Mountain Xpress 02.09.22

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C ONTENT S

FEATURES

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NEWS

NEWS

FRIENDS IN NEED 10 MATTER OF CHOICE Asheville City Schools will revisit desegregation order

14 GREEN IN BRIEF Final steps of Pisgah-Nantahala forest planning underway

A pet’s love can be a great support for someone who is homeless.

But shelters that allow pets are rare. People who work with the local homeless population say facilities for clients’ pets need to be part of the equation.

COVER PHOTO Jennifer Castillo

WELLNESS

ARCHIVES

COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

17 ‘SUN DOWN, SLOW DOWN’ Locals campaign for greater safety among motorists, 1936

20 HEALTH ROUNDUP Birth control no longer requires a prescription in NC and other wellness news

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LETTERS

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CARTOON: MOLTON

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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

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COMMENTARY

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NEWS

12 BUNCOMBE BEAT

A&C

19 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 22 SCENE AND HEARD Music venue sound engineers adjust to working in a pandemic

20 WELLNESS 22 ARTS & CULTURE 32 CLUBLAND

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34 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 24 FROM THE HEART Love defines the work of Asheville visual artists

34 CLASSIFIEDS 35 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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OPINION

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

City acts to punish, not lead on homelessness issue

Present the whole picture of COVID-19 vaccines

Asheville city government appears to be failing its responsibilities as the custodian of homelessness funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

To receive such funds, HUD requires a community to establish a Continuum of Care to carry out responsibilities that HUD prescribes.

City government has claimed the leadership role in Asheville/ Buncombe Continuum of Care.

Among the duties of the continuum is to “coordinat[e] the implementation of a housing and service system within its geographic area that meets the needs of the individuals and families who experience homelessness there.” [avl.mx/b6m] The city’s actions are mainly punitive — to reduce the number and visibility of people experiencing homelessness. Do you see much city coordination with any but the Police Department? Do you see the city involved in the implementation of a [homelessness] housing and service

I just read your exposé “Side Effects” [“Side Effects: Local Handling of COVID Vaccine Troubles Breeds Medical Mistrust,” Jan. 12, Xpress]. It’s the single most irresponsible piece of journalism I have ever read. And it will undoubtedly kill some people who decide not to get vaccinated just because they read it.

Your research included local Facebook and Reddit postings and a citizens group, and a couple other national “adverse effects” websites?

Wow, that’s thorough research! And all you got was 25 people? Did it ever dawn on you that these people might have gotten whatever terrible malady they report coincidentally, or more or less simultaneously?

Out of Western North Carolina’s share of the 15 million-plus shots given in North Carolina so far, there are going to be other medical events that would have happened anyway, even death. Statistics, the law of large numbers, is based on mathematical principles that you should study.

Good journalism demands presenting the whole picture and all knowledge about a subject. Yours is no better than a Fox News report and an embarrassment to the great town of Asheville and its citizens.

My story is similar to the people you interviewed, and I have many of the symptoms the people in your article report, and I could easily blame them all on the vaccine. I’ve had three vaccinations now and also have multiple joint and nerve problems that require surgeries and systemic pain to such a degree that I’m on six different pain meds. I could easily have been one of your examples, but my maladies preceded my first shot by several months. If my so far undiagnosed condition would have started after the vaccinations, should I blame the shots?

And perhaps some of these folks did, in fact, have an adverse reaction.

Given millions of shots, some bad things will happen. Every medical procedure or prescription carries risk. But the risk of actually getting COVID is far worse, by multiple degrees. And I don’t claim to know more stuff than doctors or believe everything they say; I do my own research but also trust they are knowledgeable and compassionate professionals most of the time. And they’ve been risking their lives the past two years, dedicated to helping and educating people, despite misinformation online and in papers like yours.

C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N system? Do you see steps by the city to address the needs of homeless individuals and families?

The city may dole the HUD funds, but it seems faith-based entities and nongovernmental organizations are being left without guidance, and any sense of a partnership with them is wanting. Homelessness is a difficult and challenging issue. The homeless population can be a difficult and challenging group to serve. But difficulties and challenges have never gotten better if we make them invisible or leave them unaddressed. I urge the city to own up to its responsibilities as the continuum’s lead.

— Walt Leginski Asheville

Bears are counting on us to protect sanctuaries

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Bears are counting on us to be their voice against the ominous regulation change proposed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to allow permitted hunting in three bear sanctuaries — nonbear-hunting areas for the last 50 years— giving bears no expectation of change or knowing what to do if and when their safe home turns suddenly into a terrifying hunt inside of their forest.

Proponents of regulation change state that any recommendation from NCWRC has already been vetted for its biological integrity before being proposed. They advise that those opposed to the recommendation must remember that sanctuaries were never meant to be permanent

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designations, only tools to achieve management goals.

But the bears didn’t get the chilling memo, and neither did those who trust what a sanctuary is and means — not what the North Carolina Black Bear Management Plan 2012-2022 tucked into its goals statement, calling sanctuaries “de facto” sanctuaries. De facto is a well-strategized word. The real fact is what is in each bear’s eyes. The real facts are the individual lives of the bears. And another fact is that public input is part of the criteria required for NCWRC’s policymaking.

After the [Jan. 20] virtual meeting, you could feel the strength of voices standing together for the bears. How devastating this ultimate bait and switch would be to all those innocent bears who have made their home in the three protected North Carolina bear sanctuaries, just in their lives right now.

— Kay Carter Asheville

The problem with reading about ‘doomscrolling’ I tried to get to the end of Jessica Wakeman’s article on the downside to doomscrolling [“Extremely Online: WNC Mental Health Providers Warn of ‘Doomscrolling,’” Jan. 26, Xpress], but it was too depressing. I had to return to the relative safety and comfort of further doomscrolling.

Go figure!

— Rob Stimson Swannanoa

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Editor’s note to o

Child care in North Carolina needs more support from state and local legislators. I am a working parent who had two children in child care at the beginning of the pandemic.

Our family was fortunate to have reliable and safe child care so we could

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Child care system needs more support

continue to work. Many parents are struggling right now to access care.

On average, five families apply for one spot for infant care. The average cost of day care in North Carolina is over $9,000 per year and is a burden for most families.

At the same time, the average wage of a child care teacher is just $12 per hour. Teachers and facilities deserve better. The first 2,000 days of a child’s life is a critical time in brain development. Investing in child care helps children, working families and the greater community.

North Carolina needs a better method to calculate subsidy rates so facilities get the funding they deserve. Higher subsidy rates allow providers to remain in operation, pay competitive wages and expand families’ access to care.

Contact your congressmen today to tell them you support increased funding and higher subsidy rates for child care facilities, teachers and our children.

— Sarah Sharpe Asheville

rt

One fact that your article did not say at all is the vaccines have saved millions of people from death and disability. In fact, the vaccine has kept me from getting COVID and getting even sicker than I am already or dying.

So at least print another article now about vaccines, using reliable and professional doctors as sources and regular people who have been saved by them and families of others who have lost loved ones due to misinformation.

You have a responsibility to your readers and the community to report the facts and the whole story. Thank you!

— James Dougherty Asheville Editor’s response: Thank you for sharing your views. The referenced article does feature several mentions of the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, including Dr. Patrick Hanaway noting that vaccines reduce severe infection by sixfold, hospitalization by 12-fold and death by 20-fold.

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

5

OPINION

Reading between the lines A Devil’s Dictionary of Development

BY STEVE RASMUSSEN Vast masses of money exert a powerful pull that perverts once-well-intentioned words and concepts into twisted oxymorons. Nowhere is this more true than in the world of planning and development.

Most Asheville and Buncombe County residents know the mordant joke that a new development around here is always named for the species whose habitat it wipes out. But after spending two decades reporting on, participating in and organizing against local urban planning decisions, I’ve come to realize that cynical paradoxes of that sort pervade the planning and development process so extensively that ... well, only the sarcastic shade of Ambrose Bierce — the hypocrisy-puncturing 19th-century journalist who wrote The Devil’s Dictionary — can do them justice. Accordingly, I offer the

following suggested entries (with word usage examples): AFFORDABLE HOUSING • A rare, some say mythical, creature that developers insist will appear only when all tracts of forest have been replaced by blocks of apartments, but which, even then, will be frightened off by the merest whisper of “rent control.”

• A token concession by a developer that gives an elected official political cover to approve a large luxury-housing project, thereby insidiously increasing the very gentrification that the politician claims credit for opposing.

“Of course, the area median income goes up every year with gentrification: More and more wealthy people moving to Asheville means the area median income is skyrocketing, making [the

80% of AMI] standard of affordable housing less and less relevant to people of the working class.” (Perrin de Jong, presentation to the Urban Forestry Commission, Nov. 2, 2021) APPROVAL A foregone conclusion.

(Planningspeak, imitative of the sound made by repeated rubber-stamping.)

Of the 18 development projects it reviewed in 2021, the Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission gave approval to 16 (per P&Z meeting minutes).

CHANGE • A supposedly unstoppable force.

Alleged to be beneficial when associated with development but harmful when associated with climate, even though its cause in both cases is the same.

• The ultimate fallback argument for why one’s opponents should just give up and accept their defeat as inevitable. Formerly known as “progress,” a mid-20th-century buzzword rendered impolitic by the racist consequences of urban “renewal.”

“In his closing remarks, [attorney Craig] Justus told neighbors he understands their concerns, but the developer has the right to build housing on the land. … ‘People don’t like change, but change does occur,’ he said.” (Asheville Citizen-Times, July 11, 2018) COMPROMISE A never-failing con wherein a developer demands some outrageous multiple of what he wants and then is reluctantly pressured into settling for a fraction — thus achieving his goal by letting his opponents think they’ve forced him into a concession.

The compromise, she said, is that RCG-Killian has pulled original plans that would have called for the demolition of 12 historic homes. ... Under the new plan, four homes ... would be demolished to make way for the 19 town homes. (WLOS news, Sept.

20, 2021)

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STEVE RASMUSSEN DENSITY The doctrine that the more you crowd people into the city, the less they will want to flee to the country.

“0.56 acres - Asheville, North Carolina (Buncombe County): Build your mountain dream home in a clean-air, low-density and secure environment! Prime development.”

(TheLandStore.com) GROWTH The unquestioned certainty that more is always better, as manifested in the gluttonous sprawl of modern cities, highways and waistlines. An ecologically suicidal compulsion to expand, just as cancer spreads till it dies by killing its host.

“One of the few ‘arguments’ we’ve continually heard from those who are in favor of building a hot-mix asphalt plant in East Flat Rock is that it will bring in new jobs and, therefore, stimulate economic growth in the county.” (Shannon Nicholson, Friends of East Flat Rock) INFILL The monthslong chorus of chainsaws, backup beepers and roofing hammers that precedes a permanent neighborhood traffic jam. (Alt French, enfillet, to pack sardines into a tin.)

“Phyllis Pedersen, whose daughter owns a 100-year-old home in Montford, cautioned against developing parcels that serve to divert stormwater without proper engineering. She said her daughter’s home now floods after an infill home was constructed on a neighboring lot.” (“Council Supports Higher Density Residential Development,” Feb. 24, 2016, Xpress)

MARKET, THE An all-powerful, all-consuming god with an invisible hand that capriciously spins the world’s wheels of fate and fortune. Its most fervent cultists believe that when The Market is “up,” sacrifices of mature trees, wild animals and poor people must be offered in order to win Its favor — and to avoid being themselves pitched into Its devouring maw by competing true believers. But when Its appetite becomes “saturated,” The Market is said to fall into a “downturn,” and mystic agents of “marketing” are summoned to rouse the scowling leviathan from Its funk and persuade It to smile hungrily once more upon Its devotees, that they may forever reap bountiful “profits.”

“Quite unlike the Great Recession, the current housing market is fundamentally strong and will actually lead us back to economic recovery.” (Debbie Williams, Beverly-Hanks Realtors)

“Most Asheville and Buncombe County residents know the mordant joke that a new development around here is always named for the species whose habitat it wipes out.” al is, in reality, “sleek” — and since all artistic judgments are subjective anyway, the emotional reactions of residents who will have to live in the shadow of those bleak, blank walls every day must be dismissed in favor of the out-of-town architect’s rosy portrayal of his characterless cube as “modernist.” Only if you get him drunk after the hearing will you find out that he despises the developer who hired him but refuses to pay for creative design, forcing the highly educated architect to churn out this bloated pig he now has to lipstick as “sleek.”

“Located on Beaucatcher Mountain, this 97-unit apartment community offers panoramic mountain views and sleek contemporary design.” (www. apartmentlist.com)

NIMBY (ACRONYM FOR “NIGHTMARE IN MY BACKYARD”)

SMART GROWTH

• A derogatory term for a person who is prejudiced against cranes and earthmovers.

• An obstacle to Change (see above).

“NIMBYs can be a thorn in the side; their existence is based on overriding the concept of property rights on which the country was built and prospered.

This time, however, the NIMBYs had a point.” (Tribune Papers, Oct. 24, 2021)

The superstitious belief that we can stop developers from destroying rural environments by incentivizing them to destroy urban neighborhoods instead. The actual result: They are now free to destroy both (see also Density; Infill).

“If applied uncritically, Smart Growth can direct capital into projects that set the stage for new, upscale development, rather than meeting the

needs of neighbors. A new bike path or pocket park may sound appealing on its face but can drive economic forces that lead to gentrification and displacement.” (mountaintrue.org, March 9, 2021) VARIANCE Popes grant indulgences, presidents issue pardons and planning officials approve variances. Never rest easy, O residents, in the belief that a hard-won zoning law protects your community from bad development: Any builder who can fog a mirror can persuade those fellow developers who are warming chairs on a planning commission to champion an exception for him, and you may once again be forced to rally your weary neighbors and troop down to City Hall to do battle in the stress-sweat-drenched arena of a public hearing.

“The board did not reach a conclusion about the height variance, instead deciding to continue the discussion.” (“Richmond Hill Residents Hunker Down For Fight Over Proposed Development,” March 2, 2021, Xpress) Former Mountain Xpress reporter Steve Rasmussen is a Wiccan priest and author, as well as a quixotically optimistic civic and environmental activist. X

SLEEK In the rarefied aesthetic atmosphere of a planning board hearing, there is no such thing as an ugly building. That rigidly rectilinear glass-and-concrete box that you or I or practically anyone throughout the previous history of civilization might misperceive as sterile and imperson-

Want the real deal on development?

The Mountain Xpress Development Guide, which will be distributed as a pullout section in next week’s issue, includes its own glossary of development terms — albeit one less humorous than Steve Rasmussen’s version. Check it out to learn more about how local governments make land use decisions and how you can help shape the path of development in Western North Carolina.

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

7

NEWS

Friends in need

Help for local homeless people’s pets

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com Randy Tucker has a shadow, and her name is Star.

With oversized ears and big paws that bear witness to her youth, the 3-year-old German shepherd mix was adopted three months ago from the Asheville Humane Society, which found her in mid-September, roaming as a stray in the Lees Creek area. Star now accompanies Tucker on his jaunts around town, and he says she’s being trained to use her superior sense of smell to alert him when his blood sugar is low.

Star is also learning basic dog manners. “When I first got her, she didn’t know how to walk, she didn’t know how to do nothing — she was a basket case,” Tucker remembers with a chuckle. “The report [from the shelter] said that she was afraid of other dogs; she was afraid of the people that came in.”

With Tucker’s instruction, Star now knows several commands and is friendly toward strangers. She’ll even roll onto her back to get a belly rub from a reporter.

Tucker is one of hundreds of people in Asheville with no fixed address. He and Star live in his van, which has a mattress for him and a large crate in the back for her. It’s unknown how many among the local homeless population have pets. The city’s annual point-in-time count collects only the demographic data required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, explains Brian Huskey, a community development analyst with the city.

According to the most recent figures available, 527 people were experiencing homelessness as of January 2021. The 2022 numbers are expected later this year.

And though estimates vary, Adam Cotton, the Humane Society’s director of community solutions, says that in his organization’s experience, about 10% of homeless folks have pets.

Despite a lack of hard data, local experts say that COVID-19 has only made matters worse. “It was significant for me in the pandemic that we’re seeing whole families with their pets living in cars,” notes the Rev. Amy Cantrell, co-director of BeLoved Asheville. The nonprofit works on behalf of homeless folks.

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the biggest resources for helping that person maintain their mental health,” says Jerry Kivett-Kimbro of the Asheville-based nonprofit Homeward Bound. Having a pet, he points out, “can create stability in a life that is often surrounded by instability. The responsibility and structure that come with caring for a pet can be helpful in preparing for housing.”

For homeless clients who have a pet, says Kivett-Kimbro, the organization’s director of rapid rehousing, the animal’s well-being is usually “their No. 1 priority.” He directs those clients to one of several resources in the area that donate pet food, including the Haywood Street Congregation.

GIMME SHELTER

A PLETHORA OF PUPS: Adam Cotton, director of community solutions for the Asheville Humane Society, says the shelter is currently full of adoptable dogs. Photo courtesy of Cotton THE ONLY CLOSE CONNECTION LEFT Homeless people have pets for the same reasons everyone else does: love, companionship, safety, emotional support. But for those experiencing a chaotic period in their lives, the human/animal bond may be even more crucial.

People often become homeless in the midst of other traumas, such as

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domestic violence, substance abuse or other medical issues. At such a time, surrendering a much-loved pet can be an additional source of grief.

“I’ve met people who’ve lost a wife or a husband … and the pet is the only thing that’s left from the family unit,” Cantrell explains.

“For a lot of folks who’ve had significant long-term mental health concerns and struggles in their life, I’ve often seen a pet be one of

On Code Purple nights, when the temperature is at or below freezing, Tucker and Star opt to sleep in the emergency shelter at Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Road, West Asheville. It’s the only Code Purple facility that takes people and their pets.

Trinity has had only three dogs since the shelter began operating in November, says Melanie Robertson, director of family ministries, noting that two of them, including Star, were service animals. Another guest brought a cat and a rabbit.

Trinity requires animals in the shelter to be leashed or crated at all times, and volunteers have donated a half-dozen crates of various sizes.

Nonetheless, says Robertson, shelter volunteers let Star sleep on the floor beside Tucker’s mattress due to his health issues.

A shelter’s policy concerning pets can depend on its insurance, says Micheal Woods, executive director of the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. The nonprofit operates a 140-bed facility in Asheville, he reports.

The two largest companies that insure homeless shelters both exclude pets, says Woods. “If something happens — say that pet bites someone — there’s no liability coverage for the organization. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have an affinity for animals, but at the same time, we have to be extremely careful. … To me, it’s a liability issue about how to keep people safe.”

Although his organization can’t allow pets inside, it does distribute five or six zip-close bags of dog food a day to anyone who requests it.

The Rev. Nancy Dixon Walton, who is Trinity’s pastor, says that overnight guests are informed about behavior expectations when they

“We’re seeing whole families with their pets living in cars.”

— the Rev. Amy Cantrell, BeLoved Asheville check in. “If an animal damages property or shows signs of being dangerous, the owner is asked to remove the animal from the premises immediately,” she explains.

HARD CHOICES Even when an owner and pet can’t stay together, there may be options for keeping them both safe.

Since 2005, the Humane Society’s AMG program has temporarily boarded homeless people’s cats and dogs in its shelter for up to 30 days when space is available. The program is named for former Asheville resident Anna Marie Goodman.

Homeless at the time and told she couldn’t bring her dog with her into a shelter, “She chose to stay in her car with her dog instead of leaving him outside, and both she and her dog died that night,” Chief Operations Officer Lisa Johns explains.

Cats and small or medium-sized dogs are kept in kennels; there are runs for bigger dogs. The program, notes Johns, serves a range of people, including those who are “experiencing homelessness, are in the hospital or a medical rehab facility unexpectedly, or are a victim of domestic violence.”

The latter group accounts for 60% of the organization’s requests for emergency boarding, says Cotton. But during the pandemic the Humane Society’s shelter has

THE DOCTOR IS IN: A volunteer veterinarian with The Street Dog Coalition of Asheville holds a patient. Photo courtesy of The Street Dog Coalition

been filled to capacity with animals awaiting adoption, leaving no room for homeless people’s pets. He adds that while there’s no local shelter for survivors of domestic violence that accepts pets, the Humane Society can sometimes pay for temporary off-site boarding.

VETERINARY CARE FOR ALL Animals, like humans, need health care, and The Street Dog Coalition of Asheville can help. The group’s quarterly pop-up clinics provide free, basic care for dogs and cats whose owners can’t afford to pay.

Veterinarian Cat Ashe launched the national organization’s Asheville chapter in September 2020. After moving here from Knoxville, Tenn. in 2013, she was surprised at the size and visibility of the local homeless population. “It was new to me to see this many people, especially with pets,” she recalls.

Most of the clinics have been held on the grounds of the Haywood Street Congregation, 297 Haywood St., Asheville. To date, the local chapter has provided care for 74 dogs and 14 cats, says Katrina Weschler, director of operations for the Fort Collins, Colo.-based nonprofit.

Clients typically bring mixedbreed dogs, especially pit bull mixes and Chihuahuas, says Ashe. Cats are also often mixed breeds. The national umbrella organization supplies the local program with heartworm medication, flea and tick medication and annual vaccines such as rabies, bordetella, distemper and parvovirus for dogs, as well as rabies and feline leukemia vaccines for cats.

“Mostly we see parasite infections from not being regularly dewormed or not being kept on preventatives for roundworms or hookworms,” Ashe explains. “We see a fair amount of skin, ear and eye infections for the same reasons,” she continues, noting that animals with fleas can keep scratching themselves until the ruptured skin becomes infected. The organization isn’t currently equipped to treat serious ailments such as broken bones, but “We are going to try to start fundraising to help people get emergency care for their pets,” Ashe reports.

The coalition isn’t able to spay and neuter pets, either, but the ASPCA Spay/Neuter Alliance provides lowcost local services, and some financial assistance may be available.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND: Christopher Phillips, left, and Randy Tucker pose with Star, who lives with Tucker in his van. Photo by Jessica Wakeman If animals need care in between the coalition’s scheduled clinics, the Rev. Scott Rogers, executive director of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, says most local animal hospitals will see pets at no charge if his organization calls them.

HOME SWEET HOME Woods says that Western Carolina Rescue Ministries has considered building a kennel to house shelter residents’ pets, but it doesn’t have sufficient space. And in any case, he maintains, local animal adoption groups like Brother Wolf and the Humane Society “are the experts” in providing that kind of care.

Still, several people who work with the local homeless population say that facilities for clients’ pets need to be part of the equation.

Homeward Bound recently purchased the former Days Inn on

Tunnel Road and plans to convert it into permanent supportive housing that would accept clients with pets, Kivett-Kimbro reports.

And Cantrell of BeLoved Asheville says that accommodating pets is “a wonderful thing for folks to consider” as additional shelter space is developed. “It doesn’t surprise me that [a pet] becomes a pillar of lots of people’s support systems,” she points out. “Making that possible in the shelter system makes a lot of sense.”

Meanwhile, Randy Tucker and Star are currently seeking housing. A peer support specialist at the Mountain Area Health Education Center is helping Tucker navigate the bureaucratic hurdles.

In the interim, the pair can often be spotted during trips to the pharmacy, Walmart or the French Broad River Dog Park for daily playtime.

“She goes everywhere with me,” says Tucker, adding, “I think she’s pretty happy.” X

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

9

NEWS

Matter of choice

Asheville City Schools will revisit desegregation order

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com For more than 50 years, the Asheville City Schools district has operated under a federal court order meant to prevent discrimination against Black students. But as the school system deals with shifting demographics and a persistent racial achievement gap, some of its leaders are questioning the value of the decades-old document.

At its Jan. 28 meeting, the Asheville City Board of Education heard from its attorney, Chris Campbell, regarding the desegregation order’s history and legal status. While the board took no action at the time, Chair James Carter indicated that members would consider asking the court to change or end the order in the coming months.

“When I first came on the board [in March 2021], there was some talk about, ‘Well, we can maybe do it,’ but we never went any further with it,” Carter said. “This is something perfect to look at with our strategic planning.”

As previously reported by Xpress (see “Separate but better?” March 17, 2021, avl.mx/b72), the order sets goals for racial balance among individual ACS schools. The most recent language, approved in 1991, says the minority enrollment rate at any individual school should not exceed or fall below the system’s overall minority enrollment rate by more than 15%.

When the order was first adopted in 1970, Campbell noted, ACS’ overall enrollment was roughly 70% white and 30% Black. Current numbers are closer to 65% white and 20% Black, with 15% of students identi-

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STUDENTS OF CHANGE: The Asheville City Board of Education is considering alterations to a court order that sets racial enrollment targets for schools in the district. Photo courtesy of Asheville City Schools fying as multiracial or members of other minority groups.

Speaking on Jan. 28, board member Shaunda Sandford called the order’s enrollment target “a racist statement.” She argued that such goals disproportionately impact Black students by restricting their freedom to attend the school of their choice.

“I’m not saying people want to segregate; I think it just should be a choice,” said Sandford, who is Black.

“Why is it not OK for [the order] to just say 50-50? Why does it have to be 15% minority and then 85% white?

To me, that’s not equitable.”

Recent numbers suggest that minority students are less likely to get their first preference of elementary school than are white students.

In the 2020-21 school year, 83% of 529 white students enrolled in their top choice, compared with 78.4% of 134 Black students and 76.9% of 78 Hispanic students. However, data provided by ACS don’t indicate how many students were denied their first-choice school due to the system’s racial targets.

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In February 2021, ACS Superintendent Gene Freeman signed a contract with Raleigh-based Forthright Advising that authorized up to $89,400 in consulting services for the system’s equity initiatives, including the exploration of changes to the desegregation order. Records subsequently obtained by Xpress show that Forthright only billed for about $7,600 of work, with the consultant finishing its efforts last March.

Among the documents created by Forthright is a page of “media talking points” about the school system’s look at the desegregation order. In response to the question, “Why are you doing this while we’re still trying to reopen schools?” the document reads, “The achievement gap for students of color is already stark. With the pandemic predicted to only widen existing achievement gaps across the country, now is the time to act.”

Gaps between the test scores of white and Black ACS students, which are among the worst in the state, generally narrowed in the 2020-21 school year — but not because Black students improved. Instead, the per-

formance of white students generally dropped by a greater degree than that of their Black peers. (The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has acknowledged that all students faced “formidable challenges” to learning due to pandemic-related disruptions.)

For example, 38.5% of white students at Asheville High School scored proficient or higher on endof-course Math I exams in 2019, compared with 10.3% of Black students, equating to a gap of 28.2 percentage points. In 2021, only 26.7% of white students tested proficient, compared with less than 5% of Black students, leading to a smaller gap of 21.7 percentage points.

School board attorney Campbell said any change to the desegregation order would require a return to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, located in Richmond, Va. He said James Ferguson, the plaintiff’s attorney in the lawsuit that led to the current order, was open to reviewing the document and discussing ideas for change. X

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

Buncombe community survey flags trust, development concerns As customers, Buncombe County residents are generally satisfied with the way county government operates. As political constituents, they feel rather differently.

Those two disparate threads emerged from the results of Buncombe’s first community survey, presented at a Feb. 1 county Board of Commissioners briefing. Conducted by the ETC Institute, a Kansas-based consultancy, the effort aimed to evaluate resident perceptions of the county and its administration.

Over 750 residents filled out the seven-page survey in November, exceeding the county’s goal of 500 randomly selected households. That statistical sampling gave the results a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points with a 95% confidence level; in other words, the results would be expected to fall within 3.5 points of the actual numbers 19 of every 20 times the survey was repeated.

On the positive side, nearly 70% of residents who had interacted with a county employee in the previous year said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall quality of customer service they’d received.

Buncombe earned similarly high marks for satisfaction with its libraries, emergency responders and recreation services.

When considering Buncombe as a whole, however, residents were much less pleased. Just 32% had a good or excellent “overall image or reputation of county government” — half the national average among respondents to similar surveys conducted by ETC. Positive views of county transparency and pub-

CONNECTING THE DOTS: Each red dot marks a respondent to Buncombe County’s recent community survey, which took the temperature of county residents on government services and transparency. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County lic involvement in decisions were also about half as prevalent among Buncombe residents compared with people living in other counties across the U.S. “That’s just an astonishing difference to me,” said Commissioner Parker Sloan in response to those results.

Although the survey did not explore why residents held their views, ETC consultant Ryan Murray conjectured that part of Buncombe’s reputation problem stemmed from negative media cov-

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erage. “Unfortunately, the local TV news, it’s not in their best interest to push out the positive stories; they’re looking for viewership and selling commercials,” he said. “Making sure that we become that [preferred media] source for folks … is going to be really important to making sure that we begin to sway folks into that positive category.”

(Unmentioned by Murray or the commissioners were the potential lingering impacts of a corruption scandal involving former County Manager Wanda Greene and other

county officials. As recently as April, former Commissioner Ellen Frost was sentenced to six months in prison for conspiracy to commit federal program fraud.)

A majority of Buncombe residents were also dissatisfied with the “quality of county development, planning and zoning,” with only 16% sharing a positive view. No benchmarking data was available to compare those opinions with those of residents in other counties.

Brownie Newman, the board’s chair, questioned whether that result actually showed dissatisfaction with Buncombe government or instead reflected broader discontent about growth and land use in the county.

“Development is fairly unpopular, even though probably, intellectually, people know that we do need more housing,” he said.

Speaking with Xpress after the meeting, Buncombe Director of Strategy and Innovation Rafael Baptista said the survey was meant to set a benchmark for resident sentiment and start a discussion that will continue through the county’s comprehensive planning process. That effort, taking place through spring or summer 2023, will guide Buncombe’s direction on land use and zoning for the next 20 years.

Regarding transparency and public involvement, county spokesperson Kassi Day noted that all Buncombe boards and commissions meetings would be added to a new online platform in the near future. She said that approach would increase the accessibility of county operations and provide new opportunities for public comment.

The full findings report of the ETC survey is available at avl.mx/b70. The benchmarking analysis, which compares Buncombe’s numbers to those of regional and national peers, is available at avl.mx/b71.

— Daniel Walton X

SNAPSHOT BUNCOMBE BEAT

CIBO gets update on Montreat cybersecurity program Folks at the 650-student Montreat College may soon find themselves rubbing elbows with the top minds at the National Security Agency as a result of the college’s elite cybersecurity program, according to Paul Maurer, president of the college.

During a Feb. 4 meeting of the Council of Independent Business Owners, Maurer told attendees that the private, Christian liberal arts school, which had just landed $30 million in state grants for the college to support its cyber programming, has rapidly become one of North Carolina’s foremost cybersecurity institutions.

“We consider cybersecurity to be the economic and security threat of our age. It’s that big,” Maurer said.

“Cybercrime was estimated to be at about $6 trillion last year. If you were to convert that to the GDP of the world’s largest economies, that would make cybercrime the third largest economy on the planet, after the United States and China.”

Maurer said that enrollment in Montreat’s cyber programs — which include an online associate’s degree in cybersecurity, four-year bachelor’s degree, as well as its Carolina Cyber Center, which provides immersive and hands-on learning opportunities — grew from eight in 2015 to more than 240 in 2021.

Despite that momentum, the college programs hit some roadblocks along the way. In 2019, Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the 2019-20 state budget, which included a request for $20 million in funding for the programs. The request for funding was then rolled into House Bill 398, but lost support from local Democrats in part over the college’s religious commitment. Employees at both the college and the Cyber Center are required to sign a “Community Life Covenant” reflecting conservative Christian values.

The funding was supported by Democrat Rep. John Ager, who told Xpress in 2019 that, “The rebellion in my party centered around the large appropriation going to a private institution when there were several cybersecurity programs in our university system. …

They felt like the $20 million was a sweetheart deal by North Carolina Republicans to support a conservative Christian school.”

LEADING THE WAY: Paul Maurer, president of Montreat College, told members of the Council of Independent Business Owners that the college’s programming and Carolina Cyber Center are at the forefront of the cyber security industry. Photo courtesy of Montreat College But in December, the General Assembly, along with the support of Cooper, passed the 2021-22 state budget that included $30 million for the college to support its cyber programming and the Carolina Cyber Center.

The Carolina Cyber Center’s executive director, Adam Bricker, told Xpress after the meeting that the center will separate from the college to become an independent nonprofit at some point during 2022, after which Community Life Covenants will not be required by staff.

Incidents of cyber attacks have occurred in Western North Carolina at businesses as well as governmental offices. In 2020, Mitchell County Schools was a victim of ransomware when hackers infiltrated the district’s network and demanded

payment, according to an Aug. 28 Asheville Citizen-Times report.

Asheville-based allergy specialists Allergy Partners experienced a cyber attack Feb. 23, 2021 in which hackers demanded $1.75 million, according to a report filed with the Asheville Police Department. And in May of last year, Gov. Cooper issued a state of emergency after hackers shut down the Colonial Pipeline that interrupted fuel supplies across the Southeast.

Maurer estimated that the financial impact of cybercrime could increase by as much as 15% per year, increasing the global impact to more than $10 trillion by 2025. He also noted that despite the demand for skilled employees, cybersecurity as an industry is facing workforce shortages. “[Cybersecurity staffing issues] existed long before the labor shortages that we’ve seen during COVID. And the problem of the cyber workforce talent gap continues to grow,” he explained. Maurer noted that there are more than a half-million unfilled jobs in cybersecurity in the United States. He told members of CIBO during the meeting that the college’s cyber center and programming is focused on preparing students to protect critical areas of government infrastructure, as well as the private sector, against cyberattacks.

“An we look at utilizing the grants that the state North Carolina has entrusted to us, we’re looking at how to leverage those grants for the greatest common good for the state of North Carolina,” he said.

The college has not yet decided which government infrastructures the programs will focus on, Maurer said, “but we’re going to take a hard look at water, the electrical grid and the financial sector. These are the big areas and great vulnerabilities for us, for our region, for the state.”

He also said that the Carolina Cyber Center is available to assist business owners who experience a cyberattack or hacking. “[Business owners] often don’t know what to do in those first 24 hours, and they’re critical hours,” Maurer said. “If you are hacked, reach out to us. And we’ll try to give you the best guidance we can get.”

— Brooke Randle X

KEEP IT CLEAN: RiverLink’s Adopt-A-Storm Drain program recently celebrated its 100th adoption, thanks to local resident Laura Beeler, who chose the featured drain on Clingman Avenue in the River Arts District.

According to a recent press release, the program aims “to empower residents to participate in keeping local streams clean and grow awareness of the municipal storm drain system and its role in protecting clean water.” To learn more or to participate, visit riverlink.org. Photo courtesy of RiverLink

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GREEN ROUNDUP

Final steps of Pisgah-Nantahala forest planning underway

LAND WITH A PLAN: Black Balsam Knob, seen here, is among the most visited sites in the Pisgah National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service is now finalizing a new management plan for the Pisgah and Nantahala forests that would add more recreational trails. Photo courtesy of Garrett Martin Nearly a decade after the U.S. Forest Service launched the process for updating its management of the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests, an end is in sight. On Jan. 21, the USFS released a final draft plan that will cover over 1 million acres of public land in Western North Carolina for the next 15-20 years.

“The forest plan creates the framework for us to work with partners into the future to successfully address major challenges like climate resilience and sustainable recreation,” wrote James Melonas, supervisor of the National Forests in North Carolina, in a press release announcing the plan.

“Ultimately, we are focused on the opportunities we have to keep these national forests healthy so they can continue to supply clean water to communities, contribute to the region’s economy and be a place of respite and recreation.”

In his draft record of decision, an explanatory document issued alongside the plan, Melonas wrote that USFS will increase currently underrepresented young and open forest ecosystems across the landscape. Active practices, such as logging and controlled burning, will be balanced with the preservation of large undeveloped spaces, such as the recommended Craggy National 14

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Scenic Area. And a focus on “sustainable recreation” will boost the forest’s trail system to address public demand.

But Will Harlan, an Asheville-based campaigner with the national nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity, raised concerns that the plan would expand cutting in mature forests. “Our publicly owned national forests are far more valuable standing than chainsawed down,” wrote Harlan in a Jan. 21 press release. “Protecting drinking water, clean air, scenic views, iconic trails and old-growth forests will provide far more benefits than board feet of timber.”

Although public comment on the plan is closed, people and organizations who previously submitted comment are eligible to file objections through Monday, March 21. More information on the objection process is available at avl.mx/b6j or by contacting Michelle Aldridge with the USFS at 828-707-8391. All plan documents can be reviewed at avl.mx/b6k.

Petition filed to protect bog turtle Multiple Western North Carolina wetlands are home to the bog turtle, the smallest turtle species in North

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America. As habitat loss and poaching continue to threaten the turtle’s survival, Defenders of Wildlife — a national nonprofit with an Ashevillebased Southeast branch — has filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list its Southern population as threatened or endangered.

Although the bog turtle’s Northern population has been federally listed as threatened since 1997, no such protections are in place for Southern turtles, even as their habitat has declined by more than 80% over the past century.

Climate change poses a further danger to the turtle by potentially drying up the bogs they rely upon.

“Losing even a single mature bog turtle can devastate a local population, and we’ve already lost thousands,” said Katherine Diersen, Southeast representative at Defenders of Wildlife, in a Jan. 27 press release announcing the move. “The plagues of illicit collection, habitat loss, disease and climate change have put them squarely on the path toward extinction. The Fish and Wildlife Service must protect them while there is still time.”

The FWS has 90 days from the filing of the petition to determine if a threatened or endangered designation may be warranted. The next step

would be a yearlong review of the bog turtle’s status, followed by a 60-day public comment period.

Community kudos • UNC Asheville biology professor Rebecca Hale received the university’s inaugural Steve and Frosene Zeis Professorship, a two-year award supporting biomedical or biochemical research. Hale’s project will study the genetic and neurological basis of mating behavior in the native marbled salamander.

• Hendersonville-based nonprofit Conserving Carolina protected roughly 700 acres of forest in the city of Brevard’s watershed.

Conservation easements on the property, which forms Tarklin Branch, a tributary of Cathey’s Creek, were donated by the Polchow family, who has owned the land since 1963.

• The city of Asheville released a screening tool to help city staff evaluate projects, budget issues and policies through a climate justice lens.

The effort aims to ensure all residents have “access to information, relationships, land and resources needed to have sovereignty and self-direction in

response to climate crisis events and long-term sustainability that is community-led, deeply informed, organized, prepared for rapid response and well-resourced.” More information is available at avl.mx/b6t.

• A team of AmeriCorps volunteers is helping repair Haywood County homes and property damaged in Tropical Storm Fred. The group of nine young people, ages 18-24, is operating out of Lake Logan and will also work to restore historic structures and a dock on the property. Ingles Markets will support the team with food, water and cleaning supplies.

• The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation elected new officers to its board of trustees, with Henderson County Manager John Mitchell becoming chair and Bob Stout, a retired regional president of US Foods from Blowing Rock, becoming vice chair.

The nonprofit’s council of advisers also welcomed Sam Johnson, a business adviser and fly-fishing author, and Ken McFadyen, director of economic development for Botetourt County in Virginia.

• Asheville filmmaker Garrett Martin is producing a documentary, The Great Forest, about efforts to conserve the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests. A teaser for the film is available at avl.mx/b6g; Martin has also launched a Kickstarter campaign to support its completion at avl.mx/b6h.

Opportunity knocks • Nominations are open through Friday, Feb. 25, for the Western North Carolina Agricultural Hall of Fame, administered by Asheville nonprofit WNC Communities. New inductees will be named in August at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher, where the hall was recently relocated for permanent display. More information and a nomination form are available at avl.mx/b5j.

served basis for anyone with financial need. More information is available by emailing Abby Artemesia at Abby@TheWanderSchool.com.

Save the date

HELPING HANDS: AmeriCorps volunteers based at Lake Logan are working to restore Haywood County homes damaged by Tropical Storm Fred. Photo courtesy of Ingles Markets • Black Mountain gardeners have until Monday, March 14, to apply for the 2022 Seed Money Award. Organized by the Black Mountain Beautification Committee, applicants can win up to $1,500. Projects should reflect the committee’s mission of “honoring the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains while seeking to reflect that beauty on the streets and in the lives of the citizens.” More information and an application form are available at avl.mx/b5l.

• Nonprofits and local governments can now apply for funds to carry out flooding reduction projects through the N.C. Soil and Water Conservation Commission’s Streamflow

Rehabilitation Assistance Program.

Eligible work includes clearing debris from blocked streams and stabilizing streambanks. Applications for the first grant period will be accepted through Thursday, March 31; more information is available at avl.mx/b5m.

• The Wander School, a Burnsville herbalism education nonprofit, is offering scholarship and work-trade opportunities for its Wildcrafted Herb School program (avl.mx/b6i).

One scholarship slot will be reserved for a student who is Black, Indigenous or a person of color; two partial work-trade slots will be available on a first-come, first-

• The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy will hold a volunteer workday at Chestnut Mountain near Canton Friday, Feb. 18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Volunteers will join SAHC and the Hemlock Restoration Initiative to help protect hemlock stands against the invasive hemlock wooly adelgid. More information and registration is available by emailing Sarah Sussman at Sussman@Appalachian.org.

• The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project will present two fairs to connect residents with local community-supported agriculture programs. Events will take place 4-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Hendersonville Community Co-op and Friday, March 11, at the YWCA of Asheville. Full Share, an online guide to CSAs, is also available online at avl.mx/b6f.

• ASAP’s 19th annual Business of Farming Conference returns Saturday, Feb. 26, to the Mission Health/A-B Tech Conference Center.

New sessions this year include talks on farm employment, market opportunities at food relief sites and building an online presence. More information and registration is available at avl.mx/b5k.

• The Buncombe County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual seedling sale is accepting orders through Sunday, Feb. 27, for pickup Thursday-Friday, March 3-4.

Offerings include mulberries, persimmons, pawpaws, redbuds and dogwoods. More information and prices are available at avl.mx/wordcap0.

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— Daniel Walton X

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Q&A with Philip Cooper, certified peer support specialist Sometimes what seems like the worst thing in life turns out to be the turning point for something better.

For Philip Cooper, that rang true when he was convicted and sentenced to nearly four years in prison on drug-related charges.

Cooper began serving time in 2007 and became a peer counselor for fellow inmates in 2010. After completing his sentence, Philip enrolled in A-B Tech and earned a degree in human services technology. He went on to work in crisis stabilization, reentry counseling, alcohol and drug recovery services and job skills programs.

Today, Cooper is a self-described change agent. He works as an Investments Supporting Partnerships in Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) coordinator for the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board at Land of Sky Regional Council, an organization supporting local governments. He provides support and

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resources to people recovering from addiction and workforce reentry after incarceration. The INSPIRE initiative also sponsors training for people in recovery to become certified peer support specialists and community health workers.

Cooper sat down with Xpress to share how poverty influenced his life, misconceptions about the formerly incarcerated and why he is “in love” with substance abuse recovery.

This interview has been condensed and lightly edited.

What was your childhood like?

I was born in Rutherford County.

I moved to Asheville in eighth grade with my dad. He’s a veteran and he struggled with substance use. He moved up here and turned his life around. Being an only child living with my dad, who had just bounced back, I had it made in a lot of ways.

It was hard though, being separated from my mom. That was a battle and something that I struggled with.

When I was living in the projects in Hickory, North Carolina, I identified drug dealers as role models at an early age. We were living in poverty from fourth grade until the eighth grade when I moved with my dad.

But by that time, I had already determined that those drug dealers in the neighborhood were the people who I looked up to. … The people who weren’t in poverty were the drug dealers. The ones that were feared, respected, dressed nice and had a lot of money were the drug dealers. So I wanted to be like them.

You served time in prison from 2007-11. How did being incarcerated change your life?

Prison saved my life. I couldn’t get it together on the outside. So when I went to prison, I found out who my real friends were. I learned work ethic, because on the inside I worked a job every day on the road squad. The first promotion I ever got was when I went from road squad to janitor.

I also went through a 90-day [substance use disorder] treatment program called A New Direction, and it was life-changing. It’s an evidence-based program that focuses on cognitive behavioral therapy with a focus on criminogenics. It made me think about my thoughts, even though I didn’t want to fully apply myself initially.

But I started to apply myself and a lot of it made sense [in terms of] things that I identified with. I knew that I was a person who struggled with substance use. There was a guy in there, a peer counselor named Ken Coleman. He was a mentor to me.

And there were other people who had been in prison for a long period of time who were respected in the yard and would give me advice on life.

That’s how I got into the behavioral health world, into peer support.

Your work focuses on helping folks reenter the workforce as well as recover from substance abuse.

How do those two components work together?

At least 70% of the people who have substance use disorder have a job.

There are many people who didn’t struggle with the work ethic, they didn’t struggle with having a skill, but they struggle with their recovery.

So we understand that they have to be recovering during work. When

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PHILIP COOPER people meet with us, we’re talking about recovery. We’re not jumping straight into talking about getting you a job. We talk about what sober living you’re going to, what pathway of recovery are you going to choose.

What do you think are common misconceptions about people who are incarcerated or have substance use disorder?

There’s a lack of understanding for the trauma. There’s a lot of trauma that people experience in their life that lead them to that lifestyle. A lot of times people are coming from poverty, and poverty is often preceded by single parent households.

There’s some special cases where one event on one night went wrong.

For some people, one bad night, one bad moment, can send them to prison for 14 years. But for the most part, that lifestyle is preceded by some unaddressed trauma and unaddressed mental health challenges. People not having the mental health support that they need and are living in poverty.

And when you’re living in poverty, you experience the drug dealing in the neighborhoods, the lack of mental health support, the lack of mentorship.

What words of encouragement would you offer for people who are in recovery or seeking help with substance abuse?

If it is a person who is in recovery, what I would tell them is don’t don’t get too comfortable. Recovery is not a destination, it’s a journey. Fall in love with the recovery process. That’s what’s worked for me, and it’s been working for 13 years. There’s ups and downs, there’s baby mama drama, there’s friends overdosing and dying, there’s friends getting murdered. It’s a hard life. But it’s not as hard as it could be because I’ve got a recovery process that I’m living by.

— Brooke Randle X

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘Sun down, slow down’ Locals campaign for greater safety among motorists, 1936 “It is a commonly held opinion that in lawless America, life is cheap and that our homicide rate is frightful — but the number of persons slain by criminals or in quarrels is not half that of the persons who die frightful deaths amid the automotive wreckage on the highways and streets!” the Sunday edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times declared on Jan. 5, 1936.

According to the article, in the state of North Carolina automobile accidents accounted for an average of 82 deaths per month; meanwhile, homicides totaled 37. Nationwide, traffic deaths averaged “23.2 per 10,000,000 gallons of gasoline consumed,” the article continued. “North Carolina’s average is 36.6 — more than 50 per cent greater!”

For this reason, the newspaper reported, the Chamber of Commerce was launching a local safety campaign.

Its goal was to have 20,000 Buncombe County and Asheville motorists sign pledge cards to drive more carefully.

The same day’s paper featured a sample of the pledge card: 1. Drive at a moderate speed on the proper side of the road and not cut corners.

2. Observe traffic signals.

3. Not pass cars on curves or hills where vision is restricted.

4. Stop at stop signs.

5. Be particularly watchful for pedestrians.

6. Give hand signals before turning left or right or stopping.

7. Refrain from driving if under the influence of intoxicants.

8. Keep brakes and lights in proper condition.

9. Refrain from reckless driving and be fair to other drivers in traffic.

“Starting tomorrow a determined drive will begin to get virtually ever person in the city and county who drives an automobile to put down in black and white his or her solemn promise to better observe safety rules in the future,” the paper declared.

Early momentum was strong. Local radio stations carried a variety of pro-

STOP AND GO: The Nov. 14, 1922 Billy Borne cartoon predates the 1936 safety campaign. But the drawing, originally featured in The Asheville Citizen, illustrates Asheville’s early and ongoing interest in traffic and automobile safety. gramming about the perils of reckless driving. The paper ran advertisements warning against deadly accidents.

Local schools hosted essay contests on the topic. The American Enka corporation invited workers and community members alike to view a film on the issue. And local Boy Scout troops flocked to filling stations with pledge cards in hand, seeking signatures.

“The Scouts will operate in such a manner as to cause the motorists no delay and to create no inconvenience to station attendance,” The Asheville Citizen wrote on Jan. 28, 1936.

Shortly after its launch, Arthur Fulk, North Carolina’s director of division of highway safety, issued a statement praising the local campaign.

He also reminded readers of the grim numbers: In 1935, 1,095 people were killed in North Carolina and another 6,950 injured by automobiles.

ASHEVILLE G E T T H E A P P !

Fulk then emphasized that a large percentage of these accidents occurred between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. — stressing that high speeds and darkness made for a lethal combination.

“A good slogan for all drivers would be ‘Sun Down, Slow Down,’” Fulk proclaimed.

By March 11, 1936, the paper reported that 3,000 pledge cards had been signed.

But subsequent coverage on the safety campaign waned. It is unclear whether or not the Chamber of Commerce reached its goal of 20,000 signatures.

One thing is for certain, though. Had Fulk and local members leading the 1936 campaign lived to see dawn of the cellphone, they’d likely add at least one more promise to their pledge card: Refrain from texting and driving.

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

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SNAPSHOT

SWEAR A BLUE STREAK: Caleb Rudow, left, was sworn in Feb. 1 at the state capital. He was appointed by Buncombe County Democratic precinct representatives to replace Susan Fisher to represent State House District 114. He was accompanied by his parents, Marc Rudow and Deborah Miles, while House minority leader Rep. Robert Reives delivered the oath of office. Photo by Jim McElroy

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR FEBRUARY 9-17, 2022 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

Online Events = Shaded WELLNESS Introduction to Tai Chi Taught by Roger Byrd.

TH (2/10), 10:30am, Free, Asheville Community Yoga Center, 8 Brookdale Rd American Red Cross Blood Donation Drive Across from RH Outlet.

All donations will be tested for COVID-19 antibody.

FR (2/11), 10am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd UNCA COVID-19 Testing Sites In the Blue Ridge Room. No appointment required.

FR (2/11), 1-8pm, SA (2/12), SU (2/13), 9am-5pm, Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights LGBTQ Sweat Your Prayers A safe space for the LGBTQ community to move their bodies with intention, love, in solidarity. All are welcome, sliding scale.

SA (2/12), 9:30am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd Bipolar and Depression Support Group Contact Renee Bazile for more information 828-367-7660.

SA (2/12), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd Quest4Life 5Rhythms Waves Class Weekly instructional classes based on Gabrielle Roth's work.

Masks are required.

No dance experience necessary.

TU (2/15), 7pm, $12-22, Terpsicorps Academy, 1501 Patton Ave Yoga and the 12 Steps of Recovery (Y12SR) Addresses addiction as a mental, physical and spiritual disease.

WE (2/16), 8:30am, Asheville Yoga Center, 211 S Liberty St Pub Run Rain or shine, all ages and experience levels welcome.

WE (2/16), 6:15pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Queer & Trans Yoga Class For everyone who identifies outside the lines and hasn't felt comfortable in a traditional yoga space.

TH (2/17), 6pm, avl.mx/b1t

ART Gallery Group Show: Revanant A response to the pandemic and a “post-pandemic” world. Artists are Julie Slattery, øjeRum, Dan Hillier and Juul Kraijer.

Wednesday-Saturday, 10am-3pm, Continuum Art, 147 ste C, 1st Ave E, Hendersonville Ruminations on Memory On view in conjunction with A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art. Daily 11am-6pm, til 9pm Thurs. Closed Tuesdays.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square Walter B. Stephen Pottery: Cameo to Crystalline Features art pottery and functional vessels from each stage of Stephen’s career. Daily 11am-6pm, Thurs til 9pm. Closed Tuesday.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art Highlights the use of the written Cherokee language, a syllabary developed

by Cherokee innovator Sequoyah. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays til 9pm. Closed Tuesday.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square A Hand in Studio Craft: Harvey K. Littleton as Peer and Pioneer Places Havey and Bess Littleton's collection from the early days of the Studio Glass Movement and the height of the American mid-century Studio Pottery Movement.

Daily 11am-6pm, til 9pm Thursdays. Closed Tuesdays.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square Stained with Glass: Vitreograph Prints from the Studio of Harvey K. Littleton A wide circle of artists in a variety of media—including glass, ceramics, and painting—were invited to Littleton’s studio in Spruce Pineto create prints using the vitreograph process developed by Littleton. 11am-6pm

daily, til 9pm Thurs.

Closed Tues.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square Nocturne A collection of works in a variety of media that celebrates the drama and mystery of the night. Daily 10-6, Sundays 12-5. Through Feb. 19.

Momentum Gallery , 24 N. Lexington Ave WNC Fibers/ Handweavers Guild Exhibition A variety of textile disciplines will be on display. Processes represented include spinning, shibori, batik, silkscreen, weaving, natural dyeing, needle felting, knitting and more. Daily, 10am-5pm Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway Time For Renewal Featuring works by three new gallery members: Kathy Goodson, Margie Kluska and Johnnie Stanfield. Daily 11am-6pm.

Free, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave The Wyeths: Three Generations Provides a comprehensive survey of works by N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and HenrietteWyeth.

Wednesdays-Mondays, 11am-6pm through May 30.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square Small Work/Big Impact An annual exhibition that assembles intimately-scaled works in a variety of media by gallery artists and special guests. Open daily 10-6, Sundays 12-5. Through Feb. 19.

Momentum Gallery , 24 N. Lexington Ave ᎢᏛᏍᎦ ᏫᏥᏤᎢ ᎠᎵᏰᎵᏒ Weaving Across Time Showcases the works of nine Eastern Band Cherokee basket makers. M-F, 11am, through April 22.

Center for Craft, 67 Broadway

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS Valentine's Vintage Clothing Pop Up A curated selection of vintage clothing and accessories in Biltmore Village.

WE (2/9), TH (2/10, FR (2/11), 11am, Scout Boutique, 10 All Souls Crescent Mini Market Pop Up Local arts, crafts and artisanal products.

SU (2/13), 11:30am, Highland Brewing Downtown Taproom, 56 Patton Ave

CLASSICAL MEETS HIP-HOP: Wil Baptiste, left, and Kev Marcus, both classically trained violists and violinists, will perform at the Bardo Arts Center Performance Hall at Western Carolina University Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7:30 p.m. The duo, known as Black Violin, has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals for 17 years. Photo courtesy of WCU Bardo Arts Center COMMUNITY MUSIC Black Violin Classically trained violists and violinists Wil Baptiste and Kev Marcus combine classical training and hip-hop influences.

WE (2/9), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee Ryan & Ryan Piano duo Donald and Barron Ryan perfrome everything from Rachmaninoff to Gershwin to Billy Joel.

MO (2/14), 7pm, $42, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Discussion Bound Book Club Monthly discussion hosted by the Asheville Art Museum.

WE (2/9), 12pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S. Pack Square Downtown Asheville Book Club Meetup Participants will discuss On Beauty by Zadie

Smith.

TH (2/10), 7pm, Highland Downtown Taproom, 56 Patton Ave Winter Artist-in-Residence David Barratt Session 5 – Poetry in Translation Poetry as Song/Poetry in Other Languages.

For Zoom link and location, email 24 hours prior to event: ccc.avl.nc@gmail.com.

SA (2/12), 10:45am, Center for Connection + Collaboration Community Reading::Valentine’s Day – Love Poems Bring your favorite love poems to share. For Zoom link and location, email 24 hours prior to event: ccc.avl.nc@ gmail.com.

MO (2/14), 7pm, Center for Connection + Collaboration Malaprop's Mystery Book Club Participants will discuss The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware. Registration required.

MO (2/14), 7pm, avl.mx/7jn Calla Henkel presents Other People's Clothes

The author discusses her novel. Sponsored

by Malaprop's. Registration required.

TU (2/15), 6pm, avl.mx/prwj Malaprop's Notorious HBC (History Book Club) Participants will discuss News of a Kidnapping

by Gabriel García Márquez. Registration required.

TH (2/17), 7pm, avl.mx/9s9 Noah Van Sciver presents The Complete Works of Fante Bukowski in conversation w/ Doug Martsch Martsch and Van Sciver discuss Van Sciver's graphic novel. Sponsored by Malaprop's.

Registration required.

TH (2/17), 7pm, avl.mx/b6d

THEATER PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company Pre-show discussion at 7pm in Henry LaBrun Studio.

TH (2/17), 8pm, Free, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

Downtown Taproom, 56 Patton Ave

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS

FOOD & BEER

Cookie Decorating Class with 3 Eggs Cakery Decorate cookies for your four legged friends.

WE (2/9), 6pm, Highland Brewing Downtown Taproom, 56 Patton Ave Men's Cancer Support Group Share about cancer, our lives with cancer and our lives outside of cancer.

RSVP to Will at (412)9130272 or acwein123@ gmail.com.

WE (2/16), 6pm, Free, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N. Merrimon Ave, Suite 101 WNCHA History Hour: The Brevard Rosenwald School Betty J. Reed discusses her research into the Brevard Rosenwald School and other segregated schools in WNC. TH (2/17), 6pm, avl.mx/b6y Crafts with Craft A rotational series of beginner level crafts.

This week is Macrame for Beginners.

TH (2/17), 7pm, $20, Highland Brewing

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Sip and Smoke Learn how to pair cigars and spirits at a local distillery.

TH (2/10), 6:30pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain ASAP Winter Farmers Market SA (2/12), 10am, A-B Tech Conference Center, 340 Victoria Rd River Arts District Winter Market Local produce, cheese, breads, meats and more.

SA (2/12), 3pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St

SPIRITUALITY Baha’i Third Wednesday Devotional All are welcome at this monthly gathering via Zoom.

WE (2/16), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/b6x Online Baha'i Sunday Devotional SU (2/13), 10am, avl.mx/b6v

FEB. 9-15, 2022

19

WELLNESS HEALTH ROUNDUP

Birth control no longer requires a prescription in NC

MORE ACCESSIBLE: Pharmacists in North Carolina now can dispense some forms of hormonal birth control without a prescription. Image via iStockphoto Pharmacists in North Carolina can now dispense and administer certain medications, including some forms of hormonal birth control, without a prescription, according to a state law that went into effect Feb. 1. Both self-administered oral contraception (birth control pills) and transdermal contraception (birth control patches) are available.

House Bill 96 also gives immunizing pharmacists expanded ability to administer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. Additionally, the law authorizes pharmacists to dispense nicotine replacement therapy approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration; prenatal vitamins; post-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, for exposure to HIV; and glucagon for the treatment of hypoglycemia.

Gov. Roy Cooper signed the legislation into effect Aug. 20.

“Accessible and affordable contraception is a key component of ensuring all North Carolinians can access reproductive health care when and where they need it,” said Tara Romano, executive director of Pro-Choice North Carolina, in a Feb. 1 press release. “Birth control is a fundamental right, and everyone has 20

FEB. 9-15, 2022

the right to use the birth control that is best for them without having to navigate obstacles.”

Mission Hospital postponing surgeries As of Jan. 26, Mission Hospital has been postponing some scheduled surgeries in response to increased COVID-19 infections among staff and patients, as first reported by Asheville Watchdog.

“Mission Hospital leadership in consultation with physicians are reviewing surgical priorities throughout each day,” wrote spokesperson Nancy Lindell in a statement. “Mission Hospital is delaying only those surgeries that our team feels can safely be delayed.”

Lindell said the hospital’s emergency room remains open and is continuing to see patients experiencing heart attacks, strokes or trauma.

“Pardee intermittently paused elective surgeries between Jan. 10 and Jan. 24, dependent upon capacity and COVID caseloads,” UNC Pardee Health Care chief nursing

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officer Carol Stefaniak wrote in a statement.

As of Feb. 7, AdventHealth Hendersonville is not delaying or rescheduling surgeries due to COVID-19, says spokesperson Victoria Dunkle.

Finding free COVID-19 tests • NC Medicaid beneficiaries can receive free at-home COVID-19 tests from local pharmacies per a Jan. 24 order by N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Chief Medical Officer Dr. Elizabeth Tilson. Recipients must present their NC Medicaid ID cards to receive the tests; pharmacies may impose limits on the number of tests each individual can receive due to the high volume of need.

• NCDHHS and Labcorp, a clinical laboratory network, are providing free COVID-19 tests via avl.mx/b6e.

Residents must create a Labcorp OnDemand account to request a test kit, which will be delivered for free via overnight shipping.

Recipients must then register their test, self-collect a sample and mail the results back to the lab with the enclosed FedEx overnight shipping envelope. When results are ready, they can be accessed on the Labcorp OnDemand account. More information is available at avl.mx/b6c.

• As of Jan. 15, private insurance companies and health plans are required to cover eight at-home COVID-19 tests per covered individual per month, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Individuals can purchase at-home COVID-19 tests in stores or online. Depending on insurance plan, tests may be covered up front or reimbursed after filing a claim. Additionally, all tests that are ordered or administered by a health care provider following a clinical assessment must be covered, according to a statement from DHHS. • Any household in the U.S. can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests via COVIDTests.gov. Tests are expected to ship 7-12 days after being ordered. Households can also order the free tests by calling 800-232-0233.

New leadership • The Dogwood Health Trust announced Dr. Susan Mims as its permanent CEO Jan. 28. Mims, who had been the foundation’s interim CEO since December 2020, was previously chair of the Department of Community and Public Health at UNC Health Sciences at the Mountain Area Health Education Center. Dogwood was created from the approximately $1.5 billion sale of Mission Health in 2019 to HCA Healthcare. The foundation funds programs advancing community wellness throughout 18 WNC counties and the Qualla Boundary.

• Western Carolina Medical Society, a professional association of physicians and physician assistants in WNC, announced Jan. 27 it had named Elisa Quarles its new CEO. Quarles will join the organization Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Mark your calendars • The Buncombe County Violence Prevention Task Force is seeking 10 middle and high school students to participate in monthly meetings about local preventive services and interventions. The meetings will take place 3:30-5:30 p.m. on designated days through October. Selected youths can be paid $50 per meeting for attending a minimum of five and a maximum of 10 meetings. Candidates must apply online at avl.mx/b5y

by Wednesday, June 1; more information is available by emailing PTFImplementationTeam@gmail. com.

• The Asheville Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its second annual Fit 50 Challenge, which asks residents to complete 50 miles of exercise by running, walking, skating or cycling through Friday,

April 1. Participants must record their mileage (2,500 steps equals one mile) and post updates in a special Facebook group. The department will provide pedometers for tracking; participants can also use a smartwatch or phone app. The participant who accumulates the most miles will win an Apple Watch, and the runner-up will win a set of AirPods. Participation in Fit 50 Challenge is free, and sign-ups are available at avl.mx/b62.

• Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville is hosting virtual support groups for people with a cancer diagnosis and their caregivers. Between Friends is held the third Thursday of every month from 3-5 p.m; the next meeting takes place Thursday, Feb. 17.

More information is available by contacting Leann Noakes, cancer nurse navigator, at 828-698-7317 or Leann.Noakes@UNCHealth.unc. edu.

• The Rotary Club of AshevilleBiltmore is holding a 24-hour walkathon to fight dementia Friday, Feb. 25, on treadmills at the Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community.

Participants are invited to walk for 15 minutes at their own pace.

Half of funds raised will be donated to MemoryCare, a nonprofit in Asheville serving Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers; the other half of funds raised will be donated to Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust, a project of Rotary International. More information is available at RotaryClubAB.org.

• A performance of Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues at The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave, Friday, March 22, 8 p.m., will benefit Helpmate, a nonprofit providing services for survivors of domestic violence. Tickets are $15-$35, and all proceeds will support Helpmate.

More information is available at avl.mx/b65.

field guide

Asheville to

25

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Your companion to land-use planning in Buncombe County

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

21

ARTS & CULTURE

We have your

VALENTINE’S DAY

Scene and heard

desires covered with TWO locations providing Eco-conscious Locally Made Apparel & Lingerie & Body-Safe Toys!

Music venue sound engineers adjust to working in a pandemic

Let us wrap your gift!

CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: “We want all people to come to see live music at The Grey Eagle, but we also want people to feel safe at our venue,” says production manager Andy Eubanks. “It’s a fine line between mitigating risk, keeping live music alive and providing entertainment for the public to enjoy.” Left photo by Joe Pollock; right photo courtesy of Eubanks

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been made of the odysseys that performers, venue owners and club managers have weathered in navigating a range of new rules and restrictions to bring back live music to the Asheville area.

But what about venue employees in charge of making sure the nightly shows go on? For these front-line workers, their professional lives over the past two years have been a mix of anxiety-inducing challenges and sonic rewards.

57 Broadway Street

Downtown Asheville

723 Haywood Rd West Asheville

22

FEB. 9-15, 2022

ROLE CALL When bands unload at The Grey Eagle, Andy Eubanks is typically the first person to greet them. As production manager, he’s responsible for addressing performers’ needs — anything from the group’s stage layout to its hospitality items and everything in between.

“I’m just here to make it work and make it as easy as possible for them,”

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Eubanks says. “Touring life is pretty hard, and you just want to make them comfortable.”

Once the musicians’ equipment is amplified and patched into the house system, Eubanks labels his mixing board, and the sound check begins.

After some tinkering, and once he and the band find the right balance, they break until showtime.

“There’s those few seconds when I bring down the house lights, bring up the stage lights and turn everything up that I get nervous that something is going to go wrong,” Eubanks says.

“The moment when the music starts and everything goes as planned is what keeps me doing what I do.”

Over at The Orange Peel, responsibilities are similar for production manager Max Elias and his senior audio engineers, Sunset Appleton and Justin Baumann. As crew chief, Appleton directs newer sound-tech colleagues on nights when his team is running the boards, but on occasions when a band brings its own audio engineers, Elias helps set them up with whatever house gear is needed.

RECALIBRATION Such interactions went on hold in March 2020, as restrictions in response to the pandemic shuttered music venues across the country.

During this time, both venues eased back into production by offering livestreams of performances and implementing strict guidelines among staff and artists to deter the virus’s spread.

The Grey Eagle also gradually cycled in patio shows with limited capacities, taking advantage of its outdoor space.

Throughout the uncertain times, both crews have felt tremendous support from their respective management as policies were formed to encourage a responsible work environment within a wildly fluid public health situation. Such mindfulness was especially evident at The Orange Peel in March 2021. As restrictions lifted and the venue began contemplating bringing back live music with in-person audiences, management sought feedback via employee surveys.

“Everyone got asked, ‘What things do you need to see happen in order to

musicians or crew members had COVID. Rather than receive the news directly from the group, Elias says he’s had to find out on social media the next day. And while he doesn’t think these artists are being malicious, he’s adamant that transparency is key to maintaining industrywide health.

be comfortable with this?’” Appleton says. “The way that that was addressed was very appropriate and effective.”

Today, Elias’ whole tech staff is vaccinated and tests daily. And with the rise of the highly transmissible omicron variant, The Orange Peel’s door staff has also started testing every day. “[Management is] spending the money to make sure that we’re doing everything we can do,” he says.

“Honestly, that’s all I could ask for. I think that’s all any employee could ask for — just taking every precaution necessary and making sure we’re all right.”

ONE DAY AT A TIME

UNDER PRESSURE While both crews are thankful to be back working, they’re upfront that business still isn’t quite what it was prior to the pandemic and remains on shaky ground.

“It’s definitely scary. If one of my tech guys gets COVID and we’re all around each other, chances are we’re going to be canceling some shows,” Elias says. “But that’s the same for any band coming in. If one of them gets sick or a crew guy gets sick, it’s usually a canceled show. So that part of the business has been tough for Sunset [Appleton] and other sound and tech guys who don’t have the luxury of being on salary.”

Eubanks is in a similar situation to Appleton. When shows are canceled a week or two out, he and other Grey Eagle employees lose their shifts, but he feels fortunate that most shows have proceeded as planned and is

DEDICATION STATION: Even on difficult days, The Orange Peel’s senior audio engineer and crew chief Sunset Appleton loves what he does. Photo courtesy of The Orange Peel grateful that most of the artists have been compliant with venue policies.

“If [musicians] are not vaccinated, we give them a rapid test, and if they’re negative, then the show goes on,” he says. “We haven’t had one positive yet — knock on wood. But most people are vaxxed because they know how fragile the industry is.”

Despite the same entrance requirements for customers, Eubanks still gets a little nervous with larger crowds, especially since he says The Grey Eagle has had incidents where people have reported they’ve contracted COVID-19 from its shows. Eubanks was among them in November and had to quarantine for 10 days, which he describes as

“a horrible situation.” Unable to work, he lost out on significant income.

“It gets stressful,” Eubanks says.

“When you have a large crowd and people aren’t wearing their masks and adhering to our policy, we’re constantly going around and telling people, ‘Put your mask on unless you’re actively eating or drinking.’

And when people drink, they just forget. You don’t want to kick them out, but we’ve had to in the past, and it’s stressful in that sense. You just want everybody to have a good time.”

The Orange Peel sound crew has thus far remained unscathed by the virus but has had a few bands come through unaware that one of their

Even with these workplace risks, Appleton still loves what he does and feels privileged to be able to see the good that his labor brings to the world.

But like any job, not every shift is rosy.

“I might have a rough day, I might not like the music, I might not like the attitudes of people I work with occasionally,” he explains. “But then I see how much joy [a show] generates and how rewarding it is for people to be able to be there. And coming out of lockdowns, that was absolutely cranked to 11.”

Meanwhile, Eubanks says his endof-shift drink with colleagues has taken on more meaning these days. There is a stronger sense of camaraderie among fellow Grey Eagle staffers, he notes.

And even with the industrywide fragility and the toll that the pandemic has taken on him, he believes live music events offers reassurance to the audience and crew alike.

“It’s the nights that are special — the nights where you know you’ve got a good mix and the crowd’s totally into it,” Eubanks says. “You know it when you feel it, and it’s a great, great moment.

And I live for those moments.” X

2022

Kids Issues Publish 3/9 & 3/16

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

23

ARTS & C U L T U R E

ART

From the heart

Love defines the work of Asheville visual artists Local artist Stephen Lange comes from an art history background, and it was through learning the stories of famous creatives that he realized his calling.

“Vincent van Gogh, Andy Warhol and Gustav Klimt loved what they did, and it showed. If they didn’t have art in their lives, they probably would not have lived as long as they had,” Lange says. “That’s how I look at art. I love being alive, and I make art to prove it.”

Among his many projects, Lange collects ginkgo leaves that fall on Wall Street, stamping them with individual Japanese woodblock prints reading “Happiness,” “Prosperity,” “Wisdom” and “Love.” Once complete, he scatters them back on the sidewalks for people to discover.

While gathering the flora, Lange also searches for gingko leaves with a perfect heart shape, which he says occur at a frequency of one in a hundred, to more fully connect with the project.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, Xpress caught up with Lange and other area artists to discuss the influence that love plays in their work as well as their approach to life. For these creatives, the emotion is an integral component — if not the driving force — of their creations.

SIT WITH IT With a gallery called Heartful Art, located in the River Arts District, it’s easy to see the influence love plays in Raphaella Vaisseau’s work.

But it’s the artist’s chosen name of Vaisseau (which means “vessel” in French), that truly reflects her values, she says.

“That is the best description of how I feel about my art: I am a vessel,” she says. “People ask me if it’s hard to let go of a painting I worked on for years. I tell them, ‘No. I paint for you.’”

Contemplation also factors into Vaisseau’s work. The self-taught artist notes that for nearly 50 years, she has practiced meditation, allowing her to easily center herself in her love of nature, color and creativity.

“My devotion is to align more and more with the best of life, the best of us all and express that in my art,” she says. “My art is an expression of my love of life itself.”

Painter Lori Portka, whose studio is located in the RAD, views her approach to her creative process in a similar way.

“I don’t usually just start painting,” Portka explains. “I usually sit and think about what I’m grateful for and what I care about in that moment. I like to think about how I want the world to be, and then I start painting.”

RISING LOVE: Raphaella Vaisseau’s “Resurrected Heart 2” is one of many heart-centric paintings the Asheville-based artist has created throughout her career. Image courtesy of the artist For Vaisseau, the feedback is often more visceral than verbal.

Though she’s painted plenty of hearts over the years and believes in the power of such imagery to remind the beholder to trust their own heart above all things, she feels that her love is just as present in her flowers and abstract designs.

GIVE AND RECEIVE

IN HARMONY: Lori Portka’s “The Lady and the Lamb” reflects the local artist’s love of nature and animals. Image courtesy of the artist 24

FEB. 9-15, 2022

Since 2019, Portka’s work has been featured at Mission Hospital’s pediatric wing. As part of the application process, Portka explains, she included comments clients left her on her website. In reviewing these statements more closely, Portka says she was surprised to learn that many people gave her art to loved ones who were sick, depressed or generally having a tough time.

“That’s meant a lot to me,” she says. “People will also write to me and say that someone gave my art to them as a gift when they were going through something difficult and that things are much better now — but that they still have the art hanging to remind them that they got through it. They find meaning that feels kind of deep for a piece of art, which makes me feel really good.”

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PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS: Asheville-based artist Stephen Lange says 1-in-100 gingko leaves are in the shape of a perfect heart. “One must love to find them,” he says.

Photo courtesy of the artist

“When someone walks into the gallery and bursts into tears upon seeing a certain painting on the wall, I know I painted it for them,” she says. “I trust the process of my art and know the people who love the essence of my artistic expression will find me.”

Meanwhile, hearts have been a more prominent theme in Lange’s work since 2008, when he nearly lost his son, who had to be airlifted to Duke University Hospital for open-heart surgery when he was 13 days old. The procedure was a success and made Lange more conscious about conveying a love of family, place and art in his creations.

Among them is his series “Krush,” which he’s ramping up for Valentine’s Day. “The idea is to give one of these pieces to someone you have a crush on, and when they discover the cloaked heart, they realize that they are loved,” Lange says. “I’ve heard that there have been a couple marriages resulting from somebody giving one of my pieces to somebody they had a crush on. I love that because that’s precisely why I made them.”

— Edwin Arnaudin X

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FEB. 9-15, 2022

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ARTS & CU L T U R E

FOOD

Keep it simple

Valentine’s Day is around the corner.

To celebrate (and perhaps inspire readers with a few holiday ideas), Xpress caught up with chefs Katie Button of Cúrate and Michael Pupillo of Sunset Terrace at the Omni Grove Park Inn to discuss unique recipes, Valentine’s Day fails and essential decor.

The two restaurants placed second and third, respectively, in the 2021 Best of WNC category for “Best Romantic Dining.” Chef Adam Bannasch of Zambra, whose restaurant finished first, was unavailable to participate.

Responses were condensed for length and edited for clarity.

What is the most romantic dish you’ve ever served, and what inspired it?

Katie Button: Working in restaurants, people come in to celebrate with loved ones. Some of the most memorable experiences are those moments when a guest entrusts you to help them with their surprise wedding proposal. I remember one in particular where the guest gave me the engagement ring to hide inside a special chocolate candy surprise dessert I was making at the end of the meal. I was so nervous about losing the ring or giving away the surprise before it happened. Those moments are incredible because you realize these guests are writing Cúrate — our restaurant — into their life story forever. It’s an amazing honor.

Michael Pupillo: I’d say heartshaped lobster ravioli with smoked champagne lobster cream sauce garnished with microarugula and drizzled with lemon oil. The red and pink hues known for Valentine’s Day inspired me to put my love into the dish. It takes two days to prepare this delectable meal.

The first day is spent preparing and making the pasta, the filling, deshelling the lobster and more. It’s always best to let the pasta rest 24 hours before cooking when it’s homemade. The second day is for putting it all together. Time is love. It’s about two people sitting at the table having a good conversation and enjoying each other’s company — Valentine’s Day or otherwise.

What has been your greatest Valentine’s Day fail?

Button: Probably forgetting to celebrate it entirely. My husband, Felix Meana, and I are lucky that our daughter was born on Valentine’s Day, so we always have a super fun and celebratory meal planned. The only issue is that it is planned to appeal to a small child. One day, I would love to find a way to carve out romance again in our Valentine’s Day celebration. Perhaps

Best of WNC chefs share Valentine’s Day tips

WITH A SIDE OF LOVE: Local chefs Michael Pupillo and Katie Button share their thoughts on Valentine’s Day meals and decor. Photo of Pupillo courtesy of the Omni Grove Park Inn; photo of Button by Thomas Calder we’ll take the day off from work in the future and claim a romantic afternoon lunch on a school day without our kids.

That way we still have Valentine’s Day as well as our daughter’s evening birthday celebration.

Pupillo: Once while making chocolate lava cake, I attempted to reduce a recipe for 100 people to two people.

I miscalculated the salt. It became inedible, and we ended up eating the chocolate covered strawberries only.

For those with limited to no cooking skills, what are some unique but easy meals to prepare on Valentine’s Day? Button: We came up with a package for Cúrate at Home with this very thing in mind. The gambas de palamos are incredible. They are super easy to prepare: You literally turn on your broiler or heat up a skillet and cook them for just a couple of minutes, then peel and eat them with a loved one. They are insanely delicious; some of the sweetest most succulent prawns you will ever try.

A steak is also always a great go-to Valentine’s Day meal. Buy a nice piece of meat, or something unique like the pluma iberica, which is the most incredible pork steak in the world — it’s as if bacon and steak had a love child. It’s from the famous iberico acorn-fed pigs in Spain. You season it with salt and pepper and sear it like any steak to medium rare. Top it with truffle butter, and it is amazing.

Pupillo: Antipasto. Very simple and shareable. Find and arrange local cheeses, fruit, fig jam and meats, mixed with Mediterranean olives, mustard — you name it! And be sure to pair it with a nice glass of pinot gris.

Another option is to order in from a local restaurant.

Or you can try a crockpot recipe!

Find a nice cut of pot roast or short ribs.

Combine the meat (about 1 pound) with vegetables, wine, premade beef stock, bay leaf, thyme, one stick of cinnamon, a tablespoon of juniper berries and allspice. Set the timer, and it’ll be done in six-eight hours. Meat should

be fork tender. Serve with a loaded baked potato. Vegetables are within the pot roast or short rib dish already.

Outside of food and drink, what are some decor tips you’d offer those preparing a homemade meal?

Button: Flowers and candles!

Those seem obvious, but it’s true.

They are both pretty attainable decor options, and nothing is better than dimming the lights, turning on some music and lighting candles or a fireplace if you have one.

Pupillo: I recommend the table be set with one candle and one rose. Less is more, and the simplicity of it helps minimize distractions that would take you out of the moment. One of my must-have items is a chocolate truffle and fresh strawberries. Pro tip: Use pop rocks in the tempered chocolate and dip the strawberries in them.

At the end of the dinner, you’ll get fireworks in your mouth, and that is a good time for a kiss.

MOUNTAINX.COM

— Thomas Calder X FEB. 9-15, 2022

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ARTS & CU L T U R E

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

The Pot Stirred prepares for grand opening

Local entrepreneur Taylon Breeden describes herself as a pot stirrer — both literally and figuratively — on account of her company Simply Extract, a hemp extraction lab, as well as her continued advocacy work on behalf of North Carolina hemp farmers.

Later this month, Breeden will celebrate the launch of her newest business, a CBD cafe fittingly named The Pot Stirred. Situated inside Carolina Hemp Co.’s downtown location, the grand opening is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26.

The cafe will include beverages infused with CBD and mushrooms — categorized as Buzzed Brews and Herbal Potions. Additionally, The Pot Stirred will feature a rotating menu of CBD and delta-8 doughnuts made by Stay Glazed Donuts.

“I am all about normalizing plant medicine,” Breeden explains.

Edibles, she continues, are often a less intimidating way to safely introduce such products to curious consumers. “It’s less scary for some

CHEERS: Taylon Breeden readies to open her latest business, The Pot Stirred, a CBD cafe. Photo by Jennifer Castillo people than putting a tincture under the tongue,” she adds.

Along with sharing a space with Carolina Hemp Co., The Pot Stirred will also coexist with Breeden’s other business, Simply Extract, which is in the back of the building. Though closed off to the public, the lab’s large windows give shoppers the chance to watch Breeden in action as she makes all of Carolina Hemp Co.’s products.

Her active role as a producer and advocate for the industry began a decade ago after discovering that CBD oil relieved her stomach pains caused by Crohn’s disease. She has since served as executive director of the Asheville NORML, which in 2017 launched the #YESNCCANNABIS campaign to legalize cannabis in the state.

Her advocacy continues within The Pot Stirred, which she points out is 100% local, woman- and LGBTQ+28

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owned. “We are donating 10% of all our profits to the Last Prisoner Project, an organization that helps get cannabis prisoners released and their records expunged so that can reintegrate to society.”

The Pot Stirred is at 57 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/b5o.

Havva kava Before relocating to Asheville in October, Beth Fisher worked at a kava bar in southwest Florida. This month, Fisher, along with her business partner and dad, Chris, will open Elevated Kava Lounge on the second floor at 747 Haywood Road in West Asheville. The roughly 1,800-squarefoot space will include a bar and a lounge furnished with sofas.

Kava, for readers unfamiliar with the product, is a whole plant from

the South Pacific islands; the roots are ground into a powder, brewed like tea, then strained. Consuming it, Beth explains, “produces a similar effect as alcohol — like decreased anxiety and increased sociability — but it doesn’t have the same cognitive effects of alcohol. It gives you a slight buzz but doesn’t get you drunk, or make you feel bad the next day.”

In addition to the mixed drinks, Elevated Kava will carry canned kava and CBD beverages. Beth says the business intends to be open seven days a week from noon-10 p.m.

For more information, including Elevated Kava Lounge’s opening date, visit avl.mx/b5p.

Have a heart Several Valentine-themed events are hoping to be swiped right this weekend.

35th Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Shows • Hi-Wire Brewing has two opportunities on tap. The Lonely Hearts Club will meet Friday, Feb. 11, 7-9 p.m., at the River Arts District Beer Garden, 284 Lyman St., for fun and games presented by the Asheville Sports and Social Club, avl.mx/b67; for the love hurts crowd, the popular Cupid Is Stupid Car Smashing event will also be staged at the Biltmore Village location, on Sunday Feb. 13, 1-4 p.m., avl.mx/b68.

• Fur parents can bring their fur babies to Ginger’s Revenge’s FurrEver Love Valentine weekend event. The two-day charity photo event includes photos by Lindsey Koehler. Donations are suggested at $10 for a digital file with $5 extra per print. Proceeds will benefit the Asheville Humane Society, which will be on-site to talk about adoption and volunteer opportunities. Sign up at the event, which takes place Saturday, Feb. 12, 2-8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 13, 2-7 p.m., at 829 Riverside Drive. Learn more at avl.mx/b5r.

• Franny’s Farmacy hosts its first event in its new South Slope location, 231 Biltmore Ave., on Sunday, Feb. 13, 6-8 p.m. with Nonna’s New World Gnocchi Dinner Theater, a four-course interactive presentation starring Summer Minerva as Nonna. The dinner will showcase selections from Franny’s Farm Food line, with mocktails, chakra teas and Canna Café coffee. Tickets are $85 per person or $150 per couple and can be purchased at avl.mx/b5s.

• If Spanish is your love language, La Bodega by Cúrate is offering a Valentine’s dinner pickup for two with finishing instructions.

Highlights from the six-course menu includes ribeye, truffle soup, chocolate tart with pine nuts and sparkling Spanish wine. The feast is $150. Pickup is FridaySunday, Feb. 11-13, at La Bodega,

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Your companion to land-use planning in Buncombe County

32 S. Lexington Ave. To order, visit avl.mx/b5u.

Shell game Jettie Rae’s Oyster House and Catawba Brewing Co. are hosting an oyster roast on Sunday, Feb. 20, to benefit Our VOICE, a crisis intervention and prevention agency serving survivors of sexual violence in Buncombe Country. Two seatings of 75 people each take place, 1-3:30 p.m. and 3:30-5 p.m. at Catawba’s South Slope taproom, 32 Banks Ave. The $75-per-person ticket includes roasted oysters, two tokens for beer or wine and live music. Half of all ticket sales go to Our VOICE. For more information and tickets, visit avl.mx/b5w.

• Art Pottery • Furniture • Artwork • Metalware

1895 - 1939 Antiques & New Works Fri. Feb. 18 (1-6pm) Sat. Feb. 19 (12-6pm) Sun. Feb. 20 (11am-4pm)

Free Outdoor Parking.

Admission $5.

Masks required.

Arts-CraftsConference.com

How Now Chow Chow?

Are you a cook, baker, maker, speaker, farmer or producer interested in participating in the Summer of Chow Chow 2022? Organizers invite you to complete a call-for-interest survey by Tuesday, Feb. 15, to be considered for the event, which will take place over three weekends this summer. Find the form at avl.mx/b5x.

All the dirt Bountiful Cities Community Garden Network will host a free compost workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2-5 p.m., at Pearson Garden, 408 Pearson Drive. Presented by Lynx Bergdahl, the event will focus on creating an aerated compost system. For more information and to register, visit avl.mx/b5v.

— Kay West X

Cheers to a better New Year from your friends at Smoky Park SMOKYPARK.COM 350 RIVERSIDE DR. ASHEVILLE, NC 28801 828-350-0315

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Vegan, Vegetarian & Gluten Free Options

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around Town

How did Asheville become Artsville?

A new podcast series attempts to answer that question.

“ARTSVILLE” launched last month on major podcast platforms with six episodes featuring interviews of area artists and community leaders. The show is hosted by veteran podcaster and producer Scott Power of Crewest Studio, a Los Angeles-based production company, along with local Asheville artists Louise Glickman and Daryl Slaton of Sand Hill Artists Collective.

Glickman says in partnering with Crewest Studio, the Sand Hill Artists Collective is expanding its audience both nationally and internationally.

“We have become their East Coast studio,” she explains.

Early episodes of “ARTSVILLE” include Mia Hall and Robin Dreyer discussing the Penland School of Craft, Kate Averett Anderson talking about Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center and Tom Anders giving his thoughts on Grovewood Village and the Vanderbilts. Other topics include the Broadway arts corridor in downtown Asheville, the River Arts District and Blue Spiral 1 art gallery.

“The podcasts work with our new gallery space and our blogs to provide opportunities for new audiences to learn about our many featured artists,” Slaton says.

The “ARTSVILLE” podcast is available on Apple, Google, Android, Spotify and other podcast platforms. The series is also available at avl.mx/b61.

The sound of San Francisco In the early 1980s, bands such as Romeo Void, Red Rockers and Translator helped define the emerging

New podcast series highlights Asheville’s rich arts history

AURAL HISTORY: Artist Louise Glickman says the “ARTSVILLE” podcast series will help spread the word of the Asheville arts scene nationally and internationally. Images courtesy of Sand Hill Artists Collective sound of new wave music. And they all recorded for a modest indie label most people have probably never heard of.

Local music journalist and Xpress contributor Bill Kopp hopes to bring that label’s story to a wider audience with his new book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave.

“415 Records was groundbreaking in capturing the zeitgeist of one particular city — San Francisco — and then bringing that music to a wider audience,” Kopp says. “The story of 415 is both an inspiration and a cautionary tale in what can happen when DIY/punk ideals come face to face with the overwhelming machinery of the music industry.”

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Kopp interviewed nearly 100 artists, executives, producers, fans and others for the project. He also got access to previously unseen photos, contracts, set lists, buttons and flyers, many of which are featured. The author will discuss the book at an event at Citizen Vinyl, 14 O.Henry Ave., on Sunday, Feb. 13, 4-6 p.m.

The 415 roster of artists may not be well known today, but each was groundbreaking, Kopp says. Roky Erickson, for instance, was recently the subject of a tribute album featuring such artists as Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco.

“Their success in the music marketplace — however limited — helped pave the way for independent record labels to gain a foothold in the mainstream of the music industry, creating what we know to day as ‘alternative’ music,” he says.

For more information or to order the book, visit avl.mx/b63.

A family affair The Asheville Art Museum will present The Wyeths: Three Generations from Saturday, Feb. 12, through Monday, May 30 in the Explore Asheville Exhibition Hall.

The ticketed show will feature more than 60 paintings by N.C. Wyeth, one of America’s finest illustrators; his son, Andrew, and daughter, Henriette, accomplished realist

painters; and Andrew’s son, Jamie, a popular portraitist.

“Bringing together these three generations of Wyeth painters allows visitors to get a sense of the artistic heritage of this famous American arts dynasty,” Whitney Richardson, associate curator at the museum, says in a press release. “The book illustrations and paintings of N.C. Wyeth had a profound effect on his children Andrew and Henriette, as well as on the next generation with Jamie.

Each artist in the family held true to N.C.’s realistic style and interest in American history and their family.”

The Asheville Art Museum is at 2 S. Pack Square. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit avl.mx/b66.

Unhappily ever after The Magnetic Theatre will present The Shorthand Job: A Short Play on Words, Friday, Feb. 18, and Saturday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 20, at 4 p.m.

The ensemble comedy stars Jamie Knox, George Awad, Christine Caldemayer and Delina Hensley, and the show is directed by Katie Jones.

Co-authored by Knox and Awad, the play tells the story of a successful, middle-aged couple who have been married for years — but not happily.

The Magnetic Theatre is at 375 Depot St. For more information to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/b64.

Flights of fancy The Asheville Regional Airport annual Student Artwork Showcase will be on display through Friday, March 18. This year’s exhibit features work by students of the Master of Fine Arts program at Western Carolina University.

“The artwork in this exhibition surveys a range of themes and creative approaches in contemporary art practice by current MFA graduate students at Western Carolina University,” says Tom Ashcraft, MFA director and distinguished professor of visual art.

The students selected for the showcase are Eli Blasko, Kate Chassner, Colin Dawson, Seth Echlin, Jen Gordon, Kyle Kelsey, Lori Park and Shannon Swenton.

Call for submissions Local photographer Starr Sariego is seeking submissions for an upcoming photography exhibit, This Skin I’m In: A Visual Narrative. The show will run at the REVOLVE Gallery in July and August.

“This juried photography exhibition is an opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ community to express their personal experiences of queerness through a series of images,” Sariego says. “Embracing the becoming of one’s own self and the definition one chooses is an often complicated, deeply personal, and at times an invisible journey.”

All image makers who identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community are invited to submit. Narratives are encouraged along with the images, both of which will be featured in the exhibition as well as in a specially produced zine.

Images should be 72 pixels per inch at 1,000 pixels. Narratives submissions should not exceed 500 words; writers are invited to submit these as personal essays, poems or more informal musings on one’s self and/or their community.

All submissions should include the entrant’s name, email, image title, website address and Instagram handle.

Submit entries to thisskiniminavl@ gmail.com and check out the Instagram page at avl.mx/b6z.

Do something different for Valentine’s Day this year!

Send your loved one a song!

A quartet from the Land of the Sky Barbershop Chorus will deliver a song and a rose.

RIDING THE NEW WAVE: Local music journalist Bill Kopp’s new book tells the story of San Francisco-based indie record label 415 Records. Photo courtesy of Kopp students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities.

This year’s guest judge is award-winning poet Michael Prior and features a grand prize of $500.

All entries should be postmarked

by Tuesday, March 1 and submitted to: N.C. State Poetry Contest, Department of English, N.C. State University, Campus Box 8105, Raleigh, NC 27695-8105.

For contest rules and more information, go to avl.mx/6vw.

Give us a call today!

866-290-7269 Or visit ashevillebarbershop.com/singing-valentines A card is good, some chocolates are fine.

Roses work too, or diamonds, or wine.

With all these things you can’t go wrong, But nothing says “I love you” quite like a song!

Quartets available Feb. 13th & 14th

— Justin McGuire X

MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include: MOONFALL: The latest ridiculous (and ridiculously entertaining) disaster movie from director Roland Emmerich (Independence Day) finds humankind combatting the effects of Earth’s moon spinning out of orbit. Grade: B — Edwin Arnaudin JACKASS FOREVER: Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O and friends deliver massive laughs through their distinct brand of shock-value physical comedy. But the dearth of their usual “Candid Camera”style pranks on unsuspecting folks causes the proceedings to run out of steam. Grade: B-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

Waxing poetic The annual N.C. State Poetry Contest is accepting submissions through March 1. The free literary competition is open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies MOUNTAINX.COM

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CLUBLAND

DEAR ABBEY: The Abbey Elmore Band will perform at Hendersonville’s Oklawaha Brewing Co. Saturday, Feb. 12, at 8 p.m.

The Spartanburg, S.C.-based quartet plays pop, rock and folk. Photo courtesy of the Abbey Elmore Band

k

The featured icon indicates which venues or artists require proof of vaccination for upcoming shows. Due to the evolving nature of the matter, the list may not be comprehensive.

Before heading out, please check with all venues for complete information on any vaccine or negative COVID-19 requirements.

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

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm ARCHETYPE TAP LOUNGE + VENUE Locals Night, 4pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Steve Vanderploegk 7pm • Aquanet Goth Partyk 9pm CASCADE LOUNGE Wednesday Bluegrass Jam, 5pm HI-WIRE BREWING BIG TOP Free Weekly Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith (singer-songwriter), 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

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ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 7pm RENDEZVOUS Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Rebirth Brass Band (with Shabudikah), 8pm SILVERADOS Open Mic, 7pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. TriskaTrivia, 7pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10 131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm 185 KING STREET The Woven (folk, country), 7pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Classic Beauties Drag Showk 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Drunken Prayer, Great Dying & The Squealers (country, Americana, rockabilly), 8pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Gluten-Free Comedy (open mic), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Color of Jazz, 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Seth & Sara (acoustic duo), 7pm OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night w/Nick Pearl, 6pm POLANCO RESTAURANT Sense: DJs and Dancing, 9pm SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm THE 2ND ACT Russ Wilson & The 2nd Act Orchestra (swing), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Karaoke Jackazz, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Cory and the Wongnotes ft./Antwaun Stanley (funk, R&B, pop) k 8pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. Jason's Krazy Karaoke, 6:30pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 185 KING STREET Funk'n Around (funk), 8pm BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm

DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Andrew Wakefield (folk, rock, bluegrass), 7pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Daniel Shearin (singer songwriter), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Bygone Blues w/Aaron Price and Peggy Ratusz, 7pm

• Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Steve Weams (acoustic), 2pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK J. Stephens (singer-songwriter), 2pm CITIZEN VINYL Saturday Spins, 1pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Bennett Sullivan Experience (experimental Americana)k 7pm

DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Twisted Trail (Southern rock, blues, country), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Fwuit (retro soul), 8pm

GUIDON BREWING Bill and Donald (acoustic duo), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION Lyric (DJ)k 8pm, salvagestation.com/ events/lyric-4/

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Laura Blackley & The Wild Flowers (Appalachian blues & soul), 7pm

SILVERADOS Karaoke w/DJ Steph, 9pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Getaway Comedy: Boris Khaykin, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Cosmic Charlie (Grateful Dead tribute)k 8pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12 185 KING STREET Wonky Tonk Squalor (bluegrass, country, jug band), 8pm ARCHETYPE TAP LOUNGE + VENUE The AVL Jazz Workshop, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Beauty Parlor Comedy: Jen O'Neill, 7pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (gypsy jazz), 5:30pm BREWSKIES • Chili Cookoff Fundraiser, 2pm

ARCHETYPE TAP LOUNGE + VENUE Trivia Sundays, 4:30pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Sandy Herrault (violin), 2pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK Eric Congdon (acoustic), 2pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Big Game Viewing Party, 6:30pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Soul Jazz Sundays w/ Taylor Pierson Trio, 3pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Brews and Blues w/Jim Fielder, 1pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Abbey Elmore Band (pop, rock, folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Sunday Jazz Jam w/The Fully Vaccinated Jazz Trio, 1pm

POLANCO RESTAURANT SAUXE on Saturdays w/ DJ Audio, 9pm

SALVAGE STATION Super Bowl LVI Party, 6:30pm

SALVAGE STATION The Get Right Band (with Pink Beds), 8pm SILVERADOS Shooting Creek (country, Southern rock), 9pm SUNNY POINT CAFÉ Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm THE DUGOUT Graywind (rock), 8pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. Rich Nelson Band (rock), 7pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13 185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam w/ the King Street House Band ft. Howie Johnson, 5pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Bike Night w/DJ Avel Veeta, 2pm

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14 ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Ismael Loutfik 7pm • Anti-Valentines Goth Partyk 9pm BREWSKIES Open Jam w/Tall Paul, 7:30pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Musicians in the Round, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

2022

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Monday Mashup, 7pm SILVERADOS 8 Ball Tournament, 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Burning Love | Drag Show & Dance Party, 8pm • Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 8pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm THE LISTENING ROOM Valentine's Day w/ River Divide & Brandon Davenport, 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL K.Flay (indie rock)k 7:30pm

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Drag Bingo w/ Calcuttak 8pm • Karaoke w/Ganymedek 10pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Aubrey and Justin Eisenman (bluegrass, Americana), 6pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Karaoke Night w/Banjo Mitch, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute), 6pm SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm ARCHETYPE TAP LOUNGE + VENUE Locals Night, 4pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Mark Chalifouxk 7pm • Aquanet Goth Partyk 9pm CASCADE LOUNGE Wednesday Bluegrass Jam, 5pm

ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 7pm RENDEZVOUS Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm SILVERADOS Open Mic, 7pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

Publish 3/9 & 3/16

Contact us today! advertise@mountainx.com 828-251-1333 x1

THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic w/Kid Billy, 8pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. TriskaTrivia, 7pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17 131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm 185 KING STREET Wild River (acoustic duo), 7pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Classic Beauties Drag Show Downtownk 8pm CONTINUUM ART Singer-Songwriter Open Mic Night, 6pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Gluten-Free Comedy (open mic), 6pm HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Ben Phantom (singer-songwriter), 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kid Billy (Americana, roots), 7pm OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night w/Nick Pearl, 6pm POLANCO RESTAURANT SENSE w/DJ Audio, 9pm SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING BIG TOP Free Weekly Trivia Night, 7pm

THE 2ND ACT Russ Wilson & The 2nd Act Orchestra (swing), 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Karaoke Jackazz, 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith (singer-songwriter), 6pm

Kids Issues

TRISKELION BREWING CO. Woody & Sunshine (jam), 7pm

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Real love is a pilgrimage,” declared author Anita Brookner.

“It happens when there is no strategy, but it is very rare because most people are strategists.”

That’s the bad news, Aries. The good news is that you have more potential than ever before to free your love of strategic maneuvering and manipulation. For the foreseeable future, I invite you to drop all romantic agendas and simply make yourself extra receptive to love’s teachings. Are you ready to learn what you don’t even realize you need to know?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the near future, I’ll be pleased if you dole out lavish praise to allies who enchant you. I will celebrate if you deliver loving inspirations and lush invitations to those who help you fulfill your reasons for being here on the planet. To get you in the mood, here are some suggested provocations. 1. “Your body makes mine into a shrine; holy, divine, godtouched.” — Ramona Meisel 2. “Your luster opens glories on my glowing face.” — Federico García Lorca 3. “All night long if you want. We’ll tell our secrets to the dark.” — Gayle Forman 4.

“I’ll let you be in my dreams if I can be in yours.”

—Bob Dylan 5. “We are each other’s harvest. We are each other’s business. We are each other’s magnitude and bond.” — Gwendolyn Brooks GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In Gemini author Orhan Pamuk’s novel Snow, the main character Ka asks a woman named Ipek, “What is the thing you want most from me? What can I do to make you love me?” Ipek’s answer: “Be yourself.”

In the coming days, Gemini, I would love you to engage in similar exchanges with those you care for. According to my understanding of the astrological omens, now is a favorable time for you and your best allies to shed all fakery and pretense so that you may be soulfully authentic with each other — and encourage each other to express what’s most raw and genuine.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are you in the mood to make extravagant gestures in behalf of love? Are you feeling an urge to move beyond your habitual approaches to intimate togetherness as you dare to engage in fun experiments?

Now is a good time for such behavior with allies you trust. To spur your imagination, immerse yourself in the spirit of this poem by Nizar Qabbani: “I abandon my dictionaries to the flames, / And ordain you my language. / I fling my passport beneath the waves, / And christen you my country.” Your homework: Dream up and carry out a playful and audacious venture that will energize one of your close relationships.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I’ve created a list of splashy titles for stories, poems, songs, artworks or dances that you could compose for beloved allies or people you want to be beloved allies.

I hope my list inspires you to get gushy and lyrical. I hope you’ll be creative and marvelous as you express your passionate appreciation.

Here are the titles: 1. Glistening Passion. 2.

Incandescent Rapture. 3. Succulent Dazzle.

4. Molten Luminosity. 5. Splashy Fire Bliss. 6.

Shimmering Joy Beams. 7. Opulent Delirium.

8. Wild Soul Synergy. 9. Sublime Friction.

10. Fluidic Gleam Blessings. 11. Throbbing Reverence. 12. Sacred Heart Salvation.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Author Eve Ensler tells us, “You have to give to the world the thing that you want the most, in order to fix the broken parts inside you.” This is perfect counsel for you to carry out in the coming weeks, Virgo. Life will conspire to help you heal yourself, in dramatic and even semi-miraculous ways, as you offer the people and animals you care for the same blessings that you crave to receive. I foresee an influx of restorative karma flowing in your direction. I predict the fixing of at least some of your broken parts.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In Michael Chabon’s novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, the character

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named Arthur says to the character named Cleveland, “Love is like falconry. Don’t you think that’s true?” Cleveland replies, “Never say love is like anything. It isn’t.” I propose we make that your meditation during this Valentine season, Libra. In accordance with astrological omens, you will be wise to purge all your preconceptions about love. Use your ingenuity to revive your innocence about the subject. Cultivate a sense of wonder as you let your imagination run wild and free in its fantasies about love, sex and intimacy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’ll love it if sometime soon you create a situation in which you tell an ally words similar to what author Jamaica Kincaid spoke to her lover: “To behold the startling truths of your naked body frees me to remember the song I was born from.” Do you think you can make that happen, Scorpio? The astrological indicators at play in your life suggest that it would be right and sacred for you to do so. And if there is no such ally, then I hope you will deliver the same message to your naked self. And by the way, what is the song you were born from? (P.S.: There has never been a better time than now to learn treasured truths about yourself through your connections with others.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m afraid I must be downright practical and mundane in my oracle for you. Don’t hate me! I’m only reporting what the planetary omens are telling me. They say that now is a favorable time for you to practice, practice, and practice some more the fine arts hinted at by author Ivan Goncharov: “A close, daily intimacy between two people has to be paid for: It requires a great deal of experience of life, logic, and warmth of heart on both sides to enjoy each other’s good qualities without being irritated by each other’s shortcomings and blaming each other for them.” Be diligently positive, Sagittarius, as you work through the demanding daily trials of togetherness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’ll offer you a radical idea about love from author Hélène Cixous. Although it’s not always true for everyone, it will have special meaning for you in the coming months. She wrote, “It is easy to love and sing one’s love. That is something I am extremely good at doing. But to be loved, that is true greatness. Being loved, letting oneself be loved, entering the magic and dreadful circle of generosity, receiving gifts, finding the right thank-yous, that is love’s real work.” How about it, Capricorn? Are you up for the challenge? Are you willing to expand your capacity to welcome the care and benevolence and inspiration coming your way from others?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Actor Leelee Sobieski was mourning her romantic adventures — or rather the lack of romantic adventures. She said, “If only I could find a guy who wasn’t in his 70s to talk to me about white cranes, I’d be madly in love.” The good news is that Sobieski knows precisely what she wants, and it’s not all that complicated. The bad news is that there are few men near her own age (38) who enjoy discussing the fine points of the endangered bird species known as the white crane. I bring her predicament to your attention, Aquarius, in the hope that you’ll be inspired to be as exact and lucid as she is in identifying what you want — even as you cheat just a bit in the direction of wanting what is actually available.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’ve never offered you the wisdom of actor Natalie Portman, but her idealistic attitude about relationships is exactly what I think you should aspire to in the coming months. She said, “I always ask myself, would I want someone to do something that wasn’t comfortable for them to do just to please me? And the answer is no.” What do you think, Pisces? Do you suspect it might be interesting to apply that principle to your closest alliances?

I hope so. If you do, the planetary energies will conspire to deepen your intimate bonds.

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edited by Will Shortz | No. 0105

ACROSS 1 Screenwriter Ben who wrote “Angels Over Broadway” 6 “Wanna ___?”

9 *One of two extremes in a saying 14 Loud, as a crowd 15 Firefighter’s tool 16 Grace’s last name on “Will & Grace” 17 Directive before “You’re on ‘Candid Camera’” 18 Medium at Madame Tussauds 19 Prefix with aggression 20 *Description of a glass, maybe 22 “Suppose …”

23 Long, long time 24 Lion-colored 27 Perpetrate, as a crime 30 “Thanks, it’s just what I’ve always wanted,” often 31 Kind of state 34 Fuss 35 ___ Jiabao, 2003-13 premier of China 36 Kind of stick 37 Put out 38 *Word in a classic Tolstoy title 40 Thus 41 Moving well for one’s age 42 Number it’s good to be under 43 Home of the Vasco da Gama Bridge, over 71/2 miles long 45 “___ sells seashells by the seashore” 46 Finalized 47 Not at all reasonable 48 Thus 50 Grade sch. subject 51 Italian cheese city 54 One who identifies with the answers to the starred Across clues

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