Mountain Xpress 01.31.18 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 24TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 24 NO. 28 JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

TAKE CARE WELLNESS SERIES PART 1

farmers Foodie festivities 44 Asheville Rock 36 Local 40 markets flourish for Super Bowl Collective cranks in winter

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OUR 24TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 24 NO. 28 JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

C O NT E NT S

PAGE 16 CARING FOR CAREGIVERS

TAKE CARE WELLNESS SERIES PART 1

Local farmers markets flourish in winter

Foodie festivities for Super Bowl Sunday

Asheville Rock Collective cranks up the volume

Caring for the health needs of patients or family members is vital work, but it can take a toll on their caregivers. In Part 1 of Xpress’ multipart Wellness series, we take a hard look at the problems faced by local caregivers and explore efforts by organizations and agencies to do a better job of caring for the caregivers. COVER DESIGN Hillary Edgin

NEWS

10 ‘MONUMENTAL DECISIONS’ Local and state historians talk Confederate monuments at Pack Memorial Library

NEWS

FEATURES

15 ‘WHITE SUPREMACY MADE PERMANENT’ Asheville rallies around voting restrictions, 1900

2/12/18

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WELLNESS SECTION

8 17 20 24 28

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16 WELLNESS

36 GREEN SCENE 38 FOOD 40 SMALL BITES 42 BEER SCOUT 44 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

45 CHOREOGRAPHY OF CHANGE Urban Bush Women dance toward liberation

49 THEATER REVIEW 50 SMART BETS 54 CLUBLAND 59 MOVIES

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OPINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com. STA F F PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith NEWS EDITOR/WRITER: Carolyn Morrisroe OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, David Floyd, Max Hunt, Carolyn Morrisroe

CARTOO N BY RAN D Y M O LT O N

City Council should create parking solutions downtown Recently I was in downtown Asheville to pay my property taxes. The traffic was horrific, and parking was a nightmare. It is extremely frustrating to live in a city that has become nearly impossible for taxpaying citizens to navigate or enjoy because of tourists. My compliments to the staff of Buncombe County Tax Department; they were doing an awesome job serving a long line of people. I know tourism is important to the local economy, but considering the low wages generated by tourism, I think City Council should do more to improve the lives of Asheville citizens. Every election cycle, we hear promises of change, yet our quality of life decreases every day. Why? When are our elected officials actually going to work to represent the needs of everyone, versus a few developers and business owners? I have two ideas. I would like to see City Council designate parking that is reserved for taxpaying citizens. This could be accomplished by purchasing a yearly parking sticker and color-coded parking spots. And, develop the “pit of despair” across from the civic center as an eco-friendly hub for a park-and-ride

service. The city could purchase or lease empty lots along Tunnel Road and the River Arts District for parking. The buses would run every 10-15 minutes, help bridge downtown and the River Arts District, reduce traffic congestion, provide easier access for folks employed downtown and supply a few new jobs. What say you, City Council? — David Robertson Asheville

Sleepless in Candler, thanks to industrial noise The county attracts industries with tax deductions and they, Jacob Holm [Industries (America)], repays us with noise that goes on 24/7. The high-whine, jet-aircraft-sounding exhaust emitted by Jacob Holm industries, 1265 Sand Hill Road in Candler, goes on and on all hours of the day and night. They claim that they have spent $100,000 to correct (moving it away from Biltmore Lake’s high-priced homes) the problem [See “Answer Man’s” Dec. 11 column in the Asheville Citizen-Times: avl.mx/4k1]. Well, it has not worked. Those of us who live in less-affluent areas are the beneficiaries of their noise largesse. It keeps us awake at night. Our county commissioner, Joe Belcher, claims to have heard zero complaints on Jacob Holms’ noise

CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin CLUBLAND EDITORS: Abigail Griffin, Max Hunt MOVIE REVIEWERS: Scott Douglas, Francis X. Friel, Justin Souther CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Jonathan Ammons, Liisa Andreassen, Kari Barrows, Leslie Boyd, Jacqui Castle, Scott Douglas, Tony Kiss, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Kate Lundquist, Monroe Spivey, Lauren Stepp, Daniel Walton ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Norn Cutson, Hillary Edgin, Scott Southwick, Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Bryant Cooper, Niki Kordus, Tim Navaille, Brian Palmieri, Heather Taylor INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Bowman Kelley, DJ Taylor BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen, Lauren Andrews DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Jeff Tallman ASST. DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Denise Montgomery DISTRIBUTION: Gary Alston, Russell Badger, Frank D’Andrea, Jemima Cook Fliss, Adrian Hipps, Clyde Hipps, Jennifer Hipps, Joan Jordan, Laura Stinson, Brittney Turner-Daye, Thomas Young

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

OPINION

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pollution, but friends from Enka Village have complained repeatedly. The “new line” noise, run at night, is exhausted away from them but is still audible and aimed across the county soccer fields, U.S. 19/23 and into our sleeping ears. It is too much: five years of this for nonwoven fabric for baby wipes. Sincerely and sleeplessly in Itchy Gulch, N.C. — G.P. Cheney Candler Editor’s note: Xpress contacted Jacob Holm Industries and received the following response: “Jacob Holm has engaged the services of a local sound engineer to specifically determine which of the five exhaust vents are exceeding tolerable noise levels. Field tests were completed a few weeks ago. This is a complex engineering matter, as it involves not only sound level but frequency of that sound. We expect that report to be completed within the next two weeks. The equipment delivery is subject to manufacturing lead times at the time of order, with installation shortly after receipt. “We had tremendous success with this firm and their recommendations when we addressed a similar issue with our new line in 2015, and also in the summer of 2017 when we had a failed piece of equipment. The neighbors impacted with these two occurrences were very satisfied with our efforts, and we hope those experiencing aggravation now will also be satisfied. We just ask that everyone be patient with us as we implement the necessary corrective action.” Xpress contacted Commissioner Joe Belcher, who says he had received numerous complaints on the earlier noise problem and had worked with the company to remedy it. He says he hadn’t heard complaints on the new noise problem when he spoke to the Citizen-Times in early December, but he subsequently received emailed complaints about it. According to Belcher, the county then contacted Jacob Holm and learned that it was working with engineers to remedy the new noise problem. “I’m grateful as a commissioner for any input I receive from the community,” Belcher says.

Cover photo glorified gun fashion

12 Eagle Street • DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE 6

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

I must admit, the imagery used for your cover story on conceal and carry has me a little taken aback [“Guns Under Cover: Concealed Carry Permits in Buncombe Jump 400 Percent,” Jan. 17, Xpress]. While I agree that the issue is worth cover-

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ing, I believe that the imagery used was a poor choice. Your cover photo, with its fashionable gun-toting female and matching teal Xpress lettering is more than a little inviting. I can only imagine how this glorification of gun fashion is being received by your teen and preteen readers. Even as a person who predominantly describes herself as “anti-gun,” I also felt a sudden urge to purchase such accessories. Thinking, “Wow, I had no idea guns were so cute these days!” The images inside were not much better (this includes the throng of satisfied white people proudly displaying their ability to shoot a human being in the proper places to kill versus just immobilize). You stated that there has been a 400 percent increase in the amount of people (that we know of) carrying firearms. If this number is alarming to you — then why use inviting imagery to help increase that number? Concerned mother, — Jessica Ferland Asheville Editors’ response: Thanks for your perspective. The cover’s purpose was not to glorify violence but to encourage awareness. Reporting on or depicting actions is not the same as advocating for them. The article points out that women and minority residents are seeking concealed carry permits in larger numbers than ever before, and the cover image was an attempt to reflect one aspect of the trend.

Consider donating kidney to Asheville father Thank you for taking time to read this [letter]. I am writing in search of a kidney donor for my husband, Steven Rosenfeld, as he is battling end-stage renal disease. As tough as this is to ask for such a huge favor, I know that without reaching out, someone who might be interested in helping will not have that opportunity. In the fall of 2016, he was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease that causes kidney failure. We have no answers as to why this happened, but we do know that the disease is progressing faster than we had anticipated, and he is now on dialysis three times per day. This routine is physically and mentally exhausting, and, at this point, it dictates every aspect of his life. Who is my husband? He is a dedicated husband, father to two grown children and a grandfather. He is someone who has spent his life helping others,

instilling in his family the value of giving and helping others. His generosity has always been about giving without any expectations of receiving in return, which he preferred to do anonymously. It is very difficult for us to watch a person who has given so generously to others deal with end-stage renal disease. Dialysis is only a temporary fix as his disease continues to progress. His best hope to return to a normal, productive life is finding a donor. He is currently on the list for a transplant from a deceased donor, which can be a 5-plus year wait. Time is not a luxury he has. However, there is a better option, a living donor, which is a kidney donation from a living, healthy donor. Unfortunately, there are no family members who are a suitable match to be a donor. As a result, we as a family need to reach beyond and into our community in order to find a match. Steven has Type A blood and those with A or O types will be the most suitable matches. Donating is a relatively risk-free endeavor for the donor, who will go on to live a completely normal life after donation, needing only one kidney for a full and active life. Recovery time is minimal; two-three days in the hospital and back to a normal routine and activities within six weeks. Additionally, all costs related to the surgery for the donor are covered by Steven’s insurance. Here is what I ask of you: Please help me to spread the word. I strongly believe that there are many altruistic, spiritual and charitable people in the world who would consider helping spread the word or possibly even donating themselves. The less time that Steven has to spend on dialysis, the better his chances are for having a successful transplant and living a healthy, productive life. We are hopeful that spreading the word can help find a kidney for my husband sooner, in addition to encouraging others to consider helping the many people on the list waiting for a kidney. Please contact me at the email below ... if you can help in any way. You can also find more information at kidney.org/LivingDonation. Thank you for taking the time to read this. We are truly stronger together. Warm regards, — Susan Harrold findourkidney@gmail.com Asheville

Still pushing for housing for homeless vets I went by the mayor’s office in Asheville yesterday to make sure she had read my most recent letter in

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N the Asheville Citizen-Times thanking the city for going ahead with a plan to build a large amount of low-income and affordable housing in different locations in the city, including the new River Arts District development. Of course, I only got to talk to an assistant, but I did get to pass on my thoughts about this and lobby again for homeless vets getting some of the spaces, especially in the RAD, which could be a large amount of housing. On the way in, I spoke about this to the security guards and the elevator operator (Asheville City Hall still has an old-school elevator, and someone has a full-time job operating it, which I think is cool) and told them what I told the mayor’s assistant, and they all said they would let her know they thought my letter and idea about putting homeless vets with lowincome artists in the RAD project was a good thing. I may be crazy, but I am good crazy and like a pit bull once I am promoting an idea to help the poor. I don’t stop pushing, and I write letters, which get published in the local papers, which gives me some credibility. — John Penley Asheville

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

OPINION

SPECIAL

WELLNESS

Healing hands

Please contact Able Allen at aallen@mountainx.com

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

BY DR. LAURA FLECK It may seem strange to think about physicians needing to be taken care of. After all, aren’t they the healers? If they can take care of dozens of patients daily, can’t they take care of themselves? Why do they need care anyway? I have practiced medicine for over 30 years, the past 16 of which have been in Western North Carolina. Like most of my colleagues, I have seen dramatic changes in how I am able to practice medicine. Gone are the days when our medical practice was our own business. There were very few bureaucratic tasks and no electronic health records. Most of our time was spent face to face, treating people. We loved what we were trained to do: care for patients. All of that has changed. We now find ourselves practicing medicine in an everchanging, bureaucratic health care system. Most of us are working 60-plus hours a week, taking time away from our families. How we practice is to a large degree mandated by burgeoning government-

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COMMENTARY

Physicians must recognize that they need care, too

reporting requirements. According to a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine, primary care providers spend 50 percent of their time doing data entry and computer-related tasks, time that is no longer reserved for patients. The reality of this fact recently became very clear to me when I overheard a patient sharing her personal observations with a family member while they waited in the exam room for me to complete her care plan. I had previously treated this patient, but I had not seen her in 10 years. The patient, with concern in her voice, stated that this visit had been very different from previous: It was much more brief, my staff seemed focused on their computers, and it was unlikely her insurance would pay for the testing I had recommended. In one brief conversation, she summarized much of what frustrates physicians daily. According to a 2016 survey, physicians in the United States are currently more discouraged and hopeless (“burnedout”) than any other profession. Fifty-one percent of physicians have experienced burnout in the last 12 months. Forty-eight percent of practicing physicians stated they would choose another profession if they could make their career choice all over again. Having been through the rigors of medical training and practice, I can attest to the fact that physicians are a tough breed. We are encouraged to be tough. What we have to go through in order to obtain our degree alone is a feat of physical and mental endurance. So, the fact that, according to a recent survey, more than half of the physician respondents plan to leave the practice of medicine entirely or take early retirement to escape their present circumstances is a critical reason why they need to be cared for. In 2017 alone, I witnessed three physicians leave busy practices that had taken them decades to build because they felt they could no longer tolerate the current medical environment. One told me he would rather leave medicine than continue to give patients less than what they deserve. Another felt he wasn’t actually practicing medicine at all anymore. And, if that weren’t enough, every day physicians in the United States decides they can no longer cope with the stress of being a doctor. Their hands, once used for healing, become the instruments by which they take their own life. “Over a million patients lose their physician to suicide each year,” stated Dr. Shaun Gillis, co-author of the book The Other Side

DR. LAURA FLECK of Burnout: Solutions for Healthcare Professionals, at a 2016 American College of Physicians meeting. We are losing doctors’ lives to burnout. If we are in agreement that care providers need support, what do they need and how do they get it? Physician awareness is the first step. Physicians must recognize that they may be at risk for burnout due to the difficulties of practicing medicine, and that it is OK to need help. Burnout screening tools can provide a confidential means for physicians to examine their own wellness. For example, at the hospital where I work, medical providers are being screened for burnout on an annual basis, utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory. It is a simple and effective tool that assesses the level of physician burnout and is also available to any physician online. It isn’t enough to identify physician needs. We must also create a culture in the medical and local community that appreciates the personal needs of care providers. Physicians have been trained to be strong and self-sufficient. Admitting they may need help is not always easy, particularly if they feel they will be criticized or penalized. An environment must

SPECIAL

WELLNESS

exist that makes the pursuit of support and assistance by a physician a noble thing ― not a shameful one. In this time of significant change and challenge, helping physicians find and value balance in their lives is probably the most essential part of caring for them. Physicians, like all humans, are complex beings with a wide range of needs: physical, emotional and spiritual. Physicians should not feel guilty for the time they take to fill these other vital roles. They must be reminded that their lives hold value and meaning separate from the role they play as a care provider. I recently received an email from a friend who is an ophthalmologist. She had struggled throughout her busy workday, wondering if she would finish up in time to make her daughter’s dance recital. Backed up in clinic, she called her daughter to break the bad news that she wouldn’t be there in time. Her daughter sadly said, “It’s OK, Mom, I understand. Your patients are more important than I am.” My friend broke into tears, canceled the remainder of her clinic and made it to the recital ― but not before moving the remaining patients to her already fully booked schedule the next day.

COMMENTARY

The practice of medicine has changed. Physicians are faced with challenges and demands that take them away from patients, as well as friends and family. The result is increasing physician burnout with its devastating consequences. Now, more than ever, care providers need to be cared for. This requires heightening physician awareness of the challenges they face, providing tools to identify needs and resources to address them. It necessitates encouraging physicians to live healthy lifestyles and find balance in their own lives. But to be successful, we must first transform our culture to embrace the human side of medical providers, with all their vulnerabilities, and remember that physicians’ lives hold value and meaning separate from the role they play as care providers. X Laura Fleck, M.D., is a board-certified medical neurologist at Foundation in Spine Health, a service of Park Ridge Health in Hendersonville, specializing in the evaluation and nonsurgical management of spine conditions that cause pain in the neck, midback or low back. She can be reached via www.parkridgehealth.org or by calling 855-PRH-LIFE (855-7745433).

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NEWS

‘MONUMENTAL DECISIONS’ BY THOMAS CALDER

Buncombe County. Meanwhile, Elliston will present on key civic and community leaders who supported the construction of these monuments. Many of these proponents, says Elliston, “were also avid supporters of our local white supremacy movement, which was jarringly strong.” (See “Asheville Archives: ‘White supremacy made permanent,’ 1900” in this week’s issue, p. 15) Brundage’s presentation, titled “A Vexing and Awkward Debate: The Legacy of a Confederate Landscape?” will take a broader look of the state’s overall historical embrace of Confederate monuments. According to Brundage, these memorials and the rhetoric surrounding their placement in towns and cities throughout North Carolina provide insight into the social and political movements that arose following the conclusion of the Civil War. Through this lens, Brundage will also address what these statues and

tcalder@mountainx.com Controversial topics do not faze historian Fitzhugh Brundage. It’s quite the contrary, says the author and UNC Chapel Hill department chair: “I’m happy in engaging people who don’t agree with me.” On Saturday, Feb. 3, Brundage will participate in “Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces,” a free community forum. The event takes place in the Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library. It will also feature presentations by Roy Harris and Jon Elliston, members of the Friends of the North Carolina Room. Both Harris and Elliston will focus on local history. Harris will offer a brief overview of the seven Confederate monuments located in

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Local and state historians talk Confederate monuments at Pack Memorial Library

THREE OF A KIND: On Saturday, Feb. 3, Pack Memorial Library will host “Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces.” The forum’s co-organizer, Zoe Rhine, stands between presenters Jon Elliston, left, and Roy Harris. Photo by Thomas Calder ceremonies mean in terms of the region’s collective memory at the time of their installation. “There was a white Confederate version of history that was on the landscape and then there was an alternative African-American memory that was less conspicuous,” he says. Brundage hopes the talk encourages people to reflect on the meaning of an area’s public space and the narrative it conveys. On a larger scale, this goal is reflected in Brundage’s role as scholarly adviser to “Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina,” a digital publishing program at UNC Chapel Hill. As its title suggests, the ongoing project seeks to document the state’s history through its commemorative monuments, shrines and public art. Brundage says questions concerning the selection process of these statues must be asked. Why, for example, do Confederate memorials reign supreme across North Carolina, while remembrance of the state’s Union soldiers go neglected in most public spaces? What message does that send? “I think that it is very important to have that discussion, because it opens up the possibility for making informed choices,” Brundage explains.

HIDDEN PAST IN PLAIN SIGHT Zoe Rhine, the forum’s co-organizer and North Carolina Room staff member, says her own unfamiliarity with the state’s and region’s complex history surrounding these monuments was what inspired her to help create the upcoming event. “As the discussions came up about Asheville’s Confederate monuments, I realized that, first of all, I’d never thought about them very much,” she says. With 23 years of experience working in the North Carolina Room, Rhine says, she had believed her grasp of local history was sound. “But I realized that I knew very little about the social and political environments of the county and of North Carolina in the late 1800s and early 1900s,” she concedes. When it comes to Confederate monuments, one of the greatest obstacles preventing thoughtful dialogue is the hardline stance many individuals and groups bring to the table. “In some ways this is a zero-sum debate,” Brundage says. Harris agrees. As a member of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Harris recalls a recent listening forum his church held on

THE HISTORIAN: Fitzhugh Brundage, author and UNC Chapel Hill history department chair, will discuss Confederate monuments in a forum at Pack Memorial Library on Saturday, Feb. 3. Photo by Grant Halverson

one’s version of history. … The monuments did not reflect everyone’s vision of history and often left out a lot of history. I think it is very appropriate for Asheville and Buncombe County’s local history room to make this information available to the public, who is now trying to grapple with Confederate monuments today.” For Elliston, contributing to a more informed public through civil discourse is among his top priorities. “I think it’s crucial that we keep the dialogue going now,” he says. “In some ways, we’re having the dialogue for the first time in decades. A lot of people are bringing a whole lot of new thoughts and perspective to the table, and I’d much rather see us have a civic dialogue about it than the kind of violence and recrimination that happened in Charlottesville.” X

the matter. “We did find that a lot of people who have strong feelings both ways on the topic really didn’t want to talk about it,” he says. Still, all members involved in the upcoming talk at Pack Memorial Library believe events like “Monumental Decisions” create the potential for a greater understanding. “It’s very important to know the role of race in local and state politics at the turn of the century,” says Rhine. “A monument is dedicated by some-

WHAT “Monumental Decisions: The Legacy and Future of Civil War Markers in Our Public Spaces” WHERE Lord Auditorium at Pack Memorial Library 67 Haywood St. avl.mx/4ji WHEN Saturday, Feb. 3 at 2 p.m. Free

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Residents, Council to DOT: Let us participate in Merrimon planning As members of Asheville City Council on Jan. 23 expressed exasperation at the abrupt manner in which the N.C. Department of Transportation recently unveiled plans for widening a portion of Merrimon Avenue, North Asheville residents met to strategize about ways to influence the DOT’s decisions on this and other roadway projects. Clark Mackey, an Asheville web designer who presented an overview of the DOT proposal, explained his transformation from occasional bicycle commuter to transportation activist. The turning point came when 10-year-old Alexander BautistaGomez and 5-year-old Milena Alejandro-Bautista were killed crossing Fairview Road on foot with their babysitter on Dec. 1, 2016. “My feelings are very specific: I cannot be idle while kids are killed crossing the street,” Mackey told the gathering. “I am directly responsible, because it is my tax dollars and my political will that creates these roads.” The children’s deaths, he continued, are relevant to the changes proposed for Merrimon Avenue, since the DOT’s proposed design would create a widened, five-lane roadway very similar to the one on which the fatal accident occurred. LUCKY NUMBER 13 Mackey gave a presentation summarizing NCDOT Division 13’s plans for the busy commercial street, which were first rolled out at a public meeting at the North Asheville Community Center on Jan. 8. According to DOT documents (avl.mx/4kr), the project will widen Merrimon Avenue from its intersection with Edgewood Road to W.T. Weaver Boulevard. Along with a new center left-turn lane, the $2.8 million project will also widen the existing lanes, add a 2-foot-wide bicycle lane and a 2-foot-wide gutter on either side of the roadway, and include 6-foot-wide sidewalks on either side of the street. “The project purpose is to improve traffic operations and enhance safety” in the project area, the DOT’s meeting handout reads. At its widest, said Mackey, the transportation corridor (including the roadway, bike lanes, gutter and side12

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

The nonprofit bicycle advocacy organization Asheville on Bikes has taken a position opposing the project. More information is available on the organization’s website (avl.mx/4kt). FROM CITY HALL

GATHERING STEAM: North Asheville residents learn more about a proposed project to widen a section of Merrimon Avenue. Photo by Virginia Daffron walks) will be 36 percent wider than its current footprint. In the area of the intersection of Merrimon Avenue and W.T. Weaver Boulevard, the road’s curve would be slightly straightened, and the connection of Clearview Terrace to Merrimon would be replaced with a retaining wall. The project will require replacing the roadbed where Reed Creek flows under Merrimon Avenue. Project plans call for routing greenway traffic to the street level to cross Merrimon Avenue before continuing along W.T. Weaver Boulevard, the same as the current connection. The DOT’s plans for the project, Mackey said, violate many of the department’s own policies and fail to take into account city and neighborhood plans that call for specific design approaches to allow all road users to get where they need to go safely. Bruce Emory, a member of the city’s Multimodal Transportation Commission who lives in North Asheville and attended the Jan. 23 neighborhood meeting as well as the DOT’s Jan. 8 meeting, said the earlier meeting drew around 200 residents. Emory said public sentiment at the meeting appeared fairly evenly divided between those who supported the DOT’s plans as a means of easing congestion and those who maintain the changes would decrease safety for pedestrians and bicycle riders. MINDING THEIR BUSINESS Tami and Bill Helfrich, owners of the YoLo Asheville frozen yogurt shop at 505 Merrimon Ave., attended the Jan. 23

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neighborhood meeting and expressed their anxiety about the possible impact of the changes on their business. “We’re very upset about this,” said Bill Helfrich. The couple say they feel blindsided by the DOT’s proposal, which they first got wind of from a small sign advertising the Jan. 8 DOT meeting. Not realizing that the meeting so directly impacted their business, they didn’t attend. But afterward, they became increasingly concerned. “It’s crucial for us. Our sign is right where the new lane is going to be,” said Helfrich. Norwood Park resident Christopher Pratt spoke at the Jan. 23 meeting and on Jan. 24 summarized some of his concerns in an email to Asheville City Council. The DOT’s plans, Pratt wrote, present “many disruptions and complications for the adjacent neighborhoods. The projects do not meet the Complete Street criteria, including that it does not sufficiently address the needs of neighbors and others seeking to get from their homes to the Merrimon businesses and return home easily and safely. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, and it essentially discriminates against neighbors without cars, children, the elderly and disabled. Consider how difficult it is now for able adults to cross Merrimon. It also does not address the existing greenway at the intersection with W.T. Weaver Boulevard.” Residents also spoke out against what they saw as a lack of public notice and a short timeframe for providing input into the DOT’s plans. The deadline for public comment was Jan. 29.

As residents conferred, Asheville City Council took up the Merrimon Avenue plans as “new business” at its regular meeting on Jan. 23. Vice Mayor Gwen Wisler expressed displeasure that NCDOT unveiled a plan for Merrimon Avenue that did not line up with the city’s transportation vision. Of the Jan. 8 DOT meeting, she said, “I attended that with several members of City Council, and there was a large gathering of the public who came out and I — and I suspect the majority of Council — was really disappointed in the fact that there was a very detailed plan put together with no input from city staff, no marrying up with the city’s Complete Streets Plan, with the [Asheville in Motion] Plan, Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, the Comp Plan, pretty much any plan.” Wisler asked city staff to work closely with DOT to open the Merrimon Avenue planning process back up to include more feedback from Asheville residents. “It’s not a good plan, but even more importantly, to really ask DOT to change their policies and procedures so that nothing happens in Asheville like this where DOT imposes a plan without any input from our citizens or our city staff,” she said. Mayor Esther Manheimer, who said she has lived near the Merrimon project area for a long time, said even she was not aware of DOT’s plans. “I knew in theory that this project was on the list; I didn’t realize it had risen to the top of the list,” she said. “And I certainly wasn’t aware, like everybody else, that anyone was drafting a plan for it.” Ken Putnam, Transportation Department director, told Council he had already confirmed with the DOT that if City Council passes a resolution at its next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13, DOT will accept it. A Jan. 24 news release from NCDOT Division 13 advises, “Once comments are evaluated, changes in the project proposal will again be presented to the public for input. Meanwhile, state environmental documents are being completed this spring. Right-of-way acquisition could begin late this year, and construction could start in late 2019.” — Virginia Daffron and Carolyn Morrisroe X

City leaves light on for Airport Road hotel As Asheville City Council tries to be sensitive to public backlash against Asheville’s downtown hotel boom, it put out the welcome mat for another hotel in South Asheville near the airport. City Council approved a 112-room, five-story hotel project at 390 Airport Road at its Jan. 23 meeting, but not without some reluctance. Greenville, S.C.-based Windsor Aughtry Commercial Group applied for conditional zoning from highway business to lodging expansion for a parcel near the Southridge Shopping Center, which includes such tenants as Target and OfficeMax. Attorney Wyatt Stevens, representing the applicant, said his client ran a report that showed hotels of the same caliber in the area had occupancy rates of 80 percent, seven days a week, in 2016. “There is massive demand for hotels in that part of the county that is not being met by current hotels,” he said. Stevens said the target market for the proposed extended-stay, Hiltonbrand hotel would be not only tourists, but also corporate customers visiting the many manufacturing companies in the area. Council member Vijay Kapoor, who lives in South Asheville, disagreed that another hotel is the best idea for that location. “I am actually quite strongly opposed to this,” he said. “What we’re doing here is we are going to be approving, if we approve it tonight, 11 hotels in a 1-mile radius, and I don’t think there’s any other part of the city where that’s occurring.”

HOTELVILLE: Asheville City Council approved a 112-room, five-story Hilton-brand hotel on Airport Road near a Target-anchored shopping center at its Jan. 23 meeting. According to Council member Vijay Kapoor, it will be the 11th hotel within a 1-mile radius. Image courtesy of the city of Asheville Kapoor pointed out that this location was not part of Asheville when the city’s Comprehensive Plan was created, but nevertheless, development in that area would ideally be in line with it. “Every part of the city, as it stands right now, needs to fall under compliance with the Comprehensive Plan,” he said. “I have no doubt you all will be very successful if you build this, but the question is not whether or not you’re going to be successful, it’s whether or not this is good and rational and smart land-use planning. Council member Keith Young acknowledged many Asheville resi-

dents’ distaste for more hotel development while suggesting that Airport Road, already being a busy business corridor, is a suitable spot for such a project. ”Don’t act like you’re giving the city of Asheville something, because there’s lots of citizens who would gladly want me to say no to this tonight,“ he told the development team. ”But if you can’t put a hotel there, where can you actually put a hotel? It’s almost in Henderson County." Conditional zoning of the proposed hotel site passed 5-2, with Kapoor and Council member Brian Haynes voting no. — Carolyn Morrisroe X

Buncombe explores barriers to early childhood education Proponents of early childhood education programs argue that they have palpable benefits for both children and their parents: Children who participate in those programs experience better overall outcomes, and parents who enroll their kids in these programs can continue to work knowing their children are in a safe environment. “But it’s complicated,” said Rachael Nygaard, Buncombe County’s director of strategic partnerships, during a Board of Commissioners workshop on Jan. 22. “We know that it’s a good thing, but we

have a lot of barriers that we face within this sort of fragile and complex system. … There isn’t enough child care to go around, care centers maintain long waitlists, and the care that’s available isn’t always affordable.” In an effort to broaden access to early childhood education programs, which tend to focus on kids between birth and kindergarten, the Board of Commissioners included the issue on its list of strategic initiatives for 2018. For the workshop, commissioners enlisted the help of a large panel of local educa-

tion experts to learn more about the obstacles to access to these programs. JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS One issue is a lack of available child care professionals, and interest in the profession appears to be declining for several reasons — one being the low pay. In a ranking of 2016 teacher salary data by the National Education Association, North Carolina came in at 41st in the

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

NEWS BRIEFS

N EWS

by Max Hunt | mhunt@mountainx.com ASHEVILLE MARKS NATIONAL GIRLS & WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY

SCHOOLHOUSE BLOCK: Buncombe County commissioners hear a presentation by local educators about obstacles associated with early childhood education at a Jan. 22 meeting. Photo by David Floyd nation, with an average salary of $47,941. The average national salary for a preschool teacher is even lower: $33,300 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment in teacher education programs throughout the state are down 30 percent, said Jacque Penick, executive director of the Verner Center for Early Learning, a nonprofit child care program in Asheville. “There are very limited opportunities in this area for someone to get a birth-to-kindergarten four-year degree,” she said in a presentation at the meeting. “In fact, in Buncombe County there are none.” Western Carolina University in Cullowhee is the closest college to Buncombe County that offers an early childhood education degree. Appalachian State University in Boone is the next-closest. “Many of the people who desire this degree are currently working,” Penick said. “It makes it a hardship and sometimes impossible to be able to be on-site.” Jeffrey Konz, dean of social sciences at UNC Asheville, said UNCA used to have a birth-through-kindergarten education program, but the enrollment numbers were unsustainably low, typically at around four to five students a year. The university shelved the program after the faculty member running it accepted a job elsewhere. “So the question for us is thinking about why we couldn’t get students there,” Konz said. “I don’t think it was a question of igniting passion. It really was a question of compensation. So we’ve got to find a way to make this an attractive, long-term profession for folks.” Brian Repass is the director of the children, family and community partnership department at Community Action Opportunities, an organization that provides resources to people with limited incomes. The organization operates a Head Start program, an early childhood education program that must compete with other school systems for licensed teachers. 14

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Repass said with so few qualified candidates in the job pool, the recruitment process can often be difficult — a problem that was exemplified this fall when Repass’ organization was trying to fill three teaching vacancies. “We interviewed seven potential employees and made offers to six of those, and we had one person accept,” Repass said. Two of the interviewees who didn’t accept a position were retired teachers with licenses in elementary education and 20 to 30 years of experience. However, in order to teach early childhood education, these teachers would have had to go back to college and take classes to qualify for an exception to get the licenses required to teach in a birth-through-kindergarten program. “We have folks who wanted to work for us who were willing to take our salaries, but when it came down to going back to school after retiring they were really not interested in that,” Repass said. Enrolling a child in an early childhood education program can also be very expensive. Depending on the quality of the program and the location, preschool enrollment costs can be several thousand dollars per year — a price range that can be particularly prohibitive in a county like Buncombe. “The salaries in Buncombe are depressed, not just in our field but across the board,” Penick said. “And yet, the cost of doing business, the cost of living here is not depressed … so there’s a big gap between what parents here can afford to pay for high-quality early care and education and what the costs are.” What can Buncombe County do to solve these problems? Commissioners said they hoped the Jan. 22 meeting would be the first step to finding an answer to that question. “We’re operating in a tight, restricted system that’s broken in some ways and has a lot of limitations,” said Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara. “But we also know because you guys are showing us … there are cracks where there is room to run by working outside the box.” — David Floyd X

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The city of Asheville will celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Saturday, Feb. 3, 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at UNC Asheville. The event will include a host of sports clinics geared toward encouraging women and girls to lead active, healthy lives. Clinics include Zumba, yoga, soccer, dance, cheerleading and disc golf. The event is open to women and girls ages 6 and older. Registration is $15 per person. In addition to clinics, participants will receive a goody bag, a healthy lunch and admission to that afternoon’s UNCA women’s basketball game. More info and registration: avl.mx/4kx, 828232-4526 or kturner@ ashevillenc.gov BUNCOMBE PLANNING BOARD SCHEDULES PUBLIC HEARING FEB. 5 The Buncombe County Planning Board will hold a public hearing Monday, Feb. 5, at 9:30 a.m. in the meeting room at 30 Valley St., Asheville. The board will consider an application for a variance on minimum pavement width in the Fernstone Village subdivision at 19 Viera Drive. In addition, the board will consider a variance application for minimum pavement width to accommodate a single-family residential subdivision at 402 Liberty Road. More info: avl.mx/4e1 BUNCOMBE COMMISSIONERS MEET FEB. 6 The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners will meet Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 5 p.m. at 200 College St.,

Suite 326, in downtown Asheville. A meeting agenda can be found online at avl.mx/4ku at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 31. More info: avl.mx/4ku POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN PLANS ASHEVILLE TOWN HALL The Poor People’s Campaign, a national movement to address public policies that keep underprivileged residents in poverty, is sponsoring its first town hall event in Asheville on Thursday, Feb. 8, 7-9 p.m. at Hill Street Baptist Church. Created by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the Poor People’s Campaign seeks to address policy reform regarding issues of health care, hunger, the environment and justice reform, and other issues affecting impoverished communities. Speakers for the Feb. 8 event include the Rev. Amy Cantrell, Dr. Richard Fireman, the Rev. Shannon Spencer, Carmen Ramos Kennedy, Mirian Porras Rosas, Leslie Boyd and other residents. A musical performance by the BeLoved Justice Band is also scheduled for the program. The event is free and open to the public. More info: avl.mx/4kz RED CROSS CALLS FOR DONATIONS AMID ’CRITICAL LEVEL’ BLOOD SHORTAGE The American Red Cross is urgently calling for blood and platelet donors to make up for a “critical level” shortfall of blood, due to donation cancellations caused by winter weather.

In North Carolina alone, more than 120 blood drives have been forced to cancel so far this winter due to adverse weather conditions, while frigid temperatures and a robust flu season have curtailed turnout at other blood drives. A list of upcoming regional blood drives and donation opportunities can be found at avl.mx/4ky. In addition, residents can make an appointment to give blood or platelets by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org, or calling 800733-2767. More info: avl.mx/4ky NEIGHBORHOOD VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS SOUGHT The city of Asheville is calling for nominations for the 2018 Asheville Neighborhood Volunteer of the Year Award. Now in its second year, the award recognizes a city resident with a laudable record of volunteer service to city neighborhoods. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel appointed by the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, which will select a winner to be recognized at an upcoming Asheville City Council meeting. Nominations are due by Saturday, March 31. Application forms are available online at avl. mx/4kv. Completed applications can be submitted via email to bmills@ ashevillenc.gov or by mail to P.O. Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28801. More info: avl. mx/4kw X

FE AT U RES

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Asheville rallies around voting restrictions, 1900

A CONTINUED PRESENCE: On June 26, 1900, Asheville’s Young Men’s White Supremacy club held its inaugural meeting. Twenty-four years later, the Ku Klux Klan rallied in downtown Asheville. Photo courtesy of North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Public Library, Asheville

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bilities of suffrage and citizenship better than the negro; and the Democratic party holds that the uneducated white man can be trusted to cast a more intelligent vote than even an educated negro.” The vote for the amendment would not take place until Aug. 2, 1900. In the meantime, a push for its passage took several forms, including the creation of Asheville’s own Young Men’s White Supremacy club. On June 27, 1900, The Asheville Daily Citizen reported on the organization’s inaugural meeting, held the previous night. Among its speakers was a Dr. Pacquin. According to the paper: “Dr. Pacquin declared that the amendment ought to be carried in such a way as would convince the people of the north that the question was of supremacy of the white man, and not a partisan one. … He declared that it was ridiculous and absurd to give the negro or any other debased race political equity with the Anglo-Saxon. Dr. Paquin’s speech pleased the club so much that it was resolved to ask him to write out his views for publication.” On July, 30 1900, three days before the vote, a torchlight procession was held in downtown Asheville. The following day, The Citizen reported on the event: “There were 1200 to 1500 people in the parade and thousands of spectators thronged the sidewalks. … Old

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Editor’s note: Amid current discussions about race relations in America and in Western North Carolina and in light of an upcoming event that looks at social and political attitudes around the time the region’s Confederate monuments were raised (see “Monumental Decisions” in this week’s issue, p. 10), we present this historical look at perspectives on race in 1900. Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation as well as antiquated and offensive language are preserved from the original documents. African-American men first exercised their right to vote in the 1868 election. By 1870, this right was adopted into the U.S. Constitution under the 15th Amendment. Tension surrounding its passage continued throughout the final three decades of the 19th century, often resulting in violence and death. By 1898, the Democrats, who at the time identified as conservatives, began a white supremacy campaign. (See “Blood and Ballots: African-Americans’ Battle for the Vote in WNC,” Oct. 6, 2016, Xpress) In 1900, North Carolina was set to vote on an amendment to its state constitution. Literacy tests were among the additions proposed. Illiterate white men, however, didn’t have to worry. This point was made clear in a Jan. 30, 1900, Q&A in The Asheville Daily Citizen. Titled, “WHITE SUPREMACY MADE PERMANENT,” the piece answered inquiries and concerns surrounding the amendment. Would, for example, uneducated white men have to pass a literacy test in order to cast a ballot? The paper answered: “Certainly not. Under it any white man who could vote at any time before 1867, or whose ancestors (that is, his father, grandfather, great-grandfather, etc.) could vote at any time before 1867, can register — whether he can read and write or not[.]” The follow-up question asked: “Why this difference between the white man and the negro?” The paper responded: “Why bless your soul, it is a matter of natural understanding and capacity. The white man has more sense and capacity than the negro, and by nature understands the duties and responsi-

Fe b .4

‘White supremacy made permanent’

men and boys, ladies and children, caught the enthusiasm of the hour and shouted themselves hoarse.” The article went on to include the “many transparencies [that] were carried in the procession.” According to the paper, some of these signs read: • “We are for disfranchising negroes; [Rep. Richmond] Pearson disfranchised white men.” • “All coons look alike to us.” • “Give white supremacy 1000 in Buncombe.” • “White supremacy is life; black supremacy is death.” On Aug. 2 the state voted on the amendment. The following day, a headline in The Asheville Daily Citizen read, “The Expected Has Happened.” The amendment was ratified. The article declared: “The constitutional amendment submitted to the people of North Carolina in yesterday’s election made an issue between white men and colored men — between the Anglo-Saxon and all ‘lesser breeds.’ It also presented a political test of the natural law of the survival of the fittest; and the purblind politicans who thought to defeat its ratification not only discredited the traditions of the most masterful race the world has yet seen, but arrayed themselves in opposition to a well-recognized law of all being. “The amendment has been ratified, and the government of state and county has been committed to the party which stands for white supremacy, by overwhelming majorities; and it is hoped that the lesson of this result will not be lost on those partisans and theorists, here and elsewhere, who have thought it possible for the white men of their country to yield any considerable share in their government to an alien and inferior race. The principles of equality before the law and majority rule are sacred, when properly understood and applied, but they will never in this country be so understood or applied as to put negroes in authority over white men. Every attempt so to apply them has been productive of evil, and only evil, for the negro race, and the only hope of peace and prosperity for that race is in its frank recognition of this truth.” On Aug. 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act. It aimed to overcome legal barriers, such as literacy tests, that prevented African-Americans from exercising their right to vote. X

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CARING FOR THE CAREGIVERS As meaningful and satisfying as the vital work of caring for the health needs of patients or family members can be, those providing care often find that long hours and high stress levels make it difficult to get their own needs met. Caregivers who are “burned out” are less than optimally effective providers of care. While medical providers face burnout in their demanding careers, family members and others in caregiving roles are also feeling the strain. Part I of Xpress’ multipart Wellness series takes a hard look at the problems faced by caregivers and explores efforts by organizations and agencies to do a better job of caring for the caregivers. According to a 2017 discussion paper published by the National Academy of Medicine, more than half of doctors in the United States experience symptoms of burnout, impacting patient health and safety. Results include medical errors, malpractice suits, loss of productivity, absenteeism, reduced work hours and leaving the job or profession. And burnout directly affects the health of medical caregivers. Physicians experience a greater likelihood of alcohol abuse and dependence, higher levels of suicidal ideation and a higher incidence of suicide. Male physicians commit suicide at rates 40 percent higher than other men in the population, and the rate among women physicians is a whopping 130 percent higher. Nurses also struggle to bal-

ance their work with their personal well-being, with 63 percent of nurses reporting burnout. But medical caregivers are not the only ones feeling the strain. With shorter medical stays and advances in home-based medical technology, family members face growing demands for caregiving, according to a 2006 report from the Family Caregiver Alliance. Taking care of those who are chronically ill can have a negative impact on emotional and physical health, the report advises. Family caregivers have higher levels of depression, stress and frustration than the general population. They engage in more harmful behaviors (such as alcohol and drug use), engage in less self-care, and have worse overall health, suffering from a higher incidence of heart disease, obesity and physical pain as well as slower wound healing and lowered immune response.

• Page 17: “Caregivers confront huge risks but reap rewards, say Asheville experts” examines the widespread challenges faced by caregivers, as well as the intrinsic benefits that often come with serving others. • Page 20: “Medical society addresses physician burnout” looks at how the Western Carolina Medical Society’s Healthy Healer program is working to ameliorate burnout among its members. • Page 24: “WNC nurses work hard to take care of themselves as well as others” considers the reciprocal relationship between nursing burnout and poor health habits. • Page 28: “VA program supports caregivers” examines a new patient-care model for veterans, which involves caring for nonveteran home caregivers, even if they are not family members.

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Caregiver health is becoming a public health issue, with increasing recognition that providing supportive services for those in caregiving roles can benefit their mental and physical health while improving outcomes for recipients of care. The issue of caring for the caregivers deserves greater attention in discussions of health care policy, especially as our population continues to age. Our health care system can take steps — with the assessment of caregiver needs, support services, respite care, financial assistance and caregiver education programs — to protect the health and safety of those who play an essential role in health care delivery by devoting their lives to caring for others. — Susan Foster, Wellness editor X

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THE LONG HAUL

Caregivers confront huge risks but reap rewards, say Asheville experts

BY JONATHAN JAY ESSLINGER jonathanjayesslinger@gmail.com There’s a widespread challenge affecting our neighbors and families — and not many people are talking about it. Many people in Asheville and the rest of the country are struggling with the difficulties of caring for someone else. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in four adults has provided some type of family caregiving within the last month, and the problems and stresses that come with that are many. Take the case of Robin Embler of Asheville. Almost three years ago, her daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury, which thrust Embler into a caretaker role. “My daughter Victoria was 22 years old and four months when she was a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling more than 45 miles an hour,” explains Embler. “Beautiful girl, honor student and mother of now my six-yearold grandson.” Embler now finds herself engaging in almost 24-hour care — changing clothing, preparing smoothies, administering medications, brushing teeth, advocating, coordinating, engaging in therapeutic activities and an endless number of other daily tasks that require more time than she has. It takes its toll. As a caretaker, Embler says she has lost relationships, financial stability, time for herself and everything that goes along with that. But she knows she’s not alone. “This is not just a local story,” she says. “It’s a state story, it’s a national story.”

A MOTHER’S TOUCH: Robin Embler suddenly became a caregiver after her daughter, Victoria, was hit by a car and suffered a traumatic brain injury. Photo courtesy of Robin Embler

The impact of caregiving can be grave for the ones that give. McLimans shares the sobering news that “caregiving is a public health hazard because we know that caregivers die before the person that they’re caring for, fairly often.” Shantel Sullivan, assistant professor in the department of social work at Western Carolina University, notes one Stanford study that found “around 40 percent of certain caregivers end up becoming ill and passing away before the person they are caring for.” One way a caretaker suffers is by the constant need to sacrifice. “There are a lot of studies that show that the individual, the caregiver, neglects their own health,” says McLimans. “They don’t go to the doctor, they don’t go to their own appointments. They missed their own appointments because they’re so busy caring for the person that they’re caring for,

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“I see so many people caring for someone with dementia, and they’re going to be doing that for five to 20 years,” says McLimans. “It’s a long, long haul. I also know that the caregivers of special needs children also suffer from a lot of stress. They have a whole lifetime of caring for them.” While anyone can suddenly be thrust into a caretaker role, most caregivers tend to be “in their late 40s, maybe early 50s, caring for ill parents or children, and they’re employed,” says McLimans. Caretakers usually have to manage the stress of their full-time job, only to go home to a second job. “All the reports say they’re working about 20 hours a week caregiving,” she adds.

NATION OF CARETAKERS

STRESSFUL WORK

Carol McLimans, a family caregiver specialist at the Area Agency on Aging at Land of Sky Regional Council, has been working with family caregivers for over 15 years. “One person ends up being the primary caregiver even in a large family, for the most part.” She explains that often people like Embler are suddenly thrust into a caregiving role when a loved one becomes seriously injured or ill. And it may be a role that becomes a lifelong commitment.

Caretakers are susceptible to intense emotional and physical stressors. Martha Teater, a marriage and family therapist in private practice in Waynesville, hears about the fatigue firsthand. “Watching someone you love go through a period of decline or health challenges or deterioration of some sense — whether it’s dementia or whether you’re caring for a child who has challenges, or a partner or someone, no matter what the relationship is — it’s emotionally taxing and often physically taxing,” she says. MOUNTAINX.COM

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or they’ll put their own surgery on hold because they have no one to care for [their loved one].” Jack, a family caretaker who asked that we not use his real name, attests to the stresses of caretaking and the ways that it became a significant health risk for himself. He moved to Asheville over a year ago when his mother’s health deteriorated. She “needed somebody to be here: cook the meals, do some cleaning and just make sure that everything was dayto-day OK,” he recalls. “Things seemed to go pretty well.” But months later, Jack’s mother needed even more assistance when she developed a sudden infection. “It involved me really doing a lot of care,” he says. “Getting up in the middle of the night, every night. Then having to clean up after, give her a bath, clean up the bathroom; just really, I was out of my league. I think the problem for me was that the day started around 9 o’clock [a.m.] and it ended around 10 o’clock [p.m.], seven days a week.” According to the National Institutes of Health, “Caregiving has all the features of a chronic stress experience.” Sullivan says, “It is not just a onepoint incident. This is something that’s occurring on a daily basis. It’s sort of that ongoing wear and tear of the relationship and the emotional demands and physical demands and social demands of a caretaker.” Teater agrees, adding, “People often have sleep disruptions and difficulty being able to show up at work and be as productive as they want to be. There may be financial challenges. There may be social isolation. There could be anxiety and fear with it. They may feel like they aren’t really trained and equipped in how to do this. They are probably not professional caregivers, but they are being called into doing things that are really difficult on an ongoing basis. … . So they’re juggling a part-time job along with a full-time job.” In Jack’s case, he already had a preexisting heart disorder that caused his heart to occasionally beat fast for a couple of minutes. “Well, from all the stress it just kept getting worse and worse — last winter it was getting about 200 beats a minute, and it would not go away,” he says. “I remember my last episode lasted about an hour before I decided to call 911. Well, we kept it under control with medication, and I was back at it. So that was the lesson I learned: It does affect you. The stress level creeps up on you, and it’s real. I heard many times that it’s stressful, and I thought, ‘Well, we’ll see. I’m not too worried.’ But it is.” Denise Young, regional manager of the Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter, has been witness to many caretakers’ struggles.

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doesn’t even scratch the surface of what she needs. And that’s what families are forced to do. Become a caregiver — bringing their loved one home, without support.” Young says, “We do hear a lot of that feedback from caregivers that they are very frustrated with the fact that Medicaid doesn’t cover certain expenses that they have and the fact that we are so limited on facilities — assisted living facilities or long-term care facilities that actually accept Medicaid. “And I think that is going to be an ongoing battle for us, and our public policy is doing everything we can to address that.” RESPITE AND RELAXATION

MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS: Robin Embler and her daughter, Victoria, taking their daily stroll outside the nursing home before Victoria came home. Photo courtesy of Robin Embler “We find the caregivers are getting sick a lot more often,” Young says. “They are having trouble sleeping. Oftentimes, they are gaining weight and really just expressing that they are feeling such hopelessness. You just see signs of depression. They become really irritable and just feel really hopeless in their role as a caregiver.” FINANCIAL STRESSORS Even though Jack’s caretaking duties led him to need medical care, he reflected that “we’re very fortunate that things have worked out that money was not a huge problem. I can’t imagine it for people that don’t have the funds. That would be horrible. It would really add to the stress.” Sadly, most caretakers suffer some financial stress brought on by caretaking. A 2016 study conducted by the AARP indicated that family caregivers almost always take a huge financial hit on their income and out-of-pocket expenses. “The money is very slim, the help is very slim,” explains Embler. “In my situation, my daughter was four months too old to qualify for help, so she’s fallen through the cracks. Insurance

Experts say that one of the best ways for caretakers to recharge is to find help and schedule time for themselves. McLimans notes that caretakers “need to plan something ... not something that they should or have to do, but something that they truly want to do. They should plan to do that weekly or monthly. What they tend to do if they get any funds is wait until a real crisis happens. They’ll wait until things get worse. “Typically, they think a couple things,” she says. “‘No one else can do it right.’… They’re convinced that they don’t need the help. ... Or it’s like asking for help is a sign of weakness.” Caretakers need more than just taking an occasional break. Young says support at every level is necessary to avoid caretaker exhaustion. At the Alzheimer’s Association, she says, “We try to help them just to set some reasonable goals around that and accept that they are going to need help from other people and give them the resources that they need to help build a care team around them. Some part of that is just helping to connect them with people they trust, whether it is a friend or a co-worker. Sometimes it is even a neighbor or someone from their church that they can connect with and have someone to talk to about what they are going through.” But receiving help doesn’t mean the caretaker is completely unburdened. Anne, a resident of Asheville who prefers not to use her real name, looks after her son, who sustained a traumatic brain injury almost 15 years ago and was subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder. She says the support team she has put together is the key to her avoiding burnout, but there are other levels of stress to deal with. “Unlike a lot of people, we do have a lot of support from the mental health system and through Medicaid. So he

opportunity to be with other adults and keep their own mind stimulated and to be around other people who may be facing these kinds of issues.” As for support groups, McLimans recommends a large list of agencies, programs, professionals, support groups and other caregiving resources in Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania counties. The list is maintained by the Land of Sky Regional Council and can be accessed at landofsky.org. CHANGED FOREVER

ANOTHER MILESTONE: Victoria and her mother, Robin Embler, celebrate their first outing after Victoria’s discharge from the nursing home. Photo courtesy of Robin Embler has a lot of direct staff and personnel that shoulder a lot of the responsibility,” she explains. But, she adds, “When you get enmeshed in the system of health care and direct services and all that stuff, while I have been very blessed by it, it’s exhausting to try. You know, they want you to come and speak to this company and that company and that agency and this agency in government. It’s just a whole other level of stress. And the advocacy was full time. It was full time.” “That’s another thing,” says McLimans. “If someone is placed in a facility, [caretakers] still need to be advocates. You still get burned out. You’re still going every day and checking up on them. They don’t get to give up their caregiving.”

team. Victoria’s service-dog-in-training has already made a difference, says Embler. “Louie weighs 5 pounds, but he makes 5,000 pounds of difference.” One example of an educational community program utilized by caretakers can be found at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. OLLI Executive Director Katherine Frank says, “People use OLLI as a way for caregivers to get time for themselves, even if they bring the person they are caring for. In many instances, caregivers are spouses or partners of older adults. So a program like ours that provides classes and social opportunities can provide a way for someone who is maybe unexpectedly in a position of a caregiver the

Even though caretakers have many struggles, they still can find the experience rewarding and life-changing. Victoria is now “medically stable and totally aware of her surroundings ... beginning to make sounds … and using a little sign language,” says Embler. “I’m so blessed that my daughter is still with me. I believe there were angels that day, picking her up off the pavement. I really, really do. God’s got a plan and a purpose in the midst of it all. We’ve got to make a difference, not just for Victoria, but for others like her who fall through the cracks.” X

MORE INFO Alzheimer’s Association Western Carolina Chapter alz.org/northcarolina Caregiver Resource Directory landofsky.org Confident Caregiver Series 828.251.6140 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute olliasheville.com Victoria Faith helpvictoriafaith.org

CARETAKING TIPS To reduce the risk of burnout, Teater advises caretakers to “place a higher priority on getting good sleep and having good relationships and getting some respite and finding pockets of support wherever they can.” Other suggestions from all those interviewed include practicing gratitude, communicating with family, taking classes and finding the right support group. Even a service animal can be a powerful member of the support MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

HEALTHY HEALERS Medical society addresses physician burnout

BURNOUT-PROOF: Miriam Schwarz, CEO of Western Carolina Medical Society, says, “One of our goals is to normalize taking care of yourself and admitting when you need help and getting help.” Photo by Cindy Kunst

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Dr. Maiysha Clairborne says she experienced burnout twice in her career as a physician. “Burnout is a buzzword now, but before there was a name for it, there was definitely burnout, and that’s what I experienced. It took me to the edge of life, and I was one of the lucky ones who reached out for help.” Clairborne was in her residency program the first time she reached that point. “I didn’t even reach out to the counselor because I was afraid of the implications of saying that I was feeling a certain kind of way,” she adds. To help doctors such as Clairborne, the Western Carolina Medical Society developed the Healthy Healer program, which provides advocacy services, resources, retreats, workshops, counseling and coaching to physicians and physician assistants in Western North Carolina. Claiborne, now a Healthy Healer coach and owner of The Stress Free

Mom MD, a coaching practice that specializes in helping physicians who are mothers, explains that burnout is not always easy to spot before a physician is on the precipice of it. “The thing about burnout is that it can be insidious, and most doctors don’t realize they have it or they are burning out until they are actually hitting the wall and it’s advanced,” she says. The Healthy Healer Program was developed after WCMS made physician and physician assistant burnout a priority in their strategic plan in 2015. “We started by doing burnout retreats,” says Miriam Schwarz, CEO at WCMS. “We’re a small nonprofit. We don’t have a large budget, so we had to kind of piece this together from what we had.” The retreats were a success, she says. The WCMS had expected to see 20-30 people attending the BurnoutProof Physician Retreat in 2015, but it drew over 100 attendees. Retreats are still offered as a part of the program, and attendees

earn continuing medical education credits. With the positive reception to the retreats, WCMS expanded the program. “We spent most of 2016 vetting coaches and vetting psychologists and making sure that they were going to operate within the philosophy and the tenets that we had developed,” says Schwarz. She explains that all services must be flexible to accommodate physicians’ work schedules. “One of our goals is to normalize taking care of yourself and admitting when you need help and getting help,” Schwarz says. “Another goal of ours is to engage families and colleagues in helping their loved ones identify burnout and mental health issues and encourage them to get help.” Schwarz explains that all counseling and coaching is completely confidential. “The whole stigma issue is a problem. There’s a stigma in the general community about mental health, depression, anxiety and burnout. But, in the medical profession it’s almost seen as a sign of weakness, and so it takes a lot of bravery to step forward and say, ‘I need help,’” says Schwarz.

According to a 2017 paper, “Burnout Among Health Care Professionals,” published by the National Academy of Medicine, “More than half of U.S. physicians are experiencing substantial symptoms of burnout.” Healthy Healer coach Dr. Mark Jaben explains that there are three “cardinal symptoms” of burnout: exhaustion (either physical or mental), depersonalization or cynicism (increased sarcasm, or starting to see others, including patients, as obstacles) and lack of effectiveness (feeling one’s work does not matter or is not making a difference). “If you are experiencing any one of those three, you really have to pause before you spiral down too far,” says Jaben. Clairborne explains what physicians and physician assistants can expect when reaching out for support with coaching. “What we do with the Western Carolina Medical Society is we are a resource for physicians that are experiencing overwhelm; who are exhausted; who feel like they don’t have the skills to cope; who think they want to leave

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medicine; and who think they want to leave their job,” says Clairborne. “We look at and examine what is going on and look to see, ‘How can we create structures that will have them be satisfied or increase their satisfaction and fulfillment in their current positions?’ We do this by teaching them the skills of self-care but also the skills of effective boundaries and communication so that they can get what they want even in the workplace.” However, Clairborne continues, teaching skills on the physician side of things addresses only part of the problem. Change is also needed within medical facilities and corporations, she says. “From the training side, the conditioning that goes on in medical schools needs to be broken,” says Clairborne. “This mindset of ‘Never show weakness’ and ‘Never ask for help and suck it up and put yourself last and put the patients first, and eat when you can, sleep when you can, pee when you can’ — these are the types of things that get said when you’re in residency and when you’re in medical school. That’s covert conditioning to ignore our own bodily needs:

physical needs for sleep, for food and to eliminate.” Jaben notes that “as more and more physicians are becoming employed, organizations look at success as productivity and the bottom line financially, and we’ve not recognized that we pay an unintended consequence for that. To create that, we’re driving people down into their spiral, and when you drive people into their spiral, they become less productive, not more productive. “At the end of the day, if your workforce is burned out, what you’re delivering to your customers, clients and patients is not going to be as good as if people are enthused, engaged, energetic and motivated. I think we’re in the midst of learning those lessons in our organizations.” X

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RUNNING ON EMPTY

WNC nurses work hard to take care of themselves as well as others

BY KARI BARROWS karibarrows94@gmail.com Although she admits it may seem a cliché, Chelsea King says the best part of her job as a nurse is “just feeling like you’re actually making a difference.” King received her RN-BSN from Lenoir Rhyne University in May, but she’s worked as a monitor tech at Mission Hospital for the past five years. Since getting her degrees, she has worked on a heart failure floor. She says that although she does love her job, it can also be very stressful. “I think part of the most stressful thing right now in this part of my job is just the responsibilities that a nurse has,” King says. “I feel like there’s so much accountability and responsibility to catch things. I mean, the doctors aren’t there 24/7, and the nurse is. I just get really stressed, feeling like, ‘Am I going to miss something?’”

MORE OPTIONS: A-B Tech nursing faculty member Brent Evans explains that higher education is one way to prevent nursing burnout by giving nurses more job options. “Nursing has been and is becoming more and more a dynamic and varied profession,” he says. Photo by Kari Barrows

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She describes the stressful feeling as “being pulled a million different ways,” explaining that sometimes nurses on her floor are given even more patients than usual because of short staffing or a higher demand for patient care. Similarly, Ashley Shepherd says some aspects of the job can weigh down a nurse over time. “Twelve hours turns into 13 or 14 hours almost daily, with the demands of meetings, classes and everything added to the normal workweek.” Shepherd, a registered nurse at McDowell Hospital, has been a nurse for over 17 years and says some of these factors have affected both her family and her own well-being. “The older my daughter got, the harder it became to balance family and work life,” she says. “My husband works 12-hour shifts as well, so late every evening, we are trying to do homework and get ready for the next day. ... I have felt guilty as a mother, not hav-

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ing the time to provide my daughter. Also, when you have been in nursing as long as I have, aches and pains set in. So many nurses are dealing with chronic pain issues on a daily basis, which can wear you down mentally and physically.” BURNOUT: WHAT IS IT AND WHAT CAUSES IT? According to a national study by Kronos Inc., 98 percent of nurses said their jobs were both physically and mentally demanding, 85 percent said their job made them feel fatigued, and 63 percent said they felt burned out. Brent Evans, a nursing faculty member at A-B Tech, describes burnout as an overriding sense of being hopeless and overwhelmed. “For many, it’s the feeling that no matter what you do, it’s not going to be enough, and, ‘I thought I was going to be satisfied,’” he says. “Everybody goes into their profession with some level of idealism, or at least optimism, and it’s the loss of that.” In such a demanding field of work, Evans says the overall health care environment can sometimes be a leading cause of burnout among nurses. He notes that a common phenomenon

among health care workers, called “compassion fatigue” (the diminution of compassion over time from working with traumatized patients), can play into nursing burnout. He says all the physical and emotional care that nurses provide can wear them down over time, especially if they don’t feel supported and the hospital is short on staff. EFFECTS OF BURNOUT The stress and fatigue that nurses often experience can affect their physical health and overall work ability. One study published in the online journal Nursing Research and Practice found that of 120 nurses surveyed, 78 percent slept less than eight hours per night, 69 percent did not exercise regularly, and 63 percent consumed fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. It noted that many of the stress factors and symptoms can be both causes and effects of burnout. For example, lack of sleep can be an effect of burnout but can in turn can cause more burnout. King says sometimes it’s hard to make time for health-promoting behav-

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iors both inside and outside of work. “It definitely doesn’t help that I can’t find time to exercise and eat healthy,” she says. “I do try making time outside of work, though, to de-stress, if it’s going on a hike, watching Netflix. And I have a 3-year-old, so it’s hard to take time for myself outside of work because the days I’m off I try to spend as much time with her as I can.” Sarah Neumann Haske, a registered dietitian in Asheville and owner of Neumann Nutrition & Wellness, says lack of sleep and good nutrition are all too often found with a demanding work environment. The effects really take a toll on a person’s job performance, she point out. “You might see your energy levels decline. If you go for hours without eating, and then at the end of the day, you come home and you realize, ‘Wow, I am absolutely starving,’ it becomes a lot harder to choose healthier foods at that point. The cravings tend to kick in and take over; you sort of lose control over that. Definitely your blood sugar levels are going to be all over the place, and it affects your mental clarity, how well you’re able to actually do your job.” Haske stresses the importance of sleep and balanced meals. She says planning is key when it comes to meals, and that if someone has even just a little bit of free time, it’s vital to prepare meals for the week because it ensures balanced meals at work. These factors, which both cause and are effects of burnout, are all part of a “self-perpetuating cycle,” as Evans describes it. He says a burned-out nurse may call out of work because of sickness or exhaustion, which may result in the hospital being short-staffed, which in turn puts more patients and responsibility onto the staff that is there. Evans says it benefits the hospital when its employees don’t burn out and leave. He notes it can cost a hospital $80,000 in turnaround, hiring and training for a new nurse.

Although many helping professionals experience burnout over time, Evans continues, nurses are especially hard hit because of the combination of long hours with physical and emotional stress. And burnout becomes an institutional as well as a personal problem, he adds, making it especially important to have wellness resources available in the workplace to maintain a healthy environment. MOVING FORWARD King says she and her co-workers have access to several resources at Mission Hospital, including counseling, mentors and a relaxation room, which provides aromatherapy and massage chairs. She also says her unit at the hospital has monthly meetings in which frustrations with work are discussed and ways to bring happiness into the workplace are explored. Resources such as relaxation rooms can play a helpful part in preventing burnout among nurses, but nurses also want even more support. According to the national study done by Kronos Inc., “While 60 percent of nurses say their hospital offers a wellness program for employees, only 31 percent agree that their employers make sure they take a meal break, and only 14 percent say their employers ensure they leave on time.” So even if a nurse prepares a well-balanced meal, there may be no time to eat it. Evans says efficient management in a hospital will ensure that nurses feel respected and have a voice in matters on the floor — “shared governance,” he calls it. Flexible scheduling, breaks for meals, and a full staff also help create an environment that is less conducive to burnout, he points out. Evans also encourages nurses to understand their need for self-care: “Advocate for yourself, recognize your need for self-care and expect it. Let that

Taoist Tai Chi Society® be an expectation that you have of your employer. They benefit when you don’t burn out; the patients benefit when you don’t get burned out and feel like you’re working too hard.” WORTH IT Evans explains how he got into the nursing profession in the first place. After working in finance just out of college, he began to want work that felt more purposeful. He knew several nurses, and from what he knew of the field, he says it seemed as if it would be the right fit. “I was familiar with the profession and I wanted, after having worked in a money job for quite a while, I was craving doing something that allowed me to have a positive effect on my community, something I could do to make a living at, but also something I felt good about.” So he went through the registered nursing program at A-B Tech, started working at Mission Hospital, continued his education and realized he wanted to teach. When a position to teach clinicals opened at A-B Tech, he applied and got the job, later securing a full-time position when he received his master’s degree. Evans says his passion for teaching opened him up to a world of nursing that some may not realize is available. “There’s a wonderful avenue in this profession that can help to avoid burnout, and that is that nursing has been and is becoming more and more a dynamic and varied profession,” he explains. “There are dozens and doz-

ens of different things you can do in nursing. Bedside nursing is only one of those. You can go into management and be part of a good management team, you can go into education, you can do home health, you can do hospice care. There’s just all sorts of things.” He stresses the importance of education as a means of upward mobility in the field and a way to avoid burnout. “The ability to do different roles, which is facilitated by carrying on with education beyond the two-year degree, is one way that nurses can sustain feeling good about their professional life,” he says. He notes that he has never experienced burnout personally, because he followed the education and teaching route rather than providing direct care. Despite burnout, many nurses say they are happy with their work. The same Kronos study that reported high levels of burnout among nurses also found that “93 percent of nurses say that, when they consider all aspects of their work, they are satisfied with being a nurse, and 77 percent note they are energized by their work.” Shepherd attests to this sentiment. She says that her motivation to become a nurse is very personal, and although she has felt burned out, nursing is her passion. “I became a nurse after my son was born premature at 31 weeks, and he spent six weeks in the NICU at Mission,” she recalls. “I was there every day almost all day and became close with the nurses there. That was my push to go into nursing. I am still a nurse because it is my passion, and I can’t imagine doing anything else.” X

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HELPING THE HELPERS VA program supports caregivers BY SAMMY FELDBLUM sfeldblum@gmail.com When Samantha Young’s husband, Perry, was serving in Afghanistan in 2013, he was “blown up” by a suicide bomber, she says. He survived, but his spinal cord was damaged so badly that he was left quadriplegic. Perry was flown to Germany for treatment and eventually landed at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Tampa to begin the arduous process of piecing his life back together. “He was really depressed — I mean, 21 years old and you’re a husband and a father, and all of a sudden you don’t have anything,” says Samantha, who moved to Hendersonville with her family four months ago. “He’s a military man, and he goes out in the front lines — he was infantry, the radio guy. It destroyed his whole identity.” LIFE-ALTERING INJURIES Perry was discharged from the military the following year. He struggled with depression and, at times, with suicidal thoughts. And while the VA was providing medical support, Samantha was the primary emotional support for her traumatized husband. “It took a toll on our marriage, on our lives,” she says. “Everything just flipped upside down.” Along with his medical care, Perry received counseling services from the Atlanta VA. And during those most difficult early days, Samantha also got help through the

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TAKING A TOLL: Samantha Young suddenly became a caregiver to her husband after he was the victim of a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Photo courtesy of Samantha Young Department of Veterans Affairs’ caregiver support program. Although the federal agency was already providing support for people taking care of veterans, the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 formalized those services. The law, explains Penny James, co-director of the program at the Charles George VA Medical Center in Asheville, authorizes financial and psychological support for eligible caregivers — those caring

for post-9/11 veterans whose injuries affect their ability to perform day-today tasks. Patricia Kitlasz, the local program’s co-director, says lawmakers “came to the conclusion that it was not by divine intervention that veterans got here, dressed and fed breakfast appropriately for appointments — that there was someone at home, or even not at home sometimes, that actually assisted them with their care.”

Those caregivers are usually family members but may also be friends or neighbors. And the assistance they provide can be daunting, often demanding as many hours as a full-time job. They also shoulder an enormous emotional load, since their charges have experienced lifealtering injuries. POINT OF CONTACT The caregiver support program takes aim at both the logistical and soulful aspects of the task. Even assistance in navigating the VA system can be immensely helpful. Hendersonville resident Sasha Baxter, who’s been her fiance’s caregiver for the last year and a half, says the VA’s support “makes it a lot easier. If there’s issues with medication, or if he needs to see the doctor sooner than his appointment, or if he needs to change his group therapy, it gives me the opportunity to have that point of contact to say, ‘Hey, my vet needs this and that, can you please help me get this rolling?’ More than anything, she continues, “It gives me a chance to have somebody who’s on my side, so I can have

that support to be able to do what I need to do for him.” The VA also offers counseling services for caregivers and a support hotline. “Being a caregiver is a full-time choice and can be quite exhaustive,” says Kitlasz. “I think many times caregivers need a place where they can just talk a little bit and process and share with someone how hard it is sometimes. This isn’t complaining, and it isn’t being negative — it’s just human nature that we need to process and we need to talk.” Baxter echoes that sentiment. “My most important lesson is that I have to take care of myself in order to take care of him,” she explains. “If I’m not healthy, if I’m starting to get kind of burnt out, or I’m tired because he has nightmares and I’m getting up and going to work, trying to take care of myself, and then coming home, trying to take care of the house and him — if I’m not feeling OK, it makes it a lot harder. So knowing that I’m important, too, and that I’m here for him but I also need to make sure I have support, and I’m doing things that I like to do.”

CONTINUES ON PAGE 30

Imagine yourself at 22 years old with an autoimmune disease, cancer, and a body that could barely survive. Think about growing up with ADD/ ADHD, depression, anxiety, 30 lbs underweight, and using alcohol and drugs to cope with the constant pain for over a decade. What would it be like to take the pain of living as less than who you really are and transform it into a life of connection, power, and synchronicity? These are the short versions of the doctor’s stories … you may have your own story of living life less than who you truly are. Come discover how thousands of clients have transformed their lives and why business leaders, entrepreneurs, and top performers travel to Nourish & Flourish to receive this care. If you’re curious about how your own personal story could be transformed, join us Thursday, Feb. 8th at Nourish & Flourish. Seats are limited, call 828.255.2770 to reserve yours. Photos: Erica Mueller Photography

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

WELLN ESS CA LEN DA R The law specifies two distinct levels of assistance for caregivers: general, which gives them access to services, and comprehensive, which also includes financial support. When the law first took effect, Kitlasz recalls, there was some confusion about who was eligible for which benefits. “When we started to accept people, it was difficult for folks to understand the criteria,” she says. “Of course people wanted the family caregiver program: It came with the added support of a stipend payment and insurance for the caregiver. Why wouldn’t you want that? Especially if you’ve been taking care of a veteran that was in the Gulf War, or a Vietnam veteran, and you’ve perhaps had to give up your employment.” Under the 2010 law, those veterans aren’t eligible. PARADIGM SHIFT Both co-directors see the program as part of a larger societal change. Kitlasz cites AARP data suggesting that one in five American adults is providing an average of 25 hours a week of care for a loved one.

James, meanwhile, says: “I think there’s been a huge paradigm shift in this country of looking at holistic kinds of care and understanding that we have an aging population. The biggest population ever of over-55s is here. It’s become bigger and bigger nationally as well as in the VA. So the focus has begun to be how do we assist folks to age in place. They want to be able to stay at home as long as they can, with the hope that they never have to enter a higher level of care.” But for veterans like Perry Young, who may have a lot more years ahead, the question is how to make the most of them. Perry is now attending Fruitland Baptist Bible College in Henderson County; with Samantha’s help, he’s come to terms with his new life and has begun looking forward again. She says her family is happy here, and her husband is now becoming a kind of care provider himself. “He wants to help guys deal with their grief upfront, you know what I mean? The longer you put off grieving and accepting where you are, the more you miss out on life. Life can still be full and abundant.” X

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WELLNESS SECRETS OF NATURAL WALKING (PD.) Workshop, FRIDAY Feb. 2, 9-5pm. $150 Call to register, 828-2156033. natural-walking. com. Proper alignment = healthy joints, energized body, calm minds. "Let Your Walking Be Your Healing." SHOJI SPA & LODGE • 7 DAYS A WEEK (PD.) Private Japanese-style outdoor hot tubs, cold plunge, sauna and lodging. 8 minutes from town. Bring a friend to escape and renew! Best massages in Asheville! 828-299-0999. www.shojiretreats.com TAI CHI TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOP (PD.) Led by International Tai Chi Champion DavidDorian Ross at Haywood Regional Medical Center’s Fitness Center. March 3-4, 2018. • Information/registration: Matt Jeffs, DPT at 904 377-1527. ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER 8 Brookdale Road, ashevillecommunityyoga. com • SA (2/3), 12:30-2:30pm - "Creating a Meaningful Home Practice," yoga workshop. $20. • SA (2/3), 3-5pm - "Nada Yoga: Yoga of Sound," workshop. $20. • SU (2/4), 3-5pm "Postpartum Yoga," workshop. $20. GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am Walking exercise class. Free. HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION 828-505-1874, dmn261034@mac.com • WE (2/7), 10:15am "Red Flags: When and Why to Consult the Hearing Professional," presentation by Katherine Milnes, director of audiology at Asheville Head Neck and Ear Surgeons. Free. Held at CarePartners Health Services, 68 Sweeten Creek Road JUBILEE! COMMUNITY CHURCH 46 Wall St. Asheville, North Carolina • TH (2/1), 6:30-8pm Women's Mindfulness Series: "Exploring the Myth of Inadequacy," four-week series for women to explore mindfulness led by Sarah Shoemaker. • TH (2/8), 6:30-8pm Women's Mindfulness Series: "Exploring the Myth of Inadequacy,"

series for women to explore mindfulness led by Sarah Shoemaker. Free. LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester. Community.Center • MONDAYS, 5:156:15pm - Zumba Gold exercise class. $5. • MONDAYS, 6:15-7pm Zumba classes. $5. • MONDAYS, 7:15-8pm Gentle Flow Yoga. $5. PUBLIC EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • SA (2/3), 10:30am1:30pm - National Girls and Women in Sports Day event featuring clinics, goody bag, healthy lunch, door prizes and a ticket to the UNC Asheville womens basketball game. Registration rquired: 828-232-4526 or kturner@ashevillenc. gov. $15. THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 828-254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • MO (2/5), 7-10pm Cafe’ Mortal featuring the screening of the film, Griefwalker. Open mic for performances, readings and storytelling exploring the issues around death, loss and sorrow. Free to attend. URBAN DHARMA 77 Walnut St., 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • TUESDAYS, 7:308:30pm - Guided, nonreligious sitting and walking meditation. Admission by donation.

SUPPORT GROUPS ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 254-8539 or aancmco.org ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP 828-231-2198, bjsmucker@gmail.com • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm - Learning and sharing in a caring setting about dealing with one’s own anxiety. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:308pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave.

ASPERGER’S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents. Meets every 3 weeks. Contact for details. BRAINSTORMER’S COLLECTIVE 828-254-0507, puffer61@gmail.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 6-7:30pm - For brain injury survivors and supporters. Held at Kairos West Community Center, 604 Haywood Road, Asheville BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP 828-213-2508 • 3rd THURSDAYS, 5:30pm - For breast cancer survivors, husbands, children and friends. Held at SECU Cancer Center, 21 Hospital Drive CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT 828-989-1555, deb.casaccia@gmail.com • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6 pm – Held in a private home. CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 828-242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm - Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood Waynesville • SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. • TUESDAYS 7:30pm Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 828-367-7660, depression bipolarasheville.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7-9pm & SATURDAYS, 4-6pm – Held at Depression & Bipolar Support Alliance Meeting Place, 1316-C Parkwood Road, Asheville DIABETES SUPPORT 828-213-4700, laura.tolle@msj.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 3:30pm - In room 3-B. Held at Mission Health, 509 Biltmore Ave. EATING DISORDERS ANONYMOUS 561-706-3185, eatingdisorders anonymous.org • FRIDAYS, 4:30pm Eating disorder support group. Held at 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway, Asheville

FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • 2nd WEDNESDAYS - Transformers support group. • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 6:30pm - Queer Alcoholic support group. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE 5 Oak St., 828-252-4781, fbca.net • 3rd THURSDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Support group for families of children and adults with autism to meet, share and learn about autism. Childcare provided with registration: aupham@ autismsociety-nc.org. Meet in classrooms 221 and 222. FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 828-423-6191 828-242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11amHeld at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 828-233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin • TUESDAYS, 3:304:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. G.E.T. R.E.A.L. phoenix69@bellsouth.net • 2nd SATURDAYS, 2pm - Group for people with chronic ‘invisible’ autoimmune diseases. Held at Fletcher Community Park, 85 Howard Gap Road, Fletcher GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS 828-483-6175 • THURSDAYS 6:307:30pm - Held at Biltmore United Methodist Church, 378 Hendersonville Road GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Seeds of Hope chronic condition support group. Registration required: 828-693-4890 ex. 304. GRIEF PROCESSING SUPPORT GROUP 828-452-5039, haymed.org/locations/ the-homestead • 3rd THURSDAYS, 4-5:30pm - Bereavement education and support group. Held at Homestead Hospice and Palliative Care, 127 Sunset Ridge Road, Clyde LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:30-8pm For adults managing the

challenges of life limiting illnesses. Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave. LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN 828-776-4809 • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Hosted by American Chronic Pain Association. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, NC CHAPTER 877-849-8271, lupusnc.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8pm - Lupus support group for those living with lupus, their family and caregivers. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St. MEN DOING ALLY duncan2729@yahoo. com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Support group for men. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:308:45pm - Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program. Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 22B New Leicester Highway MOUNTAIN MAMAS PEER SUPPORT GROUP facebook.com/ mountainmamasgroup • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Held at The Family Place, 970 Old Hendersonville Highway Brevard NARANON nar-anon.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at West Asheville Presbyterian Church, 690 Haywood Road

• WEDNESDAYS, 12:30pm - For relatives and friends concerned about the addiction or drug problem of a loved one. Held at First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville, 204 6th Ave. W., Hendersonville OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 828-665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon-1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@sos-mission. org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings. RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples.org • MONDAYS 6pm - For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road REFUGE RECOVERY 828-225-6422, refugerecovery.org • THURSDAYS, 7:30pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave, Asheville • WEDNESDAYS 5:30pm - Held at Heartwood Refuge and Retreat Center, 159 Osceola Road, Hendersonville • TUESDAYS, 7:30pm & SATURDAYS, 6pm - Held at Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Woodfin

• FRIDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 6-7:30pm Held at Urban Dharma, 77 Walnut St. SANON 828-258-5117 • 12-step program for those affected by someone else’s sexual behavior. Contact 828-258-5117 for a full list of meetings. SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/ Meetings/UnitedStates • SUNDAYS, 7pm Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. SMART RECOVERY 828-407-0460 • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. • FRIDAYS,2pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, 370 N Louisiana Ave, Asheville • TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Held at Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County, 24 Varsity St., Brevard SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/ Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness. Held at Kairos West Community Center, 604 Haywood Road, Asheville SUPPORTIVE PARENTS OF TRANSKIDS spotasheville@gmail. com • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - For parents

to discuss the joys, transitions and challenges of parenting a transkid. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 50 S. French Broad Ave. #250, 828-337-4685, thecenternc.org • WEDNESDAYS, 6-7pm – Adult support group, ages 18+. TRAUMA STEWARDSHIP MEETUP duncan2729@yahoo. com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Self-care for helpers, advocates, healers, activists and empaths. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road WNC ASPERGER’S ADULTS UNITED facebook.com/ WncAspergers AdultsUnited • 2nd SATURDAYS, 2-4pm - Occasionally meets additional Saturdays. Contact for details. Held at Hyphen, 81 Patton Ave. • 2nd SATURDAYS, 3-5:30pm - Monthly meet and greet. Bring a finger-food dish to share. Free. Held at The Autism Society, 306 Summit St. WOMENHEART OF ASHEVILLE 786-586-7800, wh-asheville@ womenheart.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10am - Support group for women with heart disease. Held at Skyland Fire Department, 9 Miller Road, Skyland

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN. 31 - FEB. 8, 2018

CALENDAR GUIDELINES 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 ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • TH (2/8), 5:30-6:30pm - "Bears and Bear Behavior in our Area," presentation by bear expert, Adam Warwick. Free. Held in the basement conference room at Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave. HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • TU (2/6), 6:30-7:30pm - Henderson County Wildlife Series: "The Listed Animal Species of Henderson County," presentation about endangered and threatened species by Alan Cameron, volunteer with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Free.

BENEFITS BEAT THE WINTER BLUES BALL rotaryasheville.org • SA (2/3), 6:30-10pm - Proceeds from this gala ball featuring live music by WestSound

and a silent auction benefit Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust and ABCCM's Veterans Restoration Quarters. $50. Held at YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market St. L.A. DYSART AWARDS 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior, broyhillcenter.com • TU (2/6), 6pm - Proceeds from this annual dinner and awards ceremony benefit the Caldwell Chamber of Commerce. $55/$100 per couple. Held at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, 1913 Hickory Blvd. S.E. PENLAND POST OFFICE PROJECT 32auctions.com/ penlandpostoffice Project • TH (2/1) & FR (2/2) - Proceeds from this online Valentines auction featuring an overnight stay at the Chinquapin Inn Bed and Breakfast benefit the Penland Post Office Project. WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain, 828-669-0816 • SA (2/3), 8pm Proceeds from this

concert featuring Sam Anderson, Karma Mechanics and Wintervals benefit medical expenses for Brett Olinger and his family. $10/$8 advance/$5 students.

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • THURSDAYS, noon1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY

ASHEVILLE SUBMARINE VETERANS ussashevillebase.com, ecipox@charter.net • 1st TUESDAYS, 6-7pm - Social meeting for U.S. Navy submarine veterans. Free to attend. Held at Ryan's Steakhouse, 1000 Brevard Road

A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • SA (2/3), 9am-noon - "Introduction to the Business Model Canvas," seminar. Registration required: conta. cc/2yD7Tl9. Free. Held at A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler DEFCON 828 GROUP meetup.com/ DEFCON-828/ • 1st SATURDAYS, 2pm General meeting for information security professionals, students and enthusiasts. Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Highway 70, Swannanoa, 828-273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • THURSDAYS, 11am-5pm - "Jelly at the Flood," coworking event to meet up with like-minded people to exchange help, ideas and advice. Free to attend. WNC LINUX USER GROUP wnclug.blogspot.com, wnclug@main.nc.us • 1st SATURDAYS, noon - Users of all experience levels discuss Linux systems. Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS WE PREVENT DOWNTIME!

Registration: bit. ly/2uVozmf. Free.

CLASS AT VILLAGERS (PD.) Ayurvedic Kitchen Pharmacy: Sunday, February 4. 5:30-7pm. $10-20, sliding scale. Registration/information: www.forvillagers.com VILLAGERS is an Urban Homestead Supply store offering workshops to support a healthy lifestyle.

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ASHEVILLE WOMEN IN BLACK main.nc.us/wib • 1st FRIDAYS, 5pm - Monthly peace vigil. Free. Held at Vance Monument, 1 Pack Square

SHADOW CREATURES: For the 13th consecutive year, Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park turns to one of its animal educators for a crucial forecast. On Friday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m., Greta the Groundhog will make an appearance at the Animal Discovery Den to see whether her shadow is visible. If it is, folklore says, there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, legend says there will be an early spring. Following her weather prediction, Greta will choose the winner of Super Bowl LII — both of which proved accurate in 2017. After Greta calls these future events, families are invited to participate in a Groundhog Day craft and enjoy the interactive stations along the Park’s TRACK Trail, the Great Woodland Adventure. Regular park admission rates apply. Photo courtesy of Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park (p. 33) EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) Beginning Aerial Arts on Sundays 2:15pm, Mondays 6:30pm and Tuesdays 1:00pm. Beginning Pole on Sundays 3:30pm, Mondays 5:15pm and Thursdays 8:00pm. Floor Theory Dance on Wednesdays 7:30pm. More Information at EmpyreanArts.org. Call/ text us at 828.782.3321. FOURTH WAY SCHOOL (PD.) Know Thyself - Wisdom Through Action, a Fourth Way School in the tradition of Gurdjieff & Ouspensky teaching practical application of the Work. Meets Thursday evenings. 720.218.9812 www. wisdomthroughaction.com

WRITING WORKSHOPS HOSTED BY TWWOA (PD.)

als. Registration required: flyavl.com. Free.

ASHEVILLE AIRPORT

ASHEVILLE AREA HABITAT FOR HUMANITY 828-251-5702, ashevillehabitat.org, emellert@ ashevillehabitat.org • TH (2/8), 11am Information session for affordable home repair program. Free. Held at Senior Opportunity Center, 36 Grove St.

Terminal Drive, Fletcher • TU (2/13), 5pm - Open registration for the "Wings for Autism" event which provides an airport "rehearsal" specially designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, their families and aviation profession-

ASHEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT 828-259-5881, ashevillenc.gov/ Departments/Police • Through WE (2/28) Open registration for the Asheville Police Department’s spring Citizens Police Academy.

• Fiction with Mildred Barya (February 10) • Writing Non-Fiction Articles with Charli Kerns (February 24), • Revising Your Work for Publication with Karen Ackerson (March 10). All workshops are $75; details and registration at www. twwoa.org

AZALEA MOUNTAIN SCHOOL 27 Balm Grove Ave., 828-575-2557, azaleamountain.org • WE (2/7), 4-5:30pm - Informational session with Torin Finser PhD, regarding Waldorf Education Foundation Studies and Building Bridges. Free to attend. LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS' GUILD OF AMERICA 828-686-8298, egacarolinas.org • TH (2/1), 10amnoon - Monthly meeting with a class on the blackwork bookmark, a petite project. Registration at 9:30am. Free. Held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe LENOIR RHYNE UNIVERSITY, 2nd Floor Boardroom, 36 Montford Ave. • TH (2/1), 5-7pm Open house focused on students interested in the health sciences. Free to attend. N.C. ARBORETUM 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, 828-665-2492, ncarboretum.org

• Through SU (5/6) - Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge, Shared Wisdom, exhibition showcasing the relationship between indigenous peoples and cutting-edge science. Admission fees apply. SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE showingup forracialjustice.org • TUESDAYS, 10amnoon - Educating and organizing white people for racial justice. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road VETERANS FOR PEACE 828-490-1872, VFP099. org • TUESDAYS, 5pm Weekly peace vigil. Free. Held at the Vance Monument in Pack Square. Held at Vance Monument, 1 Pack Square

DANCE For dance related events please see the dance section in the A&E Calendar on p.51

ECO 25TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 9-11, 2018. at UNCA. 150+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate workshops on organic growing, homesteading, farming, permaculture. Trade show, seed exchange, special guests. Organicgrowersschool. org. (828) 214-7833 FARM DREAMS (PD.) February 3, 2018, 10:00am - 4:00pm - Lenoir Rhyne 36 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC Farm Dreams a great entrylevel workshop to attend if you are in the exploratory stages of starting a farm and seeking practical information on sustainable farming.

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Eco-presentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place TRANSITION ASHEVILLE 828-296-0064, transitionasheville.org • MO (2/5), 6:308pm - Presentation by the Energy Savers Network and social event. Free. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

FARM & GARDEN BUNCOMBE COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE 49 Mount Carmel Road, 828-255-5522 • TH (2/1), 6pm - Tax workshop for small farmers. Registration required: meghan_ baker@ncsu.edu or 828255-5522. Free. LIVING WEB FARMS 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, 828-505-1660, livingwebfarms.org • TU (2/6), 6-8pm - "Is Your Farm Climate Ready? Cultivating Resilience to Weather Variability and Extremes," workshop with Laura Lengnick. Registration required. $10. MCDOWELL TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 54 College Drive Marion, 828-652-6021, mcdowelltech.edu • Through FR (2/2) Open registration for the McDwoell Honey Bees' Bee School. Classes take place SATURDAYS (2/3) until (2/17), 8:30am4:30pm. Registration: mcdowellhoneybees. org. Free. MOUNTAIN HORTICULTURAL CROPS RESEARCH AND EXTENSION STATION 74 Research Drive Mills River, 828-684-7197 • TU (2/6), 9am-12:30pm - "Keep it in the Family:

Your Forest and Farm," farm workshop covering conservation programs, forest plans, conservation easements, VAD and PUV and estate planning. Registration required: 828-6974949. Sponsored by the Henderson and Transylvania County Soil and Water Conservation District. Free.

FOOD & BEER ASHEVILLE GREEN OPPORTUNITIES 828-398-4158, greenopportunities.org • FR (2/2), noon-2pm - Information session for Kitchen Ready, a 10-week, full-time program to learn the skills to work in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Lunch provided. Registration: 828-3984158, x104 or ryoung@ greenopportunities.org. Free. Held at Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center, 133 Livingston St. CALDWELL CUSINE 726-2478, kandreasen@cccti.edu • TH (2/1), 6pm Caldwell Community College culinary program dinner. Registration: 828297-3811, x.5222. $21. Held at J.E. Broyhill Civic Center, 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior FOLKMOOT USA 828-452-2997, folkmootusa.org • FR (2/2), 6-8pm Schnitzel dinner with traditional games, polka music and local beer. $15/$10 students. Held at Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • TH (2/8), 6pm - Authors for Action: Cathy Cleary presents her cookbook, The Southern Cookbook: Recipes Celebrating Four Seasons. Free to attend.

FESTIVALS CHIMNEY ROCK PARK 1638 Chimney Rock Park Road, Chimney Rock, 828-625-4688 • FR (2/2), 10am Groundhog Day celebration. Admission fees apply. WHITE SQUIRREL GROUNDHOG DAY CELEBRATION 828-883-8444, blueridgebakery.com • FR (2/2), 9am Groundhog day celebration with Brevard mayor and WSQL radio. Free to attend. Held at Blue Ridge Bakery, 400 S. Broad St.

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road. CITY OF ASHEVILLE 828-251-1122, 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. HENDERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY 905 S. Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, 828-692-6424, myhcdp.com • 1st SATURDAYS, 9-11am - Monthly breakfast buffet with presentation from Veterans from Peace speaker Bob Houde. $9/$4.50 for children under 10. HILL STREET BAPTIST CHURCH 135 Hill St., 828-254-4646, hillstreetbaptistchurch. org • TH (2/8), 7-9pm - "The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival" town hall govudrf on health care, the environment, hunger and justice reform. Organized by North Carolina’s Rev. Dr. William

J. Barber II and Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis. Free. INDIVISIBLE COMMON GROUND-WNC Indivisible-sylva.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm -General meeting. Free. Held at St. David's Episcopal Church, 286 Forest Hills Road, Sylva PROGRESSIVE WOMEN OF HENDERSONVILLE pwhendo.org • FRIDAYS, 4-7pm Postcard writing to government representatives. Postcards, stamps, addresses, pens and tips are provided. Free to attend. Held at Sanctuary Brewing Company, 147 1st Ave., Hendersonville

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APPLE VALLEY MODEL RAILROAD & MUSEUM 650 Maple St, Hendersonville, AVMRC.com • WEDNESDAYS, 1-3pm & SATURDAYS, 10am2pm - Open house featuring operating model trains and historic memorabilia. Free. ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 126 College St., 828-252-6244, ashevillemusicschool.com • TU (2/6), 6:30pm Open auditions for the A Capella Singing Club, for ages 13 and up. Registration required. Free. • WE (2/7), 5-6:30pm - Andrew Finn Magill fiddle workshop for ages 7 and up. $15. BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 828-296-7335 • SA (2/3), 11am - Brad Meltzer reads his children's book, I Am Harriet Tubman. Free to attend. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

C O N S C I O U S PA R T Y by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

Beat the Winter Blues Ball

COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R

• 2nd SATURDAYS, 1-4pm & LAST WEDNESDAYS (1/31), 4-6pm - Teen Dungeons and Dragons for ages 12 and up. Registration required: 828-250-4720. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • MONDAYS, 10:30am - "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 828-754-2486, caldwellarts.com • Through FR (3/16) Submissions accepted from Caldwell and contiguous counties high school students for the Shakespeare Monologue Competition. Information: caldwellarts.com/ 227-shakespeare-monologue-competition/.

HEAT WAVE: Attendees enjoy the 2016 Rotary Club of Asheville-Metro’s Beat the Winter Blues Ball. This year’s edition takes place Feb. 3 at the YMI Cultural Center and benefits Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust and ABCCM’s Veterans Restoration Quarters. Photo by John Coutlakis WHAT: A party to benefit Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust and ABCCM’s Veterans Restoration Quarters WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 3, 6:30-10 p.m. WHERE: YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St. WHY: Chartered in 2012, the Rotary Club of Asheville-Metro is the youngest in its 50-club district. It’s also a fairly small club, but its 13 members have been active in service projects from the start and, in 2016, were looking to, in the words of club Secretary John Russell, “put ourselves on the map.” “We wanted to help the community more … so we decided to just throw a party,” Russell says. “And because January and February are right in the middle of what we call ‘the winter blues,’ somebody came up with the title ‘Beat the Winter Blues.’” The latest seasonal fundraiser is set for Saturday, Feb. 3, at YMI Cultural Center. Heavy snacks will be catered by Strada along with an open beer and wine bar. Asheville band WestSound returns for a second consecutive year with a mix of classic rock and what Russell calls “just good dance music.” The evening’s attire is “Asheville Chic” and attendees are invited to interpret that phrase as they will. “Asheville people are a very eclectic bunch. You’ll see all kinds of dress at any 34

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

type of party,” Russell says. “We encourage everyone to dress the way they feel. We’ll have some that are dolled up to the nines, some in jeans and anything in between. It’s sort of a ‘come as you are.’” In addition to ticket sales, proceeds from the event come from a silent auction, featuring such items as alpaca ponchos and blankets from Ecuador, a Kennedy Space Center astronaut training for two (including round-trip airfare and a hotel room) and memorabilia autographed by The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, NFL Hall of Famers and the casts of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series. For its first two years, the ball has raised an average of $1,000 each for one regional and one local charity. The 2018 Beat the Winter Blues Ball will once more benefit Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, which is headquartered in Atlanta and has been a major fundraising project for Rotary Clubs throughout the Southeast for over 20 years. It will be joined by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry’s Veterans Restoration Quarters, which Russell says does “wonderful work.” The Beat the Winter Blues Ball takes place Saturday, Feb. 3, 6:30-10 p.m. at the YMI Cultural Center. $50. www.purplepass.com/BeatWinterBlues X

MOUNTAINX.COM

HANDS ON! A CHILDREN'S GALLERY 318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 828-697-8333 • TUESDAYS (2/6) until (2/27) - "Mad Science Lab," science activities for ages 3 and up. Registration required. Admission fees apply. • WE (2/7), 4-5pm - “Science on Wheels,” science activities for kids. Registration required: 828-890-1850. Free. Held at Mills River Library, 124 Town Center Drive Suite 1. Mills River • TH (2/8), 11am-noon - "Blue Ridge Humane Day," kids activities and a visit with the Blue Ridge Humane Society animal. Admission fees apply. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • FR (2/2), 6-8pm Rachael Allen presents her young adult book, A Taxonomy of Love. Free to attend. RIVERLINK 828-252-8474, riverlink.org • Through MO (3/19) Submissions accepted for the RiverLink Art and Poetry Contest. Open

to pre-kindergarten to 12th grade students. See website for full guidelines. WHOLE FOODS MARKET 4 S. Tunnel Road • MONDAYS, 9-10am "Playdates," family fun activities. Free to attend.

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Join a Park Naturalist on Groundhog Day, Friday, February 2, at 10am, to see if Greta the Groundhog sees her shadow. chimneyrockpark.com LAKE JAMES STATE PARK 6883 N.C. Highway 126 Nebo, 828-584-7728 • SU (2/4), 12:45pm Ranger-led boat tour. Registration required. Free. PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED pisgahchaptertu.org/ New-Meetinginformation. html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewery, 36 E Main St., Brevard TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY LIBRARY 212 S. Gaston St., Brevard, 828-884-3151 • TH (2/1), 6:30pm “Hiking with Your Dog,” presentation by Angela Prodrick, Community Outreach Director at the Blue Ridge Humane Society. Free.

PARENTING BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave. Ste. #213., 828-253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (2/1), noon Information session for single parents with children ages 6-14 interested in learning more about connecting your child with a mentor. Free.

by Abigail Griffin

CHILDREN AND FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER 851 Case St., Hendersonville, 828-698-0674 • FR (2/2), 9:30-11:30am - "Telling Your Story," training for parents of young children with special needs and disabilities. Childcare provided. Registration required: 866-545-5299 or conta. cc/2hrcnnQ. Free.

PUBLIC LECTURES OLLI AT UNCA 828-251-6140, olliasheville.com • SA (2/3), 2-3:30pm "Hazel Creek: The Life and Death of an Iconic Mountain Community," presentation by Dan Pierce, PhD. $5. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road PUBLIC EVENTS AT A-B TECH 828-398-7900, abtech.edu • WE (1/31), 3pm Community Voices Lectures Series: “The Burden of History: Slavery, Emancipation & Our Collective Historical Memory," presentation by Dr. Darin J. Waters, assistant professor of history. Free. Held at AB Tech, Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road • WE (2/7), 3pm Community Voices Lectures Series: Black History Month lecture by Oralene Simmons. Free. Held at AB Tech, Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road WEDGE FOUNDATION 5 Foundy St., wedgebrewing.com/ location-wedgefoundation/ • FR (2/2), 8-9:30am Mindful Mornings, speaker series for do-gooders to connect, inspire and teach. Registration required: eventbrite. com/o/ ali-croft-micah-pulleyn-15148004942. Free. WNC HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION wnchistory.org • SA (2/3), 4:30pm - Outstanding Achievement Award

lecture by UNC Asheville history Professor Dan Pierce. $5. Held at UNCAsheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road

SENIORS COUNCIL ON AGING OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, INC. 828-277-8288, coabc.org • WE (1/31), 2-4pm - "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, 2579 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville • FR (2/2), 2-4pm "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at Goodwill Career Training Center, 1616 Patton Ave. • TU (2/6), 2-4pm "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N. Dougherty St., Black Mountain JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WNC, INC. 2 Doctors Park, Suite E, 828-253-2900 • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am-2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St. • MO (12/4), 2-3pm Bingo for seniors and older adults. .75 per card.

SPIRITUALITY A COURSE IN MIRACLES (PD.) A truly loving, open study group. Meets second and fourth Mondays. 6:30pm, East Asheville, Groce United Methodist Church. Information, call Susan at 828-712-5472.

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY TALK (PD.) Meditation is fully effective when it allows you to transcend—to effortlessly settle inward, beyond the busy or agitated mind, to the deepest, most blissful and expanded state of awareness. TM is a tool for personal healing and social transformation that anyone can use to access that field of unbounded creativity, intelligence, and wellbeing that resides within everyone. NIH research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened mental performance. Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut. 828-254-4350. TM.org ASHEVILLE INSIGHT MEDITATION (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation. Learn how to get a Mindfulness Meditation practice started. 1st & 3rd Mondays. 7pm – 8:30. Asheville Insight Meditation, 175 Weaverville Road, Suite H, ASHEVILLE, NC, (828) 808-4444, www. ashevillemeditation.com. 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. GROUP MEDITATION (PD.) Enjoy this supportive meditation community. Mindfulness meditation instruction and Buddhist teachings at Asheville Insight. Thursday evenings at 7pm and Sunday mornings at 10am. www.ashevillemeditation.com. OPEN HEART MEDITATION (PD.) Now at 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212.

Tuesdays 7-8pm. Experience the stillness and beauty of connecting to your heart and the Divine within you. Suggested $5 donation. OpenHeartMeditation. com ASHEVILLE INTERFAITH ashevilleinterfaith.org • TU (2/6), 6-8pm - Interfaith evening of songs and stories from various faith traditions. Event includes Congregation Beth Israel, Mother Grove Goddess Temple, Asheville Baha'i Center and Greg Lathrop from the Cherokee tradition. Free. Held at Jubilee! Community Church, 46 Wall St. CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 828-258-0211 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 2pm Intentional meditation. Admission by donation. CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING ASHEVILLE 2 Science Mind Way, 828-253-2325, cslasheville.org • 1st FRIDAYS, 7pm - "Dreaming a New Dream," meditation to explore peace and compassion. Free. CHABAD HOUSE 660 Merrimon Ave., 828-505-0746, chabadasheville.org • TH (2/8), 10:3011:30am - "Torah and Tea," ladies morning out, at the Jewish Women's Circle. Registration required: 828-505-0746. Free. GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville, 828-693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • WEDNESDAYS through (2/7), 5:45-7pm - “Anxious for Nothing” adult class regarding spirituality and anxiety. Free. SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113, 828-200-5120, asheville.shambhala.org • THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS,

SCHNITZEL WITH NOODLES: Dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community, Folkmoot holds its German Friendship Dinner on Friday, Feb. 2, 6-8 p.m. in Waynesville. Local families with German backgrounds will be cooking chicken schnitzel, German-style egg noodles, red cabbage, sautéed apples and dessert while BearWaters Brewing Co. provides the beer. The meal will be served in the Folkmoot Cafeteria at the Historic Hazelwood School, followed by traditional games for all ages — with chocolate given to the winners — and music by Mountain Top Polka Band in the Sam Love Queen Auditorium. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and may be purchased at folkmoot. org or by calling 828-452-2997. Photo of Mountain Top Polka Band courtesy of Folkmoot (p. 33) 10am-noon - Meditation and community. Admission by donation. THE MOTHER GROVE TEMPLE 70 Woodfin St., 828-230-5069, mothergrovetemple.org • SU (2/4), 7pm Celebration of Imbolc, feast day of Brigid. Free/ Canned food donations accepted. URBAN DHARMA 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:30-9pm - Open Sangha night. Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 77 Walnut St.

SPOKEN/ WRITTEN WORD For spoken and written word related events please see the spoken/ written word section in the A&E Calendar on p.52

SPORTS ASHEVILLE WOMEN’S RUGBY ashevillewomensrugby. com,

ashevillewomensrugby@ gmail.com • Through SA (4/7) Open registration for the spring season that runs through Sat., April 7. No experience necessary to participate. Free.

ashevilleprisonbooks@gmail.com. Held at Downtown Books & News, 67 N. Lexington Ave. CROWNE PLAZA EXPO CENTER 1 Resort Drive

• SA (2/3), 10am4pm - Volunteer expo featuring more than 50-local nonprofits who are looking for volunteers. Event includes four educational panel discussions.

Sponsored by the Junior League of Asheville. Free.

• Through FR (2/2)

HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION 297 Haywood St., 828-246-4250 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 10amnoon - Workshop to teach how to make sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. Information: 828-707-7203 or cappyt@att.net. Free.

tor in Buncombe

MOUNTAINTRUE 828-258-8737, mountaintrue.org • FR (2/2) & WE (2/7) - Volunteer to help fight sediment erosion by planting live stakes along the French Broad River. Registration required. • WE (2/7) Volunteer to help fight sediment erosion by planting live stakes along the French Broad River. Registration required.

• Through FR (3/2)

THE MEDIATION CENTER OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY 40 North French Broad Ave., Suite B, 828-232-5140, mediatewnc.org

- Volunteers to become a mediaCounty. Volunteers complete an application, interview and 32-hour training. For more information contact: coreyh@ mediatewnc.org. TRAUMA INTERVENTION PROGRAM OF WNC 828-513-0498, tipofwnc.org - Open registration for a training academy for those interested in volunteering as part of a team of volunteers who provide immediate emotional and practical support to survivors of traumatic events. Academy takes place nights and weekends from March 8 - 17. For information or registration: 828513-0498. For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

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On a bleak Saturday in mid-January, with clumps of dirty snow from a recent winter storm still hugging downtown sidewalks, there is little color visible against the gray sky outside the Asheville Masonic Temple. However, what’s peeking out of the shopping bags carried by a steady stream of people filing down the building’s steps is a different story — bright, leafy bundles of fresh greens, blushing apples and a rainbow of root vegetables. January through March, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project hosts an indoor version of the Asheville City Market at the downtown venue on Saturday mornings. And despite less-than-balmy temperatures, both shoppers and vendors come out in force to trade in what is, during the frigid months, a coveted commodity: fresh, locally grown produce. “Farmers are getting more and more savvy about growing through the winter,” says Molly Nicholie, program director for ASAP’s Local Food campaign. In addition to a selection of locally made baked goods, meats, cheeses, eggs and value-added food products, she says customers at Western North Carolina’s cold-weather markets can find a long list of fresh vegetables and fruit, including microgreens and sprouts, mushrooms, lettuce, collards, kale, winter squash, apples, carrots, potatoes and more. YEAR-ROUND REVOLUTION Besides bringing some January joy to local-food devotees, the burgeoning winter market scene provides growers a platform from which to develop yearround farming strategies that can boost their business and benefit their customers. Since ASAP started keeping track of WNC’s local food venues in 2002, the number of winter markets in the area has gone from just one — the Henderson County Curb Market — in 2003 to nine this year, including three in Asheville and one in Black Mountain. Two of the three Asheville offerings are hosted by the YMCA.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

ROOT SELLER: Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project hosts an indoor version of the Asheville City Market at the Masonic Temple from January to March, one of nine local farmers markets that run during the winter. Photo courtesy of ASAP The seed for the original YMCA Winter Market, which is held January through March outdoors in the parking lot of the Woodfin YMCA, was planted five years ago when a farmer complained to a YMCA staff member of a lack of venues for selling fresh produce in the offseason. Today, up to 20 vendors come out each week, many of whom specialize in winter produce, says YMCA Winter Markets manager Lisa Riggsbee. The success of that venture led the organization to open a second winter market last year. It takes place Wednesday afternoons inside the lobby of the South Asheville Reuter facility. Vendor fees from both markets are used to support the YMCA’s nutrition outreach work, which includes 40 mobile units in five counties that bring veggies and other healthy edibles to food-insecure communities. The markets also serve to connect YMCA clients and the broader community — YMCA markets are

open to all — with Asheville’s local food scene. Although Riggsbee says she hasn’t noticed a significant increase in the number of produce vendors since the winter markets started, the ranks have held steady. And many of the original vendors from five years ago, including Wildwood Herbal, East Fork Farm and Hendersonville apple growers McConnell Farms, are still on board. But notably, she says, the existing vendors seem to be getting much shrewder about offseason farming. “They’re really starting to figure out what people want and what people need during the winter months,” says Riggsbee. “The first couple years of the market, [customers] were willing to take anything and everything they could get their hands on because they weren’t used to having a winter farmers market. But now that they’re used to it, supply and demand comes into play, which is exciting.”

a lot of farmers are learning that we have to diversify even more if we want to continue to be successful, because there is an abundance of farmers here, and there are even more showing up, so it’s only going to get more competitive.” Salmon agrees that year-round growing gives his operation an edge. “The people who really place high value on naturally grown, fresh local food, they come out in the winter. And that group is getting larger and larger,” he says.

“To farm all year, then push it into the winter, that takes a lot,” he continues. “So that’s probably the single biggest thing for me, the big driving force for my farm: to know that that produce is going to be available for those people who have that understanding and desire for that product.” For a list of Western North Carolina’s winter markets with schedule details, visit asapconnections.org and click on “Find Local Food.” X

BRISK AIR, CRISP GREENS: Winter crops include a bonanza of leafy greens and root vegetables. Photo courtesy of ASAP COLD CASH Wildwood Herbal’s Seth Salmon has been growing winter crops for six years on his Weaverville farm, specializing in “anything that will make it,” including spinach, collards, kale, onions, carrots, turnips and beets. In addition to vending his wares at the YMCA Winter Market North, he participates in the Asheville City Market at the Masonic Temple and operates a year-round community-supported agriculture program. Salmon says he’s able to continue cranking out fresh veggies even through heavy snows and single-digit nights due to a combination of indoor and outdoor growing strategies and variety selection. His most popular items are spinach and collards. “Not lot of people grow collards,” he says. “But they are very winter-hardy, and through all that cold weather like we just experienced, they get so sweet and delicious.” Although farms may have traditionally slowed down for a well-deserved rest between fall harvest and spring planting, Salmon observes that young farmers appear to have a different game plan. “It seems like the newer farmers on the local tailgate market scene are coming in with this expectation that they’re going to do winter crops, and they’ve already designed their systems for that,” he says. Justin Aiello manages Olivette Farm north of Asheville, which just finished its second year of production. To serve customers at the local winter markets as well as the 10 or

so restaurants he sells to, he grows a surprisingly wide array of diversified winter crops — everything from delicate baby salad greens and pea shoots to hardy radishes and turnips — using a combination of heated greenhouses and long, unheated hoop structures called caterpillar tunnels. Before moving to Asheville, Aiello spent more than three years working some rented farmland outside Atlanta, where he says he “farmed casually during the winter,” marketing to a few restaurant accounts. But after getting to know WNC’s agricultural community, he realized he needed to step up his game. “We really needed to find a niche because there are so many awesome farms around here in the main season that it can be hard to compete with them,” he says. He took a “leap of faith” last winter and built the caterpillar tunnels. “We planted a whole wide range of things just to see what would work. And by a mix of skill and luck, we had a very successful winter last year that helped us plan a lot better for this winter.” Aiello looks at providing a steady supply of winter produce as a great way to enhance his business by maintaining an ongoing customer base throughout the year. Both his market regulars and restaurant clients appreciate this, he says. But he acknowledges that winter growing is not going to be every farmer’s cup of tea. “There’s definitely an upfront cost to getting winter infrastructure, which can be prohibitive for some people,” he explains. “But I think MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

FOOD

COZYING UP TO SLOW COOKING Chilly WNC winters inspire wood-fired and slow cooker comfort food SOUTH ASHEVILLE’S NEW HOME FOR COMFORT FOOD AND CRAFT COCKTAILS

Sun-Thurs | 11am-10pm Fri & Sat | 11am-Midnight

2155 Hendersonville Rd. Arden, NC, 28704

828.676.2577 post25avl.com

A SpeciAl Menu to celebrAte the SeASon of love

BY CATHY CLEARY cathy@thecookandgarden.com In winter, when the outside world can be less than inviting, I take the opportunity to snuggle up to the stove and cook comfort food. Stocks, soups and stews gently simmer, infusing the house with savory scents. I immerse myself in the warmth they emit and enjoy the contrast of whipping winds and the frozen outdoor landscape. I feel comforted and inspired by this disparity. Northern European countries have specific words to describe these feelings. In places where winter can be harsh and long, it makes sense that words evolved to describe positive aspects of the winter chill. When night falls before the dinner hour, it feels right to delight in the glow of candles or firelight. It is fitting to cook dishes like beef short ribs or bean stew that need long, slow heat and are best eaten out of bowls that can double as handwarmers. It makes sense to slow down a bit and spend time reading, cooking, puttering or indulging in a warm afternoon beverage with a friend. The Danish word “hygge” was popularized around the world a few years ago to describe this cozy aesthetic. In the Netherlands, the word “gezellig” describes a similar notion. Netherlands native Natascha van Aalst Leitner explains, “It’s more like a feeling — it’s not easy to describe. It’s something you need to feel or experience. It’s like watching a fire with your family, having a glass of wine with a friend or a great conversation in the kitchen.” Leitner grew up in the Netherlands but has lived in the United States for 15 years, five of them in Asheville. When it’s chilly and dark outside, she likes to cook a big pot of vegetable soup similar to ones her grandmother used to make. Remembering her grandmother and enjoying that soup is the essence of gezellig.

Week-long vAlentine’S celebrAtion februAry 9th - 18th Reservations highly recommended! (828) 398-6200 • 26 All Souls Crescent, AVL 38

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GOING DUTCH: Cookbook author Barbara Swell uses the wood stove in her East Asheville home to make meals with a Dutch oven and foil packets. Photo by Cindy Kunst Cooking just about anything on top of my woodstove gives me gezellig. I’ll never forget the year it snowed 5 inches on the day of our annual winter party. Right before folks arrived, the lights flickered, then went out. I was in the middle of making a big batch of soup on the wood stove that heats our house. The mulled wine and hot cider were on the back of the stove, and cornbread was staying warm on the mantelpiece. We ran around lighting candles and looking for seldom-used oil lamps. The electric lights never came on that night, but the soup was hot, the bread was warm, the mulled wine was quickly

consumed and, from what I recollect, the festivities were better than ever. Asheville-based cookbook author and Appalachian wood-fired cookery aficionado Barbara Swell wants people to get excited when the power goes out. She fell in love with a man when she was 21 and moved into his old Civil War-era farmhouse with nothing but wood heat. Quickly seduced by woodfired cookery, she moved on from that man but has been cooking on wood stoves ever since. She describes cooking on top of a wood stove as a dance. “I think you are more limited with a regular stove,” she says. “You control the heat with the wood and move things around on top of the stove to get the right temperature.” Swell often scoops the perfect red-hot embers out of the wood stove and takes them outside to make steamed puddings in her Dutch oven. “We always have gin-

gerbread-apple upside down cake — you could also do that in a Crock Pot,” she says. Most things you can do in a slow cooker you can also do on top of a wood stove. I tested the cake using a method I learned from Swell years ago. I preheated a Dutch oven on top of the stove, then placed three canning jar lid rings in the bottom with a greased cake pan on top of them. I put apple slices and batter in the pan, put the lid on the Dutch oven, and an hour and a half later, I had a beautiful, steamed apple upside down cake made solely with the heat from the wood stove. Swell also recommends cooking in foil packets on top of the stove. “I always line mine with parchment paper,” she says. “I put veggies in the package — you could do fish or chicken, onions are great with butter and a little garlic salt — you just stick them on the stove, flip them and then you’re done.” The wood stove is also excellent for reheating food, she says — just wrap

your leftovers in parchment paper and foil. “It’s not like other types of reheating because you get a little bit of char,” she says. “You can’t get that same char any other way.” I regularly use the top of my wood stove as a slow cooker in the winter months for cooking beans, braising tougher cuts of pork or beef or using shiitake mushroom stems, veggie scraps or meat bones to make stock. Sauces, puddings and fondues also all happen atop my wood stove. If you heat your house with wood and have not experienced the gezellig of gathering around the chocolate fondue pot with friends on a cold winter night, there is no time like the present. Cathy Cleary is the former coowner of West End Bakery and Café, a cookbook author and co-founder of FEAST, a nonprofit dedicated to cooking and gardening education. Her book, The Southern Harvest Cookbook: Recipes Celebrating Four Seasons, debuted this month. X

local, ingredient driven cuisine. since 1979

Spiked chocolate fondue s’mores

Photo by Cathy Cleary Serves 4-6

½ cup half and half, or nondairy milk 1 cup chocolate chips 1-2 tablespoons bourbon,

peppermint schnapps or Kahlua (optional) 1 package graham crackers marshmallows

Heat milk in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot (on top of wood stove or any hot surface) until steam starts to rise. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Stir in liquor, if using. Keeping fondue warm, use long skewers, chopsticks or fondue forks to dip marshmallows in chocolate and place on graham crackers to eat. If using a slow cooker, simply combine milk and chocolate chips in the pot and set to high for half an hour. Stir to combine, add alcohol, if using, and proceed with the recipe.

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Soup or Bowl returns to Blue Ghost Brewing Co.

“Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it’s very important that you do it.” -Gandhi

FARMTOHOMEMILK.COM

The New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles aren’t the only ones competing for a first-place finish this weekend. On Saturday, Feb. 3, Blue Ghost Brewing Co. will host its second Soup or Bowl competition. The soupoff starts at noon, and by 2 p.m. the day’s winner will be awarded the golden ladle trophy. Silver and bronze ladles will also be handed out to second- and third-place finishers. Tickets for the event are $10 per person and include 2-ounce samples of each entry. The family-friendly event will feature indoor Pig Pin games for kids for $2. Also known as “fowling,” the sport combines football and bowling. All children who enter will receive prizes. All proceeds from admission and games will benefit the Calvary Episcopal Church Food Pantry, which, according to the church’s website, distributed “over 248,180 pounds of food” to the community in 2015. Last year’s inaugural event featured 11 entries and raised $250 for the nonprofit Only Hope WNC, which serves homeless youths in Henderson County. “I was surprised by the variety of flavors,” Blue Ghost co-owner Zach Horn says of last year’s spread, which included entries such as Thai chicken and rice, she-crab soup, potato leek soup and Fletcher resident Troy Richard’s winning corn and crawfish bisque. Horn predicts a similarly eclectic mix at this year’s gathering. He also anticipates a larger turnout this time around. Participants are asked to prepare soups in a 2-gallon slow cooker.

GO FOR THE GOLD: Blue Ghost Brewing Co. co-founders Zach Horn, left, and Erik Weber pose before the three ladle trophies to be awarded at this year’s Soup or Bowl competition. Photo courtesy of Horn Bowls and silverware will be provided by the brewery, but competitors should bring their own serving spoon. “It’s fun because a lot of the entries are regular customers that live close by,” says Horn. “So you get to see them in a different kind of setting — having a good time sharing food and learning about and benefiting a good cause.” Horn notes that Richard will return to defend his title with a crab and brie soup. And while he won’t offer any predictions on this year’s winning recipe, his forecast for Super Bowl Sunday is a Patriot’s win, 34-24.

Valentine’s Day Special!

FOOTHILLS BREWING BEER DINNER Tuesday, Feb 13th $65 for 5 courses visit our website for tickets 828.505.7531 1011 Tunnel Rd, Asheville NC 28805 Home Trust Bank Plaza

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Bottle of Prosecco, dozen fresh oysters, choice of 3 charcuterie items, and a cannoli - $75 (Reg. price $100) The fabulous Jesse Barry will be performing from 6 to 9! Manic Monday ALL OYSTERS $1.75 Wine Down Wednesday 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES Flight Friday $9 (Reg. $14) Live music Friday: Adi the Monk (guitar) Saturday: Jason Hazinski (sax) 2 HENDERSONVILLE RD • BILTMORE STATION • 828.222.6555

Soup or Bowl runs noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, at Blue Ghost Brewing Co., 125 Underwood Road. Tickets are $10 at the door. Registration to compete in the soup-off is open until 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. To enter, email j@ blueghostbrewing.com. For details, visit avl.mx/4kd. SUPER BOWL SUNDAY AT THE BYWATER The Bywater will host a Super Bowl party, projecting the game inside its enclosed porch. Drink specials will include PBR and a shot of Old Crow for $5, as well as $4 Bloody Marys. A free buffet will include chili, barbecue, cheese dip and chips. Super Bowl Sunday at The Bywater begins at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at 796 Riverside Drive. The Bywater is a private club. Annual membership fee is $5 and can be purchased at the bar. For more information, visit avl.mx/4kc. HICKORY TAVERN OF ASHEVILLE HOSTS SUPER BOWL EVENT Another Super Bowl option is the Hickory Tavern of Asheville. Reservations are $19.99 per person and

include an all-you-can-eat buffet with pulled-pork sliders, hot dogs, buildyour-own nachos, chicken tenders and an assortment of desserts. Drink specials will include buckets of domestic beer (five per bucket) for $12.50, as well as a create-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Hickory Tavern’s Super Bowl gathering begins at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at 30 Town Square Blvd. To reserve seats, call 828-684-0975. For more information, visit avl.mx/4kg. FOOTBALL FESTIVITIES AT THE BIER GARDEN The Bier Garden will host a slew of Super Bowl Sunday activities along with food and drink specials. Featured wing flavors will include regional favorites from New England and Philadelphia. All Oskar Blues Brewery products will be discounted, and there will be team-colored cocktails. Free face painting for children and adults and free balloon art activities for kids will be available. Giveaways will be held at the end of each quarter of the game. The Bier Garden’s Super Bowl party runs 6-11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, at 46 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/4ke. PENNYCUP COFFEE HOSTS PUBLIC COFFEE TASTINGS PennyCup Coffee has launched a free weekly coffee tasting at noon Fridays at its River Arts District roastery. Each event will “highlight and showcase rare and special coffees,” and attendees “will learn all aspects of the sourcing, roasting and brewing process,” says a press release. Tastings begin at noon Fridays at PennyCup Coffee, 362 Depot St. Tastings are free and will run 60-90 minutes. For details, visit pennycupcoffeeco.com. CHOTTA CHAI PANI POP-UP Chai Pani will close its downtown location for renovations during February, with plans to reopen Thursday, March 1. The upgrades, says Molly Milroy, Chai Pani Restaurant Group media and communications director, will “create a brighter atmosphere, incorporate some fresh takes on Indian-inspired décor” and enhance access to downstairs sister cocktail lounge MG Road. To keep the staff employed during the refurbishing, the

Chai Pani team will offer a pop-up restaurant, Chotta Chai Pani, Friday, Feb. 2-Wednesday, Feb. 21, in the Riverside Drive warehouse space next door to the company’s Spicewalla spice company. Chotta Chai Pani will feature quick-serve Chai Pani menu favorites along with hits from MG Road and the restaurant group’s Atlanta-area eatery, Botiwalla. MG Road is also closed for renovations through Sunday, Feb. 4. Chotta Chai Pani pop-up runs noon-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2-Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 829 Riverside Drive, Suite 112. Details are at chaipaniasheville.com/chottachaipani. A BRICK-AND-MORTAR FOR BLIND PIG SUPPER CLUB Blind Pig Supper Club chef Mike Moore, in partnership with former King James Public House chef Steve

Goff, has announced plans to open AUX Bar, a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 68 and 68½ North Lexington Ave., former sites of Crepe Bourrée and Vincent’s Ear. Blind Pig will continue its long-running pop-up series in Asheville and the RaleighDurham area and has plans to expand the series to Wilmington, N.C. Additionally, Blind Pig Supper Club will now provide full catering and special events production for social galas, weddings, receptions and corporate and private events in and around Asheville. According to a press release, AUX Bar’s menu will offer “fresh and affordable, globally inspired street food.” The restaurant’s tentative opening date is Feb. 22, 2018. Visit theblindpigsupperclub.com for more information. X

plant Half-price wine bottle Wednesdays, classic cocktail Fridays, & vegan verve all the time 165 merrimon avenue | 828.258.7500 | www.plantisfood.com

Downtown & Taproom Cafe, Wine Room, Butcher Shop

Featuring a brand new taproom, extensive alcohol selection & salad bar Check out other locations:

Biltmore & Black Mountain

www.hopeyandcompany.com MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

BEER SCOUT

FOOD

by Scott Douglas | jsdouglas22@gmail.com

Overlooked ingredient

1478 Patton Ave ACROSS FROM SKY LANES

Craft Malt Conference brings industry insiders together in Asheville

Serving craft cocktails with locally distilled spirits Kitchen open late

TO THE FOREFRONT: The Craft Malt Conference makes its Asheville debut Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4. Riverbend Malt House co-founder Brent Manning, left, helped bring the event to Western North Carolina. Photo by Scott Douglas Of the four key ingredients necessary to make beer, malted grain has long been the unsung hero. While brewers and consumers alike can be swayed by the sex appeal of a new hops variety or a particularly interesting yeast strain, attention to malt has arguably been a tertiary concern. That state of affairs is changing rapidly, and Asheville’s Riverbend Malt House is leading the charge. In conjunction with the Craft Maltsters Guild, Riverbend will bring the annual Craft Malt Conference to Asheville for the first time on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4, at the A-B Tech Conference Center. “For us as craft maltsters, we see this as a huge opportunity to present craft malt in the scope of a beer rollout as just as important if not more so than the hops, so it’s on us to tell a more compelling narrative about why that’s the case,” says Riverbend co-founder Brent Manning. This is the first year that the Craft Malt Conference has fully embraced a trade show format, plus it’s the event’s debut at a venue in the Southeast U.S. The gathering has its roots in the Farmer Brewer Winter Weekend, a conference for brewers, farmers and maltsters previously hosted at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. Hartwick is home of the Hartwick College Center for Craft Food and Beverage, an organization that has 42

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

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provided valuable product testing data for Riverbend. According to Manning, the Craft Malt Conference is intended to focus on education and networking for not only craft brewers and distillers, but also maltsters, farmers, academics and scientists. This year’s conference will include lectures on everything from changes in malting technologies and brewing and distilling sciences to genetics and seasonally specific barley varieties. The shift in location will allow researchers and industry professionals from the Southeast to contribute their work to the body of knowledge established in the conference’s Northeast U.S. origins. “As you might imagine, in the Northeast we pulled a lot of people from the Northeast. So you had researchers from Cornell, Vermont, University of Maine presenting their work at previous events,” explains Manning. With the conference happening in the Southeast, professors from universities including N.C. State and Virginia Tech will speak about topics such as the malting process, barley production in the Southeast, new varieties and more, he says. “So I think that’s going to be really cool to see evolve as we move from region to region.” Also new to this year’s event will be an expanded focus on the business end of malting, with lectures on the real-

world costs of using craft malt and the marketing opportunities available to brands looking to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace. Asheville-based craft beer consultant Audra Gaiziunas will participate in a discussion of the true cost of craft malt in a finished beer, while Manning will be joined by Sean Lily Wilson from Fullsteam Brewery of Durham and April Smith of Charlotte-based Social Ape Marketing to discuss branding and marketing strategies. “The industry needs this level of information to make businesses stronger,” says Manning. “A lot of guys are starting out or one to two years deep. And just like brewing, they’re coming from other jobs that most likely were not CPAs and MBAs, so I think that’s going to be a really beneficial thing for the attendees. I think the marketing and branding side is something that everybody can always learn about and do better.” The trade show portion of the conference will feature products geared toward all aspects of craft beverage production, from start to finish. Manufacturers such as Deutsche Beverage Technology will showcase brewery systems, and the 150-yearold A.T. Farrell Co. will display seed cleaning equipment among many other opportunities for attendees to learn about the latest technological advancements in the sector. The idea, according to Manning, is to connect new businesses entering the field with more experienced and entrenched organizations. “This has grown from a gathering of 20 people to a gathering of 200 people,” he points out. “Craft malting, in general, has gone from four of five people in the entire country to over 70 producing members and another hundred in planning. “There’s a tremendous movement here, and it’s an exciting thing to be a part of,” he adds. “We’ve got this really cool, really intimate global group of people making malt a couple of tons at a time. It’s cool to see the global craft beer movement through the eyes of a maltster.” X

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

THREE CHORDS, INTENSITY AND THE TRUTH Asheville Rock Collective supports local acts through a concert series and CD

ROCKERS NEED LOVE, TOO: Based on the belief that local hard-rock acts can benefit from the community-minded approach that supports other genres, the Asheville Rock Collective seeks to promote the region’s rockers, such as The Dirty Badgers, pictured. Photo by Libby Gamble

BY BILL KOPP bill@musoscribe.com While there is no shortage of opportunities in and around Asheville to take in live performances of original music in a wide variety of genres, some styles are more fully represented than others. To make sure that straight-ahead rockers get their share of love in this music-focused city, the Asheville Rock Collective was born. For February, the group has scheduled two weekly concert series: one at Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain, and another at Fleetwood’s in West Asheville. “In the past five, six years or so, the whole state’s been taken over by [Grateful] Dead cover bands and the whole jam thing,” says Derek “Duke” Frye of the decidedly nonjamming band The Dirty Badgers. But he admits to drawing inspiration from the jam band scene. “Seeing how those groups kind of banded together, we thought, ‘Why not do that with the rock music that’s coming out, too?’” 44

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John Kennedy of local rocker outfit Egg Eaters agrees. “Jam bands and bluegrass are what people expect Western North Carolina [music] to be like,” he admits. “But among the people who are actually living here and creating music, that’s not so much what I’m hearing.” He believes there are more than a dozen local rock bands “who are producing very, very good music right now.” Kennedy and Frye launched the Asheville Rock Collective with an aim of leveraging the efforts and talents of the rock community. Frye says that the primary goal of the loose aggregation of like-minded artists is to “expose the scene to a national audience.” The collective is a very new venture. Last November, Frye hatched the idea of some kind of organization, and Kennedy began thinking about staging a concert series at Pisgah Brewing Co. “We launched our ideas at the same time,” Frye says, “and they clicked.” From the beginning, the concept of the collective was built around the live experience. “The live energy is definitely important,” Frye says. So, while one of the group’s first initiatives is to

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create a CD compilation of local rock artists, there are no plans to book time in any of Asheville’s recording studios. “A lot of these bands are practicing in their basement, recording stuff on their phone or their computers,” Frye says. “They don’t have access to recording studios.” He believes that live recording with a good system is the best way to go. “We’ll capture the two best songs from each band,” he says. In the meantime, interested parties can look up Asheville Rock Collective on Spotify to hear a selection of demo recordings from the local rock acts. If plans go as scheduled, the CD will be completed and ready for distribution in April. At that point, Kennedy says, the Asheville Rock Collective will send copies to 10 indie record labels, and the same number of radio stations and music-focused publications. And he has high hopes. “I’m a big daydreamer,” he says. Recalling a (quite possibly apocryphal) story of how Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers simply walked into a record label with a demo tape and got signed, he says, “I think

of some of the rock bands here in Western North Carolina, and I’m like, ‘Why don’t they have a bigger audience? They’re amazing!’” February’s weekly showcase sets will serve up a huge helping of rock. “We have eight bands in the Pisgah series,” Kennedy says. “Four Thursdays, two bands each night.” The dates at Fleetwood’s, a new West Asheville venue, will also feature two bands per night. In addition to Freye’s and Kennedy’s bands, acts include BROTHRS, Cannonball Jars, Dirty Soul Revival, Hard Rocket, Jackson Harem, Mercury Arcs, Morbids, Skunk Ruckus, Stump Mutts, Styrofoam Turtles, Thee Sidewalk Surfers, Tongues of Fire and Zin Vetro. The collective isn’t an exclusive club. The quality that unites all of the artists involved is a commitment to rock. “We’re not trying to make a gang out of this,” Kennedy emphasizes. He says that the collective is designed to support “people who are involved and passionate about blues rock, hard rock, punk rock, indie rock.” To local artists with a similar music focus, he offers this promise: “We’ll be your megaphone. We’ll draw attention to you as much as we can.” He adds, with a laugh, “We’ve got kind of a bad attitude. No Dead. No folk. No bluegrass. No jam.” But he does prefer to frame the collective’s mission in a more positive light: “If you have intensity, if you’re producing original music that is really true to yourself, we’ll back that all day long.” Riffing on an old aphorism originally coined to describe a very different kind of music, Frye sums up the kind of music the Asheville Rock Collective aims to support: “Three chords, intensity and the truth.” X

WHAT Asheville Rock Collective February concert series WHERE Pisgah Brewing Co. 150 Eastside Drive Black Mountain pisgahbrewing.com and Fleetwood’s 476 Haywood Road Asheville fleetwoodsonhaywood.com WHEN Thursdays, Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Pisgah Brewing Co.; Sundays, Feb. 4 and 11, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 10, at 9 p.m. at Fleetwood’s. Most shows are free

by Lauren Stepp

The

lstepp98@gmail.com

CHOREOGRAPHY OF CHANGE

Sustainability Series

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018

Every week in April

Urban Bush Women dance toward liberation

Where Adult Dreams Come True

FIRE DANCE: The six-member company of New York’s revolutionary troupe Urban Bush Women are first and foremost dancers. But they are also vanguards, using art to catalyze change. “We look at systemic racism in our society and tell the stories that need to be told,” says Chanon Judson, associate artistic director. Pictured, from left, are Courtney Cook, Samantha Speis, Judson, Du’Bois A’Keen, Stephanie Mas and Tendayi Kuumba. Photo by Hayim Heron Racism is not a four-letter word. What is, though? Hair. It’s “scripted into rightness and wrongness, blackness and whiteness, in our society. The closer hair is to whiteness, the better it is, and that notion is echoed everywhere,” says Chanon Judson, associate artistic director of Urban Bush Women. A radical, New York City-based nonprofit dance company, UBW unpacks social inequities onstage, transforming the ecology of performance by calling on the honest, sometimes raw experiences of black women. Onstage Tuesday, Feb. 6, at Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center, UBW’s latest piece, Hair & Other Stories, uses the human mane — a seemingly innocuous subject —

to create conversation about biases, both patent and internalized. “Hair becomes the catalyst for us to talk about systemic racism,” says Judson, who goes on to describe the evening-length production as a series of vignettes. “Very episodic,” she says. “We dance, sing and talk. We jump in time and space.” One scene brings onlookers to a kitchen-turned-salon where four black women — Judson, Amanda Castro, Courtney J. Cook and Tendayi Kuumba — are cutting up. They chat and laugh, exchanging “hair woes” or the trials and tribulations associated with getting their hair done. Cook even enacts what it’s like to get a perm, performing a “fire dance” when the chemicals burn her scalp.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 46

WHAT Hair & Other Stories arts.wcu.edu/ubw WHERE Western Carolina University’s John W. Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center 199 Centennial Drive Cullowhee

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WHEN Tuesday, Feb. 6, 7:30 p.m. $25 general admission/$20 WCU and Southwestern Community College faculty and staff/ $5 WCU and SCC students

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A &E Later, a mother bonds with her son, played by UBW’s sole male dancer, Du’Bois A’Keen, by braiding his hair. He has wild locks and is squirming around, making the whole scene a bit comical. “It reminds me of being a little girl and not sitting still,” says Judson, who developed a relationship with the troupe back in 2001. “Getting your hair done becomes a cultural rite of passage.” But not all moments are so light. The first time Stephanie Mas, the cast’s only white dancer, talks about her family, she reveals an unsettling narrative. In high school, she dyed her naturally blond hair a bright shade of red. Upset that she would disavow her Aryan features, the character’s father refused to speak to her for three months. It’s an extreme situation, of course. But the vignette galvanizes a white woman’s perspective of racism: “She realizes the value of her blondness and skin color,” notes Judson. The scene is uncomfortable, and that’s the point. “There’s tons of humor because we want people to be open and available. When you get people laughing, you quickly build a space of trust,” says Judson. “But onlookers will also be probed and challenged. It’s not an easy piece, and we’re going to struggle inside it together.” In many ways, togetherness drives UBW. At an organizational level, the company is modeled after a matriarchy. Choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar founded the troupe in 1984. Today, two other women — Judson and Samantha Speis — share leadership. “We are woman-driven — we are not looking at a patriarchal structure where there is one leader at the top,” says Judson. But UBW also nurtures innovative, inclusive communities through its programming.

BOLD (Builders, Organizers & Leaders Through Dance), the nonprofit’s outreach arm, facilitates workshops that use nonverbal communication to approach topics like racism, diverse experiences and group dynamics. These team-building opportunities are very much influenced by UBW’s 20-year relationship with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, an international collective that “instructs participants to look at themselves and their community” in addressing social injustice. Partnering with WCU’s Intercultural Affairs Department, UBW will present an interactive dance and leadership program for students on Monday, Feb. 5. Jill Jacobs, marketing manager at the university, expects the event will resonate with Cullowhee’s diverse campus. “Modern dance that explores social awareness — body image, race, gender identity, economic inequities and what constitutes freedom and liberation — is an opportunity not found in Western North Carolina too frequently,” says Jacobs. “We are honored to present arts-based opportunities that highlight social issues.” But it’s evident that UBW wants to do more than point out institutionalized inequities. With more than 30 years to its name, the troupe is out to right wrongs and prevent future trespasses. “We are helping communities realize that racism affects us all. It’s not just people of color,” says Judson. “But we also push the conversation beyond racism. We ask ourselves and our audiences, ‘How can we set the pace for liberation?’” Urban Bush Women’s answer? Dance. X

2018

Wellness Series Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x 320 advertise@mountainx.com 46

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

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Every week thru March 7th

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

WORTH REPEATING A number of people have said that painter Joyce Thornburg’s figures have an alienlike quality “because they’re strange and they’re distorted,” she explains. But the Asheville-based artist doesn’t take those comments as insults. “I like to show character,” she says. “I don’t care about making a pretty face.” What Thornburg — a 10-year tenant of the Wedges Studios — does care deeply about is community, both with her fellow creatives and with the visitors who stop in to browse, meet artists and purchase works. Thornburg’s otherworldly but colorful, textural and engaging pieces have won her not only fans but collectors. “I feel blessed to be able to do what I’ve been doing since childhood,” she says. “I’ve been successful beyond my wildest expectations.” Thornburg and other makers on the Wedge building’s second floor will open their studios and party with the public during a Groundhog Day celebration on Friday, Feb. 2. The mastermind behind the fete is Richard Baker, a landscape artist and recent transplant to the Wedge Studios. But he did host a similar party in Saluda, where he previously had a workspace. “The Wedge is just a perfect environment for it,” he says. “You’ve got such a creative, diverse group of artists. There’s lots of positive energy, and we’re hoping that can positively effect an early spring.” Others participating in the event include artist and philosopher Ken Vallario, mixed-media painter Julie Armbruster, portrait artist Patricia Hargrove, painter Dagmar Bruehmueller, illustrator Zinnia Nishikawa, found-object artist Frances Domingues and painter Perry Houlditch. Like Thornburg, Baker also started making art as a child. He was born in western Tennessee, but because his father was in the military, Baker and his family lived all over this country and abroad. “Europe is beautiful. Central America is beautiful,” he says. “But there’s something so grounding about these mountains — I just love it here.” It’s clear from Baker’s work, with light-infused pieces bearing titles such as “Linville Gorge,” “Catawba Meadow” and

Wedge Studios artists host a Groundhog Day celebration

NO REGRETS: “There have been a few [paintings] that I’ve thought, immediately, ‘This is finished,’” says Wedge Studios artist Joyce Thornburg. With others, if the texture is what appeals to her, “I’ll paint over it. … I’ve done it quite a few times, and it will usually, honestly, be a better painting.” Photo courtesy of Thornburg “Beaverdam Gap,” that his adoptive home of Western North Carolina is a major inspiration. In 2010, Baker started painting professionally. “I wanted to do it all my life, but I had to raise a family and that kind of thing,” he explains. Thornburg, too, delayed her entry into the art world while she focused on a full-time job. During the last five years that she lived in Miami, she began to paint every day, and when she relocated to Asheville 12 years ago, she turned her sun porch into a studio. But it was the move into the Wedge — where she initially shared

her space with two other artists — that Thornburg credits for how her creative career has taken off. “It’s in part being in the public eye,” she says, pointing out that visitors to the River Arts District come from all over the world. The artist’s expressive canvases often begin with a color, but not a specific idea. “Most of the time I don’t know what I’m going to paint when I start painting,” she says. “I will work on multiple pieces at a time. One may be very layered, labor-intensive. Another may be very gestural, and I’ll finish it very quickly. I never seem to stare at a blank canvas for long.”

Sometimes she nails something exactly as she wants it in the underpainting — the first layer of a piece, “But you can’t really work the whole composition that way, and you may have to paint over it,” says Thornburg. “We refer to it as ‘killing your darlings.’” But it’s the process — the building of layers and textures — that most seems to interest the artist, who says she’ll begin to see a picture emerge from the strata “the way you’ll see images in the clouds.” She continues, “The work is also emotional. … If [I] work on it over a period of days or weeks, there are a lot of moods [I’ll] layer into a given piece.” Sometimes the emerging figures in Thornburg’s work come from other realms. Those influences are commemorated by titles such as “Spirit Figures.” (Also a writer, the painter enjoys the process of naming her work.) “I thought of myself as a folk artist when I first started,” she says. “Now I think of myself as more of an intuitive artist.” Thornburg, who is self-taught, says she resonates with the work of Pablo Picasso, neo-expressionist Jean-Michel Basquiat, figurative painter Francis Bacon and outsider artists — the descriptor for creatives who haven’t received training in their genre. But Thornburg herself, at home in her studio and artistic community, is more of an insider. Baker’s upcoming party underscores that inclusive spirit. So what does the landscape artist imagine the Wedge Studios’ inaugural Groundhog Day Celebration will entail? “Crazy people dressed in crazy costumes,” he says. “We’re going to hand out prizes that are really not worth anything and are based purely on favoritism.” He adds, with a laugh, “It will be fun.” X

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WHAT Groundhog Day celebration WHERE Second floor of Wedge Studios 129 Roberts St. wedgestudioartists.com WHEN Friday, Feb. 2, 5-8 p.m.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

by Hayley Benton

hayleyebenton@gmail.com

‘THE STARS ARE ALIGNED’

Wellness Series 2018

Hustle Souls celebrate their debut full-length album

MAKING MOVES: Hustle Souls debut their first full-length album this week. “We think it’s going to be a big step for us — a big leap for us,” says singer and keyboardist Billy Litz. “It’s the first album that captures who we are and what we’re going for.” Photo by Donnie Rex Bishop

Every week thru March 7th! Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x 320 advertise@ mountainx.com 48

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

Teetering between classic, midcentury soul and modern, feel-good rock, Hustle Souls — an Asheville-based powerhouse band — have found their groove among a sizable stack of influences. “It’s definitely influenced by ’60s and ’70s soul music, but it’s not a revival of that music at all,” singer and keyboardist Billy Litz says of the group’s style. “It sounds like its own, new thing. The roots are in [classic] soul, and that’s at its core, but there are definitely outliers that hit a wider range of music, rock, R&B, progressive stuff as well.” Hustle Souls formed about 2 1/2 years ago. After Litz returned from the Peace Corps, he found himself in Asheville. With a group of new friends — who eventually formed the indie-soul outfit — he recorded a five-song EP, with a second released the following year. Hustle Souls will premiere their debut full-length album, Color, on Friday, Feb. 2, at Ellington Underground. Fellow local soul acts Window Cat and Brie Capone open the show, and, in addition to the band’s four core members, the Hustle Souls’ set will feature a full horn section with Derrick Johnson on trombone, Austin Litz on saxophone and Billy Litz on trumpet. “Throughout [the first two] albums, you hear a progression in our music — a change and a development in our sound,” Billy Litz says. “We believe in this album a lot. We think it’s going to be

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a big step for us — a big leap for us. It’s the first album that captures who we are and what we’re going for.” Litz and his bandmates, guitarist Chris Everett, bassist Sean McCann and drummer Tommy Moore, recorded Color at Echo Mountain. While the album came together through the band members’ collective vision, the project was set into rapid motion by gold- and platinum-status mixer and producer Eric “Mixerman” Sarafin. “We wrote the songs over the last year to year and a half, and last February, we did a live video series out in Burnsville at this mountain arts compound — and those videos got in front of Eric Sarafin,” Litz says. “We didn’t have a relationship with him at the time, but he contacted us after seeing the videos, saying that he wanted to work on something with us.” He continues, “We had been talking about doing a full-length album, but we didn’t have anyone to help us with it.” So, with Sarafin’s expert guidance, the team set out to make it happen. One successful Kickstarter campaign and $9,000 later, Hustle Souls were onsite at Echo Mountain, laying down tracks for their debut LP. “We basically just got to lay back, relax and play music — and mess around with all this great, vintage gear,” Litz says. Asheville is blessed to have both the renowned recording studio, Litz says,

and its great community of people. “It’s superhumbling that people believed in what we were doing enough to put some of their energy and hard-earned money into it,” he says of the Kickstarter campaign. “It was just a really nice thing, and we’re not taking it at all for granted. We’re in a really special place, and we’re extremely grateful to have the opportunity to create this album.” As for the record-release show, “We’ll be playing with some of our great friends and some of the best bands in town. ... This is the first three-band Asheville bill that we’re headlining — and also the first time we’re working with horn players,” Litz says. “It’s been a hectic time getting the show together, but the stars are aligned and it’s going to be an awesome time.” X

WHO Hustle Souls with Window Cat and Brie Capone WHERE Ellington Underground 56 Patton Ave. ellingtonunderground.com WHEN Friday, Feb. 2, 9:30 p.m. $10

T H E AT E R R E V I E W by Jeff Messer | upstge@yahoo.com

‘Jeeves Takes a Bow’ at N.C. Stage self in, but can’t help but steer the careening story onto a corrective path. To that end, the show includes a cleverly crafted show tune and a re-enactment of a scene from Naughty Natalie set in the Wild West. X

WHAT Jeeves Takes a Bow WHERE N.C. Stage Company 15 Stage Lane ncstage.org

AT YOUR SERVICE: Everyone’s favorite valet returns. Scott Treadway, left, Maria Buchanan and Michael MacCauley star in Jeeves Takes a Bow at N.C. Stage Company. Photo by Treadshots In what has become an annual tradition, incorrigible ne’er-do-well Bertie Wooster and his ever-so-patient valet Jeeves return to North Carolina Stage Company to delight audiences with their misadventures. The third such production in as many years, Jeeves Takes a Bow, runs through Sunday, Feb. 18. Margaret Raether’s adaptations of the classic P.G. Wodehouse characters have become audience favorites and solid hit shows for N.C. Stage. Some of the area’s top talents help propel the productions into a cascade of laughs. Michael MacCauley returns as Jeeves, the droll butler who always saves the day. MacCauley is a stellar performer with a broad range. The Jeeves character requires a constant calm amid the storm of chaos, barely raising an eyebrow, let alone his voice. The storm comes in the form of Bertie Wooster, played by Scott Treadway with a panache that would do Noel Coward proud. Bertie is a perpetual playboy with more money than sense, who constantly needs bailing out by Jeeves. The duo of MacCauley and Treadway alone are worth the price of admission. In this installment, Bertie has come to New York to dodge familial obligations back in England. His desire to get away from it all comes crashing down when his friend Nigel Bingham-Binkersteth, aka Binky, arrives with a madcap plan to win the heart of the actress Ruby LeRoy.

WHEN Through Sunday, Feb. 18. Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., and Saturdays, Feb. 10 and 17, at 2 p.m. $19-45

Binky came to America to be a diplomat in Washington. Instead, he followed Ruby into an audition, got a bit part and has been smitten with her ever since. To prevent his family from finding out, he has told everyone that he is Bertie Wooster. Bertie’s arrival has created a kink in his plans. Binky tells Ruby that Jeeves and Bertie are show-tune writers who will help make her a star. Charlie FlynnMcIver is wonderfully giddy as the buffoonish Binky. Maria Buchanan shines as the starlet Ruby, leaning perfectly into the mob moll persona. John Hall’s “Knuckles” McCann arrives on the scene as the mobster who is funding Ruby’s show, a musical called Naughty Natalie, and is overly protective of her. A final wrinkle is added when Viviene Duckworth arrives from England, pledges that she is to marry Bertie and sets off to write a book about the seedy underbelly of New York. Lauren Fortuna inhabits the dowdy Duckworth with a nebbish nerdiness that is endearing to watch. Her transformation at the influence of the new world she discovers, thanks to McCann, is great fun to watch. As the physical comedy ramps up with each new twist of the plot, director Angie Flynn-McIver gives the cast a workout. Jeeves endeavors to not provide his typical help in resolving the messes Bertie finds himMOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

SMART BETS

A&E

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

A Contemporary Response to Our Changing Environment

Keys N Krates

In an effort to examine climate change through artists’ perspectives, Pink Dog Gallery hosts A Contemporary Response to Our Changing Environment, a group exhibition of Pink Dog Creative artists, curated by Joseph Pearson. Moving beyond the gallery’s walls, the artists are also being granted the opportunity to share their interpretations with scientists and business leaders who will be attending Climate Con, North Carolina’s first conference on the business of climate. The second associated exhibition will be on display March 19-23 at The Collider, but the initial show’s opening reception takes place Saturday, Feb. 3, 5-8 p.m. at Pink Dog. The exhibition will run through March 31, Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Free to attend. pinkdog-creative.com. Pictured, “Polluted Health” by Joseph Pearson

Building on their early days as a live hip-hop band, Toronto-based electronic music trio Keys N Krates blend that genre with house and U.K. bass music to get listeners moving. Additional influences appear to be working their way into the work of turntablist Jr Flo, keyboard player David Matisse and drummer Adam Tune as well. As evinced by the late 2017 single “Glitter,” a collaboration with up-and-coming New Orleans vocalist Ambré, the group’s forthcoming album Cura promises a greater incorporation of R&B into their evolving dance sound. Keys N Krates bring their acclaimed live show to The Orange Peel on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 9 p.m. Los Angeles producer Falcons and New York City’s DJ Jubilee open. $22 advance/$25 day of show. theorangepeel.net. Photo courtesy of the band

Jazzville

Dorje Dolma As a child in the 1980s, Dorje Dolma’s life in the Upper Dolpo region of Nepal was one defined by immense natural beauty and rugged survival. Near the country’s border with Tibet, she and her large family made do without the conveniences of running water, electricity and modern medicine. Dolma reflects on these experiences in her new memoir, Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal. The text centers on her first 10 years, which took her from her primitive village to the bustling city of Kathmandu and on to the United States, where she received lifesaving surgery and a new home. Dolma will read from her work at Malaprop’s on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. Free to attend. malaprops.com. Author photo courtesy of Dolma

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

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While football fans hunker down for Super Bowl pregame hype and the kickoff for the game itself on Sunday, Feb. 4, area jazz fans will settle in for alternative programming at Isis Music Hall. Miles from the bombast of Justin Timberlake’s halftime show, Jazzville is led by vocalist Bronwyn Cronin and backed by the revered local ensemble of Zack Page (upright bass), Patrick Boland (piano) and Bill Berg (drums). Its repertoire consists of jazz standards and melodies from the Great American Songbook, including “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Nature Boy” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” The quartet’s performance will feature selections from its forthcoming album, Blue Skies, which was recorded at Asheville’s Seclusion Hill Studios. The show begins at 5:30 p.m. $12. isisasheville.com. Photo by M. Geiger

A& E CA LEN DA R

by Abigail Griffin

EPHRON THEATER: Now in its 53nd season as Hendersonville’s only all-volunteer community theater, Hendersonville Community Theatre opens its 2018 offerings on Friday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. with Love, Loss & What I Wore. The off-Broadway hit is written by sisters Nora and Delia Ephron of You’ve Got Mail and Mixed Nuts screenplay fame. The intimate collection of monologues uses a motif of clothes triggering women’s memories of motherhood, prom dresses, buying bras and other relatable topics in a humorous, humane manner. The show features six actresses playing 32 different characters and runs Fridays-Sundays until Feb. 11. Tickets are $16. Photo of, from left, Jeanne O’Conner, Aoife Clancy, Carrie Kimzey, Beth Norris, Charlene Spinks and Jennifer Memolo by Daniel Dyer (p. 53) ART ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • FR (2/2) or FR (2/9), 2-5pm - Pottery class for veterans living in Buncombe County. Registration required: ashevillearts.com. Free. Held at Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Road • MONDAYS until (3/26), 2-5pm - Weaving class for veterans. Registration required. Free. Held at Local Cloth, 207 Coxe Ave. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 828-859-8323 • TH (2/8), noon1pm - Crafts & Conversation: “World Renowned Arts & Crafts Centers of Mexico,” presentation by Debbie Mounts. Bring your own lunch. Free to attend.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS CALDWELL ARTS COUNCIL 601 College Ave SW, Lenoir, 828-754-2486 • Through WE (1/31) - Portfolios accepted

for 2019 exhibition opportunities. Information: caldwellarts. com/157-guidelines/. CAROLINA CONCERT CHOIR 607-351-2585, carolinaconcertchoir. org, ldoebler@ithaca. edu • Through WE (1/31) - Open auditions. Information and registration: 607-3512585. MUSIC VIDEO ASHEVILLE 828-515-1081, musicvideoavl.com • Through TH (3/15) - Submissions accepted for the 11th annual music video competition. See website for submission guidelines. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY & DESIGN 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign. org, info@ craftcreativitydesign. org • Through TH (3/15) - Applications accepted for a materials-based research grant. Contact for full guidelines. THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-279-4155 • SA (2/3), 11am2:30pm & SU (2/4), 3-7pm - Open auditions for the 2018 mainstage season.

DANCE DO YOU WANT TO DANCE? (PD.) Ballroom • Swing • Waltz • Latin • Wedding • Two-Step • Special Events. Lessons, Workshops, Classes and Dance Events in Asheville. Certified instructor. Contact Richard for information: 828-333-0715. naturalrichard@ mac.com • www. DanceForLife.net EXPERIENCE ECSTATIC DANCE! (PD.) Dance waves hosted by Asheville Movement Collective. Fun and personal/community transformation. • Fridays, 7pm, Terpsicorps Studios, 1501 Patton Avenue. • Sundays, 8:30am and 10:30am, JCC, 236 Charlotte Street. Sliding scale fee. Information: ashevillemovement collective.org STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Bootcamp 12pm Barre Wkt 5pm Teen Dance Fitness & Technique 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm

Bellydance Drills 7pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Tribal Bellydance Level 1 8pm Tribal Bellydance Level 2 8pm Raks Azure Pro Bellydance Troupe • Tuesday 8am Bootcamp 9am Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Creating a Solo • Wednesday 10am Hip Hop 12pm Bootcamp 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bhangra Series 7pm Irish Dance 8pm Modern • Thursday 8am Bootcamp 9am Hip Hop Wkt 3:15pm Kids Hip Hop and Creative Movement 4pm Kids Hip Hop and Creative Movement 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm On Broadway! 7pm Stiletto Sculpt Dance 8pm West Coast Swing • Friday 8am Bootcamp 12pm Bootcamp • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt 1pm Hip Hop • $14 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $8. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www. studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595 ASHEVILLE BUTOH FESTIVAL ashevillebutoh.com • MONDAYS, 6:308:30pm - "Aspects of Butoh," butoh dance practice with the Asheville Butoh Collective. $15-$20. Held at 7 Chicken Alley

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

A&E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

ODE TO OUR ENVIRONMENT Submissions are being accepted for the 2018 Xpress poetry contest

A &E CA LEN DA R FRAME + FORM SCREEN DANCE FESTIVAL blackmountaincollege. org • FR (2/2), 7:30pm - Festival featuring curated film screenings of experimental dance films from around the world. $10. Held at Revolve, 122 Riverside Drive HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS 174 Broadway, habitatbrewing.com • 1st MONDAYS, 7-8:30pm - "Salsa Dancing for the Soul," open levels salsa dance. Free to attend. SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB 828-697-7732, southernlights.org • SA (2/3), 6pm "Soup 'R' Bowl" themed dance. Advanced dance at 6pm. Early rounds at 7pm. Plus squares and rounds at 7:30pm. Bring a can of soup to donate to a local food bank. Free. Held at Whitmire Activity Center, 310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu. edu • TU (2/6), 7:30pm Hair & Other Stories, Urban Bush Women dance, music and song performance. $25/$5 students. Held at The WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Drive

MUSIC

THE WRITE STUFF: Poets are asked to submit work around the themes of sustainability, environmental awareness and/or reverence for nature. Photo by Alli Marshall Xpress announces a 2018 poetry contest in celebration of National Poetry Month and our four-issue Sustainability series in April. Poets are asked to submit work around the themes of sustainability, environmental awareness and/or reverence for nature. Poems should be set in or in some way refer to Western North Carolina’s environs. Poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font and must be previously unpublished. Submissions will be accepted throughout February. The contest will close at midnight on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Email the poem in the body of the message or as a Doc attachment to ae@ mountainx.com. The subject line should read “Xpress poetry contest.” Include 52

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

the author’s full name and contact information. Only one submission is allowed per person. This is no cost to enter. Three winning poems will be determined by final judge Caleb Beissert. A poet, translator, musician and freelance writer, Beissert is a member of the experimental performance troupe Poetry Cabaret. He co-hosts and coproduces the Asheville Poetry Series. His book, Beautiful: Translations from the Spanish, adaptations of the poetry of Pablo Neruda and Federico García Lorca, was published by New Native Press in 2013. Winners of the Xpress poetry contest will be published online, and at least one winning poem will be published in print in our April 18 Earth Day issue. X

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BLUE RIDGE SYMPHONIC BRASS goo.gl/ViBVHP • FR (2/2), 7pm - Brass and organ music concert. Free. Held at Brevard First United Methodist Church, 325 N. Broad St., Brevard BREVARD MUSIC CENTER 828-862-2105, brevardmusic.org • MO (2/5), 12:30pm First Monday concert with tubist Aubrey Foard and pianist David Gilliland. Free. Held at Brevard College, Porter Center, 1 Brevard College Drive, Brevard FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE DOWNTOWN 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • SA (2/3), 2pm Proceeds from "The French Connection," french classical music

by Abigail Griffin

concert with pianist Christopher Tavernier and Hendersonville Symphony clarinetist Matthew Hanna benefit the Music Foundation of WNC and the Henderson County Hunger Coalition. Tickets: thefrenchconnection. rocks. $30. HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • TH (2/8), 2-3:30pm - "Side by Side Singing," community singing in a relaxed atmosphere for those with memory loss, Parkinson's Disease or are interested in singing as a way to promote healthy aging. Free. MUSIC AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • SA (2/3), 4pm - 70th annual Choral Festival concert featuring high school students from across the southeast. Free. Held in Moore Auditorium at Mars Hill University, 265 Cascade St., Mars Hill • SU (2/4), 3pm Faculty piano recital featuring Dr. Koeun Grace Lee. Free. Held in Broyhill Chapel at Mars Hill University, 265 Cascade St., Mars Hill MUSIC AT UNCA 828-251-6432, unca.edu • TH (2/8), 9:5511:10am - Master class with Pedrito Martinez, latin/jazz musician. Free. Held in room 118 Held at Lipinsky Auditorium at UNC Asheville, 300 Library Lane • TH (2/8), 7pm Pedrito Martinez, latin/jazz concert. $15/$5 students. Held at Lipinsky Auditorium at UNC Asheville, 300 Library Lane MUSIC AT WCU 828-227-7129 • TH (2/1), 7pm - Old-Time and Bluegrass Series: Keith Shuler, singer/ songwriter concert. Jam session at 8pm. Free. Held in the H.F. Robinson Administration Building ST. JOHN IN THE WILDERNESS 1905 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, 828-693-9783 • SU (2/4), 3pm Concert celebrating the completion of the parish hall and the donation of a grand piano. Concert includes works from Mozart, My Fair Lady and members of

the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra and professional singers. Free. TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 828-859-8322, tryonarts.org • SA (2/3), 8pm Main Stage Series: Shana Tucker, jazz/ soul concert. $35$40/$17 students.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD WRITING WORKSHOPS HOSTED BY TWWOA (PD.) • Fiction with Mildred Barya (February 10) • Writing Non-Fiction Articles with Charli Kerns (February 24), • Revising Your Work for Publication with Karen Ackerson (March 10). All workshops are $75; details and registration at www.twwoa.org 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 Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101 BLUE RIDGE BOOKS 428 Hazelwood Ave., Waynesville • 1st & 3rd SATURDAYS, 10am Banned Book Club. Free to attend. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty. org/governing/depts/ library • FR (2/2), 10am Reading Group: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • WE (2/6), 7pm Book discussion: The Human Stain, by Philip Roth. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • WE (2/7), 3pm Book discussion: The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 828-255-8115 • First SUNDAYS, 5pm - Political prisoners letter writing. Free to attend.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library. hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club. Free. • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers' Guild. Free. HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-697-4725 • TU (2/6), 4pm - The Ammons Sisters, mountain storytelling event. Free. MADSTONE CAFE & CATCHING LIGHT BOOKS 732 Centennial Drive, Suite 5, Cullowhee • TH (2/1), 5pm Elizabeth Gillespie McRae and Robert Ferguson present their books, Mothers of Massive Resistance: White Women and the Politics of White Supremacy and Remaking the Rural South: Interracialism, Christian Socialism, and Cooperative Farming in Jim Crow Mississippi. Free to attend. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (1/31), 6pm - Diane Cantor presents her book, When Nighttime Shadows Fall. Free to attend. • SA (2/3), 6pm Christina Baker presents her books, The Orphan Train and A Piece of the World, in conversation with Wiley Cash. Free to attend. • SU (2/4), 3pm POETRIO: Poetry readings by local poets, Kelly Lenox, Laurie Wilcox-Meyer and Travis Smith. Free to attend. • TU (2/6), 6pm - Dale Mulfinger presents his book, The Family Cabin: Inspiration for Camps, Cottages, and Cabins and Tom Barrie presents his book, House and Home: Cultural Contexts, Ontological Roles. Free to attend. • WE (2/7), 6pm - Dorje Dolma presents her book, Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal. Free to attend. NEW DIMENSIONS TOASTMASTERS 828-329-4190 • THURSDAYS, noon-1pm - General meeting. Information: 828-329-4190. Free

GALLERY DIRECTORY ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through FR (2/23) - Exhibition of works by David Shurbutt. Held at UNC Asheville - Owen Hall, 1 University Heights • Through FR (2/23) Drawing Discourse, ninth annual juried international exhibition of contemporary drawing. Held at UNC Asheville - Owen Hall, 1 University Heights ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/16) Instant, group exhibition curated by Francesca Downing. Reception: Friday, Feb. 2, 5-8pm. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 175 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, 828-253-3227 • Through SU (3/4) Exhibition featuring selections from the 2018 WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition. ASHEVILLE BOOKWORKS 428 1/2 Haywood Road, 828-255-8444, ashevillebookworks.com • Through SA (3/31) Drawing Ten Thousand Things, exhibition of drawings by Gwen Diehn.

to attend. Held at Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, 33 Meadow Road THE WRITER'S WORKSHOP 387 Beaucatcher Road, 828-254-8111, twwoa.org • Through WE (2/28) - Submissions accepted for the 29th Annual Writer's Workshop Poetry Contest. Contact for full guidelines. • Through TH (5/31) - Submissions accepted for the Hard Times Writing Contest. See website for full details. $25 for up to three entries. THOMAS WOLFE MEMORIAL 52 North Market St., 828-253-8304, wolfememorial.com • TH (2/8), 5:30-7pm - Short story discussion of The Hollow Men led by Brandon Johnson. Free.

BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through SA (5/19) Variations/Seven Decades of Painting, exhibition of works by Gerald van de Wiele. GRATEFUL STEPS 30 Ben Lippen School Road, Suite 107, 828-2770998, gratefulsteps.org • TH (2/1) through WE (2/28) - Exhibition of photography by Cindy Kunst. Reception: Thursday, Feb. 8, 6-8pm. MOMENTUM GALLERY 24 North Lexington Ave. • Through WE (1/31) Exhibition of Japanese woodblock prints by Andy Farkas. • Through WE (1/31) Small Works, Big Impact, curated group exhibition featuring paintings, original prints and sculptural works.

Pearson. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 3, 5-8pm. PUSH SKATE SHOP & GALLERY 25 Patton Ave., 828-2255509, pushtoyproject.com • Through WE (1/31) - Culture War: The Art of Yamabushi and Granpappy, featuring Super Mega Collage and multimedia works. Opening reception: Friday, Jan. 12, 7-10 p.m., with music by Dr. HoTron. THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 828-254-6345, ashevilleschool.org • Through TU (3/13) - Marking a Movement: Selections From Hear Our Voice, an exhibition of posters by contemporary artists.

NUMBER 7 ARTS Transylvania County Courthouse, 12 E Main St, Brevard, 828-883-2294, number7arts.com • Through WE (2/28) - New Beginnings, group exhibition.

THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY AND DESIGN 67 Broadway, 828-785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org/ • FR (1/19) through SA (7/28) - Scale Up: 10 Years, 10 Fellows, 10 Projects, curated exhibition of ten craft artists who received $10,000 grants. Reception: Friday, Jan. 19, 5-8pm.

PINK DOG CREATIVE 348 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • SA (2/3) through SA (3/31) - A Contemporary Response to Our Changing Environment, group exhibition curated by Joseph

TRACKSIDE STUDIOS 375 Depot St., 828-545-6235 • Through WE (2/28) - New Artists - Fresh Visions”, group exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 10, 4-7pm.

THEATER 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 828-254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (2/2) until (2/18) - Skylight. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $15. DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 18 Biltmore Ave., 828-257-4530, dwtheatre.com • FR (2/2), 8pm Aquila Theatre presents Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. $40/$35 student/$20 children. • SA (2/3), 8pm - Aquila Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. $40/$35 student/$20 children. DIFFERENT STROKES PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE 828-275-2093, differentstrokespac.org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (2/8) until (2/24), 7:30pm - Alabama Story, two-act

play by Kenneth Jones. $18. Held at BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 828-692-1082, hendersonville littletheater.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (2/2) until (2/11) - Love, Loss and What I Wore. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $16. J.E. BROYHILL CIVIC CENTER 1913 Hickory Blvd SE. Lenior, broyhillcenter.com • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (2/8) until (2/10) - The Diary of Anne Frank, presented by Foothills Performing Arts. Thurs.-Sat.: 7pm. Sat.: 2pm. $14/$12 students/$7.50 children. MAGNETIC 375 375 Depot St., themagnetictheatre. org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through FR (2/2) - Faces of Freedom, group exhibition. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 828-859-8323 • FR (2/2) through FR (3/16) - Red-Carpet Artist of the Year, group exhibition. Opening reception and awards: Friday, Feb. 2, 6-8:30pm.

The

Sustainability

Series CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018

Each week in April

UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, 828-859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • Through FR (3/9) - Capturing Light: Photographs by Brian S. Kelley, exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 24, 5-7pm. • Through SA (2/10) Have a Heart for Big Brothers, Big Sisters, group exhibition and auction. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 10, 4:30-6pm. • Through FR (3/9) - R. Olof Sorensen: Paintings and Engravings, exhibition. WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234 • TH (2/1) through MO (2/26) - Seconds Sale, exhibition of imperfect works from local artists. Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

(2/1) until (2/17) - Night Music, by David Brendan Hope and directed by Christine Eide. $16. NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (2/18) - Jeeves Takes a Bow. Wed.Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $18 and up. THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu. edu • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (2/8) until (2/11) - J.B., play written by Archibald Macleish performed by students. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 3pm. $20/$15 students. Held at Western Carolina University Hoey Auditorium, 176 Central Drive, Cullowhee

MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

CLUBLAND

Ton of Hay - Dead Tribute Band Friday, 2/2 & 2/16 • 9:30am

¡SALSA SATURDAY! Every Saturday 8pm - 2am

39 S. Market St. • theblockoffbiltmore.com

Featuring Largest Selection of Craft Beer on Tap 8 Wines

TUE: Free Pool and Bar Games WED: Music Bingo FRI & SAT 5 -9pm: Handmade Pizzas from Punk Rock Pies 2 Hendersonville Road P o u r Ta p R o o m . c o m Tue - Thu 4pm-10pm • Fri & Sat 2pm-11pm

CREATURE FEATURE: Guitar/banjo/mandolin virtuoso “John 5” Lowery has a career as eclectic as his musical style. In addition to playing with Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, John 5 has also moonlighted on tracks by everyone from Rod Stewart and Avril Lavigne to k.d. lang and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Lauded by fellow rocker Slash as “one of the most mind-blowing guitarists around” John 5 and his band, The Creatures, is bringing his scintillating riffs and warped sense of humor to the Orange Peel on Monday, Feb. 5 for a 8 p.m. show. Photo courtesy of event promoters WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & Friends, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Cajun Dance Party & The Running of the Winos , 8:30PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ Saylor Bros (bluegrass), 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Traveling Ones w/ Matt Hires, 7:00PM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Open Jam Session, 5:00PM MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ El Mexicano Isaac, 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Hardcore/Punk/Oi Records w/ DJ Jimbo Rosario, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM ORANGE PEEL In This Moment w/ P.O.D., New Years Day & DED [SOLD OUT], 6:30PM POLANCO RESTAURANT 3 Cool Cats, 8:00PM POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Mountain Valley Acoustic Jam, 6:30PM

SLY GROG LOUNGE Get Weird Wednesdays, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Phantom Pantone, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio , 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Bingo Night w/ Bag O' Tricks, 7:00PM THE PHOENIX & THE FOX Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 7:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night , 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night w/ Roberta Baum & friends, 7:30PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE The Resonant Rogues , 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM

THE SOUTHERN Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Consider the Source w/ Opposite Box, 10:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE Weasel Beats & XII Olympians , 8:00PM

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

TOWN PUMP Adi The Monk (jazz, blues), 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Erin Kinard, 7:00PM

WED THU

10 1 BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Pistol Hill, 6:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capellas on 9 w/ Lincoln McDonald, 8:00PM CASCADE LOUNGE DJ Oso Rey, 9:30PM CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (ragtime jazz), 9:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Up Jumped Three (jazz trio), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN The Cleverlys, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Roots & friends open jam (blues, rock, roots), 6:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Missy Raines & the New Hip, 7:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Clydes pre-jam, 7:00PM Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 9:00PM LAZOOM ROOM Talk About Funny w/ Jason Scholder & friends, 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM The Reality w/ Holey Miss Moley (funk, rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Sarah Tucker (singersongwriter), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Keys N Krates w/ Falcons & Jubilee, 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Letters to Abigail (Americana), 6:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Asheville Rock Collective, 6:30PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE The Get Right Band, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Ben Phan, 7:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Tombstone Highway, The aisles of Jane Doe, ÆsoterraFebruary Ferocity , 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Community Roots (organizing meeting), 5:30PM Asheville Buskers' Night, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings , 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Jens Lekman w/ Peter Oren, 9:30PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 9:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ unplugged w/ Stevie Lee Combs, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 185 KING STREET Empire Strikes Brass, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Eleanor & Friends (Americana, soul), 9:00PM

FRI

THE CLEVERLYS AMY BLACK PRESENTS

THE MUSIC OF MEMPHIS & MUSCLE SHOALS

SAT

WILLIE WATSON

TUE

BOB MARLEY BIRTHDAY BASH W/ CHALWA

THU

JAY FARRAR DUO (SON VOLT)

3 6 8

FRI

JBOT (FT. MARCUS KING & ALEX BRADLEY) + THE CHRIS COOPER PROJECT

SAT

THE WHITE BUFFALO

10 SUN

W/ ANNA TIVEL

WED

14 THU

W/ ANDREW DUPLANTIS

W/ ANDREA DAVIDSON

WHY?

W/ OPEN MIKE EAGLE

ELIZABETH COOK

W/ DARRIN BRADBURY

SCOTT H. BIRAM

W/ THE HOOTEN HALLERS, DRUNKEN PRAYER

Asheville’s longest running live music venue • 185 Clingman Ave TICKETS AVAILABLE AT HARVEST RECORDS & THEGREYEAGLE.COM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Vince Junior Band (soulful blues), 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Psymbionic & The Widdler w/ illanthropy & Crash Course, 10:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Vinyl Dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke, 8:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Dread Ahead!, 7:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Billingsley, 7:00PM

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT NO COVER CHARGE! MONDAY

65¢ WINGS!

TUESDAY

FRIDAY

FEBRUARY 2

SUPER 60'S BAND 9PM - 12AM

MOUNTAIN SHAG

SATURDAY

WEDNESDAY

LEAGUE OF FOOLS 9PM - 12AM

KARAOKE (8PM)

THIRSTY THURSDAY ALL DRAFTS $3

FEBRUARY 3

SUNDAY NFL

FULL MENU — 15 TAPS OPEN WEEKDAYS 4 PM OPEN FOR LUNCH, FRI-SUN NOON Located Next to Clarion Inn — 550 Airport Road Fletcher — 550tavern.com — www.facebook.com/550TavernGrille

THIS WEEK AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

THIS WEEK AT THE ONE STOP:

THU 2/1 FRI 2/2 SAT 2/3 SAT 2/3

DO CA$

NA H TIO

N$ The Reality w/ Holey Miss Moley - [Funk/Rock] Dr. Slothclaw - [Funk] Uncle Kurtis, Over the Edge + 7 & a Half Giraffe [All Ages] Swimmer - [Prog Fusion]

UPCOMING SHOWS - ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL:

2/9

CONSIDER THE SOURCE W/ OPPOSITE BOX

PSYMBIONIC + THE WIDDLER, illanthropy

W/ DEFUNK, BOMBASSIC & CAPTAIN EZ

THE FUNK HUNTERS

THU 2/1 - SHOW 9pm (DOORS 8pm) TICKETS adv. $10

FRI 2/2 - SHOW 10pm (DOORS 9pm) TICKETS adv. $12

SAT 2/3 - SHOW 9pm (DOORS 9pm) TICKETS adv. $13

Winter OnesieLand ft. Medisin, Raga Sutra, Ponder. & Starspinner 2/10 The Get Right Band Live Album Recording 2/12 Mr. Talkbox & Cory Wong 2/16 & 2/17 Umphrey’s McGee Official Afterparty w/ Mungion

Tickets available at ashevillemusichall.com @avlmusichall MOUNTAINX.COM

@OneStopAVL JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

CLU B LA N D

2/1

thu

CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capella on 9 w/ Captain EZ, 9:00PM

jens lekman

CORK & KEG Jesse Barry (soulful blues), 8:30PM

w/ peter oren

2/2 fri

2/3

sat

CROW & QUILL Vendetta Creme (cabaret), 9:00PM

the wham, bam puppet slam! alex brown

w/ a synth duo from jake pugh & andy loebs, mj lenderman

COMING SOON wed 1/31

7PM–THE TRAVELING ONES W/ MATT HIRES thu 2/1

7PM–MISSY RAINES & THE NEW HIP Fri 2/2

2/5

mon

white james

free!

w/ mr. mange, styrofoam turtles

7PM–BOB SINCLAIR AND THE BIG DEALS

9PM–DAVID MAYFIELD W/ THE MAGGIE VALLEY BAND’S ALBUM RELEASE sat 2/3

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tuesdays and Thursdays- 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

7PM–BLUE CACTUS

9PM–AN EVENING OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD

W/ THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND sun 2/4

5:30PM–WELCOME TO JAZZVILLE

tue 2/6 7:30PM–TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 2/7

7PM–LOVE IS A ROSE ACOUSTIC: CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF LINDA RONSTADT 8:30PM–AN EVENING OF DINNER & DANCING WITH NASHVILLE’S MOONSHINE RHYTHM CLUB thu 2/8

7PM–HOO:LUMES WITH THE DUPONT BROTHERS 8:30PM–BREW DAVIS CD RELEASE PARTY fri 2/9

7PM–JON SHAIN AND FJ VENTRE sat 2/10

7PM–PARKET GISPERT

Please contact Able Allen at aallen@mountainx.com

9PM- EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

TUES-SUN 5PM-until 743 HAYWOOD RD 828-575-2737

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

MOUNTAINX.COM

ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND Hustle Souls (album release party), 9:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Community Center (orchestral, indie rock), 6:00PM FUNKATORIUM Shannon Hoover, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN The Music of Memphis & Muscle Shoals w/ Amy Black, 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS First Friday Square Dance, 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Ben Sparaco (Americana, rock, soul), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Bob Sinclair & The Big Deals (old-time, swing), 7:00PM David Mayfield w/ The Maggie Valley Band (album release), 9:00PM JARGON Mike Holstein & Will Beasley (jazz), 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Steve Karla (Gypsy jazz), 6:30PM NOBLE KAVA The Build, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Delicious w/ Joe Buck Yourself & Sawzaw, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM Dr. Southclaw (funk), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING The Freeway Revival (roots, rock 'n' roll, funk), 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY One Leg Up (bluegrass, jazz), 6:00PM PULP Partyman's Showcase w/ Ye & DJ Migo, 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ O’Celate (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Bayou Diesel, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Todd Hoke, 4:00PM Dan Staton & Dan Ihle, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Winter Meltdown w/ Binding Isaac, Chaos Among Cattle, Built On The Ruins & Broad River Nightmare, 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Ton Of Hay (Grateful Dead tribute), 9:30PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ sets, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT The Wham Bam Puppet Slam! (puppetry), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Lenny Pettinelli (live music), 7:30PM Westsound (soul, motown), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Mama Danger (folk, bluegrass, newgrass), 8:00PM VIRGOLA Adi The Monk (jazz, blues), 6:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN David Childers & The Serpent Trio w/ Morgan Geer, 8:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ electric w/ DJ Malinalli, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Drayton & The Dreamboats (vintage jazz), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Funk Hunters w/ Defunk (bass, future funk), 10:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Aaron Woody Wood (Americana), 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Rosé Cider launch party w/ Daniel Sage, 12:00PM

CHESTNUT Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM CORK & KEG The Barsters (bluegrass, old-time), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL House Hoppers (swing jazz), 9:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND Porch 40 & Of Good Nature w/ Little Stranger, 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Paul Cataldo (roots, folk), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Pentley Holmes, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Willie Watson w/ Anna Tivel, 9:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Saturday Improv Texas Takeover!, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY The Peter Karp Band (folk, blues), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Blue Cactus (alt. country, Americana, honkytonk), 7:00PM An evening of Lynyrd Skynyrd w/ The Artimus Pyle Band, 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM MG ROAD Late Night Dance Party w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Andrew Thelston Band, 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Amanda Anne Platt, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Pets, 10:00AM Modern Strangers, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Pleasure to Burn w/ Swamprot, 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Latin Rhythms & Saturday Salsa Dance Night, 8:00PM THE CONUNDRUM Gypsy Grass w/ Miss Cindy, 6:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Alex Brown w/ A Synth Duo from Jake Pugh & Andy Loebs and MJ Lenderman, 9:30PM THE SOUTHERN Mark Chalifoux (comedy), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Josh Singleton & Patrick Dodd (blues, country), 7:30PM Sister Ivy featuring Rachel Waterhouse (progressive soul), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY The Junk Drawer , 8:30PM VIRGOLA Jason Hazinski (jazz, blues), 6:00PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Onesie Bar Crawl, 2:00PM

WHISTLE HOP BREWING CO. Chicken Coop Willaye (Appalachian percussion), 4:00PM

NOBLE KAVA Kavalactones, 9:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Sam Anderson w/ Karma Mechanics & Wintervals , 8:00PM

ODDITORIUM Party Foul: A Tasteful Queer Troupe (drag), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Uncle Kurtis w/ Over The Edge & 7 And A Half Giraffe (psychpunk), 5:00PM Swimmer (prog fusion), 10:00PM ORANGE PEEL Yacht Rock Revue, 9:00PM

CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capella on 9 w/ Naked Scholar, 9:00PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Josh Carter (bluegrass), 6:00PM

CASCADE LOUNGE Asheville Mardi Gras King's Court Party, 8:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN A Social Functions (rock, pop, hits), 9:30PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ live w/ Steve Weems Mardi Gras Kings, 8:00PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 185 KING STREET Annual Super Bowl Pig Roast, 12:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pam Jones Trio (jazz), 7:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues w/ Patrick Dodd, Ashley Heath & Joshua Singleton, 3:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Musicians Jam & Pot Luck, 3:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Chris Jamison, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Paul & Ieva Cataldo, 3:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic (5 p.m. sign-up), 5:30PM FUNKATORIUM Gypsy Jazz Sunday Brunch, 11:00AM GOOD STUFF Open Mic w/ Fox Black & friends, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Welcome to Jazzville w/ Bronwyn Cronin, 5:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Celtic Jam, 3:00PM JARGON Sunday Blunch w/ Mark Guest & Mary Pearson (jazz), 11:00AM LOBSTER TRAP Phil Alley, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM 80s/90s Dance Party w/ DJ Baby Bear , 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass Brunch, 10:30AM ORANGE PEEL Waltz Night, 6:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Brewers Breakfast w/ Chalwa, 11:00AM SLY GROG LOUNGE Sly Grog Open Mic, 7:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Black History Month Art Opening w/ Noël Jefferson & Joseph Pearson, 4:00PM THE FAIRVIEW TAVERN Hallelujah Hilliary's Comedy Revival, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ sets, 9:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (pop, rock, jazz, blues), 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Wonky Tonk, 7:30PM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5 185 KING STREET Open Mic Night, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Sound Club (R&B, soul, jazz), 8:00PM ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam, 6:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Mondays, 7:30PM GOOD STUFF Bingo Wingo Thingo, 6:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Bailamos! (free salsa dancing), 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Game Night, 4:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM Open mic, 9:30PM LOBSTER TRAP Dave Desmelik, 6:30PM MG ROAD The Living Room Series, 7:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Karaoke From Muskogee w/ Jonathan Ammons & Take The Wheel (live band karaoke), 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL John 5 & The Creatures, 8:00PM

TAVERN Open daily from 4p – 12a

Social House Martini Mondays $8 Craft Wednesdays- $6 Feature Craft Cocktail Bite the Bulleit Friday- $5 shots of smoked Bulleit Bourbon

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Murder Ballad Monday, 7:00PM

THURSDAY 1 FEB:

SLY GROG LOUNGE Sam Hadfield , 8:00PM

FRIDAY 2 FEB:

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Café Mortal Open Mic Night: Griefwalker (film screening), 7:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT White James w/ Mr. Mange & Styrofoam Turtles, 9:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (pop, rock, jazz, blues), 7:00PM

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

15 TV’s!

DAVID EARL SOLO

FRI. 2/2 DJ O’Celate

7:00PM – 10:00PM

(dance hits, pop)

3 COOL CATS

7:00PM – 10:00PM

SATURDAY 3 FEB:

SAT. 2/3 A Social Function

DJ OSO REY

(rock, pop, hits)

8:00PM – 11:00PM

MONDAY 5 FEB:

FOOTB ALL RGERS, PIZZA &, BUEER! B

ANDREW THELSTON 7:00PM – 10:00PM

309 COLLEGE ST. | DOWNTOWN | (828) 575-1188

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20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

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C L UB L AND TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Ryan Barber's RnB Jam Night (r&b, jam), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jay Brown w/ Woody Wood & The Everydays, 7:00PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Ben's Live Hip Hop Cypher, 9:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Old Time Moderate Jam, 5:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Groovy Tuesdays (smooth world vinyl), 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Bob Marley Birthday Bash w/ Chalwa & special guests, 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Pints & Professors, 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ the Darren Nicholson Band, 7:30PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM MG ROAD Keep it Classic Tuesdays w/ Sam Thompson, 5:00PM ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM POLANCO RESTAURANT Taco Tuesday & Blues w/ Michael Filippone's Blues Review, 8:00PM

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

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SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE DarkWave w/ Espermachine, Esoterik & Solemn Shapes, 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-n-Justice Tuesday Community Jazz Jam (dance lessons @ 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.), 9:00PM THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE Rat Alley Cats, 7:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Tuesday Jazz & Funk Jam (jazz, funk), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Team Trivia Tuesday, 8:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic Night w/ Arrow Sound , 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish jam & open mic, 6:30PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7

NOBLE KAVA Open Mic (sign-up at 7 p.m.), 7:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (ragtime jazz), 9:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 10:00PM

ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND Brick Squash DJ Dance Party , 10:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Blues Traveler w/ Los Colognes, 8:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY The Brothers Reed (folk, pop), 6:00PM

POLANCO RESTAURANT 3 Cool Cats, 8:00PM POST 25 Albi & The Lifters (American swing, French chanson), 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Mountain Valley Acoustic Jam, 6:30PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Get Weird Wednesdays, 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE DJ Phantom Pantone, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Rotating jazz bands , 9:00PM The Berlyn Jazz Trio , 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Bingo Night w/ Bag O' Tricks, 7:00PM

185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 6:00PM

THE PHOENIX & THE FOX Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 7:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM

THE SOUTHERN Disclaimer Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends, 7:30PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES JJ Kitchen All Star Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ Saylor Bros (bluegrass), 6:30PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Love Is A Rose Acoustic (Linda Ronstadt tribute), 7:00PM Moonshine Rhythm Club w/ Russ Wilson (swing, jazz), 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Open Jam Session, 5:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM MG ROAD Salsa Night w/ DJ El Mexicano Isaac, 8:00PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night , 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Jazz Night, 7:30PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:30PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Paul Cataldo, 7:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capella on 9 w/ Sawyer Johnston, 8:00PM

GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Jay Farrar Duo w/ Andrew Duplantis, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Roots & friends open jam (blues, rock, roots), 6:30PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Hoo:Lumes w/ The Dupont Brothers, 7:00PM Brew Davis (CD release party), 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Clydes pre-jam, 7:00PM Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 9:00PM NOBLE KAVA Ping Pong Tournament, 8:00PM ODDITORIUM Paperback w/ Ghost Dog & Jaeb (rock), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM Steady Flow, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Rossdafareye (Appalachian space funk), 9:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Asheville Rock Collective, 6:30PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Carver & Carmody, 7:30PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Alex Hunicutt, 7:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Cat & Crow (singersongwriter duo), 7:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ unplugged w/ Eleanor Underhill, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9 185 KING STREET An evening w/ John Trufant, 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Aaron Woody Wood (rock, Americana), 9:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Winter OnesieLand, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Cody Siniard Duo, 7:00PM BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY Nick Dittmeier & the Sawdusters, 9:00PM CAPELLA ON 9@THE AC HOTEL Capella on 9 w/ Phantom Pantone, 9:00PM CORK & KEG Sparrow & Her Wingmen (jazz, roots), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Seth Kessel Trio (proto rock n' roll, swing), 9:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Socks in the Frying Pan, 8:00PM ELLINGTON UNDERGROUND Low Cut Connie w/ The Dirty Badgers, 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER Classic World Cinema, 8:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY CarolinaBound (Americana, folk), 6:00PM FUNKATORIUM West End Trio, 11:30PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings , 9:00PM

GOOD STUFF Ross "Rossdafareye" Healtherly, 8:30PM

THE MOTHLIGHT H.C. McEntire w/ House & Land and Ryan O'Keefe, 9:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN JBOT w/ Marcus King & Alex Bradley and The Chris Cooper Project, 9:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 9:00PM

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Erin & the Wildfire, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Delta Troubadours (blues, garage rock), 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Jon Shain & FJ Ventre, 7:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Calico Moon, 6:30PM NOBLE KAVA Comedy Night w/ Tom Scheve, 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Eye of the Destroyer w/ Built On the Ruins, Afterwar & Past Tense of Never (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM The Fat Catz w/ Juan Holladay (livetronica, funk), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Moonlight Street Folk , 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL ILLin-N-CHILIn (Beastie Boys & RHCP tribute), 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Hot At Nights (jazz fusion, indie), 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Todd Cecil & The Back South, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Fedding Fingers, 9:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ sets, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Bombadil w/ The Moon & You, 9:00PM TOWN PUMP The Brothers Reed, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Bygone Blues (blues, soul), 7:30PM Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, dance), 10:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Bradley Carter, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Jazz Orchestra, 8:00PM

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS BY SCOTT DOUGLAS, FRANCIS X. FRIEL & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

Margot Robbie sticks the landing as disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya.

I, Tonya HHHH DIRECTOR: Craig Gillespie PLAYERS: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Paul Walter Hauser, Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale SPORTS BIOPIC RATED R THE STORY: Figure skater Tonya Harding ascends to the heights of her sport as an Olympic competitor before being publicly disgraced for her participation in the 1994 attack on Nancy Kerrigan. THE LOWDOWN: A film that teeters on the brink of tonal dissonance and smug self-satisfaction before being redeemed by exceptional performances from its central cast. As someone who was coming of age when Tonya Harding became the go-to punchline for late-night talk show hosts

and the de facto lead for every tabloid in the country, I can say with some certainty that I have never cared about figure skating, and the scandal leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics did absolutely nothing to change that fact. What’s perhaps most noteworthy about Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya is that it did make me care about Tonya Harding herself a good deal more than I had previously thought possible — though I’m not entirely convinced that’s a good thing. Gillespie’s film plays like a sports biopic by way of Goodfellas, a cutrate Fargo with 90 percent more Ice Capades. The first half of the film tracks Harding’s development from a precociously talented toddler to one of the pre-eminent competitors in her field, a life path forged by the sadistic ministrations of her abusive mother LaVona (an exceptional Allison Janey). As we watch young Tonya (Margot Robbie)

get kicked around — both figuratively and literally — easy insights are offered as to how she could get herself involved in what we all know is coming, a scandal that the film’s second half refers to as “the incident.” Gillespie and screenwriter Steven Rogers, working from interviews with the principal players in the infamous kneecapping of Harding’s competitor Nancy Kerrigan, seem to be at odds with their material in an uncomfortable way. Scenes of Harding suffering domestic abuse, first at the hands of her mother then seamlessly taken over by husband Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), are played for cringe-worthy comedic effect. Unreliable narrators and constant fourth-wall breaks seem to exist solely for the filmmakers to prove how cute they can be, with little consideration given to the gravity of their subject. Harding is played as a victim at the mercy of clueless men and spiteful women, and yet the film’s modus operandi seems to be one of exploitive condescension rather than empathetic engagement. What redeems Gillespie and Rogers’ tonally dissonant efforts are the performances offered by their central cast, and it’s here that I, Tonya becomes more than the sum of its parts. Janey is revelatory as LaVona, seething malice personified with a coffee cup full of booze. Stan exudes a kind of witless charm that makes it easy to see why a someone as accomplished as Harding might fall for someone as hopeless as Gillooly and a pathetic streak that explains why she’d let him drag her down into his particular gutter. But Robbie is the star of the show, and her transformation into Harding transcends her cosmetic uglying-up for the role. She manages to render Harding as a fully realized human being, both relatable and loathsome in turn — no mean feat. I, Tonya certainly seems to have an opinion on the truth it so obviously obfuscates with its contrived narrative structure, but ultimately it’s not a film concerned with the hows or even the whys of the incident at its dramatic core. This is a film about a character that transfixed a nation for all the wrong reasons — and thanks almost exclusively to Robbie and Janey, it succeeds in rendering that character as something more than a onenote joke and makes her almost emblem-

M A X R AT I N G Xpress reviews virtually all upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print. You can find our online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include: HOSTILES

HHHH

I, TONYA (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHH MAZE RUNNER: THE DEATH CURE

HHS

atic of a uniquely American archetype. Whether or not Harding deserves such treatment remains to be seen, but I, Tonya definitely deserves a look. Rated R for pervasive language, violence, and some sexual content/nudity. Now Playing at Carolina Cinemark, Fine Arts Theatre, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Hostiles HHHH

DIRECTOR: Scott Cooper PLAYERS: Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike, Wes Studi, Jesse Plemons, Timothee Chalamet, Ben Foster WESTERN RATED R THE STORY: An Army Captain must brave the vicissitudes of merciless fate as he escorts a dying Cheyenne chief back from a military prison to his ancestral homeland. THE LOWDOWN: Bleak, brutal bloody, this revisionist Western transposes the easy answers and unimpeachable heroes characteristic of the genre with characters defined by their flaws and shaped by their suffering in a world without pity.

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T H E ATE R I N F O R M ATI O N ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. (254-1281) ASHEVILLEBREWING.COM/MOVIES CARMIKE CINEMA 10 (298-4452) CARMIKE.COM CAROLINA CINEMAS (274-9500) CAROLINACINEMAS.COM CO-ED CINEMA BREVARD (883-2200) COEDCINEMA.COM EPIC OF HENDERSONVILLE (693-1146) EPICTHEATRES.COM FINE ARTS THEATRE (232-1536) FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM FLATROCK CINEMA (697-2463) FLATROCKCINEMA.COM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE (239-9392) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM REGAL BILTMORE GRANDE STADIUM 15 (684-1298) REGMOVIES.COM

Westerns have certainly declined in popularity over the last 50 years or so, and in 2017 one could reasonably question what value there is to be found in revisiting the cowboy and Indian tropes of yesteryear. Hostiles answers that question, at least in a manner of speaking. It’s a revisionist Western following the playbook of Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, but unlike that film, it’s not only trying to reinvent the genre but also to subvert it entirely. The film plays like an open refutation of John Ford’s entire oeuvre and has all of the bleak nihilism of a Cormac McCarthy novel with none of the philosophical underpinnings — it’s an ordeal, and yet it somehow manages to be imminently watchable in spite of itself. By saying that Hostiles is an ordeal, I don’t necessarily mean that it’s bad — just that it’s unremittingly merciless, both to its characters and its audience. It seems that at least half of the film’s egregiously long running time is dedicated to digging graves, while the other half is spent

FILM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 828-254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • MO (2/5), 7-10pm - Cafe’ Mortal featuring the screening of the film, Griefwalker. Open mic for performances, readings and storytelling exploring the issues around death, loss and sorrow. Free to attend.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

in a relentless PTSD malaise. Christian Bale stars as Joseph Blocker too-oldfor-this-shit Army Captain in 1890s Arizona — a career soldier whose life has been dedicated to the slaughter of Native Americans in an era when shifting political tides are rapidly marginalizing men of his ilk. Tasked with returning a dying Cheyenne chief (Wes Studi) to his homeland in Montana, Capt. Blocker leads a small band of soldiers and natives, with the addition of a recently widowed Rosamund Pike, on a harrowing journey that dives deep into man’s inhumanity to man with little purpose and even less hope. Writer/director Scott Cooper leans heavily on the Fordian influence but actively toys with the formula. Whereas Ford famously framed John Wayne in the doorway of a homesteader cabin in the last shot of The Searchers, in Cooper’s conception of the West, the cabin has already been burned to the ground. The titular hostiles here aren’t exclusively the Native Americans; they’re literally everyone that Bale and his cohort encounter. Death is the only Manifest Destiny at play in Cooper’s West, a world of inexorable brutality that spares no one — even the survivors, of which there are few. In spite of — or perhaps because of — the pitch black worldview of Hostiles, it’s a consistently engaging film that feels at times like an endurance test crafted to challenge its audience’s appetite for destruction as much as to subvert their expectations. The scripting is overly transparent, especially in terms of who gets murdered/ raped/traumatized (spoiler alert: everyone), but that seems to be intrinsic to Cooper’s design. What Hostiles lacks in mystery it more than makes up for in visceral impact, with Cooper grabbing the audience by the throat from the first frames and never loosening his grip until the final sequence. It’s a fresh take on a neglected genre with a unique and thought-provoking perspective — but caveat emptor: Idle escapism it is not. Rated R for strong violence, and language. Now Playing at AMC Classic River Hills 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville. REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

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by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

METAPHYSICAL SPANISH HOME: A still from Sarah Wilcoxon’s and Quinlan Orear’s “Querencia.” The film is one of six that will be screened at the Frame + Form Screen Dance Festival on Feb. 2 at Revolve. Photo courtesy of Frame + Form Screen Dance Festival • AVLfilm.com, which strives to be a comprehensive local film resource, has added a crew page. Area directors, writers, editors, cinematographers, boom operators and other behind-the-scenes workers are invited to add their names and specialties to the list at no cost. The goal of the site’s runner Ryan DuVal is to “start building a list of all the talented film folks in the area and hopefully get them more work.” avlfilm.com/crew.php • On Thursday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., Diana Wortham Theatre presents a screening of Rebels on Pointe at the Fine Arts Theatre, 36 Biltmore Ave. Bobbi Jo Hart’s documentary is the first nonfiction film to celebrate Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the all-male, comic ballet company that was founded more than four decades ago and has gone on to earn a diverse global cult following. Informally known as “The Trocks,” the company will perform at DWT on Tuesday, Feb. 13, and Wednesday, Feb. 14. Tickets for the film are $10 and available online and at the Fine Arts box office. fineartstheatre.com • The Frame + Form Screen Dance Festival takes place Friday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. at Revolve, 821 Riverside Drive ,No. 179. Presented by The Media Arts Project and Revolve, the festival features dance created specifically for film and video. Among the program’s six films are works from San Francisco, the U.K., South Africa and Switzerland. Tickets are $10 and available online and at the door. revolveavl.org

• Silent Sundays return to Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. with a screening of Thunder Bolts of Fate. The 1918 film was shot in Asheville, stars House Peters and Anna Lehr, and follows a politician balancing a gubernatorial campaign with the love of a woman. Local film historian Frank Thompson will introduce the film and lead a post-screening Q&A. A live piano score will be provided by Marc Hoffman. Tickets are $12 and available online and at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com • Ecusta Brewing Co., 49 Pisgah Highway, No. 3, Pisgah Forest, hosts a screening of Brewconomy on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 6 p.m. Camden Watts’ 2015 documentary examines the craft brewing industry in North Carolina. Free to attend. ecustabrewing.com • The Bywater, 796 Riverside Drive, closes out its three-week Coen Brothers film series with O Brother, Where Art Thou? on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. Free to attend. bywater.bar • West Asheville Democrats present a screening of Democracy for Sale on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 7-9 p.m. at the West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road. The documentary follows North Carolina native Zach Galifianakis throughout his home state as he investigates its transformation at the hands of political spending. Free. avl.mx/37m X

MARKETPLACE STA RTI NG F RI DAY

Winchester

Fantasy thriller inspired by true events, directed by the Spierig brothers. According to the studio: “On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant 24-hourday, seven-day-a-week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider, it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman’s madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the troubled Dr. Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts, and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters…” No early reviews. (PG-13)

REA L ESTATE | REN TA L S | R O O M M ATES | SER VI C ES JOB S | A N N OU N CEM ENTS | M I ND, BO DY, SPI R I T CL A SSES & WORKSH OPS | M USI C I ANS’ SER VI C ES PETS | A U TOMOTI VE | X C HANG E | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com REAL ESTATE

SP E CI AL SCREENI NGS

HOMES FOR SALE

Faust HHHHH

DIRECTOR: F.W. Murnau PLAYERS: Gosta Ekman, Emil Jannings, Camilla Horn, Wilhelm Dieterle FANTASY HORROR Rated NR F.W. Murnau’s 1926 interpretation of the classic tale of a pious alchemist who sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge, youth and the love of a beautiful young woman is possibly the most accurate recounting of the story ever filmed. Murnau draws heavily from Goethe’s play but also from older folk tales that provided the basis for both that work and Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. One of the most technically advanced films ever shot at the time of its production, Murnau’s Faust would have ramifications on the film industry that persist to this day. The effects shots in this film, revolutionary in their day, will still prove remarkable to even the most CG-addled modern cineaste. The Asheville Film Society will screen Faust on Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

Love on the Run HHHHS

DIRECTOR: François Truffaut PLAYERS: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Marie-France Pisier, Claude Jade, Dani, Dorothee, Daniel Mesguich ROMANTIC COMEDY DRAMA Rated PG François Truffaut’s sixth and final film of his Antoine Doinel series that began with Truffaut’s first film, The 400 Blows, in 1959 is mostly a pure delight and a fine conclusion to the series. The only problem with Love on the Run (1979), which catches up with the 30-something Antoine for the first time since 1970’s Bed & Board, is how comprehensible all the flashbacks to the earlier films will be to the uninitiated. Offhand, I’d say that only a basic familiarity with the concept is all that’s needed. If you do get its wavelength, though, it’s a charmer. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke published on April 29, 2014. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Love on the Run on Friday, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 U.S. 70, Swannanoa.

MOTIVATED SELLER • PRICE REDUCED! $204,900! Log cabin-style cottage on large lot in North Asheville, 3BR/2BA. Near UNCA, minutes to downtown. Convenient one-level living: would also make a great rental property. MLS#3340175. Call Suzanne Fitzgerald: (828) 200-1236. Beverly-Hanks and Associates.

RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT WOODFIN STUDIO APARTMENT 350 sq. ft. studio for one person available Feb. 1. No kids or pets. Private entrance, offstreet parking, shared outside common area. $500 includes utilities. First, last, references required. 828-7681388. victoriaeasterday057@ gmail.com

CONDOS/ TOWNHOMES FOR RENT NORTH ASHEVILLE TOWNHOUSES 2BR: $795 • 3BR: $895 • 1 mile from downtown. • Hardwood floors. • (no pets policy). (828) 252-4334.

SHORT-TERM RENTALS 10 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE Separate entrance apartment vacation/short term rental in Weaverville, pets allowed/pet deposit. Complete with everything including internet. $100/day (2 day minimum, $650/week, $1500/month. duffwhazzup@gmail.com 15 MINUTES TO ASHEVILLE Guest house, vacation/ short term rental in beautiful country setting. • Complete with everything including cable and internet. • $150/ day (2-day minimum), $650/ week, $1500/month. Weaverville area. • No pets please. (828) 658-9145. mhcinc58@ yahoo.com

WANTED TO RENT SEEKING SMALL APARTMENT Professional pianist seeks small apartment in exchange for house/yard work/cash. References from Emory University area in Atlanta. Guitar/music lessons also possible. Call John: (404) 740-6903.

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL DELUXE OPPORTUNITY - DATA ENTRY An Asheville-based art glass supply company is looking for someone to join our crew. We are looking for people who want to be recognized for working hard and treated with respect. A happy person that embraces what makes Asheville unique. We encourage our employees to have positive attitudes, be hard working, dedicated,

detail oriented and responsible. This position involves the processing of international and domestic orders for shipment. This is a critical part of our order flow system. It requires a great eye for detail, computer proficiency, focus and customer service skills. Processing orders includes reviewing each order for discrepancies, tracking errors when discovered, electronically fulfilling quantities pulled, billing credit cards, requesting funds from PayPal, dealing with credit card declines etc. In addition; processors run orders through various shipping software programs including OzLink, UPS WorldShip, UPS Freight and USPS international while applying the proper shipping labels to each box. This is a full time position starting at $12.00 per hour. Hours are Monday - Friday 11:00am to 7:00pm. Benefits include health care, profit sharing, 401K, paid vacations and paid breaks. Reviews are conducted at regular intervals to determine promotions and pay increases. We are a Fair Wage Certified company. Applicants MUST live in the Asheville area to be considered. Tell us a little about yourself, hobbies and interests. References from former employers and letters of recommendation are good to see as well. Email your cover letter, resume, references and letters of recommendation to hiringavl@yahoo.com No phone calls please, all applications will be fully reviewed.

NAVITAT CANOPY ADVENTURES - HIRING CANOPY GUIDES Thrill, Educate and Inspire! Spend 2018 working outside in the trees with a world class team! We are seeking enthusiastic and adventurous canopy guides for the 2018 season. Learn more at www.navitat.com. TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great Tour Guide. Full-time and seasonal parttime positions available. Training provided. Contact us today! 828-251-8687. Info@GrayLineAsheville.com www.GrayLineAsheville.com

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES AUDIO/VIDEO INSTALLER Audio/Video Installation position available in a well established local AV firm. Residential, Commercial, Worship, Medical, and Educational. Seeking a quick learning hard worker. Need to be able to lift 50 pounds and have current driver's license. Previous experience with A/V installation and construction are all a plus. Pay, advancement, and benefits dependent upon experience and performance. Email: becky@ musiciansworkshop.com for application.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE WANTED I would like to inquire about your availability for a position with us as representative in your region. Please bear in mind that it will

The

Sustainability

Series Each week in April CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2018

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JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): In all of history, humans have mined about 182,000 tons of gold. Best estimates suggest there are still 35 billion tons of gold buried in the earth, but the remaining riches will be more difficult to find and collect than what we’ve already gotten. We need better technology. If I had to say who would be the entrepreneurs and inventors best qualified to lead the quest, my choice would be members of the Aries tribe. For the foreseeable future, you people will have extra skill at excavating hidden treasure and gathering resources that are hard to access. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Stories have the power to either dampen or mobilize your life energy. I hope that in the coming weeks, you will make heroic efforts to seek out the latter and avoid the former. Now is a crucial time to treat yourself to stories that will jolt you out of your habitual responses and inspire you to take long-postponed actions and awaken the sleeping parts of your soul. And that’s just half of your assignment, dear Taurus. Here’s the rest: Tell stories that help you remember the totality of who you are and that inspire your listeners to remember the totality of who they are. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Author Anaïs Nin said, “There are two ways to reach me: by way of kisses or by way of the imagination. But there is a hierarchy: The kisses alone don’t work.” For two reasons, Anaïs’s formulation is especially apropos for you right now. First, you should not allow yourself to be seduced, tempted or won over by sweet gestures alone. You must insist on sweet gestures that are synergized by a sense of wonder and an appreciation of your unique beauty. Second, you should adopt the same approach for those you want to seduce, tempt,or win over: sweet gestures seasoned with wonder and an appreciation of their unique beauty. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are you more inclined right now to favor temporary involvements and shortterm promises? Or would you consider making brave commitments that lead you deeper into the Great Mystery? Given the upcoming astrological omens, I vote for the latter. Here’s another pair of questions for you, Cancerian. Are you inclined to meander from commotion to commotion without any game plan? Or might you invoke the magic necessary to get involved with high-quality collaborations? I’m hoping you’ll opt for the latter. (P.S. The near future will be prime time for you to swear a sacred oath or two.) LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In March 1996, a man burst into the studio of radio station Star FM in Wanganui, New Zealand. He took the manager hostage and issued a single demand: that the dj play a recording of the Muppet song “The Rainbow Connection,” as sung by the puppet Kermit the Frog. Fortunately, police intervened quickly, no one was hurt, and the kidnapper was jailed. In bringing this to your attention, Leo, I am certainly not suggesting that you imitate the kidnapper. Please don’t break the law or threaten anyone with harm. On the other hand, I do urge you to take dramatic, innovative action to fulfill one of your very specific desires. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many varieties of the nettle plant will sting you if you touch the leaves and stems. Their hairs are like hypodermic needles that inject your skin with a blend of irritant chemicals. And yet nettle is also an herb with numerous medicinal properties. It can provide relief for allergies, arthritis, joint pain and urinary problems. That’s why Shakespeare invoked the nettle as a metaphor in his play Henry IV, Part 1: “Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety,” says the character named Hotspur. In accordance with the astrological omens, Virgo, I choose the nettle as your power metaphor for the first three weeks of February.

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Knullrufs is a Swedish word that refers to what your hair looks like after sex: tousled, rumpled, disordered. If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you should experience more knullrufs than usual in the coming weeks. You’re in a phase when you need and deserve extra pleasure and delight, especially the kind that rearranges your attitudes as well as your coiffure. You have license to exceed your normal quotas of ravenousness and rowdiness. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In his “Crazy Lake Experiment” documented on Youtube, Harvard physicist Greg Kestin takes a raft out on a lake. He drops a tablespoon of olive oil into the water, and a few minutes later, the half-acre around his boat is still and smooth. All the small waves have disappeared. He proceeds to explain the science behind the calming effect produced by a tiny amount of oil. I suspect that you will have a metaphorically comparable power in the next two weeks, Scorpio. What’s your version of the olive oil? Your poise? Your graciousness? Your tolerance? Your insight into human nature? SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 1989, a man spent $4 on a painting at a flea market in Adamstown, Pa. He didn’t care much for the actual image, which was a boring country scene, but he thought he could use the frame. Upon returning home, he found a document concealed behind the painting. It turned out to be a rare old copy of America’s Declaration of Independence, originally created in 1776. He eventually sold it for $2.42 million. I doubt that you will experience anything quite as spectacular in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. But I do suspect you will find something valuable where you don’t expect it, or develop a connection with something that’s better than you imagined it would be. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the 1740s, a teenage Capricorn girl named Eliza Lucas almost single-handedly introduced a new crop into American agriculture: indigo, a plant used as a dye for textiles. In South Carolina, where she managed her father’s farm, indigo ultimately became the second-most-important cash crop over the next 30 years. I have astrological reasons to believe that you are now in a phase when you could likewise make innovations that will have long-range economic repercussions. Be alert for good intuitions and promising opportunities to increase your wealth. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When I was in my early twenties, I smoked marijuana now and then. I liked it. It made me feel good and inspired my creativity and roused spiritual visions. But I reconsidered my use after encountering pagan magician Isaac Bonewits. He didn’t have a moral objection to cannabis use, but believed it withered one’s willpower and diminished one’s determination to transform one’s life for the better. For a year, I meditated on and experimented with his hypothesis. I found it to be true, at least for me. I haven’t smoked since. My purpose in bringing this up is not to advise you about your relationship to drugs, but rather to urge you to question whether there are influences in your life that wither your willpower and diminish your determination to transform your life for the better. Now is an excellent time to examine this issue. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Would you like to shed unwieldy baggage before moving on to your next big challenge? I hope so. It will purge your soul of karmic sludge. It will prime you for a fresh start. One way to accomplish this bravery is to confess your sins and ask for forgiveness in front of a mirror. Here are data to consider. Is there anyone you know who would not give you a good character reference? Have you ever committed a seriously unethical act? Have you revealed information that was told to you in confidence? While under the influence of intoxicants or bad ideas, have you done things you’re ashamed of? I’m not saying you’re more guilty of these things than the rest of us; it’s just that now is your special time to seek redemption.

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TEACHING/ EDUCATION

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IT DIRECTOR Community Action Opportunities, Asheville, NC. We are a state and federal funded anti-poverty, non-profit agency with a budget of $11,000,000+ and 110 FTEs recruiting a seasoned, hands-on Information Technology Director to perform highly skilled professional and technical work, including systems analysis and policy development. This position plans, organizes, develops and recommends agency-wide information and technology systems, operations, budgets, procedures and policies. • Work includes assessing and analyzing information technology needs and implementing solutions to address those needs; overseeing the installation and maintenance of information systems, supporting activity related to the agency-owned, state-wide database application and hardware, Accountable Results for Community Action, (AR4CA) intranets, computer hardware and software, telephone and facility security; supervising and supporting a highly technical professional IT Engineer and Sr. Software Engineer and developing related policies and procedures. Work also includes purchasing equipment and supplies and overseeing technical contractor work and user support. Major work is accomplished through teamwork and collaboration with subordinates and Senior and Leadership Team Members. • Requires graduation from a regionally or CHEA accredited four year college with a Master’s degree in computer science, information systems, or related field and at least 10 years in Information Technology or

KIDS ISSUES 2018 Coming MARCH 14 & 21

Information Systems management as a director, network, systems or operations manager in a non-profit or governmental organization. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be acceptable. • Prefer bi-lingual in Spanish. This position is exempt under FLSA and is ineligible for overtime pay Compensation: $77,489 to $108,484 (DOQ) plus competitive benefits including 401(k) • CAO shall exclude applicants who fail to comply with the following submittal requirements: • Send resume, cover letter and three (3) professional work references with complete contact information to: Ms. Tammy Chandler, Interim HR Manager, 25 Gaston Street, Asheville NC, 28801 or email with “Subject:” IT Director to: admin@communityactionopportunities.org or (828) 253-6319 (Fax). EOE & DFWP. Open until filled. • Interviews expected to begin in mid-February See the full job description at: www. communityactionopportunities. org

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T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

ACROSS

1 Slugger’s stat 4 Shout from a coach driver 8 With 63-Across, what some performers saw in Las Vegas? … or a hint to this puzzle’s theme 14 Extension 15 BMW competitor 16 Get back for 17 Media muzzler 19 Neighborhood grocery 20 Fed. bond 21 Frank 23 Just ___ on the map 24 In the slightest 26 Letterhead abbr. 29 Cupid, e.g. 31 Fearsome Hindu deity 33 Punishment short of jail time 34 Judge’s pronouncement at a hearing 35 Error at cards 39 Popular Toyota 40 “Carmen” and “Elektra” 41 Choice

42 Leigh of “Psycho” 43 Anne Brontë’s first novel 48 Anomalous 49 Like dessert wines, typically 50 Many a staffer 51 Reserves 54 Crows 55 Garrulous 57 Saxophonist Cannonball 60 Prefix with -pod 61 Marvin of Motown 62 Three, in Tuscany 63 See 8-Across 64 Augur 65 C.I.A.’s forerunner

DOWN 1 Shabby 2 1972 Oscar refuser 3 “That’s enough, thanks” 4 Ending with hard or soft 5 1963 Paul Newman movie 6 Tribute of a sort 7 Broadcasting unit? 8 Name 9 River through Bath

edited by Will Shortz

10 “___ Dinah” (1958 hit for Frankie Avalon) 11 Kind of mass, in physics 12 Shape of a Silly Putty container 13 Multitude 18 Palindromic man’s name 22 Land in la mer 24 Wanted poster word 25 “West Side Story” role 27 Malevolence 28 “___ Land,” 2016 film 30 E’s equivalent 31 Results of chafing 32 “Westworld” network 34 Large jazz combo 35 Voodoo 36 Apple Store purchase 37 Message from a short person? 38 School commencement? 39 Shape of a sushi hand roll 41 Way, way back 43 Really move

No. 1227

PUZZLE BY DAVID KWONG

44 Teri of “Young Frankenstein” 45 Classic theater name 46 Border cutters 47 “Absolutely!”

CARING FOR CHILDREN

49 Below, as a goal 52 Lead-in to girl or boy 53 Keyboard key abbr. 54 “How have you ___?”

55 Modern film effects, for short 56 Ben Solo’s father 58 Challenge for salmon 59 Salon job

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

Make more than a living, make a difference! CLINICAL DIRECTOR The Clinic Director will be responsible for the overall management and development of the Caring Clinic Outpatient therapy program. Must have current North Carolina active clinical licensure (ex: LPC, LCSW). Must have 3-5 years experience in direct care as well as management delivery of mental health services. Please send cover letters and resumes to our Clinical Office Manager: chris.farmer@ caring4children.org Caring for Children is a nonprofit mental health agency serving WNC.

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tac•tile (tak´ til, tīl), adj. Be in touch every Wednesday

Paul Caron

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• Black Mountain

JAN. 31 - FEB. 6, 2018

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