Mountain Xpress 02.22.17

OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 31 FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 31 FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

C O N T E NT S C ONTAC T US

PAGE 32 BRASS IN POCKET A successful Kickstarter campaign allowed Empire Strikes Brass — already well-known at festivals and parades — to record a pair of debut albums.

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10 KID LOGIC Universal preschool access could help next generation thrive

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O PINION

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

STA F F PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, Dan Hesse, Max Hunt CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin CLUBLAND EDITORS Abigail Griffin, Max Hunt

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Kids have right to protest

Practice what you preach

A 70-year-old toddler is throwing tantrums in the White House instead of creating jobs for the middle- and underclass folks who got him there. So-called grown-ups in both major political parties are cowering in Congress, afraid to stick up for their own self-professed ethics and morals lest they make less money from the taxpayer-funded trough.

One of our local career politicians has nothing better to do to serve his community than to go on TV and criticize parents who supported 10-year-old children when those kids asked to participate in the healthy civic activity of public peaceful demonstration. Whether you or I voted for Trump or not, these kids have a right to speak their own truth to power, and if you don’t like that, then go live in some other country where free speech is against the law.

When I was 10 years old, my mother went with me to tear down Ku Klux Klan rally posters to protest injustices in my community. Yeah, we got death threats from those cowards who were scared to show their faces, but so what? It helped me grow a stronger spine. More power to these 10-year-old protest organizers.

They show more guts and honesty than a lot of grown-ups I hear whining about — and doing little about — the state of American democracy.

— Tom Kerr Alexander

In Asheville, we preach love, tolerance and an open mind. It is all very noble and high-minded. But our actions are anything but — that’s the definition of hypocrisy. Ever since the election, many have demonstrated and spoken out against our new government. When questioned, hyperbole, rhetoric, propaganda and even fake news are often used as justification.

Many don’t even know the facts.

If a friend, co-worker or neighbor shows support or even an open mind toward the president, he or she is ridiculed, cursed, derided, even smeared.

Does that show love, tolerance or an open mind? It appears more like hatred, intolerance and a closed mind, and is not very becoming.

In President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, he said, “Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.” Good advice. As a veteran and patriot, I used this quote from the same speech in my service: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.”

I say that we should love our neighbor, tolerate a difference of opinion, and give him (Trump) a chance. We might all be surprised by the result.

— Tim Hartigan

Asheville

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O P I NI O N

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

Groups cooperate to help kids read We at Read to Succeed Asheville and the Literacy Council of Buncombe County welcome an ongoing conversation about the achievement gap. This disturbing and repressive characteristic of school systems is marked by disparity in children’s educational performance based on their socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, native language and other factors. Thank you, [Blair] Fielding, for your voluntarism and your response [“Augustine Project Also Helps Young Readers,” Feb. 1, Xpress] to the Jan. 11 [Xpress] article, “Closing Asheville’s Achievement Gap.” Our two organizations enjoy a cooperative relationship that continues to grow and evolve. One important element of our partnership is crossreferring students so that children who struggle to read receive the best service possible for their unique needs.

The passionate and well-trained volunteer tutors at the Literacy Council’s Augustine Project and R2S fill a critical need within our community. They help students overcome barriers to educational success, building the child’s confidence alongside their reading, writing and spelling skills. These outcomes are truly life-altering.

An important correction: R2S seeks to serve students of color who live in poverty and are on the losing side of the achievement gap. About 60 percent of participants live in Asheville’s subsidized housing, and the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville is a longtime supporter of R2S. Subsidized housing residence is not a requirement for participation in the program.

Both organizations welcome qualified volunteers who wish to train to be tutors.

Please contact the Literacy Council at 828-254-3442 and Read To Succeed at 828-747-2277 for more information.

— Ashley Lasher Director, Literacy Council of Buncombe County

— Pat Bastian Director, Read to Succeed Asheville

We want to hear from you!

Please send your letters to: Editor, Mountain Xpress, 2 Wall St., Asheville, NC 28801 or by email to letters@mountainx.com.

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A polite way to put it: Xpress issues civility challenge Do rude comments on articles and letters posted on the Mountain Xpress website deter greater participation among our readers? That’s the sense among staffers who follow these online exchanges.

That’s why we’re challenging our readers to strive for more civil, respectful discourse in the online comments on our site. To be sure, discourteous comments are not a new phenomenon or one limited to Xpress. Other news organizations have struggled with the same issue — some of them eliminating online comments altogether, shunting them to Facebook or otherwise limiting the discussion.

Here at Xpress, however, we still see value in providing this platform for the public to discuss the issues we face as a community. In fact, an essential part of Xpress’ mission is to strengthen democracy by promoting thoughtful dialogue.

It’s a balancing act, to be sure, since readers often express strong — and varied — opinions on a number of

Law needed for trash problem It warms my heart to have read the two recent letter submissions from Michael Harney [“Welcome to TrAsheville?” Jan. 18, Xpress] and Carol and Michael More [“Trash Into Cash,” Feb. 1, Xpress] on the amount of trash that litters our streets. I hope this creates the needed momentum to address this issue so one day we can live in a cleaner community.

Commuting by bicycle to work gives me an unflattering view of the roadside, sidewalks and adjacent properties. It’s frustrating to watch as the litter continuously gathers, creating an unsightly mess. I have attempted on numerous occasions to reach out to the city, county and state governments with disappointing results.

My visceral reaction to this problem causes me to spend a lot of free time picking up trash in my neighborhood.

I feel the best solution is for the city, county or state government to impose and enforce a law on property, home and business owners to routinely clean up around their property, including the sidewalk and street. While it would be better if participation was voluntary, there doesn’t seem to be too many citi-

topics. But we want to encourage folks to express those views civilly and respectfully, in a way that fosters greater participation and propels the conversation forward.

Xpress already has a policy [http:// mountainx.com/terms/] in place defining what is impermissible on the site, including personal attacks, inflammatory and off-topic remarks, and libelous comments. We also have a system to address those issues by deleting problematic comments, moving commenters to moderation and — as a last resort — banning particular accounts.

Effective immediately, Xpress editors intend to firmly enforce those rules to maintain the spirit of civil, respectful discourse. As a reminder, you’ll notice a new message at the bottom of online articles and letters to reinforce that point.

Are Xpress readers up to the civility challenge? We certainly think so.

As always, please let us know your thoughts. Politely, of course. X

zens clamoring for a solution to the problem, and so a legal requirement seems necessary.

— Jay Reese

Arden

Why #DeleteUber gets it wrong After the Trump administration’s recent decision to restrict immigration from seven largely Muslim nations, New York City taxicab drivers entered into a work stoppage at JFK airport, creating enormous demand for Uber drivers. Uber responded by eliminating their surge prices, which ultimately broke the taxicab drivers’ strike and increased Uber’s ridership and revenues at the expense of the protesters. As a result, those that supported the drivers advocated [that] Uber users delete their accounts. And tons of people did, downloading Uber’s competitor Lyft instead (which came to Asheville this past December).

As the founder of Cab Hound, an Asheville-based software business focused on helping taxicab companies and drivers adapt to the changing transportation climate, I admire the #DeleteUber movement, as I’m well aware that the wide adoption of Uber has had a negative impact on the

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N taxicab industry, here and around the country. But downloading Lyft isn’t the fix.

Consider this: Historically, becoming a taxicab driver was a great way for many people to provide for their families. In the past, taxicab drivers made a bargain with their cities. They agreed to be strictly regulated (fingerprinting, background checks, pricing restrictions), and in return, they had a monopoly. Today, cities aren’t enforcing that monopoly. And drivers’ most profitable trips are largely skimmed off by Uber and Lyft. What was once

a solid path to the middle class has been destroyed in the name of lower prices.

In other words, the #DeleteUber movement — and its Lyft “solution” — is misguided at best. It seemed for a moment to reflect the nation’s solidarity with the people impacted by the new gig economy, which undermines their livelihood. But only for a moment. ...

— George Wheeler

President and founder

Cab Hound

Candler

Xpress seeks freelance writers Mountain Xpress is seeking experienced contributing writers for its arts and entertainment section. Knowledge of the local arts scene is required (including visual arts, craft, music, dance, theater, fringe art and more). Stories range from features and profiles to event previews, Q&As, reviews and featurettes.

The writer must be comfortable interviewing a diverse range of people, turning in clean copy and meeting deadlines.

Knowledge of Associated Press style is helpful, as is availability after-hours and on weekends. Send cover letter, resume and links to at least three published, artsrelated clips to writers@mountainx.com.

We are also looking for experienced news reporters to cover local issues and meetings, including local government and politics, the envi­ronment, community activism, edu­cation, business, law enforcement and cultural debates. Must be able to cover complex and controversial topics, rep­resent the perspectives of all sides and engage active, knowledgeable readers.

Must have experience in news writing, be famil­iar with AP style, write clean copy, get the details right and meet deadlines.

Photography skills are a plus. Must have knowl­edge of Asheville and WNC. Send cover letter, resume and clips/links to writers@mountainx.com.

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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O P I NI O N

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

The Gospel According to Jerry Ragtime and ruin

BY JERRY STERNBERG Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles offering a virtual tour of the riverfront as it has evolved over time. The first three installments were “The Birth of Asheville’s Industrial Riverfront,” “The Ballad of Old King Coal” and “Insurrection in the Kingdom.”

And in the ’20s, the trains kept roaring through, still delivering mountains of coal to feed the generating plant and the many manufacturers who hadn’t converted to the new energy sources. The trains were also loaded with significant quantities of raw materials as well as the finished goods produced by our booming industries.

And along with the ever-increasing numbers of newfangled chariots, JERRY STERNBERG the trains transported the thousands of tourists and new residents who flocked to this mountain paradise.

They came for our climate and scenic beauty but didn’t play in the rivers, which were known to be befouled.

The Music Man came to River City, accompanied by the Boomtown Band. His fellow musicians Euphoria, Greed and Speculation played a tune that the populace loved to dance to.

For a decade, this chorus was loudly reprised throughout the land. The factories hummed, and the youngsters from the farms and rural areas came to labor in them, seeking a better wage and a more sophisticated way of life.

Land values went sky high, and huge inns were built to accommodate the visitors. The kingdom was awash in gold, and ornate schools and offices were being built at a record pace with the help of the money-changers and the naive municipal bond buyers.

What could possibly go wrong?

Then an evil, fire-breathing dragon named Depression swept through the nation and the kingdom, and his thunderous roar drowned out the music. The Music Man

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and the Boomtown Band fled the scene to avoid the indignity of being ridden out of town on a rail.

Depression left a dirge in his wake that was chanted by Poverty, Hunger and Despair. The population was bewildered, and the sense of helplessness was overwhelming.

Many of the factories along the river closed forever, and those that survived used a much-reduced labor force. The great money-changing houses collapsed, and it was hard to satisfy even basic needs.

The kingdom itself paid the price, as its credit was destroyed. The bondholders could not be paid as promised, and the schoolteachers were paid in IOUs called “scrip.”

The poor multiplied exponentially; bread lines and soup kitchens were not uncommon, as well as beggars seeking alms. The farmers took a huge hit, and many lost their land because they couldn’t sell their crops at sustainable prices.

In the midst of this chaos, a new prince came on the scene, supported by the struggling farmers who sought and received government protection on his behalf.

His name was Tobacco, and though he later turned out to be evil and insidious, he received a hero’s welcome: He and his handmaiden, Niko Tine, were worshipped throughout the land.

This prince was a descendant of a chief of the “Indians,” a redskinned people who occupied the land before the white-skinned people came and did battle with them, stole their lands and put them in segregated camps called “reservations.” Long before, the Indians had discovered this pungent weed and devised an instrument called a “pipe” in which the weed was burned while the user sucked in the smoke and tasted the bliss provided by the seductress Niko Tine.

The white-skinned people, meanwhile, figured out other ways to get those benefits, such as grinding the weed into a powder called “snuff,” which they stuffed up their nose or put on their gums. Or else they

chopped up the weed and chewed it. One way or another, Niko Tine always delivered her spell.

Then a new wizardry created a novel and very efficient delivery system called the “cigarette” that was an overnight success. The shredded leaves were rolled into a piece of paper, and then — would you believe it? — users would put one end in their mouth and set the other end on fire.

The farmers who cultivated this valuable plant endured great risk and heavy labor to supply it to the populace. Unfortunately, it was overproduced and so did not reward the farmer for his tremendous effort.

Because of the plant’s popularity, however, the great national empire devised a plan that prescribed the amount of acreage each farmer could devote to this crop, called an “allotment.” In exchange, the plan guaranteed a floor price that would adequately reward the farmer for his work.

This new policy had a major effect on the landscape of the river community. An imperial mandate commanded the disciples to build cavernous, shabby metal shrines to Prince Tobacco called “warehouses.” They were erected in the river zone because it offered cheap, flat land with easy access.

During November and December, the entire floor space of these massive structures was covered with bales of orange-brown leaves. One could hear the loud incantations intoned by clerics known as “auctioneers.” The merchants who bought the product transported it to the East, where it was transformed into cigarettes.

The atmosphere was festive, as a huge amount of precious coin was distributed to the worshippers; this translated into great commerce for the river kingdom’s financially beleaguered merchants.

Treated with great reverence, this miraculous plant seemed to be the very elixir of life. Yet, in truth, it turned out to be a silent and addictive assassin, killing millions of subjects throughout the land.

Next time: more about all these dynasties and the post-crash era. X Asheville native Jerry Sternberg, a longtime observer of the local scene, can be reached at gospeljerry@aol.com.

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NEWS

KID LOGIC

Universal preschool access could help next generation thrive

BY DAN HESSE dhesse@mountainx.com A diverse group of influential local stakeholders is pushing for universal access to preschool in Buncombe County. Styling themselves the Asheville Buncombe Preschool Planning Collaborative, the members aim to make quality preschool accessible to all county residents. The group includes representatives of the Asheville City Schools, the Buncombe County Schools, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, Mission Health, A-B Tech and Asheville City Council, among others.

Proponents say preschool gives children long-term educational, health, economic and other advantages that outweigh the considerable cost, and an extensive body of research supports those claims.

But fully realizing this ambitious goal will take time and carry a substantial price tag (see sidebar, “Basic Arithmetic”).

Accordingly, the group expects to tackle the problem in stages. The first step, which the collaborative hopes to begin implementing next year, is targeting 3- and 4-yearolds from families that face barriers to accessing preschool. The group envisions a public-private funding model and stresses building on existing preschool infrastructure as well as creating new opportunities.

Money aside, the goal doesn’t seem all that controversial, but it’s too soon to tell how much financial support may be forthcoming. And though one county commissioner views the proposal as a way to make good on a campaign promise, another wants to see data before signing any checks. Even the project’s most enthusiastic supporters concede that both financially and logistically, the obstacles to achieving this ambitious goal are formidable — and to realize its full potential, the broader community will have to pony up.

EAGER TO START EARLY: Citing research that shows early education bolsters a child’s chance for success, plus touting preschool’s ability to act as child care for working parents, supporters of the effort to make preschool universally accessible look to garner community support.

Photo courtesy of Amber Greene Photography

RETURN ON INVESTMENT Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara won her District 1 seat with a platform that was heavy on promises to help impoverished children. “In 10

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Buncombe County, we’ve got about one in four kids living in poverty, and preschool is a very concrete way to break that cycle,” she says. “It’s been tested and studied, and it helps kids, especially those from at-risk backgrounds. It helps them enter the educational system with stronger skills and helps with academic achievement over the years.”

In fact, she maintains, preschool actually saves money in the long run, providing “an 8 to 13 percent return on investment. Basically, kids are doing better over the course of their young and adult years, so less public funding is required to support other public programs they might need if they continued to be at risk.”

Commissioner Joe Belcher, however, is taking a tempered approach.

“I have not been presented with costs associated with the program,” he notes, “and until I see that, I’m not going to be able to make a decision.”

Still, Belcher recognizes the initiative’s potential, saying, “Not all of my kids attended preschool, but I think there are clear advantages to it.”

To Greg Borom, the director of advocacy for the Asheville-based Children First/Communities in Schools, “Investments in early childhood are truly investments. You’ve got to put the money in upfront to see the returns down the road.”

Children First is a partner in the collaborative, and Borom believes the county has both the desire and the existing infrastructure needed to move toward universal preschool access. “There’s a wide awareness across our community about the importance of early childhood investment,” he says. “Folks with young children are very attuned to the issues we have around access and affordability.”

Rachael Nygaard, Buncombe County’s human services planner, is

equally enthusiastic. “We know it works: It’s effective,” she says, and the county “is 100 percent on board” with the idea.

Nygaard, who’s also part of the collaborative, says, “We see the need at several levels. Access to preschool programs is limited right now, based on availability as well as affordability, and this puts an extra strain on at-risk families. Kids that go through preschool programs go on to have more educational success, higher earnings, are less likely to rely on government assistance and have better math, reading, social and emotional skills.”

Dawn Meskil, preschool director for the Asheville City Schools, sounds a similar note. “There’s a compelling research base that supports the link between high-quality early learning opportunities and improved health, socio-emotional and educational outcomes for all children, particularly

ees’ absenteeism and productivity.

I’ve heard HR directors speak about the difficulty of recruiting young professionals to the region because of lack of affordable housing and access to child care.”

Furthermore, says Cramer, “I continue to hear the same complaints from employers about job applicants, largely around soft skills. I think investment in preschool, and even earlier in child care, may be a missing link to employability in the long run,” she says. “The brain research that’s been done on how babies develop is compelling: There’s a connection between what brain paths they develop and their soft skills later in life.”

AN INCREMENTAL APPROACH

OBSTACLE COURSE: The Asheville Buncombe Preschool Planning Collaborative aims to incrementally make preschool more accessible to Buncombe County residents. However, cost and finding enough qualified educators could present barriers to the plan. Photo courtesy of Amber Greene Photography those exposed to a variety of risk factors.” The city system, she continues, “is committed to ensuring access to these opportunities for all children, and we believe this can only be achieved through community collaboration and partnership. We want all children to arrive for kindergarten ready and excited to learn, whether they participate in our program or another option.”

The city schools have their own preschool program, says Meskil, but “we know we don’t reach all early learners in our district, and expanding access to early learning opportunities is one of our strategic plan priorities. We believe a countywide initiative will benefit our incoming students as well as the entire community.”

EMPLOYMENT BARRIERS Child care is expensive. Last year, the average per child cost in North Carolina was $9,254, according to Child Care Aware of America, a national nonprofit based in Arlington, Va. By comparison, tuition at North Carolina’s public colleges and universities averaged $6,583 for

The Preschool Planning Collaborative grew out of a 2015 discussion among a group of early childhood professionals, says Amy Barry, executive director of the Buncombe Partnership for Children. “We want to make sure we understand what families’ real needs are: what their barriers have been in the past and

what kind of plan would successfully support their needs,” says Barry, who serves on the collaborative’s steering committee.

In searching for a template, she explains, they found Pre4Cle, a community-based plan that created an additional 1,215 preschool slots in Cleveland during the 2014-15 school year, according to its 2015 annual report. The Asheville group invited Pre4Cle representatives to visit here and share the fruits of their experience.

Following the Ohio organization’s lead, Barry says her group is “looking at the types of care that already exist: vouchers, the NC Pre-K program, Head Start and families that are paying for private child care. We want a system to integrate all those public and private providers so that families have choice.”

Betsey Russell, who helped lay the groundwork during Pre4Cle’s early days, subsequently moved to Asheville and is now a member of the collaborative. And though both organizations have similar goals, there are also significant differ-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

the 2015-16 academic year, according to data from the website collegetuitioncompare.com.

The high cost of child care falls particularly heavily on people with limited means. A single parent with one child, notes the website, may spend 40 percent of her or his income on infant child care.

“Lack of quality child care is a barrier to employment,” notes Kit Cramer, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce and a member of the collaborative. “When a parent knows their child is well-cared for, they’re more focused and productive on the job. I know that from firsthand experience: It was one of the biggest stressors for me as a working mom.”

Small-business owner and collaborative member Jennie Eblen agrees that universal preschool would bolster the local workforce. Businesses, she says, understand that “employee productivity is essential for success.

Yet I’m not sure the majority of business leadership is aware of the huge challenge employees with young children have in patchworking together child care.” And that issue, she continues, “directly affects their employMOUNTAINX.COM

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NEWS ences, she points out. “Cleveland’s planning process was different than ours, because it was part of a larger city plan to improve education. The pre-K planners started out with a mandate, an initial funding stream and a deadline, so they completed their work in 90 days.”

The initial funding, notes Russell, “came, in part, from a local tax levy that Cleveland voters approved for school improvements, including preK.” The system now relies on a mix of federal, state, local and private dollars.

Those differences, says Barry, mean the Asheville project will have to proceed incrementally. “We’ve got to be realistic about the cost and the environment a provider has to offer,” she says. Accordingly, the goal is to start with kids ages 3 and older.

Many 5-year-olds, however, already attend kindergarten, and others are enrolled in a preschool.

MILLION-DOLLAR QUESTION What all this would cost is still unclear, says Barry, but no one believes it will come cheaply. “Once we get the plan, we need to look at financing options. This would cost big money, and we see it as something that would be phased in over time,” she explains. “In Philadelphia, they used a sweetened beverage tax. There’s a range of options, whether it’s a hotel room tax or social impact bonds.”

Funding, concedes Cramer, “looks to be a big obstacle, and I understand there will be some polling of the public to see what might work or be agreeable. But it really depends on how many slots are funded, who is targeted for those slots and how they are targeted. I fully expect that any proposal will be a compromise on the ideal, because it’s expensive.”

Meanwhile, she points out, there are also lots of other projects seeking financial support. “There is always plenty of competition for funding, both public and private. And because the issue is expensive and complicated, there’ll be plenty of questions to be asked.”

Beach-Ferrara also thinks the initiative will need multiple funding streams. “In communities around the country that have made real strides,” she says, “the funding strategies that work best include public dollars and also high levels of engagement from the nonprofit sector, faith-based communities and, potentially, from the business sector.”

Further complicating matters, says Meskil, is the fact that the current system is already underfunded and overburdened. “So we are mindful about building this initiative sustainably and with assurances that the model is grounded in evidence-based practices and design.”

The N.C. Early Childhood Foundation hosts workshops that teach strategies for building community and financial support. In the Tar Heel State, “Local financing for preschool is in its infancy,” notes Executive Director Tracy Zimmerman. “I think we’ll see a lot of action here in the coming years as local communities drive innovation,” she predicts, adding that representatives of more than 20 communities across the state have attended her organization’s workshops in the last few years.

Still, Zimmerman says she’s hopeful. “There is tremendous support across the state to expand early childhood investments. A strong majority of Republicans, independents and Democrats want more investment in early learning,” she reports. In a 2014 poll of North Carolina voters, the Early Childhood Foundation found that 92 percent of respondents who identified as Democrats, 87 per-

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cent of independents and 70 percent of Republicans said they favored expanding state-funded early childhood education programs.

But Belcher, a Republican, has some reservations about where to find the money. “At this point, I would not want a referendum,” says the county commisioner. “I would not be afraid of seeking out funding at the state and federal level: That would be the first place I’d go. I’m not a fan of referendums.”

WORKFORCE WOES There’s more than one dimension to the money question, however. Even if the project were fully funded, expanding preschool offerings means hiring more staff — and qualified preschool teachers aren’t easy to find, says Anna Carter of the Child Care Services Association. “We certainly hear the concerns about being able to meet the demand of having a qualified

Basic arithmetic In Buncombe County last year, there were 5,292 children ages 3 to 5, meaning they were eligible for preschool, according to the N.C. Office of State Budget and Management. Of those, 2,729 (52 percent) attended a licensed institution, leaving 2,563 kids in the collaborative’s target demographic.

NC Pre-K, a state-funded program for 4-year-olds, sets a maximum class size of 18 children, with at least two staffers (a lead teacher and an assistant). Other providers may have higher or lower teacherto-child ratios, but the state program’s standards provide a reasonable starting point for cost projections.

By that measure, Buncombe County would need an additional 142 classrooms to meet the demand, requiring at least 284 more teachers and assistants. At the average wages for early childhood teachers in Western North Carolina, those additional staff alone would cost nearly $7 million per year. That, of course, doesn’t include the many other investments and maintenance costs the project would entail — nor, for that matter, the amount that parents would pay to offset those costs.

To get a read on teacher availability, Xpress checked in with local community colleges. In the 2015-16 academic year, A-B Tech had 109 students enrolled in its early childhood education program; the previous year, there were 87. Over the last five academic years, program enrollment has averaged about 89 students annually.

Blue Ridge Community College, meanwhile, has 70 students in its early childhood education track. Other programs in neighboring counties might also be a source of additional teachers.

Every school in the state’s community college system offers coursework or degrees in early childhood education, notes Jennifer Bosworth, the chair of A-B Tech’s early childhood department.

And though low wages do hinder recruitment efforts, she says, that’s not necessarily a deal breaker for her students.

“Salaries are not what draw people to the field,” Bosworth explains. “Passion and a desire to serve and teach young children is the draw.” Nonetheless, she continues, “It’s important that compensation be enough to support a living wage in this region, which is a challenge in many professions here.”

Magical Offerings

teaching workforce,” says Carter, who is president of the Durhambased nonprofit. “We’ve seen declining enrollment in early childhood degree programs at most community colleges across the state.”

The biggest factor, Carter maintains, “is that early childhood educators aren’t compensated at a level that’s commensurate with their knowledge, skills and competencies.” Statewide, a 2015 study by her organization found, early childhood teachers averaged $10.97 an hour, and assistants made just $9.97. But the 12 westernmost counties (including Buncombe) fared better: Teachers averaged $13.12 and assistants made $10.25, the highest averages in the state.

Nonetheless, says Barry, compensation is still a major issue in a state where 39 percent of early educators qualified for public assistance in 2015. “We are currently struggling to find qualified early educators to fill positions; this is an issue statewide, but we’re feeling it acutely in Buncombe County. Many don’t see early childhood education as a viable career because of the low wages, which makes it difficult to recruit people to enter the field.” In addi-

tion, she explains, “Low wages for critically important but demanding and stressful work means that it’s hard to retain educators.”

It’s an extremely difficult balancing act, however. “This is not to fault child care employers,” stresses Barry.

“They cannot charge rates that are so high that they price parents out, with so many parents already struggling to pay private rates. Parent fees are private child care providers’ main source of income.”

PULLING THE TRIGGER Despite all these challenges, other communities have managed to incrementally and intentionally implement universal preschool, collaborative members point out. And that fact, coupled with the influential organizations that are passionate about the project, could ultimately tip the balance. To get things rolling, the collaborative hopes to release a first draft of its intentions sometime in May. “It starts as a moral mandate,” Beach-Ferrara asserts. “How do we make sure every kid born in Buncombe County has a chance to thrive?”

But Belcher, her colleague on the Board of Commissioners, isn’t ready to commit. “They’ll have to … present the advantages and costs associated with it,” he says. “If this allows families to stay at work and allow their kids to have exposure to early education, I think that part will be good.

But we’ll have to weigh the costs.”

Borom, meanwhile, believes the project could become a calling card for the area. “To me, Buncombe County becomes a place where children in the preschool range have a multitude of options,” says the Children First staffer. “I’ve got big dreams. Hopefully, Buncombe County becomes even more child- and family-friendly, part of a multitude of efforts that make Buncombe County a great place to be — and raise — a child.”

Specifically, says Barry, “Maybe August 2018 we begin small-scale, concrete expansion and try to rev up from there. We know how critical it is for kids to get the right start. We know what it takes, how to do it. We just have to get the public will behind it and actually do it.” X

Feb. 23: Tarot Reader: Becky, 12-6pm Feb. 24: Psychic: Andrea Allen, 12-6pm Feb. 25: Intro to Sif: w/ Angie, 1-2pm, $10 Intro to Sigil Crafting: w/ Edward, 3-5pm, $25 Feb. 26: NEW MOON Johrei Workshop: w/ Bobbi Oshun, 5-6pm Mar. 4: 15° Pisces: An Astrology Workshop Hosted by Cumulus 12-2pm, Sliding Scale $5-$30 Mar. 5: The Poison Plants: w/ Becky Beyer 4-6pm, $5-$20 Cash Donation

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LENOIR-RHYNE ASHEVILLE PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES: DIPLOMACY AND MEDIA IN A CHAOTIC WORLD PRESENTED BY DR. LIZ COLTON, EMMY-AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST AND FORMER U.S. DIPLOMAT IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2/27 Hot-Spots in Diplomacy, Politics & News 3/27 Beyond the Headlines 4/24 Navigating Flash Points of Foreign Policy 5/22 “Glocal Diplomacy” – Asheville in the World DOORS OPEN EACH NIGHT AT 5PM AND LECTURES START AT 5:30PM. RSVP REQUIRED. CALL 828.407.4263 OR GO TO ASHEVILLE.LR.EDU. 36 MONTFORD AVE., DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

13

B U N C O M B E B E AT

NEWS

City Council tightens zoning rules Developers to face greater scrutiny on hotels, big buildings downtown

BY VIRGINIA DAFFRON vdaffron@mountainx.com The people of Asheville gained more power over development in the city with a pair of unanimous votes of City Council on Feb. 14. In the works for over a year, the two votes enacted changes that will bring more projects — and especially more hotels — to Council for review, as well as providing community members with more notification of proposed projects and increased opportunities to weigh in on the plans.

Council member Cecil Bothwell said he believes voters expect their representatives to exert some control over development. “I think we are elected to oversee what goes on in the city, and I think people believe we have approved every hotel

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MOUNTAINX.COM

that’s been built here. The truth is we haven’t,” Bothwell explained. The City Council chamber, he continued, is a much more public venue for discussing large projects than the Planning & Zoning Commission, which until last night’s vote approved most downtown projects up to 175,000 square feet or 145 tall.

The Planning & Zoning Commission voted on Feb. 3 to recommend that City Council deny the proposed changes.

Saying she supported changing the size of the projects Council reviews — “That really makes sense to me” — Council member Julie Mayfield added that she was “torn on the hotel piece.”

The changes require Council review for any hotel over 20 rooms anywhere in the city.

“The public sentiment about hotels is part of a much larger picture that

includes bigger concerns about tourism, wages, occupancy taxes, traffic and affordability of our city, and the changes that we make tonight I think are going to do very little to address that,” Mayfield said. She proposed increasing the size of the hotels Council would review to those with 50 rooms or more.

When Mayor Esther Manheimer asked for a second to Mayfield’s motion, the response from other Council members was, as Mayfield noted, “Crickets.” Mayfield said she thinks Council inadvertently risks aggravating problems like traffic and parking by pushing hotel development outside the city limits.

Bothwell pointed out that bringing more projects before Council for review doesn’t necessarily mean that fewer projects will be built. “We’re not going to be turning down projects left and

right because they come to City Council. We’re going to have longer Council meetings,” he said.

Council member Gordon Smith reiterated his request from last year to the tourism industry, as represented by the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, to collaborate with city and county government on a comprehensive study of the impacts of tourism. The study would examine issues like wages, parking, the cultural impacts of tourism, how much money remains in and leaves the community and the impact of tourism on crime and policing, he said. Smith framed the conversations that need to happen in terms of “community benefit,” saying that Council encourages investment in the city as long as the investments have an overall positive effect on the community.

Downtown Commission member and Realtor Byron Greiner commented that his group supports the expanded public notification requirements included within the zoning changes. He said the commission believes it’s important for developers to know what Council is looking for before they go to the expense of designing and proposing a new project. The Downtown Commission voted last year in support of maintaining the previous development review standards.

Timothy Sadler asked Council to require renewable energy, such as solar power generation, in new hotel projects.

But Bothwell explained that state law prevents Council from spelling out specific expectations around things like wages or renewable energy. He said Council will have to use “moral suasion” to encourage developers to include those components in building projects.

WNC Green Party Co-Chair Camille McCarthy said her group is concerned about gentrification in Asheville and the low wages common in the hotel industry. People don’t want to see Asheville become like Venice, Italy, she said, which has 60,000 daily visitors and last year saw 1,000 young residents permanently leave the city.

Council member Brian Haynes, who won a seat on Council in

CHECKING INNS: Under new rules passed Feb. 14, proposals for all hotels larger than 20 rooms anywhere in the city will be reviewed by City Council. Shown here, the 12-story Cambria Hotel under construction on Page and Battery Park avenues. Photo by Virginia Daffron 2015, said he’s been waiting a long time to vote in favor of the changes.

Bothwell said he believes the changes will lead to better projects in

Asheville. “I think it’s going to improve development and the sense of the people in the city that they had a say in it,” he said. X

Coming up in government WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22 Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority, 9 a.m.

Chamber of Commerce boardroom, 36 Montford Ave.

Public Safety Committee, 3:30 p.m.

Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza Fourth-floor training room Neighborhood Advisory Committee, 6:30 p.m.

161 S. Charlotte St. Public Works conference room

THURSDAY, FEB. 23 Plan on a Page workshop, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

U.S. Cellular Center, 87 Haywood St. MONDAY, FEB. 27 Board of Adjustment, 2 p.m.

Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza First-floor conference room

TUESDAY, FEB. 28 Finance Committee, 3:30 p.m.

Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza First-floor conference room

hello arden!

City Council formal meeting, 5 p.m.

Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza Council Chamber, second floor Meeting dates and times are subject to change. Please consult the online calendar at ashevillenc.gov. X

B UN C O MB E B E AT H Q To read all of Mountain Xpress’ coverage of city and county news, visit Buncombe Beat online at avl.mx/3b5. You’ll find detailed recaps of government meetings the day after they happen, along with previews, in-depth stories and key information to help you stay on top of the latest city and county news. X

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ST OF

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MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

15

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

By Kat McReynolds | kmcreynolds@mountainx.com

WNC Solidarity Concert Series

COM M U N I TY CA LEN DA R SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM HIKES 669-9566, swannanoavalleymuseum.org • TH (3/2), 6:30pm - Informational meeting regarding the Swannanoa Valley Museum hiking programs.

Free to attend. Held at Swannanoa Valley Museum, 223 W State St., Black Mountain

PARENTING FRANKLIN SCHOOL OF INNOVATION 21 Innovation Drive, 318-8140, franklinschoolofinnovation.org • TH (2/23), 5:30-7:30pm - Information session and tour for prospective students. Free to attend.

SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St., Asheville • WE (2/22), 1-3pm - "Grand Day Out," grandparents can bring children to participate in games and crafts with other families. Free/$1 per child.

THE GREATER ASHEVILLE AREA PUBLIC SCHOOL FAIR • SA (2/25), 9-11am - "The Greater Asheville Area Public School Fair," informational event to learn about public educational opportunites in the Asheville area. Free. Held at Lenoir Rhyne Center for Graduate Studies, 36 Montford Ave.

PUBLIC LECTURES

POSITIVE VIBES: Jason DeCristofaro, pictured, will perform on the vibraphone at the next iteration of his benefit concert series, which also features pianist Richard Shulman, guitarist Dan Keller, bassist Cameron Austin and drummer Rick Dilling. Photo by Frank Zipperer WHAT: A concert series benefiting multiple nonprofits, including the Center for Honeybee Research WHERE: The BLOCK Off Biltmore WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 26, from 3-5 p.m. (additional dates through December) WHY: Individuals of varying professional backgrounds have stepped up to organize one-off community events that address the White House’s shifting priorities under President Donald Trump.

But musician and educator Jason DeCristofaro has planned 12 fundraisers for 2017.

“By doing something once a month, it becomes a tradition where people come together for a specific cause,” he reasons. “Part of [the goal] is to maintain a mission of solidarity throughout the year.”

An educator at both Warren Wilson College and A-B Tech, DeCristofaro called upon his network of professional musicians, booking two acts per night for a dozen shows — each of which falls on the last Sunday of the month and utilizes donated space at The BLOCK Off Biltmore.

“I presented the 12 nonprofits that were selected to receive support, and I asked the musicians: ‘Which cause speaks the most to you?’” he says, not-

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

ing his focus on organizations concerned with the environment and marginalized groups. Acts like Rhoda Weaver Band, Chuck Lichtenberger Quartet, Drayton Aldridge and Jonathan Pearlman Quartet joined the cause and were assigned to beneficiaries, including the NAACP, Our VOICE, Dogwood Alliance, WNC Green Building Council, Planned Parenthood, Helpmate and Homeward Bound.

Representatives from the nonprofits will have a chance to speak about their mission, community initiatives and supporter involvement between sets.

At the series’ forthcoming second iteration, opener Richard Shulman Quartet and headliner Dan Keller Quartet will perform in support of the Center for Honeybee Research, which has a fourpart mission: increasing education on the importance of bees; researching honeybees and the challenges to their existence; serving as an information and communications hub; and establishing a laboratory to analyze bee health and environments.

Each WNC Solidarity Concert Series event has a minimum $10 donation at the door, all of which goes to the night’s beneficiary. Visit facebook.com/wncsolidarityconcertseries for more information. X

ASHEVILLE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 254-7162, colburnmuseum.org • FR (2/24), 5:30pm - Beer City Science Pub: "Out of Africa I: The Story of Homo Erectus," reception and presentation by Dr. Don Lewis. Free to attend. Held at The Collider, 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 PUBLIC LECTURES AT BREVARD COLLEGE 884-8251, raintrlh@brevard.edu • WE (2/22), 3:30pm - Great Decisions Lecture Series: "Nuclear Security," lecture by Major General Richard Devereaux, former U.S. Air Force director of operational planning, policy and strategy. $10. Held in McLarty-Goodson Room 125.

• WE (3/1), 3:30pm - "Saudi Arabia in Transition," presentation by Dr. Larry Wilson, former vice chancellor and provost at UNC Asheville. Free. Held in McLarty-Goodson Room 125 PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • TU (2/28), 7:30pm - Great Decisions Lecture Series: “Saudi Arabia in Transition,” presentation by Larry Wilson, former vice chancellor and provost at UNC Asheville. $10. Held in the Reuter Center • TH (3/2), 7pm - "Media and Politics in the Posttruth Era," panel discussion. Free. Held in the Humanities Lecture Hall

SENIORS SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR SENIORS (PD.) • Companionship and respite care • Accompaniment to appointments • Monitoring and family liaison • Meal preparation • Nursing home visits • Housesitting • Consultation and Mentoring • Conscious Aging Workshops. Evalina Everidge, RN (828) 577-7841. SeasonedPathways.com COUNCIL ON AGING OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY, INC. 277-8288, coabc.org

by Abigail Griffin

• TU (2/28), 2-4pm - "Medicare Choices Made Easy," workshop. Registration required. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community Health Services, 2579 Chimney Rock Road, Hendersonville SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St., Asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 1:30-4pm - "Bid Whist," card players club. Free.

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

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

• THURSDAYS, 1-2pm - Contemporary line dancing class. Join anytime. $5 per class.

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

ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY TALK (PD.) Deep within everyone is a wellspring of peace, energy and happiness. With proper instruction anyone can effortlessly transcend the busy or agitated mind and directly experience that rejuvenating inner source. Learn how TM is different from mindfulness, watching your breath, common mantra meditation and everything else. NIH-sponsored research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened well-being. Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut. 828-254-4350. TM.org or MeditationAsheville.org CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • 4th FRIDAYS, 10am-noon - Contemplative Companions, meditation. Free.

• Last Tuesdays, 7-9pm - Aramaic, Hebrew and Egyptian vocal toning, breath work and meditation.

Admission by donation.

• 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 2pm - Intentional meditation. Admission by donation.

CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC creationcarealliance.org • MONDAYS through (3/6), 7-8:30pm Conversations on climate change and the poor and discussing Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. Free. Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ASHEVILLE 40 Church St., 253-1431, fpcasheville.org • SU (2/26), 5-7pm - Out of Order, film regarding the struggles facing LGBTQ faith leaders. Free.

GURDJIEFF FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA 551-0116, gfwnc.wordpress.com, gfofwnc@gmail.com • SA (2/25), 4-5pm - "Moving Towards Presence," workshop with exercises and opportunities to connect with local members. Free. Held at Asheville Movement Center, 4 Richmond Ave. SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113, 200-5120, asheville.shambhala.org • WEDNESDAYS, 10-midnight, THURSDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 10-noon - Meditation and community. Admission by donation.

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD ASHEVILLE INSIGHT MEDITATION 175 Weaverville Road, Woodfin, 808-4444, ashevillemeditation.com • SA (2/25), 2pm - Jessica Ringle presents her novel, Making It Up. Free to attend.

ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth.net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - No meeting in March; the group reconvenes in April. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101 BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/library • WE (2/22), noon-1pm - In Celebration of Black History Month: Poetry Reading, storytelling and singing with Roy Harris & Sheneika Smith.

Bring a bag lunch. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library - Lord Auditorium, 67 Haywood St. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • First THURSDAYS, 6pm - Political prisoners letter writing. Free to attend.

GRATEFUL STEPS 30 Ben Lippen School Road, Suite 107, 277-0998, gratefulsteps.org • MONDAYS, 6:30-9pm, THURSDAYS, 9:30amnoon & SATURDAYS, 9:30-noon, (2/20) through (4/29) - "Writing Secrets of the Pros," fundraiser class series helps writers discover professional techniques for writing fiction, non-fiction or poetry. Registration required: 828-505-9221 or weirwnc417@gmail.com. $25 per class.

WRITER IN YOU 776-8248 • Last MONDAYS, 10am-2pm - Writing group. Bring something you are reading, something you are writing and lunch. Free. Held at First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, 40 Church St.

• TH(2/23), 4-6pm - Volunteer to assist with unpacking and pricing merchandise in a fair-trade retail store.

Restorative Yoga and Hot Stones with Kim Drye

Registration required.

• SA (2/25), 9am-noon- Volunteer to help pack food items into backpack-sized parcels that are distributed to local schools.

Registration required.

SPORTS APA POOL LEAGUE (PD.) Beginners welcome & wanted! Choose Asheville, Arden, or Brevard. HAVE FUN. MEET PEOPLE. PLAY POOL. 828-329-8197 www.BlueRidgeAPA.com ONGOING – weekly league play U9 SPRING LACROSSE 2017 (PD.) Team Practices and Games, March 7–May 13, 7-9 yrs. olds Fletcher Community Park, Practices Tuesday+Thursday 4:30-5:45 Saturday games.

Register at ashevilleempire.com

VOLUNTEERING

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

Saturday, Feb. 25th 4-6pm $30 We s t A s h e v i l l e Yo g a . c o m

602 Haywood Road 28806 • 828.350.1167

LITERACY COUNCIL OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY 31 College Pl., Suite B-221 • WE (2/22), 9am & TH (2/23), 5:30pm - Information session for those interested in volunteering two hours per week with adults who want to improve reading, writing, spelling, and English language skills. Free.

MOUNTAINTRUE 258-8737, wnca.org

BLUE RIDGE RAIDERS mizzarnette@gmail.com • SATURDAYS through (5/6) - Volunteer to help with ticketing, concessions and apparel for Blue Ridge Raiders home games. Contact for full guidelines.

• WE (2/22), 10am-4pm - Volunteer to help plant live-

HANDS ON ASHEVILLE-BUNCOMBE 2-1-1, handsonasheville.org • TH (2/23), 11am-12:30pm - Volunteer to serve a homemade lunch to veterans. Registration required.

banks. Registration: mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/

stakes along eroding riverbanks. Registration: mountaintrue.org/eventscalendar/ • TH (2/23), WE (3/1) & TH (3/2), 10am-4pm Volunteer to help plant live-stakes along eroding river-

For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx. com/volunteering

LITERARY EVENTS AT UNCA unca.edu • TH (2/23), 7pm - Peter Makuck presents his short stories, Wins and Losses, and his poetry collection, Mandatory Evacuation. Free. Held in Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (2/22), 6pm - "Authors in Conversation," event featuring authors Susan Rivers, Nancy Peacock and Frye Gaillard in conversation regarding America's slave history and racial divide. Free to attend.

• TH (2/23), 7pm - Works in Translation Book Club: The Invisibility Cloak by Ge Fei and translation by Canaan Morse. Free to attend.

• FR (2/24), 6pm - "Literary Karaoke," with featured reader Lucy Corin. Free to attend.

• MO (2/27), 6pm - Nicholas Mainieri presents his book, The Infinite. Free to attend.

NORTH CAROLINA WRITERS' NETWORK ncwriters.org • Through WE (3/1) - Poetry submissions accepted for the Randall Jarrell Poetry Competition.

Contact for full guidelines.

PACK MEMORIAL LIBRARY - LORD AUDITORIUM 67 Haywood St. • SA (2/25), 2pm - "WORD!" storytelling and performance poetry by Raymond Christian, Roy Harris, Elizabeth Meade, Jasmine Henderson and Rhoda Weaver to honor Black History Month. Free.

WNC ASPERGER'S ADULTS UNITED facebook.com/WncAspergersAdultsUnited • SU (2/26), 3pm - Writers' group. Free. Held at The Autism Society, 306 Summit St.

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

19

WELLNESS

DEPENDENT NO MORE

WNC programs offer strategies for overcoming substance abuse problems

BY ELLEN BUTLER butlerem22@gmail.com Western North Carolina has not escaped the opioid epidemic that rages across the United States or the broader problems of substance abuse. According to the recently released U.S. surgeon general’s report on addiction, roughly 8 percent of the American population met the criteria for a substance use disorder, defined as the use of alcohol, illicit drugs or prescription drugs in a manner, situation, amount or frequency that could cause harm to the user or those around them.

The Asheville area is no exception.

In Madison County, for example, 42 medication or drug overdoses were reported just last year.

“After significant data collection and analysis, we determined that Madison, like many other counties in our region, was greatly impacted by the effects of an opioid epidemic,” says Heather Sharp, director of the Madison Substance Awareness Coalition. The overdose report comes from NC Detect, a statewide surveillance system created by the N.C. Division of Public Health, she explains. “While MSAC is concerned with all substance areas, we have focused much of our prevention initiatives on prescription medication and opioid education,” says Sharp.

In 2014, she joined seven other area health leaders to form what became the Madison Substance Awareness Coalition.

MSAC addresses substance issues specific to Madison County, but the team quickly grew and now includes an active group of over 25 partners from multiple sectors, such as law enforcement, schools, health providers, faith community, media, local government, businesses, civic organizations, parents and youths.

“Substance use is not just a problem for the person struggling with dependency,” says Sharp. “It impacts the whole family, often resulting in loss of employment, legal issues and involvement with the Department of Social Services. The impact on the community is felt as well, as these individuals are our friends, neighbors, parents, children, spouses, people we work with and go to

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MAKING STRIDES: When all sectors of a community come together, big change can happen, say members of the Partnership for Substance Free Youth in Buncombe County. Pictured, left to right, are David Mineta, Daniellle Arias, Randy Sorrells, Lindsay C. Stockman, and Arthur Dean. Photo courtesy of RHA Prevention Resource Center

MOUNTAINX.COM

church with. In Madison County, we take pride in taking care of our own,” she says.

“So MSAC is spreading a message of hope and encouragement and calling for all community members to get involved,” she says.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESS Substance abuse in America has historically been viewed as the responsibility of existing social infrastructures, such as individual homes, places of worship, schools and civil courts or criminal justice systems. But despite vast efforts and expenses on these fronts, substance use remains one of the nation’s most dire issues, one with wide-ranging effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, cites the spread of infectious disease, increased chances of heart and liver disease, loss of productivity, reduced quality of life, increased crime and violence, increased motor vehicle crashes, domestic abuse and increased health care costs as just a few of these negative effects.

The cumulative impact that all of this imposes on the physical, mental and social well-being of both individual and community is staggering, and it calls for a new, health- and wellness-centered approach to the widespread issue.

“The public often views addiction and substance abuse as moral issues rather than health concerns,” says Brad Wilkerson, chief operating officer at the South Asheville outpatient center Legacy Freedom Treatment Center. “The truth of the matter is that substance use disorders are in fact disorders, which can involve a number of underlying biological and environmental factors, and which can be overcome with proper education, therapy and personalized treatment,” he says.

According to the surgeon general’s report on substance abuse and addiction in America, 66.7 million people in the U.S. reported binge drinking in 2015, and 27.1 million people were current users of illicit drugs or misused prescription drugs. Yet the report notes that only an estimated 10 percent of this population sought and

received proper treatment services for substance abuse.

“Education and awareness are key here,” says Wilkerson, whose own personal experience with addiction led him to be a voice for improved substance use disorder care.

“Oftentimes early-onset substance abuse disorders are not screened for, not diagnosed, and therefore not eligible to receive treatment.”

This is a problem, especially for adolescents and teens who, according to the surgeon general’s report, represent the most critical demographic of those at risk for substance use and abuse. Moreover, research from the nonprofit National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse indicates that 90 percent of people who develop a substance use disorder began using substances before the age of 18.

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES Wilkerson says the standard approach to drug and alcohol prevention among adolescents isn’t working.

“This is an issue that needs to be talked about more, and more openly, with kids,” he says. “Clearly, the old ‘Just Say No’ model isn’t feasible. Drugs and alcohol are easily available, but these kids are rarely educated to the dangers of use or how quickly casual use can turn into a disorder. Lecturing just isn’t going to cut it. We have to think of new, insightful ways to change the old model.”

Lindsay Stockman, prevention coordinator for the nonprofit RHA Prevention Resource Center, agrees.

“Everything we do at RHA is evidence-based,” she says. “There has been research done; it has been tested, it has been piloted, and effective outcomes have been observed.”

Working closely with schools across 12 counties in the state, the center offers a number of programs on prevention and early intervention that fit into class curricula.

One of the most popular of these prevention programs is Project Venture. Conducted in the classroom as well as outdoors, the strength-based, experiential youth development program aims to foster the kind of social and emotional competence needed to resist substances among fifth- to eighth-graders, Stockman explains.

“This one is really popular with the kids,” she continues. “They love the outdoor adventure aspect of it, and we are seeing some great results, though what we’ve really learned from this and other evidence-based programs is that scare tactics and lecturing don’t work when it comes to connecting with youth on substance abuse and prevention. We try instead to use both education and interaction. It’s important to work with the kids and learn from them by talking about their honest feelings toward substances and finding out what works and what doesn’t.”

COMMUNITY EFFORT For RHA and other community partners, staying ahead of the curve on prevention methods doesn’t stop with schools. Efforts are being made locally and nationally to move substance abuse prevention and treatment into the realm of community health. “There is now a shift across the nation for health care professionals working with substance use and misuse,” says Stockman. “In-school and after-school programs are still being utilized, but more and more we’re seeing a move toward work with the community as a whole.”

RHA is helping to galvanize this movement in Buncombe County with the Partnership for Substance Free Youth, a coalition made up of at least 12 sectors, including schools, local businesses, law enforcement and parents.

“The purpose of the partnership is to look at the issue of prevention of and treatment for substance misuse as a whole,” says Stockman, “and to get the community to come together around the full continuum of health in this area. That is a public health approach, and that is what we are trying to contribute to.”

MENTAL-PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS Samantha Osborne agrees that bringing community health to the forefront is paramount to combating substance abuse. The intake coordinator for outpatient treatment services provider October Road notes how new research on addiction and addiction therapies is helping to pave the way for a positive shift in both prevention and recovery from substance abuse.

“There has historically been a social stigma against addiction and substance problems, and the same is true with mental illness,” says Osborne, “but with more research and more understanding on the various risk and protective factors involved in these related issues, the stigma is beginning to lift.

The public is beginning to understand that the proper response here is treatment and not punishment.”

In an effort to emphasize the connection between mental health, physical health and substance abuse, October Road offers programs to those with substance-related offenses or substance use disorders as a step in early intervention or as a precursor to more intensive treatment.

ADETS/Prime for Life, an educationbased counseling class, is one such program. “The class highlights the effects on the brain and body that substances can have,” says Osborne, “and provides critical information to individuals such as DUI offenders on healthy drinking patterns, what might be considered unhealthy use and how to seek additional services if they think there is a potential problem present.”

FORWARD-LOOKING The surgeon general’s report indicates that the efforts of health care professionals and nonprofits are working with some populations. For example, trends with middle-school-aged adolescents are showing a gradual decrease in illicit drug use and binge drinking

reports. But other work remains to be done, say area health leaders.

As Wilkerson notes, “It seems like we are on our way to finding a solution with changing attitudes toward addiction and recovery. There is so much being done on this front, but there’s a lot more to be done before we can say that we have solved the problem of substance misuse.” X

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2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month, Atlanta Bread Company, Hendersonville Road.

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BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (2/22), 11:30am "Laughter Yoga," class for ages 18 and up. Free. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa • TH (2/23), 6-8pm - "LongTerm Healthcare under a Trump Administration: Things to

Held at North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave. GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 Sixth Ave., W. Hendersonville, 693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am - Walking exercise class.

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HAYWOOD REGIONAL HEALTH AND FITNESS CENTER 75 Leroy George Drive, Clyde, 452-8080, haymed.org/ • Through WE (2/22) - Open registration for the American Heart Association "Hands-Only" CPR course that takes place Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10am12:30pm. Registration: 828-4528098. $25.

• TU (2/21) & TH (2/23), 9-11am - "Know Your Numbers," heart health screenings.

• TU (2/28) & TH (3/2), 1-3pm - "Know Your Numbers," heart health screenings. Free. Held at Mast General Store, 63 N Main St, Waynesville

QIGONG/CHI KUNG COMMUNITY PRACTICE GROUP allen@ashevilleqigong.com • FRIDAYS, 9:30am - Qigong/Chi Kung class. All levels welcome.

Free to attend. Held at The Alternative Clinic, 23 Broadway T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 337-4685, thecenternc.weebly.com • TU (2/28), noon-1pm - "Scale Smashing," event to smash weight scales with sledgehammers and learn about disordered eating. Free.

• WE (3/1), 10-11am - "Worth the Fight," presentation about anorexia and bulimia.

Registration required: thecenternc.org/nedawarenessweek-2017.html. Free. Held at Jewish Community Center, 236 Charlotte St. TAOIST TAI CHI SOCIETY taoist.org/usa/locations/asheville • TU (2/28), 5:30-7:00pm or WE (3/1), 6:30-7:30pm - Beginner tai chi class and information session for the class series. Admission by donation. Held at Asheville Training Center, 261 Asheland Ave., (Town & Mountain Realty Building)

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SUPPORT GROUPS ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx.com/support for full listings.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 254-8539 or aancmco.org ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:30-8pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave. ASPERGER'S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents. Meets every 3 weeks. Contact for details.

CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm - Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood Waynesville • TUESDAYS 7:30pm - Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 • WEDNESDAYS, 7-8pm & SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 367-7660, depressionbipolarasheville.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7pm & SATURDAYS, 4pm – Held at 1316C Parkwood Road FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 423-6191 or 242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11am- Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm - Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin • TUESDAYS, 3:30-4:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS gamblersanonymous.org • THURSDAYS, 6:45pm - 12-step meeting. Held at Basillica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St.

HAYWOOD COUNTY COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS 400-6480 • 1st THURSDAYS - Support group for families who have lost a child of any age. Held at Long's Chapel United Methodist Church, 175 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville INFERTILITY SUPPORT GROUP resolveasheville@gmail.com • 1st THURSDAYS, 6:30-8pm Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - For adults managing the challenges of life limiting illnesses. Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave. MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:30-8:45pm Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program. Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 MY DADDY TAUGHT ME THAT mydaddytaughtmethat.org • MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - Men's discussion group.

Free. Held in 16-A Pisgah Apartment, Asheville OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 252-0562, ourvoicenc.org • Ongoing drop-in group for female identified survivors of sexual violence.

OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon-1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@sos-mission.org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/support for full listings.

RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples.org • MONDAYS 6pm - For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road RECOVERING FROM RELIGION meetup.com/topics/recoveringfrom-religion/us/nc/asheville/ • TH (2/23), 7pm - Therapeutic discussion group regarding freedom from religion. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101

REFUGE RECOVERY 225-6422, refugerecovery.org • THURSDAYS, 7:30pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery & Wellness, Unit C4, 370 N. Louisiana • FRIDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 6-7:30pm - Held at Urban Dharma, 29 Page Ave • TUESDAYS, 7pm - Held at Shambhala Meditation Center, 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113 SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/Meetings/ UnitedStates • SUNDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. SHIFTING GEARS 683-7195 • MONDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Groupsharing for those in transition in careers or relationships. Contact for location.

SMART RECOVERY 407-0460 • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. • SUNDAYS,6pm - Held at Kairos West Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery & Wellness, Unit C4, 370 N. Louisiana Ave. SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness. Held at Kairos West Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 337-4685, thecenternc.weebly.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7-8pm – Adult support group, ages 18+. Held in the Sherill Center at UNCA. WIDOWS IN NEED OF GRIEF SUPPORT 356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Peer support group for anyone who has survived the death of their spouse, partner, child or other closed loved one. Registration required. Held at The Meditation Center, 894 E. Main St., Sylva

GREEN SCENE

GREEN CLEANUPS

In situ remediation could revitalize hazardous waste sites

BY MAX HUNT mhunt@mountainx.com Hazardous waste sites are not exactly an endangered species: In Buncombe County alone, there are about 30 of them, relics of former manufacturing operations or other businesses that left behind toxic residues. Some of those companies were established before the 1970s, when pioneering environmental laws began regulating industrial pollution. Others simply ignored the laws governing disposal of dangerous chemicals. Either way, these contaminants are hard to get rid of, and expensive cleanup efforts can drag on for decades with no sure resolution.

The Chemtronics site in Swannanoa, for example, has been on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priorities List since 1982, yet there’s still no end in sight to the cleanup (see “Chemtronics: From Chemical Weapons to Conservation Easement,” March 24, 2016, Xpress).

Meanwhile, over at the CTS site on Mills Gap Road in South Asheville, concerns about the pace and effectiveness of cleanup efforts have mobilized community activists (see “Toxic Legacy: CTS Site Breeds Heartache for Residents,” June 1, 2016, Xpress).

But a group of innovative strategies collectively known as “in situ remediation” could dramatically improve the prospects for restoring these and other high-profile Superfund sites more quickly and at lower cost.

Instead of trying to mechanically remove contaminants from a property, in situ remediation harnesses the ability of certain chemicals or bacteria to tackle them where they are and turn them into harmless substances. Later this year, environmental contractors will implement such strategies at both those sites, under the auspices of EPA Region 4 officials. And meanwhile, another local project that’s already underway — RiverLink’s phytoremediation effort at the former Edaco junkyard on Amboy Road — gives some hints of these approaches’ potential to reclaim festering hazardous waste sites.

HERE AND NOW: In situ remediation strategies have become popular as a cheaper, more effective way to address groundwater and soil contamination at local hazardous waste sites.

Image via frtr.gov A GROWING SCIENCE In situ remediation utilizes emerging technologies to insert various natural or mechanical elements into groundwater or contaminated soil. The specific strategy employed depends on both the particular pollutants involved and the physical characteristics of the site.

At Chemtronics, plans call for bioremediation: using bacteria that actually consume harmful contaminants.

Nutrients and oxygen will also be injected to help the bacteria do their job. At the CTS site, meanwhile, a concoction of chemical oxidizers, which attack and break down the contaminants’ molecular structure, will be injected into the ground. And at RiverLink’s Karen Cragnolin Park, native grasses infused with bacteria that “eat” the pollutants were planted at 26 places on the property in 2013.

Two key factors have helped such strategies gain traction: the emergence of newer technologies over the last two decades, and increased understanding of the limits of traditional cleanup methods.

“The National Research Council estimated that more than 126,000 sites have residual contamination preventing them from reaching closure,” notes a 2016 report by Cascade Environmental, a consulting firm based in Washington

state. “Of those, 12,000 sites have residual contamination that will require 50 to 100 years to achieve restoration. Many complex sites are characterized by persistent chlorinated solvent impacts that, for various reasons, have not responded to traditional or simplistic technologies.”

In the past, notes hydrologist Frank Anastasi, “If you found something in the soil or the groundwater, you had to dig it up or suck it up and get it out of there. Now, we wised up and found out you can’t always just do that, especially with groundwater.”

In addition, he continues, older strategies such as pump-and-treat do little to address contamination in the surrounding soils and bedrock structures. “Think about drinking a soda at McDonald’s,” says Anastasi, a consultant to the POWER Community Advisory Group for the CTS site.

“You suck the soda out through a

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

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G REEN SC E N E straw and you think you’ve got it all; but if you let the ice melt a little bit, you suck some more out and you still taste some Coke.”

CHEAPER, MORE EFFECTIVE The long-running cleanup efforts at Chemtronics seem to bear out that assessment. A series of samples and tests conducted by Anchor QEA over a three-year period found that the pump-and-treat system that’s been in operation since the early 1990s has been only 23 percent effective in removing contamination, according to EPA site supervisor Jon Bornholm.

He’s overseen cleanup efforts at the site since the late 1980s, and he says the upkeep required to keep the pump systems functioning has been a constant nuisance.

“They were having a big issue with iron buildup, as well as bacteria buildup, in extraction wells,” Bornholm explains. “Plus, you have the expense of electricity for running the extraction wells, as well as the treatment systems, and also the cost of discharging treated groundwater to the sewer system and maintaining that discharge line. With in situ, we eliminate those costs.”

After several years of on-site pilot studies at Chemtronics, officials settled on in situ bioremediation as the most promising alternative strategy.

Anchor QEA, says Bornholm, “was able to show that it was removing at least 51 percent” of the contaminants.

The Asheville-based consulting firm is currently designing a matrix of injection wells across the property near known contaminated groundwater “plumes.” After that, contractors will inject a lactate solution (to give the bugs something to eat immediately), followed by emulsified vegetable oil (a long-term food source) and, to add more bacteria to the mix, “a bioaugmentation solution called KD-1.”

“It’s all about contact,” notes Bornholm. “We want to make sure the bacteria get in contact with the contamination.”

BREAK IT DOWN: The strategy of electrically heating water around the source of contaminants to boil out pollutants from the ground in vapor form will be implemented at the CTS of Asheville site in 2017. Image via frtr.gov

A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH Proposals for cleaning up the CTS site have been debated for years. On Nov. 22, the EPA announced that it had finally reached agreement with the site’s potentially responsible parties on an interim action plan to address contamination on 3.1 acres of the former manufacturing facility, covering the most polluted portions

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

of the site. Large concentrations of fuel oil mixed with trichloroethylene, a known human carcinogen, have been found there.

Two strategies will be implemented this year in different areas. On a 1.2-acre area directly beneath where the factory once stood, electrical resistance heating will be used to “basically boil the groundwater,” so the TCE is released as a vapor, Anastasi explains.

Another 1.9 acres to the north of that will be treated by “injecting a chemical that will cause a change in the electron states of different compounds,” he continues. “You end up chemically breaking down the TCE molecules into harmless substances.” The heat strategy is used with TCE concentrations that are closer to the surface; the chemical treatment can get at toxics lower down.

As with bioremediation, the solution injected into the ground must be brought into contact with the plumes of contaminated groundwater to be effective — and in many cases, that’s easier said than done.

“Though the chemistry involved is relatively simple, the technology is not a simple one to implement,” notes a report from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, an arm of the Defense Department. “The subsurface environment can be difficult to control, and it can be challenging to achieve adequate distribution of the oxidants.

In many cases, in situ chemical oxi-

dation requires site-specific data that may not be available from typical site characterization investigations.”

“No. 1, you have to have contamination that is amenable to it,” says Anastasi. “No. 2, you have to find the remediation strategy that works best for that kind of contamination.”

There can also be problematic side effects. “Some compounds ... may be broken down into more toxic byproducts during the bioremediation process (e.g., TCE to vinyl chloride),” notes a Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable overview.

“When you change the chemistry in the ground, you change a lot of things,” says Anastasi, who has 30 years’ experience in the field.

Minerals occurring naturally in the soil can react with the injected elements. In addition, pH levels must be carefully monitored to maintain an optimal environment for the chemicals or bacteria being used.

At Chemtronics, says Bornholm, the bacterial action can acidify the soil, leaching potentially hazardous elements such as magnesium from the rock. To combat this possibility, a neutralizing sodium bicarbonate solution will be inserted to create a buffer that allows the bacteria to multiply.

PROMISING SIGNS

AIR APPARENT Electrical resistance heating, meanwhile, poses its own challenges. Vapor emissions must be monitored to ensure that they don’t pose a risk to nearby residents.

As workers begin implementing these strategies at CTS, Anastasi explains, “They’ll be monitoring for vapor in the air around the site and also the groundwater, to see if any of these [pollutants] are starting to get closer to people.”

Vapor emissions came under scrutiny last year when ambient outdoor air testing conducted on properties adjacent to the Superfund site in the summer and fall of 2016 yielded higher TCE readings “than the concentrations historically detected in these areas,” according to a report by Amec Foster Wheeler, a contractor hired by CTS to conduct the tests.

Neighboring homeowners refused to allow the EPA to conduct indoor testing, however, and later outdoor air samples showed lower TCE vapor levels.

POTENTIAL PITFALLS Despite in situ remediation’s considerable promise, these methods, too, have their limits.

“We’re very hopeful that both the electrical resistance heating and the in situ chemical oxidation at CTS will have some really good results and get rid of a whole lot of the contamination that’s still down in the soil and bedrock pretty quickly,” says Anastasi. The EPA estimates that these new technologies could reduce TCE concentrations in the targeted areas by 95 percent over the next few years.

And at Chemtronics, Bornholm reports, the plan is to begin injecting bacteria “maybe once a year for a few years and then monitor the groundwater to make sure the levels [of the degraded contaminants] aren’t going up and that we’re not finding byproducts in the groundwater.”

It will take years to determine how successful these efforts are. But Vicki Collins, a retired chemistry professor from Warren Wilson College who’s studied the Chemtronics site since the 1980s, says her research into in situ bioremediation has been promising to date. The strategy, she notes, “has been used at several other former weapons facilities to address contamination.” There is some concern about degraded byproducts of pollutants, but longterm studies at other sites have

shown that this is a safe solution to groundwater contamination.

And in the meantime, RiverLink’s phytoremediation project gives further reason for hope. In December, the nonprofit proudly reported that samples taken at 26 contamination areas in the park were all found to be below the EPA’s safety threshold.

“The property now faces another round of testing, after which a landscape plan will be developed, moving the site closer to becoming a link in the greenway paralleling Amboy Road and the French Broad River,” said RiverLink, calling the project “one more chapter in our history of successful park and greenway creation.” X

BENEFICIAL BACTERIA: Enhanced bioremediation techniques will replace the ineffective pump-and-treat system at the Chemtronics Superfund site in Swannanoa. Photo courtesy of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy

FARM & GARDEN ECO

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24TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE (PD.) March 10-12, 2017. Keynotes: Gabe Brown & Matthew and Althea Raiford.

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• WE (3/1), 10:30am - “Monarchs

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Ecopresentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

BUNCOMBE COUNTY EXTENSION MASTER GARDENERS

PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • TH (2/23), 6-7:30pm - "A Climatologist's Perspective on Climate Change," presentation by climatologist Drew Jones. Free.

Held in the Highsmith Student Union • WE (3/1), 4:30pm - “Accelerating Climate Change," presentation by James McMahon, CEO of The Collider in Asheville. Free. Held in the Reuter Center

presentation by master gardener Alan

THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION 692-8062, saveculture.org • TH (2/23), 7pm - The Savior of the French Broad River- The Wilma Dykeman Story, film screening. Registration required: 692-8062. $5. Held in Thomas Auditorium. Held at Blue Ridge Community College, 180 West Campus Drive, Flat Rock WARREN WILSON COLLEGE 771-3038, ecastellan@warren-wilson.edu • MO (2/27), 10am-5pm - Patagonia’s "Worn Wear College Tour," mobile repair shop to learn to repair garments and learn about the zero-waste movement.

Free. Held in Bryson Gym • MO (2/27), 7pm - The True Cost, documentary screening. Free. Held in the Sage Cafe

and Milkweed: Learn about Monarch Butterflies and How to Bring Them to Your Garden,” presentation by Heather Rayburn of the Botanical Gardens. Free.

Held at Asheville Botanical Gardens, 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

255-5522, buncombemastergardener.org, BuncombeMasterGardeners@gmail.com • SA (2/25), 10am-noon - Saturday Seminar: “Pruning Shrubs, Small Trees and Sharpening your Pruning Tools,” Wagner. Registration required. Free.

Held at Buncombe County Cooperative Extension Office, 49 Mount Carmel Road,

CONTAINER GARDENING FOR KIDS: Elementary schoolkids in Buncombe County have the opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn some basic gardening skills during the sixth annual Container Garden contest, sponsored by the Men’s Garden Club of Asheville. Kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers in Buncombe County are invited to produce a creative container garden to help students gain an appreciation for gardening and to help focus on essential standards for science. For more information or to register to participate, teachers can contact organizer Ed Heidel at heideled@yahoo.com. Registration deadline is Tuesday, March 17. Learn more about the Men’s Garden Club of Asheville at mensgardenclubofasheville.org. Photo courtesy of the Men’s Garden Club

Asheville HAYWOOD COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS 456-3575 • Through FR (3/17) - Plant sale. Order forms available by calling 828-456-3575 or by email at mgarticles@charter.net.

HENDERSONVILLE TREE BOARD 692-3026 • MO (2/27), 6pm - “Learn How To Control Those Pesky Invasive Plant Species on Your Property,” presentation.

Free. Held at Henderson County Library,

WNC SIERRA CLUB 251-8289, wenoca.org • WE (3/1), 7pm - "Preserving a Picturesque America," presentation

by Scott Varn, founder of Preserving a Picturesque America. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN WILD MOUNTAIN BEES GRAND RE-OPENING (PD.) Saturday February 25th 10am-5pm. Bee Talks with Sarah McKinney at 11am and 2pm, henna, mead and honey tastings, crafts! Support your local beekeeping supplier!

301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville MEN’S GARDEN CLUB OF ASHEVILLE 683-1673, mensgardenclubofasheville.org • Through FR (3/17) - Open registration for a container garden contest for Buncombe County Kindergarten through fifth grade classes. Registration details: heideled@yahoo.com. Free.

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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FOOD

MILE BY MILE

Improving bus service could help alleviate Asheville’s food deserts

ALONG FOR THE RIDE: Asheville bus riders rally at a Transit Week event in early February. A survey done by UNC Asheville for the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council says expanded bus routes would dramatically improve food access for city transit users. Photo by Jonathan Ammons

BY JONATHAN AMMONS jonathanammons@gmail.com Asheville’s food deserts have drawn increased attention in recent years: Studies by Tyson Foods and the Food Research & Action Center have ranked Asheville and its environs as high as the sixth most food-insecure metropolitan area in the country.

(The Action Center’s 2016 assessment rated Asheville 28th among more than 100 U.S. cities — a marked improvement but still highly troubling.) A key reason for the problem, these studies

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found, was a lack of access due to transportation barriers.

“Food deserts are areas that have low availability of healthier food; there are four or five areas here in Asheville that the USDA considers food deserts,” says Ameena Batada, an associate professor of health and wellness at UNC Asheville. She’s worked to develop a relationship between the university and the Asheville Buncombe Food Policy Council, offering course and internship credit to students who assist the grassroots group by conducting research. Those local food deserts lie in a horseshoe-shaped arc

around the city, leaving thousands of people miles away from anything resembling a grocery store.

“In the survey we did last year, 93.7 percent of the responses said that extending the bus routes to later times would help them meet their basic needs, including accessing food,” notes Batada. In the Hillcrest neighborhood, for example, “Even though it’s not that far from Earth Fare or the Save-A-Lot, a much more affordable option, you can’t easily get there by walking. Even if you have affordable outlets in your neighborhood, if you don’t have time to walk

to those, then you still have to rely on public transportation.”

Limited service hours aren’t the only problem: The system’s buses are late almost half the time. “We have an on-time performance rate of about 50 to 51 percent, which is not good at all,” says Amy Cantrell of Just Economics, an Asheville-based nonprofit.

NO INFORMATION There were still a few snow crystals clinging to the grass at the corner of South French Broad Avenue and Bartlett Street one crisp recent

morning. As part of a ride-along sponsored by Just Economics, Asheville City Council member Cecil Bothwell was waiting for the 10:05 bus at stop 781 on the S4 route along with eight or so other passengers. After 10 or 15 minutes, someone texted the NextBus service asking for an update but got no response. When Bothwell tried, it said the bus would be 15 minutes late.

When that time came and went, however, he tried again and was told “No information at this time.”

“I saw many people who clearly depend on public transit, which certainly failed them on that day,” said Bothwell, who fortunately had his car nearby. He eventually called the Coxe Avenue ART Station and learned that all morning buses on that route had been canceled. “How can you keep a job or keep up with classes if the bus doesn’t run?” he wondered, as he drove some of the other waylaid passengers to their classes at A-B Tech.

This was a new experience for Bothwell, but for regular users of the Asheville Redefines Transit system, it’s an all-too-common occurrence. The ART’s 2012 system makeover, frequent riders say, cut services drastically in order to make expensive improvements — most of which proved to be purely aesthetic — in a failed bid to attract a more diverse clientele.

Bothwell says he doesn’t normally use the bus. To get to City Hall, for example, he could catch a bus two blocks from his home near UNCA. “But the meetings often end after the bus quits running, so I would have to walk the mile home afterward, and that is not exactly practical. Using the transit system is hard, actually.”

LAUNDRY LIST Bothwell isn’t the only one who thinks that. Sabrah N’ah Raven, who was also waiting for the bus that day, says she once lost a job because of a late bus. “It was an employer that had very strict punctuality requirements,” she says. “A lot of low-income jobs are strict about punctuality, and I was still in the training period, so it was a one-stop-and-you’re-out thing. It was the same situation: There were a few snowflakes, and the buses started running a few hours late.

“It’s the management company’s and the city staff’s job to know how to avoid problems like that. And we’ve seen enough from them to know that they haven’t really been paying attention to the needs of the riders.” Most job applications, notes Raven, “have a

line asking if you have reliable transportation, and pretty much everyone knows that the buses around here don’t count as reliable transit.”

Just Economics designated the first week of February as Transit Week. The seven-day event was equal parts celebration and lobbying for the group’s 19-point transit agenda (see sidebar). Some of those goals were accomplished last year, but key issues have yet to be addressed, and the grassroots transit coalition — a project of Just Economics with a lot of involvement by bus riders — isn’t finished yet.

The coalition, notes Cantrell, who was one of the chief organizers, “has been going since the fall of 2012, so it was really important for people to see that history.” The week’s activities included a panel discussion featuring key community organizers, a press conference and bus ride-alongs with City Council members. “We really hope 2017 will be our victory year, where we accomplish the entire 19-point agenda.”

The wish list covers everything from getting actual transit system users represented on key committees to improving the complaint system to maintaining bus shelters.

IN THE BAG For many of the folks who rely on the current routes, says Cantrell, a simple trip to the grocery store can take anywhere from two to four hours.

And until Just Economics intervened recently, riders weren’t allowed to bring more than three bags of groceries on the bus, ensuring that the whole ordeal would have to be repeated a few days later. “The problem,” she explains, “was that there is no official rule that says how many bags a rider can bring on the bus.”

But at peak ridership times, notes City Council member Julie Mayfield, “The policy is that you cannot take up a seat with your stuff: You have to hold it. We were never able to fully resolve that, much to my frustration.”

Extending the hours on all bus routes and implementing full Sunday service could cure many of these ills, Just Economics maintains. “What are you supposed to do if you work on a Sunday?” asks Calvin Allen, a member of the city’s Transit Committee.

But Asheville faces significant barriers in meeting Just Economics’ call for increasing transit funding by upward of $3 million. The total transit system budget is already more than $7.5 million following a million-dollar bump-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 28

Just Economics’ 19-point transportation agenda • Full Sunday bus service • Extend later night service • Ensure representation by necessity bus riders on the Transit Committee • Multimodal Transportation Commission seats • Establish a Ridership Subcommittee • Increase ability to carry groceries on the bus • Annual review of stop locations; reinstate stop at Bartlett Arms/ Overlook Apartments for elderly and disabled residents • Additional service areas based on needs for transportation to work, school and basic necessities • Clear and easy-to-understand transit system information • Deal with the C route to ensure working system • Maintenance equity for bus stops and shelters

• Additional shelters and safety barriers • Improved complaint system • Transit Committee members ride at least 12 routes annually and provide timely meeting notes and information to the public • Policies that are transparent, consistent and in the interest of riders, drivers and the overall system; accountability when policies aren’t followed • Transparency and public participation through good information sharing • Prioritize master plan in line with latest ridership survey results and riders’ ongoing needs • Develop an emergency response plan for when buses are taken out of service • Ensure that management company is working in the best interest of drivers, riders and the city of Asheville To learn more about Just Economics, visit justeconomicswnc.org.

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SMALL BITES

FOOD up for 2017, and cost, says Mayfield, is the biggest obstacle to progress.

“They did just expand hours on the routes that they thought needed expansion,” she points out. “Cost would vary on that kind of thing, and it would depend on what hours and what nights. But by way of comparison, in this current budget year, the city allocated about $125,000 to add eight hours of service to our entire system overall. Now Just Economics is asking for full service on every route until 10 at night. I think the professional transportation planners might say that’s not needed on every route. As a general matter, though, you could argue that if expanding service that way lets one person have a job who wouldn’t have a job otherwise, it’s a worthwhile investment.

But it’s an expensive one.”

“They don’t need to be going up that hill.”

And despite those cuts, performance didn’t improve much, says Cantrell. “We tried to balance on-time performance on the backs of the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. These are often people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.” Meanwhile, she points out, there was no significant increase in ridership.

Asked about these concerns, First Transit spokesperson Nancy Lohr said that although the buses have become slightly more punctual, “It will not improve because of traffic congestion.” Lohr is still fairly new to Asheville, having started the job in August after serving as transit manager for a smaller system in Florida. And though she says she’s seen some increase in ridership, she has no way of knowing whether those new riders are using the buses by choice or necessity.

Notwithstanding these hurdles, City Council, First Transit and Just Economics all say they’re committed to continuing the push for a more effective bus system.

“It’s all about expanding the ability of people to be engaged and successful in their lives and in the community,” says Mayfield. “It’s as much about people getting to the grocery store as it is about people getting to work, or to church, or the library, or the pool, or to have dinner with friends.

It’s all about economic and social opportunity and enabling people to be engaged and successful in life. If you look at the vision that Council adopted last year, there’s a paragraph on transportation. We envision a city with a transit system that allows you to live here without a car and not be disadvantaged in any way, and that is where we want to go.” X

GETTING THERE During the 2012 ART makeover, Asheville found itself squeezed between a federal requirement that cities hire union drivers for any citywide transit service and North Carolina’s right-to-work laws, which prohibit municipalities from dealing with unions. To get around that, the city hired a third party, the Cincinnatibased First Transit, to run its bus system. At best, the company has won tepid praise from both city officials and what are often called “captive” riders — people who have no choice but to take the bus because they lack other transportation options.

The makeover, which included deep cuts to regular and popular stops, also promised improved punctuality on the remaining routes. One of those canceled stops was the Vocational Rehabilitation office, forcing many people to struggle through a long walk up a steep incline. “If a person is going to rehabilitation, that means he is obviously disabled,” notes Allen.

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by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Celebration time at Short Street Cakes It’ll be a trifecta celebration at Short Street Cakes come Fat Tuesday. In addition to complimentary beads and samples of king cake to honor Mardi Gras, an eight-tier cake will mark the bakery’s eight-year anniversary.

The dessert’s top tier will also represent the one-year anniversary for the shop’s new owner, Olga Perez.

“It has been a new experience for us,” says Tomas Aguilar, Perez’s husband and manager at Short Street. “We’re still learning a lot.”

Aguilar notes that the store’s former owner and Perez’s mentor, Jodi Rhoden, has assisted with the transition. Rhoden has also helped organize this year’s party. But on the day of, Aguilar says, he and Perez will be running the show.

In addition to sweets, guests can expect complimentary cocktails and music by DJ Abu Disarray.

Additionally, a $1 raffle will be held with prizes that include T-shirts and aprons from Short Street Cakes, as well as gift certificates to a number of local businesses. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Family Resource Center at Emma, which works to improve the financial stability of families through a number of initiatives, including a food pantry, clothing closet and parenting classes.

Aguilar considers the celebration a fun way for the community to get together. “It’s open to the public, and we hope everyone can come,” he says. And with an eight-tier cake to consume, the bigger the sweet tooth, the better.

Celebrations run from 5-8 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Short Street Cakes, 225 Haywood Road. The event is free. Visit shortstreetcakes.com for more details.

AGAVE: WITHOUT BORDERS While all tequilas are mezcals, not all mezcals are tequilas. Not sure how that works? Mountain Madre will help clarify the conundrum with its upcoming event, Agave: Without Borders, where Samir Osman will lead a tasting and talk. According to the event’s Facebook page, Osman has over 20 years’ experience tending and managing bars, as well as creating cocktail programs from “Los Dados, an agave bar in Manhattan, to the mother of all San Francisco speakeasies, Bourbon and Branch.”

Following the event, Mountain Madre will have agave cocktails developed

by Osman available for purchase.

Agave: Without Borders runs 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Mountain Madre, 13 Walnut St. Tickets are $25.

For more information on the event, visit avl.mx/3e3.

WINTER BEER DINNER AT THE JUNCTION For the fourth straight year, River Arts District neighbors The Junction and New Belgium Brewing will team up for their annual Winter Beer Dinner. Monkfish and daikon “scallops,” duck breast rubbed with grains of paradise, cider-brined Greenbrier Farms pork tenderloin and nutty baklava are among the dishes featured on the five-course menu. Featured New Belgium beers will include La Folie, Lips of Faith Anne Francoise, Voodoo 8 Hop IPA, Tartastic and Day Blazer Lager.

The Winter Beer Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, at The Junction, 348 Depot St. No. 190.

Tickets are $65, not including tax or gratuity. For reservations, call 828225-3497 or visit avl.mx/3e5.

BEER SCOUT

FOOD

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

Let the good times roll Curious about the story behind Burial Beer Co.’s delightfully macabre name, the artwork on its bottles, cans and merchandise, and occasionally the names of the beers themselves? It all goes back to New Orleans.

Burial co-owners Jessica and Doug Reiser lived in the Louisiana city for three years — before, during and after Hurricane Katrina hit — and were constantly moved by the vibrancy of their community.

“During our time there, we were so struck by the celebration after a loved one’s death as a completion of a cycle and honor. As people, we tend to view death and burial as a strictly morbid occurrence, [but] the local culture [in New Orleans] views the transition of life as cause for celebration and an opportunity for rebirth — a way to celebrate life, not mourn death. We see the same cycles in brewing and building a business,” Jessica says.

What began in 2014 as a small Sunday afternoon gathering at Burial’s taproom has grown into a three-day annual Mardi Gras celebration, held this year Sunday, Feb. 26-Tuesday, Feb. 28. Each time, the key elements are NOLA-focused food (see “Small Bites” in this issue for details), specialty beers and music from Asheville-based brass bands and jazz musicians with New Orleans roots. The new brews for 2017 are Cafe Au Lait Wit (Feb. 26), a Gin Fizz Saison (Feb. 27) and Sazerac Rye IPA (Feb. 28).

“All of these beers reflect something we miss about the city or are historical parts of the modern cocktail scene,” Jessica says. “A gin fizz is also known as a ‘New Orleans fizz’ and the Sazerac is literally the official cocktail of New Orleans.”

A portion of sales from the special Mardi Gras beers will benefit the LEAF Feather Fund, founded in 2016

by Burial and Chief Shaka Zulu and organized by LEAF International. The Feather Fund provides the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans with resources to craft their suits and masks — intricate pieces of sewn bead work and feathers that take 364 days to create for the St. Joseph’s Day parade, which is the real, original Mardi Gras.

And soon, the organization will begin receiving significantly more support from the brewery.

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Burial’s Mardi Gras party grows; Hi-Wire hosts its inaugural North Carolina Small Batch Festival ter stronger ties among peers as well as spotlight one of Hi-Wire’s strengths.

“The beer business is all about relationships: with your customers, with retail accounts and with other breweries, other people in the industry. We really value building on these friendships with other breweries. Whether we collaborate down the road or not, I just love mutual respect for what everybody does and hopefully that can grow a little bit,” Frosaker says. “And [we’re] definitely hoping to highlight the fact that Hi-Wire does have beers that you can’t get anywhere else in each of our taprooms. That’s always something that we’re always trying to spread the message about.” X

CHEERS TO MARDI GRAS: Several years spent living in New Orleans inspired Burial Beer Co. owners Jess and Doug Reiser, pictured second and third from left with their two children, to host an annual Mardi Gras party. A portion of sales from Burial’s special Mardi Gras beers this year will benefit the LEAF Feather Fund, which supports the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans. Also pictured are Burial brewer Tim Gormley, far right, with Chief Shaka Zulu, second from right, and Na’imah Zulu, left, of the Mardi Gras Indians. Photo by Erin Jones.

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“We plan to release a canned collaboration every year going forward the weekend of Mardi Gras, and 100 percent of the profit goes to Mardi Gras Indian Feather Fund to keep them parading, jamming and sustaining one of our greatest cultures,” says Jessica.

The 2017 release — Shallow Water, a kolsch brewed in collaboration with Shreveport, La.-based Great Raft Brewing — arrives Saturday, March 18, in North Carolina, Georgia, New York and Louisiana.

TAR HEEL EXCLUSIVES Already home to some of Asheville’s best experimental beers, Hi-Wire Brewing’s Big Top Production Brewery and Taproom goes all in Saturday, March 4, from 1-5 p.m. when it hosts its inaugural N.C. Small Batch Festival.

“A lot of people really like seeking out and experiencing small-batch, one-off beers that a lot of breweries have in their taprooms,” says Hi-Wire co-owner Chris Frosaker. “So we expanded on that idea and thought, ‘Well heck, let’s make it easy on people. Let’s try to have one day where we’re serving nothing but one-off, small-batch beers they can only get there

— kind of make it something really special, really unique, yet accessible at the same time.’ You don’t need to go to all 20 breweries in town to do this. You can just come to one location and try something unique and special that you’re never going to see again.”

The Hi-Wire top brass invited nearly 30 breweries from across the state to participate, a combination of their closest industry friends — brewery owners and reps with whom they regularly hang out and catch up at festivals — and breweries they otherwise like and respect. (See sidebar for complete list.) No style is off-limits, as long as the concoction is a one-off product. Exactly what each brewery is bringing — including three or four of Hi-Wire’s own creations — will remain secret for the time being, but Frosaker says to keep an eye on Hi-Wire’s social media accounts for potential updates closer to the festival.

Due to the limited quantities, he also expects to run out of beer before the event’s four hours are up.

Entry is $8 and includes two beer tokens (redeemable for 4-ounce samples) and a commemorative miniature pilsner tasting glass. Additional tokens may be purchased for $2 each. Along with establishing the festival as an annual event, Frosaker sees it an an opportunity to fos-

N.C. Small Batch Festival lineup Asheville Brewing Co. Big Boss Brewing Birdsong Brewing Co. Boojum Brewing Co. Burial Beer Co. Catawba Brewing Co. Deep River Brewing Co. French Broad Brewing Co. Haw River Farmhouse Ales Highland Brewing Co. Hi-Wire Brewing Innovation Brewing Lazy Hiker Brewing Co. Lexington Avenue Brewery Lookout Brewing Co. Mystery Brewing Co. Nantahala Brewing Co. Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Pisgah Brewing Co. Sanctuary Brewing Co. Sugar Creek Brewing Co. Sweeten Creek Brewing Triple C Brewing Co. Twin Leaf Brewery Upcountry Brewing Co. Wedge Brewing Co. Wooden Robot Brewery Zebulon Artisan Ales

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

EVERYONE LOVES A PARADE Empire Strikes Brass celebrates its debut album

THE FORCE AWAKENS: After five-plus years as a strictly live act, Empire Strikes Brass entered the studio last fall to record a pair of albums. The group’s Feb. 25 set at Isis celebrates the release of the first of those projects. Photo courtesy of Empire Strikes Brass

BY BILL KOPP bill@musoscribe.com Empire Strikes Brass managed quite a feat in its first five years as a group. The 10-plus-piece band worked diligently on a grassroots level, playing benefits and street festivals, and became a household name in its hometown of Asheville without releasing an album. When the group finally entered the studio, it recorded not one but two albums.

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Empire Strikes Brass will celebrate the release of the first of those — the aptly named Theme for a Celebration — with a Saturday, Feb. 25, show at Isis Music Hall.

The band came together in 2012 almost by accident, according to saxophonist Pauly Juhl. “A friend’s sister was getting married,” he recalls, “and she wanted a New Orleans-style brass band for her rehearsal dinner.

My friend asked me if I could put a group together, and said, ‘Here’s a thousand bucks.’

“I was like, ‘I can make anything happen for $1,000,’” Juhl says with a laugh. He assembled a five-piece group, and the ostensible one-off gig was a success.

“We were really inspired,” Juhl says. “So we tried to get as many musicians as possible together, just to see what came of it.” The initial plan was to play street marches, but when the musicians contacted their friends in Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band, things quickly went to the next level.

The Booty Band was finishing its set at what would turn out to be the final Bele Chere festival in 2013.

“We gathered in the middle of the crowd,” Juhl remembers, “and as soon as they finished, we fired up and paraded over to the Asheville Music Hall, taking the crowd with us.”

Around that time, another friend asked the all-brass band to play at his wedding. “He asked if maybe we could add a guitar player, a keyboard player and some vocalists,” Juhl says.

In short order, Empire Strikes Brass

evolved into its present configuration. “We had a marching band and a stage band, and we just kept going from there,” says Juhl.

For the next few years, Empire Strikes Brass put its energy into live performances, like Downtown After 5. “We like being involved with events, fundraisers and parties, rather than playing small venues and doing one thing at a time,” Juhl says.

He emphasizes that, instead of club dates, Empire Strikes Brass often pursues gigs in front of larger crowds as part of multiact events.

Members of the collective also frequently contribute to or sit in with other local bands. “There have been times when the name Empire Strikes Brass was represented at two different local venues at the same time,” Juhl says. “Some members over here and some over there, collaborating with different groups.

“If we’re opening for somebody, we’re willing to get up onstage and play some tunes with them,” says Juhl.

“And if someone’s opening for us, we make the whole evening as much of a collaborative effort as possible.”

With all that activity — plus the fact that most of the busy musicians in Empire Strikes Brass play in at least one other project — the business of making an album didn’t become a priority until recently.

That changed when the band’s membership — constantly in a state of flux — coalesced. “We settled on the lineup we have now a year or so ago,” says trumpeter Alex Bradley.

“With that out of the way, we could figure out what kind of sound we wanted when we started putting the album together.”

Moreover, sorting out musical parts for a recording session involving 10 or more people is inherently complicated. “The band was in a state of organization, trying to get that many horn players together,” says Debrissa McKinney (vocals, saxophone). “So … it took a while.”

The cost of recording so many musicians was a challenge, too. So in August, Empire Strikes Brass initiated a Kickstarter campaign. The band’s goal was to raise $15,000 in 90 days. “That’s a lot of money,” Juhl readily admits. Initially he thought, “Wow. I don’t know, guys. Are we asking for too much?”

But the band was ambitious, and thanks to the group’s dedicated fan base, the campaign exceeded its goals. Plans called for two albums to be made using the Kickstarter proceeds. Theme for a Celebration was officially released on Feb. 3;

the second album — a collaboration with DJ Push/Pull — is complete and is tentatively scheduled for release in March.

Band members Lenny Pettinelli (vocals, keyboards) and JP Furnas (sousaphone, bass, Moog synthesizer) produced the sessions with Julian Dreyer at Echo Mountain Recording. While Theme for a Celebration is a brass band showcase, Empire Strikes Brass’ instrumental lineup allows the album to make successful forays into funk, Southern rock and even hip-hop.

Guest artists Philo Reitzel and Austin Haynes lend their rapping talents to “The Knocker.”

“We recorded a lot of the horn work live in the church room at Echo Mountain,” McKinney says. “We went in for the feel.”

The band, as featured on Theme for a Celebration, also includes Kyle Snuffer on trombone, guitarist/vocalist Kelly Hannah, Sean Donnelly on keyboards and vocals, trumpeter Jerome Widenhouse, Henry Westmoreland (sousaphone, trumpet) and drummer Nik Hope.

DJ Push/Pull appears at select live dates, and the group’s current tour features guest guitarist Andrew Scotchie.

“We were learning a lot about how to work together in the studio for the first time,” says Juhl. Empire Strikes Brass is well-equipped to build on its collective knowledge in the future: “Now we understand even more about what it takes for us to go to the studio and lay down an album.”

As successful as the studio sessions were, at its core, Empire Strikes Brass remains a live act. At festivals, it’s not uncommon for the collective to lead listeners on a latenight parade. “People always have a lot of fun at those,” says McKinney.

“They get to feel up close with the musicians. And for us, it’s one more way to feel connected with the people who we’re playing for.” X

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TAKING THE PULSE Anam Cara creates ‘devised’ theater around the Orlando nightclub tragedy

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SHARED EXPERIENCE: Performers Michael Bell, Phillipe Andre Coquet and Harmony Canaday co-create the collaborative production Pulse. The show also includes newly composed musical numbers and reworked club songs. Photo by Tippin “There are so many different ways we respond to tragedy,” says Jenna Tamisiea. The Greenville, S.C.-based actor and director is helming the Anam Cara Theatre Company production of Pulse, an ensemble-created musical performance that deals with the Pulse nightclub terrorist attack and hate crime. The production will open at Toy Boat Community Arts Space on Friday, Feb. 24.

Last year, on June 12, a gunman opened fire inside the popular gay venue in Orlando, Fla. The assault left 49 people dead (including the gunman) and 53 wounded, in what was determined to be the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. It’s a shocking story and one that reached far beyond its Central Florida ground zero.

Tamisiea was teaching classes at Florida State University at the time, and some of her students were from Orlando. “Seeing the confusion and hurt and hope firsthand was pretty

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powerful,” she says. “In Pulse’s case it was not only the community of Orlando, it was also the Latinx community, it was the LGBTQ community, it was the allies community. It was such a broad spectrum of communities where the pain rippled through.”

But instead of drafting a script about the shooting and surrounding events, Anam Cara elected to create “devised” theater. “We take a scene, subject or event and gather a group of actors or performers,” Tamisiea explains. Some of the cast members, in this case, are singer-songwriters. “I ask them to bring in pieces of theater, songs, dance, whatever their medium is. We then [take their pieces] and create a full performance.”

She continues, “There’s a lot of experimenting that goes on in rehearsals. … We’ll see where the piece takes us so we can go deeper.” As a director, Tamisiea believes her job is to guide the actors and provide other possible directions or ideas. “Sometimes I’ll

give people tasks that will open new meaning and deeper meaning from what they brought in,” she says.

Contributors Michael Bell and Amelia Doll have been creating new songs about the nightclub. One is in response to a text Bell found from a memorial service held in Orlando.

Doll “created a song that is almost a love song; perhaps the words of someone in their last minutes of life,” says Tamisiea. Other music for the production is cast-reworked numbers based on club favorites such as Alicia Bridges’ “I Love the Nightlife” and Thelma Houston’s “Don’t Leave Me This Way.” “Devised theater typically begins with little more than a rehearsal space and a group of eager, committed theater practitioners,” according to the TDF Theatre Dictionary.

“Through a series of improvisatory theater games or other conceptual ice-breakers, they start to tease out the kinds of stories they’d like to tell

and the way they’d like to tell them.

Over time, a text emerges, one covered with the fingerprints of each and every participant.” The online resource notes The Laramie Project, which formed out of interviews and news reports, as one example.

Laramie also happens to address LGBTQ issues (it was in response to the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student). And while Anam Cara’s mission doesn’t implicitly vow to create LGBTQ-focused productions, the local theater company is known for its boundary-pushing work. “Anam Cara produces experimental theater that empowers artists, promotes equality, challenges thinking and transforms community,” says the collective’s website. “We provide a safe space for artists and audiences to take risks, grow and collaborate.”

That’s definitely the theater company’s approach to Pulse. Though it’s a difficult concept to explain to theatergoers (“Is it a re-enactment? Is it a musical?” the show’s director has been asked), the intent is to go deeper than simple categorizations such as a drama or a revue.

That means not taking any easy outs. Tamisiea says she wavers between terror — “We’re opening in three weeks and we’re still experimenting!” — and a sense that “it’s really wonderful to be in a room with people who are exploring this tragedy and saying something poignant.”

She continues, “It’s very personal to the actors who are within it. This whole group has something to say about Pulse. We should all have a response to Pulse that’s meaningful and that can create and promote change.” X

WHAT Anam Cara presents Pulse WHERE Toy Boat Community Arts Space 101 Fairview Road WHEN Fridays and Saturdays Feb. 24 and 25, March 3,4,10 and 11, at 8 p.m. $16 anamcaratheatre.org

KIDS ISSUES Coming MARCH 15 & 22 MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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A&E

by Edwin Arnaudin

edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

OLD FRIENDS, NEW VOICES During each of the 30 winters since Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s work on Paul Simon’s Graceland vaulted the South African a cappella group to international fame, the ensemble has toured the United States. Every year’s voyage is slightly different from those before it, yet the current trek — which includes stops at Diana Wortham Theatre on Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28 — has already distinguished itself. After the shows, attendees have been approaching the group and expressing concern about this nation’s hostile political climate, prompting the musicians to respond in the best way they know how.

“That is why we chose some songs that have been [an] encouragement to our country when we were in the situation like this, the songs that [are] encouraging people and making people stronger and inspiring them to solve the problem in a peaceful way,” says Albert Mazibuko, a group member since 1969.

Americans have good reason to seek Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s counsel on such matters. The singers’ creations worked wonders for the South African people in hard times, especially during the incarceration and rise to power of the late Nelson Mandela, who went on to dub the ensemble a cultural ambassador of its nation’s music. “[Mandela] is the one who told us, when we first met him in 1990, that our music has been [an] inspiration for him and that also, after the other political leaders that have been exiled, when they come back, they say they have been singing our music, even in the camps,” Mazibuko says. “They were marching and then training using our

GUEST STARS: Known for working with Paul Simon on his Graceland album, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has also recorded with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton and Sarah McLachlan. Though longtime member Albert Mazibuko can’t reveal the specifics of the South African a cappella singers’ studio stops on their current tour, he’s excited to share their latest collaborations once they’re ready. Photo courtesy of Ladysmith Black Mambazo

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Ladysmith Black Mambazo plays two nights at Diana Wortham Theatre

MOUNTAINX.COM

music. So, it was giving them hope and energy [to] carry on.”

Other than Asheville, Phoenix and Berkeley are the only cities on this winter’s tour where Ladysmith Black Mambazo will play back-to-back nights.

Mazibuko says the group knew one show wouldn’t be sufficient in those cities. The musicians approach the performances as if the first show’s audience will return the next evening, and it’s clear that many in the crowd do just that.

“At the show, there is a song where we involve the audience, so ... when [we] engage them in that particular time, we see it on the second show that they’ve been here the last day,” Mazibuko says.

“It’s very encouraging.”

He continues, “It feels like we have made a friend yesterday, like when you are meeting someone and then you say, ‘I’m going to meet my friend again the next day.’ It’s a wonderful feeling because we are looking forward to that. It is more comfortable than it was, because when we met for the first time, there was that kind of being tense, but the second date, you are more relaxed.”

The concept of encores also factors into Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s 2016

album Walking in the Footsteps of Our Fathers, the group’s first studio recording in five years. While most of the 15 tracks are new, the musicians also revisited Graceland’s “Homeless” and “Diamonds on the Soles Of Her Shoes.” The 30th anniversary of Simon’s album and the ensemble’s annual U.S. tours sparked questions among the musicians regarding their sustained popularity abroad.

They’re continually amazed and grateful for the dedication of their fans.

“So, that’s what inspires us — [the music is] something that we should revisit and then look at it and then experience it and then see how can we do it. Maybe we will do it better this time with the fresh voices, especially the next generation of Ladysmith Black Mambazo,” Mazibuko says. Group founder Joseph Shabalala’s sons and grandsons are now members. “They want to experience [what] was it like when [we] were in the studio recording these songs. We said, ‘OK, we are going to give you this opportunity.’ So, that’s why the title says you are Walking in the Footsteps of Our Fathers, because it speaks of the next generation.” For these efforts, the album was nominated for a Grammy in the Best

World Music Album category (Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble’s Sing Me Home won.)

Of the Simon songs, Mazibuko says, “Those two, I call them the big stars in the dark skies. So when you are looking at the stars, you can see those. Those songs, they are a great mark of the group’s success. You cannot leave it out even when you are performing. People will say, ‘Oh, you didn’t sing these,’ so we make sure every time when we sing. If we are given to sing one song, we choose one of the two.” X

WHO Ladysmith Black Mambazo WHERE Diana Wortham Theatre dwtheatre.com WHEN Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28 $45 adults/$40 students/$20 children

A&E

by Erika Williams

ewillia6@unca.edu

SONIC EXPORT

Asheville-based ‘Echo Sessions’ joins UNC-TV programming

Where Adult Dreams Come True

CAPTURING HISTORY: The IamAVL team records an “Echo Session” — live music programming in a studio setting. The series, previously available through IamAVL’s website, now also airs on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Channel. Photo by David Simchock Sounds of Asheville now resonate into homes across the state with Independent Arts and Music of Asheville’s new UNC-TV series.

Scott Reese and Josh Blake founded Independent Arts and Music of Asheville, aka IamAVL, about five years ago. Their aim was to capture Asheville’s vibrant music scene through a community-based web channel that could live-stream shows from local venues and archive footage.

The web channel is alive and well, with an average of about 50,000 viewers per month. But IamAVL hopes to up that number to a million viewers per week with its flagship music show, “Echo Sessions,” now appearing on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Channel.

“We’re really proud of this series,” says Marisa Blake, IamAVL’s marketing manager. “The main purpose of it is to provide a unique musical experience by blending the magic of a live performance with the comfort of a studio session.”

IamAVL’s mission is to expand the reach of Asheville’s creative sector, bringing its vibrant art and music community together through episodic audio and video content of what’s happening in the streets, clubs and studios.

Based at Echo Mountain Recording, IamAVL produces in-studio audio and video recordings and its already popular “Echo Sessions” — a combination of interviews and live performances from local and visiting artists. “We wanted to have that aspect of bringing the studio to your home and then putting local acts with national acts on the same platform,” Marisa says. “We love being able to provide a beautiful feel and audio for bands to be able to promote themselves on the road and at home.” The sessions, previously available by live-stream or as edited videos released to the IamAVL website, will now air in 30-minute episodes on the North Carolina Channel every Saturday at 6 p.m. Reruns of each episode will air Saturdays at midnight and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The first episode premiered earlier this month, and the season will continue to showcase musicians like Indigo De Souza (indie-folk), Camp David (indierock), Doc Aquatic (indie-rock), Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (funk), The Filthy Six (jazz), stephaniesid (indiepop), The Nth Power (soul), Cardinal Sons (indie-rock), The Marcus King Band (Southern rock), Max Hatt/Edda Glass (folk and bossa nova), The New MasterSounds (funk) and Colonel Bruce Hampton (rock).

Marisa approached UNC-TV with a pitch for “Echo Sessions” last year, and IamAVL received a license for the series.

However, choosing which musicians to spotlight continues to be a difficult task.

“Because of what we do, we sort of know what’s happening in the music community and who’s touring around a lot,” Marisa says. “We look for people who are actively playing and working at their craft and trying to get their names out there.” Members of the IamAVL team reach out to some musicians, and, many times, the artists approach Marisa or Josh, requesting to be featured.

“We knew Asheville when it was still kind of a sleepy town, and to see it be a place where artists are coming to sort of cultivate their craft more, fine-tune it and make connections, is awesome,” Marisa says. “One day, I hope to see an IamBoulder or an IamSanFrancisco.”

Josh says that through “Echo Sessions,” he hopes to capture a piece of history: “We might just catch the next Bob Dylan.” Though the company did not begin with a television series in mind, IamAVL is continuing its mission by expanding the reach of Asheville’s thriving and eclectic music community.

Learn more at iamavl.com and unctv.org X

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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A&E

by Alli Marshall

amarshall@mountainx.com

EPIC NARRATIVES AND EVERYDAY LIFE Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence and the integration of Black Mountain College Regarded as one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Jacob Lawrence’s modernist paintings depicted “everyday life as well as epic narratives of African-American history and historical figures,” writes the DC Moore Gallery, which represents his work. Lawrence came of age in Harlem just a decade after that neighborhood’s renaissance and gained national recognition for his 1941 Migration Series. He also became, at 24, “the first African-American to be represented by a New York gallery.”

In 1946, he and his wife Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence — also a lifelong artist — came to teach at Black Mountain College.

The college started contemplating racial inclusion in the 1930s and, in the 1940s, began to incorporate African-American culture and history into its programming. Josef Albers, a

German-born artist and faculty member of Black Mountain College (and influence on the Lawrences) was prointegration, but was concerned about the timing. In 1944, he wrote to author Zora Neale Hurston seeking her advice. That year, African-American student Alma Stone Williams was admitted as a “visiting guest” to the summer music institute. The experiment was deemed a success and, the following year, African-American singers Roland Hayes and Carol Brice were invited to the summer session as guest teachers. Sylvesta Martin, who took classes at the 1945 summer institute, was accepted for the college’s fall semester as its first full-time African-American student, according to the Black Mountain Studies Journal, which adds, “The same year that the school admitted Martin, it also hired its first full-time

! y a MX giveaw Find this MX Promo at avl.mx/3et and comment before MIDNIGHT Thursday, Feb. 23 for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see The Vagina Monologues at the Orange Peel

SATURDAY FEB. 25TH @ 8PM THE ORANGE PEEL

Go to avl.mx/3et to enter 38

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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BRAVE NEW SOUTH: Artists Gwendolyn and Jacob Lawrence were among the earlier African-American teachers at Black Mountain College. They were on staff during the 1946 summer institute. Vintage gelatin silver print of the couple at the college by Nancy Newhall, courtesy of Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center African-American faculty member, [biology teacher] Percy H. Baker.”

It was Albers who invited the Lawrences for the 1946 summer session. They were provided with private transportation to shield them from segregation. The Black Mountain Studies Journal reports it was only the couple’s second time in the South, and they didn’t leave the campus during their stay. Interestingly, “in 1947 Fortune Magazine commissioned [Jacob] to do 10 paintings examining postwar conditions in the American South,” according the DC Moore Gallery’s biography of the artist.

A current exhibition at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C. (organized by SCAD Museum of Art with support from the Jacob

and Gwendolyn Knight Lawrence Foundation) provides “a comprehensive overview of ... Jacob Lawrence’s printmaking oeuvre, featuring works produced from 1963 to 2000,” says a press release for the museum. And Black Mountain College + Arts Center is in the process of commissioning work by three contemporary multimedia artists for a 2018 exhibition.

Those artists “have committed to create sound, video and animation pieces as a response to Lawrence’s work, the distinctive landscape of Black Mountain College at Lake Eden, and other visual materials,” reads a detail of the forthcoming Between Form and Content: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Jacob Lawrence and Black Mountain College. X

SMART BETS

A&E

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

Lowland Hum Scott Kelly Musician Scott Kelly has an extensive resume. He’s been on the metal music scene since 1985, as vocalist and guitarist of Neurosis and his own solo venture, as well as contributing to other metal projects, including Tribes of Neurot, Blood and Time and even guest performances on several Mastodon albums. He was also active in the world of radio, first as owner of his own internet station and then as host of a monthly show on Scion AV. As if that weren’t enough, Kelly is also co-owner of Neurot Recordings. The busy musician will embark on a solo acoustic tour this month with accompaniment by John Judkins of Southern metal band Rwake. Joe Buck Yourself and Nate Hall of USX open the show at The Odditorium on Friday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. $12. ashevilleodditorium. com. Photo courtesy of Kelly

Husband-and-wife duo Daniel and Lauren Goans form the indie-folk outfit Lowland Hum. Lauren offered harmonies to Daniel’s solo projects before Lowland Hum was officially formed following their marriage in 2011. The couple, who write, arrange and produce all their own music, released their third full-length album, Thin, this month.

“We wanted this album to walk the razor’s edge, to be defined by the limitation of what we could do just the two of us,” say the Goanses. “It is the most complete collaboration we’ve experienced to date.” It’s an album of clear, unfettered vocals and simple acoustics that results in a sound akin to a quiet poetry reading. Lowland Hum performs at The Grey Eagle on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m. $12/$15. thegreyeagle.com. Photo by Eric Kelley

The Vagina Monologues When Eve Ensler first performed The Vagina Monologues in 1996, it offered an unparalleled, uncensored glimpse into the female experience. Allison Taylor stages an Asheville-based production of the play in an annual charitable event that brings awareness and assistance to local and national anti-violence groups.

Ninety percent of this year’s proceeds will benefit Helpmate of Asheville and the remaining 10 percent goes to The Vagina Monologues’ own V-Day Foundation. “Over the past four years, we’ve raised more than $18,000 for local women’s shelters, and we want to continue the momentum,” says Taylor. “This is especially important this year as we see leadership in our own country presenting a total lack of respect for decency toward women.” The benefit production takes place at The Orange Peel on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 8 p.m. $25/$35. $15/$20 students. theorangepeel.net. Photo

by Capturing WNC Photography

WORD! Honoring Black History David Joe Miller’s monthly WORD! performances combine the storytelling and spoken word talents of some of the region’s most notable performers. For Black History Month, Miller gathered a crew of renowned African-American tellers. “Each one of these artists bring heart and soul to the stage,” says Miller. “They share their emotions and invite the listeners in for a ‘word journey’ filled with love and humor, struggles and triumph.” Performers at WORD! Honoring Black History will include Moth Story Slam favorite Raymond Christian, the Asheville Storytelling Circle’s former president, Roy Harris, performance poets Elizabeth Meade and Jasmine Henderson, and local vocalist Rhoda Weaver. Hosted in conjunction with The Friends of the Buncombe County Library, WORD! takes place at the Pack Memorial Library auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. Free. avl.mx/3dx. Pictured clockwise from top left, Christian, Meade, Henderson and Harris. Photos courtesy of David Joe Miller

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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by Abigail Griffin

FRAME + FORM: The first of its kind in Asheville, the two-day Frame + Form Screen Dance Festival at the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center highlights dance that is created specifically for film and video. The festival begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, with a screening of the 1986 documentary Points in Space. The second half of the program is a collection of international contemporary short dance films, curated by Sara Baird and Constance Humphries of The Media Arts Project. On Saturday, Feb. 25, from 1-5 p.m., a hands-on video/movement workshop will offer participants the opportunity to create original movement, capture it on video and be involved in a live editing process. For more information, visit blackmountaincollege.org. Still from Saeta: The Mourning, directed by Rosamaria E. Kostic Cisneros, courtesy of The Media Arts Project

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ART ART AT WCU 227-2787, bardoartscenter.edu • TH (2/23), 2-4pm- Cobweb broom workshop.

Free. Held in the Mountain Heritage Center FRAME + FORM SCREEN DANCE FESTIVAL blackmountaincollege.org • FR (2/24), 7pm - Film screening including Points in Space and a collection of international contemporary shorts. $15. Held at Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 56 Broadway • SA (2/25), 1-5pm - Screen dance workshop facilitated by Sara Baird and Constance Humphries.

Registration required. $40. Held at Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 56 Broadway

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS ART COUNCIL OF HENDERSON COUNTY 693-8504, acofhc.org/art-on-main.html • Through (5/1) - Artist applications accepted for the 58th annual Art on Main fine art and fine craft festival in downtown Hendersonville. Visit website for full guidelines: acofhc.org.

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ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 1 Page Ave., 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through MO (5/15) - Applications accepted for the 2017 Professional Development Grant for Artists. Contact for full guidelines.

• Through (4/15) - Proposals accepted for solo and group exhibitions at AAAC's galleries. Contact for full guidelines.

FOLKMOOT USA 452-2997, folkmootusa.org • Through TU (3/14) - Submissions accepted for vendors for the 2017 Folkmoot Festival, Many Cultures Children’s Carnival and International Festival Day. Visit website for full guidelines.

MONTFORD PARK PLAYERS 254-5146, montfordparkplayers.org • Through WE (3/1) - Open call for directors and technical staff. Contact for full guidelines.

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY 342 Mountain Industrial Drive, Brevard, 883-2337 • Through TU (2/28) - Local artist proposals accepted for brewery mural project. Contact for guidelines: goo.gl/lWjOhn. POTTERY ON MAIN ThePotterySaluda.com • Through WE (3/1) - Pottery submissions accepted for the 2017 Cup Show. See website for guidelines: ThePotterySaluda.com. Held at The Pottery, 40 E. Main St., Saluda SALUDA ARTS FESTIVAL 817-2876, saluda.com/events_artfestival.html • Through FR (3/17) - Vendor and performer applications accepted for the Saluda Arts Festival scheduled for Saturday, May 20.

MUSIC AMICIMUSIC 802-369-0856, amicimusic.org • FR (2/24), 8pm - "French Four-Hand Frolic," fourhand piano program featuring French composers

from the turn of the 20th century. $20/$15 church members/Free for children. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St. • SA (2/25), 7:30pm - "French Four-Hand Frolic," four-hand piano program featuring French composers from the turn of the 20th century. $20/Free for children. Held at Freeburg Pianos, 2314 Asheville Highway, Suite D, Hendersonville DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SA (2/25), 8pm - Solas, Celtic/Americana/folk. $32/$27 student/$20 children.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE DOWNTOWN 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville, 693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS until (2/26) - The Music of the Beatles. Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $15-$30.

HENDERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY 905 S. Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, 692-6424, myhcdp.com • 2nd & 4th WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - "Strings and Things," folk pop music jam. Free.

MUSIC AT ASU appstate.edu • SA (2/25), Lake Street Dive, pop/classic/R&B. Held at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. $30/$20 students and children.

MUSIC AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • FR (2/24), 7:30pm - Wind Symphony concert.

Free. Held in Moore Auditorium • SA (2/25), 7:30pm - Jazz Ensemble concert. Free.

Held in Moore Auditorium

GALLERY DIRECTORY • SU (2/26), 2pm - Low Brass Retreat finale concert. Free. Held in Moore Auditorium MUSIC AT UNCA 251-6432, unca.edu • FR (2/24), 3pm - "Chamber Music Chat” with Pan Harmonia. Free. Held in the Reuter Center MUSIC AT WCU 227-2479, bardoartscenter.edu • FR (2/24), 7:30pm - Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, bluegrass. $24/$8 students & children.

Held in the Bardo Fine Arts Center THE BREVARD PHILHARMONIC • SU (2/26), 3pm - "Brahms and Rachmaninoff," concert with pianist Joyce Yang. $35. Held in the Brevard College, Porter Center

THEATER DIFFERENT STROKES PERFORMING ARTS COLLECTIVE 275-2093, differentstrokespac.org • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (2/25), 7:30pm - The Submission. $21/18 advance. Held at BeBe Theatre, 20 Commerce St. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (3/5) - The Foreigner, comedy. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $26/$20 students/$18 youth.

NC STAGE COMPANY 15 Stage Lane, 239-0263 • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (2/26), 7:30pm - Jeeves In Bloom. Wed.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $14-$60.

THE AUTUMN PLAYERS 6861380, www,ashevilletheatre.org, caroldec25@gmail.com • FR (2/24) & SA (2/25), 2:30pm - Bus Stop, readers theater. $6. Held at 35below, 35 E. Walnut St. • SU (2/26), 2:30pm - Bus Stop, readers theater. $6. Held in the Reuter Center at UNC Asheville THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (2/25), 7:30pm - Money and How To Make It! $25/$21 advance.

• THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS (3/2) until (3/25), 7:30pm - Terry Tempest: The Final Interview. $24/$21 advance/Low-priced previews March 2 & 3: $19/$16 advance.

THEATER AT MARS HILL mhu.edu • THURSDAY through SUNDAY (2/23) until (2/26) - Cinderella, produced by MHU Theatre Arts Department. Thurs.-Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $10/$6 children/Free students. Held in Day Hall's Thomas Black Box Theatre THEATER AT UNCA 251-6610, drama.unca.edu • THURSDAY through SATURDAY (3/2) until (3/5) - TheatreUNCA presents The Winter's Tale. Thurs.&Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. $12.

Held in Carol Belk Theatre

AMERICAN FOLK ART AND FRAMING 64 Biltmore Ave., 281-2134, amerifolk.com • Through MO (2/27) - Miniature Show, group exhibition of miniature paintings.

ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through FR (3/10) - Exhibition of textile art by Laura Ball and clay art by Bill Dale.

Held in Weizenblatt Gallery • TH (2/16) through TH (3/9) - Family Vacations I Have Never Taken, exhibition of altered photographs by Lydia See. Held in Weizenblatt Gallery • Through (7/28) - The Fight for Bluff: A Community's Effort to Preserve Its Mountain, student history exhibition. Held in the Ramsey Center.

ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through SU (2/26) - An Expose of Fashion, Black History Month photography exhibition by Micah MacKenzie.

Held in the Highsmith Union Intercultural Center • FR (2/24) through FR (3/7) - Depiction of Material, sculpture by Aaron Gibbons.

Reception: Friday, Feb. 24, 6-8pm. Held in Owen Hall second floor gallery • FR (2/24) through TU (3/28) - 50th Anniversary Juried Student Exhibition, curated by Dan Millspaugh. Reception: Friday, Feb. 24, 6-8pm. Held in Owen Hall's Tucker Cooke Gallery ART AT WCU 227-2787, bardoartscenter.edu • Through (5/5) - Soft Diplomacy: Quilting Cultural Diplomacy, exhibition. Held in the Bardo Center ARTS COUNCIL OF HENDERSON COUNTY 693-8504, acofhc.org • Through FR (2/24) - The Art of Our Children, elementary student exhibition.

Held at First Citizens Bank, 539 N. Main St., Hendersonville ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 251-5796, ashevillegallery-of-art.com • Through TU (2/28) - For the Love of Art, group painting exhibition.

• WE (3/1) through FR (3/31) ARTventure, featuring the work of Sandi Anton and Anne McLaughlin. Reception: Friday, March 3, 5-8pm.

BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/governing/depts/ library • Through TU (2/28) - Exhibition of the art of James Cassara. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • WE (3/1) through FR (3/31) - Exhibition of the art of Peter Olevnik. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road CRUCIBLE GLASSWORKS 60 Clarks Chapel Road, Weaverville, 645-5660, crucibleglassworks.com • Ongoing - Exhibition of the glass work of Michael Hatch.

HAEN GALLERY ASHEVILLE 52 Biltmore Ave., 254-8577, thehaengallery.com • SA (2/25) through FR (3/31) Wintertide, group exhibition. Reception: Saturday, Feb. 25, 5:30-7:30pm.

HICKORY MUSEUM OF ART 243 3rd Ave., NE Hickory, 327-8576 • Through (5/21) - Solitude & Mystery, exhibition featuring works by John Julius Wilnoty.

JUBILEE COMMUNITY CHURCH 46 Wall St., 252-5335, jubileecommunity.org • Through TU (2/28) - Exhibition of paintings by Cecil Bothwell.

ODYSSEY COOPERATIVE ART GALLERY 238 Clingman Ave., 285-9700, facebook.com/odysseycoopgallery • WE (3/1) through FR (3/31) - Exhibition of the ceramic art of Dyann Myers and Libba Tracy.

PUBLIC LECTURES AT UNCA unca.edu • Through FR (4/7) - Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals 1933-1945, exhibition produced by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Held in Ramsey Library SWANNANOA VALLEY FINE ARTS LEAGUE 669-0351, svfalarts.org • Through SU (5/7) - Moonlight Becomes You, members exhibition. Held at Red House Studios and Gallery, 310 W. State St., Black Mountain TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • Through TU (2/28) - Folk Art, juried group exhibition.

TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 859-8323 • Through FR 3/17) - Red-Carpet Artist Of The Year, exhibition.

TRYON FINE ARTS CENTER 34 Melrose Ave., Tryon, 859-8322, tryonarts.org • Through SA (3/4) - Contemporary Modernist, paintings by Eric McRay. UPSTAIRS ARTSPACE 49 S. Trade St., Tryon, 859-2828, upstairsartspace.org • Through WE (3/10) - Tripping the Light Fantastic, exhibiton of the art of Veronika Hart and Dabney Mahanes.

VORTEX DOUGHNUTS 32 Banks Ave #106, 552-3010 • Through TU (2/28) - Doughnut Art Show, exhibition of ceramic and painted doughnuts created by Evergreen elementary students.

WINDOW GALLERY 54 Broadway, windowcontemporary.org • Through TH (5/25) - The Archive of Scarcity, Leah Sandler.

Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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CLUBLAND BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM BYWATER All Them Blossoms, 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Billy Litz (Americana, ragtime), 7:00PM

East Asheville’s Craft Beer Destination • 29 Taps

And

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (gritty ragtime jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN The Lonesome Doves & Esther Rose (country), 8:00PM Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

BREWS

$3.50 DAILY PINTS

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB JJ Hips and the Hideaway (blues), 9:00PM

THIS WEEK at THE CREEK

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Up Jumped Three (jazz trio), 6:00PM

MON Monday Burger + Trivia w/ Ian - 7pm TUE WED THU FRI

Tacos!

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Clay Cook w/ Dean Fields [CANCELLED], 8:00PM

Wings + Open Mic Jam w/ Roots & Friends - 9pm

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Charlotte Berg & Colby Deitz Band, 7:00PM Raviner+Danger Scene w/ American Gonzos & Carolina Wray, 8:30PM

Billy Litz - 8pm

GO WITH THE FLOW: Aerial performances, Soul Train lines, big brass and a heap of soul-flavored funk — Columbus, Ohio’s Mojoflo brings it all and more to the stage. Since releasing their first EP in 2009, the sextet has put out a slew of catchy singles and wowed audiences from the All Good Music Festival to Mardi Gras in New Orleans an the Kentucky Derby. Mojoflo brings their energetic, raucous live set to Asheville’s Salvage Station Friday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. Photo courtesy of the band

Byrdie & The Mutts - 8pm

SAT

$6 Pulled Pork Sandwich/Plate

SUN

Sunday Nachos

$5 Piglet Menu (12 & under)

We Cater On & Off Site!

Events of all sizes!

Office Lunch • Birthdays Weddings Rehersal Dinners

Call us to book your next Party!

Parties of 10+, please call ahead

42

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Sounds of the South w/ Savannah Smith & The Southern Soul, 7:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BOILER ROOM Live Local Acoustic series w/ Chad Ray, Jason Taylor, Ben Phan, Abe Anderson & Michelle Leigh, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM

BYWATER Billy Cardine's Winter Composition Series, 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Open mic jam w/ Riyen Roots & friends, 7:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Wayland w/ Jeff Santiago & Hard Rocket (acoustic, rock), 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ The Way Down Wanderers, 7:00PM Hey Monea w/ Paul Pfau, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 6:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING King Garbage, 8:00PM PULP 8 Vacant Graves w/ Built On The Ruins & From The Fall (metal, rock), 9:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR 3 Cool Cats (50s & 60s vintage rock, swing), 7:00PM SALVAGE STATION R&B Wednesday Jam Night w/ Ryan "RnB" Barber & friends, 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Wednesday Hemp Day w/ Chalwa (reggae), 6:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Hick Child Soup (Americana), 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Thelma and the Sleaze w/ No Ways & Kitty Tsunami (rock 'n' roll), 9:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (international soul, R&B), 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM

THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Foreigner (rock, pop), 6:30PM

ODDITORIUM The Running Club w/ members of the Tills (rock), 9:00PM

TOWN PUMP Open Mic w/ Billy Presnell, 9:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Bill Bares Wednesday Jazz, 7:30PM WILD WING CAFE Jason Whittaker (acoustic), 8:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Paint Nite "Teal Tree in the Moonlight", 7:00PM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 185 KING STREET The Blue-Eyed Bettys (Americana, folk, bluegrass), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Mountain Feist & Bluegrass jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia Night, 6:30PM ONE WORLD BREWING Roots & Dore, 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Eric Congdon (world music, Americana), 6:00PM PULP Blackout Diaries w/ Clifton Hall, 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY David Simcock Photography Exhibit, 5:30PM February Thursday Residency w/ The Big Deal Band (old-time, bluegrass), 6:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Movement (reggae), 9:00PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Michael Wilson Knowles (singer-songwriter), 7:30PM

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

RUTH'S CHRIS STEAKHOUSE Ladies Night , 4:30PM

BEN'S TUNE-UP Brews n' Blues w/ The Cris Coleman Blues Experience, 7:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Momma Molasses (Americana), 7:00PM

TOWN PUMP Gracie Lane (folk, country), 9:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Spin Sessions w/ DJ Stylus, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Unite! Open mic night (sign up @ 7 p.m.), 7:30PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24 185 KING STREET Dangerous Gentlemens Birthday Bash, 8:00PM

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

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Digs (funk, soul, jazz), 9:00PM

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Ben Shuster (acoustic), 6:30PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Daniel Bachman w/ House & Land (avant-garde, guitar), 9:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/ Billy Litz, 8:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE LazyPretty, 9:00PM

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Modern Day Society (rock), 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Grateful Dead night w/ Phuncle Sam, 8:30PM

The

Sustainability CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2017

Series

Every week in April

2.23 9 PM

The Movement

AMH

(Reggae) adv. $10

TRAVERS BROTHERSHIP 2.24 9 PM

AMH

The Mammoths

ONE STOP

(Rock/Funk) adv. $7

w/ Maradeen

The Digs

(Blues/Rock) Ca$h Donations

Disco Funk Soul Dance Party

UNIVERSAL SIGH

2.24 10PM FREE!

2.25 9 PM

AMH

2.25 10PM

ONE STOP

(Rock) Ca$h Donations MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

43

Ben's

CLU B LA N D ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Zomes Asa Osborne & Hanna Olivegren, 7:30PM

Tune Into The Tune-Up's Local Music Scene

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Travers Brothership w/ Maradeen (rock, funk), 9:00PM

February's Weekly Lineup SOULFUL TUNES: TUES 7-10 PM RHODA WEAVER: ECLECTIC SOULFUL SOUNDS SOUNDS OF THE SOUTH: WEDS 7-10 PM SAVANNAH SMITH & THE SOUTHERN SOUL BREWS N' BLUES: THURS 7-10 PM THE CRIS COLEMAN BLUES EXPERIENCE LIVE MASHUP: FRI 6-9 PM IGGY RADIO: ONE MAN BAND VINYL NIGHT: FRI 10:30 PM - 1:30 AM WITH DJ KILBY GYPSY JAZZ: SAT 3-6 PM GYPSY GUITAR TRIO: INSTUMENTAL JAZZ FUNKY DANCE PARTY: SAT 10 PM - 1 AM THE WILDCARD: FUNK FUSION GOOD VIBE REGGAE: SUN 6-11 PM THE DUB KARTEL: ROOTS/ ROCK /REGGAE

195 Hilliard Ave Asheville Nc

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

Try eals On Your F t ea D avorite Food & Drink! r G

FRI. 2/24 DJ MoTo

(dance hits, pop)

SAT. 2/25 Flashback

(classic rock)

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm CAJUN TWO STEPPIN’ TUESDAYS Every Tuesday in Feb. • 7pm Gumbo, Po Boys and more!

WEDNESDAYS Asheville’s Original Old Time Mountain Music Jam • 5pm THURSDAYS Mountain Feist • 7pm Bluegrass Jam • 9:30pm Bourbon Specials

FRI CAROLINA CATSKINS 2/24 9PM / $5 SAT 2/25

SAT 2/25

THE WOOKS

REAL KENTUCKY RHYTHM & BLUEGRASS 9PM / $7

THE JONNY MONSTER BAND

HIGH ENERGY AGGRESSIVE GUITAR STYLE 9PM / $5

IRISH SUNDAYS Irish Food and Drink Specials Traditional Irish Music Session • 3-9pm OPEN MON-THURS AT 3 • FRI-SUN AT NOON CRAFT BEER, SPIRITS & QUALITY PUB FARE SINCE 1996

20 S. Spruce St. • 225.6944 packStavern.com 44

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville

252.5445 • jackofthewood.com

BEN'S TUNE-UP Live Mashup w/ Iggy Radio, 6:00PM Vinyl night w/ DJ Kilby, 10:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BYWATER Tom Waits 4 No Man (Tom Waits tribute), 8:00PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Modern Measure & ProJect Aspect (jamtronica, livetronica), 9:00PM ODDITORIUM Scott Kelly of Neurosis, Nate Hall & Joe Buck Yourself (metal, rock), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM The Mammoths (blues, rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Bull Moose Party, 9:00PM

CLUB ELEVEN ON GROVE Hot Bachata Nights (salsa dance), 9:30PM

ORANGE PEEL Nevermind (Nirvana tribute), 9:00PM

CORK & KEG One Leg Up (Gypsy jazz, Latin, swing), 8:30PM

OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Earleine (Americana), 6:00PM

CROW & QUILL The Balismen (Gypsy jazz), 9:00PM

PACK'S TAVERN DJ MoTo (dance, pop hits), 9:30PM

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

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Holy Ghost Tent Revival w/ The Go Rounds (Americana), 9:00PM

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

SALVAGE STATION MojoFlo w/ Electric Soul Pandemic, 9:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB The Chuck Lichtenberger Collective (jazz, funk), 10:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Carver & Carmody (Americana), 8:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Father Misty & The Big Rock (blues, folk), 6:00PM

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

GOOD STUFF The Hultman Swingin'/Cowboy/ Blues Show, 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN That 1 Guy (experimental, funk, jazz), 9:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Grand Opening Beer Release, 5:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Positive Mental Attitude (reggae), 7:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening Eric Taylor, 7:00PM The Gibson Brothers CD release celebration, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Carolina Catskins (ragtime, jazz), 9:00PM K LOUNGE DJ Phantom Pantone (Korean pop, trap, dance), 10:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Rock 'n' Soul DJ, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Calico Moon, 6:30PM

TOWN PUMP Riverbend Reunion (Southern rock), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES The Asheville All Star Jam (blues, soul(, 10:00PM TWISTED LAUREL Request-powered dance party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Kat Williams Birthday Bash, 8:30PM WILD WING CAFE Cody Siniard Duo (acoustic), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH A Social Function (acoustic), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Electric w/ Ben Hovey, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25 185 KING STREET The Honeycutters (country, roots), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Maureen Renihan Duo (jazz), 6:00PM Lyric (acoustic soul), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Vintage Vinyl 2.0, 8:00PM

ALTAMONT THEATRE An evning w/ Penny & Sparrow (folk), 8:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Gabe Smiley (rock, folk), 7:30PM Soul Friday Dance Party w/ Cousin TL (Big Brothers Big Sisters benefit), 10:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Jackson Emmer & Swing State Ramblers Texas Swing, 7:30PM

THE DUGOUT FineLine, 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Circus Mutt & friends (rock, jazz, bluegrass), 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Joshua Carpenter w/ Schooner & Shelles (rock), 9:30PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL The Undergrowth & Sol Vibes Multi-Genre Showcase, 9:00PM THE WCU BARDO ARTS CENTER Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, 7:30PM

LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE Tina Collins (folk, bluegrass), 8:00PM

THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Arlo Guthrie & the Running Down The Road Tour (folk), 8:00PM

LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Bill & Fish, 8:00PM

TIGER MOUNTAIN Friday Nite Mash Up w/ B-Boy Evan & Nex Millen, 10:00PM

MARS HILL RADIO THEATRE Hip Hop Night w/ DJ Besbleve, 7:00PM

TIMO'S HOUSE Bumpin' In The BASSment! Vol. 3, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL The Digs (disco, soul, dance party), 9:00PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Gypsy Jazz w/ Gypsy Guitar Trio, 3:00PM Funky Dance Party w/ The Wildcard, 10:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Billy Presnell (Americana), 7:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ben Phan (indie, folk, singersongwriter), 7:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Fin Dog (bluegrass, folk, ragtime), 7:00PM CORK & KEG Hotdish (old-time), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Tinderbox Family Circus w/ Skunk Ruckus (circus, swamp rock), 10:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Solas (celtic), 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter w/ DJ Big Smidge (50's/60's R&B, rock 'n' roll), 10:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Chapter: SOUL (funk), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY The Bird & The Bear (folk, Americana), 6:00PM GOOD STUFF Laura Thurston (singer-songwriter), 8:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Nikki Lane w/ Brent Cobb & Jonathan Tyler (outlaw country, Americana), 8:00PM

Feb. 28th • 6pm

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Jane Kramer w/ Eliza Sydney, 7:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dave Desmelik Trio (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL The Sweet Lillies, 7:00PM Empire Strikes Brass Mardi Gras & CD release celebration, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Wooks (bluegrass, mountain music, rock), 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio (jazz), 6:30PM NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER The Nude Party (rock 'n' roll), 9:00PM NO LOCATION Lake Street Dive, 7:00PM ODDITORIUM Bardus, Grizzlor & Horseflesh (metal), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Universal Sigh (rock), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Free Dance Party w/ Marley Carroll & Brandon Audette, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL The Vagina Monologues, 8:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Swamp Rabbit Railroad (folk), 6:00PM PACK MEMORIAL LIBRARY WORD! Black History Month w/ Raymond Christian, Roy Harris, Elizabeth Meade, Jasmine Henderson & Rhoda Weaver (storytelling), 2:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Flashback (classic rock), 9:30PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Mènage à Swing (swing), 8:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Gruda Tree (blues, jam), 8:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Sally & George (Americana), 8:00PM SALVAGE STATION Perpetual Groove, 9:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM Calvin Get Down (funk, soul), 8:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Conscious Comedy Night w/ Justin Blackburn, 7:00PM Free salsa dance lesson w/ Zumbao Dance Company, 9:00PM Latin Rhythms & Salsa with DJ Malinalli, 10:00PM THE DUGOUT Awake in the Dream, 9:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Brother West, 8:00PM

COMING SOON wed 2/22

7:00PM–THE WAY DOWN WANDERERS

8:30PM–HEY MONEA WITH GUEST PAUL PFAU thu 2/23

7:00PM–CHARLOTTE BERG AND COLBY DEITZ BAND 8:30PM–RAVINER + DANGER WITH AMERICAN GONZOS AND CAROLINA RAY

• Music by Pendulum Jazz Trio • Bourbon Street Cocktails • Pop up Low Country Boil by Whispersholler Farms, LLC • Masquerade selfies with Spotted Dog Photography Photo Booth • Door Prizes, beads, and more!

Brought to you by

Cascade Lounge

FRI 2/24

AVLFOODPARK.COM

9:00PM–THE GIBSON BROTHERS CD RELEASE CELEBRATION

EDNA’S CAFE & COFFEEHOUSE OPEN 7AM-5:30PM

7:00PM–ERIC TAYLOR

CASCADE LOUNGE: 2PM-1AM

sat 2/25

7:00PM–THE SWEET LILLIES

9:00PM–EMPIRE STRIKES BRASS MARDI GRAS & CD RELEASE CELEBRATION sun 2/26

5:30PM–REBECCA LOEBE & LUKE JACKSON 7:30PM–PAGE BROTHERS: BUMPIN’ ON HAYWOOD, A SALUTE TO WES MONTGOMERY tue 2/28

7:00PM–THANYA IYER CD LAUNCH

7:30PM–TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 3/01

7:00PM–DANIKA HOLMES FEAT. JEB HART

8:30PM–AMY RAY (INDIGO GIRLS) thu 3/02 7:30PM–MERLEFEST ON THE ROAD

THU - 2/23 • 7PM DAVE DESMELIK SCOOTER HAYWOOD, GEORGE TERRY (FOLK)

FRI - 2/24 • 8PM WENDY LOOMIS (JAZZ)

SAT - 2/25 • 9PM SIRIUS B. MARDI GRAS PARTY (FUNK)

Expires 2-28-17

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

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

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

45

CLU B LA N D

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com

THE MOTHLIGHT Hotline w/ Axxa Abraxas & Quincy Winston (indie, soul, neopop), 9:00PM THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL ZODIAC w/ Brightside, Ives, Digital D & Tenorless (EDM), 9:00PM

TOWN PUMP The Band J4 (alt. country), 9:00PM

MARS HILL RADIO THEATRE StreetNation, 2:00PM

WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Vintage (classic rock), 9:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Live w/ Naked Scholar, 8:00PM

Sat•Feb 25 Dave Desmelik Trio 7-9pm Mon•Feb 27 Game Night 4-8pm $3 year round & seasonals

Fri•Mar 3 Daycation IPA Release Party 4-9pm w/music by Woody Pines 7-9pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 185 KING STREET Sunday Sessions open jam, 12:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Ben Hovey & Ryan Oslance Duo (groove jazz), 7:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An evening w/ Boy Named Banjo (country), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Guitar Bar Jam, 3:30PM BEN'S TUNE-UP Good Vibe Reggae w/ The Dub Kartel, 6:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars (Americana, blues, roots), 7:00PM BURIAL BEER CO. The Digs (funk), 12:30PM L.E.A.F Teaching Artists: Imhotep & Adama Dembele, 3:30PM Bill Bares Trio (jazz), 4:30PM BYWATER Grateful Sunday (Grateful Dead covers), 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Lowland Hum (folk), 8:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Acoustic Sundays, 4:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt, 1:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Rebecca Loebe & Luke Jackson, 5:30PM “Bumping on Haywood, a salute to Wes Montgomery” w/ Page Brothers, 7:30PM

46

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

LOBSTER TRAP Cigar Brothers, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Gypsy Jazz Brunch w/ Leo Johnson, 12:00PM

TWISTED LAUREL Dance Party w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:30PM

Fri•Feb 24 PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) 7-9pm

LAZY DIAMOND PBR Punk Party w/ Burning Itch, DJ Homeless Plumber, 10:00PM

THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Ultra Lounge w/ Phantom Pantone, 10:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Lenny Pettinelli & Ruby Mayfield (live music), 7:30PM Free Flow (funk, soul), 10:00PM

Thu•Feb 23 Girl Scout Cookie & Beer Pairing 4-8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Irish session, 5:00PM

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass brunch w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood, 11:00AM ORANGE PEEL Cherub & The Floozies w/ Freddy Todd (livetronica), 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Asheville Mardi Gras Queen's Ball w/ Tuesday Night Funk Jam, Asheville Second Line, Wicked Geishas & Vendetta Creme & Barbie Angell, 5:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Travers Jam w/ Shane Pruitt, 6:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Country karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Songwriter's "open mic", 7:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open mic night (music & comedy), 6:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo, 7:00PM Open Mic Night, 9:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller & Friends (bluegrass), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Democracy For Sale (film screening), 7:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio, 8:00PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Holy Ghost Tent Revival (folk, rock, blues), 7:00PM

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Trivial trivia w/ Geoffrey & Brody, 8:00PM

SALVAGE STATION Open Mic Night w/ The Wet Doorknobs, 7:00PM

THE MOTHLIGHT Louie Louie w/ Brucemont & Impossible Vacation (rock 'n' roll), 9:00PM

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY BlueSunday w/Garry Segal & special guests, 5:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE WNC Solidarity Concert Series w/ Jason DeCristofaro, Richard Shulman Quartet & Dan Keller Quartet, 3:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Phantom Pantone (French pop, disco house), 9:30PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN AmiciMusic (classical), 3:00PM

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27

THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM THE SOCIAL LOUNGE Karaoke, 8:00PM

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Mountain Shag Club (shag music, dancing), 7:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM

185 KING STREET Open Mic Night w/ Chris Whitmire, 6:00PM

BEN'S TUNE-UP Soulful Tunes w/ Rhoda Wader, 7:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Siamese Jazz Club (soul, R&B, jazz), 8:00PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia Night, 7:30PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR AGB Classical Guitar Mondays, 7:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Kirk McKay, 7:00PM

BURIAL BEER CO. Lunas Gras w/ Unihorn Brass Band, 6:00PM

BONFIRE BARBECUE Thunder karaoke w/ Jason Tarr, 8:00PM

BYWATER Open mic, 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Trivia night, 7:00PM

BURIAL BEER CO. Ben Colvin Quartet (funk, jazz), 5:00PM Asheville Second Line, 7:00PM All Star Funk Band, 7:30PM

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 8:00PM

BYWATER Spin Jam (local DJs and firespinning), 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Cajun Two-Steppin' Tuesdays w/ Creole & In The Way, 7:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown (folk, singer-songwriter), 6:30PM MARKET PLACE Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 6:30PM

2/26 2/27

OPEN MIC NIGHT / MUSIC + COMEDY

2/28

BORN TO RAMBLE TOUR W/ JONNY FRITZ

3/1 3/2 3/3

LOW L A N D HUM

Margo Price

7PM DOORS 7PM DOORS

NIKKI LANE

HIGHWAY QUEEN TOUR W/ BRENT COBB & JONATHAN TYLER

7PM DOORS

THAT 1 GUY

8PM DOORS

(UNPLUGGED) W/ JEFF SANTIAGO AND HARD ROCKET

5PM DOORS

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Thanya Iyer CD launch, 7:00PM Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Darren Nicholson Band, 7:30PM

WAYLAND

7PM DOORS

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM

39 S. Market St., Downtown Asheville

2/25

MON

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Margo Price w/ Jonny Fritz (outlaw country, Americana, honky-tonk), 8:00PM

NEW! Soul Friday Dance Party! theblockoffbiltmore.com 10p-2a, $5

2/24

TUE

GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM

WED

DOUBLE CROWN Honky-tonk, Western & Cajun night w/ DJ Brody Douglas Hunt, 10:00PM

FRI

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Ladysmith Black Mambazo, 8:00PM

2/22

SUN

CROW & QUILL Boogie Woogie Burger Night (burgers & rock n' roll), 9:00PM

SAT

CORK & KEG Cafe Sho (Cajun two-steps, waltz), 8:00PM

AGENT ORANGE, GUTTERMOUTH, & THE QUEERS JOSEPH JULIAN LAGE & CHRIS ELDRIDGE OPEN MIC MONDAYS AT 6PM

ODDITORIUM Free open mic comedy night w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 11:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesdays, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Beats & Brews w/ DJ Whistleblower, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Ben Folds & a piano w/ Sarah Jarosz (rock, power pop, jazz fusion), 8:00PM PILLAR ROOFTOP BAR Tuesday blues dance w/ The Remedy (blues), 7:30PM

2/22 wed thelma and the sleaze

SALVAGE STATION 1st Annual Asheville Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday Celebration, 7:30PM

2/23

thu

2/24

fri

2/25

sat

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Jazz-n-Justice Benefit Tuesday w/ Swing Asheville & The House Hoppers (dances @ 7 & 8 p.m.), 9:00PM Late Night Blues Dance, 11:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Open jam w/ Rob Parks & Chuck Knott, 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT The Pop Up Music Co-Op (musician showcase), 8:00PM TOWN PUMP Elle Carpenter (folk, rock), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Jazz & Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM TWIN LEAF BREWERY Twin Leaf Trivia Tuesday, 8:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM WILD WING CAFE Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition with The Cole Mountain Cloggers, 6:00PM

w/no ways, kitty tsunami

daniel bachman

w/ house & land

joshua carpenter

w/ schooner, shelles

hotline

w/ axxa abraxas, quincy winston

2/27

mon

louie louie

w/brucemont, impossible vacation

2/28

tue

free!

the pop up music co-op

Woodpecker Pie

Savory and Sweet Hand Pies!

5pm to last call

Yoga at the Mothlight

Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 11:30am Details for all shows can be found at

themothlight.com

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

47

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS

BY SCOTT DOUGLAS & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH = H PICK OF THE WEEK H

The 2017 Academy Award nominees for Best Documentary Short showcase resiliency in the face of adversity with films like The White Helmets

The 2017 Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films HHHH

DIRECTOR: Various

of nominees, this year’s contenders for the Best Documentary Short Oscar are exceptionally strong.

PLAYERS: Various SHORT DOCUMENTARY COMPILATION RATED NR THE STORY: This year’s nominees in consideration for the Best Documentary Short Academy Award.

THE LOWDOWN: A largely political — and predominantly bleak — group

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The five documentary shorts vying for this year’s Oscar are a powerfully moving collection of films on some very weighty topics — and they’re almost uniformly depressing. That being said, their social significance and to-the-minute topicality make them more or less required viewing. Just be forewarned that, in spite of the high

level of technical proficiency they all boast, these films are not a fun watch. Three deal with the ongoing Syrian conflict, one focuses on the plight of doctors dealing with dying patients in an American ICU and the one film of the five that could be considered “uplifting” is still basically about the Holocaust. In short, probably not a good date night at the movies.

Program A (Running time: 72 minutes)

M A X R AT I N G Extremis. Director: Dan Krauss.

Country: USA. 24 min. Krauss’ brief film is relatable in some very uncomfortable ways, following Dr. Jessica Zitter as she walks families through the difficult decisions confronting them when their loved ones are faced death in a modern hospital. The option to keep patients alive indefinitely is a relatively modern problem, but the varying responses faced by Zitter are timeless. The conflicts inherent to the issue are personalized in an engaging way, as Krauss shows Zitter confronted by not only the families of her patients but also fellow doctors as she remains (mostly) composed while struggling to present the facts as even-handedly as possible. It probably won’t take this year’s award, but Extremis is a fascinating look behind the curtain of the burden shouldered by medical professionals on a daily basis.

4.1 Miles. Director: Daphne Matziaraki. Country: USA-Greece.

22 min. While the similarities with feature length doc Fire at Sea (also nominated for an Oscar this year) are hard to overlook, 4.1 Miles is its own beast. The first of this year’s short docs to deal with the Syrian immigration crisis, 4.1 Miles takes its title from the distance between Turkey and the Greek island of Lesbos over treacherous open ocean, a popular route for unscrupulous smugglers to sneak Syrian refugees into Greece.

Matziaraki’s film focuses exclusively on Greek Coast Guard captain Kyriakos Papadopoulos as he makes trip after trip pulling dozens of refugees out of the icy Aegean waters, many of them children on the verge of death. The unflinching, fly-on-the wall immediacy of Matziaraki’s camera only adds to the unnerving tension of her subject, and the lack of sermonizing leaves the audience with some tough questions to confront.

This one is also unlikely to win, but not for lack of a riveting subject.

Joe’s Violin. Director: Kahane Cooperman. Country: USA. 24 min.

This is the closest thing to an upbeat film among this year’s nominees, and its saccharinity makes it oddly obtrusive in the context of its com-

petition. Former Daily Show EP Cooperman traces the story of a Holocaust survivor whose beloved violin was donated to a public radio instrument drive, from there making its way into the hands of a young girl in one of the most economically underprivileged congressional districts in the nation. While the premise is indeed heartwarming, the execution is a bit too self-congratulatory and lacking in substance. It might be my least favorite of this year’s films, which means it probably has a good chance of winning.

Program B (Running time: 82 minutes) Watani: My Homeland. Director: Marcel Mettelsiefen. Country: UK. 39 min. The second film covering the Syrian Civil War, director Mettelsiefen’s film follows a family displaced from Aleppo after their patriarch, a fighter with the Free Syrian Army is captured by Daesh (ISIS) and presumed dead.

Mettelsiefen follows the family for close to three years as they immigrate to a small town in Germany and begin a new life. As an emotional portrait of the psychological turmoil inherent to civilians displaced by armed conflict and children raised under the specter of war, I can’t think of many films that rival Watani for its sheer impact — a natural outgrowth of seeing the resiliency of three young siblings forced to grow up under nearly impossible circumstances embraced by their new homeland.

The White Helmets. Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Country: USA. 41 min. To my mind the most accomplished technical work in contention, The White Helmets showcases the titular Nobel Prize nominated group of Syrian civilian first responders saving lives at the risk of their own. Von Einsiedel gets in the middle of the action before following his subjects to a training camp in Turkey, where their heroic nature is challenged by being removed from their families and communities, still very much in jeopardy. This virtuosic piece of filmaking goes beyond lionizing its subjects, delving into the ways in which our interconnected work has changed the way people engage with modern warfare. The White Helmets would be my pick for the award, but it’s going to face stiff competition from Watani and Joe’s Violin.

Opens Friday at Grail Moviehouse.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

A Cure for Wellness HHS

DIRECTOR: Gore Verbinski PLAYERS: Dane DeHaan, Jason Isaacs, Mia Goth, Ivo Nandi THRILLER RATED R THE STORY: An ambitious and corrupt young financial professional is tasked with retrieving his firm’s CEO from a remote medical institution in the picturesque Swiss Alps, but things are far stranger than they first seem.

THE LOWDOWN: Visually interesting, if highly derivative, genre catch-all that overstays its welcome.

It’s difficult to adequately describe what a strange film A Cure for Wellness actually is, both aesthetically and narratively. Director Gore Verbinski, a marginally well-respected craftsman who has helmed everything from The Ring to Rango to the first three Pirates of the Caribbean movies does his dead-level best to deliver an arthouse thriller with more genre trappings than you can shake a stick at. However, on this outing he’s re-teaming with The Lone Ranger screenwriter Justin Haythe, so you can bet that things aren’t going to go swimmingly. That’s an eel pun, by the way — read on to learn why, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.

The story seems straightforward enough initially —a sleazy corporate ladder-climber (Dean DeHaan) is tasked by his equally sleazy bosses to retrieve his financial firm’s CEO from an anachronistic Swiss medical retreat so that he can take the wrap in a pending SEC investigation. Had this film premiered in 2007, that premise might have seen plausible — but given what we now know about their country’s prosecution (or lack thereof) of those responsible for gross financial malfeasance, it seems like a bit of a stretch. But if the setup were the only part of the film to strain credulity, I might’ve given the film a pass on the sole basis of its visual weirdness. Instead, the

film shifts its focus to a bizarre plot revolving around aristocratic incest and nigh-immortal eels (I wish I were kidding) and abandons anything remotely literate that the script attempts to establish in favor of a collection of ideas that probably seemed far creepier on paper than they do on screen.

The eels become the primary motif Verbinski uses to explore, but I’m not quite sure what he’s trying to explore here. Beyond the obvious Freudian connotations, there’s something about wealth disparity, a broken mental health system, feudal classism — it’s a bit like a grab-bag of narrative themes, all loosely correlated through aquatic and phallocentric imagery. Why? Couldn’t tell you. All I can say for sure is that the whole thing comes across as a grandiloquent exercise in overstylized pomposity. It’s visually engaging, but that does little to help its contrived plot, flaccid execution and overblown running time.

A Cure for Wellness is a film primarily defined by its influences. The inciting incident is basically lifted from Dracula, a third act reveal is heavily reminiscent of Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera and the aesthetic seems like a Hammer horror film with a significantly enhanced budget.

Touches of Polanski range from visual cues evoking The Tenant and The Ninth Gate to a score redolent of Rosemary’s Baby, and the shadow of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island looms large over the proceedings.

But the most egregious borrowing comes from a much more hallowed source — Cure may well be Verbinski’s aspirational love letter to Kubrick, as he employs the disconcertingly ambiguous architectural layout of The Shining, the occult interests of the one-percent that distinguished Eyes Wide Shut and the bizarre fixation on our precious bodily fluids of Col. Ripper in Dr. Strangelove. The problem with all of this is that Verbinski has never been remotely in the same league as Polanski, Scorsese or Kubrick — and the result of his excessive homage only highlights his deficiency in comparison.

Verbinski and Haythe make a cursory attempt to question the reliability of our protagonist’s narrational perspective — after a car crash lands him back in the hands of the medical retreat, his watch is shown to stop mysteriously, marking the time at which he first enters

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the institution rather than the time of his accident. But, like so many other ideas, they quickly become bored with this one and move on to something else. Therein lies the problem, as the film feels more like a loose collection of ideas than a cohesive and coherent narrative.

Its contrived backstory and tacked on, deus ex machina ending create the sense that this script was just an excuse for Verbinski to string together some visual ideas that had missed the cut in other films. In the final scenes, as DeHaan tells off his Wall Street bosses and bikes down the mountain with his newly available 300-year-old inbred girlfriend in tow, he sports a devilish grin — at first I read this gesture as the social commentary it was probably intended to be, but on further reflection, I think he was just happy the film was over. Rated R for disturbing violent content and images, sexual content including an assault, graphic nudity, and language.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

49

M O VI E S

.

Fist Fight HHS

DIRECTOR: Richie Keen

Kids IssueS March 15 & 22

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PLAYERS: Charlie Day, Ice Cube, Tracy Morgan, Jillian Bell, Dean Norris, Christina Hendricks, Kumail Nanjiani, Dennis Haysbert COMEDY RATED R THE STORY: A beleaguered English teacher, already locked in a fight for his job, is challenged to a more literal fight when he fails to cover for a hotheaded coworker.

THE LOWDOWN: Stupid fun anchored by a decent performance from Charlie Day. If the premise for Fist Fight sounds dumb to you from the start, you’re not mistaken — very little in the ensuing 90 minutes will dissuade you from your initial preconceptions that this film is far from high art. But, rest assured, this film could have been much, much worse. What limited recommendation I’m able to supply is largely on the basis of Charlie Day, whose performance is easily the strongest aspect of the entire production (although he’s ably supported by a strong ancillary cast — when the script gives them more than scraps to work with, that is). Where the film falls short is in its unwillingness to take risks.

It’s almost like a PG-13 film that decided to go for an R rating at the last minute by incorporating copious f-bombs and penis drawings. And yet, it’s still more fun than it has any right to be.

Day has built a career out of playing a unique type of emotionally stunted everyman beset by the pressures of the modern world and driven mad by his own ineffectuality, often lashing out in hilariously unpredictable ways. Fist Fight very nearly misses the opportunity to use Day’s talents — and never manages to utilize them to their full capacity. As a milquetoast English teacher with his job on the line and a baby on the way, Day is forced to play the closest thing this film has to a straight man for the majority of the first two acts (in a role that feels better suited to Jason Bateman), finally unleashing a glimpse of his anarchic brilliance about an hour in when his desperation to avoid a scheduled pummeling — at the hands of Ice Cube as a no-nonsense rageaholic history teacher — reaches fever pitch.

As good as Day can be in those final moments, it’s not due to screenwriters Van Robichaux and Evan Susser or veteran TV director Richie Keen. Their

movie is methodically structured but ponderously paced, leaving too much wiggle room between the few jokes that do land for the ones that don’t to be quickly forgotten. Tracy Morgan and Jillian Bell are both able to eke out a few unexpected laughs in their respective roles as a perennially losing coach and a guidance counselor with a penchant for jailbait. Less successful in elevating their one-note roles are Christina Hendricks, Dean Norris and Kumail Nanjiani just plays Kumail Nanjiani as a conflict-averse security guard. So, if the direction and writing are thoroughly uninspired and only about 40 percent of the cast is good, what is there to like about Fist Fight? In a word, nihilism.

Given the probable dystopic future of our public school system, Fist Fight’s (probably accidental) moral takes on a new resonance. Day only gains the respect of his students, peers and family after he resorts to every brutally backhanded tactic to defeat Ice Cube. His daughter defeats her own bully by publicly humiliating her in front of an assembly populated by other victims. And all of this works out, with Day regaining his job and his daughter taking over as a grade school tyrant who rules through the implication of reprisal. The message of the film is abundantly clear: To defeat the monster, you must become the monster. That may not be a particularly funny reading of the narrative, but it is one that hits home for anyone feeling depressed about the state of educational affairs in this country. Rated R for language throughout, sexual content/nudity and drug material.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

The Great Wall HH DIRECTOR: Zhang Yimou PLAYERS: Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu, Eddie Peng, Lu Han, Lin Gengxin, Junkai Wang, Zheng Kai, Cheney Chen, Xuan Huang, Yu Xintian, Liu Qiong FANTASY HISTORICAL EPIC RATED PG-13 THE STORY: Two European mercenaries stumble upon the secret behind the Great Wall of China’s true purpose

— defense against subterranean (or maybe extraterrestrial, who cares?) man-eating dino-dog monsters.

THE LOWDOWN: The Great Wall may not be the worst, but it certainly ranks among the laziest and most exploitative.

I’m no xenophobe, but the influence exerted by the Chinese market on mainstream American cinema is becoming undeniably overt in a way that would have been unthinkable in the early aughts when director Zhang Yimou was garnering critical and audience acclaim in the U.S. for films such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

Chinese-American co-productions are now becoming the rule rather than the exception, and the Chinese movie market will outstrip the U.S. box office sometime this year if it continues to grow at its current pace. So what does this mean for the American moviegoing populace?

Films that attempt to build mass appeal in two vastly different cultures on opposite ends of the globe but serve neither adequately. Enter The Great Wall.

The Great Wall is basically The Thirteenth Warrior meets Reign of Fire with an inexplicably cast Matt Damon — sporting an ill-defined and inconsistent Western European accent of some sort — wandering deep into China on a quest to steal the secret of gunpowder. After he and a fellow mercenary-bestie (Pedro Pascal) literally run into the titular Great Wall, they discover the Nameless Order, an army of highly trained Chinese militants in colorcoded armor preparing for a massive battle against an unknown assailant. That assailant is a swarm of computer-animated monsters that look like some sort of dog-dinosaur hybrid H.P. Lovecraft might’ve come up with on a particularly off day. They can only be defeated by eyegouging or (for reasons the script doesn’t feel compelled to address) magnets.

The story from there is about as predictable as they come, as Pascal betrays Damon under the influence of fellow foreigner Willem Dafoe, who looks almost as perplexed about his presence in this film as I was. Damon falls for tough Commander Lin Mae (Tian Jing) in a strictly noble, platonic sort of way and sticks around to save the day while his fellow European interlopers try to make off with the gunpowder. The whitewashing controversy that surrounded the film’s early promotion was not entirely unwarranted, as Hong Kong actionmovie stalwarts such as Andy Lau take a backseat to Damon’s improbable heroics. However, the cast is far from the most problematic aspect of the film — Damon’s ridiculous accent aside.

In his first English-language outing, Yimou unfortunately seems to have lost his knack as one of the preeminent visual stylists of Asian cinema. While

SCREEN SCENE The Great Wall boasts the saturated colors and kinetic action that defined his earlier work, the computer-generated monsters and settings look like his grasp of the technology hasn’t evolved in over a decade. With the exception of a few brief scenes — aerialist female martial artists diving off the wall and sequences of drummers summoning the Order — that are distinctly reminiscent of the director’s work on the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, there is literally nothing that would distinguish The Great Wall as a Yimou film.

The Great Wall was toppled by The Lego Batman Movie in this week’s box office, but I have no doubt it will be a juggernaut in Chinese theaters. The motivation behind products such as The Great Wall is entirely economic — and, on that basis, it’s not an ill-considered film. Take into account that the story was conceived

by Edward Zwick (The Last Samurai) and Max Brooks (Mel’s son), and you have a production that looks like either a joke or a cash grab conceived by a couple of white guys to exploit the burgeoning Chinese moviegoing populace — or, more likely, both.

Still, it’s at least visually engaging, and far shorter than most strictly American CG spectacles of its ilk.

It’s certainly not a great wall, but the line between “disappointing” and “bad” can be hard to ascertain at times. Rated PG-13 for sequences of fantasy action violence. English with brief subtitled Mandarin.

Now Playing at Carmike 10, Carolina Cinemark, Regal Biltmore Grande, Epic of Hendersonville.

REVIEWED BY SCOTT DOUGLAS JSDOUGLAS22@GMAIL.COM

FILM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER 2160 US Hwy 70, Swannanoa, 273-3332, floodgallery.org/ • FR (2/24), 8pm - Classic World Cinema: Band of Outsiders, film screening. Free to attend.

PUBLIC EVENTS AT A-B TECH 398-7900, abtech.edu • TH (3/2), 3-5:30pm - Women's History Month: Equal Means Equal, film screening and panel discussion. Information: ellenjperry@abtech.edu.

Free. Held at AB Tech, Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Road THE COLLIDER 1 Haywood St., Suite 401 • TU (2/28), 7pm - Oskar Blues Climate Change Movie Night: Years of Living Dangerously, episodes one and two will be screened. $5/$20 per family.

by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

THE RIVER WILD: Asheville residents Charlotte, Bill, Izzy and Megan Torgerson pose on their Star Inflatables raft. Bill’s film On the French Broad River will screen at the Queens World Film Festival in New York City in March.

Photo courtesy of Bill Torgerson • The Media Arts Project and Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center present the Frame + Form | Screen Dance Festival, Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25. The festival highlights dance created specifically for film and video. The festival’s screening component takes place Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. and includes the 1986 BBC documentary Points in Space — a collaboration by Black Mountain College teacher/choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage and filmmaker Elliot Caplan — and a collection of international contemporary shorts curated by Sara Baird and Constance Humphries of The Media Arts Project. The following day, from 1 to 5 p.m., Baird and Humphries facilitate a screen dance workshop in which a maximum of 10 participants will create original movement, document it on video and edit the footage. The resulting pieces will be screened at the end of the workshop. Tickets are $15 for the screening, $40 for the workshop or $50 for both. blackmountaincollege.org • The North Asheville Public Library’s Western Film Series concludes Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 6 p.m. with McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Free and open to the public. avl.mx/1d0

• Two episodes of the Ashevillebased satirical web series “Transplanting” will screen at the Richmond International Film Festival on Wednesday, March 1. Episodes 2 and 4 from the series’ first season will be part of the Virginia festival’s Web Series Spotlight. The showcase takes place at the Byrd Theatre at 1 p.m avl.mx/3ea • Asheville filmmaker Bill Torgerson’s On the French Broad River has been accepted to the Queens World Film Festival in New York City.

The film will screen on Sunday, March 19, at 10:30 a.m. in the Zukor Theater at Astoria Kaufman Studios. The 75-minute documentary follows the journey of Torgerson, his wife, Megan, and daughters Charlotte and Izzy as they raft 147 miles from Rosman, through class III and IV whitewater rapids, to Tennessee’s Douglass Lake.

The film incorporates environmental themes related to water quality and best management practices within watersheds while also focusing on the river, the people who use it and the social and political issues surrounding it. Interviewees include representatives from environmental organizations RiverLink and MountainTrue as well as experts in the fields of biology, wildlife conservation and geology. avl.mx/3e9 X

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FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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The

M O VI E S

Sustainability Series

by Scott Douglas

STA RTI NG FRIDAY

Additional bookings may be confirmed after press time, check with your local theater for showtimes.

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2017

Every week in April

Get Out A new thriller from Blumhouse Productions and writer director Jordan Peele, according to the studio: “When a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.” Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener and Bradley Whitford, early reviews are unanimously positive.(R)

Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Films, 2017

S PEC IAL SCR E E N IN GS

Band of Outsiders (Bande à Part) HHHHS DIRECTOR: Jean-Luc Godard PLAYERS: Anna Karina, Claude Brasseur, Sami Frey CRIME COMEDY Rated NR Perhaps not as frequently screened as Jean-Luc Godard staples like Breathless, Band of Outsiders is essential viewing in full for those who are only familiar with its oft-homaged dance sequence or its famed Louvre footrace. Intended to be more commercial than the previous year’s Contempt, Godard’s notable quip, “All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun,” fails to take into account the fact that Godard will always be Godard — meaning even his most valiant effort to make broad box office bait with a simple setup will be something far more complex and personal. Band of Outsiders is certainly that, with then-wife Anna Karina coming to set straight from the hospital following a failed suicide attempt, and her male co-stars Sami Frey and Claude Brasseur playing characters named after Kafka and Rimbaud.

Easily one of Godard’s most fun and engaging films, it’s a mystery to me why Band of Outsiders has been so consistently underrated within the director’s oeuvre. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Band of Outsiders on Friday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 2160 Hwy 70, Swannanoa.

Lady Frankenstein HH DIRECTOR: Edward di Lorenzo PLAYERS: Joseph Cotten, Rosalba Neri, Paul Muller HORROR Rated NR Joseph Cotten must have had some seriously bad karma to earn his late career descent into schlock — case in point, Lady Frankenstein. The former Citizen Kane and Shadow of a Doubt actor plays Baron Frankenstein in this 1971 pseudo-feminist Italian sequel to the classic tale, the same year as his turn in The Abominable Dr. Phibes and a year before he would work with Mario Bava on Bay of Blood. Make no mistake, this is not a good film — but it is undeniably watchable and almost incomparably outlandish.

The Thursday Horror Picture Show will screen Lady Frankenstein on Thursday, Feb. 23, at 9:15 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse, hosted by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas.

See Scott Douglas’ review

Manon of the Spring HHHHS

Wings The Asheville Film Society’s screening of the first-ever Best Picture Academy Award, William Wellman’s 1927 WWI aviation masterpiece Wings, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Grail Moviehouse. This pristine restoration will be introduced by Xpress movie critic Scott Douglas, and a writeup can be found in the Feb. 15 Mountain Xpress or online at mountainx.com/movies/reviews/

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DIRECTOR: Claude Berri PLAYERS: Yves Montand, Daniel Auteuil, Emmanuelle Béart, Hippolyte Girardot, Margarita Lozano DRAMA Rated PG Manon of the Spring (1986) is the sequel — or more properly, second part — of Jean de Florette (1986), which the Hendersonville Film Society showed last week. In essence, this film tells the rest of the story — what happens after Jean de Florette (Gérard Depardieu) dies. The film takes place 10 years later with Jean’s daughter Manon (Emmanuelle Béart) fully grown, living more or less wild as a shepherdess. Circumstances cause her to learn of the duplicity that drove her father to his death — and the culpability of not only Cesar Souberyran (Yves Montand) and his nephew Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil), but everyone in the area.

While Manon decides to revenge herself on them, Ugolin becomes obsessed with marrying her — an idea that appeals to Cesar, who wants the family name to continue. The two films are very much of a piece stylistically and might almost be just one long film. This second half is perhaps a little more satisfying, since it’s a more active drama than the first. Though they really should be assessed together, either film is comprehensible without the other. This excerpt was taken from a review by Ken Hanke, published on Aug. 5, 2009. The Hendersonville Film Society will show Manon of the Spring on Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville.

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DRUID HILLS • HENDERSONVILLE 2BR, 2BA, fireplace, large attic and basement. Detached garage. Good location. $159,900. No VA, USDA loans.

No Realtors. (828) 693-7470.

5 ACRE HOMESTEAD • VERY PRIVATE Spruce Pine, NC. Organically farmed, many outbuildings. 30x50 multifunctional woodshop and studio, quonset hut, barn, garden shed, coop and fenced pens. 1978, 3BR, 3BA home, 2232 sqft w/new 12x45 wraparound deck overlooking springfed pond and pasture. Finished basement with doors to fenced-in backyard and salt water pool. • Motivated Seller, reduced to $322K. (828) 545-5988 or bruchm20@gmail.com

AFFORDABLE CUTE 2 BEDROOM, 1 BATH BUNGALOW IN WEST ASHEVILLE Move-In Ready - Brick Cottage with many updates! Quiet Neighborhood, New Stainless Steel Appliances,

LAND FOR SALE CORNER LOT - PRIVATE NEIGHBORHOOD. OWNER FINANCING Owner will finance. Last Lot in desirable Kimberly Hills neighborhood. Underground Utilities, 4 BR Septic Approval.

Beautiful views, amazing sunrises, level lot! Weaverville quiet just 20 minutes to Asheville! 828-398-8817

Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood, Madison, Transylvania, Yancey, and Mitchell Counties. Earnhardt and Associates Appraisers. Residential, Commercial,Consulting: (828) 2531930.

Reasonable Fees.

EarnhardtApprais@Bellsouth.net

RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT

ROOMMATES ALL AREAS Free Roommate Service @ RentMates.com. Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at RentMates.com! (AAN CAN) ASHEVILLE • SHORT TERM AVAILABLE South Asheville. Shared housing. Vegetarian, no smoking/animals.

On busline. Sliding scale. Peace. Call (828) 348-9183.

EMPLOYMENT

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

NEED A HOME APPRAISAL? We will appraise your home for Tax Appeal, Divorce, Sales Pricing, Litigation, and Estate purposes. • Covering

ROOMMATES

GENERAL DOWNTOWN! BEAUTIFUL NEW APARTMENT IN HISTORIC BUILDING Amazing downtown location!

Completely renovated, second floor, one-bedroom apartment with high ceilings, large windows and hardwood floors. Washer and dryer included. $1550/ month. 8282526664 (828)2526664 rentals@bassandroyster.com http://bassandroyster.com/ vacancies/

HIRING FOR NEW HIGH ADVENTURE JOB! Seeking canyoneering guides for 2017 season. Must have a

great attitude and be comfortable at height. Preferred climbing/ropes experience. Apply at: frenchbroadrafting. com/jobs METAL POLISHER Seeking hardworking, reliable person to operate a polish wheel to shine aluminum parts.

Requires standing long hours and upper body strength. Pay $11/hr. Benefits & raise available after 90 days.

TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great TOUR GUIDE! Seasonal FULL & PART-TIME positions available. Training provided for upcoming season. Contact us today! www.GrayLineAsheville.com; Info@GrayLineAsheville.com; 828-251-8687.

TZEDEK SOCIAL JUSTICE FELLOWSHIP The Tzedek Fellowship is a transformational experience for emerging social justice leaders that builds the capacity of social justice organizations to effect change in Asheville and beyond. Now accepting applications for eleven-month, paid, full-time positions at six nonprofit organizations.

Visit tzedekfellowship.org to apply.

WANT A FUN JOB IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY? Our fast-growing, locally-owned outdoor adventure company is hiring raft guides, zipline guides, photographers and reservation staff for the upcoming season. Experience is preferred but we will train the right people. Apply online at www.FrenchBroadRafting. com/jobs

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES EXPERIENCED LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE PROFESSIONALS NEEDED We need two awesome, experienced professionals: Landscape Crew Leader & Landscape Crew Member. Living Wage certified. Great career opportunities. Full-time. Email justine@ rootwiselandscape.com a statement of interest & resume with references.

PACKAGING DEPARTMENT TEAM MEMBER For Wholesale Bakery.

Annie’s Bakery in Asheville NC is looking for an experienced Packaging Department Team Member to join our team. This is a full-time position running from 9am to close, M-F, hours may vary. Hourly rate is based on relevant experience. Please send resumes to mark@anniesbread.com SANITATION SUPERVISOR • WHOLESALE BAKERY Annie’s Bakery in Asheville NC is looking for an experienced Sanitation Supervisor to join our team. This is a full time position running from 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Hourly rate is based on relevant experience. Please send resumes to mark@anniesbread.com SKILLED LEAD CARPENTER Old Mill Stream is a state wide Licensed General Contractor , Licensed Landscape Contractor seeking a skilled carpenter in all phases of construction.

From Framing to custom trim you will lead the crew thru varies construction and remolding projects. You should have most of your own tools including circular saw, cordless drill etc.

Work in Asheville and surrounding areas. We provide a company truck and uniforms. Employment references required. $17-$20 hr. Send resume to jeff@OldMillSream.com

Owned & operated by:

Bartender

Cocktail RoomWaiter/Waitress Attendant Laundry Laundry Attendant Attendant Room Inspector Room Attendant Overnight Security

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

53

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): My astrological radar suggests there’s a space-time anomaly looming just ahead of you. Is it a fun and exotic limbo where the rules are flexible and everything’s an experiment? That might be cool. Or is it more like an alien labyrinth where nothing is as it seems, you can hear howling in the distance, and you barely recognize yourself? That might be weird. What do you think? Is it worth the gamble? If so, full speed ahead. If not, I suggest a course correction.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Someone on Reddit.com asked readers to respond to the question, “What is the most liberating thought you’ve ever had?” Among the replies were the following six: 1. “If new evidence presents itself, it’s okay to change my beliefs.” 2. “I get to choose who’s in my life and who isn’t.” 3. “I am not my history.” 4. “You can’t change something that has already happened, so stop worrying about it.” 5.

“I am not, nor will I ever be, conventionally beautiful.”

6. “I don’t have to respond to people when they say stupid s--- to me.” I hope these testimonies inspire you to come up with several of your own, Taurus. It’s a perfect time to formulate liberating intentions.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It has been a while since I told you that I love you. So I’m doing it now. I LOVE YOU. More than you could ever imagine. And that’s why I continue to offer these horoscopes to you free of charge, with no strings attached. That’s why I work so hard to be a playful therapist and an edgy mentor for you. That’s why I am so tenacious in my efforts to serve you as a feminist father figure and a kindly devil’s advocate and a sacred cheerleader.

Again, I don’t expect anything in return from you.

But if you would like to express your appreciation, you could do so by offering a similar type of well-crafted care to people in your own sphere. Now would be an excellent time to give such gifts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I like the word ’bewilderment’ because it has both ’be’ and ’wild’ in it,” says poet Peter Gizzi. I propose that you go even further, Cancerian: Express a fondness for the actual experience of bewilderment as well as the word. In fact, be willing to not just tolerate, but actually embrace the fuzzy blessings of bewilderment. In the coming weeks, that’s your ticket to being wild in the healthiest (and wealthiest) ways. As you wander innocently through the perplexing mysteries that make themselves available, you’ll be inspired to escape formalities and needless rules that have kept you overly tame.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Are you familiar with psychologist Carl Jung’s concept of the shadow? It’s the unflattering or uncomfortable part of you that you would prefer to ignore or suppress. It’s the source of behavior about which you later say, “I wasn’t acting like myself.” Jungians say that the shadow hounds you and wounds you to the degree that you refuse to deal with it. But if you negotiate with it, it leads you to beautiful surprises. It prods you to uncover riches you’ve hidden from yourself. I mention this, Leo, because any shadow work you do in the coming weeks could generate rather spectacular breakthroughs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You could make a vow like this: “Between now and April 15, I will be relentless in getting my needs met. I will harbor a steely resolve to call on every ploy necessary to ensure that my deepest requirements are not just gratified, but satiated to the max. I will be a dogged and ferocious seeker of absolute fulfillment.” If you want to swear an oath like that, Virgo, I understand. But I hope you will try a softer approach — more like the following: “Between now and April 15, I will be imaginative and ingenious in getting my needs met. I will have fun calling on every trick necessary to ensure that my deepest requirements are playfully addressed. I will be a sweet seeker of unpredictable fulfillment.”

54

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

BY ROB BREZSNY

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How would Buddha ask for a raise or promotion? How would Jesus tinker with his career plans as he took into consideration large-scale shifts in the economy? How would Confucius try to infuse new approaches and ideas into the status quo of his work environment? Ruminate deeply on these matters, dear Libra. Your yearning to be more satisfyingly employed may soon be rewarded — especially if you infuse your ambitions with holy insight. How would Joan of Arc break through the glass ceiling?

How would Harriet Tubman deal with the inefficiencies caused by excess testosterone? How would Hildegard of Bingen seek more emotional richness on the job?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I suspect you would benefit from acquiring a new bedroom name, my dear.

But should I be the one to give it to you? I’m not sure.

Maybe you could invite a practical dreamer you adore to provide you with this crazy sweet new moniker.

If there is no such person to do the job (although given the current astrological omens, I bet there is), I’ll offer the following array of amorous aliases for you to choose from: Wild Face . . . Kiss Genius . . . Thrill Witch . . . Freaky Nectar . . . Boink Master . . . Lust Moxie . . . Pearly Thunder . . . Peach Licker . . . Painkiller . . . Silky Bliss . . . Slippery Diver . . . Swoon Craver.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Soon I’ll be off on my first vacation in 18 months. At first glance it might seem odd for an astrologer like myself to have selected two Sagittarians to be my housesitters. Members of your sign are reputed to be among the least home-nurturing people in the zodiac. But I’m confident that by the time I return, raccoons won’t be living in my kitchen, nor will my plants be dead or my snailmail stolen or my TV broken.

The current astrological omens suggest that most of you Centaurs, at least for the foreseeable future, will display an uncommon aptitude for the domestic arts.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The near future will be mutable, whimsical and fluky. It’ll be serendipitous, mercurial and extemporaneous. You should expect happy accidents and lucky breaks. Your ability to improvise will be quite valuable. Do you believe in lucky numbers? Even if you don’t, yours will be 333. Your sacred password will be “quirky plucky.” The cartoon characters with whom you will have most in common are Bugs Bunny and Roadrunner. The place where you’re most likely to encounter a crucial teaching is a threshold or thrift shop. Your colors of destiny will be flecked and dappled. (P.S.: I suspect that an as-yet-undiscovered talisman of power is crammed in a drawer full of junk.)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Treat your body like a sublime temple, please. And regard your imagination as a treasured sanctuary. Be very choosy about what you allow to enter in to both of those holy places.

This strategy is always a wise idea, of course, but it’s especially so now, when you are extra sensitive to the influences you absorb. It’s crucial that you express maximum discernment as you determine which foods, drinks, drugs, images, sounds and ideas are likely to foster your maximum well-being — and which aren’t.

Be a masterful caretaker of your health and sanity.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What would your best mother do in a situation like this? Please note that I’m not asking, “What would your mother do?”

I’m not suggesting you call on the counsel of your actual mother. When I use the term “your best mother,” I’m referring to the archetype of your perfect mother. Imagine a wise older woman who understands you telepathically, loves you unconditionally, and wants you to live your life according to your own inner necessity, not hers or anyone else’s.

Visualize her. Call on her. Seek her blessings.

MOUNTAINX.COM

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY

FINANCE COORDINATOR Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy seeks a Finance Coordinator to join a dynamic and growing staff. Work in coordination with Finance Director to manage day-to-day financial activities including AR, AP, and grant management. Full job posting at www.carolinamountain.org.

Email cover letter and resume to info@carolinamountain.org.

LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED! Be your own boss. Flexible hours.

Unlimited earning potential. Must be 21 with valid U.S. driver’s license, insurance & reliable vehicle. 866-329-2672 (AAN CAN)

NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR Regional environmental nonprofit seeks fundraising support including managing data, processing donations, and engaging with donors. Applicants from traditionally marginalized groups encouraged to apply. Submit application by March 2, 2017 to holly@mountaintrue.org. Details at www.mountaintrue.org

SALES/ MARKETING COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST Conservation focused nonprofit looking to hire a creative, energetic and dedicated Communication Specialist to implement our Conservation Communication program and ensure our message is delivered on a global and domestic scale. Must be dedicated to our mission, enthusiastic about creatively expressing our message, and someone ready to think out of the box to help move the organization forward. The position is available immediately in Asheville, NC or Tiger, GA. More information can be found at www.orianne.org/careers COMPORIUM IS HIRING! Comporium is looking to add to their residential sales team!

Base + UNCAPPED commission + Car allowance! For immediate consideration send resume to: employment@comporium.com https://about.comporium.com/ careers/

*SHOP WITH SHIPT* MAKE YOUR OWN HOURS! Shipt is an on-demand grocery delivery service looking for reliable, independent people to shop for groceries and deliver to our member in Asheville!

TRIBIKE TRANSPORT, OFFICIAL IRONMAN TRIATHLON PARTNER, IS LOOKING FOR RELIABLE DRIVERS TriBike Transport is looking for hard-working, reliable drivers to haul bikes around the country. No CDL is required, we drive 26ft box trucks and smaller. Contact us today! www.tribiketransport.com campb.tribike@gmail.com

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE COOPERRIIS HEALING COMMUNITY ASHEVILLE CLINICAL DIRECTOR CooperRiis, a progressive mental health treatment program, has immediate opening for Clinical Director in Asheville, NC. Please send resume to HR@cooperriis.org.

Compensation based on experience. http://www.cooperriis.org/ employment/ for more information.

LICENSED MASSAGE THERAPIST IN PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE 640 Merrimon Ave, Ste 107 www.Physiownc.com

HUMAN SERVICES

RESTAURANT/ FOOD KITCHEN SUBSTITUTE $9/hour.

Verner Center is seeking applicants for a Kitchen Substitute to fill in for absent staff to feed our young students wholesome and yummy food. The Verner kitchen supports our three centers, serving 200 students and staff daily. • Duties include prepping whole foods with efficiency and minimal waste, portioning proper serving sizes, and routine cleaning of small commercial kitchen and equipment. Verner is an EEOE. • Apply online at www.vernerearlylearning.org/ jobs or in person with Genie Gunn between 1pm. and 3pm. M-F. MOUNTAIN CAFE Switzerland Café, Hwy 226A in Little Switzerland, NC is seeking to fill a key kitchen position this summer & fall. The successful candidate will be a creative person with a positive energy, a love of outdoors, unafraid of hard work with a desire to move up in the culinary field. Drug free. Little Switzerland is located at Milepost 334 on the Blue Ridge Parkway about 50 Miles North of Asheville. Cool in the summer months, it’s vistas are world renown. We hosts traveler from all over the world.

The Café has been around since 1980, always with the same cuisine. Our food is casual with an upscale flair under the management of Chef Lora Lanier, an AB Tech graduate and 13 year owner of the Café. Our kitchen is busy and our business model leans toward the fresh and innovative.

Everything is made from scratch every day so prep is intensive.

Excellent pay and the possibility of seasonal housing available.

Please respond with resume to info@switzerlandcafe.com switzerlandcafe.com

FULL-TIME SECOND AND THIRD SHIFT POSITIONS AVAILABLE! Eliada is always in need of dedicated and reliable Residential Counselors to work with our students. The goal of all Residential Counselors at Eliada is to work with students and help them develop the skills necessary to be successful, contributing members of society. Prior to working with students, Residential Counselors will complete two weeks of paid training and observation. A strong desire to work with students, patience, and the ability to work as part of a team is a must! This position comes with excellent benefits including paid leave time, amazing insurance plans and discounts at various businesses! Eliada offers a team focused environment that fosters learning and growth while you make an impact in the lives of North Carolina's youth. Must be at least 21 and have a high school diploma/GED. Full-time second and third shift and part-time positions available! For more information or to apply, visit www.eliada.org/employment/ current-openings.

HAYWOOD COUNTY • NURSE Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT). Meridian is seeking a RN or LPN to join our Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) in Haywood County, which is located in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. ACTT provides community based psychiatric services to an adult population. The ACTT nurse is responsible for assessing

physical needs; making appropriate referrals to community physicians; providing management and administration of medication in conjunction with the psychiatrist; providing a range of treatment, rehabilitation and support services. Employee must have a valid driver's license without violations or restrictions which could prevent completing all required job functions. Prior experience in psychiatric settings is preferred.

• For more information and to apply, visit the employment section of our website: www.meridianbhs.org JUST ECONOMICS IS HIRING A DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE JE is hiring a part-time (20hrs/wk) Development Associate to help develop and execute our fundraising plan. Full job description at justeconomicswnc.org. To apply, send resume and cover letter to info@justeconomicswnc.org

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD! METHODIST HOME FOR CHILDREN is hiring Resident and Assessment Counselors to work with at-risk youth.

Flexible schedules. Competitive pay. Paid training. Excellent benefits available. Must have a valid driver's license and be at least 21 years old. We offer a rewarding work environment and advancement opportunities. Apply online at www.mhfc.org.

THERAPEUTIC FOSTER PARENTS NEEDED Davidson Homes Inc. is seeking Foster Parents in Swannanoa and the surrounding areas. • All training is free and daily rate is great! Call Debbie Smiley: 828-776-5228. www.davidsonhomes.org

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATOR AND SALES FOR ASHEVILLE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY 4-10 years professional work experience. Must have an understanding of wood-frame construction assemblies and details, both new construction and renovation experience. Please call our voicemail prepared to answer a couple questions. 828-785-4306 info@ builtwright-construction.com

ELECTRICAL, ELECTRONICS COMPUTER ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a FullTime Regular Chair, Electrical, Electronics Engineering, and Computer Engineering Technologies position. For more details and to apply: www.abtech.edu/jobs

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS $75$100/day. Substitutes provide care and education for children ages 0-5 at Verner in the absence of a regularly assigned Teacher or Teacher Assistant. Key functions of this role include positively interacting with children ages birth through kindergarten, assisting with mealtimes, assisting with general housekeeping, and maintaining the safety of children indoors and outdoors. Substitutes may be assigned to various classrooms or centers on a regular or as needed basis. • Qualified applicants will possess a high school diploma or equivalency. Previous classroom experience in a licensed child care facility working with children, birth to kindergarten is preferred. Substitutes must have excellent communication skills, exceptional listening skills, and the ability to work as part of a team. • Scheduling flexibility and adaptability are essential to this role. Applicants should be willing to work at any location. Verner is an EEOE. Apply online at www. vernerearlylearning.org/jobs

UNIVERSITY TRANSFER ADVISING COORDINATOR A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time University Transfer Advising Coordinator position.

For more details and to apply: www.abtech.edu/jobs

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

PAID IN ADVANCE! Make $1000/week mailing brochures from home! No experience required. Helping home workers since 2001! Genuine opportunity. Start immediately! www.

IncomeStation.net (AAN CAN)

CAREER TRAINING COORDINATOR CONTINUING EDUCATION HEALTH OCCUPATIONS A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full- Time Regular Coordinator, Continuing Education Health Occupations position. For more details and to apply: www.abtech.edu/jobs

TEACHING/ EDUCATION

ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR • NURSING ASSISTANT PROGRAM A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an Adjunct Instructor, Nursing Assistant Program position. For more details and to apply: www.abtech.edu/ jobs

AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance 800-725-1563 (AAN CAN)

SERVICES BEAUTY/SALON

DREADLOCKS We loc heads and open minds. Natural hair care specialist. We loc your hair so you can comb your thoughts.

• Sista Sherrie (828) 215-0548 for your kinky hair needs.

STYLIST POSITION Booth rent position available for responsible, self-motivated Hair Stylist in Downtown Asheville. For more info contact us at: 828-251-1722 or fullcirclesalon@gmail.com

HOME IMPROVEMENT HANDY MAN

HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYS MAN SERVICES Since 1993.

G Multiple skill sets. Reliable, - trustworthy, quality results. $1 - million liability insurance. Ref, erences and estimates availd able. Stephen Houpis, (828) - 280-2254. d

ANNOUNCEMENTS

e ANNOUNCEMENTS n MAKE THE CALL TO START e GETTING CLEAN TODAY r Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & - drug addiction treatment. Get - help! It is time to take your life n back! Call Now: 855-732-4139. , (AAN CAN)

g PREGNANT? CONSIDERING d ADOPTION? Call us first. Livn ing expenses, housing, medical, s and continued support after- wards. Choose adoptive family r of your choice. Call 24/7. 877- 362-2401. (AAN CAN)

l UNCLAIMED FIREARMS The - following is a list of unclaimed a firearms currently in the posg session of the Asheville Police - Department: Black Colt .380 t RC91331, Black/Brown Smith n & Wesson .38 44546, Black/ Rusted Pietro Beretta 9MM , B53167Z, Black/Beige Omega f .22 202587, Silver/Brown Rossi d .38 W156665, Silver/Brown s Raven Arms .25 391273, Silg ver/Brown Davis Industries .32 s 074686, Black/Brown Hafdasa . .45 25476, Black/Brown High Standard .22 1484128, Black Ruger 9MM 809-75470, Black/ Brown Star 9MM 1199621, Silver/Black Bersa .380 352715, Black Davis Industries .380 AP360702, Black/Brown RG .25 115867, Black/Brown Rossi .38 W269388, Black/Tan Rohm .22 IB382220, Black/Brown Eagle Gun Company 9MM 25014, - Black Mossberg 12 Gauge s MV85721D, Black Savage .22 a 0789769, Brown/Black Pardner r 12 Gauge NC281399, Brown/ . Black Lakefield .22 L122610, : Black/Brown Re Terni 7.35 N8665, Brown/Black Remington 12 Gauge TI45636V, Black H&R .22 AT043112, Brown/ - Black Springfield 410 Gauge A978945, Brown/Black American Arms 12 Gauge 0218355, e Silver/Black Davis Industries .380 AP489128, Black Craft s Prod. .25 00736, Black/Brown e Rohm Santheim/Brenz .22 - 23611, Black/Brown Smith - & Wesson .38 BAC2977, . Black/Tan Burgo .22 313406, Black Winchester .32 29181, Chrome/Brown Davis Industries .22 512098, Silver/Black Rohm GMBH Sonteheim/Brenz N .22 1308677, Black/Brown g Unknown .22 0190406, Black Intratec 9MM 27361, Black/Tan - Rohm GMBH Sontheim/Brenz d .22 1085013, Black/Brown Star - .25 596272, Black Ceska .32 e 19108, Silver/Black Gen. Prec.

3 Corp. .22 30239, Black Keltec 9MM 91885, Black/Brown Unknown Unknown 204733, Black/Brown Smith & Wesson .22 UAB2696, Black/Brown RTS .22 62U69, Black/Tan Rohm .22 319547, Black Hi-Point .45 333567, Black/Silver Hi-Point .380 P8011308, Silver/Brown s Rossi .38 W011346, Silver/Black r Smith & Wesson .38 BPW0343, Chrome/Brown Raven Arms r .25 1262865, Black Keltec . .380 HUQ88, Black Armi Tan8 foglio .25 M88250, Chrome/ Black Bryco Arms .380 596279, Black/Brown High Standard .22 t 846599, Black Western Auto 12 - Gauge G564505, Black/Brown n Ithaca 12 Gauge 549163-2, e Grey/Brown E.R. Amantino 12 Gauge 498596-02, Black 2 Hi-Point 9MM B22783, Black/ Brown Harrington & Richardson

12 Gauge AM249977, Black/ Brown EIG 20 Gauge 3800, Black/Brown Harrington & Richardson 12 Gauge AU674804, Brown/Black G3G 7.62x39 20048839 Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property must contact the Asheville Police Department within 30 days from the date of this publication. Any items not claimed within 30 days will be disposed of according in accordance with all applicable laws. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section at 828232-4576.

WORLD MUSIC A CAPPELLA CONCERT Thrilling 8-person harmony singing from around the world, including Corsica, Republic of Georgia and America. March 14, 7:30pm Masonic Temple, 80 Broad St. $15 Facebook.com/ TheStarryMountainSingers

LEGAL NOTICES STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA County of Buncombe in the General Court of Justice District Court Division 16CVD04153 Jose Calderon (Plaintiff) v. Tania Leonora Gayle (Defendant) notice of service of process by publication to Tania Leonora Gayle.

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above entitled action. The nature of relief being sought as follows: The plaintiff, Jose Calderon has filed a complaint for the following absolute divorce.

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than 03/06/17, and upon your failure to do so, the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought. This the 6th day of February, 2017 Jose Calderon 228 Weston Rd. Arden, NC 28704. 828-407-6646

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS LEARN RADICAL SUSTAINABILITY AT SCHOOL OF INTEGRATED LIVING Gain whole-life skills for radical sustainability through SOIL’s Permaculture and Ecovillage Immersion at Earthaven Ecovillage, June 10–August 11.

Program includes Permaculture Design Certification. Learn more and register at schoolofintegratedliving.org.

STARTS FEBRUARY 25 • QIGONG CLASS 10:3011:30am. All levels welcome. Learn The Five Treasures and improve your health, energy and vitality with this Chinese health practice. All levels welcome. $10/ class. At the Alternative Clinic, 23 Broadway, Downtown Asheville.

For further information: allen@ashevilleqigong. com

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

ACROSS

1 Scanned bars, for short 4 Roundup targets 9 Cries from bleachers 13 Word in Brazilian city names 14 “Game time!”

15 Not suitable 17 Platform sandal feature 19 “Next year in Jerusalem” meal 20 Blast from the past 21 Jon with the 1992 hit “Just Another Day” 22 Forever and a day 23 Boyfriend after a breakup, perhaps 27 Classic Jaguar 28 Bert who played the Cowardly Lion 29 Klutz’s utterance 30 Render a verdict 35 Bard of Gaelic legend 36 ___ Chihuahua (tiny dog) 40 Novelty shop buy 44 High point 47 Soho send-off 48 Actress Arthur of “Maude” 49 Space Invaders and Asteroids, for two

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK

9 Like a fully cooked soufflé 10 Not based on fact or research 11 Tried one’s luck 12 Floored it 16 Cafeteria stack 18 Components of some I.R.A.s 21 ___ du Québec (police force) 22 Comic-Con, e.g.

24 Ancient times, in ancient times 25 Do a job at the checkout aisle 26 Resistance unit 31 Fries or slaw, usually 32 Musician’s tip collector DOWN 33 Joins forces (with) 1 Kind of port for a 34 Like rarer blood flash drive types: Abbr.

2 Inept boxers, in slang 37 Song-and-dance 3 Hipster’s quality shows 4 Collaborative online 38 POTUS in Twitter’s @ reference POTUS, e.g.

5 Anesthetic of old 39 Exam with a max 6 Language suffix score of 1520 7 Female caribou 41 “Ka-POW!” 8 TV show on which 42 A/C measure “The Chanukah 43 Place for a Song” debuted, informally grandchild, maybe

allows healing of depression, anxiety, addictions, trauma, PTSD. Call for free half-hour chat: 828-7471813. ncc.therapy@gmail.com www.nellcorrytherapy. com

48 PILLS + 4 FREE! VIAGRA 100MG/ CIALIS 20mg Free Pills! No hassle, Discreet Shipping. Save Now. Call Today 1-877621-7013 (AAN CAN)

RETREATS SHOJI SPA & LODGE * 7 DAYS A WEEK Day & Night passes, cold plunge, sauna, hot tubs, lodging, 8 minutes from town, bring a friend or two, stay the day or all evening, escape & renew! Best massages in Asheville 828-299-0999.

SPIRITUAL

FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES

Too many extras to list!

Reduced: $13,500 or best offer. 802-892-6658. hydel27@gmail.com

TRUCKS/ VANS/ SUVS FOR SALE

WHITEWATER RECORDING Mixing • Mastering • Recording. (828) 684-8284 www.whitewaterrecording.com

WE'LL FIX IT AUTOMOTIVE • Honda and Acura repair. Half price repair and service. ASE and factory trained. Located in the Weaverville area, off exit 15. Please call (828) 275-6063 for appointment. www.wellfixitautomotive.com

PETS

ASHEVILLE PET SITTERS Dependable, loving care while you're away. Reasonable rates. Call Sandy (828) 215-7232.

JULIE KING: LICENSED MINISTER, TEACHER, INTUITIVE HEALER www.

AcuPsychic.com. 828-8844169. If you can see the Future You can Change it!

For 35 years, she has helped thousands with relationships, finances, spiritual transformation & business.

Mentoring & Courses available.

PUZZLE BY MATTHEW SEWELL

44 One of the 12 tribes of Israel 45 Labor organizer Cesar 46 A pep talk may boost it 50 Connect with 51 Kama ___ 52 Ill-tempered mutt

NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments). 35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 9179161363. michaeljefrystevens.com

PET SERVICES

COUNSELING SERVICES

DEEP FEELING EMOTIONAL RELEASE THERAPY - GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Nell Corry, LCSW, NCGCll, Certified Primal Therapist.

Emotional Release Therapy uncovers the source,

No. 0118

52 Airport rental 53 Neil Patrick ___ of “How I Met Your Mother” 54 One-eighty 56 Dance around, as an issue 57 Dynamic basketball sequence represented by the starts of 17-, 23-, 30-, 40- and 49-Across 61 Find new tenants for 62 “Ran” director Kurosawa 63 Texter’s “Didn’t need to know that” 64 Abysmal score 65 Persian Gulf emirate 66 Census datum

HEALTH & FITNESS

LOCAL INDEPENDENT MASSAGE CENTER OFFERING EXCELLENT BODYWORK Best bodywork in Asheville. All of our massage therapists are skilled, dedicated, and talented. Deep Tissue, Integrative, Prenatal, Couples, Reflexology, Aromatherapy. $60/hour. Chair massage $1/minute. Complimentary tea room. Beautifully appointed facility.

947 Haywood Road, West Asheville. Free parking in lot, handicap accessible.

(828)552-3003 ebbandflowavl@charter. net ebbandflowavl.com

edited by Will Shortz

AUTOMOTIVE RECREATIONAL VEHICLES FOR SALE 2007 WILDCAT 5TH WHEEL CAMPER 30LSBS. 3 slides. On seasonal site, Lake Hartwell RV park.

Boat and dock access.

55 Rope tow alternative 57 Website’s help section, briefly 58 Rap sheet letters 59 Gather dust 60 Cereal made with a “puffing gun”

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE

1949 CHEVY PICKUP Daily driver. Mostly restored. Could use paint job. $13,400 or best offer.

(828) 606-8566.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

Paul Caron

Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing

ADULT

• Furniture Repair

ADULT FEELING WHACKED? Let Kaye's revive you back!

Incall/outcall: 280-8182.

LIVELINKS CHAT LINES Flirt, chat and date! Talk to sexy real singles in your area. Call now! (877) 6092935. (AAN CAN)

• Seat Caning • Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

MOUNTAINX.COM

• Black Mountain

FEB. 22 - 28, 2017

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