

In addition to sweetened sodas’ high sugar content, Nicolls says, these beverages generally include some combination of citric, carbonic and phosphoric acids.

“One sip of a soft drink can lower the pH in your mouth for up to four hours,” Knollman reveals. Therefore, people should limit sugary drinks as much as possible, he advises, noting that “water is healthy and cheap.

“For a lot of people that’s a big stretch — for them to switch from soft drinks to water. One option is to switch them to diet drinks. I’m not a big fan of artificial sweeteners because they come with their own set of problems, but they are slightly better for your teeth,” says Knollman.

sugar portion sizes to understand how it impacts their overall health.”

HOW ABOUT FLUORIDE?

GERM WARFARE: Oral probiotics can help counteract bad bacteria in the mouth, says dentist Kani Nicolls. Photo by Cindy Kunst The average 12-ounce can of soda contains over eight teaspoons of sugar. But ferreting out just what kinds and how much sugar a product contains can be challenging. Fructose, glucose, dextrose and maltose are just some of the names for sugar that show up on product labels, says Knollman. “The average consumer just isn’t educated about appropriate

Fluoride’s role in promoting dental health has been the subject of significant public attention — and controversy — since the U. S. first began introducing the chemical into public water systems in the 1950s.

Fluoride, Knollman explains, strengthens teeth by chemically changing the makeup of the tooth’s enamel. Natural, unsupplemented tooth enamel is made of a chemical crystal called hydroxyapatite, he says. The first part of that crystal, the hydroxide ion, can be replaced with a fluoride ion, creating a new crystal, fluorapatite — a substance that’s harder and “a lot more resistant to acid attack,” according to Knollman.

But the extent of remineralization can only go so far, he continues. “You can’t make it twice as hard by giving people twice as much fluoride.”

Though fluoride is toxic at higher doses, the federal Food and Drug Administration does not regulate the substance at 1 part-per-million, the amount added to public drinking water sup-

plies. At the same time, fluoride is also not regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency, which suggests appropriate levels for drinking water, since the substance is introduced during the treatment process rather than added directly to a body of water.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides public education for fluoride uses.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 34

Make a resolution to smile more in 2017.

We can help!

828.254.5677 600-B Centrepark Drive, Asheville, NC SPECIAL WELLNESS SECTION

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Kick-start your health preventive health care

29 N Market St. Asheville, NC 28801•828-552-3334

SHOPPING LOCAL never smelled so sweet!

Essential Oils Medicinal Herbs Extracts Flower Essences DIY Supplies

www.herbiary.com

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ALL WATER IS LOCAL

STARTING THEM YOUNG

Since no one federal agency holds responsibility for adding fluoride to public water systems, the decision to fluoridate or not is made at the local level.

Asked about his position on Asheville’s fluoridation practices, local dentist Dr. Phil Davis referred Xpress to a summary of his concerns about water fluoridation in a Sept. 18, 2015, editorial in the Asheville Citizen-Times.

“Exposure keeps adding up,” Davis wrote. “Fluoride has been added to toothpastes, mouthwashes, tooth sealants and other dental products. It’s in processed foods, commercial beverages made from fluoridated water, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and cigarette smoke. Today we know that nearly all of fluoride’s effect occurs via surface contact to teeth. Swallowing is not necessary. When fluoride is swallowed, healthy kidneys excrete about half. The remainder accumulates in the body over time.”

Critics of fluoridation point to a list of adverse health impacts of the long-term accumulation of the substance in the body, which they say include dental and skeletal fluorosis, lower cognitive function in children, hyperactivity disorders, and thyroid and other endocrine system disruptions.

Concerns also surround the type of fluoride used in community water treatment. The Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council asked Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer to stop adding fluoride to the local water supply in June 2015 (“Food Policy Council Urges Asheville to Stop Fluoridating Water,” Sept. 9, 2015, Xpress). In a letter, the ABFPC outlined its concerns: “The chemicals used to fluoridate water are not pharmaceutical grade (sodium fluoride). The form of fluoride added to the city water supply is hexafluorosilicic acid and is obtained from a chemical plant located in Spruce Pine.

Industrial-grade fluoride chemicals are classified as hazardous wastes and may be contaminated with various impurities, including arsenic.”

The ABFPC’s letter contends that by putting fluoride in the water “the dose cannot be controlled, as people ingest varying amounts of water. This is of particular concern for infants and young children and especially those consuming infant formula made with fluoridated water. Infants who receive formula made with fluoridated water ... may receive an estimated 175 times more fluoride than a breast-fed infant.”

According to the CDC, children under 8 years of age can develop a condition known as “dental fluorosis” from overexposure to fluoride while the permanent teeth are still developing under the gums. In its milder forms, the condition may appear as scattered white spots or thin white lines on the surface of a tooth. More severe forms can result in larger white patches or, rarely, a rough and pitted tooth surface.

Once permanent teeth have erupted, the risk of dental fluorosis is past.

Those who wish to opt out of fluoridated public water supplies can use water from springs, wells or other untreated water sources. Pitcher and tap-style water filters don’t generally remove fluoride from water. Reverse osmosis whole-house water treatment systems can remove the substance, but they are costly.

To minimize fluoride exposure, some people use fluoride-free toothpastes that contain xylitol, a sugar alcohol that reduces plaque on tooth surfaces. Other alternative tooth products contain calcium and phosphate, which manufacturers say also strengthen tooth enamel.

Despite the controversy surrounding fluoridation in public water supplies, Knollman says he thinks the use of fluoride has had significant public health benefits. “I have made a career basically out of taking care of baby boomers,” he says, “people who grew up pre-fluoride, and they have a ton of cavities.”

By contrast, he continues, “Now I see a bunch of people under 40 who think the dentist is just a place where you get your teeth cleaned and you get a free toothbrush twice a year. ... So this is my empirical evidence that fluoride has benefited this generation.”

While Nicolls says she respects the preferences of her patients who wish to avoid fluoride, she is on the same page as Knollman when it comes to the oral health benefits of fluoridation.

“I don’t think that oral hygiene is any better now than it ever was,” she confides. “But I think the kids that have fluoride are definitely more resistant to cavities.”

Nicolls recommends establishing oral care habits when a child’s first tooth appears. “As soon as children’s teeth begin to come in is the time to brush and clean them and begin healthy, positive dental experiences,” she advises. Parents shouldn’t wait until something hurts or a problem arises, she continues. “It is all about developing positive habits and a healthy oral health program.” X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Starts Jan 31st. 828-620-1188. www.WhiteWillowWellness.com

JANUARY 25 - FEBRUARY 2, 2017

ASHEVILLE PRIME TIMERS ashevilleprimetimers.com • MO (1/30), 6:30pm - Membership dinner. Register for location. $15/ Free for members.

CALENDAR GUIDELINES In order to qualify for a free listing, an event must benefit or be sponsored by a nonprofit or noncommercial community group. In the spirit of Xpress’ commitment to support the work of grassroots community organizations, we will also list events our staff consider to be of value or interest to the public, including local theater performances and art exhibits even if hosted by a forprofit group or business.

All events must cost no more than $40 to attend in order to qualify for free listings, with the one exception of events that benefit nonprofits. Commercial endeavors and promotional events do not qualify for free listings.

Free listings will be edited by Xpress staff to conform to our style guidelines and length. Free listings appear in the publication covering the date range in which the event occurs.

Events may be submitted via email to calendar@ mountainx.com or through our online submission form at mountainx.com/calendar. The deadline for free listings is the Wednesday one week prior to publication at 5 p.m.

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 ASHEVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY 761-2001 ext. 315, ashevillehumane.org • SA (1/28), 1-2:30pm - "Body Language Class," with dog behaviorist. Free to attend. Held at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville • SU (1/29), 11am-2pm - Monthly vaccine clinic for pets. $10-$15 per procedure (cash only). Held at the Asheville Humane Society, 14 Forever Friend Lane ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • FR (1/27), 5:30pm - Science Pub: “Meet Your Dog An Introduction to the Science Underlying Your Dog's Behavior,” presentation by Kim Brophey, applied ethologist. Animal adoption event with the Asheville Humane Society. Free to attend.

Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • Fourth FRIDAYS, 6pm - Animal rights reading group. Free to attend.

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY LIBRARY 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, 884-3151

ASHEVILLE SISTER CITIES 33 Page Ave., ashevillesistercities.org • SU (1/29), 3:30pm - Annual meeting. Free.

ASHEVILLE TOASTMASTERS CLUB 914-424-7347, ashevilletoastmasters.com • THURSDAYS, 6:15pm - General meeting. Free. Held at YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • MO (1/30), 10am-noon - "Itch to Stitch," needlework group. Free.

Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville

SCIENCE PUP: Come meet your new Asheville Humane Society best friend at the Asheville Museum of Science’s Science Pup pet adoption event Friday, Jan. 27, from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Following the adoption event, the science museum is hosting its regular Beer City Science Pub from 5:30-8 p.m. The event includes beverages from the Asheville Brewers Alliance and a presentation at 6:30 p.m. by applied ethologist Kim Brophey titled “An Introduction to the Game-Changing Science Underlying Your Dog’s Behavior.” For more information, visit ashevillehumane.org (p. 35)

• TH (1/26), 6:30pm - "Wildlife of Transylvania County," presentation by the Friends of DuPont Forest.

Free.

BENEFITS CELEBRATION SINGERS OF ASHEVILLE 230-5778, singasheville.org • Through MO (2/13) - Proceeds from purchasing a singing telegram Valentine's Day delivery featuring chocolate, roses and the Celebration Singers of Asheville benefit the Celebration Singers of Asheville.

Registration: 424-1463 or charmsfloral.com. $40-$200.

FLETCHER CHILI COOK-OFF 687-0751, fletcherparks.org • SA (1/28), 11:30am-2pm Donations collected at this chili competition and tasting benefit the Fletcher Park Development Fund which helps improve Fletcher parks. Free to attend. Held at Veritas Christian Academy, 17 Cane Creek Road, Fletcher HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • FR (1/27), 7pm - Proceeds from

this "New Orleans Baroque with a Modern Swing of Elegant Jazz," concert featuring music by Claude Boiling benefit the Hendersonville Community Theatre. $25-$2000.

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • SU (1/29), 3-5pm - Proceeds from the WNC Solidarity Concert, featuring live music by Tim Doyle and Aaron Price, benefit the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy. $10.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • WE (1/25), 10-11:30am - "Doing Business with the Government," workshop. Registration required.

Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • SA (1/28), 9am-noon - "Simple Steps to a Well-Run Business," seminar. Registration required: ashevillescore.org. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • WE (2/1), 11:30am-1:30pm "Insurance is Serious, but Serious Doesn’t Have to be Boring," workshop. Registration required. Free.

Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TH (2/2), 6-8pm - "Business Formation: Choosing the Right Structure," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler ASHEVILLE DOWNTOWN ASSOCIATION 251-9973, ashevilledowntown.org • TU (1/31), noon - "State of Downtown Luncheon," catered lunch and presentations by Joe Minicozzi of Urban3, Mayor Esther Manheimer and Buncombe County Commission Chair Brownie Newman. Registration required. $12-15. Held at US Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St. BLUE RIDGE HOLISTIC NURSES 989-4981, brholisticnurse@gmail.com • SA (1/28), 10am-noon - General meeting and topic "2017 Action and Advocacy." Retired, active and student nurses welcome. Free to attend. Held at EarthFare Westgate, 66 Westgate Parkway CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • TH (1/26), 4-6pm - “Tea and Talk," drop-in information session for those interested in applying for the Asheville City Board of Education. Information: Jackie. taylor@acsgmail.net. Free. Held at

the Asheville City School Central Office, 85 Mountain St.

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS POLE DANCE + AERIAL ARTS + FLEXIBILITY CLASSES AT EMPYREAN ARTS (PD.) •Exotic Pole Dance on Mondays 8:00-9:15pm •Beginning Pole on Wednesdays 5:30-6:30pm, Thursdays 11:00am-12:00pm, Saturdays 11:45am-12:45pm, and Sundays 5:45-6:45pm •Flexibility on Tuesdays 8:00-9:15pm and Thursdays 1:002:15pm. •Beginning Aerial Arts on Tuesdays from 11:00am-12:00pm and Wednesdays 4:15-5:15pm. Sign up at Empyreanarts.org.

UFOS AND THE SPACE BROTHERS (PD.) A Better World radio show. WPVM FM 103.7 and streaming on wpvmfm.org. Guest: Dutch author and researcher, Gerard Aartsen, author of: “Here to Help: UFOs and the Space Brothers” Thursday, January 26. 5-6pm.

WHICH FOODS ARE MAKING YOU SICK? (PD.) The Essential Cleanse: an AntiInflammatory Detox PLUS Discover Which of the 10 Most Commonly Reactive Foods are Affecting You.

MOUNTAINX.COM

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - "What's Up with Whiteness" discussion group.

Free to attend.

LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS' GUILD OF AMERICA 686-8298 , egacarolinas.org • TH (2/2), 9:30am - Monthly meeting and class on hardanger and pulled-thread bell pull. $10/Free for members. Held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe MARINE CORPS LEAGUE ASHEVILLE 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 MILLS RIVER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10 Presbyterian Church Road, Mills River, 891-7101 • Through TU (1/31), noon-8pm "Puzzlefest," event with 4,000 piece and 1,000 piece puzzles available for completion. Donations accepted for the "Wrapping up Warmth" clothing and blanket drive. Free.

ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (1/26), noon-1:30pm "Understanding Credit. Get it.

Keep it. Improve it." Workshop.

Registration required. Free.

• TU (1/31), 5:30-7pm - "Budgeting and Debt Class." Registration required. Free.

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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Who wants their kids to ask for fresh vegetables? We all do!

Learn how FEAST serves over 1,500 kids in 11 schools and afterschool programs.

FEAST Day at Second Gear

C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y

By Kat McReynolds | kmcreynolds@mountainx.com

Funky Formal

Saturday, Jan. 28th 11am – 5pm Proceeds of Sales to Support FEAST

444 Haywood Rd. West Asheville 828-258-0757 A consignment shop specializing in outdoor gear, clothing & footwear.

www.secondgearwnc.com

PLAY MONEY: Students at Francince Delany New School for Children will be invited to provide input regarding the playground coming to their campus. The scope of the project will depend, in part, on the level of funds raised at the Funky Formal event.

Photo courtesy of FDNSC WHAT: A dance party benefiting Francine Delany New School for Children WHERE: Isis Restaurant and Lounge WHEN: Friday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m. to midnight WHY: Francine Delany New School for Children — a charter school with a social justice mission, now celebrating its 20th year — provides a learning environment for 174 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“We only have one classroom per grade, so all of the students know one another, and the teachers know students even if they don’t have them yet,” says parent Tara Byassee, who is also an administrative assistant for FDNSC and volunteer organizer for the Funky Formal. “It feels like a little community.”

When the students go outside to play, however, they’ve got limited resources.

“Currently, we just have one swing set and a wooden play structure that was purchased for us by a family,” Byassee explains. “And it’s just outlived its lifetime.”

FDNSC will break ground on the campus’ final building this summer.

“So, while we have all of that construction work going, we wanted to finish out the playground,” Byassee explains.

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If all goes as planned, grants and the Funky Formal will help school leaders reach their $20,000 to $25,000 goal for the project.

“This is a fun-filled, dress-up dance party,” Byassee says of the upcoming fundraiser. “Guests can wear their funkiest or most formal outfits.”

The night’s main entertainment is Pop Quiz, a garage band of teachers from FDNSC and Vance Elementary School. After the band’s set of ’80’s and ’90s covers, DJ Ben Herring will continue the throwback music.

Though children are welcome to attend, Byassee says The Funky Formal is geared toward teachers, parents and other adult supporters. In fact, it’s a rare opportunity for these parties to mingle while not watching over youths, she says.

Tickets to the French Broad River Festival and LEAF are among the silent auction prizes, and the raffle will include four Disney Park Hopper passes, an Orlando vacation, a $500 cash prize, artwork from Jonas Gerard and the Westside Artist Co-op, and more.

Visit fdnsc.net for information or to purchase tickets ($10). Tickets are also available in-person at FDNSC or at the door. X

DANCE POLE FITNESS AND DANCE CLASSES AT DANCECLUB ASHEVILLE (PD.) Pole Dance, Burlesque, Jazz/Funk, Flashmobs! Drop in for a class or sign up for a series:• 6 Week Burlesque Series - Begins Jan. 24 • 4 Week Beginner Jazz/Funk to Bruno Mars - Begins Jan. 26 • 6 Week Intro to Pole - Begins Jan. 26 • Tues., Thurs. and Fri. at 12PM - Pole class for $10 • Memberships available for $108/month • 1st class free with the mention of this ad DanceclubAsheville. com • 828-275-8628Right down the street from UNCA - 9 Old Burnsville Hill Rd., #3 STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 4pm Ballet Wkt 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 7pm Classical Ballet Series 8pm Bellydance with Veils Series • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 12pm 80/90s Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Bollywood 6pm Bhangra Series 7pm Hula 8pm Lyrical Series • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4pm Girls Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm West African Drumming 7pm West African • Friday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 4:30pm Kids Jazz • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • Sunday 4:30pm Dance party 6:45pm Electronic Yoga Wkt • $13 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $6. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www.studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595 SWING ASHEVILLE swingasheville.com • TUESDAYS, 8-11pm - Jazz N' Justice: Beginner swing lessons at 8pm. Open swing dance with live jazz at 9pm. $10 beginner lesson/$5 open dance. Held at The BLOCK off biltmore, 39 South Market St.

ECO 24TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 10-12, 2017. Keynotes: Gabe Brown & Matthew and Althea Raiford. UNCA. 140+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate sessions on organic growing, homesteading, farming. Trade show, seed exchange, kid’s program. Organicgrowersschool.org.

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Ecopresentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place FRIENDS OF HICKORY NUT GORGE 685-8798, friendsofhng.org • TU (1/31), 6pm - "Environmental Effects of the Party Rock Fire," panel presentation by environmental experts. Free. Held at the Community Hall in the Lake Lure Municipal Building, 2950 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure WNC SIERRA CLUB 251-8289, wenoca.org • WE (2/1), 7-9pm- Presentation by Drew Jones, with Climate Interactive, regarding on the national and international progress to address global warming. Free.

Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN LIVING WEB FARMS 891-4497, livingwebfarms.org • SA (1/28), 1:30pm “Understanding Biochar,” workshop about how small scale biochar can become a profitable enterprise on a farm or homestead. Held at Living Web Farms, 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • SU (1/29), 3pm - Steven A. Frowine presents his book, Orchids for Dummies. Free to attend.

WEST ASHEVILLE GARDEN STROLL westashevillegardens.com, scott.millerswoodworks@gmail.com • Through TU (1/31) - Grant applications accepted for for garden projects in West Asheville by citizens, community groups, neighbor collaborations, schools, businesses and youth groups. Contact for more information: chas.jansen@ mtsu.edu.

FOOD & BEER FARM-TO-TABLE DINNER WITH CHEF JOHN FLEER (PD.) SUN. FEB. 12TH 3:30-8:30PM, hosted by Organic Growers School. Celebrate Valentine's Day. Dancing with Cailen Campbell.

Workshop with Meredith Leigh. Artisan Menu. Gather in Community. http://organicgrowersschool. org/events/farm-to-table-dinner/ register/ MCDOWELL COUNTY SENIOR CENTER 100 Spaulding Road, Marion • MO (1/30), 6-8pm - Community stakeholder dinner meeting to discuss and draft program plan for a "Community Food & Health Hub." Registration required: 828652-8104. Free.

FESTIVALS FOLKMOOT USA 452-2997, folkmootusa.org • SA (1/28), 6-8pm - "Chinese New Year Celebration," with dinner, crafts and traditional activities. $10/$8 children/$35 for families of four or more. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 5pm - Citizens-Police Advisory Committee meeting. Free. Meets in the 1st Floor Conference Room.

Held at Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St.

KIDS ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • 2nd & 4th FRIDAYS, 9-9:45am - "Little Explorers Club," guided activities and free play for preschoolers. $3.50 per child/Free for caregivers.

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. 675 Merrimon Ave., 254-1281, ashevillebrewing.com • SA (1/28), 10:30am-noon "Asheville Kids Make Movies," event featuring stop-motion animations and live action shorts made by Asheville area children. $3/$10 per family.

BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 296-7335 • SA (1/28), 11am - Storytime featuring the book, I'll Never Let You Go. Free to attend.

• SA (1/28), noon-2pm - "LEGO Batman Movie Event," with lego focused activities for children. Free to attend.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • Through WE (2/8) - Submissions accepted for the 90-Second Newbery Film Festival. See website for guidelines: 90secondnewbery.com/.

• SA (1/28), 10:30am - Freedom Songs: The Music of Black History, presented by Bright Star Touring Theatre. For ages 8 and up.

Registration required. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • SA (1/28), 1pm - African Folktales, presented by Bright Star Touring Theatre. For ages 3 and up. Registration required. Free.

Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • SA (1/28), 3:30pm - Freedom Songs: The Music of Black History, presented by Bright Star Touring Theatre. For ages 8 and up.

Registration required. Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18

month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 4-5pm "After School Art Adventures," guided art making for school age children with the Asheville Art Museum. Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • TH (1/26), 10am - Shadowland,

by Pilobolus. Recommended for Grades 3–12. $9.50.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Rd, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am Family story time. Free.

HANDS ON! A CHILDREN'S GALLERY 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 697-8333 • TU (1/31) through TH (2/2), 10am-5pm - "Happy Groundhog Day," activities for children.

Admission fees apply.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am - Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend.

RIVERLINK 252-8474, riverlink.org • Through MO (3/20) Submissions accepted for the annual Voices of the River Art and Poetry Contest for pre-K to 12th grade students. Contact for full guidelines.

SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com • SATURDAYS, 11am - Storytime for ages 3-7. Free to attend.

OUTDOORS LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126 Nebo, 584-7728 • SU (1/29), 1pm - "Winter Plant Hike," ranger led .75 mile easy hike. Free.

PARENTING ASHEVILLE AIRPORT Terminal Drive, Fletcher • Through SA (2/11) - Open registration for the "Wings for Autism" familiarization program for people with autism spectrum disorders and their caregivers. The event gives participants a realistic air travel experience in a safe, con-

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

37

C OMMU N IT Y CA L E N D AR trolled environment. Registration: flyavl.com/wings.

PUBLIC LECTURES BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/ depts/library • WE (1/25), noon-1pm - “Sex, Lies & Snake Oil: The strange career of Jackson County’s 'Doctor' John Brinkley,” presentation by historian Jon Elliston.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library - Lord Auditorium, 67 Haywood St. • TH (1/26), 6-7:30pm - "Solutions to Workplace Bullying and Discrimination," workshop with Dawn Westmoreland. Free. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road OLLI AT UNCA 251-6140, olliasheville.com • FR (1/27), 11:30am - Fab Friday: "Personal Safety 101," presentation by Asheville Police Department officer. Bring your own lunch. Free.

PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • WE (1/25), 5:30-7:30pm -

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

by Abigail Griffin

"Looking At My Past, I Found My Future! A Story To Tell," presentation by Alexander Chisholm Guibault regarding life growing up on the streets and in the orphanages of Guatemala. Free.

Held in the Karpen Hall Laurel Forum

SENIORS COUNCIL ON AGING OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, INC. 277-8288, coabc.org • FR (1/27), 2-4pm - "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop.

Registration required. Free. Held in the Reuter Center at UNC Asheville • TU (1/31), 2-4pm - "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop.

Registration required. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, 2579 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville OLLI AT UNCA 251-6140, olliasheville.com • MO (1/30), 2pm - Elder Fraud Prevention: "How Not to Become a Fraud Victim," presentation.

Free. Held in the Reuter Center

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St., Asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 1:30-4pm - "Bid Whist," card players club. Free.

• FRIDAYS, 12:30-3:30pm "Canasta," group card game gathering. Free.

• TUESDAYS, 2-3pm - "Senior Beat," drumming, dance fitness class. For standing or seated participants. $3.

• THURSDAYS, 1-2pm Contemporary line dancing class.

Join anytime. $5 per class.

SPIRITUALITY ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY (PD.) Deep within everyone is a wellspring of peace, energy and happiness. With proper instruction anyone can access that rejuvenating inner source -­ effortlessly - and enjoy great results from meditation. Learn how TM is different from mindfulness, watching your breath, common mantra meditation and everything else.

NIH-sponsored research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened well-

Magical Offerings 675 Hr. Massage Program Begins in April Discount Available!

AshevilleMassageSchool.org 828-252-7377

Jan. 25 - Tarot Reader: Jonathan Mote, 12-6pm Jan. 27 - NEW MOON Psychic: Andrea Allen 12-6pm Jan. 28 - Book Signing: Tres Vota w/ Maryella, 3-5pm Jan. 30 - Astrologer: Spiritsong, 12-6pm Jan. 31 - Tarot Readers: Byron Ballard, 1-5pm Bobbi Oshun, 5-6pm

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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being. Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut, 828-254-4350 TM.org or MeditationAsheville.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.

METAPHYSICAL COUNSELING AND ENERGY HEALING (PD.) New to Asheville. 33 years experience. Pechet Healing Technique: experience intuitive counseling and energy work directed toward permanent resolution of core issues! Trauma, depression, anxiety and more.

Call today. Ellie Pechet, M.Ed. 508-237-4929. www.phoenixrisinghealing.com AVALON GROVE 645-2674, avalongrove.org, avalongrove@gmail.com • SU (1/29), 3pm - Celtic Christian holiday service to honor Imbolc. Held at private home.

Contact for directions. Free.

CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • 4th FRIDAYS, 10am-noon 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.

CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 27 Church St., 253-3316, centralumc.org • WEDNESDAYS until (3/29), 6pm - Yoga class witha focus on faith and spirituality. Free.

CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC creationcarealliance.org • MONDAYS (1/30) through (3/6), 7-8:30pm - Conversations on climate change and the poor and discussing Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Free. Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. JUBILEE COMMUNITY theblockoffbiltmore.com • WE (2/1), 6-8pm - “Going Deeper - Exploring Themes of Fulfillment,” discussion with Jubilee Community Church. Bring readings to share. Free to attend.

Held at the Block off biltmore, 39 South Market St.

SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113, 2005120, asheville.shambhala.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10-midnight, THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 10-noon - Meditation and community. Admission by donation.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • TH (1/26), 7:30pm - "Listen to This," storytelling series hosted

by Tom Chalmers. $15.

ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth.net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - N.C. Writer's Network group meeting and networking. Free to attend. Held at Cork & Keg, 86 Patton Ave. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • First THURSDAYS, 6pm - Political prisoners letter writing.

Free to attend.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (2/2), 6pm- Bullet Journaling workshop with Clara Boza. Free to attend.

MECHANICAL EYE MICROCINEMA mechanicaleyecinema.org • SU (1/29), 1-3pm Screenwriting workshop with filmmaker Arpita Kumar. $30.

Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Through MO (1/30) Submissions accepted for the 2017 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize.

See website for full guidelines.

• Through WE (2/15) Submissions accepted for the Doris Betts Fiction Prize. Contact for full guidelines.

• FR (1/27), 7pm - NetWest program poetry and short story open mic. Sign-ups at 6:45pm.

Free to attend. Held at City Lights Bookstore, 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva

SPORTS SOCCER REFEREE TRAINING (PD.) Referees needed throughout Western NC. Minimum age 14. More information: Ed

Guzowski at guzowski@charter. net • Register here, complete the online training: Go to website: http://ussfnc.arbitersports.com/ front/102762/Site

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Literacy and English language skills help people rise out of poverty and support their families.

Volunteer and give someone a second chance to learn. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 2/22 (9:00 am) or 2/23 (5:30 pm) by emailing volunteers@litcouncil. com. www.litcouncil.com BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (1/26), noon - Information session to learn more about volunteering to share interests twice a month with a young person from a single-parent home or to mentor one hour per week in elementary schools and after-school sites.

Information: 253-1470 or bbbswnc. org. Free. Held at United Way of Asheville & Buncombe, 50 S. French Broad Ave. HANDS ON ASHEVILLEBUNCOMBE 2-1-1, handsonasheville.org • TH (1/26), 11am-12:30pm Volunteer to serve a homemade lunch to veterans. Registration required.

• TH (1/26), 4-6pm - Volunteer to assist with unpacking and pricing merchandise in a fair-trade retail store. Registration required.

• SA (1/28), 9am-noon- Volunteer to help pack food items into backpack-sized parcels that are distributed to local schools.

Registration required.

• TU (1/31), 4-6pm - Volunteer to assist with unpacking and pricing merchandise in a fair-trade retail store. Registration required.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • 1st THURSDAYS, 11am "Welcome Home Tour," tours of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population.

Registration required. Free to attend.

MOUNTAINTRUE 258-8737, wnca.org • TU (1/31), WE (2/1) or TH (2/2), 10am-4pm - Volunteer to help plant live-stakes along eroding riverbanks. Registration: mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/ For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

EMPYREAN ARTS HAYWOOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

WELLNESS LET YOUR LYMPH SYSTEM WORK FOR YOU (PD.) Clear stuffy heads, heal quicker, reduce stress, detoxify, decrease fluid retention.Discover Manual Lymph Drainage Massage with Jean Coletti, PT. 828-273-3950.

ColettiPT.com ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER 8 Brookdale Road, ashevillecommunityyoga.com • SA (1/28), 12:30-2:30pm “The Bandhas: Harnessing Source Vitality,” yoga workshop. $20.

262 Leroy George Drive Clyde, 456-7311 • TH (1/26), 5pm - Tired leg and varicose vein program.

Registration required: 452-8346.

Free to attend.

• WE (1/25), 10am-1pm - Dropin Marketplace Enrollment education event with one-on-one assistance available. Free, Held in the Student Center Held at Haywood Community College, Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville MEDITATION IN ASHEVILLE

CHARLES GEORGE V.A. MEDICAL CENTER 1100 Tunnel Road • FR (1/26), noon-2pm - Mental health resource fair. Free.

1070 Tunnel Road, Building 2, Unit 20, 668-2241, MeditationInAsheville.org • SA (1/28), 10am-1pm “Handling Difficult People with a Peaceful Mind,” workshop. $20/$15 seniors and students.

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1245 Sixth Ave., W. Hendersonville, 693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am - Walking exercise class.

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62 Charlotte St., 855-733-3711 • WE (1/25), 6-8pm - Workshop to assist LGBTQ people with enrolling in the Affordable Care Act and learning more about their health care options. Free.

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QIGONG/CHI KUNG COMMUNITY PRACTICE GROUP allen@ashevilleqigong.com • FRIDAYS, 9:30am - Qigong/ Chi Kung class. All levels welcome. Free to attend. Held at The Alternative Clinic, 23 Broadway RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVES redcrosswnc.org • WE (2/1), 9am - Appointments & info: 1-800-REDCROSS. Held at Haywood Regional Health and Fitness Center, 75 Leroy George Drive, Clyde

Beginning Pole Sun 5:45-6:45pm Wed 5:30-6:30pm Thur 11am-12pm Fri 7:15-8:15pm Sat 11:45am-12:45pm Intermediate Pole Wed 6:45-7:45pm Exotic Pole Dance Mon 8-9:15pm Pole Spins & Combos Mon 6:45-7:45pm

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TAOIST TAI CHI SOCIETY taoist.org/usa/locations/asheville • TU (1/24), 9:30-10:30am or TH (1/26), 9:30-10:30am - Beginner tai chi class and information session for the class series.

Admission by donation. Held at Asheville Training Center, 261 Asheland Ave., (Town & Mountain Realty Building) VEDA STUDIOS 853 Merrimon Ave., (Upstairs), 708-4382 • FR (1/27), 6pm - “The Shadow Series: A New Moon Gathering Envisioning 2017,” vision-board workshop with Toni Hartman. $33.

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

39

GREEN SCENE

CAUTION: HOT LIQUIDS

By MICHAEL GEBELEIN A special report from Carolina Public Press and Mountain Xpress The federal government’s plan to transport weapons-grade liquid nuclear waste through Western North Carolina may be on hold once a Washington, D.C., judge rules on a lawsuit from several regional environmental groups.

The parties to the lawsuit argued that the Department of Energy violated the National Environmental Policy Act by planning to transport nuclear waste in relative secrecy. The plaintiffs also accuse the government of justifying its proposal with a cursory and insufficient environmental impact study, based on outdated research.

Opponents of the shipments said this would be the first time that weaponsgrade, highly enriched uranium in a liquid form has been transported in this way.

They warn that the government’s containers for the waste are untested and dangerous. The containers have only previously transported solid nuclear waste.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit wrote that, in the “worst-case circumstances” like a breach of one of the containers because of an accident during the journey, the waste could become agitated and fission might occur, leading to extremely high temperatures that could rupture the tanks, spilling nuclear waste onto the ground or into a water system.

The lawsuit said the Canadian government will pay the Department of Energy $60 million as part of the proposal, to help maintain U.S. nuclear storage facilities.

The Chalk River Laboratories power plant in Ottawa, Canada, created the

Radioactive waste could travel through WNC

HIGH-RISK CARGO: This transport truck and cask, inset, have been used to move solid radioactive waste. If the Department of Energy moves ahead with current plans, the cask will be retrofitted to hold liquid radioactive material on its journey from Canada to South Carolina. Images from a 2015 DOE report waste during its production of medical isotopes for use in diagnostic tests.

The shipments would be bound for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site nuclear facility near Aiken, S.C. — a journey of more than 1,000 miles.

QUESTIONABLE SCIENCE The Department of Energy published a report in 2015 claiming that the

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“potential environmental impacts” of transporting the nuclear waste would be “very low” and that no “radiological or nonradiological fatalities” would be expected should trucks carrying the nuclear waste travel from Chalk River to the Savannah River Site.

But the report relied on citations from articles that are nearly 20 years old to make its case, activists have complained.

The government also argued that the change in the state of the nuclear waste, from a solid to a liquid, makes little impact on the safety issues associated with transporting it.

Based upon those determinations, the Department of Energy argued, the law doesn’t require an environmental impact study. However, activists said flaws in the government’s studies and the lack of public input violate federal regulations.

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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A federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia heard oral arguments in the case in Washington on Wednesday, though she made no ruling at that time.

Canadian nuclear expert Gordon Edwards testified that less than 2 ounces of this material would be enough to render 510 million liters of water undrinkable under current Environmental Protection Agency regulations, according to the Nuclear Information and Resource Service’s Asheville office, which opposes the plan.

That would represent “a tiny fraction of the 242 liters in each of the 100-150 truckloads from Chalk River to the Savannah River Site,” Edwards said.

UNCERTAIN ROUTE Despite the litigation, there’s already a chance that the shipments could bypass Asheville entirely.

The most direct route from Chalk River to Aiken is south on Interstate 81 through Syracuse, N.Y., to Fort Chiswell, Va., and south on Interstate 77 through Charlotte to Columbia, S.C., and west on Interstate 20 to Aiken. The trucks could also take Interstate 95 through Washington to Interstate 20 in Florence, S.C., or Interstate 79 through Pittsburgh to Interstate 77 in Virginia.

Local activists say federal regulations will prohibit the shipments from passing through a large population center like Charlotte, meaning the nuclear waste might have to pass through Asheville on Interstate 26.

Federal officials don’t make the routes of trucks carrying nuclear waste public knowledge.

WHAT’S AT STAKE If the federal courts do side with the plaintiffs and order a new impact study, the victory for environmental advocates could be hollow.

The result might be only a delay in the project while the study is performed, if the study finds that the risk associated with transporting this type of nuclear waste is minimal.

However, the groups opposing the plan hope that a new study will instead find that the nuclear waste is too dangerous to move, according to Sierra Club Wenoca chapter President Maryanne Rackoff.

The shipments, of which there could be more than 150, would each be carrying almost 60 gallons of liquid isotopes of iodine, plutonium, cesium and strontium, “and other dangerous products that must be kept from

becoming airborne or waterborne,” according to a letter several WNC environmental advocacy groups sent to Gov. Roy Cooper.

Those materials also include small amounts of the highly enriched uranium used in nuclear weapons, the letter noted. The Energy Department would ship the waste in four 15-gallon containers inside a larger steel crate.

POLITICAL SUPPORT The groups that contacted Cooper’s office on Jan. 11 to request that he also demand a new environmental impact study from the federal government included the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Clean Water for NC and MountainTrue.

The signatories to the letter argued that a spill or accident would devastate both the environment and the region’s economy.

“As you know, the WNC economy is heavily tied to our local food and beverage production, and the status of the mountains as a place for health,” the letter said.

“A nuclear accident in this area could decimate the economy based on health and visitors seeking outdoor recreation.

“Nonetheless, the release of even a tiny portion of the waste on one of these hundred-plus shipments could mean a very expensive, likely disruptive statewide outcome for North Carolina, let alone personal harm to health or property of individuals.”

As of press time, Cooper’s office had not responded to the letter.

Having a newly elected governor’s input could help convince the judge that the situation requires a new environmental study, Rackoff said in an interview for this article.

“Cooper could intervene as a party plaintiff and oppose the shipments based on their unprecedented format of transportation,” she explained.

“Those would be heavy boots that would jump into the litigation. ...

Tourism is our central commodity. It’s a beautiful area, and we all want to protect North Carolina and the mountains.”

Asheville City Council also plans to pass a resolution against the transport of nuclear waste through the city, Rackoff said.

Julie Mayfield, an Asheville Council member and the co-director of MountainTrue, will introduce the council’s resolution, according to Rackoff.

The activists are also approaching Buncombe County commissioners, asking them to take a similar public stance. X

MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

41

FOOD

HOME PLATES

Asheville restaurants set the table with locally crafted ceramics

BY GINA SMITH gsmith@mountainx.com Restaurateurs have long supported neighborhood artisans by enlisting them to create their signage and décor. But the ceramic vessels that hold Asheville’s locally sourced works of culinary art have largely remained standard-issue, industrially produced dinnerware.

While many chefs would undoubtedly prefer to present their fare on unique, handcrafted dishes, there are plenty of reasons — including everything from price points to practicality — why this can prove problematic. But in recent years, a new trend has been developing in Foodtopia.

ORGANIC EVOLUTION Working with restaurants is a major part of East Fork Pottery’s business plan, which has been evolving since potter Alex Matisse and his wife and business partner, Connie, founded the Marshallbased studio in 2010. Connie Matisse has a restaurant background (she used to manage at Table and has worked at restaurants in New York City and Los Angeles since the age of 15), and the couple have a love of good food.

Plus, she says, “All of our friends in town are chefs or farmers. So it’s a perfect fit.”

It’s been just over two years since The Market Place chef and owner William Dissen kicked off East Fork’s food-industry collaborations with an order of shinoglazed dinner plates from the pottery’s 36-foot anagama wood-fired kiln. Since then, the Matisses have painstakingly refined their process to create a distinctive line of hand-thrown yet stackable and durable gas-fired stoneware dishes. They’ve also recently opened a retail space on Lexington Avenue and begun to massively scale up their production.

In Asheville, in addition to The Market Place, East Fork now also provides tableware to Cucina24, Curate, Gan Shan Station, Table and The Montford Rooftop Bar. Plus the small team of potters, led

by Alex and operations and finance

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

BOWLED OVER: Cúrate and Nightbell chef and co-owner Katie Button says that being able to customize her dinnerware was a major factor in choosing to work with Alex Matisse and his Marshall-based East Fork Pottery. “We can talk about the type of food we have and the types of colors and textures and things we’re looking for in the restaurant, and he makes it happen,” says Button. Photo by Connie Matisse director John Vigeland, is busy with projects outside WNC, including a new coffee shop in Charleston, S.C., and accounts as far afield as Canada, the United Arab Emirates and Southern California.

“We get maybe 10 restaurant inquiries a week,” says Connie Matisse. “We wish we could fulfill them all, but there are only five people in the workshop. … It’s been hard to say no to some really cool-sounding projects.”

A major challenge for East Fork right now is increasing capacity while continuing to offer a high-quality, sturdy handmade product. It’s becoming fashionable throughout the industry for restaurants to use locally made pottery, says Matisse, “But a lot of other [ceramics] places use more industrialized processes. ...

Because our stuff is still thrown on the wheel, there’s only so much of it we can make. So we’re working out that equation.”

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SIZE MATTERS For Cúrate co-owners Katie Button and Felix Meana, the desire to have customized tableware prompted them to seek locally made pottery last summer. “A big part of why we are using somebody local is because you can get whatever you want, whatever size is going to fit your concept,” Button explains.

The pair had struggled with finding the perfect-sized tapas plate for guests at Cúrate — most commercial dinnerware companies only sell plates that are 6 or 8 inches in diameter. “Six inches is just a little too small — but that’s what we’d gone with historically and just lived with it — and 8 inches is too big. … So having Alex make a 7-inch plate is awesome,” says Button.

Aesthetics were also a draw. “The things [Alex Matisse] does are so beautiful,” she says. “They’re rustically elegant, which is what we’re

trying to do with our entire space.”

Button and Meana spent time out at East Fork working with the potters on shapes and glazes to convey exactly what they wanted.

Button says she is now considering purchasing East Fork dishes in a different color palette for her other restaurant, Nightbell. And the soon-to-expand Cúrate is completely transitioning to Matisse’s pottery.

“We’re still going to have a mix of wood and slate and those things, but as far as ceramics go, we’re slowly becoming 100 percent East Fork,” she says.

PRACTICAL THINGS The burgeoning demand for locally made dinnerware in Asheville’s swelling restaurant scene would seem to be a ripe opportunity for the area’s many ceramics artisans. But it’s not that simple, says Matisse.

LOCAL TIES

DISHING IT OUT: Warren Wilson College ceramics professor Leah Leitson, fourth from right, is pictured with students, from left, Ivan Resnick, Caitlynn Lancaster, Sam Doughtery, Steffanie Riggs, Anna Aresco, Emily Cline, Alex Boyd and Calixta Killander with the dinnerware pieces the class made for Gan Shan Station just before it opened in December 2014. Since then, the partnership has continued, and each semester, class members are invited to the restaurant for a 10-course tasting meal served on their pottery. Photo by Martin Tatarka “The challenge [for the individual potter] is making pots consistently in a way that restaurants can use,” she says. “They need to stack well, they need to fit in the dishwasher really, really well, they all need to look fairly similar ... they all need to be the same size. So the consistency really has to be there, which is why I think a lot of potters don’t mess with it.”

It’s also a matter of interest, she points out. “Some people don’t want to be making the same pots all the time. But for us, that challenge is really the exciting part of it — really trying to dial things in and making them as perfect as we can.”

Laura Cooke, a potter at Clayspace Studio in the River Arts District, is dipping a toe into the waters of restaurant production: She was recently commissioned by Chestnut to make a series of plates for featuring daily specials.

Cooke has done other restaurant projects, including vases and singular items for Buxton Hall Barbecue and King Daddy’s Chicken & Waffles. But the Chestnut order has been trickier.

Some of the shapes requested are not part of her current production line, “so I’ve had to come up with how to make those,” she says. “I’m trying

to make them aesthetically pleasing and also meet [the restaurant’s] specifications for size.” She has made several prototypes but is not yet satisfied with them.

Despite the initial hiccups with this order, Cooke says she would be interested in working more with the restaurant industry, but she’s not going to focus exclusively on that market.

“It’s a nice kind of project,” she says, “but I’m not going to base my business model on trying to put my dishes in restaurants.”

LUNCH AND LEARN Yet learning the skills necessary to produce dishware for restaurants could be an asset to up-and-coming potters. Since chef Patrick O’Cain opened his Pan-Asian eatery, Gan Shan Station, on Charlotte Street two years ago, he’s been regularly partnering with some budding clay artisans from Warren Wilson College. He works with instructor Leah Leitson to give participants in her upper-level ceramics class a final project that focuses on crafting functional ware for use in a restaurant setting.

Each semester, O’Cain talks to students about Gan Shan Station’s aes-

thetic theme and what he looks for in dinnerware. The students then set about producing sets of eight matching pieces — any shape or style they want, as long as it’s suitable for use at the restaurant.

The results run the gamut from earthy stoneware in tones of gold and brown to delicate white porcelain with deep-blue Asian motifs. But all pieces are added to the eclectic tableware collection at Gan Shan, which includes ramen bowls from East Fork and platters from Asheville potter Melissa Weiss as well as some commercial items.

Although the students aren’t paid for the pottery, the project is a quid pro quo. At the end of each term, O’Cain treats the entire class to a 10-course tasting meal at the restaurant, all served on the dishes the students created.

Leitson says the project is a valuable experience for the students. “It increases their skill level, because it’s more difficult to do more of something — it’s more difficult to make a set of eight than making one or two,” she says. Plus, she adds, it’s thrilling for them to see food being served to other customers at the restaurant on the plates they made.

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For O’Cain, the collaboration with Leitson and her students is more than just a cool way to source dinnerware for his eatery. “It’s been a rewarding relationship for everyone involved, I think,” he says. “There’s a certain level of intimacy that ties us back to the community that I really believe is a part of the mission of the restaurant.”

And although East Fork’s accounts aren’t limited to the Asheville area, Connie Matisse says home is where her heart is. “The fun part for us is really looking at what the chefs make — the food they make and the style of cuisine — and making new pieces that are just for them,” she says, noting the dramatic orange Montford Mule cups East Fork makes for The Montford Rooftop Bar and the widerimmed pasta bowls it produces for Cucina24.

“I’ve got so many projects in my head that I’d love to do eventually, but for now it’s fun keeping things local and being able to intimately know the chefs who are using our work. And,” she adds with a grin, “being able to eat off of it when we go out to dinner.” X

melaasheville.com 70 N. LexiNgtoN aveNue 828.225.8880

mojokitchen.biz JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

43

FOOD

nickjames.w@gmail.com

by Nick Wilson

IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Zappers Pizzeria & Bar opens soon in the old Frank’s Roman Pizza spot in East Asheville Zappers Pizzeria & Bar will debut in East Asheville just in time for Super Bowl weekend. The restaurant is taking over the 90 S. Tunnel Road location that housed Asheville landmark Frank’s Roman Pizza for nearly 40 years until it closed in November.

Zappers will sling authentic New York-style pizza alongside classic pasta dishes, subs, salads and bar food staples like chicken wings and mozzarella sticks. The new restaurant will also prominently feature two flat-screen televisions for sports and entertainment, as well as a massive full-service bar serving cocktails, wine and a variety of local and national beers.

The restaurant is the creation of Asheville resident John Falk II. Falk is the co-owner of Whitley Home Medical Equipment in Hendersonville, and while this marks his first professional foray into the food and beverage industry, he comes from a family well-versed in the pizza business. Falk’s father owns Zappers Pizzeria in Shady Spring, W. Va., where his brother, Justin Falk, gained 15 years of experience tossing pizzas.

“I was just ready to do something on my own,” says Falk. “And a pizza business made a lot of sense considering I can work closely with my brother and consult with my dad.”

Falk also notes that even though the Asheville Zappers will share the same name as his father’s West Virginia location, it will feature a totally different menu and recipes.

Falk and his brother, who recently relocated to Asheville from West Virginia, will tag-team running the operation, and he says that overall the business will involve the whole family. “I’ve got some incredible cooks in my family,” says Falk.

“My wife and father-in-law are really great cooks as well, so we’ve got a lot of great recipes to pull from. And my wife actually found the location after hearing that Frank’s closed,” says John. “No one could believe Frank’s closed down.”

Frank’s Roman Pizza was originally founded by Frank Palmeri in 1977. “Frank came straight from New York,” says Falk. “Before him

44

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

PIE GUY: Zappers Pizzeria & Bar owner John Falk II proudly displays the old oven doors and pans that were used at Frank’s Roman Pizza, which closed in November. Photo by Nick Wilson there was only a Pizza Hut in town.”

Palmeri eventually retired in 2001, passing along the business to longtime employee Barry Gardner.

Despite having a lot of faithful followers, Frank’s closed in November amid controversy between Palmeri, who still owns the property, and Gardner. In the end, Gardner says, “I was tired and ready to move on to the next chapter of my life,” after having spent “a wonderful 28 years in the industry.”

Although the name of the business is changing, Falk says Palmeri is pleased the pizza tradition will continue in the space. “Frank was excited to see another pizza place take over. He’s a really cool guy,” says Falk.

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Falk and his brother have been feverishly renovating and remodeling the location since November. The kitchen was in dire need of an overhaul, and the whole space needed repainting and general modernization, says Falk. But an effort is definitely being made to maintain some elements from Frank’s.

Falk says he and his wife had been fans of Frank’s Roman Pizza and love the idea of paying homage to the former location at Zappers. “I kept Frank’s old oven doors and pizza pans — these things are probably 40 years old — and I have them mounted up on the wall,” says Falk.

A major feature of Zappers will be a sprawling wooden bar. Falk worked

with Sunrise Sawmill in Asheville to create 13 6-foot slabs of solid oak to use for the bar surface. “They’re beautiful and probably weigh about 300 pounds per piece,” says Falk.

Zappers also contains a large back dining area that will slowly be renovated over the coming months, and Falk says he eventually wants to create a stage in the back for live music.

“I think we’ll really become known for our bar and pizzas,” he says. “We have an amazing brick oven and are really excited about our pizza sauce and other ingredients.”

The pizzas will be made with buffalo milk cheese, tomato paste, pepperoni and items imported from Italy. “The sauce we’ll be a combination of things and will really create that amazing New York-style texture in your mouth,” Falk says.

Traditional pasta dishes like penne alla vodka and spaghetti and meatballs will also be featured along with entrées like chicken Parmesan.

Meatball and other subs will also be served along with a variety of salads and appetizers.

Falk says he plans to have some fun with the menu and mix things up. “Actually, Frank Palmeri Jr., who I’ve been dealing with a lot, had a special request for the menu.

He said, ‘There’s nowhere in town where I can get a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.’ So we’re still going to be a pizzeria, but I told him we’ll have a Philly cheesesteak — ‘Frank’s Philly cheesesteak’ — on the menu, with Cheez Whiz and everything, the authentic way,” says Falk with a laugh.

The neighborhood pizza joint will be open daily for lunch and dinner, with eventual plans for a delivery service. The business will celebrate its grand opening with a Super Bowl Sunday special all day on Feb. 5 — two large two-topping pizzas, plus an order of wings and a 2-liter soda for $19.99.

Zappers Pizzeria & Bar is at 90 S. Tunnel Road. For details and updates on the opening, like the restaurant on Facebook or call 828-298-5855. X

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Celebrating the Year of the Rooster The Chinese New Year — also know as the Lunar New Year or Spring Festival — occurs each year between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20. Its exact date is determined by the lunar calendar and is marked by the second full moon following the winter solstice. On Saturday, Jan. 28, festivities will be held around the globe to celebrate the commencement of 2017 — the Year of the Rooster.

The Waynesville-based nonprofit Folkmoot will be among those ringing in the Chinese New Year.

The organization, in partnership with Western Carolina University’s Office of International Programs and Services, will host an affordable, family-oriented evening of Chinese food, arts and activities on Saturday, Jan. 28. Advance tickets are $8 for kids, $10 for adults and $35 for families of four or more. Ticket prices at the door are $10 for kids, $12 for adults and $40 for families.

Clyde-based restaurant Da Asian Kitchen will prepare the menu, which will include egg rolls, fried rice, white rice, vegetable and chicken stir fries, spring rolls, noodles and dessert. “We’re also going to have dumplings that the International Department will bring,” says Elizabeth Burson, a member of programming and group relations at Folkmoot.

Burson notes that in Chinese tradition, serving dumplings during a New Year’s celebration is considered good luck.

In addition to providing dumplings, members of Western Carolina University’s Chinese faculty will perform alongside some of the school’s Chinese exchange students. “They plan to perform ‘Jasmine Flower.’ ... This song dates back to the 18th century and has acquired many regional variations,” says Burson.

The event will also include a discussion on Chinese lanterns and a workshop on how to make them, as well as finger painting and Chinese character writing activities.

Burson points out the importance of this event as part of Folkmoot’s ongoing commitment to bring cultural diversity to WNC. “The core of everyone’s being is our culture,”

rienced WNC farmers. The event will include a potluck lunch. Participants are asked to bring a dish to share.

Farm Dreams Workshop runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, at LenoirRhyne University, 36 Montford Ave., Room 314. Tickets are $55. For details and tickets, visit avl.mx/3bj.

NEW ASHEVILLE INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS BOARD MEMBERS

ENCOURAGING CULTURE: In 2015, the Lanzhou Stars Dancing Ensemble performed for Folkmoot. A similar performance will be part of Folkmoot’s Chinese New Year celebration this week. Photo by Patrick Parton she says. “It’s what connects us to our own people as well as the world.

That’s what Folkmoot strives to do.

No matter what differences we have, there’s always at least one similarity you can find that makes us alike and can bring us together and create peace and understanding.”

The Chinese New Year celebration runs 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville. For tickets, visit avl.mx/3bi.

“Our goal is to support independent, local restaurants as Asheville continues to gain a reputation as a national culinary destination,” says Asheville Independent Restaurants’ President Kevin Westmoreland in a recent press release. Along with this mission statement, the organization announced the newest members of its board of directors: Kate Bannasch of Copper Crown, Rick Guthy of Wicked Weed, Charlie Hodge of Sovereign Remedies and Ole Shakey’s, Bryan McIntosh of The Biltmore Co. and Kim Murray of Westmoreland and Scully.

For more information about AIR, visit airasheville.org or contact the AIR office at info@aisasheville.org.

MEDEA’S REAL FOOD CAFE CLOSES After two and a half years, Medea’s REAL Food Cafe in South Asheville has closed. The eatery and coffee shop specialized in pressed juices, fermented kvass and bone broths. In a letter to its customers, owner Medea Galligan offered gratitude and encouragement to her former patrons: “[I] can only hope that ... I was able to show you that real food can be both delicious and nourishing.” Galligan, who has 20 years’ experience as a health coach, will continue to work in the community through her personalized health coaching programs. She offers a free initial consultation for those who complete a health history on her website, medeasrealfoods.com. She is also offering a 10 percent discount for those who sign up for her health coaching program before Feb. 1.

To learn more about Galligan’s health coaching programs visit avl.mx/3bk PUBLIX AT WEAVERVILLE PLAZA The Publix supermarket at Weaverville Plaza, 165 Weaver Blvd., will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The ribbon will be cut at 7 a.m. X

Rezaz Wine Bar

FARM DREAMS WORKSHOP The Organic Growers School will host its next Farm Dreams workshop on Saturday, Feb. 4, at LenoirRhyne University’s Asheville campus.

The entry-level, five-hour session is intended for those interested in starting their own farm. The class will look at sustainable farming careers in WNC, offer farming skills and resources, provide an educational plan for farming, connect participants with regional training opportunities, assist in goal setting, and provide insight and advice from expe-

Wine Flights & Local Draft Beer Come Grab a Bite to Eat Open at 4:30 Thursday – Saturday 28 Hendersonville Rd | 828.277.1510 MOUNTAINX.COM

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BEER SCOUT

FOOD

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

Field trip Asheville’s brewing industry continues to attract more and more visitors each year. Now it’s garnering attention from academia as well.

During the week of Jan. 16, the 25 students of Miami University’s Farmer School of Business’ Supply Chain Craft Brewery Field Study class and professors Rhett Brymer and Rocky Newman were in town for the third leg of their winter program. The course is designed for students at the Ohio college interested in the supply-chain processes (sourcing, economies of scale, sustainability, environmental responsibility and distribution) associated with the U.S. brewing industry.

Having already visited breweries and met with various industry figures in the greater Denver, Colo., and Portland, Ore., areas, the group went to Oskar Blues Brewery in Brevard, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Mills River and Asheville’s New Belgium Brewing and Highland Brewing Co. Students were also given free time to explore other breweries in downtown Asheville and speak with employees, incorporating the independently acquired information into their final projects.

Newman, who teaches supplychain management, got the idea for the course after connecting with a Deschutes Brewery brewer at an event during the company’s expansion into Ohio. Upon learning what Newman did for a living, the Deschutes representative said if Newman was ever out in Portland, he’d be happy to take his students on a tour. The next week, Newman starting working on making that visit and a corresponding course a reality. The first iteration was a hit and, now in its third year, the course has expanded to loop in Brymer’s specialty as well.

“I teach strategy, and it’s all about what kind of decisions are the top management team making,” Brymer says. “How do you organize your company so it beats other companies in the marketplace? The problem with strategy is so many students really don’t get it quite yet because they haven’t been in many organizations, so they’re not familiar with various industries.”

One way to make concepts understandable for students, Brymer con-

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Ohio’s Miami University business class visits Asheville breweries

LEARNING THE PROCESS: Upslope Brewery owner, entrepreneur and Miami University alumnus Matt Cutter discusses his experiences with the craft brewing industry with business students in Boulder, Colo. Miami University students studying brewing industry supply-chain processes recently visited Asheville-area breweries as part of their course work. Photo by William Newman tinues, is to zero in on one industry and examine its various facets. “What we can figure out in the beer industry applies to every other industry,” he says. “It’s principles, and when you get done, you understand competition, how firms differentiate from each other, who’s winning in the marketplace, why they’re winning. They can see it up close and personal with the beer industry more so than any other industry we can think of.”

Students have to be at least 21 years old and have 15 prior hours of business classes to take the field study. Brymer and Newman hold information sessions for the course and advertise 11 months in advance. Students pay the regular rate for six hours of tuition, plus fees for air travel, hotels and other necessities, putting down a $500 deposit in March.

Since it’s not a brewing class, however, certain introductory knowledge is required before heading out for tours and tastings. At the end of the fall semester, two of the six two-plus-hour sessions cover the history of beer, the brewing process, the economics of beer and scale, industry-specific terminology (e.g., ABV, IBU) and beer styles.

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In addition to brewery visits throughout their three regional stops, students toured the Brewers Association in Boulder, Colo., an Oregon hops farm and a yeast supplier, and had executives from large and small distributors as guest speakers. In response to their instructors’ request that they find two industries to compare to brewing in order to generalize the concepts learned, they took a self-guided tour of Portland’s Tillamook Cheese Factory — whose packaging floor resembles that of a brewery — and checked out the bakery at Asheville’s Rhubarb restaurant to learn how liquid bread’s more straightforward cousin is made.

Assignment-wise, the students have to write a short paper most days and five groups of five people will give presentations when they return to the Oxford, Ohio, campus at the end of the month. Two group papers are also required, one of which is a strategic analysis of a brewery from the tour.

The other centers on Oxford’s Quarter Barrel Brewery, which the class visited multiple times before flying out west.

Mindful that Quarter Barrel is about to significantly expand its production to 500 barrels, Brymer and Newman asked

their students to keep an eye out for patterns during their brewery tours.

They are then expected to offer one piece of business advice to Quarter Barrel, including specific problems and solutions.

While the established brewing history of the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest areas make them obvious class destinations, the professors say Asheville is just as notable for its own reasons. Newman had been to New Belgium many times before creating the course, was familiar with Sierra Nevada in Chico, Calif., and soon made a point of visiting the original Oskar Blues facility in Colorado.

When all three businesses chose to open second locations in Western North Carolina within a matter of months, he and Brymer couldn’t help but take notice.

“We thought, ‘That’s remarkable.

There’s something there,’ and we had that confirmed when we started looking at the confluence of your highways — [interstate highways] 26, 40 and you’re not far from 75 and 95. From a distribution standpoint, you’re right in the middle of it. The laws in North Carolina make it much are more feasible to do than they would in South Carolina. The water table is on par with any place in country — your factors are kind of coming together in a perfect storm,” Newman says.

Meanwhile, Brymer sees parallels between Asheville and the class’s other stops in that people who love brewing are also drawn to the culture of the area. “You see it with how many craft breweries were there before Sierra Nevada, New Belgium and Oskar Blues chose to come there.

Culturally, it’s a cool place,” he says.

“People from Denver or Boulder, when they go out east, if they were to choose a spot to hang out in, it would be Asheville. We were at Oskar Blues, and they were saying a big reason they chose Asheville was because they’re big mountain bikers.”

Brymer’s also impressed by the camaraderie among local breweries and residents’ commitment to local products: “The fact that there’s more Highland drunk in Asheville than Budweiser also sort of speaks to the emphasis of that segment of the industry.” X

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A R T S & E N T E R TA I N M E N T

(IN)SIGHTSEEING

Hood Tours share the history and future of black Asheville

BY ALLI MARSHALL amarshall@mountainx.com The idea for Hood Tours — a guided walk or drive through both contemporary and historic black Asheville — came out of a conversation DeWayne Barton had with his mother. The tour guide and Hood Huggers International founder had asked his mom to share some local history. As the conversation about Asheville’s African-American neighborhoods, businesses and initiatives unfolded, she grew sadder and sadder with the realization that so many of those landmarks and stories have been lost to time and the changing face of the city. During February, in honor of Black History Month, the tour — which grew out of that discussion — will be provided for free to residents of the historically African-American neighborhoods it visits.

“We try to tell the history, what’s going on right now and what the future plans are,” Barton says. “Asheville is bigger now than it was in the 1920s.

How can we be growing this much and still forget about these small pockets of the African-American community?”

The tour begins at the StephensLee Recreation Center, the building that used to be the gymnasium of the former Stephens-Lee High School, the only high school in Western North Carolina for African-Americans at the time of its construction in 1922. Barton refers to the school — razed in 1975 following integration of the education system — as “The Castle on the Hill,” a powerful platform for the AfricanAmerican community. But though its alumni included community leaders such as Oralene Simmons, county Commissioner Al Whitesides, musician Clifford Cotton and civil rights lawyer James Ferguson, nearly all of the awards and accolades garnered by the student body were destroyed when the school was torn down.

Similar examples of destruction to features of the black community are noted throughout the tour.

“How can we reinvest in these areas?” Barton asks, and he’s not speaking rhetorically. He would personally love to see the McDowell Avenue property once known as Rabbit’s Motel — a soul food restaurant and social hub — owned and operated again by members of the local African-American community. Barton, a spoken word

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HERITAGE AND HOPE: Hood Tours founder and guide DeWayne Barton poses with a sculpture at the Burton Street Community Peace Gardens. In poor areas, especially those with histories of violence, “There should be a green space, a space of beauty where we can go and process information,” he says. Photo by Adam McMillan artist, author and artist himself, also points to the auditorium of the Arthur R. Edington Education & Career Center as a space that, with refurbishment, would provide a platform for the community to hold performances and stage theatrical productions. “How do we contribute to the growth of the city and tie into the growth in a way that can build back these historic African-American neighborhoods?” It’s worth noting that, while U.S. Census Bureau statistics reveal a substantial population increase among most racial groups in Buncombe County, the growth of its black citizenry — just 6.6 percent of the county’s overall populace — lags behind.

The tour does offer hope: The bustling Edington Center houses community-based development organization Green Opportunities (which Barton cofounded), the GO Build workshop, the Southside Kitchen and the Southside Community Garden. Barton shares his own poetry with those on the Hood Tours van; he also features, at an Edington Center stop, HomeWord Youth Slam Team member Devin Jones, who has

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performed his poetry at the Brave New Voices festival in Washington, D.C. “We want to focus on arts, the environment and social enterprise,” Barton says of the tour, which boasts the tagline “Art Driving Social Change.”

“The arts play a powerful role in engaging people and [are] a therapy tool. … The environment, because we’re going to have to reconstruct how we do things, buildings, behaviors,” says Barton. “What are the historical things that have happened in and around the environment, what’s going on now and what are the trends in the future?”

Looking at nature-based solutions, Hood Tours include a visit to the Carver Edible Park — named for George Washington Carver — built in 1997 on what was essentially a trash pile in the East End community. It’s currently managed by Bountiful Cities Project with help from the Buncombe Fruit and Nut Club. There are also stops at a community orchard planted at Hillcrest Apartments — a neighborhood especially cut off from the rest of Asheville due to the routing of

Interstate 26 — and the Pisgah View Peace Garden, which provides produce to that public housing community.

Pisgah View Apartments is considered to be within a “food desert” (an urban area where it’s difficult to buy quality or affordable fresh food), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Near the Livingston and ErskineWalton community, on Asheville’s Southside, Barton points to Green’s Convenient Store. The shop was opened by a graduate of Stephens-Lee High School who, despite his education and service in the U.S. armed forces, could not find employment in his hometown.

His entrepreneurial spirit helped to feed a community that once boasted 14 grocery stores, according to Barton. Now it, too — though just a stone’s throw from both downtown Asheville and the River Arts District — is a food desert.

Gardens help address that situation.

And in poor areas, especially those with histories of violence, “There should be a green space, a space of beauty where we can go and process information. A healing place where we can get a fresh car-

rot,” says Barton. He created the Burton Street Community Peace Gardens, an open-air art and agricultural plot, with that idea in mind.

Though much of Asheville’s historic African-American neighborhoods and landmarks were lost to urban renewal — city planning initiatives that demolished swaths of buildings deemed “blighted” rather than investing in refurbishment — Barton endeavors to prevent such patterns from repeating. “In the Burton Street community, when they tore down the Blue Note Casino that was built by E.W. Pearson, who did remarkable work in the city, it put more fire under me,” he says. “We need to protect these spaces and highlight these spaces.”

Hood Tours make a stop at Triangle Park on The Block, once the AfricanAmerican business center. The wedge of property sits across from a lot that recently sold to hotel developers; the city of Asheville leases the park from its private owner and is currently in talks to renew that lease. The park’s boundaries are marked with a mural created by Molly Must in collaboration with community organization Just Folks. Each panel shows an important moment in Asheville’s African-American history, from work crews formed of formerly

enslaved people, to the arrival of education advocate Isaac Dickson, to the nightclubs that once hosted soul and R&B artists such as The Commodores and The Bar-Kays.

It’s a good place for Barton to pose a number of questions. “How do you create networks of connection and support?” he asks — something a tour attendee can’t help but begin to ponder.

Hood Tours reveal that the diminishing presence of black Asheville and that community’s narrative in this city’s story is a devastating loss to the local community as a whole. “If we don’t know the history of what was done before, how are we going to correct that future and do it a way that will value community and place?”

Barton’s hope — even as his tour reveals disparity and deficit — remains infectious. “I see so much potential, so much opportunity,” he says.

Driving tours run most Thursdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at noon, or by appointment for groups of up to nine, $25 per person. Walking tours of the Burton Street community, downtown and Shiloh are available for groups of five-25, $20 per person. Info and reservations at hoodhuggers.com X

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LADY OF LAUGHS

super bowl sunday • sound on!

• open til game ends • food truck

by Kat McReynolds

Comedian Erin Foley headlines Funny Business’ first relocated show For the first five years that she did stand-up comedy, Erin Foley subscribed to two guiding principles: “Try to be funny and don’t throw up before you get onstage.”

Now, 12 years later, and with bodily functions under control, Foley has a solid reputation on a national scale, thanks in part to performances on “Conan,” “@midnight with Chris Hardwick,” “Chelsea Lately” and “Comedy Central Presents,” which aired her special. She’s also done punch-up writing (peppering jokes into existing scripts) for sitcoms and acting work in addition to completing the first 150 episodes of her own female-focused podcast, “Sports Without Balls.” On Saturday, Jan. 28, she’ll return to Asheville for a performance at The Grey Eagle.

“You have to not sleep, be prepared to live on a budget forever and have about 18 jobs,” she says of her Los Angeles-based hustle. “The good thing is I like them all, for the most part.”

Stand-up, however, remains Foley’s preferred method of delivering laughs, and it’s an art form that’s evolved since her early days. While Foley held off on potentially contentious topics to start, coming out publicly as a lesbian provided a natural transition toward more socially charged material.

“When you get more confidence onstage, you go, ‘Oh, well, now I feel like I can tackle more things that interest me that are maybe a little bit controversial,’” she says.

Politics made their way into the mix around 2000, “and now I want to talk about that all the time,” Foley says. “The problem is part of the audience doesn’t want to hear it, so you have to be careful about how far you’re going to go. ... Now, more so than ever, I have to really figure out a plan. Because people are going to go to comedy shows so they can escape — right? — the Trump regime.”

Still, much of Foley’s catalog tends toward the lighter side of life: a Sunday morning “toptional” pool party, hipster-chemist-hybrid-baristas or her theory that Vegan Cooking for One is the most depressing book ever written. There’s also the wouldn’t-it-be-funny-if brand of joke, wherein she imagines off-color situations like a football player pointing to

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KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE: Depending on the city she’s performing in, Erin Foley says she adjusts her material to respect the crowd. “I made an Alamo joke in San Antonio a couple years ago. They did not like it. So, I won’t be doing that again,” she says. But, “I would feel comfortable, knowing Asheville, that I could push the envelope and do a little bit more.” Photo courtesy of the artist Lucifer, instead of God, after scoring a game-winning touchdown.

A forté of Foley’s is her ability to get into the heads of the eccentric individuals who wind up in her anecdotes, though she says she’s usually recounting, rather than exaggerating, their personalities. In a particularly inspired bit, for example, she

takes on the crazed energy of a Los Angeles resident amid a 45-day meat juice cleanse. “When I meet people that are so over the top or they take things so seriously or get wound up about something, it makes me laugh so hard that just literally mimicking what I’ve seen makes me happy,” Foley says. “It’s not even an inten-

tional [attempt to] build a character. It’s like, ‘Look at this jackhole that I just saw last week. This is what happened.’”

Surprisingly, Foley pays little attention to her nonverbal mannerisms during these moments, though they enhance her stage show significantly. Instead, she records shows as audio and later reviews the files to analyze words and phrases, their placement and overall delivery. “What happens to my body up there, I never have control of,” she says, calling performing an otherworldly experience. “I don’t even remember what I’ve said. That’s why I have to tape everything.”

For her Asheville show, Foley plans to pontificate on the presidential election, news, sports, her living situation with a twin sister and three cats, and more during a set that’s filled with new jokes.

And she’s particularly excited to share the bill with two women: Jen O’Neill Smith and colleague Blaire Postman, whom Foley invited to the gig. “I usually work with five dudes,” she reflects.

The trio of ladies will be the first to usher the Funny Business comedy series from The Millroom — where it amassed a following over three years by presenting artists like Tom Green, James Adomian, Sara Schaefer and Steve O — to The Grey Eagle, where additional growth is possible.

“The capacity went from 200 at The Millroom to 250 at The Grey

Eagle,” says Greg Hardin, an independent representative for corporate accounts with Funny Business Agency, the company that presents the series. “And we do have the possibility of doing two shows per night there. ... So, that opens us up to the chance of getting bigger acts.”

Hardin points out that Funny Business’ Valentine’s Day show will also feature two female comedians: Wendy Wroblewski and Grayson Morris, both of whom have opening slots before headliner Bengt Washburn.

“Comedy tends to be male-dominated, and I’ve always wanted to combat that,” Hardin says. “There are enough guys in comedy doing guy humor. I want to hear some other points of view.” X

WHO Erin Foley with Jen O’Neill Smith and Blaire Postman WHERE The Grey Eagle 185 Clingman Ave. thegreyeagle.com WHEN Saturday, Jan. 28, 8 p.m. $15 advance/$18 day of show

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by Tony Kiss

avlbeerguy@gmail.com

JEEVES SAVES THE DAY Dear old Jeeves, the loyal and resourceful valet in the long-running series of stories by P.G. Wodehouse, is back on duty at Asheville’s N.C. Stage Company with much of the familiar cast that helped make his visit last season an unprecedented success.

Jeeves in Bloom runs through Sunday, Feb. 19. The comic tale has the valet and his wealthy employer Bertie heading to the English countryside to visit the lovesick Gussie, who is desperately trying to win over the lovely Madeline Basset. Of course, the visit goes wildly off the tracks, and it’s up to Jeeves to save the day, as he always does.

Though the tale is set more than 90 years ago, there’s something about Jeeves that seems timeless. Asheville loves the characters, as does director and N.C. Stage co-founder Angie Flynn-McIver, who started reading Wodehouse as a teen. (Both last year’s and this year’s shows were written and adapted by Margaret Raether, based on Wodehouse’s fiction.) “You can see a lot of Monty Python and other great English comedians [in the Jeeves tales],” Flynn-McIver says. “That was a huge draw for me.”

Jeeves and Bertie were envisioned in 1915 and written about until 1974.

“The Wodehouse stories live outside of time,” Flynn-McIver says. “They are almost fairy tales, light confections.

They are escapism. There is an attraction to looking back at that period.

“These are people falling in love and getting in trouble, and that is something that we can all relate to.”

“There just seems to be a resurgence of interest in that period with [the TV show] ‘Downton Abbey,’” says N.C. Stage co-founder Charlie FlynnMcIver, who plays Gussie.

“Downton” was “more serious in how it examined the differences in social classes,” he says. “There is something familiar about the story and how Jeeves takes cares of Bertie.

The servant knows more than those around him. It unfolds in a smart and intelligent and funny way. The humor ranges from the sublime to the flatout silly. There is fanciful and witty wordplay and moments of slapstick.”

Revisiting the Jeeves oeuvre presented an opportunity for Charlie to partner with his old friend Scott Treadway (who reprises the role of Bertie). The two have teamed in many shows through the years. “It’s great to find another vehicle where we can work together,” he says.

The cast also includes Michael MacCauley, back as Jeeves and, returning in new roles, Callan White and John Hall, joined by company veterans Trinity Smith and Strother Stingley.

When N.C. Stage produced Jeeves Intervenes last year, it became the biggest blockbuster in the company’s 15-year history. Before that, N.C. Stage’s major hit had been the quirky rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a million light-years away from Jeeves and company. But Angie never doubted that the savvy valet would connect with Asheville theater fans.

“These characters are an endless amount of fun. It’s always hard to keep from laughing in rehearsal,” she says. Plus, strong word-of-mouth buzz also helped build turnout, and “It’s hard to go wrong with Charlie and Scott and Michael in a comedy.”

Treadway, who is one of Western North Carolina’s top professional

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The faithful valet and his gang return to N.C. Stage

“VERY GOOD, SIR”: P.G. Wodehouse’s wry hero returns in the production Jeeves in Bloom. From left, Charlie Flynn-McIver, Michael MacCauley and Scott Treadway portray the clueless gentlemen of leisure and the savvy valet who saves them from themselves.

Photo courtesy of N.C. Stage. actors with many credits at Flat Rock Playhouse and N.C. Stage, was eager to slip back into the character of Bertie. “He is such a free spirit,” Treadway says. “He does whatever he wants to do, and if he oversteps a bound, Jeeves will help him out.”

Having played the part last year was a big advantage in taking the role on again, he says. “The way that words come out of your mouth is so joyful. The language is delicious.”

Beyond the performance, Treadway is glad to be working again with N.C. Stage. With his schedule, “I only get to do one show a year in Asheville,” he says. “It’s almost like sneaking away to be with my friends. I walk into the rehearsal space, and we barely even nod or say hello, and it’s like we just finished the last [show]. The eight months between shows just flies by.”

It’s possible that even after Jeeves in Bloom, local theatergoers won’t have seen the last of the Wodehouse set. “There is at least one more script from the same playwright,” Angie says. “We have hit on something that is very popular.” X

WHAT Jeeves in Bloom WHERE N.C. Stage Co. 15 Stage Lane ncstage.org WHEN Through Sunday, Feb. 19. $16-$40

A&E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

LOOPED IN The career of violinist and singer Gaelynn Lea got a big boost when she won last year’s Tiny Desk Contest. That allowed her to perform on the popular NPR podcast hosted by Bob Boilen. More than 6,000 artists submitted homemade videos, and the Minnesota musician’s entry stood out among those of her competitors. On the heels of that breakthrough performance, Lea’s national tour brings her onewoman show to Asheville. She’ll perform at The Grey Eagle on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Lea makes music in two very different styles. As The Murder of Crows with guitarist Alan Sparhaw, she incorporates elements of indierock and folk. And on her own, Lea uses violin and looping pedals to create a hypnotic, ambient drone over which she applies her high, clear vocals.

Lea has a medical condition called osteogenesis impefecta (brittle bone disease) and is of small stature. Because of her size, she had to develop a different approach to playing the violin. Working with her music teacher in elementary school, she devised an upright playing style similar to that used by cellists.

Even as a kid, Lea wasn’t intimidated by the violin, a notoriously difficult instrument to master. She laughs and says, “I probably didn’t know any better!” She believes that learning a musical instrument when one is young means not being burdened by the idea of limitations.

“Since you have no prior experience, it’s almost better in a way,” she says.

Lea’s first several years with the violin were spent in the classical idiom, working with sheet music.

But when she moved toward traditional fiddle music, she began to develop her skills of playing by ear.

“That’s what allowed me to get into folk and rock music,” she says. “I don’t ever use sheet music when I’m playing with another person.”

Lea’s trademark sound involves laying down a musical foundation with her violin, looping it with an electronic pedal, and then adding more violin lines and vocals in real time on top of that. The result is a sometimes otherworldly mix of acoustic and electronic textures.

“Alan introduced me to the idea of

Violinist Gaelynn Lea brings her solo performance to Asheville

FIDDLING WITH ATMOSPHERE: Duluth, Minn.-based Gaelynn Lea leveraged her successful appearance on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts into a bravura one-woman tour featuring violin, looping pedal and voice. Photo courtesy of the musician a looping pedal; after playing together for about a year, he gave me one of my own,” Lea says.

The violinist doesn’t shy away from discussion of her disability; in fact, she’s an activist and a public speaker on the subjects of accessibility, life balance and music. But she doesn’t define herself through her disability, either.

“For me personally, disability is not a primary identifier,” she says. Lea concedes that she identifies with disabled people as a group, but “on a daily basis, I think more about being a musician than I do about being in a wheelchair.”

In addition to The Murder of Crows’ 2012 Imperfecta EP and some online tracks by her old band Snöbarn, Lea has released four albums under her own name. Her solo debut was All the Roads That Lead Us Home, released in 2015. That disc showcases the atmospheric vibe of Lea’s music. The folk textures are filtered through heavy reverb, an effect more commonly associated with rock music. That was a conscious choice for the violinist.

“It’s all natural reverb, though,” Lea says. “I recorded it in a cathedral called Sacred Heart.”

Everything on that album was recorded live in the church. “Because there’s no way to ‘track’ [overdub] a looped album,” she says.

Lea is careful not to let technology overwhelm the organic feel of her instrument. “Even if people don’t really know what looping is,” she says, “I want to make music that’s sonically interesting and to reach a wider audience.”

THE GEEK THE COLLECTOR THE ENTHUSIAST THE FANatic THE connoisseur THE aficionado

Simultaneously operating the pedal and playing the violin requires a good bit of focus and concentration. Lea admits that she has to remind herself, “‘Well, I’ve got to press the button right now; otherwise, this is not going to work!’” But after incorporating the pedal now for more than three years, she says she’s growing more comfortable with it every day.

“It took me 2 1/2 years to feel like I could bring it out in public by myself,” she says. But once she did, it opened up a lot of musical possibilities. “It gave me an an opportunity to perform solo.”

Touring in various venues across the country, Lea does encounter accessibility challenges. And she believes that those obstacles can sometimes discourage disabled people from pursuing a life in music. “There’s not as much access to music if you have a disability,” she says. “I know there are a lot of very creative people with disabilities, and I’d like to see them become more represented.” X

WHO Gaelynn Lea with Oh Jeremiah WHERE The Grey Eagle 185 Clingman Ave. thegreyeagle.com WHEN Tuesday, Jan. 31, 8 p.m. $12 advance/$15 day of show

Mr. K’s

BUY • SELL • TRADE

Used Books, CD’s DVD’s & more Over 10,000 SQ FT of used books, CDs, DVDs, collectibles, video games, audio books, vinyl records, comic books & more!

GET YOUR FIX. VINYL RECORDS, CDS, DVDS MOUNTAINX.COM

800 Fairview Road Asheville (River Ridge Shopping Center)

299-1145 • www.mrksusedbooks.com JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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SMART BETS

A&E

by Emily Glaser | Send your arts news to ae@mountainx.com

Southern Insecurities Sometimes laughter is the best therapy.

That’s the perspective of Krish Mohan and David Coulter, two D.C.-area comics who will stop in Asheville on their “Southern Insecurities” tour. They’ll tackle heavy topics like politics, race and religion in their two distinctly different stand-up routines. “David’s a storyteller and talks about attempting to be a better person. My material is more political and philosophy-based and talks about breaking stigmas of mental health,” explains Mohan. Though both comedians get personal, it’s with the hope of being relatable to a wide audience.

“We’re both talking about not just our insecurities, but societal ones as well.”

The show takes place at The Block Off Biltmore on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8 p.m. $10/$12. A portion of proceeds will benefit the American Civil Liberties Union. theblockoffbiltmore.com. Photo of Krish Mohan by Tara Arseven Photography

Marching Church Marching Church from Copenhagen, Denmark, embarks on its first U.S. tour this month in support of the group’s second album, Telling It Like It Is. The band has evolved greatly since its inception as a solo project headlined by Iceage’s Elias Bender Rønnenfelt — the expanded group’s latest record is pure, fun rock ’n’ roll. It’s an intentional departure from the band’s debut studio album, This World Is Not Enough, which explored a series of sounds and styles from metal to jazz-fueled and bass-heavy alternative. Telling It Like It Is includes cinematic and energetic rock songs with lively guitar reminiscent of early ’80s-era The Cure. Marching Church will play The Mothlight with Bernardino, Femminielli and KNVOI on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 9:30 p.m. $10/$12. themothlight.com. Photo by Elizabeth Peyton

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A& E CA L E N DA R

Diana Wortham Theatre

by Abigail Griffin

January 28th, 2017 7PM

CLAYBANK IN MARS HILL: The award-winning bluegrass band ClayBank is coming to Mars Hill Radio Theatre in Mars Hill on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. The fourpiece band from Boone is currently nominated for six Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America awards. Tickets to the event are $10 and are available at marshillradiotheatre.org. Photo of ClayBank courtesy of Mars Hill Radio Theatre (p. 55) AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through WE (2/15) Submissions accepted for the Asheville Art in the Park Arts & Community Grant application. Contact for full guidelines. Information session: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 5pm. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. • Through MO (5/15) Applications accepted for the 2017 Professional Development Grant for Artists. Contact for full guidelines.

CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave., SW Lenoir, 754-2486 • Through TU (1/31) - Portfolio submissions accepted for 2018 exhibitions. Information: caldwellarts.com/157-guidelines/CALDWELL. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • Through WE (2/15) Submissions accepted for the 2017 "New Playwright Series."

Contact for full guidelines.

SALUDA ARTS FESTIVAL 817-2876, saluda.com/events_ artfestival.html • Through FR (3/17) - Vendor and performer applications accepted for the Saluda Arts Festival scheduled for Saturday, May 20.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through TU (2/7) - Open call for submissions for the Folk Art exhibition taking place Friday, Feb. 10 through Tuesday, Feb. 28. Submission accepted Monday, Feb. 6 and Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Contact for full guidelines.

Ballroom, Latin, Swing, Argentine Tango, Salsa, Contemporary, Hip Hop and Ballet routines. bluestardance@gmail.com 336 251 2434

Diana Wortham Theatre, Downtown Asheville THEATER DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SA (1/28), 7pm - "Dancing with the Asheville Stars," professional and student dance performances. $20/$10 students & children.

Adults $20.00 Youth $10.00 Tickets are available at Diana Wortham Theatre Box Office 828-257-4530

HART THEATRE

MUSIC VILLAGE MARIMBA CLASSES • ALL AGES (PD.) New session of classes beginning January. Sue Ford, voted Best Music Teacher in WNC, Mountain Xpress, 3 years in a row. Registration/information: (828) 776-7918 or suef444@gmail.com MARS HILL RADIO THEATRE 70 N. Main St. Mars Hill, 7479664, marshillradiotheatre.org • SA (1/28), 7pm - ClayBank, bluegrass. $10.

MUSIC AT UNCA 251-6432, unca.edu • FR (1/27), 3pm - "Opera Talk," with Asheville Lyric Opera General Director David Craig Starkey. Free. Held in the Reuter Center MUSIC AT WCU 227-2479, wcu.edu • WE (1/25), 7:30pm - Dr. Dan Auerbach solo violin recital featuring the works of Bach, Hába and Paganini. Free.

250 Pigeon St., Waynesville • FRIDAY through SUNDAY (1/27) until (1/29) - Love Letters, romantic drama. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $10/$6 students.

NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS (1/25) until (2/19), 2pm - Jeeves In Bloom. Wed.Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $16$40.

THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (2/2) until (2/25), 7:30pm - Money and How To Make It, sketch comedy. $25/$21 advance.

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, 669-0816 • THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SUNDAYS until (1/29), 8pm Oleanna, two-character play. $20/$18 advance.

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GALLERY DIRECTORY ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through FR (2/10) - Exhibition of new works by printmaker, Jonathan Fisher.

• Through FR (2/17) - Drawing Discourse, international juried exhibition of contemporary drawing. Held in the S. Tucker Cooke Gallery in Owen Hall • Through FR (2/17) - Senior BFA exhibition of fiber installation created by Sally C. Garner.

Held in the Highsmith Intercultural Gallery

• Through SU (6/4) - Exhibition of works from

ART IN THE AIRPORT 61 Terminal Drive Fletcher • Through TH (3/16) - The Student Artwork Showcase, exhibition of WNC student art.

9 Walnut St., 575-2294, moracollection.com

ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/17) - CMYK (cyan - magenta - yellow - black), mixed media exhibition.

Reception: Friday, Feb. 3, 5-8pm. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • WE (2/1) through TU (2/28) - For the Love of Art, group painting exhibition. Reception: Friday, Feb. 3, 5-8pm.

BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through SA (5/13) - Zola Marcus: Kinetic Origins, exhibition of the paintings of Zola Marcus.

• Through WE (5/20) - Begin To See: The Photographers of Black Mountain College, exhibition.

BLUE SPIRAL 1 38 Biltmore Ave., 251-0202, bluespiral1.com • Through (3/24) - New exhibitions, featuring work in four different galleries.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • Through TU (1/31) - Swannanoa High School…Past and Future in Pictures, exhibition. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa CRUCIBLE GLASSWORKS 60 Clarks Chapel Road, Weaverville, 645-5660, crucibleglassworks.com • Ongoing - Exhibition of the glass work of Michael Hatch.

GREEN SAGE CAFE - WESTGATE 70 Westgate Parkway, 785-1780, greensagecafe.com • Through SA (4/15) - 20 Below, underwater photography exhibition by John Highsmith.

GREEN SAGE CAFE SOUTH 1800 Hendersonville Road, Hendersonville • Through TU (1/31) - Exhibition of paintings

by John Haldane.

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS 174 Broadway St, habitatbrewing.com • Through TU (2/28) - Exhibition of work by Leah Mangum. Reception: Friday, Jan. 27, 7pm.

HENDERSON COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville, 694-1619, hendersoncountymuseum.org

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the Baker-Barber museum collection.

JUBILEE COMMUNITY CHURCH 46 Wall St., 252-5335, jubileecommunity.org • WE (2/1) through TU (2/28) - Exhibition of paintings by Cecil Bothwell. Reception: Sunday, Feb. 5, 5pm.

MORA CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY • Through TU (1/31) - Exhibition of the jewelry of Lisa Klakulak.

THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through FR (3/3) - Counterpoint, abstract oil and cold wax paintings by Douglas Lail.

THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY & DESIGN 67 Broadway, 785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org • Through WE (5/20) - The Good Making of Good Things, exhibition exploring the 19411979 Craft Horizons publication.

THE REFINERY 207 Coxe Ave., ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/17) - Susanna Euston: Nature in Abstract, exhibition.

TRACEY MORGAN GALLERY 188 Coxe Ave., TraceyMorganGallery.com • Through TU (1/31) - Representing Place: Photographs of Appalachia, photography exhibition.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (2/3) - Faces of Freedom, group exhibition.

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 859-8322, tryonarts.org • FR (1/27) through SA (3/4) - Contemporary Modernist, paintings by Eric McRay. Reception: Friday, Jan. 27, 5-7pm.

UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, 859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • SA (1/28) through SA (2/11) - Have a HeArt, silent auction exhibition benefiting for Big Brothers Big Sisters. Reception: Saturday, Jan. 28, 6pm.

• SA (1/28) through WE (3/10) - Tripping the Light Fantastic, exhibiton of the art of Veronika Hart and Dabney Mahanes.

Reception: Saturday, Jan. 28, 5pm.

Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

CLUBLAND

MOUNTAIN LIONS: Appalachia might not exactly come to mind when you hear the word “reggae,” but since 2005, Chalwa have spread the good vibrations from WNC’s hilltops and hollows. The high-energy, roots-reggae foursome has released three albums and toured the United States and Jamaica in that time, opening for iconic acts like The Wailers, Steel Pulse and SOJA. Shake off the winter doldrums with Chalwa at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27 at West Asheville’s Upcountry Brewing Co. Photo courtesy of the band WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25 185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk music), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Soul Magnetics (soul, R&B, funk), 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Hiroya Tsukamoto (acoustic, Americana, jazz), 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM The Log Noggins w/ Billingsly (rock, blues), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Illiterate Trio, 8:00PM

BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats (50s & 60s vintage rock, swing), 7:00PM

BYWATER Cocktail night w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Hemp Wednesday w/ author Chase Rachels, 7:00PM Chalwa acoustic (reggae), 8:00PM

CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (swing jazz, dance lessons), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE Democracy for Sale (film screening), 7:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Core (jazz), 7:30PM WILD WING CAFE Jeff Anders (acoustic), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Paint Nite "Bear Bedtime", 7:00PM Jason Whittaker, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An Evening w/ Grateful Red (Grateful Dead covers), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL A Live One (Phish tribute), 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Below the Baseline (jazz, funk), 9:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Magpie w/ Siamese Jazz Club & The Long Distance Relationship (folk rock), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Community night w/ Friends of the Smokies, 4:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Moors and McCumber (folk, singer-songwriter), 7:00PM The Currys (folk, rock, acoustic), 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Bryan Marshall & His Payday Knights (classic country covers), 10:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM

BEN'S TUNE-UP Chris Coleman Blues Experience, 8:00PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Bluetech w/ Push/Pull (EDM), 9:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Laura Thurston w/ Heather Taylor, 7:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM

ODDITORIUM The Plague of Man Presents: Left Cross, 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT MANAS w/ Acid Reign & Kangarot, 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (international soul, R&B), 8:00PM

BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:30PM Soul Mechanic (rock, blues), 10:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 10:00PM

TAVERN Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 14 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

14 TV’s!

FOOTB ALL RGERS, PIZZA &, BUEER! B

THU. 1/26 Jeff Anders Duo (acoustic rock)

FRI. 1/27 DJ MoTo

(pop, dance hits)

SAT. 1/28 96.5 The House Band (classic covers, rock)

ONE WORLD BREWING One Leg Up, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL Nappy Roots (hip hop), 9:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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C L UB L AND OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Dan Lavoie (singer-songwriter), 6:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Armadilla (indie, rock), 7:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders Duo (acoustic rock), 8:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Spin Sessions w/ DJ Stylus, 6:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY January Thursday Residency w/ Hustle Souls (funk, soul), 6:30PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE American Dream tour w/ Jess Nolan, Kyshona Music & Shannon LaBrie (singer-songwriter, acoustic), 6:30PM Unite! Open mic night w/ Noah Proudfoot (sign up @ 7 p.m.), 7:30PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Jimmy Landry (singer-songwriter, folk), 8:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Marley Carroll w/ The Touch & Tin Foil Hat, 9:30PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY David Zoll w/ Krista Shows & Dave Desmelik, 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE Ashli Rose, 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ben Shuster, 8:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/ Pam Jones, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27 185 KING STREET Beau & Luci (rock 'n' roll, blues, country), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Lyric (acoustic soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Super '60s Band, 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Airpark (deconstructed pop), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Joe McMurrian, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Rockabilly Rumble w/ Legendary Shack Shakers, The Brains & The Delta Bombers, 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Vinyl Night w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BYWATER Grandpa's Cough Medicine (bluegrass, jamgrass), 9:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE In the Round Trio (singer-songwriter, country, Americana), 7:00PM

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CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE Hot Bachata Nights (salsa dance), 9:30PM CORK & KEG One Leg Up (Gypsy jazz, Latin, swing), 8:30PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM Monjah w/ JAHlistic (reggae), 10:00PM

CROW & QUILL Ultrafaux (gypsy jazz), 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Grand Ole Uproar, 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Garage & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Lotus w/ Higher Learning (jam, electronic), 9:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER Classic World Cinema, 8:00PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Illiterate Light (indie rock), 6:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Sha-Man, 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Field Division (indie, folk), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Elvis Moore (rap, spiritual), 8:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Dead Horses w/ The Greenliners (folk), 9:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (pop, dance hits), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Bayou Diesel (zydeco, Cajun), 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Letters to Abigail (Americana), 8:00PM

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Art Opening, 7:00PM

SCARLET'S COUNTRY DANCE CLUB Open Mic night w/ Sam Warner, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Southern Sixer IPA release party w/ The Resonant Rogues, 7:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Folkadelic Duo, 8:00PM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Jeff Sipe, Billy Cardine & Cody Wright [SOLD OUT], 7:00PM "7 Deadly Sins" w/ Seduction Sideshow (burlesque, dance, comedy), 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Devoted (poetry, music, performance art), 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Upstate Rubdown & Damn Tall Buildings (folk), 9:00PM K LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (Korean pop, trap, dance), 10:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Roman Polanski's Baby w/ Ex-Gold & Debtor's Prism, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Calico Moon, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE Bill & Fish, 8:00PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Tina Collins, 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Veldtchasm w/ Cranial Bleeding, Seize the Vatican, Busted Chops & Earth Collider (metal, benefit for Our Voice), 9:00PM

THE DUGOUT Awake in the Dream, 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR The One & Only Olin, 8:00PM THE MOCKING CROW Trivia and karoke night!, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Mine & Yours w/ No Shame (experimental, performance art), 7:00PM The Sexy President of Midnight Jerusalem w/ Weedy Trophies, Reality & Bloc Rainbow (sound collage, performance art), 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL SOL Vibes & Forest Frequency: Renewal - An Imbolic Gathering, 9:00PM TIGER MOUNTAIN Friday Nite Mash Up w/ B-Boy Evan & Nex Millen, 10:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Chuck Lichtenberger (live music, jazz), 7:30PM Asheville All Star Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 10:00PM TWISTED LAUREL Request-powered dance party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Chalwa (reggae), 9:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE Mike Snodgrass Duo (acoustic), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Electric w/ Ben Hovey, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, JANUARY 28 185 KING STREET Tellico w/ Jane Kramer (bluegrass, "Appalachiacana"), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Ryan O’Keefe (folk, roots), 6:00PM Gabe Stillman & The Billtown (blues), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Almost Petty (Tom Petty tribute), 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Too Many Zooz w/ Bombassic, Trillium Dance & VonFunkhauser, 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Gypsy Guitar Trio (gypsy folk), 3:00PM The WildCard (funk, dance), 9:30PM BOILER ROOM Kingdom & Classes w/ The Mercury Arcs, Mellowfield & The Ides of June (rock, jazz, blues), 9:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Letters to Abigail (country, bluegrass), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Moonshine & Mayhem (Southern rock, blues), 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Erin Foley w/ Blaire Postman & Jen O'Neill Smith (comedy), 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Life Like Water w/ Haley Liza, 8:00PM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Lizzy Ross & Omar RuizLopez, 7:00PM "7 Deadly Sins" w/ Seduction Sideshow (burlesque, dance, comedy), 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Cary Fridley & Down South (classic country, honky-tonk, Western swing), 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio (jazz), 6:30PM MARS HILL RADIO THEATRE ClayBank (bluegrass), 7:00PM ODDITORIUM CJ Boyd (noise), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Miller & the Other Sinners (rock, soul), 10:00PM ORANGE PEEL Lotus w/ Higher Learning (jam, electronic), 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN 96.5 The House Band (classic covers, rock), 9:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR The Crown Jewels Band w/ Paula Hanke (Motown, R&B, contemporary), 8:00PM

CORK & KEG James & Vivian Leva, John Herrmann & OT Jam, 6:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Phuncle Sam (Grateful Dead tribute), 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter w/ DJ Big Smidge (50's/60's R&B, rock 'n' roll), 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB The Message (jazz, funk), 10:00PM

theblockoffbiltmore.com 39 S. Market St., Downtown Asheville

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Devils in Dust (Americana, alt. country, roots rock), 7:00PM

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Dave Desmelik Trio (singer-songwriter, Americana, folk), 7:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carpathian Spruce (klezmer, gypsy), 9:00PM

WNC Solidarity Concert 1/29, 3-5pm

East Asheville’s Craft Beer Destination • 29 Taps

And

BREWS

$3.50 DAILY PINTS

THIS WEEK at THE CREEK Thu•Jan hu•Jan 26 Community Night w/ Friends of the Smokies 4-8pm Fri•Jan 27

“For Love of Beer & Mountains” Southern Sixer IPA Release Party 4-9pm Music by the Resonant Rogues 7-9pm

Sat•Jan 28

Devils in the Dust 7-9pm Sun•Jan 22

Reggae Sunday hosted by

Dennis “Chalwa” Berndt

1-4pm

MON Burgers & Trivia 7pm TUE

Tacos!

WED

Wings & Roots & Friends Open Mic Jam - 7pm

THU

Battenkill - 7pm

(guitar & fiddle duo)

FRI

Fish n’ Chips + Andy Ferrel - 7pm (singer/songwriter)

SAT

BBQ Nachos + Sarah Tucker - 7pm

SUN

Sunday Nachos!

$5 Piglet Menu (12 & under)

Super Bowl Pa r t y Feb. 5th

Call us to book your next Party!

PURPLE ONION CAFE Bob Sinclair & the Big Deals (Appalachian swing), 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM Hustle Souls (soul, rock), 8:00PM

Parties of 10+, please call ahead

MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

59

CLU B LA N D SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Cabo Verde, 8:00PM

Brewing Company

Brewing Company

JAN

26 THU JAN

27 FRI

JAN

28

SAT

JANUARY THURSDAY RESIDENCY

HUSTLE SOULS Funk and Soul 8:00 PM

FREE

BAYOU DIESEL Zydeco

9:00 PM

FREE

PHUNCLE SAM Grateful Dead Covers

JAN

29

6pm EARLY SHOW FREE

SUN

6pm EARLY SHOW FREE

TRAVERS JAM OPEN JAM

Coming up 2/4

YARN

M-W: 4pm-9pm TH-F: 2pm-9pm* M-T: Closed W: 4pm-8pm* TH-F: 2pm-10pm* SA: 12pm-9pm* SU: 2pm-9pm* SA: 12pm-10pm* 1pm-9pm *Nights w/ liveSU: music may go later *Taproom open til midnight or later on nights with music

60

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com

195 HILLIARD AVE.

JANUARY LINEUP MONDAY: 7-10 Open Mic Jam Session Tuesday: 7-10 Eleanor Underhill Americana/Roots/Fusion Wednesday: 7-10 Soul Magnetics Soul/R&B/Funk Thursday: 8-11 Brews N’ Blues w/ The Cris Coleman Blues Experience Friday: 10-1 Vinyl Night w/ DJ Kilby Saturday: 3-6 Gypsy Guitar Trio Instrumental Jazz

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Krish Mohan w/ David Coulter (comedy), 8:00PM International Salsa Dance Party, 10:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Darrin Bradbury w/ Redleg Husky (Americana, folk, satire), 8:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Live w/ Caribbean Cowboys, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt, 1:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR You’uns, 8:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Purple (funk, jazz), 7:00PM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Jesse Barry & Kelly Jones (blues, jazz, soul), 5:30PM Greenville Jazz Collective Quintet, 7:30PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Mine & Yours w/ No Shame (experimental, performance art), 7:00PM The Sexy President of Midnight Jerusalem w/ Weedy Trophies (sound collage, performance art), 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Guitar Bar Jam, 3:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Irish session, 5:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA The Consultants of Swing, 7:30PM

LAZY DIAMOND The Krektones (instrumental, surf rock), 10:00PM

THE DUGOUT Electric Phantom, 9:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL 30 & Up Night, 10:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Ruby Mayfield & Lenny Pettinelli (live music), 7:30PM Free Flow (funk, soul), 10:00PM

Saturday: 9:30-12:30 The WildCard Feel-Good Funky Dance Party

TWISTED LAUREL Dance Party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM

Good Vibe Sundays 6-10 w/ the Dub Kartel Roots/Rock/Reggae

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Kaizen w/ Jeff Sipe, Mike Barns & Mark McDaniels, 9:30PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Roy "Futureman" Wooten & Kevin Spears (jazz, fusion), 8:00PM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 29

BEN'S TUNE-UP Dub Kartel (reggae, dub), 6:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Benjo Saylor (banjo, singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BYWATER Grateful Sunday (Grateful Dead covers), 8:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Andy Ferrell (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 6:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Pathogenesis w/ Algorithmic Death (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass brunch w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood, 11:00AM PULP Sun Seeker w/ Fractured Frames & I, the Supplier, 9:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Travers jam, 6:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY True home open mic (sign-up @ 5 p.m.), 5:30PM

SALVAGE STATION Reed Mathis & Electric Beethoven, 8:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Sanctuary Beerversary w/ Gracie Lane , 1:00PM Sanctuary Beerversary w/ Lord Nelson, 4:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Gospel Brunch w/ Redneck Mimosa, 12:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE WNC Soidarity Concert Series w/ Tim Doyle Quartet & Aaron Price Quartet, 3:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Phantom Pantone (french pop, disco house), 9:30PM THE MOTHLIGHT Jam for Justice w/ Armadilla, Ben Phan & Hannah Kaminer, 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Oleanna (David Mamet play), 8:00PM

MONDAY, JANUARY 30 185 KING STREET Open Mic Night, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Jazz Club (soul, R&B, jazz), 8:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Open Mic Night, 7:00PM BYWATER Open mic w/ Rooster, 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Country karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Songwriter's "open mic", 7:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open mic night (music & comedy), 6:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo, 7:00PM Open Mic Night, 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & Friends (bluegrass), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM PULP The Great American w/ Story Daniels (rock), 8:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Drip Noise w/ Kavalactones, 7:00PM

1/25

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Trivial trivia w/ Geoffrey & Brody, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Secret Shame w/ Wyla & Superflaw (punk, indie), 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (dark wave, trap, house music), 8:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Basshead Meetup w/ illanthropy, Soul Candy, Tenorless & Gordy40 (Bassnectar tribute), 9:00PM

TUESDAY, JANUARY 31 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Eleanor Underhill (Americana, roots, fusion), 7:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia Night, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Larry Dolamore (acoustic), 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Thunder karaoke w/ Jason Tarr, 8:00PM BYWATER Open Drum Circle, 6:00PM Spin Jam, 9:00PM CROW & QUILL Boogie Woogie Burger Night (burgers & rock n' roll), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Honky-tonk, Western & Cajun night w/ DJ Brody Douglas Hunt , 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Gaelynn Lea w/ Oh Jeremiah (folk), 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Grandpa's Cough Medicine, 7:30PM

wed series: wednesdays in january

manas

w/acid reign, kangarot

marley carroll

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

1/26

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm

1/27 fri fringe arts festival presents the sexy president 1/28 sat of midnight jerusalem

CAJUN TWO STEPPIN’ TUESDAYS Every Tuesday in Jan. • 7pm Gumbo, Po Boys and more!

WEDNESDAYS Asheville’s Original Old Time Mountain Music Jam • 5pm THURSDAYS Mountain Feist • 7pm Bluegrass Jam • 9:30pm Bourbon Specials ‘17 NORTHERN COMFORT TOUR

FRI UPSTATE RUBDOWN & 1/27 DAMN TALL BUILDINGS 9PM / $5

SAT CARY FRIDLEY BAND 1/28 9PM / $5 FRI 2/3

thu

the touch, tin foil hat

1/27 fri fringe arts festival presents mine and yours 1/28 sat w/no shame

1/29

w/weedy trophies, reality, after party w/ the bloc rainbow sun early show!

project fight presents:

jam for justice w/ armadilla, ben phan, hannah kaminer

Woodpecker Pie

Savory and Sweet Hand Pies!

5pm to last call

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

Kids Issue

THE RESONANT ROGUES

9PM / $5

IRISH SUNDAYS Irish Food and Drink Specials Traditional Irish Music Session • 3-9pm OPEN MON-THURS AT 3 • FRI-SUN AT NOON CRAFT BEER, SPIRITS & QUALITY PUB FARE SINCE 1996

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville

Double Issue COMING THIS

MARCH

252.5445 • jackofthewood.com

MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

61

The Long Distance Relationship

DEAD HORSES

W/ THE GREENLINERS (DUO) COMEDIAN

ERIN FOLEY

7PM DOORS

MON

1/23

OPEN MIC NIGHT 6PM SLICE OF COMEDY OPEN MIC 9:30PM

6PM DOORS

1/31

2/2 2/3 2/4 2/7

HOSTED BY MACON CLARK

Gaelynn Lea W/ OH JEREMIAH

7PM DOORS

W/ REDLEG HUSKY

SUN

1/29 DARRIN BRADBURY

TUE

W/ BLAIRE POSTMAN & JEN O’NEILL SMITH

8PM DOORS

1/28

S I AM E S E J A Z Z CLUB +

LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown (folk, singer-songwriter), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Odd Open Mic Comedy, 9:00PM

8PM DOORS

FRI

1/27

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Cajun Two-steppin' Tuesday w/ Cafe Sho's (Cajun, zydeco, dance), 7:00PM

MAGPIE,

7PM DOORS

THU

1/26

SAT

CLU B LA N D

FOGHORN STRINGBAND PARQUET COURTS HAYES CARLL + BOBBY BARE JR MARGARET GLASPY

OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 11:00PM

COMING SOON wed 1/25

7:00PM – HIROYA TSUKAMOTO thu 1/26 7:00PM – MOORS AND MCCUMBER 8:30PM – THE CURRYS fri 1/27 7:00PM – CARDINE, SIPE, & WRIGHT 9:00PM –SEDUCTION SIDESHOW PRESENTS:

7 DEADLY SINS (NIGHT ONE) sat 1/28

SEDUCTION SIDESHOW PRESENTS:

COLLECTIVE QUINTET

tue 1/31 7:30PM –TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 2/1

10pm-12:30am

• Friday Night Variety Shows!

Hosted by MC Barbie Angel starting 2nd week of Feb.

Comedy, Puppetry, Burlesque

• ARTeries by Stina- Mobile Boutique Fridays in January, 10:30am-6:00pm

• Southern Culture on the Fly Fly Tying Potluck, 7pm

THU 1/26 FRI 1/27

Food Trucks: Shakti Shiva 4:30-9pm SAT & 1/28 Food Stop 4:30-9pm

CASCADE LOUNGE: 2PM-1AM EDNA’S CAFE & COFFEEHOUSE OPEN 7AM-5:30PM (THIS WEEK)

daily updates @

AshevilleFoodPark 62

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-n-Justice Tuesday w/ Sparrow & Her Wingmen, 9:00PM Late Night Blues Dance, 11:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Marching Church w/ Bernardino Femminielli & KONVOI (alternative, indie), 9:30PM

5:30PM – JESSE BARRY AND KELLY JONES 7:30PM – GREENVILLE JAZZ

Thursday Night Soul in Cascade Lounge

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Tuesday blues dance w/ The Remedy (blues), 7:30PM

7:00PM –VIOLET BELL FT. LIZZY ROSS

sun 1/29

DJ Oso Rey

ORANGE PEEL Grouplove w/ SWMRS [CANCELLED], 8:00PM

7 DEADLY SINS

& OMAR RUIZ-LOPEZ

Happenings:

ONE WORLD BREWING Trivia! w/ Ol' Gilly, 7:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Open jam w/ Rob Parks & Chuck Knott, 7:00PM

1:00PM: MATINEE, 9:00PM NIGHT TWO

ASHEVILLEFOODPARK.COM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesdays, 10:00PM

8:00PM –THE LEGENDARY TOM RUSH thu 2/2 6:00PM –ACOUSTIC BLUES NIGHT WITH

JOE MCMURRIAN AND JAY BROWN 8:00PM –ITALIAN NIGHT WITH MIKE GUGGINO AND BARRETT SMITH fri 2/3

7:00PM –FRANCINE DELANY NEW SCHOOL FUNKY FORMAL FUNDRAISER sat 2/4 7:00PM –JACKSON EMMER AND

BRITTANY ANN

9:00PM –AN EVENING OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD

WITH THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND sun 2/5 5:30PM –HARRY SCHULZ: COMPOSING IN THE MOMENT 7:30PM –BROTHER SUN ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

MOUNTAINX.COM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Jazz & Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM

GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Duo Vela (classical), 6:00PM An evening w/ The Legendary Tom Rush (folk, Americana), 8:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Foghorn Stringband w/ Bill & The Belles (folk), 8:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Jay Brown & Joe McMurrian, 6:00PM Italian Night w/ Mike Guggino & Barrett Smith, 8:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Eric Krasno Band & Marcus King Band, 8:00PM

Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:00PM

Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Redleg Husky, 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats (50s & 60s vintage rock, swing), 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Alex Krug Combo (folk, Americana), 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Reggae Vibez w/ Cayenne & The Lion King, 8:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Iggy Radio, 7:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP

ODDITORIUM 8 Vacant Graves w/ A World of Lies & Fractured Frames (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:30PM ONE WORLD BREWING Sarah Tucker, 8:00PM ORANGE PEEL

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (international soul, R&B), 8:00PM

Atmosphere w/ Brother Ali, deM atlas, Plain Ole Bill & Last Word (hip hop), 8:00PM

WILD WING CAFE Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition w/ the Blue Ridge Heritage Cloggers, 6:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singersongwriter), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Soul Magnetics (soul, R&B, funk), 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM BYWATER Cocktail night w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 9:00PM CROW & QUILL Reecy Pontiff (ukulele madness), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM

WILD WING CAFE Paint Nite "sHOOT it's cold", 7:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Jordan Okrend (acoustic), 6:30PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

February Thursday Residency w/ The Big Deal Band (old-time, bluegrass), 6:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Jamison Adams (Americana), 7:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM

185 KING STREET The Good Bad Kids (folk rock, rockabilly, bluegrass), 8:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An Evening w/ Peter Bradley Adams (Americana, folk, pop), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (jazz), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Chris Coleman Blues Experience, 8:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Lonnie Holley w/ Villages & Christopher Paul Stelling (alternative, indie), 8:30PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Troubadour Review Dinner Show w/ Steve Smith & Paul Edelman, 7:00PM WILD WING CAFE Bender (acoustic) , 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Hope Griffin (acoustic), 6:00PM

GRAND OPENING!

Jan. 27 & 28

• NEW LOCALLY SOURCED MENU • 40 BREWERIES ON TAP • 8 WINES ON TAP • 1500 SQ. FT. PATIO SPACE • FREE PARKING

COME VISIT OUR BRAND NEW LOCATION IN BILTMORE VILLAGE! 2 HENDERSONVILLE RD, ASHEVILLE | 828-676-2588 | POURTAPROOM.COM MOUNTAINX.COM

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

63

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, JOHNATHAN RICH & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Director Pablo Larraín doesn’t get hung up on the details of Neruda, starring Gael García Bernal and Luis Gnecco

Neruda

HHHH DIRECTOR: Pablo Larraín PLAYERS: Luis Gnecco, Gael García Bernal, Mercedes Morán, Diego Muñoz, Pablo Derqui, Michael Silva, Jaime Vadell, Alfredo Castro, Marcelo Alonso, Francisco Reyes, Alejandro Goic, Emilio Gutiérrez Caba BIOPIC RATED R THE STORY: Famed Chilean poet and leftist politician Pablo Neruda flees the country, pursued by a relentless police inspector.

THE LOWDOWN: A fantastical take on a venerable historic figure, director Pablo Larraín and screenwriter Guillermo Calderón impart an unexpected sense of black humor to a significant subject.

In Pablo Larraín’s Neruda, form follows function. Rather than a straight-

64

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

forward biopic, Larraín has crafted a work of cinematic poetry that evokes emotional reality as opposed to factual representation. The resultant film blends comedy and social criticism without missing a beat, while the director makes his point through style as much as story. The details of famed Chilean poet and communist senator Pablo Neruda’s 1948 flight from governmental persecution are more or less true as depicted, but that’s just a starting point from which Larraín spins a playful, fantastical tale that delves into the heart of mythologization and the internal processes of the creative mind.

Neruda sticks loosely to the facts of the poet’s ouster from government and the subsequent year spent shuffled between safe-houses, in hiding from anti-communist authorities as he struggled to find a way across the Chilean border. But Larraín’s divergences from literality are far more interesting — both to the audi-

MOUNTAINX.COM

ence and the director — than the facts of the narrative, beginning with the notable addition of fascist police inspector Oscar Peluchonneau (Gael Garcia Bernal), whose pursuit of Neruda (Luis Gnecco) drives the narrative.

The film initially bears the trappings of a standard issue political thriller, but with the introduction of Bernal’s Peluchonneau, the film shifts into something closer to a satirical take on the film noir conventions appropriate to the period.

Bernal sports the requisite fedora and pencil-thin mustache, and his hard-boiled voiceover narration becomes a commentary on Neruda’s art and actions, as well as something of a running gag that passes satire and reaches farcical levels by the third act. As Gnecco’s baby-faced Neruda cavorts with orgiastic entitlement ill-befitting a good communist and persistently tests the party

M A X R AT I N G loyalists risking their lives to keep him safe, the cheap crime novels he devours tip us off to the true nature and purpose of Peluchonneau’s character long before the film states these truths overtly on its way into the final act.

Larraín begins to toy with the audience through formal conceits almost immediately. Conversations continue seamlessly over jump-cuts to completely different stagings, even though no time has passed and the characters speaking could not possibly have changed their locations so drastically unless they stopped talking in mid sentence solely so they could reposition themselves. Peluchonneau never sets foot in a car unless it’s in front of the awkward rear-projection backdrops common to the films from which he seems to have been lifted.

There are no grandiose statements of hero-worship here, although Larraín clearly bears a very deep affection for Neruda. Instead, we have a warmhearted depiction of a flawed human being who succeeded not only on the basis of his own talent, but on the need of his people for a voice.

There’s a secret (though few will be shocked by its revelation) about Peluchonneau that underscores Larraín’s intentions with Neruda. If his thematic palette skews dark, his tonality is anything but. Don’t expect a somber examination of fascist authority and the struggle of creativity to affect political change, although such ideas are certainly present. This film is far too clever to express such truths through banal genre cliches. What Larraín accomplishes here is more subtle, entertaining and affective — and therefore infinitely more powerful in its capacity to address the horrendous repression of civil liberties that its historical basis entailed than any straightforward recounting of the facts could ever be. Rated R for sexuality/nudity and some language.

Spanish with English subtitles.

Opens Friday at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

20th Century Women HHH

DIRECTOR: Mike Mills PLAYERS: Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Lucas Jade Zumann, Billy Crudup DRAMATIC COMEDY RATED NR THE STORY: A middle-aged single mother seeks the help of two younger women in raising her adolescent son against a backdrop of gender turmoil in the late 70s.

THE LOWDOWN: Worth watching for its fantastic ensemble cast and a prodigious performance from Annette Bening, but a serious let-down on the story front.

20th Century Women is a film with a nostalgic appeal to a very specific subset of the moviegoing populace, those who look back on the late 1970s as a high-water mark in the history of American culture. That appeal was largely lost on me. To be certain, it boasts a stellar cast anchored by an almost incomprehensibly good performance from Annette Bening, and it has more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. But it’s also severely lacking in narrative focus, leaving it to function almost entirely on the basis of its ensemble of quirky characters, a group I couldn’t wholeheartedly embrace. Add some obtrusive stylistic touches from director Mike Mills and a muddled message that falls short of the feminist empowerment promised by its premise, and you have a film that I enjoyed far less than the audience around me.

Following the breakout success of Mills’ 2005 Sundance hit Thumbsucker, the director established himself as an early bastion of the twee indie dramedy. With his next feature, 2010’s Beginners, he steered similar themes into more autobiographical waters by dramatizing his father’s revelation — in his 70’s, mind you — that he was both gay and dying from cancer. 20th Century Women tries to recapture the emotional immediacy

of Beginners (along with its fixation on cancer) by this time focusing on Mills’ mother, a larger-than-life matriarch played to the hilt by Bening.

Intelligent and progressive, Bening’s Dorothea Fields is a force of nature, a late-in-life single mother raising her son in a nurturing environment surrounded by an eclectic adoptive family of boarders in her ramshackle Victorian home.

The film functions less as a story than as a collection of characterdriven vignettes, focusing on the two young women (and one extraneous man) that Dorothea has asked to help mold her disaffected teenage son as he awkwardly transitions into manhood. Greta Gerwig plays a post-punk art school dropout with an affinity for feminist literature and a history of cervical cancer, while Elle Fanning is the promiscuous object of our Millsproxy’s unrequited affections. And then there’s Billy Crudup, a perfunctory conglomeration of masculine stereotypes who serves little purpose beyond attracting the sexual attentions of Gerwig and throwing himself at Bening when he’s not working on her house or her car.

The performances are uniformly outstanding, with the possible exception of Fanning’s limited emotive range. Gerwig and Crudup showcase their exceptional comedic timing, and both have an easy and believablele chemistry with Bening — and Bening is flawless, running the gamut from poised self-control to quiet desperation with the grace of a true pro, all while never missing a comedic beat in the process. But Mills expects this alone to maintain interest, dividing the film into chapters based around each of the central characters. Where the film falters is in its failure to make a point with all of its atmosphere, resorting to denouement via voiceover recounting the outcome of stories that would have been better told on screen than through narration.

Mills’ film is trying to get at some very interesting questions at the heart of topics like culture, identity and sexuality. The problem is, he gets too distracted by flashy post-production effects and exegesis of feminist texts to come to any real conclusions. This is a film worth seeing on the merits of its performances — particularly Bening’s which deserves serious awards-season attention — but those looking for compelling drama will feel short-changed. In an endless sea of indie drama-coms featuring quirky adoptive families, what really make this one stand out? Its gender politics are nothing new, its style is thor-

oughly unremarkable and its story is practically non-existent. It’s a fun film in spite of its shortcomings, but I for one had hoped for more. Rated R for sexual material, language, some nudity and brief drug use.

Now Playing at Fine Arts Theatre, Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Seasons HHHH

DIRECTOR: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud PLAYERS: NATURE DOCUMENTARY RATED PG THE STORY: The general history of the natural world, from the end of the last ice age to the present anthropocene, plays out through the biodiversity of a forest ecosystem.

THE LOWDOWN: A stunning visual spectacle with no shortage of purpose, this nature doc does more than simply record its subject — it draws the audience into the story.

Falling somewhere between Planet Earth and An Inconvenient Truth, Seasons (Les Saisons) is an undeniably interesting amalgam of nature doc and environmental polemic. Moreover, the film itself is a visual masterpiece, as one might expect from the filmmakers behind the 2003 nominee for the Best Documentary Oscar, Winged Migration. Co-directors Jaques Perrin and Jaques Cluzaud have achieved a truly noteworthy accomplishment in the realm of cinematic technique.

While I hesitate to call it a documentary in the strictest sense of that term, Seasons more than merits a watch on the basis of its stylistic acumen alone.

However, there’s a lot more going for this film than the remarkable visual experience it offers. It diverges from pure documentary in that it imposes on its subject a rudimentary narrative, a parable tracing its roots back to the end of the last ice age and terminating in the emergence of humanity’s subjugation of the natural world.

The protagonist in this story is nature itself — or, more specifically, a western European forest ecosystem and its inhabitants. The result is a diatribe on the deleterious influence mankind has inflicted upon the natural world to

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which he remains inextricably linked.

Although it might seem a bit heavyhanded at first glance, the finished product is profoundly affective and manages to make an important point with a minimum of extraneous soliloquizing on the part of the narrator.

The filmmakers’ extraordinary camerawork follows foxes, deer, wolves, boars — you name it. From the smallest insects to the largest trees, every presence in the forest is a character. This not only creates a showcase for some of the most impressive camera movement and artful CG post-production work ever to grace the screen, but also allows ample opportunity on the part of the audience for psychological projection. Perrin and Cluzaud ably employ advancements in modern filmic technology to capture breathtaking forest vistas of the animals in their native habitats. They also employ traditional cinematic techniques, such as shot-reverse-shot reactions, to impart a sense of personality to the animals themselves. The upshot of all this is, even devoid of any dialogue or human presence for the vast majority of the film, the narrative moves along without succumbing to repetitive monotony.

Seasons does depict the violent struggles of the natural world in a relatively unvarnished light, and ani-

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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M OVIES mals are shown hunting, killing and eating each other (humans are included in hunting activities late in the film). But rather than indulging in the shock value of such interactions, no gore is displayed, so even small children should be largely undisturbed by the action, provided sufficient context and explanation is provided by attentive parents. This is a film decidedly geared toward engaging families in conversation surrounding conservation and humanity’s role as stewards of the Earth — which can be challenging to explain to younger children if only because the scope and scale of our current circumstances can prove overwhelming even to adults.

It’s this capacity to establish context that proves to be Seasons’ most laudable and least evident accomplishment, saying more with a bit of historical perspective than could reasonably have been conveyed with an excess of environmental evangelism. Yet the importance of the film’s message functions in concert with its visual spectacle, providing an engaging experience that should resonate with moviegoers in all four quadrants. If the film gets a little uglier with its third-act introduction of modernity, that’s by design — centuries of human progress have made the world a significantly uglier place. But the message Perrin and Cluzaud are trying to convey is explicitly stated in the film’s final frames: It’s not too late to clean up the mess we’ve made. Rated PG for thematic elements and related images. French narration with English subtitles.

Opens Friday at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Split

HHHH DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan PLAYERS: James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy, Betty Buckley, Jessica Sula, Haley Lu Richardson HORROR RATED PG-13 THE STORY: An unhinged man with multiple personalities abducts three young girls for a nefarious purpose, the ramifications of which surpass their greatest fears.

THE LOWDOWN: Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan has defied the odds, delivering a tightly wound

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thriller that very nearly redeems his reputation — thanks in no small part to a remarkable performance from James McAvoy.

I walked into M. Night Shyamalan’s Split with my eyes open. I expected this to be a dumb, trashy little film from a writer-director who passed his prime well over a decade ago. I wasn’t wrong about the trash factor, but this movie’s nowhere near as dumb as it might seem at first glance. It would be easy to call this a return to form for Shyamalan, but also inaccurate; I can’t think of anything in the director’s output that seems so free from pretension and self-importance, and I certainly can’t remember the last time I had so much fun at one of his films.

Reuniting with producer Jason Blum (following last year’s The Visit) for another dose of the Blumhouse-brand of stripped-down horror, Shyamalan’s film is as much a psychological thriller as it is a horror film. As such, its premise is a predictably trite damsel-in-distress setup. But the film accomplishes a surprising amount of depth within its limited financial and narrative constraints — and while I would never go so far as to call it a “deep” picture, it goes well beyond what might reasonably have been expected of the material.

The film is tightly paced and carefully structured, its major plot points and character details revealed sparingly and in due course. Its narrative revolves around Kevin (James McAvoy) a man suffering from severe case of dissociative identity disorder, whose twenty-three existing personalities are engaged in a psychic civil war prompted by the emergence of a monstrous twenty-fourth. Kevin, in the persona of hyper-disciplined Dennis, kidnaps three high-school girls (Anya Taylor-Joy, Haley Lu Richardson, Jessica Sula) to serve as “sacred food” for this emergent identity, known only as “The Beast.” Yes, the plot is pure pulp — but I’ll be damned if it didn’t suck me in anyway.

Split owes the vast majority of its success to McAvoy, whose portrayal of Kevin is as terrifying as it is hilarious.

The film would literally have fallen apart had McAvoy less competently managed the herculean task laid out for him, but he navigates the tonal shift necessitated by his character with admirable temerity. His supporting cast help him in raising the bar, with Taylor-Joy continuing to impress as our troubled teen protagonist and Betty Buckley gamely shouldering the expositional burden her role as Kevin’s long-suffering therapist.

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My initial trepidation about Split was due not only to Shyamalan’s involvement, but also to the film’s PG-13 rating — typically the death knell precluding any seriously scary cinema.

But when I screened the movie with a packed house full of tweens and teens, I found myself subversively satisfied that their parents had misjudged the film’s content on the basis of its rating.

True, there’s no nudity and only one shot containing anything resembling gore, but the psychological landscape Shyamalan renders is anything but youth-friendly.

There is a slight twist-ending — come on, you didn’t think Shyamalan had grown up that much, did you? — but it’s largely extraneous to the plot and contributes very little to the film’s overall effectiveness. Had this movie come from a first-time writer-director, I would have hailed it as an effective little piece of genre filmmaking. But coming from Shyamalan, it seems almost like a miraculous resurrection from the grave of big-budget mediocrity, snatching victory from the jaws of such egregious defeats as The Last Airbender and After Earth. When a friend heard that I would be recommending the film, he expressed some considerable disbelief — as well as an interest in seeing it.

No one was more shocked than I was when I heard myself saying, “I’d see it again.” Rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and behavior, violence and some language.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

The Founder HHH

DIRECTOR: John Lee Hancock PLAYERS: Michael Keaton, Nick Offerman, John Carroll Lynch, Laura Dern, Linda Cardellini, B.J. Novak, Patrick Wilson, Justin Randell Brooke BIOGRAPHICAL DRAMA RATED PG-13 THE STORY: A traveling salesman stumbles upon the opportunity of a lifetime when he comes across an inventive new type of restaurant conceived by two hard-working brothers.

Their last name is McDonald, and the idea that is stolen from them changes the way the world eats.

THE LOWDOWN: A dramatization of Ray Kroc’s now-infamous ousting of the actual founders of McDonald’s that fails to deliver on the impact it promises.

John Lee Hancock tries to put a creative twist on his penchant for schmaltz but comes up a few fries short of an order with The Founder, his dramatic recounting of the evil origins of McDonald’s. Functioning something like a supervillain origin story, The Founder’s appeal is rooted largely in the performance of Michael Keaton, but the script’s structural issues hamstring Keaton’s best efforts and shortchange the rest of the film’s standout cast to a staggering degree. The result is the cinematic equivalent of a powdered milkshake — a little too sweet for what it’s trying to be, and lacking the visceral joys of the real thing.

The principle flaw in the film’s scripting is its lack of a central antagonist.

Keaton’s Ray Kroc could be considered the antihero of the piece, but Dick and Mac McDonald (Nick Offerman and John Carroll Lynch, respectively) produce so much saccharinity with their aw-shucks optimism and can-do attitude that they struggle to provide an adequate dramatic foil for Kroc’s world-conquering ambition and sense of entitlement. Offerman and Lynch are both fantastic, but their roles are too unidimensional to establish an effective counterbalance to Keaton’s dynamic megalomania. Even Keaton’s bombast is repressed until the third act, when he forcibly extricates the McDonald’s empire from its creators with demented glee. This is the performance I was waiting for, but we only get about 30 minutes of it — to the great detriment of the film as a whole.

This problematic lack of conflict through the film’s first two acts was totally avoidable, making its absence all the more egregious. Laura Dern is tragically wasted, playing Kroc’s onenote shrewish wife. An actress with her prodigious talents could have injected the proceedings with the tension they so sorely need. Instead, she’s relegated to maudlin mopery and soap opera melodrama that falls distinctly flat.

Similarly, Kroc’s budding extramarital relationship with future wife Joan (Linda Cardellini) carries none of the dramatic weight inherent in its salacious origins — another missed opportunity to develop dramatic discord.

Hancock’s visual style is a little too polished and brightly lit to convey

the menace of a man like Kroc, and his worldview bears a Pollyannaish sensibility that’s ill-suited to the ramifications of this story. While he seems to grasp the sinister implications of Kroc’s rise to power — and is theoretically on the right track in trying to promote audience identification with a man who becomes a sociopathic monster under the weight of his own determination — he fails to achieve the moral ambiguity that was ostensibly his aim.

Despite its numerous drawbacks, the third act of The Founder is a hell of a lot of fun. Keaton revisits the demented madness that earned him an Oscar nod for Birdman but adds a dash of the black humor that kicked off his career in Nightshift, while Offerman more than holds his own against a strong cast of veteran character actors.

A subtle sense of social commentary creeps into the proceedings as Kroc’s Trumpian ethos is overtly summed up

by Offerman’s Dick McDonald with the phrase, “If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em.” But the high points of The Founder’s final 30 minutes can’t make up for the long slog it took to get there, leaving the film struggling to answer for the failed impact of its pulled punches. It’s not a terrible film by any stretch. But, like much of the food on offer at McDonald’s, it looks a lot better than it is. Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Now playing at Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

xXx: Return of Xander Cage HS DIRECTOR: D.J. Caruso (Eagle Eye) PLAYERS: Vin Diesel, Deepika Padukone, Donnie Yen, Samuel L. Jackson, Kris Wu ACTION RATED PG-13

THE STORY: Superspy Xander Cage comes out of retirement to stop a cabal of evil criminals.

THE LOWDOWN: A loud, silly and mostly tedious actioner that’s (at least) better than its predecessor but isn’t helped by a dull performance by lead Vin Diesel.

I actually watched Rob Cohen’s original xXx in the theater way back in 2002. Thankfully, I didn’t pay to see it (I’d just started working at a movie theater and got in for free — bless the few perks of minimum wage labor), but I did see it at a time when I was beginning to become conscious of my tastes in film. I was, for the first time, understanding what is a good movie and what is a bad movie. My memory of xXx, which came out at the height of Vin Diesel’s early fame (which quickly sputtered out), is that it was, at that moment, the worst movie I’d ever seen. It might still be.

While I’ve managed to avoid it for the last decade and a half, I have, woefully, seen a whole lot of bad movies in the meantime. But the premise — combining the spy flicks with the (even then) wavering extreme-sports craze and squeezing it in alongside a lot of brain-dead machismo — made for one of the dumbest movies I’d experienced.

So now, all these years later, I’m obviously perplexed as to why we’re being treated to an official reappearance of Diesel in an xXx movie with xXx: Return of Xander Cage. Of course, there’s the obvious reason: There’s a dime to be made. But I can’t believe (or maybe I refuse to believe) that anyone was actually clamoring for this thing.

This isn’t some beloved franchise. It was a meatheaded, loud and long-forgotten action movie now brought back from the grave. And the verdict on this sequel? Well, it’s still dumb and noisy, but it’s not as dreadfully and aggressively stupid as the original xXx. I mean, I still don’t want to watch the doughy and tatted visage of Diesel (who turns 50 this year) traipsing around in tank tops and blowing things up. But someone — this time around at least — had enough sense to surround him with an appealing supporting cast (beyond Samuel L. Jackson) of action standouts like Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa. This is, however, faint praise — and also where I stop with the positives since you can only go so far in comparing it to its predecessor. It’s kind of disappointing that this cast (sans Diesel) isn’t given a better movie to be in. The basic premise is utilitarian and nothing else (Xander Cage comes out of

retirement to help the government suss out some nefarious evil masterminds), and I can generally warm up to action movies as absurd and over-the-top as this one. The issue is that nothing here is especially fun, a lot of which I suspect has to do with Diesel, whom I’ve never found particularly likable or charming.

Nothing changes that here. He’s inserted inside of a plot that makes zero sense and constantly contorts on itself, while the action (aka the entire point of the movie) is dull and repetitive, still relying too much on the whole extremesports gimmick. He’s far too charmless and mumbly to raise this movie from its self-imposed muck. It all adds up to a slightly better mind-numbing sequel to its mind-numbingly awful originator.

I suppose it’s worthy of something in that respect. Rated PG-13 for extended sequences of gunplay and violent action, sexual material and language.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Epic of Hendersonville and Regal Biltmore Grande.

REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

FILM BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • SA (1/28), 2pm - Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, documentary. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TU (1/31), 6pm - Free Film Series: Harlan County USA. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. DEMOCRACY NORTH CAROLINA democracy-nc.org • WE (1/25), 7-8:30pm - Democracy for Sale, film screening. Free to attend. Held at Grail MovieHouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave. FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Hwy 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • FR (1/27), 8pm - Classic World Cinema: Turtles Can Fly, film screening. Free to attend.

Kids Issue

MECHANICAL EYE MICROCINEMA mechanicaleyecinema.org • SA (1/28), 7pm - Women Between Worlds: The Films of Arpita Kumar. $5. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 • TU (1/31), 7pm - Movie Night: Years of Living Dangerously, from Season Two of A Race Against Time. Movies are focused on environmental issues and climate change. $5.

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 859-8322, tryonarts.org • TU (1/31), 7pm - TFAC Film Series: Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? Comedy film. $6.

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Double Issue COMING THIS

MARCH

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

67

M OVIES

by Scott Douglas

S TA RT IN G F R ID AY

S PEC IAL S C REEN ING S

Additional bookings may be confirmed after press time, check with your local theater for showtimes.

A Dog’s Purpose

Following controversial delays due to accusations of animal cruelty on set, director Lasse Hallström’s family drama-com finally hits theaters. According to the film’s website: “Based on the beloved bestselling novel by W. Bruce Cameron, A Dog’s Puropse shares the soulful and surprising story of one devoted dog (voiced by Josh Gad) who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he teaches to laugh and love.” No early reviews.(PG)

Atonement HHHH

DIRECTOR: Joe Wright PLAYERS: James McAvoy, Keira Knightley, Romola Garai, Vanessa Redgrave DRAMA Rated R When Joe Wright’s sophomore effort Atonement hit Cannes, words like “masterpiece” and phrases like “an instant classic” (what does that mean? add water and stir?) came tumbling forth like oranges from a faulty sack. Being something of a skeptic — and always wary of high-toned dramas that smack of Merchant-Ivory or Masterpiece Theatre — I was prepared to find myself at odds with the headlong rush to propel the film into the pantheon of great movies, regardless of how much I liked Wright’s Pride and Prejudice (2005). Having seen the film, I’m completely bogged in a mixture of great admiration and complete indifference. Others have had a much more profound reaction to the film, and even without that, I would still recommend Atonement for all the things it does right. It’s an intelligent, beautifully crafted entertainment — even if I’m not sold on its actual greatness. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on Jan. 9, 2008. The Hendersonville Film Society will show Atonement on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

The Lady Vanishes HHHHH

Gold

Based-on-a-true-story drama helmed by Stephen Gaghan (Traffic; Syriana) and starring Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez and Bryce Dallas Howard. According to the Weinstein Company, “Gold is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street.” Early reviews are tepid. (R)

Neruda

See Scott Douglas’ review

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

Director Paul W. S. Anderson and star Milla Jovovich reunite for the sixth and final installment in this successful video game-based franchise. According to the film’s website: “Picking up immediately after the events in Resident Evil: Retribution, Alice (Jovovich) is the only survivor of what was meant to be humanity’s final stand against the undead. Now, she must return to where the nightmare began – The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.” No early reviews.(R)

Seasons

See Scott Douglas’ review

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock PLAYERS: Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty, Cecil Parker MYSTERY THRILLER Rated NR The Lady Vanishes (1938) is not only one of Hitchcock’s best and most completely entertaining films, but it’s the film that launched Hitch on his Hollywood career. Hollywood had taken notice of him with The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) and The 39 Steps (1935), but it was The Lady Vanishes that sealed the deal. It’s not hard to see why. This mystery thriller — with a good bit of comedy content — is just about perfect from every angle. The mystery is clever and well-developed. The characters are engaging and perfectly cast. (It’s hard not to wish that Michael Redgrave — here making his film debut — didn’t play in more movies of this type.) And the film is a veritable treasure trove of both Hitchcock’s wit and his trademark style. It’s the kind of perfectly crafted film that reminds you why you got hooked on movies in the first place. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on June 14, 2016. The Asheville Film Society will screen The Lady Vanishes on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 7:30 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

The Lodger HHHH

DIRECTOR: Alfred Hitchcock PLAYERS: Ivor Novello, Marie Ault, Arthur Chesney, June, Malcolm Keen MYSTERY THRILLER Rated NR Fresh from his stint in the German film industry, Alfred Hitchcock gave the British movie world a well-needed shot in the arm with The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) starring the immensely popular Ivor Novello. In so doing, he also gave the world its very first movie that feels like what we think of when we say an “Alfred Hitchcock film.” Heavily influenced by the Germans (something that would never entirely leave the director), this thriller about a mysterious lodger (Novello) — who may or may not be a Jack the Ripper-like killer known as The Avenger (the other residents become more and more convinced he is) — finds Hitchcock laying on the style and the experimentation. Some of it seems a little showy-for-showiness’ sake today, but effects such as shooting through a glass floor to show Novello pacing in his room are still fun and show a pathological obsession with bringing something new to film. Though usually remembered for only a handful of scenes, there’s much here that presages later Hitchcock works — including, though hardly limited to, the master’s own penchant for blondes (tellingly, the preferred victims of The Avenger). See it and see the birth of one of film’s greatest directors. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on April 22, 2009. The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen The Lodger Thursday, Jan. 26, at 9:15 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

Turtles Can Fly HHHH

DIRECTOR: Bahman Ghobadi PLAYERS: Soran Ebrahim, Avaz Latif, Saddam Hossein Feysal, Hiresh Feysal Rahman WAR DRAMA Rated PG-13 When Turtles Can Fly (2004) first showed here, I wrote: The first thing you notice about Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi’s Turtles Can Fly is how much more technically accomplished it is than most films we see from this part of the world. The colors are bright and vivid, the images are sharp and detailed, the compositions are elegant and striking and the camerawork as slick as anything from a major U.S. studio. Not only is this a pleasing departure in its own right, but it’s essential to Ghobadi’s approach, since the technical proficiency makes the grim reality of the world of its Kurdish refugee children look even grimmer by contrast. The film — the first made in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein — is a striking look at these nearly forgotten victims of war, and a sobering, saddening experience. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on April 14, 2015.

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Turtles Can Fly on Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 Hwy 70, Swannanoa.

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SCREEN SCENE

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Westward Ho! is the name of a village in southwestern England. Its name is impressive because of the exclamation point. But it’s not as dramatic as that of the only town on earth with two exclamation points: Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, which is in Quebec. I invite you Aries folks to be equally daring.

According to my reading of the astrological omens, you have a cosmic mandate and poetic license to cram extra !!!!s into all your writing and speaking, and even add them to the spelling of your name! Why? Because this should be one of the most exciting and ebullient phases of your astrological cycle — a time to risk showing just how enthusiastic and energetic you are!!!!!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The New York Film Critics Circle named Casey Affleck the Best Actor of the year for his role in the film Manchester by the Sea. In his acceptance speech at the award ceremony, Affleck gave a dramatic reading of quotes by David Edelstein, a prominent critic who has criticized his work. “Mumbly and mulish,” was one of Edelstein’s jabs about Affleck.

“Doesn’t have a lot of variety,” was another. A third: “Whenever I see Affleck’s name in a movie’s credits, you can expect a standard, genre B picture — slowed down and tarted up.” I suspect that in the coming weeks, Taurus, you may get a vindication comparable to Affleck’s. I suggest you have wicked fun with it, as he did.

FILMMAKER’S WEEKEND: Seen here, a still from My Dear Americans represents one of multiple short works that award-winning filmmaker Arpita Kumar will screen during her visit to Asheville. Photo courtesy of the artist • Grail Moviehouse hosts an encore screening of Democracy for Sale on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. The documentary follows North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis throughout his home state as he investigates its transformation at the hands of political spending.

The Masterminds star looks into allegations that the current state government was put in power by moneyed interests and has since carried out a program — cuts to education, health care spending and environmental protection, lowering of taxes for the wealthy and corporations, and the passage of laws designed to roll back access to voting — that only benefits its backers.

Free and open to the public. Entrance will be on a first-come, first-served basis, and seating will begin 15 minutes before showtime. grailmoviehouse.com • Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co.’s Merrimon Avenue theater is the site of World Peas Animations’ Asheville Kids Make Movies day on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m. The program consists of 30 minutes of stop-motion animations followed by an hour of live action shorts, all made in and around Asheville by local children. There will also be a red carpet parade finale at noon to honor the filmmakers. $3 per person /$10 per family. facebook.com/WorldPeasAnimations • Pack Memorial Library will screen Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. The 2010 documentary follows the 60-day journey of Australian Joe Cross throughout the

United States as he embarks on a juice fast to regain his health. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/ff • Mechanical Eye Microcinema presents Women Between Worlds: The Films of Arpita Kumar on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. at the North Asheville Public Library. Among the powerful stories of women pushing boundaries are Sita, My Dear Americans and an as-yet-unannounced new film. Kumar will be in attendance for an artist talk and post-screening Q&A. Tickets are $5, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

On Sunday, Jan. 29, from 1 to 3 p.m., Kumar will lead a short-form screenwriting workshop at Mechanical Eye’s Coxe Avenue space. Students will work directly with the award-winning, internationally recognized independent filmmaker and screenwriter to develop their own screenplay and leave the session with an outline for a three-act short film. No screenwriting experience is necessary. The workshop is open to teens and adults and costs $30. Register online. mechanicaleyecinema.org • The North Asheville Public Library’s America, America film series — featuring films that wrestle with the idea and reality of America — continues Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m. with a screening of Harlan County USA. Barbara Kopple’s Oscar-winning 1976 documentary centers on Kentucky coal miners who were brutally opposed in a 1973 strike. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/1d0 X

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The roulette wheels at casinos in Monaco have 37 pockets. Eighteen are black, 18 are red, and one is green. On any particular spin, the ball has just less than half a chance of landing in a red or black pocket. But there was one night back in August of 1913, at the Casino de Monte-Carlo, when probability seemed inoperative. The little white ball kept landing on the black over and over again. Gamblers responded by increasingly placing heavy bets on red numbers. They assumed the weird luck would soon change. But it didn’t until the 27th spin. (The odds of that happening were 136,823,184 to 1.) What does this have to do with you? I suspect you’re in a comparable situation — the equivalent of about 20 spins into an improbable streak. My advice: Don’t bet on the red yet.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Born to a religious mother on July 8, 1839, John D. Rockefeller amassed a fortune in the oil industry. Even in comparison to modern billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, he’s the richest American who ever lived. “God gave me the money,” he said on numerous occasions. Now I’m going to borrow the spirit of Rockefeller’s motto for your use, Cancerian. Why? Because it’s likely you will be the recipient of blessings that prompt you to wonder if the Divine Wow is involved. One of these may indeed be financial in nature. (P.S.: Such boons are even more likely to transpire if you’re anchored in your sweet, dark wisdom and your holy, playful creativity.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What influence do you need most in your life right now? Are you suffering because you lack a particular kind of help or teaching? Would you benefit from having a certain connection that you have not yet figured out how to make? Is there a person or event that could heal you if you had a better understanding about how you need to be healed? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to get useful answers to these questions — and then take action based on what you discover.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The next two weeks will be a favorable time to kiss the feet of helpful allies, but not to kiss the butts of clever manipulators. I also advise you to perform acts of generosity for those who will use your gifts intelligently, but not for those who will waste your blessings or treat you like a doormat. Here’s my third point: Consider returning to an old fork in the road where you made a wrong turn, and then making the correct turn this time. But if you do, be motivated by bright hope for a different future rather than by sludgy remorse for your error.

MOUNTAINX.COM

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the beginning was the wild cabbage. Our ancestors found that it had great potential as food, and proceeded to domesticate it.

Over the centuries, they used selective breeding to develop many further variations on the original. Kale and kohlrabi were the first to appear. By the 15th century, cauliflower had been created. Broccoli came along a hundred years later, followed by Brussels sprouts. Today there are at least 20 cultivars whose lineage can be traced back to the wild cabbage. In my astrological opinion, you Libras are in a wild cabbage phase of your long-term cycle. In the coming months you can and should do seminal work that will ultimately generate an abundance of useful derivatives.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1733, workers finished building the New Cathedral in Salamanca, Spain. But if you go there today, you will see two seemingly modern elements on one facade: carvings of a helmeted astronaut and of a gargoyle licking an ice cream cone. These two characters were added by craftsmen who did renovations on the cathedral in 1992. I offer this vignette as metaphor for your life, Scorpio. It’s a favorable time to upgrade and refine an old structure in your life. And if you do take advantage of this opening, I suggest you add modern touches.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will be afforded opportunities to bend the rules in ways that could make life simpler, more pleasurable and more successful — or all of the above. To help you deal with the issue of whether these deviations would have integrity, I offer you these questions: Would bending the rules serve a higher good, not just your selfish desires? Is there an approach to bending the rules that may ultimately produce more compassionate results than not bending the rules?

Could you actually get away with bending the rules, both in the sense of escaping punishment and also in the sense of being loyal to your own conscience?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I don’t necessarily guarantee that you will acquire paranormal powers in the coming weeks. I’m not saying that you will be able to foretell the future or eavesdrop on conversations from a half-mile away or transform water into whiskey-flavored coffee. But I do suspect that you will at least tap further into a unique personal ability that has been mostly just potential up until now. Or you may finally start using a resource that has been available for a long time. For best results, open your imagination to the possibility that you possess dormant magic.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A London-based think tank does an annual study to determine which of the world’s countries offers the most freedom.

The Legatum Institute measures indicators like civil liberties, social tolerance and the power to choose one’s destiny. The current champion is Luxembourg.

Canada is in second place. France is 22nd, the U.S. is 26th and Italy 27th. Since I’m hoping you will markedly enhance your own personal freedom in the coming months, you might want to consider moving to Luxembourg. If that’s not an option, what else could you do? The time is ripe to hatch your liberation plans.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I love to see dumpsters that have been decorated by graffiti artists. Right now there’s one by the side of a busy road that I often drive down. Its drab gray exterior has been transformed into a splash of cartoon images and scripts. Amidst signatures that look like “Riot Goof” and “Breakfast Toys” and “Sky Blooms,” I can discern a ninja rhinoceros and a gold-crowned jaguar and an army of flying monkeys using squirt guns to douse a forest fire. I suspect it’s a perfect time to for you to be inspired by this spectacle, Pisces. What dumpster-like situation could you beautify?

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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MARKETPLACE REAL E S TAT E | R E N TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SERV ICES | JOB S | A N N OU N CEMENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL AS S E S & WOR K S HOP S | M U S IC IA N S’ SERV ICES | PETS | A U TOMOTIV E | 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

ROOMMATES ROOMMATES ALL AREAS ROOMMATES.COM Lonely? Bored? Broke? Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at Roommates.com! (AAN CAN)

EMPLOYMENT MUST SEE! 2015 EWING & MCCONNAUGHY CUSTOM BUILT HOME IN BLACK MOUNTAIN! 4/2; 2068 sq ft.

Like New! Ranch; level lot; .34 ac.

Cathedral ceiling; open floorplan. Granite counters; stone fireplace. 15 steps to 1200 ac of walking trails. 828-335-6712 Realtor: Joanne.TopProducer@gmail. com

GENERAL TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great TOUR GUIDE! Seasonal FULL & PART-TIME positions available. Training provided for upcoming season. Contact us today! www.GrayLineAsheville.com; Info@GrayLineAsheville.com; 828251-8687.

COMMERCIAL/ BUSINESS RENTALS 2 PRIVATE THERAPIST OFFICES For professional psychotherapists only, $525/month and $550/month, Chestnut area. Year lease, background check. Renovated, all utilities, unfurnished, on site-parking. Join professional established group. (828) 4849482. gracec814@gmail.com

WANTED TO RENT SMALL APARTMENT NEEDED In exchange for work and cash. (404) 7406903.

RESTAURANT/ FOOD

PLUMBERS, SHEET METAL MECHANICS, SERVICE TECHS, AND HELPERS Mechanical Contractor seeks Plumbers, Sheet Metal Mechanics, Service Techs, and Helpers for the Asheville area. Excellent benefits. Please email resume to info@hvac-inc.com or mail resume to: 101 3rd Street, Bristol, TN 37620. No phone calls please. Drug Free Workplace. EEO Employer. info@hvac-inc. com

KITCHEN ASSISTANT Red Oak Recovery, a cutting edge substance abuse treatment program for young adults, is seeking a part-time Kitchen Assistant for our scenic Fletcher location. This position will be responsible for preparing meals for approximately 20-30 people, assist in weekly menu creating, dish washing, packing food for adventure trips, receiving and storing food deliveries, and other duties as assigned. • This position is a part-time position 4 days a week, 11am-5pm. • Qualified candidates will have prior kitchen experience, an interest in healthy and delicious foods, creative thinking, friendly, hardworking and reliable, and able to move about campus, including bending and lifting 40 lbs. Salary is based on experience. • Very Competitive pay offered.

Red Oak Recovery is a non-smoking and drug free work environment. Please visit redoakrecovery.com/employment to apply.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE

CHURCH BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR First Presbyterian Church of Asheville is seeking an Administrator. This position reports to the Pastor/Head of Staff and

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CAREER FAIR Mission Health hosting Behavioral Health Career Fair Weds, February 8, 4-7 pm at the Mission/A-B

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

RENTALS

works with other program staff members and committees to administer and manage the business operations of the church and will supervise a support staff of 3-4 people.

Responsibilities include financial management and accounting, office management, human resources, facilities, communications and information technology. This is a full-time salaried position that will include some evening and weekend meetings.

Please review the detailed job description which may be found at https://www. fpcasheville.org/employment-opportunities/ Please send resume and cover letter to apply@fpcasheville.org. Application review will begin on February 1 and continue until the position is filled.

Do you believe in the rights of ALL people, regardless of ability?

Do you have a passion for helping others reach their dreams?

Does your ideal work environment look like one big family?

Check out our family of caring at Liberty Corner!

Full- and Part-time positions currently open in residential facility and in-home locations. Most shifts require evenings and weekends. Some awake overnight shifts are available.

Full-Time and Part-Time Positions are Available in Buncombe, Haywood and Swain Counties. HS diploma or equivalent and valid NC driver’s license required.

Apply online at libertycornerent.com by clicking the “Job Opportunities” link.

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JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

Tech Conference Center, 340 Victoria Road, Asheville. Hiring: behavioral health techs, mental health clinicians, adjunctive therapists, RNs. Competitive pay and excellent benefits!

CAREPARTNERS JOB FAIR Now hiring RN, OT, PT CNA, companions & aides.

CarePartners Job Fair January 28th, 68 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, 1-4pm.

On site interviews, all shifts, competitive pay, excellent benefits.

HOUSE MGR/RECOVERY COACH Asheville North Star Recovery is a healing sanctuary for mature women recovering from substance abuse, trauma and co-occurring mental health disorders. House managers provide daily support for residents.

Contact lg@ashevillenorthstar.com.

HUMAN SERVICES AGING SERVICES OUTREACH SPECIALIST Provide case assistance and resource coordination for individuals 60+ and/or caregivers to assist them with economic, emotional, social and environmental needs. Email resume, three professional references, and cover letter info@coabc.org CLINICAL TECHNICIAN Red Oak Recovery, a young adult Substance Abuse Treatment Program located in the Asheville, NC area is seeking highly qualified individuals for direct care positions in our Women's Recovery Program. • The open positions are an overnight shift, and PRN-Part Time.

Treatment takes place in a residential setting with wilderness adventure expeditions. WFR, CSAC, or a degree in a Human Services field preferred. • Personal or professional experience with 12 Step Recovery, Substance Abuse Treatment, Mental Health Treatment, Wilderness Therapy, Trauma and/or Eating Disorder is preferred. • We offer competitive pay, health benefits, professional substance abuse and clinical training. Please visit our website redoakrecovery.com/employment to apply.

GO JOB OPPORTUNITY: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Green Opportunities is currently accepting resumes for a full-time Executive Director. Compensation for this position is $70,000 per year, please visit www.greenopportunities.org for more information.

THERAPEUTIC FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED Davidson Homes Inc. is seeking Foster Parents in Swannanoa and the surrounding areas. • All training is free and daily rate is great!

Call Debbie Smiley: 828-776-5228. www.davidsonhomes.org

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

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES PAID IN ADVANCE! Make $1000/ week mailing brochures from home!

No experience required. Helping

home workers since 2001! Genuine opportunity. Start immediately! www.IncomeStation.net (AAN CAN)

SERVICES ART/WRITING EDITING/LAYOUT SERVICES TO WRITERS Author of novels & how-to books will edit your manuscript, design covers, prep for CreateSpace. Contact to discuss project & for quote. Google me. michael@michaelhavelin.com (828)712-5570 michaelhavelin.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT CLEANING ADRIAN'S CLEANING SERVICE! :) Hate Cleaning ? Hire me! +10 years experience +Free estimates +Affordable rates +Local CALL NOW!

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.

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: 855-7324139. (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. 877362-2401. (AAN CAN)

LEGAL NOTICES NOTICE OF SOLICITATION NOTICE OF SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS TO OPERATE WORKFORCE INNOVATION & OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA) PROGRAMS AND TO COMPETITIVELY PROCURE ONE STOP OPERATOR(S) The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board (MAWDB), an agency of Land-of-Sky Regional Council (LOSRC), will be accepting Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) for the operation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (P. L. 113-128) programs and for One Stop Operator in the Mountain Local Area (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, and Transylvania Counties). Proposals will be sought for the NCWorks Career Centers (one in each county) and for the operation of the Youth Programs to serve eligible Youth (ages 14 through 24 at the time of program enrollment) in the Mountain Area region. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Final Rules have been released and Interested Bidders may refer to http://www.doleta.gov/wioa/ for guidance. North Carolina policy information is available at the Division of Workforce Solutions website nccommerce.com/workforce/ workforce-professionals. The MAWDB will develop cost reimbursement contracts with successful bidders for the WIOA programs to be operated July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. There

is no funding provided for the One Stop Operator portion of the procurement, specifically there will be zero cost reimbursement. Annual contract extensions, for up to two additional years, are possible if the selected service providers demonstrate and document successful performance, and if the adequate WIOA funding is available to the Local Area.

The Request for Proposals for WIOA NCWorks Career Centers and One Stop Operator and Request for Proposals for Youth Programs will be available at the MAWDB Offices, 339 New Leicester Hwy., Suite 140, Asheville, NC 28806-2088 between the hours of 8:30am and 3:00pm M-F or by e-mail request to zia@landofsky. org. All Requests for Proposals will be released for competitive procurement on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 and proposals will be due by 4:00pm on Friday, March 3, 2017. For additional information contact Nathan Ramsey, Director Mountain Area Workforce Development Board at nathan@ landofsky.org. The Bidders’ Conference to discuss the procedures related to applying for funds and operating a WIOA Youth Program is scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 3:00pm and the Bidders’ Conference for the operation of a WIOA NCWorks Career Center and One Stop Operator is scheduled for Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 9:30am. Both conferences will be held at the LOSRC Offices 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140, Asheville, NC. For agencies intending to submit proposals, RSVPs will be required to zia@landofsky.org to attend the Bidders’ Conference(s).

Organizations intending to bid must submit a Letter of Intent electronically to Nathan Ramsey (nathan@ landofsky.org) by 5:00pm on Thursday, February 16, 2017. The Mountain Area Workforce Development Board is an Equal Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities Act Compliant Employer and Program Administrator.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS LEARN RADICAL SUSTAINABILITY AT SCHOOL OF INTEGRATED LIVING Gain whole-life skills for radical sustainability through SOIL’s Permaculture and Ecovillage Immersion at Earthaven Ecovillage, June 10–August 11. Program includes Permaculture Design Certification. Learn more and register at schoolofintegratedliving.org.

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK

LOCAL INDEPENDENT MASSAGE CENTER OFFERING EXCELLENT BODYWORK Best bodywork in Asheville for very affordable rates. All massage therapists are skilled and dedicated. Deep Tissue, Integrative, Prenatal, Couples, Reflexology, Aromatherapy. Complimentary tea room. Beautifully renovated space. Convenient West AVL location.

Free parking in lot. (828)552-3003 ebbandflowavl@charter.net ebbandflowavl.com

T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

#1 AFFORDABLE COMMUNITY CONSCIOUS MASSAGE AND ESSENTIAL OIL CLINIC 4 locations: 1224 Hendersonville Rd., Asheville, 505-7088, 959 Merrimon Ave, Suite 101, 7851385 and 2021 Asheville Hwy., Hendersonville, 697-0103. 24 Sardis Rd. Ste B, 828-633-6789 • $33/hour. • Integrated Therapeutic Massage: Deep Tissue, Swedish, Trigger Point, Reflexology. Energy, Pure Therapeutic Essential Oils. 30 therapists. Call now! www.thecosmicgroove. com

COUNSELING SERVICES

DEEP FEELING EMOTIONAL RELEASE THERAPY - GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Nell Corry, LCSW, NCGCll, Certified Primal Therapist. Emotional Release Therapy uncovers the source, allows healing of depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, PTSD. Call for free halfhour chat: 828-747-1813. ncc.therapy@gmail.com www.nellcorrytherapy.com

HEALTH & FITNESS THAI STRETCHING, BODYRUB & AROMATHERAPY!!

Stressed out? Not sleeping well? Neck & shoulder tension from too much time on the computer? Low back pain or just want to pamper yourself?

I can help! 828-674-7562 Katie

RETREATS SHOJI SPA & LODGE * 7 DAYS A WEEK Day & Night passes, cold plunge, sauna, hot tubs, lodging, 8 minutes from town, bring a friend or two, stay the day or all evening, escape & renew! Best massages in Asheville 828-299-0999.

SPIRITUAL

ACROSS

1 Creatures under Wayne Manor 5 6’7” Sixers #6 8 Walks and balks 13 Court giant Arthur WHITEWATER RECORD- 14 Maker of the old ING Mixing • Mastering • Speed Wagon Recording.

(828) 684-8284 whitewaterrecording.com 15 Takes over 17 HOUSE PETS 19 Hemingway who wrote “Out Came the PET SERVICES Sun” ASHEVILLE PET SITTERS 20 “Rumour ___ It” (2011 Dependable, loving care while Adele hit) you're away. Reasonable rates.

Call Sandy (828) 215-7232.

21 Skin-care brand whose active PROFESSIONAL AND RELIingredients are oat ABLE PET CARE IN YOUR HOME! Mountain Pet Valet is an compounds experienced pet sitting service with commitment to your pet's 23 Ancient sun worshiper needs! Daily dog walks, pet vis- 24 You, more formally its and overnight stays. Mention ad for 10% off! (828)-490-6374 25 APPLE www.mountainpetvalet.com 27 Genius Mixes program AUTOMOTIVE 29 She played Rosemary in “Rosemary’s Baby” AUTOS FOR SALE 30 Rightmost number on JAGUAR XJ8 2000 L Sedan an Italian clock 4-Door, $2630, 4-WD, Cassette Player, CD Player, Leather Seats, 31 Simpson who lost a Sunroof. Call me:704-269-8103 crossword contest in 2008 MOTORCYCLES/ SCOOTERS FOR SALE 32 State nobody wants to live in 2003 POLARIS RANGER 500 6X6 PLOW '03 Polaris Ranger 34 “___ out!”

500 6X6 ~ $2199. Negotiable.

Plow. Cab. Many upgrades. 35 MAC 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. 9179161363. michaeljefrystevens.com

Stored inside. New tires. 739 Hours. 530-212-0085

39 “I learned to be a movie critic by reading ___ magazine”: Roger Ebert 42 GPS suggestion 43 Places where people have withdrawals?

47 Galoot 48 Choose 49 Sports entertainment show since 1993 51 CHEESE 55 The “E” of 14-Across 56 Observe 57 Bring to a boil 58 ___ wheels 59 Supported 61 “Shoot for the moon!” … or a hint to interpreting the clues to 17-, 25-, 35- and 51-Across 63 European river that inspired Smetana 64 Baseball’s ___ Desmond, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner 65 Alternatively 66 Message board admin 67 Sudden turn 68 Gardener’s bane

edited by Will Shortz

No. 1221

DOWN

1 Aromatherapy substance 2 Single-named singer with the 2002 hit “Foolish” 3 Ariadne helped him navigate the Labyrinth 4 Jiffy 5 Tees off 6 Magazine urging 7 Hardly serious 8 Heavyweight bout venue 9 Screeners’ org.

10 Golden 11 Christian supergroup?

12 007 movie after “Skyfall” 16 Heavy-metal band with a killer sound?

18 Word with fast or fire 22 “Spare me!”

26 Comic actor Danny 28 Slangy negative 32 Be alongside 33 Instinctive 36 Longtime Yankee nickname 37 Took care of the last bit 38 Norma ___ (Sally Field title role) 39 11/2-liter bottle 40 Fitting

41 Like the Hallows in a Harry Potter title 44 Quake 45 Torpor 46 Drank, as from a flask 49 Undertaking, as a war 50 “Say ___”

PUZZLE BY JEFF CHEN AND SETH GELTMAN

52 Water and sunlight, for plants

53 David ___, longtime Red Sox slugger 54 Faith founded in Persia 60 Thai neighbor 62 ___ Gardens, N.Y.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

RECREATIONAL VEHICLES FOR SALE 2007 WILDCAT 5TH WHEEL CAMPER 30LSBS. 3 slides.

Under metal roof. On seasonal site, Lake Hartwell RV park. Deck. 10x12 shed. Too many extras to list! $19,500 or best offer. 802-892-6658. hydel27@gmail.com

TRUCKS/ VANS/ SUVS FOR SALE 1949 CHEVY PICKUP Daily driver. Mostly restored. Could use paint job. $13,400 or best offer. (828) 606-8566.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

JULIE KING: LICENSED MINISTER, TEACHER, INTUITIVE HEALER AcuPsychic.com. 828884-4169. If you can see the Future You can Change it! For 35 years, she has helped thousands with relationships, finances, spiritual transformation & business. Mentoring & Courses available.

FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway

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

Paul Caron

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(828) 669-4625

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• Black Mountain

JANUARY 25 - JANUARY 31, 2017

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