Mountain Xpress 02.13.19

OUR 25TH YEAR OF WEE KLY I NDE PE NDE NT NEWS, ARTS & EVE NTS FOR WE STE R N NORTH CAROLI NA VOL. 25 NO. 30 FE B. 13 -19, 2019

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2/14: Happy Valentine’s Day! Rune Reader: Tree 12-5pm 2/15: Psychic: Sangoma 1-5pm 2/16: Open Reiki Share w/ Blue Ridge Healing Arts 3-6pm, Cash Donations 2/17: February Love Fest w/ Sangoma 2-5pm, Cash Donations 2/18: SUN in Pisces Appalachian Astrologer: Lee Ann 12-6pm 2/19: FULL MOON in Virgo Tarot Reader: Byron Ballard 1-5pm

BUILDING A FAMILY Another option for people who want to build a family of their own is available now that Eliada Homes, which has a long history of helping the most vulnerable children in Buncombe County, has become licensed to handle adoptions. On the cover: Rima Vesely-Flad and son Jaxson, whom Rima and husband Ethan Vesely-Flad foster-parented through Eliada.

COVER PHOTO Summer Kremer COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

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32 IT TAKES TWO Asheville bartenders talk about two-ingredient cocktails

34 HUNGRY HEART Declan O’Rourke brings songs of the Irish famine to Isis Music Hall

39 PLENTY OF REASONS Mindshapefist releases its seventh album with an Orange Peel show

Call or email Dr. Young today to schedule your appointment!

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OPINION

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

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Narrow the gap of racial disparities with reparations Thank you for the article “‘Beat Back This Monster’: Asheville City Schools’ Worst-in-NC Achievement, Discipline Gaps Widen” in the Jan. 30 edition, discussing racial disparities in disciplinary actions and academic achievement, particularly between white and black students of the Asheville school system.

Certainly teacher bias in disciplinary actions should be mitigated, but I think we all know that the economic and social disparities between white and black families are closer to the root cause of these issues.

I wanted to take this opportunity to bring attention to a candidate [for president] in the 2020 Democratic primary. I highly recommend everybody check out the platform of Marianne Williamson.

She has brought to the table the idea of $100 billion toward a reparations plan for African-Americans: an educational, economic and cultural fund to be disbursed over a 10-year period by a council of esteemed African-American leaders. In her own words, “At the end of the Civil War, General Tecumseh Sherman promised every formerly enslaved person 40 acres and a mule.

And those 40 acres and a mule would have given a formerly enslaved popula-

tion an opportunity to integrate into free society.”

This promise was not paid, and I think she’s right to call that out and say that it’s time to fulfill our duty as a society and make good on what’s due to the black community for the inhumane treatment of their ancestors and the resultant second-class status they’ve essentially endured all the way up to the present day.

It’s no secret that the black men, women and children of our society have been fighting an uphill battle in nearly every imaginable way since we’ve been a country, and this gap cannot be crossed by good intentions alone. If the subject is about leveling the playing field for our black brothers and sisters, then I think this proposal should be given more coverage in the public discourse. This is a very tangible step that we as Americans could take to narrow the gap between the disparities of white and black folk of this nation.

— David Aylward Asheville

Give cave people some credit I usually enjoy Mountain Xpress cartoons, even when I don’t get the joke or know who the characters are. But Brent Brown’s well-meaning offering in the Jan. 30 issue [avl.mx/5od] got me thinking. Why do we always assume

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OPINION

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that cave people (who were still learning to use tools, or were even good with tools, and — better yet — possibly good with each other) were stupid? Why do we portray them as the lowest intelligences on the planet, when it took the intelligence they (not we) were born with and evolved with to get us smart ones where we are today?

I’ve read about communities in Africa still living primitively in the mid-1900s*, who had minimal tools, no livestock and no shelters (!), and who seemed as simple as you might think cave people were, despite millennia of generations past.

These small bands of survivors were anything but stupid! Despite harsh conditions in the closing years of their way of life, they managed to live intelligently, cooperatively and wisely.

They were way ahead socially of where we seem to be today! They each knew their landscape, for example. They knew each other intimately and understood each other’s stories. They knew how to avoid fighting with each other and how to band together with other small groups when it seemed mutually beneficial. Otherwise, they stuck with their own bands, and they passed on to their modest number of children the information about how to thrive, when

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possible, in the desert, and how to survive, when necessary, without any help from politicians or missionaries.

What if the fact that cave men (or the Bushmen) weren’t glib or hip or intellectually developed (as we would describe it) or particularly celebratory doesn’t mean that they didn’t understand what being alive meant and how to have relationships, raise children and honor the forces that gave them life, sun, rain, food, companionship? What if we created a new model of “cave people” to pass on to our kids that didn’t demean them, and at least once in a while reminded us all that you had to have been a pretty smart, attentive and cooperative sort back then if you were to survive within the patterns of your species and environment? That’s a pattern we’re all going to benefit by emulating!

This cave man portrayal is just one of many absurd myths we would do ourselves service to dismantle. Just sayin’. * I read about these people in Elizabeth Marshall Thomas’ books, The Harmless People and The Old Way.

— Arjuna da Silva

Black Mountain

We need to create healthy, secure children and young adults Today, no teenager in America can remember a time when our country was at peace. Congress has not officially declared war, but our fighting forces in the 21st century are still active in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Syria and Libya, and have more military bases on the planet than any other country.

The truth of war is hidden by political spin, distorted ideology supported by corporate media, all substituting a way of life that accepts violence over a mature, spiritual religious faith. This under the umbrella of the so called “free market” claimed necessary, not for the common good, but for ever-increasing wealth as marketed by conservative and liberal elites. Part of this way of life, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, funded by American taxpayers, is accepted in high schools here and across our country.

It is encouraging that the Land of the Sky United Church of Christ in Asheville invited the local Veterans for Peace during the Christmas season to bring the issue of peace to children.

Creating a healthy society requires us all to educate and create healthy young adults, and inspire a public spirit that leads to peace, love, com-

passion and a readiness to be involved in helping others.

I recommend that we have equal funding matching JROTC to encourage non-military programs that include loyalty, selfless service, personal courage and obedience in the service of peace and justice. These include professions such as teaching, nursing and social work to educate children, energize families and build communities of hope that hunger for justice, honesty and peace.

Some form of a democratic spiritual healing process is needed to unite our country and the world.

Our churches, schools and media, as well as parents, have a profound responsibility to teach and inspire values that will create healthy young adults. No one escapes this responsibility. Educating our children is too important to leave to “political leaders” and wealthy elites. We need to take on militarism, racism and the extreme materialism of our consumer society.

Local Veterans for Peace members and other local groups are calling attention to the militarization of our country and our children. It is not a liberal or conservative issue, a Democratic or Republican ideology, but a moral issue for humanity. The United States is the only nation [apart from Somalia] that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which forbids military recruitment of children.

Our materialistic modern society snuffs out the best of a healthy childhood. We all bear some degree of responsibility to inspire and ignite the imagination, instilling a love of learning and service to others that leads to active participation in our democracy.

Imagine a more just world infused with the responsibility for others.

Imagine children inspired by awe and wonder, an innate joy and curiosity for learning. Our youth and young adults are the future.

For info on local peace and justice activities, contact esacco189@gmail. com and/or local veterans: [avl.mx/5of].

— Ed Sacco Asheville

Correction In our Feb. 6 article “Stuck: Rise in Immunization Exemptions Threatens Community Health, Doctors Say,” Dr. Susan Mims of Mission Children’s Hospital/Mission Health clarifies that the baby she mentioned who died of pertussis was 4 weeks old, below the age at which children are vaccinated for the disease.

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OPINION

Hidden history

BY ROBERT “ZACK” ZACHARY For the past three years, I have presented a special series in February for Black History Month, which is now called The Proper and More Effectual Method on the Teaching of AfroAmerican History. Growing up in Jim Crow Alabama, during the great civil rights movement, our history was constantly before us. Every other home was filled with hours of storytelling from the past and saturated with black publications or magazines on the coffee table. When attending church on Sunday morning, our history came from the pulpit, and do not forget the picturesque cardboard fans adorned with historical black figures or the beautiful black families in our community we all knew. It was equally wellplaced in our so-called “segregated” schools, with special assignments the entire year, not just for one month.

Learning black history was a hands-on and in-your-face experience all over the black community.

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Shining a light on African-American achievements like a controlled method to downplay the greatness of contributions and achievements of all Afro-Americans in this country and the world, including Dr. King.

GIVING PROPER CREDIT

ROBERT “ZACK” ZACHARY This was the reality all over America.

It is also what propelled the great Black Studies movement of the late ’60s and throughout the ’70s. When opportunities began to open for us to attend white schools and universities, they were devoid of any type of Black Studies. We began to protest and made demands to the contrary. This movement brought forth such great black historians as Chancellor Williams, Ph.D. (The Destruction of Black Civilization), John Henrik Clarke, Ph.D., Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Yosef “Dr. Ben” Ben-Jochannan and the honorable John Hope Franklin, Ph.D., to name a few. They were the pioneers of those acquired by top universities to lead Black Studies departments.

Yet going into the ’80s and ’90s to the present day, it seems that public education (and don’t leave out the private sphere) left off the teaching of AfroAmerican history and compiled it all into just highlighting two historical figures: Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks!

I came face to face with this turnaround upon my first years of teaching middle school in the early 1980s in Atlanta. I entered the school system and my class with much enthusiasm, especially coming into Black History Month. My colleagues recognized my optimistic attitude (privately, with a chuckle) and began telling me it was not this way in public education anymore. The directives on the teaching of Afro-American history, they said, “were already written out for us and mostly centered around the one and only Dr. Martin L. King!” As Black History Month came closer, the reality set in, and my colleagues were so correct. It was

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This rather distorted and whitewashed method holds true today and has influenced me and others in developing a more effective method to study black history. This has become most important to historians because it truly seems as if there has been an uptick in the highlighting of slavery and the atrocities that came with it rather than our achievements — seemingly a slow, sly and unbalanced curriculum, similar to how America subdued Native Americans on and in their own land.

Added to all this was a slow resurgence of Confederate re-enactments, along with textbooks and institutions pushing the false assertion that neither blacks nor Native Americans had made any significant contributions — enough to talk about — in the areas of science, education, architecture, research, etc.

These many reasons and other dynamics encouraged me to create this presen-

Local Black History Month events Local activist, poet, storyteller, chaplain and retired therapist Robert “Zack” Zachary plans two more local appearances as part of Black History Month.

• Saturday, Feb. 23. The Proper and More Effectual Method on the Teaching of Afro-American History: A presentation combining poetry, storytelling, expressive thought, music and dialogue, with audience participation. Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road, Asheville, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Suggested: $15 donation.

• Sunday, Feb 24. Interview, storytelling and dialogue on AfricanAmericans’ hidden history, along with two other community scholars on Asheville FM (103.3). 1-2 p.m.

For more info, contact Robert “Zack” Zachary at zackandhealinglove@ gmail.com or 828-215-5935.

tation and project — a presentation that would properly acknowledge and highlight the achievements, inventions, contributions and accomplishments, as well as the name of the person. This way makes it more a part of American history as a whole and gives more due credit to black people as a well-established and vital part of the building-up of this county in every area and institution. This method creates a more equitable and refined way to enhance and sustain the memory of the real contributions of our ancestors. It is a unique work involving audience participation and dialogue. The hope is that all will leave with a renewed understanding about how this country was built and put together with the input, contributions and participation of us all.

So it is for me like magical bombshells upon hearing unknown, untold and almost-hidden stories, including how countless blacks coming off slave ships made it to the West before Lewis and Clark arrived. It is a special time to expound on certain notable interesting questions, such as: What was the first American music form, after Native American music? Or entertain how so many slaves knew several different languages, such as Arabic, Swahili and even some major European languages.

And embark upon the political activism of the great Paul Robeson, whose passport was confiscated and so was forbidden to travel outside the United States, yet was acclaimed as the world’s greatest baritone. Or, at a time when blacks were denied equal treatment at hospitals in the Jim Crow South, the story of the doctor who invented blood plasma and worked with blood transfusions but died from his injuries in a car accident right here in North Carolina.

HEALING NEEDED ON ALL SIDES While I worked on this presentation, these remembrances and manifestations often — sometimes daily — brought tears and at times intense weeping. I had to stay meditative and prayerful as I was confronted with what my many ancestors endured and yet truly still accomplished. So much of it went unrecognized and hasn’t been acknowledged to this day. But the earth solidly holds their stories of life and their contributions, even if stolen or not properly credited. Some of the hardest moments were researching blacks who contributed, achieved

greatness or created a great invention and just seemed to have vanished!

So if we are going to rise forth, let us begin to courageously open the gates of true intellect and research and let go of holding back hidden facts in fear. If we teach about slavery in America, truly being the refined and privileged people we say we are, we must be willing to include every facet of slavery: the many escapes, insurrections, rebellions and resistance. There were also thousands of letters written by slaves and freed slaves challenging slavery, based on the Bible and the Constitution. It is not enough to just dig up some old “slave deeds” and stop there.

Empirically, this project is moving upon what is effective to heal on all sides and bringing forth that which has been hidden or forgotten, or just purposely not included at all in the miseducation of our youth and our nation as a whole. Any withholding of knowledge is a transgression against all and a dumbing-down of the whole populace. We must realize it is just as much or more detrimental to the oppressor as to the oppressed. Come, join in during Black History Month and a “Proper and More Effectual Method on the Teaching of Afro-American History.” X Asheville resident Robert “Zack” Zachary is a chaplain, mentor, poet and storyteller.

Black history and Buncombe County Schools As commentary writer Robert “Zack” Zachary continues his educational campaign to bring to light the often-hidden achievements of African-Americans, Xpress checked in with Buncombe County Schools staffers about how the system approaches the teaching of black history. We received the following information from Ben Rickert, assistant director of communications for the district: “A core value (avl.mx/5og) of Buncombe County Schools is to embrace diversity.

This value guides the type of learning communities we aim to build, as well as the content taught in our classrooms every day. All public schools in North Carolina reinforce the standards of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

In terms of social studies, guidance is also received from the National Council for the Social Studies, which states that ‘the primary purpose of social studies is to help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world’ (avl.mx/5oh).

“The importance of black history and the contributions of many AfricanAmericans in our state and national history cannot be overstated. Therefore, we aim to approach these topics in numerous ways over years of instruction, giving students the understanding required to be responsible global citizens. Our students learn that Americans are comprised of people who have diverse ethnic origins and traditions, who all contribute to American life. Furthermore, our educators are intentional to connect with the broader Asheville community around a number of cultural events and celebrations of diversity, adding richness to their teaching and understanding of history.”

Rickert also included standards from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction outlining how students, starting in elementary school, are to be taught social studies. K-2 students learn about families and historical figures, while fourth-graders are studying North Carolina’s history, ethnic diversity, culture, geography, civics, government and more. Meanwhile, Buncombe County Schools’ eighth-graders learn about events leading up to the Civil War through Reconstruction. In high school, part of the BCS 11th-grade American literature curriculum is learning about the contributions of Harlem Renaissance writers and thinkers.

The BCS spokesman also included several other examples of how the system and its students explore black history and the contributions of AfricanAmericans, including: • BCS teachers have attended UNC Asheville’s African Americans in Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia conference over the past three years; in addition, two teachers presented research and unit development for eighthgrade students this year at the conference.

• Dozens of teachers and students have attended People Not Property workshops sponsored by UNCA’s Center for Diversity Education, focused on the history of slavery in WNC, and numerous classrooms have participated in transcribing original slave deeds (bills of sale and last wills) as part of a national project.

Noted Rickert: “We’re proud of our commitment to diversity, and the many origins and traditions that make up our nation!”

— Tracy Rose X

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NEWS

BUILDING A FAMILY

Adoptive parents open their hearts and homes to children in need

BY LESLIE BOYD leslie.boyd@gmail.com

GROWING FAMILY: Mamie Amin, left, adoption specialist at Eliada Homes, meets with Brian Loftin and Katie Kasben of Weaverville. Loftin and Kasben are in the process of adopting their two foster children. Photo by Leslie Boyd other than their parents, says Michael Becketts, assistant secretary for human services at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. North Carolina has nearly 11,700 of these children.

Most are in foster care homes or in the homes of relatives, and many are

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After Katie Kasben and Brian Loftin discovered they couldn’t have children, both spent time grieving for what didn’t happen.

Then they decided to make something happen.

The Weaverville couple decided to look into fostering a child with the goal of adoption. What they got was two siblings who will become their legal children in June, when the adoption is finalized.

Kasben, an executive assistant, artist and musician, and Loftin, a craniosacral therapist, are adopting through Eliada Homes, which has a long history of helping the most vulnerable children in Buncombe County and recently became licensed to do adoptions.

Eliada was founded 116 years ago as an orphanage and has continued to care for the most vulnerable — children with nowhere else to go, says Eliada’s adoption specialist, Mamie Amin.

“Essentially, they’re homeless children because they can’t go back where they came from,” says Amin.

“You don’t get any more vulnerable than that.”

Nationally, some 400,000 children are in foster care or the care of relatives

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likely to go back to their original homes once issues of safety are addressed.

About 1,100 of the state’s foster children are in aggregate care — group homes or institutions.

North Carolina’s departments of social services do not do adoptions, but work with agencies, including Eliada.

A complete list of agencies licensed to handle adoptions in the state is available online.

CHILDREN NEED STABILITY “All of them need stability in their lives,” Becketts says. “Our goal is to have each child in a permanent home in less than two years (after entering care)” after arriving in the system.

Every child who can’t return home is adoptable, Becketts says, and the goal is to get each of them into an appropriate permanent home as quickly as possible.

Kasben says she and Loftin considered private adoption and foreign adoption, but both are expensive. They thought about in vitro fertilization, but that too was expensive and is often not covered by insurance.

“We were looking at a cost of $30,000 to $40,000,” she says. “We wouldn’t have money to put a child through college if we spent that much on adopting.”

It took several years to come to terms with being unable to have a biological child, Kasben says, but the couple finally realized that they wanted to be parents. They wanted to parent a child who needed them, to guide that child through childhood, to love and accept a child for the unique person he or she is and to help that child become a responsible and caring adult. In the end, it didn’t matter how that child came to be theirs, she says. What mattered was that they could make a difference in a child’s life and fulfill their desire to parent at the same time.

They called Eliada to apply to become foster parents. Three days later, two children, ages 7 and 8, arrived at the nonprofit needing a home. Kasben and Loftin took the certification course at an accelerated rate and pushed to get all the paperwork finished.

“Biological mothers get morning sickness; adoptive parents get paper cuts,” Kasben jokes.

They were licensed to be foster parents in a few weeks — a process that usually takes four or five months — and they began to co-parent with the couple who have cared for the children for the last three years.

“They’re still attached to their foster parents, and that’s OK,” Kasben says.

“A child can’t have too many people loving them and guiding them.”

N EWS DISPELLING THE MYTHS Amin believes that myths about fostering to adopt abound.

“People think you need to be perfect to be a foster parent, but you don’t,” Amin says. “You just have to be willing to love a child who needs you.”

You also don’t have to be married or own a home. It’s also not cost-prohibitive.

“It’s largely free,” Becketts says.

“Licensing and background checks cost a couple hundred dollars … you don’t have to hire an attorney because the agency already does that.”

Some prospective parents are reluctant to foster because they’re afraid they’ll fall in love with a foster child and then have to give the child up.

“The truth is, we’re never guaranteed time with the people we love,” Amin says. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t love someone.

We still choose to develop and nurture loving relationships with family and friends every day.”

According to the state’s DHHS NC Kids website, foster parents

TOGETHER FOREVER: The Vesely-Flad family grew by one member the day Rima, far left, and Ethan, far right, adopted Jaxson, second from right. Son Matai, second from left, gained a brother. The family fostered Jaxson through Eliada, but had to use another agency to complete the adoption. With the addition of adoption services, Eliada can now work with families through the entire process. Photo by Summer Kremer and adoptive parents need to understand that offering stability may include allowing a child to remain

Bus Service to Mills River, Hendersonville & Brevard

BREVARD ACADEMY

A CHALLENGE FOUNDATION ACADEMY

A Free Quality Education Serving WNC Children From Kindergarten - 8 th Grade

Call 828-885-BOOK Find out more information at brevard.teamcfa.school 12

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

MOUNTAINX.COM

be placed with parents who are waiting. Prospective parents can register with NC Kids to await an appropriate match.

Kasben offers a bit of advice to anyone thinking about fostering to adopt: “Make sure you’ve resolved your grief if you’re adopting because you’re infertile. And contain your ego. This is about the child, not you. You’ll be rewarded.”

Help also is available post-adoption, with support groups, advocacy and resource referrals.

“There are so many children waiting,” Amin says, “and so few people willing to take them. We don’t have a shortage of nice people with a spare bedroom, but we do have a shortage of nice people with room in their hearts to foster and adopt a child.” X

in touch with people who have been important in his or her life — former foster parents, even birth parents, siblings and teachers. Not every child will need to do this, but some will, and the process is always child-driven.

The state’s website also has a gallery of children awaiting permanent homes. These children are older because infants and toddlers are in such high demand that they can

LEARN MORE Eliada

Homes

holds

an

information session on fostering to adopt, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, at Eliada’s PARC Building, 49 Compton Drive, Asheville. For information, email mamin@eliada.org.

Haiku Wedding Giveaway H OSTE D BY H A I KU I D O

A Couture Collective featuring Angela Kim Wedding Dress Designer and Turner & Co.’s Bridal Beauty Team. Thousands in prizes to be given away by many of your local wedding vendors!

Complimentary aperitifs and hors d’oeuvers will be served. Music by DJ Marley Carroll.

Get your tickets at haikuweddinggiveaway.bpt.me FR I DAY, M A RC H 1 • 6 : 0 0 PM – 9: 0 0 PM

R S V P

H A I KU I D O 26 SW E E TE N C RE E K ROA D, AS H E V I L L E, N C 28803

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

13

BUNCOMBE BEAT

Buncombe appoints former New Hanover official as new county manager As her two predecessors face the possibility of prison time, Buncombe County’s new manager highlighted the importance of restoring trust in county government during her first remarks to members of the public.

“Today we begin anew,” said Avril Pinder, who most recently served as the deputy county manager for New Hanover County. “We will work to rebuild the public’s trust. We will continue to focus on delivering on our strategic priorities to make Buncombe the best place to work, live and play.

“My goal is that with every contact with Buncombe County — from A, animal control, to Z, zoning, and everything in between — you will find us responsive to your needs, ethical in our behavior and easy to do business with,” Pinder continued.

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to appoint Pinder as county manager during a special meeting on Feb. 5, making her the first woman of color to serve in that role. Buncombe County expects Pinder’s first day to be Monday, March 4. Interim County Manager George Wood has been handling the county’s day-to-day operations since his appointment in June.

Pinder inherits a position previously held by Wanda Greene and Mandy Stone, both of whom pleaded guilty in January to crimes committed during their time in office. She said that restoring trust in Buncombe’s government involves reinforcing the county’s core values among all staff members.

“Are we being responsible? Are we being caring to our citizens? Are we being honest? So that’s one thing that every department, when I have our

A NEW DAY: Members of the audience recognize newly appointed county manager Avril Pinder during a special meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5. Photo by David Floyd first meeting, that’s going to be drilled into every department head,” Pinder explained after the meeting, “and I want that going down to every single level of the organization.”

Commissioner Al Whitesides said Pinder stood out to him throughout the application process and that, after interviewing her twice, it was “crystal clear” she was the person the commissioners should appoint.

“If we are looking for qualifications … it’s no comparison to the 40 other applicants that we had. And I’ll stake my reputation on that,” he said.

After Pinder earned an MBA from Delaware State University, said board Chair Brownie Newman, she worked from 1990-95 as an accountant in the

private sector. From 1995 to 2006, she served as the assistant finance director and community development director for Jacksonville in Onslow County before New Hanover County hired her as its finance manager in 2006. The county promoted her to assistant county manager six years later, a role in which she was responsible for property management, information technology, finance and human resources. In 2015, New Hanover County named her deputy county manager.

In a statement sent out after Pinder’s appointment, Buncombe County noted a handful of her professional accomplishments, which include obtaining New Hanover County’s first Triple-A bond rating and establishing a pool of pri-

vate banks for startup businesses to obtain loans.

Pinder said commissioners have already laid out a road map for her to follow, pointing to several items the board included on its list of strategic priorities in December 2017, including affordable housing.

As the board’s newest member, Commissioner Amanda Edwards said she took the task of appointing a new manager very seriously. “Mrs. Pinder is going to be tasked with serving as a nonpartisan professional for Buncombe County who charts the course for us as we move forward,” she said. “Under her leadership, it’s a new day in Buncombe County.”

Commissioner Joe Belcher believes that Buncombe is in the process of “exiting that storm” caused by the federal investigation into county officials and that enough policy changes have been made to set the stage for a successful transition to a new manager.

“I think a lot of that has been done,” he said. “Now someone can come in and work on their style and personality and culture and try to bring the team together and keep them together.”

When commissioners were narrowing down their finalists, Belcher said, Pinder was the only candidate that the board unanimously wanted to bring back for another interview. Belcher said she was engaging and interacted well with department heads.

“I can’t teach you how to treat people,” he said. “I can try to instill those soft skills … but some people it’s very natural. It’s very natural for her.”

According to her contract with the county, Pinder’s base annual salary will be $198,000. Pinder will also receive annual performance evaluations beginning on July 1. Those evaluations will be the basis for any salary increases beyond adjustments tied to the consumer price index.

— David Floyd X

Kids Issues

publish March 13th & 20th advertise@mountainx.com

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MOUNTAINX.COM

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15

NEWS BRIEFS

N EWS

A-B Tech funds revised

BUILDING NEEDS: Interim County Manager George Wood said a recent architectural assessment revealed $25 million in deferred maintenance at A-B Tech. Photo courtesy of A-B Tech A recent evaluation revealed almost $25 million in deferred building maintenance needs at A-B Tech. That state of affairs, said college President Dennis King during a meeting of the A-B Tech board of trustees on Feb. 7, is the result of a lack of funding from Buncombe County.

The funding shortfall occurred despite the passage of a 2011 referendum that increased county sales tax by a quarter-cent to pay for capital projects at the college. Instead, much of the money has gone to other county funding needs.

At the Feb. 7 meeting, interim County Manager George Wood proposed an eight-year compromise plan that would: • Budget $3.125 million in Article 46 sales tax revenue annually for campus maintenance beginning in fiscal year 2020 and increasing 5.5 percent per year to account for inflation. This funding would cover the cost of clearing the college’s maintenance backlog, Wood said.

• Limit county transfers of Article 46 revenue to its general fund to no more than $5 million in any fiscal year.

• Earmark any Article 46 tax revenue transferred to the general fund for offsetting A-B Tech operating costs. Last year, the county transferred $6.5 million in Article 46 sales tax revenue to its general fund to pay for college operations.

• Commit the county to pay for any new construction agreed to by both the A-B Tech board and 16

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the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

• Maintain a minimum $2 million Article 46 Sales Tax Fund balance to cover any college maintenance emergencies.

Trustees approved the proposal in a 9-4 vote and added a provision stipulating that any funds generated above expenditures would go to the Article 46 fund balance. That money, with the exception of the $2 million reserved for emergencies, could only be used for A-B Tech capital needs for the term of the agreement.

County Attorney Michael Frue suggested that trustees and commissioners seek support from local state representatives to pass state legislation formalizing the agreement, which also still needs approval by the Board of Commissioners.

If both boards jointly enter into a memorandum of understanding outlining their wishes for the Article 46 revenue, “There is a good chance that the local delegation will back such legislation,” Frue said.

Trustee Matt Kern, who voted against the proposal, said the plan still leaves millions of dollars in county coffers. “It perplexes me that only in government do you take somebody’s money and then offer them a compromise to give part of it back to them,” he said. “That seems to be what’s going on here.”

Kern said money from the quartercent sales tax was never intended to pay for college operations.

by News staff | news@mountainx.com CITY SEEKS INPUT ON POLICE CHIEF SELECTION Community members can weigh in on the qualities the city should emphasize in its search for Asheville’s next police chief through Friday, March 1.

In addition to two public input sessions held Feb. 5 and 6, the city is collecting comments at avl.mx/5ol.

According to a post on the city’s blog, “Communication outreach will extend to organizations and groups in underserved communities, such as the Asheville Housing Authority. People can also provide input at our Southside Neighborhood Hours, held at the Grant Center from 3 to 6 p.m. the fourth Thursday of every month.” This month, the fourth Thursday falls on Feb. 22.

About 40 people attended the Feb. 5 meeting at the Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center. New City Manager Debra Campbell said she hoped to identify a new police chief by late spring, indicating that finding the right candidate is more important than reaching a quick decision.

“This is going to be tough, to truly get someone to come to Asheville and reflect the values that we have in Asheville and will be able to present themselves in a way that advances trust and faith and confidence in the APD,” Campbell

‘DEEPLY AFFORDABLE’: The East Haven Apartments in Swannanoa will provide 95 units of affordable housing for residents who meet income requirements. Image courtesy of Mountain Housing Opportunities said. “That has to permeate not just through the chief, but throughout the organization.”

COUNTY AWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners on Feb. 5 approved economic incentives for Burial Beer Co. of Asheville and Haakon Industries of British Columbia, Canada.

The incentives aim to create over 100 living wage jobs with the two companies. Assuming the companies make promised investments in their manufacturing facilities, Burial Beer will receive $10,045 in incentives and Haakon Industries will get $192,298.

SWANNANOA AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT GETS LOAN Also at the Feb. 5 meeting of the county Board of Commissioners, officials approved a $2.2 million loan to Mountain Housing Opportunities

“When [Wood] guarantees us $5 million for operations from the sales tax money that’s supposed to go for capital, I think that stinks,” Kern said.

“And what it stinks of is the county commission is balancing their budget on the backs of A-B Tech.”

In an email after the vote, Board of Commissioners Chair Brownie Newman wrote that he shares concerns expressed by trustees who voted against the proposal.

Voters were told that $129 million in sales tax proceeds would be invested

for its planned East Haven apartment development in Swannanoa. The complex will include 95 units of “deeply affordable” housing for lowincome residents.

After receiving pushback on its request for a no-interest loan with a balloon repayment at the end of a 20-year term, Mountain Housing Opportunities proposed an alternate arrangement. The nonprofit would make annual payments of $10,000 in years one-10 of the loan period, $7,500 in years 11-15 and $5,000 in years 16-20. MHO would pay the remaining balance at the end of the 20-year term.

Organization staffers also proposed that the loan funds be disbursed over four years, starting in the current fiscal year.

MHO agreed to pay property taxes, forgo a rebate and extend the period of affordability from 30 to 50 years.

Commissioners approved the loan in a 4-3 vote, with Robert Pressley, Mike Fryar and Joe Belcher voting in the minority. X

in capital needs at A-B Tech, Newman wrote. While over $80 million has been spent, and Wood’s proposal would lead to an additional $29 million investment, that still falls short of what voters were guaranteed, he added.

“I am hoping the commission may be open to strengthening the plan to guarantee this investment level is achieved within the next eight to 10 years,” he said. “I believe some other commissioners share this concern.”

— David Floyd X

FEA T U RE S

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘Instrument of torture’ The lost tradition of the comic valentine

international peace were they made in public will not cause the recipients to get angry today, for they will refuse to worry over unsigned attacks on St. Valentine’s day. They will figure that it’s part of the celebration and pass it up at that.”

By 1915, with bloodshed in Europe, enthusiasm for the vitriolic drawings appears to have waned. “The use of the comic valentines … gradually is passing and observant ones say that it will be a matter of only a few years until the comic valentine will be things of the past,” The Sunday Citizen observed.

Two years later, with the U.S. on the cusp of joining its European allies on the Western Front, tolerance for the comic valentine vanished among most consumers. All across town, the 1917 paper reported, shop windows displayed “very beautiful and attractive” tokens of love.

However, the article noted, inside many of these same businesses the comic valentine continued to be sold on account of its ongoing popularity among young boys. “Unfortunately,” the paper wrote, “the United States government, which watches so closely the use of its mail service, has not so far placed the ban on this class of mail.”

Yet by the article’s conclusion, its rather mercurial writer seems resolved to accept both modes of expression, writing:

LOVE AND HATE: Along with the traditional concept of Cupid’s arrow, this 1909 cartoon published in The Sunday Citizen offers a nod to the comic valentine. On the bottom right, the bird (a fixture in the paper during this time period) receives a caricature drawing of itself and exclaims: “Look what some son-of-a-gun sent me!”

On Feb. 14, 1910, The Asheville Citizen declared: “Today is the day when the bashful swain and the coy maiden are permitted to confess the ardor that is in them, and today is the day when one can in all the secrecy of anonymity get even with worst enemies. For it is St. Valentine’s day, and by strange perversion of things which links opposites together, the day has become one of sentiment both amorous and inimical.”

The doting portion of the holiday should come as no surprise to contemporary readers. But the vindictive element previously associated with Valentine’s Day is likely unfamiliar to most. Fortunately, reporters from the early part of the 20th century left detailed accounts of this lost tradition.

“The comic valentine is an instrument of torture,” the 1910 article con-

tinued. The sort of man responsible for promulgating such animosity, the paper speculated, “must have been a pessimist with a grudge against the world.” And though many of these cards were sent in jest, the newspaper noted, “there is in it a drop of caustic that burns into the soul. Usually the comic valentine is selected to ridicule the very spot one is most sensitive about, and that is why it hurts, because of its truth.”

Similar coverage of the comic valentine continued in the local paper throughout the 1910s. By 1914, general reaction to the spiteful greetings appear to have tempered, softened perhaps by the more pressing and imminent potential for world war.

That year The Asheville Citizen wrote: “Caricatures in many colors and accompanied by expressions that would start a riot at a meeting in the interest of

“The songs of the birds are always heard more clearly on St. Valentine’s day, and their songs will be echoed and re-echoed in the hearts of others who receive valentines with the boldest and most declarations of everlasting love inscribed on them.

This, however, will not apply to those who receive the other kind.

Their first inclination is ever to get a gun and walk abroad. Their next feeling is one of despair that they have lived all these years only to be classed with that thing they see staring back at them from the printed sheet. Finally, they make up their minds to discover the sender of the comic valentine and to secure sweet revenge by sending a return valentine next year.”

The following year, 1918, America was in the throes of trench warfare.

For this reason, it appears Valentine’s Day coverage was limited to brief mentions of school-related events and social gatherings.

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

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR FEB. 13 - 21, 2019

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

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

VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS ANIMALS FIRESTORM BOOKS & COFFEE 610 Haywood Road, 828255-8115, firestorm.coop • 3rd FRIDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Animal Rights Reading Group. Free to attend.

WNC NATURE CENTER 75 Gashes Creek Road, 828-298-5600, wildwnc.org • TH (2/14), 10am-5pm Opening for the new red panda exhibit as part of the Prehistoric Appalachia project. Admission fees apply.

BENEFITS ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 828-252-6244, ashevillemusicschool. org, ryan@ashevillemusicschool.org • SU (2/17), 3pm Proceeds from the Underhill Rose concert benefit the Asheville Music School. Americana and roots music. $20. Held at Streamside Concerts, 721 Streamside Drive, Arden CAJUN COOK-OFF • SU (2/17), 1-5pm Proceeds from the Annual Cajun Cook-Off benefit Asheville Mardi Gras, food and music festival. $20/$10 members. Held at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive, salvagestation.com HENDERSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 828-697-5884, hendersonvillesymphony. org • SA (2/16), 6pm Proceeds from The Glitter Ball, 70s themed event with dining, a 15-piece band, dancing and silent

18

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

=T auction benefit the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra. Registration required. $125. Held at Blue Ridge Community College Conference Hall, 49 E Campus Drive, Flat Rock HISTORIC JOHNSON FARM 3346 Haywood Road, Hendersonville, 828-891-6585, historicjohnsonfarm.org • FR (2/15), 6pm Proceeds from the Candlelight Dinner benefit Historic Johnson Farm. $100.

SIPS AND SWEETS FR (2/15), 7:30pm - Proceeds from the Hendersonville Sister Cities, Sips & Sweets event benefits Hendersonville Student Ambassador Travel Scholarship program. $20. Held at Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards, 588 Chestnut Gap Road, Hendersonville

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VALENTEASE BURLESQUE AND VARIETY SHOW 828-254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com TH (2/14), 7-9pm - Proceeds from the 3rd Annual Valentease Burlesque and Variety Show benefit Our Voice.

Performances, raffle and silent auction. $12. Held at The BLOCK off biltmore, 39 South Market St.

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BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 1465 Sand Hill Road, Candler, 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TU (2/12), noon-4:30pm - Marketing with a Bang class. Registration required. Free to attend.

MOUNTAINX.COM

• WE (2/13), 5:30-8:30pm - How to Start a Nonprofit Entity class. Registration required. Free to attend.

• TU (2/19), 2-4pm - DOR: Business Essentials class.

Registration required. Free to attend.

• TH (2/21), 3-6pm Using WordPress to Build a Website for Your Business class. Registration required. Free to attend.

ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS • WE (2/20), 11:45am1:30pm - "Navigating Today's Ethical Minefield," presentation by Dr. Hal M. Lewis about fundraising. Sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals of WNC. Registration required: avl. mx/5gz. $30/$20 members. Held at Asheville Renaissance Hotel, 31 Woodfin Ave. LOVE ASHEVILLE GO LOCAL • SA (2/16), 1:30-4pm Local Social celebration for Love Asheville Go Local.

Music by Pleasure Chest.

Free to attend. Held at The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave.

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS EMPYREAN ARTS CLASSES (PD.) FIT HAPPENS on Wednesdays 6pm. AERIAL FLEXIBILITY on Mondays 6pm and Fridays 1pm INTRO TO PARTNER ACROBATICS on Sundays 6:30pm. BEGINNING AERIAL ARTS on Sundays 2:15pm, Tuesdays 1:00pm, Wednesdays 7:30pm, Thursdays 5:15pm, Saturdays 2:30pm.

EMPYREANARTS.ORG. 828.782.3321. 32 Banks Avenue-Studio 107&108.

AMERICAN LEGION POST NC 77 216 4th Ave. W., Hendersonville • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, noon - Korean War Veterans Association, General Frank Blazey Chapter 314, general meeting. Lunch at noon, meeting at 1pm. Free to attend.

ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB 828-779-0319, vincentvanjoe@gmail.com

• WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Sets provided. All ages and skill levels welcome.

Beginners lessons available. Free. Held at North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Road AUTISTIC ADULTS UNITED GAME NIGHT • FR (2/15), 5-7pm Autistic Adults United Game Night. Free. Held at Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Road BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (2/5) & TU (2/19), 2pm - Bring your board games or play with ours, from the classics to new releases. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TU (2/19), 6-7pm Basic Computer Skills class. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. EARTHFARE WESTGATE 66 Westgate Parkway, 828-253-7656 • FR (2/15), 7-9pm - David Leskowitz presents The Astrology of Astrologers (A Look at the Horoscopes of Famous Astrologers).

Free.

HOMINY VALLEY RECREATION PARK 25 Twin Lakes Drive, Candler, 828-242-8998, hvrpsports.com • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Hominy Valley board meeting. Free.

JACKSON COUNTY NAACP • SA (2/16), 10am Jackson County NAACP Program: ‘Will the Green New Deal be a Good Deal for African Americans?’

Free to attend. Held at Liberty Baptist Church, 551 Scotts Creek Road, Sylva LAND-OF-SKY REGIONAL COUNCIL OFFICES 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140, 828251-6622, landofsky.org • 3rd FRIDAYS, 9-10:30am - Community Advisory Committee for Adult Care Homes, meeting.

Registration: julia@ landofsky.org. Free.

POLLINATOR PUB: Plants have been using colorful flowers and nectar to seduce pollinators for millions of years. We are only now beginning to understand that one in every three bites we take is dependent upon a pollinator of one type or another. Join Phyllis Stiles, founder of Bee City USA, for a Science Pub talk, ‘Pollinators, People, and the Planet,’ to learn about why and how Bee City USA affiliates are changing the way they landscape in order to welcome at-risk pollinators with the goal of reversing their global decline. Science Pub is held Friday, Feb. 15 from 5:30-7 p.m. Light refreshments provided. This event is free to the public. Photo courtesy of Phyllis Stiles (p. 20) LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester.

Community.Center • 3rd THURSDAYS, 7pm - The Leicester History Gathering, general meeting. Free.

ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 828-255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (2/14), 5:30-7pm "Emotions and Spending," class. Registration required. Free.

• FR (2/15), noon-1:30pm - "Understanding Credit.

Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free.

• MO (2/18), noon1:30pm - "Emotions and Spending," class.

Registration required.

Free.

• TU (2/19), 5:30-7pm "Budgeting and Debt," class. Registration required. Free.

• WE (2/20), noon-1:30pm - "Understanding Credit.

Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free.

• THURSDAYS (2/21) until (2/28), 9am-12:30pm - "Money Management and Credit," class series.

Registration required.

Free.

• TH (2/21), 5:30-7:30pm - Sponsorship by The Biltmore Company means no charge for Home Energy Efficiency.

Registration required.

Free.

ECO

REJAVANATION CAFE

ASHEVILLE CITIZENS’ CLIMATE LOBBY

909 Smokey Park Hwy., Candler, 828-670-5595 • SA (2/16), 1-4pm Dungeons and Dragons gaming meetup.

Information and registration: bit.ly/2DTAKH3. Free to attend.

citizensclimatelobby.org/ chapters/NC_Asheville/ • 3rd MONDAYS, 6:308:30pm - General meeting for non-partisan organization lobbying for a bipartisan federal solution to climate change. Free to attend. Held at Paulsen Lodge at Asheville School, 360 Asheville School Road

TRANSITION ASHEVILLE 828-296-0064, transitionasheville.org • MO (2/19), 6:30-8pm Housing Resilience Part II panel discussion. Panelists: Mary Lou Kempf, Howard Hangar and Jane Reeves.

Free. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St.

ASHEVILLE GREEN OPPORTUNITIES 828-398-4158, greenopportunities.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 3:30-4:30pm - Green Opportunities holds a Training Program Information Session to

learn about training and employment pathways.

Free. Held at Arthur R. Edington Education and Career Center, 133 Livingston St. ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS 828-254-1776, ashevillegreenworks.org • THURSDAYS through (3/28), 6-8pm Advanced Tree Keeper workshop series for active members of their neighborhood for advanced training. Must attend all six workshops.

Application: avl.mx/5oe.

Free. Held at The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St. THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401, 1828, thecollider. org/ • TH (2/21), 4:30pm Scientists and experts discuss becoming resilient in a changing climate. Registration required. $10.

FARM & GARDEN 26TH ANNUAL ORGANIC GROWERS SCHOOL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 8-10, 2019. at Mars Hill University, NC. 150+ practical, affordable, regionally-appropriate workshops on organic growing, homesteading, farming, permaculture. Trade show, seed exchange, special guests.

Organicgrowersschool. org. (828) 214-7833.

A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 828-398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TH (2/14), 6-7:30pm - The Business of Agritourism: Business Planning Part 1, the third seminar in a seven-part series. Registration required. Free. Held at Madison County Cooperative Extension Office, 258 Carolina Lane Marshall • TH (2/21), 6-7:30pm - The Business of Agritourism: Business Planning Part 2, the fourth seminar in a sevenpart series. Registration required. Free. Held at Madison County Cooperative Extension

Office, 258 Carolina Lane Marshall ASHEVILLE GREENWORKS 828-254-1776, ashevillegreenworks.org • TUESDAYS through (3/26), 6-7:30pm - Basic Tree Workshop series of six classes. Registration required. Free. Held at The Wedge at Foundation, 5 Foundy St. BUNCOMBE COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION CENTER 49 Mt. Carmel Road, Suite 102, 828-255-5522, buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu • SA (2/16), 1-3pm - Saturday Seminar: Pruning Tools Workshop, What Tools to Use and Tool Sharpening.

Registration required.

Free.

• TH (2/21), 10amnoon - Gardening in the Mountains presents: Living Soil. Registration required. Free.

DR. WESLEY GRANT SR. SOUTHSIDE CENTER 285 Livingston St., 828-259-5483 • WE (2/20), 6-7pm Backyard Composting Workshop. Free.

LIVING WEB FARMS 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, 828-505-1660, livingwebfarms.org • SA (2/16), 1:30-7pm - Learn about WNC’s Mutual Aid Initiative and the history of successful and historical co-ops.

Registration: avl.mx/5nn. $15.

POLK COUNTY FRIENDS OF AGRICULTURE BREAKFAST polkcountyfarms.org • 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8am - Monthly breakfast with presentations on agriculture. Admission by donation. Held at Green Creek Community Center, 25 Shields Road, Columbus WNC AGRICULTURAL CENTER 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, 828-687-1414, mountainfair.org • TU (2/19), 7am - The Friends of Agriculture Breakfast, a quarterly breakfast with local food from Buncombe County Farms, with speakers Joe and Linda Brittain. Free.

FESTIVALS BREW HORIZONS BEER FESTIVAL (PD.) • Saturday Feb. 23rd 2-6 p.m. @ U.S. Cellular Center, Asheville. Over 20 breweries, 2 bands, local food fundraiser for Blue Horizons Project. $40 Tickets online & box office w/VIP & DD options

FOOD & BEER ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 43 Patton Ave., 828-2547162, colburnmuseum.org TH (2/14), 7-9pm ‘Make & Mingle: Valentine’s Date Night and Mixer,’ events for geeks and makers ages 21 and up. Event includes craft beer, science demonstrations and activities. $20.

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FAIRVIEW WELCOME TABLE fairviewwelcometable.com • THURSDAYS, 11:30am1pm - Community lunch.

Admission by donation.

Held at Fairview Christian Fellowship, 596 Old US Highway 74, Fairview LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 828-774-3000, facebook.com/Leicester.

Community.Center

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

Free.

• WEDNESDAYS, 11:30am1pm - Welcome Table, community meal. Free.

SALVAGE STATION 468 Riverside Drive, salvagestation.com • SU (2/17), 1-5pm Proceeds from the Annual Cajun Cook-Off benefit Asheville Mardi Gras, food and music festival. $20/$10 members.

YMCA - ASHEVILLE 30 Woodfin St., 828-2109622, ymcawnc.org/centers/asheville WE (2/13), 6-7:30pm - Partner Cooking Class: Cooking with Love, handson partner cooking class.

Registration: 828-5752939 or email lfurgiuele@ ymcawnc.org. $30 YMCA members/$40 nonmembers.

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GOVERNMENT & POLITICS ART TRANSIT STATION 49 Coxe Ave. • FR (2/15), 1pm - Preview the new ART electric buses.

Free.

ASHEVILLE TEA PARTY ashevilleteaparty.org • WE (2/13), 1-3pm - Chris Gaubatz speaks on his undercover operations after 9/11. $5. Held at

Hendersonville City Operations Building, 305 Williams St., Hendersonville BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm - General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (2/19) & TU (2/26), 6pm - America: Built for War or Built for Peace, two part series facilitated by author Terry O'Keefe. Free.

Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville BUNCOMBE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC HEADQUARTERS 951 Old Fairview Road • TH (2/21), 5:15pm Democrat Women of Buncombe County host their February dinner meeting, ‘Our Future: Teen Dems & Young Dems of Buncombe County.’ RSVP by (2/17): avl.mx/5ou. $12/$15 non-member.

DILLSBORO MASONIC LODGE 223 Wikes Crescent Drive Sylva • TU (2/19), 6:30pm Jackson County Republican Party monthly meeting.

HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY CO-OP 60 S Charleston Lane, Hendersonville, 828-6930505, hendersonville.coop/ Home • TH (2/21), 11:30am1:30pm - Henderson County League of Women Voters February lunch meeting. Free to attend.

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER 236 Charlotte St., 828-2530701, jcc-asheville.org • TU (2/19), 8:30-10am & 5:30-7pm - Public engagement meeting about the North Charlotte Street road diet and zoning evaluation.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library WE (2/13), 10:30amnoon - Princes and princesses, wear your finest and join us for our annual Valentine's Tea Party. Fine china, crafts and preschool storytime.

Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester • WE (2/13), 11am - Tiny Tots Yoga is for babies and toddlers that are crawling to 2 years with a caregiver (parent, friend, or guardian).

Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa

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C OMMU N IT Y CA L EN D AR • 3rd FRIDAYS until (3/15), 4-6pm - Reading with JR the Therapy Dog for kids up to 12. Registration required.

Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TU (2/19), 10:30am - This class introduces classic yoga, meditation, breath work and stress management for kids ages 3 - 6. Registration required. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • WE (23/20), 4pm - Pack Makers and Shakers: Create with the Asheville Art Museum. Ages 5 and up.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am - Family story time. Free.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend.

by Deborah Robertson

SESAME STREET LIVE • WE (2/20), 10:30am & 6pm - Sesame Street Live!

Let’s Party!, live stage show for children. Information: bit.ly/2RzjC0G. $20/$15 children. Held at US Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St. SMITH-MCDOWELL HOUSE MUSEUM 283 Victoria Road, 828-2539231, wnchistory.org • SA (2/16), 10:30am12:30pm - Crafty Historian: 1960s Party for ages 7 and up. Parents welcome. $15 children/$10 chaperones.

UNITED WAY OF ASHEVILLE & BUNCOMBE COUNTY 828-255-0696, unitedwayabc.org Homework Diner Program a strategy to support students and their families with tutoring, building parentteacher relationships, a nutritious meal, community resources and workforce readiness. Free.

• MONDAYS, 5:30-7pm Free. Held at Erwin Middle School, 20 Erwin Hills Road • TUESDAYS, 5-7pm - Free.

Held at Asheville Middle

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

School, 211 S French Broad Ave. • TUESDAYS, 5:30-7pm Free. Held at Enka Middle School, 390 Asbury Road, Candler • THURSDAYS, 5:307pm - Free. Held at Owen Middle School, 730 Old US Highway 70, Swannanoa

• FR (2/15), 9:15am-2pm - Volunteer Workday at Florence Nature Preserve, maintaining meadow habitat. Carpool from Conserving Carolina office.

Registration: volunteer@ conservingcarolina.org or 828-697-5777 ext. 211

WNC NATURE CENTER 75 Gashes Creek Road, 828298-5600, wildwnc.org • SA (2/16), 10am-1pm - Critter Check Up, your child can get a clean bill of health for stuffed animal by a veterinarian. Registration: avl.mx/5np. Admission fees apply.

FRIENDS OF THE SMOKIES

OUTDOORS CHIMNEY ROCK STATE PARK (PD.) Enjoy breathtaking views of Lake Lure, trails for all levels of hikers, an Animal Discovery Den and 404-foot waterfall. Plan your adventure at chimneyrockpark. com CONSERVING CAROLINA carolinamountain.org

828-452-0720, friendsofthesmokies.org, outreach.nc@ friendsofthesmokies.org • TU (2/19), 7pm - Smokies 900-Miler Challenge Panel Discussion moderated by Danny Bernstein. Free to attend. Held at Nantahala Brewing - Asheville Outpost, 747 Haywood Road PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED pisgahchaptertu.org/ New-Meeting-information. html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend.

Held at Ecusta Brewing, 49 Pisgah Highway, Suite 3, Pisgah Forest

CARING FOR AN ADULT? Go Local for Answers

If you are caring for a frail, older adult and/or someone who has memory loss, there are resources available to ease the way.

• Information • Grants for Those Who Qualify • Referral to Those Who Can Help Re • Counseling • Support Groups • Health and Wellness • Problem Solving Tips • Recognition of the Challenges

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

MOUNTAINX.COM

262 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, 828-452-8440, myhaywoodregional.com • TH (2/14), 7-9pm - Breastfeeding A-Z. Registration required.

Free to attend.

PUBLIC LECTURES ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 828-254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • FR (2/15), 5:30-7pm Science Pub: "Pollinators People and the Planet," presentation with refreshments. Free. Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 ASHEVILLE TEA PARTY ashevilleteaparty.org • WE (2/13), 1pm - Chris Gaubatz speaks on his undercover operations after 9/11. $5. Held at City of Hendersonville Operations Center, 305 Williams St., Hendersonville BEVERLY HILLS BAPTIST CHURCH 777 Tunnel Road • TH (2/251), 7pm Buncombe County Commissioner Al Whitesides presents 'Growing Up Black in Asheville' during the civil rights movement. Free.

buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TU (2/19) & TU (2/26), 7pm - "America: Built for War or Built for Peace," two-part class facilitated by author Terry O'Keefe.

Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY OF ASHEVILLE

Ruth Price, Family Caregiver Specialist at 828-251-7441 or visit

20

HAYWOOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Call Today & Lighten Your Load

FAMILY CAREGIVER PROGRAM

PARENTING

828-687-7759 • SU (2/17), 2-3:30pm - “Can You Trust The Media? Ethics, Consumerism & Democracy” presented

by Cynthia Berryman-Fink.

Free. Held at Asheville Friends Meetinghouse, 227 Edgewood Road

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC OF HENDERSONVILLE 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville, 828-692-8630, fcchendersonville.org • SU (2/17), 3pm - Weekly Adult Forum: A Return Trip to China, by John Bodamer. Free.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC homewardbound.wnc.org TH (2/14), noon1:30pm - "Open Your Hearts," lunch, short film and panel presentation regarding women and homelessness.

Registration: eleanor@ homewardboundwnc. org or 828-793-0072.

Admission by donation.

Held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St.

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THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 828254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • TH (2/21), 5:30-8:30pm - Robert “Zack” Zachary lectures on The Proper and more Effectual Method on the Teaching of Afro-American History. $15.

THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401, 1828, thecollider.org/ • WE (2/13), 6-7pm Building our City Speaker Series with Kimber Lanning, Founder and Executive Director of Local First Arizona, a statewide organization implementing innovative strategies for new models of economic development. Registration: avl. mx/5lx. Free.

• FR (2/15), 5:30-7pm Science Pub: “Pollinators People and the Planet,” presentation with refreshments. Free. Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 UNC-ASHEVILLE REUTER CENTER 1 Campus View Road • TU (2/19), 7:30pm World Affairs Council’s Great Decisions Series: The Rise of Populism in Europe with John Plant. $10/Free to WAC members and UNCA students.

• FR (2/15), 11:30am1:15pm - Fab Friday Lunch ‘n Learn: “ Thomas Wolfe and His Link to Wilma Dykeman,” presentation

by Jim Stokely. Free to attend/Bring your own lunch.

SENIORS BLACK MOUNTAIN LIBRARY 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain • WE (2/20), 4pm Medicare Choices Made Easy. Free.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TUESDAYS and FRIDAYS until FR (3/29), 11am - Geri-Fit: Free exercise class for Seniors.

Bring a workout stretch band. Registration required. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • TH (2/21), 3pm - Introductory course to understand the most commonly diagnosed mental health conditions in seniors, by Joanne DeSarle, RN. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OF WNC jfswnc.org • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 11am2pm - The Asheville Elder Club Group Respite program for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths.

Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Jewish Family Services of WNC, 2 Doctors Park, Suite E • WEDNESDAYS, 11am2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for individuals with memory challenges and people of all faiths. Registration required: 828-253-2900. $30. Held at Agudas Israel Congregation, 505 Glasgow Lane Hendersonville OLLI AT UNCA 828-251-6140, olliasheville.com • FRIDAYS until (2/15), 9-11am - "Living with Dementia: Life after a Diagnosis," presentation.

Free. Information: alz. org/northcarolina. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road, Room 207.

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

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

32 Mineral Dust Drive, Asheville, NC 28806. 828367-7718. info@ anattasatimagga.org • anattasatimagga.org ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services.

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

DE-STRESS, GET HAPPY & CONNECT! (PD.) Mindfulness Meditation at the Asheville Insight Meditation Center. Group Meditation: Weekly on Thursdays at 7pm & Sundays at 10am. www. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ashevillemeditation. com.

LEARN TO MEDITATE (PD.) Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation class at Asheville Insight Meditation Center, 1st Mondays of each month at 7pm – 8:30pm. www. ashevillemeditation.com, info@ashevillemeditation. com.

THE WORLD TEACHER FOR ALL HUMANITY (PD.) The Christ (aka: Maitreya Buddha, the Mahdi, Krishna...) will soon speak to everyone; will not send anyone to hell; is inspiring wonderful, major world changes. www.ShareInternational.org DANCES OF UNIVERSAL PEACE 5 Ravenscroft Drive • 3rd SATURDAYS, 7:309:30pm - Spiritual group dances that blend chanting, live music and movement. No experience necessary. Admission by donation.

SOKA GAKKAI ASHEVILLE 828-253-4710 • 3rd SUNDAYS, 11am Introduction to Nichiren

Buddhism meeting. Free.

Held at Kairos West Community Center, 610002 Haywood Road UNITY OF THE BLUE RIDGE 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River, 828-891-8700 • 3rd SUNDAYS, 11:30pm - Monthly group for teen girls ages 13-18 from any background or tradition to recognize spiritual gifts and a sense of purpose. Facilitated

by Sharon Oxendine, an elder from the Lumbee tribe of North Carolina.

Free.

URBAN DHARMA 828-225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:30-9pm - Open Sangha night.

Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 77 W. Walnut St.

VOLUNTEERING MAKE A DIFFERENCE BE A MENTOR! (PD.) As a mentor with Journeymen, you make

a profound impact in the lives of teenage boys as they journey toward becoming men of integrity. We offer group mentoring and rites of passage to boys ages 12-17 and are enrolling qualified adult male mentors now.

Will you answer the call?

Learn more: journeymenasheville@ gmail.com or 828-2307353.

TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Give someone another chance to learn. Provide reading, writing, and/or English language tutoring and change a life forever.

Volunteer orientation 3/4(10am) or 3/7(5:30pm) RSVP: volunteers@ litcouncil.com. Learn more: litcouncil.com.

ASHEVILLE PRISON BOOKS ashevilleprisonbooks@ gmail.com • 3rd SUNDAYS, 1-3pm Volunteer to send books to inmates in North

and South Carolina.

Information: avlcommunityaction. com or ashevilleprisonbooks@ gmail.com. Held at Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Road BUNCOMBE COUNTY SPORTS PARK 58 Apac Circle, 828-250-4269 • TH (2/21), 1-4pm River cane educational activity and service day.

Registration: http://avl. mx/5o7.

CONSERVING CAROLINA carolinamountain.org • FR (2/15), 9:15am-2pm - Volunteer Workday at Florence Nature Preserve, maintaining meadow habitat. Carpool from Conserving Carolina office. Registration: volunteer@ conservingcarolina.org or 828-697-5777 ext. 211 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 40 Church St., 828-2531431, fpcasheville.org

• SATURDAYS Volunteers needed to cook, serve, play and clean up for Saturday Sanctuary, hospitality to the homeless.

Registration required: avl.mx/5ig, sanctuarysaturday@ gmail.com or 828-2531431.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 828-258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • THURSDAYS, 11am, 2nd TUESDAYS, 5:30pm & 3rd WEDNESDAYS, 8:30am - "Welcome Home Tour," tours to find out how Homeward Bound is working to end homelessness and how the public can help.

Registration required: tours@ homewardboundwnc.org or 828-785-9840. Free.

For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/ volunteering

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

21

WELLNESS

READY, SET, GO! YWCA launches 2019 diabetes wellness and prevention program

ONE STEP AT A TIME: Participant Angel Wall says the skills she learned during the Asheville YWCA’s diabetes wellness and prevention program helped her get active. Photo courtesy of the YWCA

BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com On Jan. 16, more than 40 participants embarked on a 30-week-long diabetes wellness and prevention program that promotes nutrition education and fitness to cope with and prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Since its inception in 2012, the Asheville YWCA’s diabetes program has served at least 500 people. While many participants have been diagnosed by a doctor as either diabetic or pre-diabetic, the program is open to anyone who desires to make healthy lifestyle changes.

During weekly classes, participants will learn about different aspects of nutrition and wellness, including stress management, meal planning, how to read food labels

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and more. The classes are based on programming developed by Stanford University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Early on in the series, classes last 2 1/2 hours each week, but later sessions last an hour.

Leah Berger-Singer, the YWCA’s preventive health coordinator, leads the classes. She encourages participants to consider how making seemingly small decisions — such as choosing to drink water instead of soda — contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.

“It’s so mind-blowing to see how making these little choices in our daily life can literally save our life,” Berger-Singer says. “It doesn’t have to be that hard. I just want to make being healthy easier for people.”

MAKING TIME FOR FITNESS Participant Tina Morrow says she has joined the diabetes program for a second time after losing nearly 100 pounds while following the program’s nutrition and exercise guidelines. She hopes that this year’s session will help her continue to build on the skills that habits that she has gained from her participation last year.

“Most health problems that I’ve had have stemmed around my weight, whether it was back problems or knee problems or whatever the case may be. I just really started taking notice that weight was going to impact my life in the long run,” Morrow, 41, says. “It never really had bothered me before, but I started noticing it making changes in my body and I said, ‘OK, it’s time to do something about this.’”

The program memberships also include access to the facility’s gym and pool, weekly exercise classes and one-on-one fitness training with Nick Stuer, YWCA’s diabetes fitness coach and personal trainer.

One of his objectives is to slowly build participants’ weekly exercise from 45 minutes per week to 150 minutes, or 2 ½ hours, by the end of the program.

“We don’t expect anyone to come in day one and start working out 2 ½ hours, but the goal is that eventually they will with the help of Nick,” Berger-Singer says.

back and forth between these wildly different body capabilities.”

Stuer says he also plans to teach participants how to incorporate exercise into daily life in ways he hopes will extend beyond the length of the program.

“It’s not about the results. I think we get too attached to that, particularly the number on the scale,” Stuer says. “It’s about changing the whole rest of life, not just the next 7 ½ months. It’s about getting habits that last.”

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

While participants do monitor weight loss, the program also will provide periodic blood work to determine the not-so-obvious results of diet and exercise, including glucose and cholesterol levels.

“Some people get really discouraged if they don’t lose any weight,” Berger-Singer says. “Your number on your scale might not change. It might even go up. But when you go to the doctor and your numbers

Stuer says the program offers him an opportunity to work with a range of people with different goals, body types and fitness levels.

“There’s kind of this myth that if you have diabetes, you’re extremely overweight. And that’s not actually true at all. There can be a whole range of bodies that can have diabetes Type 2,” Stuer explains. “I think that’s actually kind of my favorite part about it. It’s really fun to go

MORE THAN A NUMBER

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

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23

WELLN ESS

ON YOUR MARK: The YWCA’s diabetes fitness coach and personal trainer Nick Stuer, left, and preventive health coordinator Leah Berger-Singer plan to work with participants of the 33-week-long diabetes wellness and prevention program, which aims to help people cope with and prevent Type 2 diabetes by implementing healthy lifestyle changes. Photo by Brooke Randle are good and you even get off medication, that’s awesome and that’s what’s important.”

According to Berger-Singer, having a support network is crucial for making healthy lifestyle changes.

She and other YWCA staff work to connect with participants beyond simply providing wellness instruction and knowledge.

“We’re here for emotional support. People come here and talk with us about what’s going on in their lives,” Berger-Singer says. “I think sometimes just the fact that we’re here and we’re listening to them and what’s going on in their life is more than enough.”

For Morrow, it is the continued support from staff, as well as a sense of community from other participants, that keeps her focused on her fitness goals.

“They have supported me in every step of the way and have been

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there to talk to. You never feel like you’re judged when you walk in the door. You’re just another welcomed face,” Morrow says. “I’ve gotten a wealth of support and education and encouragement from them.”

As instructors and participants gear up for the next few months, Berger-Singer says she hopes that those signed up for the program will experience positive changes in many parts of their lives “My big thing that I have found with this program is, maybe they don’t lose any weight, maybe they gain weight — whatever, they now feel like they have a community of people who support them and they feel like people care about them,” Berger-Singer says. “If I can plant some kind of seed or make someone feel happy or loved or cared about, that’s going to make them live longer and healthier.” X

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FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

25

GREEN SCENE

FIRE FORESIGHT

City to conduct controlled burns in Asheville watershed In places without readily accessible barriers, crews can produce makeshift firebreaks by clearing a line of woody debris off the forest floor. “It’s basically a buffer clear of anything that could burn,” Michael says.

Workers can also control the movement of the fire by carefully choosing its starting location. “When fire runs uphill uncontrolled, it tends to get a lot hotter and move a lot faster,” Michael says. Fire traveling downhill, in comparison, tends to burn more slowly and with less intensity.

BY DAVID FLOYD dfloyd@mountainx.com On first impression, wildfires have a devastating impact on plant life: Leaves disintegrate, bark chars and trees crumble into ash. Some plants, however, plan ahead.

Josh Kelly, an ecologist with MountainTrue, says young oaks tend to thrive in locations where other trees suffer. “Oaks invest a lot of energy into their roots,” he says. When a fire sweeps through their habitat, seedlings can rise from the ashes even if the above-ground portion of the tree has been obliterated, something that ecologists call “top kill.”

The city of Asheville is taking a hint from the oaks in anticipating wildfires to come. Later this month, the N.C. Forest Service will help the city carry out a series of controlled burns on at least 95 acres around the North Fork and Bee Tree reservoirs, thereby reducing the risk of more severe fires in a watershed that serves more than 125,000 area residents.

“We’ve got a lot of fuel that has accumulated through the years,” says city watershed manager Lee Hensley, “and with all the fire suppression that’s been going on through the years, these fuels have been allowed to build up.”

Buncombe County ranger Dillon Michael, who will be overseeing the operation on behalf of the N.C. Forest Service, says controlled burns help counteract the buildup of plant matter that powers more intense blazes.

“This is considered a hazard reduction burn,” Michael says, “and the objective of it is to remove a portion of the woody debris that’s collected on the forest floor.”

SPARK OF PREVENTION The city’s decision comes in response to a 2014 study by Forest Stewards, a nonprofit affiliated with Western Carolina University that conducts forest assessments for landowners. The study says prescribed burns on the watershed can promote forest health and limit the risk of wildfires.

“Low-intensity fires can thin out an overcrowded forest, resulting in less severe disease and insect outbreaks,” the study says. “Controlled burns can

KEEP THE FIRE BURNING

PLANNING AHEAD: The N.C. Forest Service will conduct a series of prescribed burns in the Asheville watershed to cut down on the buildup of woody debris, lessening the impact if a wildfire breaks out in the forest. Photo by Tracy Rose also reduce leaf litter and woody fuels that could increase chances of wildfires and wildfire intensities.”

Over the course of his five-year career, Michael says, no catastrophic fire has yet taken place in the Asheville watershed.

But even minor blazes can cause problems for firefighters when they flare up deep in the roughly 20,000 acres of forest surrounding the city’s reservoirs.

“We have had smaller fires in there caused by lightning strikes,” Michael explains. “They can be so remote and hard to access that it does end up consuming a fair amount of resources to suppress them.”

Michael and other N.C. Forest Service personnel will conduct the controlled burns with funding from the U.S. Forest Service’s Community Protection Plan, which offers grants to states to prevent and limit the risk of wildfires in communities that are within a 10-mile radius of a national forest. The Pisgah National Forest surrounds Asheville’s watershed to the east, north and west.

However, Michael was unable to confirm exactly how much money has been set aside for the burn. “We’ll know more

once we’re finished and we add up the cost,” he says.

SAFETY FIRST The prescribed burns in the Asheville watershed will produce low-intensity flames that are just hot enough to consume the top layer of leaves and plants, Michael says. He adds that crews will try to preserve the layer of organic matter underneath the leaf litter — also known as the duff — to help mitigate any erosion that could occur as a result of the burning.

Kelly, however, emphasizes that fires pose a less severe erosion risk in Southern Appalachia than in other ecosystems thanks to the region’s established forests. “Even if the top layer of duff is burnt, there’s just a mat of roots underneath the ground holding everything together,” he says.

Organizers plan on conducting the burns in a series of “units,” using barriers like creeks and the network of roads that crisscross the forest as firebreaks to limit the spread of the flames.

Michael hopes to see the project expand into a long-term partnership with the city — the 2014 Forest Stewards study calls for further burns in the southern reach of the watershed, which is adjacent to housing.

“We would like to see more acreage burned throughout several years of us working together on this project,” he says.

MountainTrue’s Kelly agrees that a sustained approach to burning is necessary to keep the risks of large fires at bay. The moist environment of Southern Appalachia generates fuel more quickly than arid Arizona or Colorado, he says, and the wildfire reduction benefits of controlled fires last only three to five years before returning to pre-burn levels.

“What people need to realize is that, because it’s a short-term solution, it’s going to need to be a repeated action,” Kelly explains. “It’s not something you can do once and say you’re done.”

Even though wildfires are more prevalent in the West, Kelly continues, Asheville should avoid becoming complacent about the threat.

He points to the 2016 blazes that devastated portions of the Great Smoky Mountains, causing millions of dollars in property damage and killing 14 people, as a “wake-up call” for fire prevention through controlled burning.

“What happens when people put fires out is they burn at the worst times in the worst possible conditions,” Kelly says. “Whereas if people can use fire as a management tool that kinds of mimics the natural ecology, then when those fires do happen … they’re theoretically not as severe.” X

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27

FOOD

FOOD FIGHT

Where WNC schools stand in the battle against food waste

Sunday Brunch 11 - 2:30 $5 mimosa / $15 carafe $7 bloody mary 828.505.7531 coppercrownavl.com BACK TO THE EARTH: Marin Leroy, environmental education coordinator at Evergreen Community Charter School, helps secondgrader Atticus Martin-Eanes deposit waste into an R2C2 composting bin built by Asheville GreenWorks. The school composts food scraps from student lunches for use in its gardens. Photo by Matt Burkhartt

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The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 40 percent of the food supply in the United States is wasted. That’s right. Nearly half of all perfectly edible food in our country ends up rotting in a landfill. It’s a soul-rattling figure.

Consider that alongside data from a 2013 Harvard study showing that American schools waste more than $1 billion in food per year, and one can start to wonder, “What’s happening?

Who’s in charge here?”

Indeed, the questions persist: In a country where 50 million people are considered food-insecure, why are schools throwing away truckloads of good food? The answer, of course, is complex, wrapped up in a mire of budgetary concerns, complicated state policies and legal red tape. And yet, in the face of these challenges, some food waste warriors have emerged in Western North Carolina’s school nutrition programs.

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to reduce the amount of food that’s actually thrown away each day.

“Our plan to reduce food waste is just constant,” says Janette Broda, nutrition director for Asheville City Schools. That plan involves closely monitoring what menu items students are eating and what they’re not eating. “It’s all about determining student preference and keeping up with the trends, all of which are constantly changing,” she says.

Although ACS students are not required to take everything on the serving line, they are required to take a fruit or a vegetable to pair with their meal. “Determining what fruits or vegetables these kids are going to eat or are accustomed to eating and how we can make those look appealing to them is another way we strive to minimize waste,” Broda adds.

ACS also limits thrown-away food by projecting meal counts every day. “We use a variety of different meal count systems in each school where students are telling us what they’re eating or if they’re not eating, which entrees they are eating and which ones they’re not,” Broda says. “We are already projecting our menu numbers very well.”

Buncombe County Schools takes a similar waste-minimizing approach in

its daily meal preparations. All cafeteria managers are trained annually on forecasting meals based on student preference using standardized recipes and batch cooking — all techniques that greatly minimize the amount of food thrown away each day, says Stacia Harris, director of communications for Buncombe County Schools, via email.

Some smaller charter schools are able to take an altogether different strategy to combat food waste.

FernLeaf Community Charter School in Fletcher maintains a zero food waste policy school officials call “pack it out, pack it in.” Students at FernLeaf are required to pack their lunches each day as FernLeaf does not serve lunch. All uneaten food and individual wrappers go back into the students’ lunchboxes each day. “It’s dual-functioning, ” says Karie Martin, administrative assistant at FernLeaf. “It minimizes the waste we see here at school but helps our parents see, ‘Oh, my kid’s not eating half of their lunch,’” she adds.

FernLeaf also encourages families to pack foods in reusable containers and packaging. “After weeks of seeing disposable yogurt cups, juice boxes and sandwich bags [come home in lunch boxes], it hopefully makes people more

aware of what they’re throwing away,” Martin says.

Evergreen Community Charter School in Haw Creek also maintains a waste-free school lunch policy. Like FernLeaf, students are required to bring their own lunches to school.

Around Earth Day every year, the school holds waste-free lunch challenges across the grade levels. “We’ll save all of the nonfood items and weigh the trash,” says Marin Leroy, environmental education coordinator at Evergreen.

“Classrooms that use the most reusable containers usually win that challenge.”

COMPOSTING MATTERS However attractive the concept, waste-free lunchroom policies are really only feasible for small-scale charter and private schools. Many local public schools feed hundreds of students breakfast and lunch every day, and the truth is that too much good food is still being thrown away. In addition to making efforts to reduce cafeteria food waste, some school nutrition programs are launching composting initiatives to keep food that is thrown away out of landfills.

Amanda Jones, child nutrition supervisor at Henderson County Schools, has recognized the need for additional strategies to minimize thrown-away food. “We’re one of the largest producers of food in Henderson County, and with that comes waste,” says Jones.

This month, HCS begins a pilot program at Dana Elementary in Hendersonville where students will start composting their leftover lunch scraps, as well as their trays and utensils. The effort is a partnership with Spartanburg, S.C., composting company Atlas Organics, with financial backing from the county’s Henderson Recycles program.

The pilot program at Dana, which is one of the largest schools in Henderson County, will allow school nutrition officials to collect valuable data needed to determine how much food is actually being disposed of and help calculate how much money is actually saved through composting. “This will also help as we continually strive to better our food prep system and better the situation overall,” Jones says.

“When we look at edible portions and how much students are eating and how much they’re throwing away, it will help with our food costs as well,” she adds. “This will be a great backbone for adding this program to other elementary schools as well as the high schools”

“Due largely to the overwhelming barriers of current systems overlaid with the already stretched-thin budgets and capacities of folks working within the schools, there is nothing happening in terms of comprehensive food waste recovery initiatives in our schools.”

— Kiera Bulan One reason composting is such a powerful strategy in the war on food waste is that it keeps decomposable edible items out of landfills — something that has a devastating environmental impact. Food Rescue, an Indiana nonprofit, reports that 16 percent of all methane gas originates from food decomposing in landfills.

Methane, which is one of the primary greenhouse gases, is estimated to be at least 28 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.

It’s clear that composting school cafeteria food waste is beneficial environmentally and perhaps even financially.

However, other local school districts are struggling to turn individual composting programs into districtwide policy.

Although almost all of the elementary schools in the Asheville City Schools district are already composting, the practice hasn’t carried over to the many of the middle schools or to Asheville High. “Because the responsibility of composting rests solely with the school, we don’t have any way to really enforce it,” says Broda.

Right now, the only way the schools can implement composting programs is through a representative at the school who coordinates efforts to compost with a local composting company or organization like Asheville GreenWorks. And because there’s no districtwide policy, maintaining the programs is a challenge.

“We just don’t have the labor to support it,” she says.

REDUCE, REUSE AND RESCUE Another method of keeping school food waste out of landfills is through food rescue, whereby edible items that would otherwise be trashed are redistributed to emergency food programs.

One such nonprofit in WNC, Food

Connection, is already rescuing and redistributing food from local restaurants to families in need. The group also salvages many thousands of pounds of high-quality, nutritious food each year from the dining halls at UNC Asheville, a practice that has yet to carry over into any of the local public schools.

“It’s not for lack of interest,” says Kiera Bulan, coordinator for the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council. “But due largely to the overwhelming barriers of current systems overlaid with the already stretched-thin budgets and capacities of folks working within the schools, there is nothing happening in terms of comprehensive food waste recovery initiatives in our schools.”

The struggle to integrate food waste recovery programs in WNC public schools is one shared by school systems across the state. Although it’s based in Indiana, Food Rescue helps schools all over the country develop these initiatives.

In 2016, Hanna Wondmagegn, a Charlotte-area high school student, started a Food Rescue program at East Mecklenburg High School. She spoke at school board meetings and even delivered a TED Talk on the subject of food waste, Food Rescue reports. However, when she began seeking both district and statewide food waste policy change, the N.C. Division of Public Health issued a memo impeding her mission. The memo clarified that “only unserved food can be donated” and any food that has come into contact with a customer — even items such as unopened milk and juice boxes — “cannot be donated.”

“Ultimately, it’s up to the schools to decide what they feel comfortable donating,” Scott Coleman, N.C. Division of Public Health communication manager, told Xpress via email. However, recommendations from the division echo the contents of the 2016 memo.

Recently, the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council started participating in brainstorming sessions with food waste networks across the state.

The council is involved “mainly just to listen and learn about what others have had success with,” says Bulan.

Currently, the goal is to identify the policy and regulatory barriers that surround the issue. “We just want to see if there are any entry-level interventions we might be able to get some community interest around.”

It’s going to require a lot to “crack the code of school food waste barriers here in Buncombe County,” she adds.

Still, it’s a start, and perhaps with the added benefit of community involvement, schools can start maximizing resources to keep food on the plate and out of the landfill. X

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FOOD

SMALL BITES

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West African dinner at the West End Bakery and Café

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“I have always loved cooking, but my first passion has always been music,” says Agya Boakye-Boaten, director of Africana studies at UNC Asheville. On Sunday, Feb. 24, the master drummer will combine his two lifelong interests in his inaugural West African-themed dinner, Mukase, at West End Bakery and Café.

The evening will begin with an optional drumming lesson taught by Boakye-Boaten and Adama Dembele, a 33rd-generation djembe player from Ivory Coast. The tutorial, which can accommodate up to 20 players, will be first-come, first-served.

Following the music lesson, food will be served, including spicy beef or mushroom kabobs, yam balls made with locally grown sweet potatoes and kelewele (fried plantain). Diners can anticipate notes of curry, garlic, peanut flour and ginger among the recipes’ seasonings. These ingredients, BoakyeBoaten explains, are staples in his native country of Ghana.

Storytelling will accompany the meal, as will a reading by Mildred Barya, Uganda poet and assistant professor of English at UNCA. Boakye-Boaten hopes that Mukase, which means kitchen in Akan (the principal language of the Akan people of Ghana), will be the first of many such dinners. “If it goes well, we’re looking at doing it probably every month with a different thematic idea … that includes different parts of the African continent,” he says.

In the meantime, Boakye-Boaten hopes the inaugural gathering will leave attendees with a stronger sense of unity.

“I’m looking to re-engage the commonality of our human experience,” he says.

“All people have stories. And so I hope that this event is a community reintegration of ideas that revolve around our core humanity … so that when people leave, they think, ‘Wow! I thought I was so different, but I could find myself in these West African traditions.’”

Mukase runs 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24, at West End Bakery and Café, 757 Haywood Road. Tickets are $25 in advance/$30 at the door. To purchase, visit avl.mx/5o1.

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BEATS AND BITES: Agya Boakye-Boaten will combine his passions for music and cooking at his Feb. 24 West African-themed dinner, Mukase. Photo by Thomas Calder

The Great Pickle-Off The Cut Cocktail Lounge in Sylva will host a pickle-off on Saturday, Feb. 16. Those interested in competing should bring a single jar with enough pre-cut pickles to share with guests and judges. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place, as well as the people’s choice. “The people of the Appalachian Mountains love their vinegars and pickles,” says Jacque Laura, co-owner of The Cut. “And, boy, are folks great at so many different brines.”

The Great Pickle-Off runs 7-10 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 16, at The Cut Cocktail Lounge, 610 W. Main St., Sylva. The event is for those 21 and older. For more, visit avl.mx/5nw.

Cajun Cook-off Asheville Mardi Gras, a local volunteer-run arts and culture nonprofit, will host its ninth annual Cajun Cook-off at Salvage Station on Sunday, Feb. 17.

Professional and amateur chefs will compete, offering up their takes on

Cajun cuisine. Participating restaurants include HomeGrown, Biscuit Head, Oyster House Brewing Co., Chupacabra Latin Café, Gastro Pub at Hopey, Stable Café at Biltmore, Sugar Skulls Authentic Cajun and Bebettes Beignets & Coffee.

Amateur and unaffiliated chefs include Matt Grush, Ken Sampler and Debrah Carpenter Dejernette. Featured judges are AUX Bar co-owner and chef Steve Goff, chef Chazzy Edwards of Deli Llammma Food Truck and Sara Widenhouse of Lucious Liquor Ice Cream. The event will also feature prize drawings and live music by Zydeco Ya Ya. A canned food drive for MANNA FoodBank will be held during the event.

The cook-off runs noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at Salvage Station, 468 Riverside Drive. Entry is $10 for AMG members/$20 for nonmembers. For more, visit avl.mx/5nx.

Sunday Supper honors Black History Month Benne on Eagle continues its Sunday Supper Series in February in honor of Black History Month. Each Sunday this month, the restaurant will create a three-course meal based on the recipes of established African-American chefs, including Edouardo Jordan, Mashama Bailey, Nina Compton and Carla Hall.

According to the event’s Facebook page, the communal setting encourages guests to share plates as well as stories.

The next dinner runs 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Sunday, Feb. 17, at Benne on Eagle, 35 Eagle St. For more, visit avl.mx/5o0.

The Corner Kitchen reunion dinners Joe Scully, chef and co-owner of The Corner Kitchen, welcomes back the restaurant’s former chef, Josh Weeks, for a pair of collaborative dinners the last two Wednesdays of February. Menu details will be announced before each event. Reservations are recommended.

The dinners will run 5-8 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, and Wednesday, Feb. 27, at The Corner Kitchen, 3 Boston Way. To make reservations, call 828-274-2439. For more, visit avl.mx/5nz.

Asheville Bread Festival The 15th annual Asheville Bread Festival is still a few months out, but tickets for its April 13-14 workshops are now available. Sarah Owens, a James Beard award-winning cookbook author, will be this year’s headliner. Owens will lead two of the festival’s 18 total workshops.

Additional courses will be hosted by Amy Halloran, Sarah Black, Kaley Laird, Jennifer Lapidus and Harry Peemoeller. A complete list of classes and instructors was unavailable at press time.

The 15th annual Asheville Bread Festival runs Saturday-Sunday, April 13-14. Workshop prices, times and locations vary. To purchase, visit avl.mx/5o2. X

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TOP SHELF VIEWS

FOOD

by Audrey and Bill Kopp | audreybill@liquornerds.com

It takes two The process of putting together a dazzling cocktail can be a truly enjoyable experience. Some of the most involved recipes rank among the best.

For example, when made correctly, the notorious Long Island Iced Tea is a wonderfully complex libation. But its ingredient list (gin, rum, vodka, tequila, triple sec, lemon juice and cola) threatens to overwhelm the home bartender.

If you’re especially thirsty, you may be disinclined to spend the time required to put together a drink that, when it’s all said and done, both looks and tastes a bit like sweet iced tea.

Happily, simpler mixed drinks exist in plentiful fashion.

In fact, there are a remarkable number of mixed drinks that can be created with only two ingredients. The best-known among these are familiar standards: gin and tonic, bourbon and ginger ale, a simple martini and the Cuba Libre (rum and cola). And many quality base liquors — scotch in particular — can be enjoyed with a mere splash of water added.

While fancy drinks have an undeniable appeal, simplicity is a highly valued quality in the world of mixology. Drinks of surprising sophistication can be crafted from just two ingredients. And while some of those cocktails feature exotic liquors, even if one is limited to components that are locally available, the choices are as plentiful as they are delicious.

Tequila pairs quite well with other ingredients. The Brave Bull (a 2-to-1 mix of tequila and Kahlua or another coffee liqueur on ice), for example, is a quickly made and flavorful concoction.

A favorite of ours is the B&T (two parts tequila to one part Benedictine liqueur, shaken and served with ice); the complex sweetness of the liqueur

HOT CHERRY PIE Contributed by Amy Pike • 1 ½ ounces amaretto • Cranberry juice Fill a highball glass with ice, pour in amaretto and fill with cranberry juice. Stir.

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Asheville bartenders talk about two-ingredient cocktails

DYNAMIC DUOS: Amy Pike, bartender at Sly Grog Lounge, recommends a few easy, twoingredient drinks, including Hot Cherry Pie, a mix of amaretto and cranberry juice, and Champagne Royale, which blends Champagne and Chambord. Photo by Matt Burkhartt balances the sharp notes of the Mexican spirit. The B&T is itself a variation on the better-known B&B (brandy and Benedictine), which is available premixed but better when made from a select brandy or cognac.

We put out the call to some of Asheville’s best bartenders, asking for their favorites drawn from the world of simple yet highly appealing mixed drinks. The responses were intriguing and varied.

Joe Nicol of The Times at S&W suggests mixing Fernet Branca and cola.

The licorice and spice notes of the Fernet cut the sweetness of the soft drink. MG Road’s Lexy Rae recommends a drink combining Italian liqueur and fortified wine. “Spaghetti is equal parts Strega and Cappelletti,” she says. “Mama mia!”

Appalachian Vintners on Biltmore Avenue stocks the latter ingredient.

Casey Campfield of the Crow & Quill provides an unnamed recipe. “Equal

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parts Amaro Montenegro and mezcal, chilled and sipped or taken as a shooter.

It’s lovely!”

Jonny Burritt, bar manager at Antidote, mentions another favorite of ours, the Rusty Nail. Some cocktail recipe books specify three parts scotch to one part Drambuie, but we find that a 2-to-1 mix is more to our tastes.

Katey Ryder of the soon-to-open Golden Pineapple bar in West Asheville shares a personal favorite of hers, the Verte Chaud: “Two ounces green Chartreuse with 6 ounces hot chocolate, topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream.” She emphasizes that it’s not her own creation but calls it “stupiddelicious and underappreciated.”

At the high end of the scale, if you happen to have both green and yellow Chartreuse on hand, the Episcopal — an equal mix of the two, served in a

short glass with a few ice cubes — is astoundingly complex.

Amy Pike tends bar at the Sly Grog Lounge and Galactic Pizza. Asked to contribute a recipe, she instead enthusiastically offers up three drinks, each made from two ingredients. Cautioning that the drink called Good’n Plenty is “not for the faint of heart,” she specifies equal parts sambuca (an Italian anise-flavored liqueur) and mezcal.

Chilling the ingredients adds extra appeal. “Chilling sambuca gives it a cloudy appearance,” Pike explains.

“I’ve always thought of this drink as a storm in a glass.”

Hot Cherry Pie (see sidebar) combines amaretto and cranberry juice.

“If you happen to be using a cheaper amaretto, I’d garnish with a lemon wedge to cut the sweetness these usually have,” Pike offers, noting that Amaretto Disaronno works with or without the twist.

She also recommends the Champagne Royal (see sidebar). “This recipe is good to dress up some notso-expensive Champagne,” Pike says.

“Leave the strawberry in the glass until the end, and it will absorb the flavors of raspberry and even get a bit bubbly from the wine.”

There’s a special art to balancing just two ingredients in a mixed drink; the examples here represent good starting points to make drinks that are quick, easy and amazing. Home bartenders are encouraged to come up with their own. If experimenting with something you’re not sure you’ll like, try making a half- or even quarter-size drink to start with. You can always make more. X

CHAMPAGNE ROYALE Contributed by Amy Pike • ¼ to ½ ounce Chambord raspberry liqueur • Champagne (or other sparkling wine) Pour Chambord in the bottom of a Champagne flute; fill with Champagne.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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anymedia@gmail.com During the early 1800s, Ireland’s farmers developed a dietary dependency on the potato. So profound was their poverty, they were barely living at the subsistence level, and the root vegetable was a reliable crop that easily filled their bellies. By the 1840s, the potato had become a staple of not only farmers’ diets but that of the entire Irish population. This extreme demand led to a blight that rotted out most of the potato crops, leaving the tenant farmers in a famine that stretched on for six years.

The result was starvation and migration, among other things. And though the Irish Potato Famine has long since become a well-known part of history, the traumatic impact it had on Irish families has often been glossed over.

It was this hole in history that Irish singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke was hoping to fill when he released his exceptional album, Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, in late 2017.

On Sunday, Feb. 17, O’Rourke’s tour brings him to Isis Music Hall with a nine-piece band (including members of Lunasa, Celtic Woman and Altan) to perform the album in its entirety.

And though it’s been more than a year since the album was released, O’Rourke believes the stories he has to tell are just as important now. He isn’t coy about the lessons we can learn from digging into the humanity of a historical event such as the Irish famine. “If there was ever a time that it was relevant,” he says, “this is it.”

O’Rourke notes the gulf between the haves and the have-nots, the suspicion of immigrants and other factors that seem to be repeating themselves in these times. He hopes his audience will open themselves to these relatable stories about what happened so long ago.

“There are some bad forces driving the fear [these days] and the lies that perpetuate that climate,” he says.

“America’s history has so much to be proud of, but … let’s just consider two of the big disasters that jump off the pages of U.S. history: the decimation of Native America and slavery. Does anybody really want to see another

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT: As an artist, Declan O’Rourke is stirred by the way humans move through tragedy, meeting fear with hope and trauma with resilience. His 2017 album, which he’ll perform in full at Isis Music Hall, seeks to examine the impact the Iris Potato Famine had on families from that country. Photo by Will Hung world-class, era-defining nightmare like either of those? These things always begin with someone saying, ‘Hey — we’re above those guys.’ As someone who has studied the Great Irish Famine for almost 20 years, I’m shocked at the resonances that are popping up in modern society.”

As an artist, O’Rourke is stirred by the way people move through tragedy, meeting fear with hope and trauma with resilience. He

notes that most of history’s biggest moments have been the result of bad decisions on the part of leadership, which left citizens to muddle through its fallout. And while the Irish Potato Famine was full of such stories, O’Rourke’s seven albums to date have all explored the way various people press on through the hard times.

Indeed, O’Rourke has steadily grown as a songwriter, album after

album, since his 2004 debut. But the theme of how humans navigate life’s darkest moments has always prevailed, as he searches for the ways we remain connected when life tries to pull us apart. There’s mortality in all of it, at least as much as there is hope.

Even his more romantic love songs indicate life gets dark sometimes and we’re better off charging through together. One of his finest, “Whatever Else Happens” from Big Bad Beautiful World (2007), asserts, “Things happen every day, mostly by accident. … Whatever else happens, I will come back for you.”

These are not light, easily digestible love stories, but they ring true.

O’Rourke tends to go for the jugular, always in the interest of helping his listeners become better acquainted with their own insides. “Our job is to move people,” he says. “To make them aware of their own empathy. To speak directly to their hearts, using both music and words.”

Over the last 15-plus years, as O’Rourke has traveled the world and brought his music to audiences in various far-flung locales, he has done just that. Along the way, he has wit-

nessed how far a story can go when it’s packed within a song.

In the case of Chronicles, these still-relevant tales of sorrow and surmounting have flown across more than a century, carrying with them lessons that we’d be well-advised to learn from. “The old maxim that ‘Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it’ is screaming at us,” he says, adding that there is always good reason to be optimistic.

“Music,” he notes, “is the language of the heart — even part of the language of the universe. Its possibilities are endless. … I hope we never stop feeling it. It’s spiritual, and therefore both inspirational and instructive.” X

WHO Declan O’Rourke WHERE Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Sunday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., $35

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A&E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

POEM GENOME Readers and writers of poetry are likely to agree that verse has an inherent sense of musicality. Even if there’s no obvious rhyme or meter, the form is rhythmic and, if not necessarily melodic, lyrical. Many poets and spoken-word artists have teamed with musicians (John Trudell, Andrea Gibson and Saul Williams, among them), but that entails a collaboration between writer and instrumentalist.

What if the poem was able to compose its own accompanying soundtrack?

That question presented itself when local musician and educator Jim Gardner began working with Ableton Live, a software music sequencer and digital audio workstation. “I tried having students compose to a poem I had digitized the rhythm of,” he recalls.

That initial experiment didn’t work so well, but, “It’s one of those ideas I kept coming back to.”

Formerly a high school teacher, Gardner wanted to use the program to interest those in his class at Asheville School in poetry. “A few students were immediately engaged and tapped into it and got it, and then there are others who are a little skeptical,” he remembers. Sometimes he’d play the music first and then explain the melody as derived from the rhythm of the poem before sharing the full, words-andmusic final composition.

In Ableton Live, an audio file can be imported to the program, which produces a waveform. There’s an option to convert the file to melody, harmony or drums. Musical Instrument Digital Interface (aka midi) notes are derived from the original audio, to which sounds and virtual instruments can be applied. “It also analyzes the file for beats-per-minute and gives you a suggestion for that,” Gardner says.

While the voice doesn’t always follow that pattern, “the program is easy to move and make adjustments so you can align things — [but] I try not to, if I’m working with someone else’s poem, move their rhythms.” He calls the resulting spoken-word-to-music project Poetry DNA. “I’m a guitar player from way back,” says Gardner, an Asheville native, cofounder of independent music company a-tone and mastermind of the local alt-rock outfit Jr. James & The Late Guitar. “I’ve always liked electronic music but didn’t really follow it heavily.” His curiosity led him to get the software and learn how to use it.

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FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

Local musician digitizes the music of poetry

WORK IN PROGRESS: “Even the failures are interesting,” says Jim Garner, who launched his Poetry DNA project using Ableton Live software to create musical compositions from spoken-word tracks. “I know it’s not for everybody, but for the open ear that can recognize the human and the technological component, it can be a good thing.” Photo by Nancy Alenier Current selections on the Poetry DNA website, where Gardner shares his work, include “The Robot Scientist’s Daughter [Medical Wonder]” by Jeannine Hall Gailey — a jazz-flavored track with a prescient baseline and bright percussion. “The poem’s dramatic countdown begins with the second stanza,” Gardner explains online. “For a musical arrangement, this pivot suggested a change in tone, from the dissonant jazz chords of the first section to the more synthesized future body.”

Another offering, “The World Grows” by Tyree Daye, has an entirely different mood. Daye’s recitation is introspective and personal. The melody follows suit. “To my ear, the repetition of the word ‘once’ in the poem called forth chordal notes,” Gardner says in his notes about the track. The melancholy of the poem’s reflections on racism, paired with sweeter memories, are reckoned with in the musical composition. “Musical minor keys are not always made of unalloyed melancholy,” Gardner says.

The musician’s other motivation for launching Poetry DNA was to jumpstart his own writing after a multiyear

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drought. He did pen some original poems, though perfection of the craft was never the goal. “Part of the idea is to mix quickly and share quickly,” he says of his tracks.

But it’s not all about immediacy.

Thinking long term, “I’m hoping to get the skills to [make these compositions] live,” says Gardener. Ableton makes a 64-button controller “that lights up and is futuristic and is really fun to play. I think that’s really going to transform the way I approach Ableton.”

Though he’s older than, say, the average musician launching a creative endeavor, Gardner’s excitement about this electronic toolbox is palpable. “It’s a scientific approach,” he says. “Coming from a rock ’n’ roll background and listening to a lot of reggae, I’m just enthused about all these other ways of approaching the groove.”

He continues, “I don’t want to become Odysseus stuck on an island and say, ‘That was my music — the music of my high school years.’ There’s so much great music in every era. Why not be open to it? As a musician, I think you continually have to grow.”

Plus, even though Poetry DNA is a recent development, it’s already been

met with appreciation. While Gardner met with some nonresponses when seeking permission to use the poetry of other writers, there have been some “friendly, affirmative, quick responses,” he says. For example, the publicist for the late Pulitzer Prize-winner William Carlos Williams wrote back within a day agreeing to the project — a resounding confirmation of Gardner’s hope to “make some discoveries along the way and make that available.”

If Poetry DNA didn’t dislodge Gardner’s writer’s block in exactly the way he hoped, he does say that the initiative informs his work with Jr. James & The Late Guitar — and it might have opened up yet another possibility in the musician’s own artistic trajectory. “I was a college DJ and now I’m just fascinated by the tools DJs have available in electronic dance music,” he says. “It’s like what Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Scientist and the dub creators did in Jamaica. They were working with 8-track tape. … If you saw how hard it was to sample something 30 years ago — now the sampling technology [is] at your fingertips.”

Learn more at poetrydna.com X

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FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

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A&E

by Thomas Calder

tcalder@mountainx.com

WAR AND FAMILY As a child growing up on Long Island, author Crystal Hana Kim heard stories about the Korean War from her maternal grandmother, who was a teenage refugee when fighting broke out. These tales both fascinated and devastated Kim, who eventually used them as inspiration for her debut novel, If You Leave Me. “I wanted to write [this book] in order to try and understand that experience,” she says.

In the process of fictionalizing her grandmother’s ordeals, Kim’s broader grasp of the three-year war intensified.

“It became very clear to me how relentless this history has been for Koreans,” she says. “That made me want to write about it even more because I haven’t read much fiction about this period of time written in English.”

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, Kim will read from and discuss her work as part of UNC Asheville’s Visiting Writers Series. The event is free and open to the public.

Both a war novel and family saga, If You Leave Me spans 16 years and is told through multiple first-person perspectives. The story begins in 1951, shortly after 16-year-old Haemi Lee has fled south to Busan with her widowed mother and tubercular younger brother in order to escape the bullets and warplanes of the invading northern army. While navigating her new life in a refugee camp, Haemi develops a romantic interest in her childhood friend Kyunghwan. But it’s Kyunghwan’s older and wealthier cousin, Jisoo, who is determined to marry Haemi before enlisting in the army.

Lori Horvitz, UNCA’s English Department chair and the series’ organizer, describes Kim’s writing as “magical, lyrical and gentle.” The

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Crystal Hana Kim discusses her debut novel at UNCA

FAMILY TIES: In her debut novel, If You Leave Me, author Crystal Hana Kim draws inspiration from family stories of the Korean War. Photo by Nina Subin layered novel, she notes, explores historical events as well as larger universal themes like love, trauma, sacrifice and tradition. “I think anytime we can learn about world history through fiction, that’s a great thing,” Horvitz says, “especially when we have this complicated personal story, as well.”

Kim shares Horvitz’s opinion. Too often, she says, “when we learn about history or learn about war, it’s so abstract that it doesn’t have an emotional effect on us.” Historical novels, on the other hand, allow for a closer look at the overall impact of combat, including events and relationships beyond the battlefield.

For example, early in the novel, Haemi remembers her village’s mass exodus south. The streets are crowded with civilians, soldiers, tanks and roadside graves.

“The mood wavered between commu-

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nity and competition whenever shelter or food appeared,” the narrator states. “I remembered the dead. … Their bodies decomposed quickly, and strangers stole the clothes that covered their limbs.”

This oscillation between unity and discord is a recurring theme and defining trait among the book’s main characters.

While escaping the brutality, Haemi disguises herself as a boy, much to her younger brother’s innocent delight.

Enraged by his inability to grasp the weight of her decision, Haemi leans down and tells him: “I’m pretending to be a boy so men won’t rape me.” Her words elicit immediate regret. “Don’t listen to your mean old nuna,” Haemi begs her younger brother, pulling him in for an embrace.

As the novel progresses beyond the war years, the weight of individual experiences continues to influence and shape

how the characters interact as well as avoid each other. What holds the book’s five narrators together, however, are their various relationships to Haemi, who goes from a rebellious 16-year-old refugee at the novel’s start, to a wife and mother of four daughters by its end.

Kim says Haemi’s transformation played a crucial role in the story, even in the novel’s earliest drafts. “I’ve always really been interested in gender dynamics, gender expectations and cultural expectations for women,” she says. “I wanted to explore what marriage looked like for a woman who had no options. And what motherhood looked like, as well as postpartum depression during this time period.”

Sorrow and regret invariably haunt Haemi. One of the lingering questions that both she and readers grapple with throughout the novel is what might have been had war never broken out.

The true tragedy of the book, however, is not Haemi’s sense of isolation and despair, but the ubiquity of these shared emotional experiences among the novel’s five narrators. Each has a unique story that’s been directly or indirectly impacted by the war, yet none is able to divulge the sense of loss with those who are equally lost.

Midway through the novel, Jisoo, who endures a lifelong injury from his stint in the army, quietly laments the state of his country following the war. In many ways, the change he sees and his response to it encapsulate the collective tragedy of the book. South Korea isn’t merely rebuilding, Jisoo realizes, but is taking on an entirely new identity based on the ever-present American influence. “I felt duped by my own blindness,” he bemoans. “Like a man who doesn’t know he’s soaked until halfway through a creeping storm.” X

WHAT Crystal Hana Kim discusses her debut novel, If You Leave Me WHERE UNCA’s Laurel Forum Karpen Hall 1 University Heights avl.mx/5ni WHEN Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. Free

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

PLENTY OF REASONS Holding a band together is a real challenge, as most musicians will readily admit. But Asheville-based quartet Mindshapefist has remained together harmoniously for more than 15 years.

Celebrating the release of Road to Hell, the hard-rocking band’s seventh fulllength album, Mindshapefist plays The Orange Peel on Saturday, Feb. 16.

Like guitarists David Rogers and Anthony Brown, drummer Fred Hensley has been with Mindshapefist since the band’s beginning. “I met David when I was 16 and he was 14,” Hensley says. “So it’s been pretty much a lifelong friendship and music collaboration.” The group’s newest member, bassist Josh Shook, has been in the band since 2006. That sort of lineup stability reinforces the collective musical vision.

The members’ motivations for being in Mindshapefist have changed somewhat over the years, though. “When you’re in your teenage years, it’s, ‘Hey, girls like guys in bands!’” Hensley says with a laugh. Today he credits the band’s longevity to “a general love of music.” Noting that even though the members have all played in other projects and hired-gun situations, Hensley says that Mindshapefist long ago discovered “a certain spark or synergy between us as four individuals when we get together, play music and create.

That just doesn’t really seem to happen [for us] with anybody else.”

Hensley believes that musicians are always chasing the natural, ethereal high that comes from playing.

“And finding that has been one of the constants with us,” he says. As the band members have traveled through life — getting married, having kids — their experiences have colored the subject matter of the songs they pen.

“We’re kind of writing the background music, or the soundtrack, to our own lives,” Hensley says. He describes Mindshapefist’s music as “a kind of commentary of how we see things and how we feel about things at different points in time.”

The band’s current concerns, expressed on the new Road to Hell album, lean toward the personal. “David is the main lyric writer,” Hensley says. “He’s always been a very smart, well-read fellow.” The band’s lyrics on songs like “Half a Reason” deal in first-person terms with issues like betrayal. “I know what [our songs] mean to us,” Hensley explains, “but I think that they’re open and interpre-

Mindshapefist releases its seventh album with an Orange Peel show Live onstage, Mindshapefist’s sound is a whirlwind of guitars, bass and drums. But the band’s focus on vocals remains a part of the experience. “We’re proud of what we do on the CDs, and we think they’re a good representation,” Hensley says. “But we’re definitely a live band; I think that’s where we really thrive. We just really love working with a crowd, putting that energy out to them and getting that energy shot back to us.”

Asked if he’s surprised that Mindshapefist has endured since starting in 2003, Hensley laughs. “I always told Dave that we would do this for years, but it’s still refreshing — and yeah, a little surprising — to think about how long we’ve been doing it.”

He suggests that the band’s collective hardheadedness is a contributing factor to its longevity. “And we just really enjoy the music-making process between us. Sometimes you think, ‘Well, maybe that stream of consciousness will run out at some time or that source will be cut off,’ but it actually hasn’t,” he says. “I think it’s gotten even better and even stronger.” X

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? Asheville-based heavy-rock quartet Mindshapefist has been bringing its thunderous sound to audiences since 2003. The band has released seven albums; its latest, Road to Hell, highlights the group’s balance of hard-riffing, soaring guitar leads and vocal harmonies. Photo by Duncan Chaboudy tive to the general listener as to what they get out of it, too.”

On most songs, Mindshapefist’s thunderous musical approach underscores an aggressive tone. The rhythm section of Hensley and Shook executes the songs with remarkable precision. Meanwhile, the two guitarists lay down a solid slab of chopping, distorted chording atop that foundation. Mindshapefist’s sound recalls Metallica and Motörhead, with the added twin-guitar lead approach favored by such ’70s heavyweights as Thin Lizzy.

But then there are tracks like “Waiting Room.” The opening minute and a half of that Road to Hell offering features gentle guitar strumming and a lilting waltz melody. “Some songs are more emotional, some are more ethereal, some are just more direct rock ’n’ roll and heavy groove things,” Hensley says. “There are a lot of wide and varied influences between us, and if you would come to our houses or listen to our playlist on our phone, I think you’d be really shocked at some of the stuff we listen to.”

That eclecticism is part of what sets Mindshapefist’s music apart. While

Rogers’ lead vocals have a roaring quality, in recent years the group has begun to place great emphasis on vocal harmonies, too. “We have tried to do more layered harmonies live and on recordings,” Hensley says. “I’ve always loved [progmetal/funk/soul band] King’s X and stuff like that, where a couple of guys are doing amazing harmonies together.”

WHO Mindshapefist with Bryan Colston and Beitthemeans WHERE The Orange Peel 101 Biltmore Ave. theorangepeel.net WHEN Saturday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m., $8

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FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

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SMART BETS

A&E

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

Valentine’s Day at Fleetwood’s

Black Garter Revue

Fleetwood’s regularly hosts legitimate nuptials in its chapel, but last year on Valentine’s Day, it played host to a mass fake wedding. At the inaugural event, attendees married best friends, their boyfriend’s dog, leather jackets and a Britney Spears cardboard cutout. Back for a second go-round — on Thursday, Feb. 14, at 8 p.m. — participants are allowed to be joined together with anything, including concepts and other intangibles.

Dressed in their best wedding/ Valentine’s Day attire with invited friends and family as witnesses, the soon-to-be-betrothed will have the ceremony officiated by a local comedian. Fleetwood’s will provide the ring(s) and a fake marriage certificate to commemorate the occasion. A reception will follow with a Champagne toast, cake for the newlyweds and a DJed dance party for all. $20 advance/$25 day of event. fleetwoodsonhaywood.com Photo courtesy of Fleetwood’s

While happy couples gallivant around Asheville on Thursday, Feb. 14, celebrating their love as mandated

by Hallmark and related entities, local burlesque troupe Black Garter Revue will be at The Grey Eagle offering an alternative way to spend the holiday. Infidelity: An Anti-Valentine’s Tribute caters to those dealing with heartbreak and pain who want no part of traditional Cupid-sponsored shenanigans. The show features a variety of burlesque styles and dancers, including Seraphina Syren (pictured), Orange Crush, Roxie Rose LeMoan, Gwen Sidious and Nixxxy Darling. The evening starts at 9 p.m., is hosted by Donno and “Stage Kittened”

by Lady Disdoriient. Each $15 ticket comes with a gift. thegreyeagle.com. Photo courtesy of Black Garter Revue

Asher Leigh

Underhill Rose After playing the Asheville Masonic Temple and Flat Rock Cinema last fall, musicians Molly Rose and Eleanor Underhill continue their exploration of atypical music venues with a visit to Streamside. The intimate listening room at the Arden home of Lora Tannenholz and Sally Sparks is in Pisgah National Forest by a stream with a stage that looks out through a massive glass window into the woods. In this setting, which also includes a 28-foot cathedral ceiling, Underhill Rose will perform its beloved original Americana tunes on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. The showcase of gorgeous harmonies, acoustic guitar and open-back banjo doubles as a benefit for Asheville Music School, which is moving to a new, improved space in 2019. $20. streamsidemusic.com. Photo by Sandlin Gaither

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Unlike musicians who recognize early on that they want to dedicate themselves to the creative arts, Asher Leigh didn’t start tinkering with songs until she moved to Asheville a decade ago at the age of 25. The former dedicated athlete credits music with opening up her life and shares those revelations and more on her debut album, Roots Alive. Multi-instrumentalist Chris Rosser of Free Planet Radio served as audio engineer for the combination of contemporary folk, alternative and pop sensibilities, and his bandmate River Guerguerian plays cajon and djembe, adding what Leigh calls “a sweet flavor of world music … that really solidified the vibe.”

Alongside Rosser, violinist Madelyn Ilana and percussionist Mattick Frick, Leigh celebrates the record’s release Sunday, Feb. 17, at The Grey Eagle. The seated show begins at 8 p.m. $10 advance/$12 day of show. thegreyeagle.com. Photo courtesy of the musician

THEATER REVIEW

by Kai Elijah Hamilton | kaielijahhamilton@gmail.com

‘Footloose’ at Asheville Community Theatre It seems just like yesterday that hair was teased sky-high, fashion was flashy and music enticed with a poppy seriousness. Asheville Community Theatre generates a flashback to the 1980s with the fun musical Footloose

by Dean Pitchford, Walter Bobbie and Tom Snow, onstage through Sunday, March 3.

When his father deserts him, Ren McCormack (played by Dillon Giles) is forced to trade in the big city of Chicago for small-town life. He brings with him the rock ’n’ roll spirit, but there’s a local law that prohibits dancing. When Ren tries to insert his opinion, he upsets conservative Rev. Shaw Moore (Jeff Stone).

However, the teenagers begin to crave the rebellious fancy footwork, and conflict ensues.

The staged musical Footloose is based on the 1984 film of the same name. The movie’s star was Kevin Bacon. Lacking a major name at the time, he was not the first choice for the role of Ren, but his underdog appeal made Footloose feel edgy and unique.

Likewise, the casting of Giles in ACT’s musical version gives a refreshing take on the character. He’s got a certain charisma that feels dynamic and makes you smile. Giles has great chemistry with Anne Lowell, who plays Ariel, his love interest.

Lowell absolutely owns the role of the reverend’s daughter, and her vocals are splendid. We can tell she is caught between choosing the right or wrong path with bad-boy Chuck (Ryan Miller). Unfortunately, the attractive Miller doesn’t pose much of a threat, and we lose some of the subplot’s suspense.

Heather Nicole Bronson as Ariel’s friend Rusty gives us the spunk of the ’80s. She’s a hoot, and her duet with Marisa Noelle (as Betty Blast) on “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” is a standout. Noelle’s dancing is Broadwayquality. Ariel’s other friends, Wendy Jo and Urleen, are played with moxie

by Karyn Panek and Emily McCurry.

In plotlines such as these, there always seems to be a stereotypical country guy. Thankfully, Adam

TEEN SPIRIT: From left, Anne Lowell as Ariel, Dillon Giles as Ren, Adam Lentini as Willard and Heather Nicole Bronson as Rusty star in Footloose at ACT. Photo by Studio Misha Photography Lentini as Willard does an impressive job. There’s a fun scene where Willard learns to dance, proving Bronson and Lentini make a nice pairing.

This production’s greatest performances are those of Stone as the Reverend and Missy Stone as his wife, Vi. They bring a seasoned reality. Jeff, in particular, rouses a moving revelation in his character. Without his remarkable portrayal, the production would not be as layered.

Directing large casts like this is not easy, and Jerry Crouch once again rises to the challenge. His casting here is off the beaten path. This is a major asset, and one can only hope such unique casting continues to be embraced. The background chorus collectively sparks attention with exceptional performances from Kerry Nolan, Jack Anderson, Ann M. Licharew, Audrey Wells, Kathleen Riddle and Javon M. Brown.

Special praise goes to the fantastic retro costume design by Carina Lopez.

Footloose touches most intriguingly on an era when being free and expressing oneself with music and dance was bitterly frowned upon by certain belief systems. This production’s energy-filled performance of “Heaven Help Me” drives the feeling of repression home. X

WHAT Footloose WHERE Asheville Community Theatre 35 E. Walnut St. ashevilletheatre.org WHEN Through Sunday, March 3.

Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m.; Thursdays, Feb. 21 and 28, at 7:30 p.m. $15-30

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A & E CALENDAR VALENTINE’S DAY EVENTS ART BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 120 College St., 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege. org • WE (2/13), noon-1pm - Explore the Politics exhibition with Connie Bostic, co-curator of the exhibition. Free to attend.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library Through (2/14) Unlimited Valentine making. Kids are welcome to make enough for their whole class or more. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St.

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• MO (2/18), 10amnoon - Itch to Stitch, a casual knitting and needlework group for all skill levels. Free.

Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • TU (2/19), 6-7pm Spinning Yarns Knitting and Crochet Group.

Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road HAYWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE Regional High Technology Center, 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, 828258-8737 • WE (2/13), 1pm Sarah Rose Lejeune, visiting artist lecture.

Free.

HAYWOOD COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 86 N Main St., Waynesville, 828-452-0593, haywoodarts.org/ SA (2/16), noon-6pm 'Winter Arts Smokies Style: The Art of Chocolate,' entertainment, chocolate surprises, photo ops, art demonstrations and refreshments. Artist Demonstration

by Francoise Lynch at 2 p.m. Free to attend.

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HAYWOOD COUNTY LIBRARY-CANTON 11 Pennsylvania Ave., Canton, 828-648-2924, haywoodlibrary.org • Through (3/31) - Russell Wyatt photography. Free.

• Through (3/31) - Ashley Calhoun paintings. Free.

WAYNESVILLE BRANCH OF HAYWOOD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 678 S. Haywood St., Waynesville, 828-452-5169 • Through (3/31) - Molly Harrington-Weaver paintings. Free.

• Through (3/31) - Linda Blount paintings. Free.

• Through (3/31) - Patty Johnson Coulter drawings.

Free.

• Through (3/31) - Jason Woodard paintings. Free.

ZAPOW! 150 Coxe Ave., Suite 101, 828-575-2024, zapow.net • FR (2/15), 7-9pm Asheville’s Designer Toy Expo Kick Off Party, Art Exhibit and Artist’s Reception.

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE 39 South Market St., 828-254-9277, theblockoffbiltmore.com • SU (2/17), noon-4pm - Local creative makers, artists, herbalists, potters, health coaches and astrologers. Free to attend.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS OWENS THEATRE 44 College St., Mars Hill

SMOKY MOUNTAIN BRASS: The Sylva-based Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet was formed in 1993 and performs a wide repertoire of music that includes pop, jazz, patriotic and classic standards. The group then and now is made up of faculty from Western Carolina University’s School of Music. The quintet presents a free concert celebrating 25 years of music and travel Sunday, Feb. 17, in the Community Room of the Jackson County Public Library. The concert begins at 7 p.m. and is preceded by a slideshow featuring the quintet’s travels around the world over the years. The quintet has performed in 14 countries with nine different members over the years. Some of the selections for the evening include Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by Handel, Dance of the Yao People

by Tieshan and Yuan and Contrabajeando by Astor Piazzola. Between musical selections, the musicians will share some of their favorite memories of past performances and tours. Free. Photo courtesy of Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet (p. 43)

• SA (2/16) - Audition for all the WNC theatre companies. Youth (up to age 18), 9:30am; Actors, 10:30am-12:30pm; Lunch, 12:30-1:30pm; Actors, 1:30-4pm; Dancers, 4pm.

Registration: unifiedauditions.org. $35.

DANCE TWO NEW 6 WEEK DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Starting Wednesday, February 20, • 7-8pm: Nightclub-Two Beginner Level. • 8-9pm: TwoStep Level 2. Asheville Ballroom. Register online $70 each, www.

DanceForLife.net or $75 each at door. 828-3330715 • naturalrichard@ mac.com VALENTINE'S DAY DANCE (PD.) Join us for Ballroom Dance and Dessert. 2/14 6-8pm $15/person. No

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partner necessary. Info at www.waveasheville.com CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE 11 Grove St., 828-505-1612 • SA (2/16), 7:30-11pm LGBTQ+ dance with DJ Domenica. $10.

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 18 Biltmore Ave., 828257-4530, dwtheatre.com • WE (2/20) & TH (2/21) - MOMIX’ Opus Cactus dance performance.

Wed.: 8pm. Thur.: 10am & 8pm. $20-$60.

FOLKMOOT FRIENDSHIP CENTER 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville, 828-452-2997, folkmoot.org • MONDAYS through (2/25), 6-7:30pm Ballroom dance lessons.

Registration required. $10.

HARVEST HOUSE 205 Kenilworth Road, 828-350-2051 • WEDNESDAYS, noon1pm - Intermediate/ advanced contemporary line dancing. $5.

OLD FARMER'S BALL oldfarmersball.com • THURSDAYS, 8-11pm Old Farmers Ball, contra dance. $7/$6 members/$1 Warren Wilson Community. Held at Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Bryson Gym, Swannanoa SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB 828-697-7732, southernlights.org • SA (12/1), 6pm "President's Day," themed dance. Advanced dance at 6pm. Early rounds at 7pm. Plus squares and rounds at 7:30pm. Free. Held at Whitmire Activity Center,

310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville STEPHENS LEE RECREATION CENTER 30 George Washington Carver Ave. • THURSDAYS, noon1pm - Improver contemporary line dancing. $5.

• THURSDAYS, 1:302:30pm - Beginner contemporary line dancing. $5.

MUSIC AFRICAN DRUM LESSONS AT SKINNY BEATS DRUM SHOP (PD.) Wednesdays 6pm. Billy Zanski teaches a fun approach to connecting with your inner rhythm.

Drop-ins welcome. • Drums provided. $15/ class. (828) 768-2826. skinnybeatsdrums.com

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 225 W. State St., Black Mountain, 828-669-0930, blackmountainarts.org SA (2/16), 7:30pm Zoe & Cloyd Valentine's Concert, diverse concert from a lineage of klezmer and jazz. $20.

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BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • MO (2/18), 6pm - Jazz Hour: Michael Jefry Stevens and Friends.

Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. • WE (2/20) & (2/27), 3pm - Ukulele jam, all levels.

Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville ASHEVILLE DRUM CIRCLE • FRIDAYS, 6-9:50pm Asheville outdoor drum circle. Free. Held at Pritchard Park, 4 College St. DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 18 Biltmore Ave., 828257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SU (2/17), 8pm Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes rhythm and blues. $43-$61.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 828-693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (2/14) until (2/17) - "The Music of the Beatles and Eagles," live music show. Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $35.

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain, 828-357-9009, floodgallery.org • SA (2/16), 7-9pm - Singer/songwriter Ash Devine concert.

Suggestion donation $5.

FOLKMOOT FRIENDSHIP CENTER 112 Virginia Ave., Waynesville, 828-4522997, folkmoot.org • SA (2/16), 7:30pm Nashville Songwriters in the Round series. $25/$12 student.

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 6th Ave W., Hendersonville, 828-6934890, gracelutherannc. com • SU (2/17), 3pm - 4SCO Winter Concert: The Romance of Vivaldi, VillaLobos, and Granados, chamber orchestra. $10.

JACKSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 310 Keener St., Sylva • SU (2/17), 7pm - Smoky Mountain Brass Quintet concert and slideshow celebrating 25 years of music. Free.

OLLI AT UNCA 828-251-6140, olliasheville.com • WE (2/20), noon Midday music concert with Pan Harmonia. Free.

Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • Through (2/28) - Write a love note about your library to send to the County Commissioners.

All materials provided.

Free. Held at Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain • WE (2/13), 4-5:30pm - Join us for creative writing exercises, to meet other writers and to help shape a writer’s community. This month's assignment: write 300-500 words about a childhood memory. Free. Held at Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road • TU (2/19), 7pm - Black Mountain Mystery Book Club. Free. Held at Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain • TU (2/19), 7pm Fairview Evening Book Club: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview • WE (2/20), 3pm History Book Club: Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library,

1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • WE (2/20), 3pm - New Book Club at the Black Mountain Library. Free.

Held at Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain • TH (2/21), 2:30pm Skyland Book Club: The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash.

Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road ENKA-CANDLER LIBRARY 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • MO (2/18) 6-7pm - Friends of the EnkaCandler Library, open house with refreshments.

Free.

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 828-687-1218, library.hendersoncountync.org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club.

Free.

• 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers' Guild.

Free.

MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 828-2546734, malaprops.com • WE (2/13), 6pm - Judy Goldman presents her book, Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap.

Free to attend.

• TH (2/14), 6pm DaMaris Hill presents her book, A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing. Free to attend.

• SU (2/17), 3pm Monthly reading series featuring work from UNCA’s Great Smokies Writing Program and The Great Smokies Review.

Free to attend.

• MO (2/18), 6pm Heather Edwards presents her book, Important Parts, in conversation with Patti Digh. Free to attend.

• TU (2/19), 6pm Kimberly Paul presents her book, Bridging the Gap: Life Lessons from the Dying. Free to attend.

• WE (2/20), 6pm - Marla Hardee Milling presents her book, Wicked Asheville. Free to attend.

• TH (2/21), 6pm - Dayna and Jim Guido present their book, The Parental

Tool Box: For Parents and Clinicians. Free to attend.

• TH (2/21), 7pm - This month's reading, The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors by Dan Jones. Free to attend.

NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Until FR (2/15) - Short story submissions accepted for The 2019 Doris Betts Fiction Prize. Submission and Guidelines: avl.mx/5k7 Free.

ODDITORIUM 1045 Haywood Road, 828-575-9299, ashevilleodditorium.com/ • WE (2/13), 7:30pm - Synergy Story Slam, monthly open mic storytelling night on the theme 'Kiss and Tell.' Admission by donation.

SALUDA HISTORIC DEPOT 32 W. Main St., Saluda, facebook.com/ savesaludadepot/ • 3rd FRIDAYS, 7pm - Saluda Train Tales, storytelling to help educate the community of the importance of Saluda’s railroad history and the Saluda Grade. Free.

UNC ASHEVILLE 828-251-6674, cesap.unca.edu/, cultural@unca.edu • TH (2/14), noon Faculty members Mildred Barya, Kirk Boyle, Evan Gurney, Rachel Hanson, David Hopes and Lori Horvitz read from their works. Free. Held at Karpen Hall, UNC Asheville Campus • TU (2/19), 7pm - Crystal Hana Kim talks about her debut novel, If You Leave Me. Free. Held at Karpen Hall, UNC Asheville Campus

THEATER ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 35 E. Walnut St., 828-2541320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS through (3/3) - Footloose, musical drama. Fri.-Sat.: 7:30pm & Sun.: 2:30pm, with additional shows Feb. 21 & 28. $15-$26.

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

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GALLERY DIRECTORY

A& E CA LEN DA R BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • SA (2/16), noon Bright Star Touring Theatre Presents Let it Shine: The American Civil Rights Movement.

Registration required.

Free. Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. • SA (2/16), 3pm Bright Star Touring Theatre Presents Let it Shine: The American Civil Rights Movement.

Registration required.

Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road MARSHALL CONTAINER CO. 10 South Main St., Marshall, 803-727-4807 TH (2/14), 6:3010:30pm - Black Hearts Valentine's Mixer: Experimental theatre, impromptu creative performances and shenanigans. Free to attend.

T

NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 828-239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SATURDAYS until (2/17), 7:30pm Jeeves at Sea, satire.

Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm & Sun.: 2pm, with Saturday matinees on Feb. 9 & 16, 2pm. $20$46; $10/students.

THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 828-239-9250 • FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS (2/15) until (2/23), 7pm & SU (2/24), 3pm - Sweeney

Todd School Edition, presented by the high school academy students. $15.

THEATER AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (2/21) until (2/24) - Mars Hill University's Theatre Arts Department presents Disney’s, Freaky Friday A New Musical.

Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm.

Sun.: 2:30pm. School matinee performance Thursday, Feb. 21 at noon. $15/$7 students. Held at Owens Theatre, 44 College St., Mars Hill THEATER AT WCU 828-227-2479, bardoartscenter.wcu. edu • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (2/14) until (2/17) - School of Stage and Screen presents, Twelfth Night, Shakespearian comedy. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 3pm. $20/$15 seniors/$10 students & children.

Held at Western Carolina University, Hoey Auditorium, 176 Central Drive, Cullowhee TRYON LITTLE THEATER 516 S. Trade St., Tryon, 828-859-2466, tltinfo.org • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (2/14) until (2/17) - Mamma Mia!, musical dramedy. Thurs., Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sat.: 2:30pm.

Sun.: 3pm. $25/$15 children.

2019

issues

publish

March 13th & 20th advertise@mountainx.com 44

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

MOUNTAINX.COM

310 ART 191 Lyman St., #310, 828-776-2716, 310art.com • Through TU (4/2) - Atypical Dimensions: Voluminous Watercolors by Nadine Charlsen.

AMERICAN FOLK ART AND FRAMING 64 Biltmore Ave., 828-281-2134, amerifolk.com Through TH (2/21) - The 15th Annual Miniature Show features 12 artists working in a variety of media.

T

ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • WE (2/13) through (3/15) Margaret Curtis: New Paintings, painting exhibition. Held at Weizenblatt Art Gallery at MHU, 79 Cascade St., Mars Hill ART MOB 124 Fourth Ave. E., Hendersonville, 828-693-4545, artmobstudios.com • Through (3/2) - Celebration of Birds by watercolor artist Simone Wood. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 16, 5-7pm.

ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 1 Page Ave., 828-258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (2/22) - Carve: Process of Reduction, curated

by Nina Kawar, is seven artists working in clay, wood, glass, printmaking and paper.

ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 828-251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • Through TH (2/28) - Fresh Paint features paintings by two new members, Joseph Pearson and Susan Webb Tregay.

BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 120 College St., 828-350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through SA (5/18) Aaron Siskind: A Painter’s Photographer and Works on Paper.

• Through SA (5/18) - Politics at Black Mountain College, a variety of media: artwork, images, texts and audio.

ELIZABETH HOLDEN GALLERY 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa • Through FR (2/22) - 10th Annual Drawing Discourse Juried International Exhibition features 59 works of contemporary drawing.

FIRST CITIZENS BANK 539 N. Main St., Hendersonville • FR (2/15) through FR (2/22) Mentors & Students: The Art of

CHEROKEE SYLLABARY: America Meredith is an artist who speaks her mind. As a painter, independent curator and publishing editor of the First American Art Magazine, a quarterly journal devoted to promoting dialogue about native art. Meredith uses visual art and writing to address issues in the native community. Her work celebrates Cherokee language and culture, examines changing customs and challenges Native American stereotypes. The exhibition brings together paintings that incorporate the Cherokee syllabary, reference Cherokee oral histories and pair found-object text with visual imagery. The show runs through Wednesday, March 6, at the Western Carolina University, Fine Art Museum at Bardo Arts Center. A reception for Outspoken will be held Thursday, Feb., 21, 5-7 p.m. and includes a gallery talk by Meredith at 5:45 p.m. Photo of “The Thunder Boys Release Game into the World,” 2011, acrylic, colored pencil, watercolor and enamel on panel, courtesy of the artist.

Our Children, exhibition featuring work by Hendersonville elementary students. Reception: Friday, Feb. 15, 5-6:30pm.

HAYWOOD COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 86 N Main St., Waynesville, 828-452-0593, haywoodarts.org/ • Through SA (2/23) - Juried exhibit of 28 local artists working in a variety of mediums: oil, acrylic, clay, watercolor, forged steel, coldwax, collage, wood, glass, fiber, jewelry, egg tempera, photography and mixed media.

MAJIK STUDIOS 207 207 Coxe Ave., Studio 13 • Through FR (3/29) - The first group show of Majik Studios artists, Teaching and Reaching, five artists working in paint, illustration and paper marbeling.

NORTH CAROLINA GLASS CENTER 140 Roberts St., Suite C, 828-505-3552, ncglasscenter.org • Through TH (2/28) - Exhibition featuring glass by Ben GreeneColonesse.

PUSH SKATE SHOP & GALLERY 25 Patton Ave., 828-225-5509, pushtoyproject.com • FR (2/25) through SU (3/17) Concrete Community, a group show fundraiser for skatepark, The Foundation. Reception: Friday, Feb. 15, 7-10pm.

REVOLVE 521 Riverside Drive, #179, revolveavl.org/ • Through SA (3/30) - New York

By Night 1990 - 1996, exhibition of photographs by Joanne Chan.

• Through SA (3/30) - V, exhibition of gouache paintings and embroidery.

SPIERS GALLERY 1 College Dr, Brevard, brevard.edu/ • Through FR (2/15) - Lori Park showcases An Invitation to a Show, an exhibition of sculpture installation.

TAYLOR GALLERY 122 Riverside Drive, Suite A

T Through SU (3/3) - What is Love?, a group show themed on body image, showcases the painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, jewelry and glass/ ceramics of 12 artists.

THE REFINERY 207 Coxe Ave., ashevillearts.com • Through (3/29) - Work of North Windy Ridge Intermediate students including: mandalas, self portraits, ceramic art and animal collages. Free to attend.

THE TRYON DEPOT ROOM 22 Depot St., Tryon, 828-8597001, tryondepotroom.com • Through (3/31) - Richard Oversmith's recent paintings.

TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 828-884-2787, tcarts.org • Through (2/28) - The Splendors of the Universe with No Limits Artists show of works by artists from Transylvania Vocational Services.

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 828-859-8322, tryonarts.org • Through FR (3/15) - Red-Carpet Artist of the Year Show for Tryon Arts & Craft School.

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY, FINE ART MUSEUM 199 Centennial Drive, Cullowhee, wcu.edu/bardo-arts-center/fineart-museum/ • Through FR (5/1) - School of Art and Design Faculty Biennial Exhibition.

• Through (5/3) - Outspoken, America Meredith paintings that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

Reception: Thursday, Feb. 21, 5-7pm.

WOOLWORTH WALK 25 Haywood St., 828-254-9234 • Through WE (2/27) - Sixth Annual Second’s Sale at FW Gallery.

Contact the galleries for hours and admission fees

CLUBLAND

PT the way it should be Using evidence-based methods such as Dry Needling & Trigger Point release to return to pain-free living

For a free 30 minute consultation call 828-785-8388 or contact us at 1on1PTasheville.com

Carolina Hemp Company

Asheville’s longest serving Hemp General Store and CBD retailer/distributor Distributing high-quality hemp products based in the beautiful mountains of Asheville SPEAK FOR YOURSELF: The synth-heavy hip-hop style of Blood Orange — the stage name of Devonté Hynes — blends melancholy with anxiety on his experimental newest project, Negro Swan. Contemplations on mental health and childhood trauma are dissected, as are reflections on a nonconformist identity. The finished album, filled with many cameos from the likes of A$AP Rocky and Sean Combs, is narrated by activist Janet Mock. Blood Orange performs at The Orange Peel Wednesday, Feb. 27, at 9 p.m. $25 advance/$30 day of show. theorangepeel.net. Photo by Nick Harwood

Providing access to safe, third-party, lab-tested hemp extract products Offering a wide variety of carefully curated hemp goods from clothing to food Consulting consumers by a well-trained staff

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13 ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Bity City Blues Jam w/ host Chicago Don, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic hosted by Billy Owens, 7:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam, 3:00PM CARMEL'S KITCHEN AND BAR Jazz Night w/ Adi the Monk, 5:30PM CHICORA ALLEY Greenville Jazz Collective Wednesday Night Jazz Series at Chicora Alley, 8:00PM CORK & KEG Horace Trahan & the Ossun Express, 7:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesday w/ Jessie & The Jinx + DJ, 9:00PM FUNKATORIUM Saylor Bros, 6:30PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesday, 6:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Kennedys CD Release Tour, 7:00PM Chris Wilhelm & Friends, 8:30PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ TimO, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM NANTAHALA BREWING - ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM NOBLE KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert (7:30pm sign up), 8:00PM

T ODDITORIUM Synergy Story Slam (Theme: Kiss & Tell), 7:30PM Cliché Presents: The Roast of Priscilla Chambers ( 18+), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Latin Dance Night w/ DJ Oscar, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE Circuit Bending Workshop 101: Presented by Foxy & Company & Sly Grog, 6:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio (jazz, funk, soul), 9:00PM THE ROOT BAR Lucky James (blues, Americana), 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Music Bingo, 8:00PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14

T AUX BAR Crush Groove w/ DJ Delight, 11:00PM

STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE The Get Right Band, 6:00PM

ARCHETYPE BREWING Canned Heat Vinyl Night, 5:00PM

TOWN PUMP Open Mic w/ David Bryan, 8:00PM

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

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville's Most Wanted Funk Bandits, Kazz & Unk, 8:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Dante Elephante w/ Tom Angst, Del Sur & Indigo De Souza, 8:00PM

T ASHEVILLE

MUSEUM OF SCIENCE Make&Mingle: Valentine's Date Night & Mixer, 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club, 8:00PM

290 Haywood Road, Asheville NC 28806 828.438.4367 www.carolinahempcompany.com @carolinahempcompany MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

45

C LUBLAND BEN'S TUNE UP Offended Open Comedy Mic, 9:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Bluegrass Jam w/ The Big Deal Band, 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Benjo Saylor, 7:00PM

COMING SOON WED 2/13

5-9PM–SUSHI NIGHT

7:00PM–THE KENNEDYS CD RELEASE TOUR 8:30PM–CHRIS WILHELM AND FRIENDS

THU 2/14 7:00PM–SAMSON AND DELILAH: THE MUSIC OF ALISON KRAUSS AND ROBERT PLANT

BYWATER Open Mic Night, 7:00PM

T CASCADE

LOUNGE Valentine's Pajama Party, 7:00PM

T DOUBLE CROWN SOULDIES PROM DANCE w/ DJ Jasper + photo-booth, 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open Mic, 6:30PM FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Dave Desmelik, 6:00PM FUNKATORIUM The Hot Club of Asheville, 6:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Thursday Night Blues w/ The Patrick Dodd Trio, 6:00PM

T ISIS MUSIC HALL 8:30PM–DIVAS LIVE! VALENTINE’S EDITION: HONORING THE BEST OF THE BEST IN FEMALE SINGERS & SONGWRITERS *SPECIAL 4 COURSE VALENTINE’S MENU FROM CHEF PORTER*

FRI 2/15 7:00PM–MARGO CILKER & FIELD HEAT WITH AN AMERICAN FORREST

SAT 2/16 8:30PM–TAJ MAHAL TRIO

SUN 2/17

6:00PM–THE PROMISE IS HOPE 7:30PM–DECLAN O’ROURKE CHRONICLES OF THE GREAT IRISH FAMINE

TUE 2/19

7:30PM–TUES. BLUEGRASS SESSIONS W/ DRYMAN MOUNTAIN BOYS

WED 2/20 7:00PM–ROBINSON TREACHER LIVE ACOUSTIC

THU 2/21 7:00PM–JOHN WESTMORELAND

FRI 2/22

7:30PM–4TH ANNUAL FUNKY FORMAL & SILENT AUCTION BENEFIT FOR FRANCINE DELANEY NEW SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN

SAT 2/23 8:00PM–BIKE LOVE ‘19: ASHEVILLE ON BIKES GALA

SUN 2/24

6:00PM- TALL TALES 8:00PM–LOWLAND HUM AND ANNA TIVEL

ISISASHEVILLE.COM DINNER MENU TIL 9:30PM LATE NIGHT MENU TIL 12AM

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

46

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

MOUNTAINX.COM

& KITCHEN 743 Samson and Delilah: The Music of Alison Krauss and Robert Plant, 7:00PM Divas Live!

Valentine’s Edition, 8:30PM

T

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam, 7:00PM

T LAZY DIAMOND PUNK PROM DANCE w/ DJ Carbeque Sauce, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones, 6:30PM

T MARSHALL

CONTAINER CO. Black Hearts Valentine's Mixer, 6:30PM

T ONE WORLD

BREWING OWB Downtown: Valentine's Date Night w/ Dirty Dawg, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: West Side Funk Jam, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Switchfoot w/ Colony House & Tyson Motsenbocker, 7:00PM

T PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Valentine's Day w/ Laura Blackley, 7:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Chalwa w/ Exciterbox, 6:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Carrie Morrison, 7:30PM

T SALVAGE

STATION Trivia, 7:00PM Abbey Road Live Valentines Show: All You Need is Love, 8:00PM

T SANCTUARY

BREWING COMPANY V-Day Beer & Cupcake Pairing by Butterfly Baking w/ Riyen Price (acoustic, Americana), 7:00PM

T STATIC AGE

RECORDS THX1312, Sir Man, DJ Sequince & Reversels (V-Day Industrial Meltdown Gala), 9:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Open Mic Night, 7:00PM TOWN PUMP Station Break Winter Residencies, 9:00PM

T THE BLOCK OFF

BILTMORE 3rd Annual Valentease Burlesque & Variety Show (benefit for OurVoice), 7:00PM THE BARRELHOUSE Trivia w/ Geeks Who Drink, 7:00PM

T THE GREY EAGLE

Valentines Day Party w/ King Garbage, 8:00PM

Infidelity: An AntiValentine's Tribute Burlesque Show, 9:00PM

OWL BAKERY Thursday Night Jazz, 7:30PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Burger Kings (rock n' roll), 9:00PM

ODDITORIUM PartyFOUL presents: The Drag Wedding of Natasha & GenDroid (18+), 9:00PM

T THE MOTHLIGHT

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM The Funky Knuckles, 10:00PM

THE ROOT BAR Dennis Carbone (folk), 7:00PM

T NOBLE KAVA

Leslie Gore Valentine's Dance w/ The Power, The Minnies & JoyBang, 9:30PM

THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Walk the Moon, 8:00PM

WED

13 TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, rock'n Roll), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke, 9:30PM

T WHITE HORSE

BLACK MOUNTAIN AVL Choral Society Valentines Concert: L'Amour, An Evening of Cabaret, 7:30PM ZAMBRA Phil Alley Duo (Gypsy jazz), 7:00PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays feat. members of Phuncle Sam acoustic, 5:30PM STIG & Chachuba, 10:00PM

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Bela Fleck, 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Rock n' Soul Obscurities w/ Wild Vinyl DJ, 10:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Forbidden Waves, Thee Sidewalk Surfers & TV Set, 8:30PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: LOZ, 9:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Doug McElvy Ensemble (folk, jam), 10:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: In Plain Sight, 9:00PM

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY The Dangerfields, 6:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Spafford w/ Natural Born Leaders, 9:00PM

FUNKATORIUM KS Fontes Trio, 8:00PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR April B & The Cool, 7:00PM

AUX BAR DJ Databoy & DJ Woodside, 10:00PM

GINGER'S REVENGE Noah Proudfoot & Friends (funk, soul), 7:00PM

AMBROSE WEST An Evening of Improv Comedy with Reasonably Priced Babies, 8:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Scott Moss, 7:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mark's Jam, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Phuncle Sam, 10:00PM BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Daydreams of Django (Gypsy jazz), 7:00pm BEN'S TUNE UP Throwback dance Party w/ DJ Kilby, 10:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Bill Mattocks & The Strut, 6:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Shiloh Hill, 7:00PM CORK & KEG Sparrow & Her Wingmen, 8:30PM

THIS WEEK AT AVL MUSIC HALL

CROW & QUILL Low Down Sires (swing jazz), 9:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Margo Cilker & Field Heat with An American Forrest, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Vince Junior Band, 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Hot n' Nasty (rock n' soul vinyl) w/ DJ Hissy Cruise, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hot Club of Asheville, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE Riyen Roots, 8:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Dreads for Brains (roots, reggae), 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Machine Funk Tribute to Widespread Panic, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Redleg Husky, 8:00PM SLY GROG LOUNGE We Love D'n'B, 9:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Niboowin, Shadow of the Destroyer, Harsh Realm (metal), 9:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Vinylly Friday!, 6:00PM TOWN PUMP Primitive Studio, 9:00PM

THE ROOT BAR Stevie Tombstone (folk country blues), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES The Vines featuring Linda Wold, 7:30PM What The Funk, 10:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Marcel Anton (jazz, blues), 8:00PM ZAMBRA Jason Moore & 1st Person Soother (jazz), 8:00PM

14

YOGA TACO MOSA

INFIDELITY:

SUN

ASHER LEIGH

17

AN ANTI-VALENTINE’S

TRIBUTE BURLESQUE SHOW

11AM -12:30PM

ALBUM RELEASE SHOW, 7PM

FRI

MATT

SAT

LOCAL SOCIAL

19 J.D. SIMO

DRIVIN N CRYIN

20

MON

15 STILLWELL 16 SAT

16

18

ERIN ENDERLIN

TUE

1:30PM - 4PM

W/ MATT WALSH

WED

W/ LAUREN MORROW, 8PM

DEERHOOF W/ THE VELDT, CLOUDGAYZER

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

AUX BAR DJ New Millen (dance party), 10:00PM AMBROSE WEST Worthwhile Sounds Presents: Pierce Edens + Sam Burchfield, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Swing Step Band (swing standards), 5:00PM Jody Carroll (deep roots & blues), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Harmonia Benefit feat.

Somatoast & Futexture & Mycor, 10:00PM BANKS AVE SES: Satisfaction Every Saturday, 9:00PM BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Sunday Jazz Brunch, 2:00PM

MOE'S ORIGINAL BBQ WOODFIN Stray Mutt & Friends, 7:00PM NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Jordan Okrend, 5:30PM

THE GREY EAGLE Matt Stilwell (country), 9:00PM

NOBLE KAVA Comedy Night, 9:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER The Super 60s, 6:00PM

ODDITORIUM Curious Folk Presents: Wild Realms, 9:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Sirius.B w/ Upland Drive, 9:00PM

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Lauren Beeler, 7:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS Zoe & Cloyd Valentine's Concert, 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Larry Dolamore, 7:00PM

PHUNCLE SAM STIG + CHACHUBA

THU, 2/14 - SHOW: 10 pm TIX: $10.00

SUN

17

W/ TOM ANGST, DEL SUR, INDIGO DE SOUZA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Flashback Friday at the Block: 42nd St., 7:30PM Drip a Silver Line (Grateful Dead tribute), 11:30PM

Funky Knuckles

THU

DANTE ELEPHANTE

FRI, 2/15 - SHOW: 10 pm (DOORS: 9 pm) - TIX: $10.00

FRI, 2/15 - SHOW: 10 pm CA$H DONATION$

HARMONIA BENEFIT

2 FULL SETS OF

ft. Somatoast, Futexture, Mycorr

AIRSHOW

SAT, 2/16 - SHOW: 9 pm (DOORS: 8 pm) - adv. $12.00

SAT, 2/16 - SHOW: 10 pm CA$H DONATION$

Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia - 6:30pm

FRI

disclaimer comedy - 9:30pm

THU

Tuesday Night Funk Jam - 11pm Turntable Tuesday - 10pm

WED

TUE

WEEKLY EVENTS

UPCOMING SHOWS: 2/22 Brandon “Taz” Niederauer • 2/23 The Digs & Friends • 2/28 Dirt Monkey w/ illanthropy. Dredlok & Maatticus • 3/1 PhuturePrimitive w/ Edamame • 3/2 Mark Farina • 3/8 Exmag, COFRESI, Plantrae, Space Kadet

F ree Dead F riday - 5pm

TICKETS & FULL CALENDAR AVAILABLE AT ASHEVILLEMUSICHALL.COM

@AVLMusicHall MOUNTAINX.COM

@OneStopAVL FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

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Local 3rd Annual Valentease Burlesque Benefit for OUR VOICE

Thursday, 2/14 • 7pm • $12 Optional Vegan Light Bites • $10 39 S. Market St., Asheville, NC 28801 254-9277 • theblockoffbiltmore.com

WEST ASHEVILLE

502 HAYWOOD RD Wed. 2/13

9pm- Latin Night w/DJ Oscar

Thu. 2/14

9pm- West Side Funk Jam $3 Selected Pints

Fri. 2/15

9pm- In Plain Sight $5 House/Electronica

Sat. 2/16

9pm- tomatoband

Mon. 2/18 Wed. 2/20 Thu. 2/21

8:30 Jazz Jam 9pm- Latin Night w/DJ Oscar 9pm- West Side Funk Jam

$3 Selected Pints

Fri. 2/22

9pm- DJ BOWIE, Trillium, Soul Candy: LIGHT it UP $10

Sat. 2/23

9pm- Gruda Tree

Mon. 2/25

8:30 Jazz Jam

Wed. 2/27

9pm- Latin Night w/DJ Oscar

Live music several nights a week at both locations! at oneworldbrewing.com Mon-Wed 3pm-12am Thu-Sat 12pm-1am Sun 12pm-10pm 48

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FOR THE LOVE: On her cover of the folk song “Magic Penny” local artist Ash Devine sings, “Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more. Its just like a magic penny, keep it for yourself and you don’t have any.” The musician, who trained at the Gesundheit! Institute founded by Patch Adams, now uses storytelling and songs as the basis for her music therapy outreach, Caring Clowns. She’ll perform at The Flood Gallery Fine Art Center in Black Mountain on Saturday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m.

Free. floodgallery.org. Photo by Roger Gupta

CHESTNUT Jazz Brunch w/ The Low keys (original jazz music), 12:00PM CORK & KEG The Big Dawg Slingshots, 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Balkan & Turkish party music), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Soul Motion Dance Party w/ DJ Dr. Filth, 10:00PM FLEETWOOD'S Pet Collective & Lil Connie (emo rap), 8:30PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Likewise, 7:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Taj Mahal Trio, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Them Coulee Boys w/ Big Dog Slingshots, 8:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Saturday Swing-a-ling w/ DJs Arieh & Chrissy, 10:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: In Flight & After Ours (Alternative Funk, Rock, Blues), 9:00PM

STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Laura Thurston, 6:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Tomatoband (Jam Band), 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Center of Motion, 5:00PM CommUNITY Salsa & Latin Saturday Dance Night w/ DJ Edi Fuentes (lesson at 9:00pm), 9:30PM

ORANGE PEEL Mindshapefist CD Release Party w/ Beitthemeans, Bryan Colston & Black Garter Revue Burlesque, 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio, 6:30PM

PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats, 7:00PM

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER Ash Devine (singer, songwriter), 7:00PM

LOCAL 604 BOTTLE SHOP Live Synth Saturdays, 7:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Ethan Heller and Friends (jam, funk), 10:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Shady Recruits w/ Jordan Okrend Experience, 9:00PM

MG ROAD Late Night Dance Parties w/ DJ Lil Meow Meow, 10:00PM

FOLKMOOT FRIENDSHIP CENTER Nashville Songwriters in the Round Series Launch, 7:30PM

NOBLE KAVA Woody Wood Trio, 9:00PM

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Time Sawyer, 6:00PM

ODDITORIUM Sect, Just Die!, Autarch, Night Beers (Punk), 9:00PM

GINGER'S REVENGE Nick Gonnering (12 String Blues), 2:30PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Airshow, 10:00PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Roots & Dore, 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Phuncle Sam, 6:00PM Bald Mountain Boys, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Further to Fly EP Release, 8:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Reaches, Celia Verbeck, Oariana (electronic), 9:00PM

TOWN PUMP Black King Coal, 9:00PM

THE GREY EAGLE Local Social w/ music by Pleasure Chest, 1:30PM Drivin N Cryin w/ Lauren Morrow (folk rock), 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT HEX: Dance Party Benefit for ASWOP, 9:00PM THE ROOT BAR Kessler Watson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM

T UPCOUNTRY

BREWING COMPANY Sweethearts/Lonely Hearts Dance w/ CyndiLou & The Want To, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Jazz Orchestra, 8:00PM ZAMBRA Daydreams of Django (jazz), 8:00PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17 ARCHETYPE BREWING Post-Brunch Blues, 4:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Pot Luck & Musician's Jam, 3:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Logan Marie, 3:00PM BYWATER Sunday Bluegrass Jam, 7:00PM CITY RANGE STEAKHOUSE City Range Jazz Brunch, 11:30AM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, 8:00PM FUNKATORIUM Bluegrass Brunch w/ Gary Macfiddle, 11:00AM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 1:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 The Promise is Hope, 6:00PM Declan O’Rourke: Chronicles of the Great Irish Famine, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Irish/Celtic Jam Session, 3:00PM JARGON Sunday Blunch Live Music: Mark Guest and Mary Pearson (jazz), 11:00AM LAZY DIAMOND Punk Night w/ DJ Chubberbird, 10:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Pisgah Sunday Jam, 6:30PM SALVAGE STATION Cajun Cook Off presented by AVL Mardi Gras w/ music by Zydeco Ya Ya, 12:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Bubblegum Octopus & Dj John Brinker (electronic), 9:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Lucky James, 1:00PM STREAMSIDE CONCERTS Underhill Rose, 3:00PM THE GREY EAGLE Asher Leigh Album Release, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Select DJ Sets, 9:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Æther Realm w/ Wilderun, Covenator, 9:00PM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18

FRI. 2/15 DJ RexxStep

(dance hits, pop)

SAT. 2/16 The Marsha Morgan Band (All your favorites!)

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com

CASCADE LOUNGE Game Night, 6:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke w/ KJ Tim-O, 10:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia, 7:30PM Open Mic, 9:30PM LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & Friends, 6:30PM

NOBLE KAVA Monthly Reggae Sunday feat. DJ Zion Rose (Caribbean food, music), 4:00PM

ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque Hosted by Deb Au Are (18+), 9:00PM

ODDITORIUM The Half That Matters, Neptune The Mystic (rock), 9:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Open Mic Night, 7:30PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night, 7:00PM

LIVE M R A COV USIC , E V E N ER CHARGE!

ARCHETYPE BREWING Old Time Jam, 5:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Phil Alley, 6:30PM

ORANGE PEEL The Floozies w/ Too Many Zoos & Dreamers Delight, 8:00PM

Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 15 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

US CELLULAR CENTER Trevor Noah: Loud & Clear, 8:00PM

NOBLE KAVA Stage Fright Open Mic (7:30pm Sign up; 8:00pm start), 8:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Soul Jam w/ Special Affair, 8:00PM

TAVERN

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST OWB West: Jazz Mondays hosted by Ray Ring & Jason DeCristofaro, 8:30PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays Jam (all skill levels welcome!), 8:00PM

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CLU B LA N D PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Laura Thurston, 7:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic Night w/ It Takes All Kinds, 7:00PM

17 Taps & Domestics • Nightly Drink Specials

VELVETS 421 CAFE “AND NOW YOU’RE HUNGRY” IN THE AYC • OPEN LATE

Mon-Thur. 4pm-2am • Fri-Sun. 2pm-2am

87 Patton Ave. – Downtown Asheville

LAZY DIAMOND Noiz Oasis w/ DJ Salty Stax (post-punk vinyl), 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM

THE BARRELHOUSE Xaris Waltman, 7:00PM

NOBLE KAVA Open Jam, 8:00PM

THE GREY EAGLE Erin Enderlin w/ Logan Marie, 8:00PM

ODDITORIUM Free Open Mic Comedy, 9:00PM

THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesday, 10:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Crooked Ghost Album Release Show w/ Wlya & Thresher, 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Local Live Music Series, 7:00PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19 ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Evening of Classical Guitar - 1st & 3rd Tuesdays, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 11:00PM BEN'S TUNE UP Leading Ladies of Asheville, 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia, 6:30PM CORK & KEG Old Time Moderate Jam, 5:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Tuesday Bluegrass Sessions hosted by Dryman Mountain Boys, 7:30PM

ONE WORLD BREWING OWB Downtown: Pizza Karaoke, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Team Trivia w/ Josh Dunkin, 7:00PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Nickelus F. w/ Michael Millions (Hip-Hop), 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville Tuesday Dance feat. the House Hoppers, 9:00PM Late Night Blues Dance, 11:00PM THE GREY EAGLE J.D. Simo w/ Matt Walsh, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Leo Johnson (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM THE MARKET PLACE RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE Rat Alley Cats, 6:00PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Robert's Twin Leaf Trivia, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Jam, 6:30PM Julie McConnel Band (jazz), 7:30PM Open Mic, 8:30PM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20 ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Chili Slaw Sessions w/ Tom Kirschbaum & Friends, 6:00PM BYWATER Open Can of Jam, 3:00PM CHICORA ALLEY Greenville Jazz Collective Wednesday Night Jazz Series at Chicora Alley, 8:00PM CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats, 7:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Western Wednesday w/ Dog Whistle & DJ, 9:00PM

ODDITORIUM Super Happy Fun Time: Live Burlesque, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM Orange Peel The Wailers w/ Of Good Nature, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY French Broad Valley Music Association Mountain Music Jam, 6:00PM SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night hosted by Jason DeCristofaro, 6:30PM STATIC AGE RECORDS Axxa/Abraxas w/ Sidewalk Surfers (psych rock), 9:00PM STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Andrew Thelston, 6:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesday, 6:00PM

TOWN PUMP Open Mic w/ David Bryan 8:00PM

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Robinson Treacher, 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Asheville's Most Wanted Funk Bandits, Kazz & Unk, 8:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Daughters w/ Wolf Eyes & HIDE, 9:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ TimO, 10:00PM

THE ROOT BAR Papa Vay Landers (classic country), 7:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM

THE SOCIAL Open Mic w/ Riyen Roots, 8:00PM

NANTAHALA BREWING - ASHEVILLE OUTPOST Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM

NOBLE KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Caleb Beissert (7:30pm sign up), 8:00PM

THE GREY EAGLE Deerhoof w/ The Veldt & Cloudgayzer, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE The Berlyn Jazz Trio (jazz, funk, soul), 9:00PM THE ROOT BAR Lucky James (blues, Americana), 8:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

The

Sustainability

Series CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2019

Each week in April 50

FEB. 13 - 19, 2019

MOUNTAINX.COM

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS & FRANCIS X. FRIEL

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

The 2019 Academy Award nominees for Documentary Short Film are impressive though depressing, except for Rayka Zehtabchi’s Period. End of Sentance.

The 2019 Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films HHHH DIRECTOR: Various PLAYERS: Various DOCUMENTARY SHORTS RATED NR THE STORY: This year’s nominees in consideration for the Best Documentary Short Academy Award.

THE LOWDOWN: Uniformly accomplished, uniformly depressing, this year’s competitors for the Documentary Short Oscar are a collection of films probing the uglier side of our sociological zeitgeist.

2019 is another banner year for dour documentaries at the Oscars, with only one of the nominees offering anything resembling optimism. While this is perhaps to be expected from the Academy, that doesn’t make it any less trying. Still,

it’s a strong slate with no clear front-runner for the award, and provided you’re prepared to confront the desolation of the human condition on your next outing to the local cinema, these docs are definitely worth your time.

Black Sheep. Director: Ed Perkins.

Country: United Kingdom. 27 minutes.

This deeply unsettling firsthand account of a young black man whose family fled racism and violence only to encounter more of the same in rural Essex takes an odd turn when its protagonist decides to ingratiate himself to the very people who have victimized him. Director Perkins blends talking-head interview footage with re-enactments featuring nonprofessional actors in the real-world settings described by his subject, lending the film a glossy sense of high production values that sits at odds with the

profoundly ugly story being told. Still, Black Sheep is rooted in a universal desire for acceptance that provokes an often uncomfortable empathy.

End Game. Directors: Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman. Country: U.S. 40 minutes. Death is always a difficult subject, meaning it’s also a perennially popular one for filmmakers courting awards favor.

With End Game, directors Epstein and Friedman tackle end-of-life care with an eye toward the human element, personalizing the thorny dilemma confronted by terminally ill patients and their loved ones as the logistical questions of dying with dignity become real with painful immediacy. A feel-good-flick it is not, but Epstein and Friedman handle their topic with grace and find at least some glimmer of hope around the margins of a generally bleak enterprise.

Lifeboat. Director: Skye Fitzgerald.

Country: U.S. 34 minutes. Arguably the most depressing nominee among a lineup of almost relentlessly downbeat entries, this unflinching look at the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean puts a face to the human cost of the thousands of lost souls fleeing lives of almost indescribable abuse by undertaking the perilous journey from North Africa to an uncertain fate in Europe. Interviewing not only the migrants themselves but also the rescue workers toiling tirelessly to save as many of the desperate sojourners as possible, Fitzgerald’s camera brings us uncomfortably close to a problem with no clear solution. It’s powerful stuff, even if it is a difficult watch.

A Night at the Garden. Director: Marshall Curry. Country: U.S. 7 minutes.

Documenting a 1939 pro-Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, this film packs more terror into its scant seven-minute running time than most horror movies manage to in 90. Unfortunately topical and bone-chillingly disturbing, A Night at the Garden is a historic artifact that should be required viewing for everyone in the country of legal voting age.

Probably too slight to be a real contender for the Oscar, it’s nevertheless a fascinating warning to all those who would forget history and be doomed to repeat it.

Period. End of Sentence. Director: Rayka Zehtabchi. Country: U.S. 26 minutes. The sole film from this year’s selections that could be considered uplifting, this story of a group of women trying to

MAX RATING Xpress reviews virtually all upcoming movies, with two or three of the most noteworthy appearing in print.

You can find our online reviews at mountainx.com/movies/reviews. This week, they include:

HHHH LEGO MOVIE 2 HHS WHAT MEN WANT HH COLD PURSUIT

OSCAR SHORTS – DOCUMENTARY SHORTS (PICK OF THE WEEK) HHHH THE PRODIGY

HH

HALE COUNTRY, THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING HHHS

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SCREEN SCENE

MOVIES spread education — and low-cost sanitary napkins — to a female populace in India in dire need of both is surprisingly thought-provoking and inspiring. To address a topic perceived as an inviolable taboo in a rigidly patriarchal culture is one thing, but the fact that this film allows for the hopeful possibility of potential improvement makes it unique within the context of this year’s nominees. My favorite of the lot, which means it probably won’t win — but hey, I’ve been wrong before. Not Rated.

Opens Friday at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

Cold Pursuit HHHH DIRECTOR: Hans Petter Moland PLAYERS: Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Tom Bateman, Tom Jackson, Emmy Rossum REVENGE THRILLER PARODY RATED R THE STORY: When a snowplow driver’s son is murdered by a drug cartel, he takes revenge with extreme prejudice — because this time, it’s personal.

THE LOWDOWN: An unapologetically ridiculous parody of revenge thrillers that revels in its gore and garrulity in equal measure — in short, the perfect panacea for those suffering from prestige fatigue.

I’m not here to review the current controversy swirling around aging action star Liam Neeson. I’m here to review his latest film, Cold Pursuit — a movie I enjoyed far more than I expected to, which is an increasingly rare occurrence these days. While I can’t say Cold Pursuit is a flawless film by any stretch, I can say that it’s a very good one, juggling pitchblack parody and brutal violence with uncommon alacrity. While tonal dissonance is typically a minefield I would encourage filmmakers to avoid (not that anybody’s seeking my advice), director Hans Petter Moland and screenwriter Frank Baldwin tread carefully enough to pull off a delicate balance that works more than it doesn’t.

While I haven’t seen the 2014 Danish film upon which Cold Pursuit is based — In Order of Disappearance — I suspect that most of the strengths of this remake stem from its predecessor. The 52

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self-aware sensibilities that make it an effective parody of the action film genre also create a distinctive propensity for inspired juxtapositions, and the revenge thriller tropes that the movie lampoons lend themselves surprisingly well to comedic revision. Cold Pursuit is a film with its proverbial tongue planted firmly in cheek, even as that cheek is being beaten to a bloody pulp.

When Hitchcock set out to show just how difficult killing a person with your bare hands would be in Torn Curtain, I doubt he anticipated a future filmmaker mining the same idea for its comedic potential (although he certainly would have appreciated the sentiment). It’s in such moments that Neeson’s casting proves to be a shrewd choice, with his unlikely late-career renaissance as an aging tough guy providing the perfect setup for sight gags such as ineptly strangling a man or getting winded while beating up an overweight drug courier. Cold Pursuit’s premise could belong to any other anonymous thriller, with Neeson’s quest to avenge his son’s death playing like a host of other films (many sharing its star), but these moments of demented glee set it apart from its antecedents.

And while Cold Pursuit is not exactly a laugh riot, the script carries its fair share of the comedy with wink-wink, nudgenudge sardonicism that shouldn’t be as much fun as it is. Neeson’s improbably named “Nels Coxman” carries an obviously phallic monicker, but rather than leave the joke where it lies, Baldwin hangs a lampshade on it with a ridiculous line of dialogue defining the term.

This is the core approach that defines Cold Pursuit’s humor, a script in which even the title is a bad joke about worse nomenclature having been employed straight-faced for decades.

It should be noted, if you haven’t picked up on this fact already, that Cold Pursuit is definitely not a film for everyone. It takes the right kind of puerile bad taste to appreciate something this egregiously dumb and excessively overwrought, and maybe all the award season prestige I’ve had to digest over the last few months left me uniquely primed to latch on to something so ludicrously lowbrow. Regardless, if you’re in the market for some blood and bedlam to cleanse your cinematic palate after all that pallid, self-congratulatory industrial masturbation that constitutes the final weeks of Oscar aspiration, you’ll likely warm to Cold Pursuit. Rated R for strong violence, drug material and some language including sexual references.

Now Playing at Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

by Edwin Arnaudin | earnaudin@mountainx.com

CASTING CALL: A still from the Idaho-set Where It All Started. The film is part of the Fly Fishing Film Tour on March 22 at Highland Brewing Co., tickets for which are currently available. Photo by Liam Gallagher • The Midweek Matinees series continues its focus on Golden Globe-nominated films at the Saluda Community Library, 44 W. Main St., Saluda, on Wednesday, Feb. 13, at noon, with Boy Erased; and on Wednesday, Feb. 20, at noon, with At Eternity’s Gate. The films will also be shown in the ongoing Film Fridays series at the Columbus Public Library, 1289 W. Mills St., Columbus, during which complimentary popcorn will be provided. At Eternity’s Gate will be shown on Feb. 15 at 1 p.m. and Boy Erased will be shown on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. Free. polklibrary.org • Morgan’s Comics, 600 Haywood Road, hosts a Nerd Expedition to see Alita: Battle Angel on Sunday, Feb. 17.

Attendees interested in carpooling are invited to meet at the shop before 6:45 p.m. Vehicles will depart for the 7:45 p.m. screening at the Carolina Cinemark, 1640 Hendersonville Road, and unite with other participants at the theater.

Afterward, there will be a pizza gathering back at Morgan’s Comics to discuss the film. Advance tickets are available online. morganscomics.com • The Cat Fly Film Fest, AVLFilm. com and The Asheville Studio, 12 Old

FILM ARMS AROUND ASD

FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black

191 Charlotte St.

Mountain, 828-357-9009,

• SA (2/16), 6-9pm -

floodgallery.org

Autistic Adults United

• FR (2/15), 8-10pm -

movie night. Free.

World Cinema Series:

Charlotte Highway, Suite 75, co-host their monthly Asheville Filmmaker Mixer on Monday, Feb. 18, 6-8 p.m. The gathering seeks to provide an opportunity for filmmakers and media artists in the Asheville area to network and meet one another. Complimentary drinks will be provided. Post-event mingling will continue next door at Highland Brewing Co. Free to attend. avl.mx/5o9 • The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., hosts a screening of Coming to America on Monday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Free to attend. theorangepeel.net • Tickets are on sale for the Fly Fishing Film Tour on Friday, March 22, at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Highway, Suite 200. The 13th annual traveling event emphasizes the people, places and fisheries that compose the vast world of fly-fishing. The latest installment vicariously takes viewers to Alaska, Florida, South Dakota, French Polynesia, British Columbia, the coast of Australia and other locations. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the screening starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available online and at Hunter Banks Fly Fishing, 29 Montford Ave. flyfilmtour.com X

Drunken Angel.

Admission by donation.

HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC homewardbound.wnc.org TH (2/14), noon1:30pm - “Open Your Hearts,” lunch, short

T

film and panel presentation regarding women and homelessness.

Registration: eleanor@ homewardboundwnc. org or 828-793-0072.

Admission by donation.

Held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church St.

S TARTI NG F RI DA Y

Alita: Battle Angel Anime adaptation from director Robert Rodriguez. According to the studio: “When Alita (Rosa Salazar) awakens with no memory of who she is in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido (Christoph Waltz), a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman with an extraordinary past. But it is only when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past – she has unique fighting abilities that those in power will stop at nothing to control. If she can stay out of their grasp, she could be the key to saving her friends, her family and the world she’s grown to love.” Early reviews mixed. (PG-13)

Hale County This Morning, This Evening See Scott Douglas’ review

Happy Death Day 2U Sequel to the 2017 Blumhouse horror/comedy hit from writer/director Christopher Landon, with star Jessica Rothe reprising her role. According to the studio: “This time, our hero Tree Gelbman (Rothe) discovers that dying over and over was surprisingly easier than the dangers that lie ahead.” No early reviews. (PG-13)

Isn’t it Romantic Parodic romantic comedy from director Todd Strauss-Schulson, starring Rebel Wilson. According to the studio: “New York City architect Natalie (Wilson) works hard to get noticed at her job but is more likely to be asked to deliver coffee and bagels than to design the city’s next skyscraper. And if things weren’t bad enough, Natalie, a lifelong cynic when it comes to love, has an encounter with a mugger that renders her unconscious, waking to discover that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare — a romantic comedy — and she is the leading lady.” No early reviews. (PG-13)

The 2019 Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films See Scott Douglas’ review

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Comedy and musical from the Coen Brothers, starring Tim Blake Nelson, Willie Wason and Clancy Brown. Studio says: “Six tales of life and violence in the Old West, following a singing gunslinger, a bank robber, a traveling impresario, an elderly prospector, a wagon train, and a perverse pair of bounty hunters.” Very favorable reviews. (R)

2019 Poetry Contest Xpress announces a 2019 poetry contest in celebration of National Poetry Month and our four-issue Sustainability series in April.

Poets are asked to submit work around the theme of what Western North Carolina’s environment means to you Contact Alli Marshall at amarshall@mountainx.com with any questions

S PECIAL SCR E E N IN GS

Drunken Angel HHHHH DIRECTOR: Akira Kurosawa PLAYERS: Takashi Shimura, Toshirô Mifune, Reisaburo Yamamoto, Michiyo Kogure, Chieko Nakakita CRIME/DRAMA Rated NR This 1948 film from Akira Kurosawa was, according to the filmmaker, the work in which he found his style. Since Drunken Angel — which also marked Kurosawa’s meeting with Toshirô Mifune — is the earliest of the director’s films I’ve seen, I can’t offer an opinion on his claim. I can, however, say that this heavily symbolic gangster drama is very much in his style. The striking compositions, optical-wipe scene transitions, the strong characters, the sense of humanity (often hidden behind a gruff facade) are all there. What’s perhaps most fascinating about seeing them here is that it’s also possible to see the heavy influence of Josef von Sternberg and Hollywood movies on Kurosawa in sharper relief — before such elements were more assimilated. That’s all the more interesting when you consider the film’s postwar theme of the Americanization of Japan. Brilliant filmmaking that remains powerful and moving today. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke originally published May. 13, 2009. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Drunken Angel on Friday, Feb. 15, at the new Flood Gallery location in Black Mountain, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain.

Our Hospitality HHHHH DIRECTOR: John Blystone, Buster Keaton PLAYERS: Buster Keaton, Natalie Talmadge, Joe Keaton, Buster Keaton Jr., Kitty Bradbury, James Duffy COMEDY DRAMA Rated NR Buster Keaton’s Our Hospitality (1923) may not be one of his best known, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of his best. Keaton’s Southern satire, based on the historic feud between the Hatfields and McCoys, features some of his most memorable sight gags and remarkable stunt work. It also boasts no less than four Keatons — Buster, his then-wife Natalie Talmadge, his father Joe, and his son, Buster Jr. — and was one of Keaton’s first films as an independent, following his split from MGM. They don’t get much funnier than this, so if you missed the first AFS shows at Eurisko, come enjoy our hospitality with, well, Our Hospitality. The Asheville Film Society presents Our Hospitality on Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m. with an introduction from Xpress film critic Scott Douglas at Eurisko Beer Co., 255 Short Come Ave., Asheville.

The Young in Heart HHHS DIRECTOR: Richard Wallace PLAYERS: Janet Gaynor, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Roland Young, Billie Burke, Paulette Goddard, Minnie Dupree ROMANTIC COMEDY Rated NR When The Young in Heart (1938) showed up on the list of January titles for the Hendersonville Film Society, I not only realized I hadn’t seen it, I’d never heard of it — something that seemed unlikely from that year and with that cast. So I was interested to see it and fill in the gap. What I found was a pleasant little romantic comedy with a cast that was a little too good for it — which might explain its relative obscurity. It just seems as if it ought to be better than it is, but it certainly isn’t bad. Looked at today, however, films like The Young in Heart take on a certain nostalgia. There’s a goodheartedness to them that we don’t see very often today — nor do we see this much A-list talent rescuing what is little more than a glorified B picture to solid entertainment. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke originally published on Jan. 4, 2011. The Hendersonville Film Society will show The Young in Heart on Sunday, Feb.17, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

Poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font and must be previously unpublished. Submissions will be accepted throughout the month of February. The contest will close at midnight on Thursday, Feb. 28. Email the poem in the body of the message or as a Doc attachment to amarshall@mountainx.com.

The subject line should read “Xpress poetry contest.”

Include the author’s full name and contact information in the email. Only one submission is allowed per person. There is no cost to enter. A winning poem will be determined by a local poet of note, to be named soon. The winner will be published online and in print in one of our April issues. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or freelance contributors.

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): When directors of movies say, “It’s a wrap,” they mean that the shooting of a scene has been finished. They may use the same expression when the shooting of the entire film is completed. That’s not the end of the creative process, of course. All the editing must still be done. Once that’s accomplished, the producer may declare that the final product is “in the can,” and ready to be released or broadcast. From what I can determine, Aries, you’re on the verge of being able to say, “it’s a wrap” for one of your own projects. There’ll be more work before you’re ready to assert, “it’s in the can.”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to create your own royal throne and sit on it whenever you need to think deep thoughts and formulate important decisions.

Make sure your power chair is comfortable as well as beautiful and elegant. To enhance your ability to wield your waxing authority with grace and courage, I also encourage you to fashion your own crown, scepter and ceremonial footwear. They, too, should be comfortable, beautiful and elegant.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1995, astronomer Bob Williams got a strong urge to investigate a small scrap of the night sky that most other astronomers regarded as boring. It was near the handle of the constellation known as the Big Dipper. Luckily for him, he could ignore his colleagues’ discouraging pressure. That’s because he had been authorized to use the high-powered Hubble Space Telescope for a 10-day period. To the surprise of everyone but Williams, his project soon discovered that this seemingly unremarkable part of the heavens is teeming with over 3,000 galaxies. I suspect you may have a challenge akin to Williams’, Gemini. A pet project or crazy notion of yours may not get much support, but I hope you’ll pursue it anyway. I bet your findings will be different from what anyone expects.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A study by the Humane Research Council found that more than 80 percent of those who commit to being vegetarians eventually give up and return to eating meat. A study by the National Institute of Health showed that only about 36 percent of alcoholics are able to achieve full recovery; the remainder relapse. And we all know how many people make New Year’s resolutions to exercise more often, but then stop going to the gym by February.

That’s the bad news. The good news, Cancerian, is that during the coming weeks you will possess an enhanced power to stick with any commitment you know is right and good for you. Take advantage!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are there two places on earth more different from each other than Europe and Africa?

Yet there is a place, the Strait of Gibralter, where Europe and Africa are just 8.7 miles apart. Russia and the United States are also profoundly unlike each other, but only 2.5 miles apart where the Bering Strait separates them. I foresee the a metaphorically comparable phenomenon in your life. Two situations or influences or perspectives that may seem to have little in common will turn out to be closer to each other than you imagined possible.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo basketball star Latrell Sprewell played professionally for 13 years.

He could have extended his career at least three more seasons, but he turned down an offer for $21 million from the Minnesota team, complaining that it wouldn’t be sufficient to feed his four children. I will ask you not to imitate his behavior, Virgo. If you’re offered a deal or opportunity that doesn’t perfectly meet all your requirements, don’t dismiss it out of hand. A bit of compromise is sensible right now.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1992, an Ethiopian man named Belachew Girma became an alcoholic after he saw his wife die from AIDS. And yet today he is renowned as a Laughter Master, having dedicated himself to explore the healing powers of ebullience and amusement. He presides over a school that teaches people the fine points of laughter and he holds the world’s record for longest continuous laughter at three hours and six minutes. I nominate him to be your role model in the next two weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will be especially primed to benefit from the healing power of laughter.

You’re likely to encounter more droll and whimsical and hilarious events than usual, and your sense of humor should be especially hearty and finely-tuned.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science suggests that people who use curse words tend to be more candid. “Swearing is often inappropriate but it can also be evidence that someone is telling you their honest opinion,” said the lead researcher. “Just as they aren’t filtering their language to be more palatable, they’re also not filtering their views.” If that’s true, Scorpio, I’m going to encourage you to curse more than usual in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, it’s crucial that you tell as much of the whole truth as is humanly possible. (P.S. Your cursing outbursts don’t necessarily have to be delivered with total abandon everywhere you go. You could accomplish a lot just by going into rooms by yourself and exuberantly allowing the expletives to roll out of your mouth.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the mid-1980s, a California carrot farmer grew frustrated with the fact that grocery stories didn’t want to buy his broken and oddly shaped carrots. A lot of his crop was going to waste. Then he got the bright idea to cut and shave the imperfect carrots so as to make smooth little baby carrots. They became a big success.

Can you think of a metaphorically comparable adjustment you could undertake, Sagittarius? Is it possible to transform a resource that’s partially going to waste? Might you be able to enhance your possibilities by making some simple modifications?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Mongolia is a huge landlocked country. It borders no oceans or seas.

Nevertheless, it has a navy of seven sailors. Its lone ship is a tugboat moored on Lake Khovsgol, which is three percent the size of North America’s Lake Superior. I’m offering up the Mongolian navy as an apt metaphor for you to draw inspiration from in the coming weeks. I believe it makes good astrological sense for you to launch a seemingly quixotic quest to assert your power, however modestly, in a situation that may seem out of your league.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “A freshness lives deep in me which no one can take from me,” wrote poet Swedish poet Gunnar Ekelöf. “Something unstilled, unstillable is within me; it wants to be voiced,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. In accordance with your astrological omens, I propose we make those two quotes your mottoes for the next four weeks. In my opinion, you have a mandate to tap into what’s freshest and most unstillable about you — and then cultivate it, celebrate it and express it with the full power of your grateful, brilliant joy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): According to the Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, the word “obsession” used to refer to the agitated state of a person who was besieged by rowdy or unruly spirits arriving from outside the person. “Possession,” on the other hand, once meant the agitated state of a person struggling against rowdy or unruly spirits arising from within. In the Western Christian perspective, both modes have been considered primarily negative and problematic. In many other cultures, however, spirits from both the inside and outside have sometimes been regarded as relatively benevolent and their effect quite positive. As long as you don’t buy into the Western Christian view, I suspect that the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to consort with spirits like those.

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edited by Will Shortz

No. 0109

37 & 38 Cocktail with lemon or lime 39 Center 40 Oppressive 42 Removable locks 43 What Gollum calls “my precious” 44 Number of suspects in Clue 45 J. Edgar Hoover’s org.

48 Parsley portion 51 J. Edgar Hoover used one: Abbr.

53 Formal letter opener 54 Source of the word “whiskey” 55 Close, as a community 57 Touch of color 58 Sounding like Big Ben 59 Many Punjabis 60 Quick cuts 1 2 3 4 5

6 Like the Cheshire cat 7 Entertaining, in a way 8 Sorts 9 Go gaga (over) 10 Spam holders 11 Not so hot 12 Reggae singer ___ Kamoze 14 With 3-Down, Nintendo exercise offering 15 Part of a guitar that also names something you can wear 21 Stand-___ 23 Instant 24 Possibilities 25 Static ___ 26 “It’s a joke” 27 Petty criticisms 28 Moxie 29 Oil machinery 30 “Oh, really?”

DOWN 31 Over, to Odette 39 Verb that’s Breathers?

32 “Show me your also a Roman worst!”

Unaffiliated voters: numeral Abbr.

35 Russian pancake 41 Otto who See 14-Down 36 Start of worked on the some evasive Item shot out of Manhattan maneuvering a cannon at an Project arena 38 Deliberate 42 Word before discourtesies Evade reach or reason

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