Mountain Xpress 02.22.23

THREE (WRESTLING) RING CIRCUS

Brawls at breweries are typically frowned upon. But when they’re conducted by the spandex-clad trained professionals of Urban Combat Wrestling at Hi-Wire Brewing’s Big Top, four words come to mind: LET’S GET IT ON!

COVER PHOTO Carmenia Baker/ CMB Photography COVER

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COPYRIGHT

Asheville digs recycling. That’s cool with trash, anything but with social problems.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in our community’s relentless exercises in hand-wringing over homelessness, Black student performance gaps, affordable housing and minority hirings on our police force.

Go back 25 years, and you will find precisely the same problems, the same talking points, the same homogenous mindsets, the same dominating political party, the same hollow platitudes, the same interventions, the same lofty declarations, the same prophecies of success potential and the same commands that “we come together to fix this problem once and for all.”

In this predictable script, politicians get attention, nonprofits get funding, taxpayers get fleeced, our safety net gets tired, the media get headlines and the problems — none of the above being an exception — get worse.

That’s what happens whenever adults substitute fairy dust for realism, mature thinking, accountability, creative problem-solving and — dare I say it — science.

The Asheville Watchdog article on Asheville’s most recent consultant report on a “‘road map’ to end homelessness” illustrates the pattern, except that this time it was a bit different [“From Asheville Watchdog: National Consultant Offers ‘Road Map’ to End Homelessness in Asheville … Again,” Feb. 8, Xpress website]. Dissenting voices were included, and the weariness of 25 years of recycled fantasy thinking and programs was brought into view. Thank you.

I personally liked the comment “We’ve got to keep trying.”

But that doesn’t mean we should keep trying the same things. There is a relevant compass reading in George Patton’s comment, “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”

With such in mind, may one add an observation or two?

1) When the personal accountability of the recipient is removed from any helping equation, that effort is doomed to fail — if not now, then soon.

2) Dig around the root of the greater majority of Asheville’s social/economic issues, and you will find drugs fertilizing the misery.

3) One cannot be an angry victim and an equal at the same time.

4) Money thrown at problems does not produce solutions for the same reasons that lottery winners do not become happy people.

5) Public programs will never replace the importance of individual attention coming from a hand guided by love — and government will never be able to provide that.

6) Without a functional, wise and time-tested moral compass, there is no amount of gas that will secure a society’s safe landing.

7) Effective change agents and those who complain, blame, avoid, manipulate or demand rarely sit in the same room.

8) If goals are not set, accountability established and outcomes measured, no endeavor reaches a point of fruition.

9) If there is a problem to be solved, “questions down and answers up” is a priority management style necessary to securing workable solutions.

10) It is not possible to create a city that is weird, safe, affordable and elitist all at the same time.

There are many ways for us to solve homelessness, Black student performance gaps, affordable housing and minority hirings on our police force.

What we can’t do is continue pretending that headlines, hand-wringing, a lack of diverse thinking, anger, studies, politicians, enabling and spending other people’s money will create the solutions.

— Carl Mumpower Asheville

No real need for more surveillance

[ Regarding “Asheville Joins Buncombe County Surveillance System,” Feb. 1, Xpress:]

I agree with Grace BarronMartinez. It would be an open invitation to violate people’s First, Fourth and 14th amendment rights.

The same old solutions won’t solve Asheville’s problems

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

Our police have not proved they are capable of handling this information responsibly. I see no real reason to do this program.

I understand people’s safety concerns. Most urgent situations can be handled by a call to 911.

— Carole Schaefer Asheville

Let’s cure hepatitis C in Buncombe jail

I admit to being a thorn in the sides of political leaders over the years. However, this point seems fairly easy medicine to take. Let’s cure viral hepatitis C in our local detention center with some of the opioid settlement money.

My proposal is to utilize $500,000 of those dollars for a pilot program — more if necessary. Include inmates who will be there a minimum of three months, as the pangenotypic cure for hepatitis C is now almost 100% successful in two-three months.

With directly observed treatment, no transportation issues, no missed appointments, plus very few side effects from modern direct antiviral agents, what’s stopping us? Logistics, perhaps, but not the public health need or benefit. Lots of people in our region and state could be cured so easily if

we take the steps to make this happen locally and show them the way.

— Michael Harney Prevention educator WNC AIDS Project Asheville

Keep government’s hands out of short-term rentals

[Regarding “Buncombe Sets Goals for State Lobbyists,” Feb. 8, Xpress:]

I am concerned with the “power” that the government would have to “regulate” Airbnbs. It translates, to me, that they’re looking for another way to obtain more income from those struggling already in the service industry. Why is it so challenging to obtain ideas that would benefit the business owner, customers and then the government?

Wake up! We do not need more governing or, in actuality, dipping their hands in the pot it doesn’t belong.

— Brenda Newkirk Hendersonville

Goodbye, Tourists, hello Pirates?

I just read that the state of Florida is banning the Roberto Clemente book [Roberto Clemente: Pride of the

Pittsburgh Pirates] because it could “corrupt our youth.” Subsequently, many are recommending the Pittsburgh Pirates move from their Class A facility in Bradenton, Fla.

How about the Pirates relocating to Asheville if the Tourists bolt? The city of Asheville should reach out to the Pirates to inquire.

— Joe Cavanaugh Asheville

Police need alternatives to stun guns

I was watching the news one Sunday morning on which they showed a Black man (a relative of the founder of Black Lives Matter) being tasered by policemen. He died from cardiac arrest at the hospital.

I think those Tasers should be discontinued as items that police officers carry. That same TV news report said that a high number of people per year in the U.S. die as a result of being shocked with those instruments of torture.

I propose a less violent method of capturing out-of-control people who may be suffering a mental psychotic break, drug- or alcohol-induced episode.

Police departments should be furnished with human-sized nets (like giant butterfly nets) made out of strong nylon cords or hemp rope fibers. All the police officers would have to do

is put the nets over the person’s body and rush in and pull the tie cord at the bottom to prevent him/her from getting out. Then the police officers would put the person into a straitjacket like those used to control violent people who live in mental institutions.

The idea would save the lives of people who are going through a bad episode and would return to normal once they were given medication to help them.

There simply is no sense in killing a person when there are many police officers standing around who could successfully use a capture net and straitjacket.

That Black man had kids who will never see him again, not to mention the fact of the loss of a good teacher.

I am not a “defund the police” person. We need good police officers who care about people. I support those and think all Asheville police officers should have bought-for-them bulletproof vests.

Well, that’s my opinion.

— Tom L. Nanney Asheville

Correction

In last week’s Community Calendar, the photo caption should have noted that the featured baked goods were made by French Broad Pantry.

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Preserving the past

Residents share memories of local historic African American sites

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

Andrea Clark stands next to the J.A. Wilson Building in downtown Asheville and motions across Eagle Street to a city parking deck and some small retail spaces.

“There were barbershops, mortuaries, doctors, all the like,” the photographer says, recalling a time when Eagle Street was home to the city’s thriving African American business district. “Everything you would need, all the merchants, all right here. They tore it down, and they put this up.”

The two-story brick-faced Wilson building, constructed in 1924, is one of the few places left from Eagle Street’s golden age. Clark and other local preservationists want to make sure it and other significant African American historic sites around town are preserved for future generations.

A recent report done for the city’s Planning and Urban Design Department recommends the Wilson building and two other sites — the former Rabbit’s Motel on McDowell Street and the Walton Street Pool — be placed on the National Register Study List, a first step to being placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Asheville African American Heritage Resource Survey also identified about 75 buildings to be added to a list of Asheville historic architectural sites cataloged by the city.

“We’re lacking in survey work in our historically black neighborhoods,” says Alex Cole, the city’s historic preservation manager. “So, we decided to focus on documenting those resources so that we could help tell the stories of everyone in our community, in particular the stories of Black voices that have not been heard.”

To commemorate Black History Month, Xpress asked Clark and other longtime Asheville residents to share their memories of the three sites.

RABBIT’S MOTEL AND CAFE, 109 MCDOWELL ST.

Opened in 1948 by Fred “Rabbit” Simpson, Rabbit’s was considered one of the top Black-owned motels for African American travelers in the segregation-era South. Among

those known to have stayed there are future Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Stargell , who played for the Asheville Tourists in 1961, and pioneering Black NASCAR driver Wendell Scott.

Musicians touring the South on the Chitlin Circuit also were regular guests at the motel, which sat in the heart of the then-vibrant Southside neighborhood, home to more than half of Asheville’s African American population.

“It was listed in the Green Book: ‘If you’re Black and you’re coming through Asheville and you need a place to stay, eat and whatever, here’s

the spot,’ ” says Roy Harris, a longtime Asheville resident and storyteller. The Negro Motorist Green-Book was an annual guide that provided a list of establishments throughout the country that served Black patrons.

“It had six motel rooms in the back, behind the restaurant,” remembers Robert Hardy, president of the Southside Community Association.

“It had a sign with blinking neon lights, shaped like a rabbit. Looked like the rabbit was running across the yard. And it had a sign that said, ‘Colored Only.’ [Simpson] said ’Well, if y’all want to be like that and don’t want us, we don’t want you.’”

The motel eventually became year-round housing and then closed, though no one seems to know the exact date. The rooms were converted into a music rehearsal and art studio called SoundSpace@Rabbit’s in 2020.

Still vacant is the two-story restaurant that faces McDowell Street in front of the former motor court.

“You could go to the restaurant there and get some of the best soul food in town,” recalls Renée White, president of the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association. “Black people were able to meet, eat, dance to the jukebox, laugh and socialize.”

Harris arrived in Asheville in 1983 and was directed by others to check out the no-frills spot whose sign promised “Real Home-Cooked Meals.”

“I don’t think anybody was staying upstairs, but they had a little kitchen downstairs, and, if I remember right, you couldn’t get more than maybe 10, 15 people at a time in there,” he says.

Priscilla Robinson has fond memories of picking up to-go orders. “They had chitlins, they had fried chicken, collard greens. It was homemade potato salad, hot dogs, hamburgers,” says Robinson, who documents changes in the Southside neighborhood through her Urban Renewal Impact website.

Things started going downhill when white people discovered the spot, Clark says. “They started to come, and suddenly here comes the city food inspection people. They kinda had to upgrade and so forth.”

The restaurant closed after that, though again the exact date is unclear. The last reference to the restaurant being open in the Asheville Citizen Times was in 2004.

“It’s important to Asheville’s Black community because it represented successful Black enterprise,” White explains. “A thriving business owned by Black people that provided motel space and good food.”

And, she adds: “I loved the fried chicken.”

HISTORY LESSON: Andrea Clark, pictured, says it’s

important for people to

know the history of the J.A. Wilson Building and other African American sites in Asheville. Photo by Justin McGuire

“I depend on the Xpress to give me a different side of the story from TV and the other local newspapers.”

–

WALTON STREET POOL AND PARK, 570 WALTON ST.

Situated at the southern end of the Southside neighborhood, the city-owned Walton Street Park opened to the public in June 1939 under the name Riverview Park. The pool was completed in the southwest corner of the park in fall 1947 and the pool house the following summer.

“The Walton Street Pool is where all of Black Asheville went and swam because we couldn’t use any other spot,” Robinson says. Many young people in the community became certified as lifeguards at the pool, she says.

Adds White: “I always felt that it was never maintained as well as the white pools because it was in a Black neighborhood.”

Hardy, 71, remembers a swim instructor named Big John Burleson “Mr. Burleson taught a lot of us how to swim, and if he thought you could swim, Mr. Burleson would throw you in the water,” Hardy says with a laugh. “The only time he would go in was when you didn’t come up. This man could swim like a fish, and he taught the community how to swim.”

The park, with its gable-roofed picnic shelter, concession stand and playground, became a community hub for generations of African Americans. “We’d have our yearly carnival and class reunions, birthday parties and everything at that park,” Hardy recalls. “It was a neighborhood fixture.”

At one time, the park contained a clay tennis court, pavilion and more at the top of a hill, Hardy says. But the hill was removed as part of urban

renewal efforts that saw the construction of public housing in the 1970s.

In 2021, Asheville City Council voted to close the pool due to a leaking foundation, mechanical failures and other infrastructure problems. The city is building a new outdoor pool with modern amenities at the nearby Grant Southside Center.

While the pool is history, the playground, picnic shelter, basketball court and more remain.

“There’s still families barbecuing, people hanging out,” Clark says. She bemoans the fact the park has seen violence but says young people need a place to hang out.

“We need to save the kids, give them recreation, a place to play,” she says. “They don’t get it in schools.”

Gazing out at the tree-lined park, she adds, “And it’s a really lovely spot.”

J.A. WILSON BUILDING, 13 EAGLE ST.

Businessman J. Alfred Wilson moved his Wilson’s Barber Shop to the newly completed J.A. Wilson Building in 1925. Like Rabbit’s Motel, the shop was listed in the Green Book several times.

Over its long history, the building at the intersection of Eagle Street and Wilson Alley has provided space for doctors, dentists, real estate agents, lawyers and other Blackowned businesses. Its ground floor has been home to Limones, a modern Californian and Mexican restaurant, since 2004.

Clark doesn’t have many first-hand memories of the building. But it still is special to her, as evidenced by the words she reads aloud from a plaque on the outside wall: “This commercial building was built in 1924 for African-American businessman J. Alfred Wilson by the distinguished African-American brickmason James Vester Miller.”

Miller, who died in 1940, was Clark’s grandfather.

In 2021, she launched the James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail to keep his name alive in Asheville. In addition to the Wilson building, Miller had a hand in building St. Matthias Episcopal Church, the YMI building, Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church and other historic structures. She sees such efforts as vital.

“It’s our history, and it needs to be preserved so that our children and our grandchildren and our greatgreat-great-grandchildren will know who did what in their community and where they came from,” Clark says. “You want to know where you came from so that you can know where you’re going.” X

HOME COOKING: Rabbit’s Motel and Cafe was once known for some of the best soul food in Asheville. Photo by Justin McGuire

ASHEVILLE LANDMARK: The J.A. Wilson Building has stood on Eagle Street for nearly a century. Photo courtesy of the city of Asheville

DRIED UP: City Council voted to close down the Walton Street Pool in 2021. Photo by Justin McGuire

Deja vu

BY SALLY KESTIN AN ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG REPORT

bark@avlwatchdog.org

A national consultant hired to advise Asheville on its highly visible homeless population stood before elected leaders last month with a bold proclamation for a plan she described as a “road map of how to end homelessness in your community.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, many of those who participated in and followed the work of the Washington, D.C.-based National Alliance to End Homelessness were skeptical.

“This was a sham,” said Micheal Woods, executive director of the nonprofit Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. “We brought in the National Alliance to End Homelessness and paid them $73,000 to tell us to keep doing what we’re doing.”

Some of the findings, like a shortage of affordable housing and high cost of living, were obvious to anyone who’s lived or worked in Asheville.

“You’re telling us we’ve got to put more people into housing, and we’ve been talking about affordable housing for 20 years,” Woods said.

Some of the people most affected by homelessness — including those working in the field, business owners and the unhoused themselves — had lost faith in Asheville’s ability to make any significant difference even before the anticipated “Within Reach: Ending Unsheltered Homelessness” report came out Jan. 20.

In hundreds of interviews and surveys the consultant conducted, “Community members reported a loss of trust and belief in the ability of elected officials, city and county staff to have any real impact on homelessness.”

end homelessness in Asheville ... again

STEADY STREAM OF HOMELESSNESS

The population of homeless people in Asheville has remained about the same for at least 25 years: generally, 500-600 annually but higher in some years, despite local government spending millions of dollars and making pledges to reduce or end homelessness altogether.

In 2004-05, facing concerns similar to today’s, local government and community leaders met for six months and produced a report titled, “Looking Homeward: The 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness” in Asheville and Buncombe County. Back then, Asheville’s homeless population was 689. The latest count, as of January 2022, was 637. The 2023 “point-in-time” census was counted Jan. 31, but results won’t be released until spring.

Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells said she is “not interested in focusing on the past reports or what other leaders did or didn’t do.”

With “strong community collaboration,” Wells said, “we will achieve a significant reduction in unsheltered homelessness.”

TENTS, DRUGS AND COMPLAINTS

Nearly two decades ago, it was the chronically homeless that prompted the 2005 report with its erroneous prediction: “‘Looking Homeward’ will end chronic homelessness and reduce all types of homelessness over the next decade.”

By 2022, Asheville had 211 chronically homeless people and a doubling over the previous year of unsheltered people living on the streets, in tents

or in cars, often with mental illnesses and/or drug and alcohol addictions.

Tent encampments popped up along highways and rivers and under overpasses. Homeless people behaved erratically, fueled by especially potent drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine, generating complaints from business owners, tourists and downtown visitors.

“Many people expressed concern about public safety decreasing and their families ‘being afraid’ to be out in the community,” the alliance’s report said. Those experiencing homelessness also reported feeling unsafe.

So, in May 2022, the city and county agreed to seek “national expertise” and hired the nonprofit alliance to “guide the county’s work on homelessness.” Dogwood Health Trust paid the $72,974 cost.

‘NOWHERE TO GO’

So, what did Asheville get for its money, and how realistic is the plan?

The main goal the alliance recommended — cutting the unsheltered population in half in two years — is likely doable with projects that were already underway.

The number of unsheltered as of January 2022 was 232. Nearly 200 more beds are scheduled to become available this year with the conversion of two former hotels, the Days Inn on Tunnel Road and the Ramada Inn on River Ford Parkway.

“Those projects will certainly help,” Emily Ball, Asheville’s homeless strategy division manager, told Asheville Watchdog via email. “They are dedicated to people who are chronically homeless, many of whom are unsheltered.”

The alliance also recommended providing rental assistance for an additional 200 homeless single adults and 50 families to quickly find housing and adding 95 temporary shelter beds.

A more immediate need, Woods said, should be safe apartments and housing — both public and private — for people already in shelters.

“I have 110 people that are in my shelter that are working every day, that are saving money, that are ready to be housed, but they have nowhere to go,” Woods said. “When they apply for market-rate housing, because of the demand in the area, because of something on their past credit or maybe past criminal history, they get looked over, so they’re having to stay

in shelter ... a whole lot longer than what they really need.”

Asheville’s public housing, Woods said, has too much crime, including drug dealing and shootings.

“We have people living in public housing that I talk with that are absolutely afraid for their lives,” he said. “I know families in Hillcrest who literally every evening lay on the floor. Their grandchildren sleep in the bathtub because of the gun violence.”

NEW MODEL GETS SUPPORT

One recommendation that seems to have widespread support is a change in the leadership and oversight of Asheville’s homeless response, which is currently housed under the city and managed by a committee of 16 with eight members appointed each by the City Council and county Board of Commissioners.

In other places like Houston, often held up as a national model for reducing homelessness, a nonprofit agency independent of local government oversees homelessness and includes representation and buy-in from the many organizations involved in the work, as well as previously homeless people.

The goal is to promote coordination “so everybody is sort of rowing

ON THE RISE: Asheville saw a doubling of the unsheltered homeless population in 2022 over the previous year. Photo by Starr Sariego, courtesy of Asheville Watchdog

National consultant offers ‘road map’ to

in the same direction,” Ann Oliva, the alliance’s CEO, told Asheville and Buncombe elected officials at a meeting Jan. 25.

“We’ve been calling for that for a number of years,” said Scott Rogers, executive director of the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry.

Another benefit of the proposed change, said Marcus Laws, homeless services director at Homeward Bound: “It offers an opportunity to take politics out of it.”

“We as agencies have to do better about working together,” Laws said.

‘CRITICAL LACK’ OF DATA AND COORDINATION

Oliva told the elected officials that “lots of good work” is being done around homelessness in Asheville, but it’s “not fully coordinated.”

One reason, the alliance found, is a “critical lack” of data about the unhoused, the services they’re receiving or needing and what’s working.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requires local governments and agencies that receive HUD money for homelessness to track people and services in the Homeless Management Information System.

But “only about 66% of service providers in Asheville-Buncombe County provide entry and exit data into the HMIS database,” the consultant’s report said. “This represents a critical lack of information about those who may want and need housing and services in the community and the lack of available housing interventions.”

Ball, Asheville’s homeless strategy manager, told Asheville Watchdog that the VA Medical Center does not participate in HMIS but does capture information about homeless veterans in a different federally mandated system. “We have a manual workaround in progress to include their data in HMIS,” she said.

Two other agencies that serve the homeless do not use the database, Swannanoa Valley Christian Ministry, which operates a transitional housing program, and Western Carolina Rescue Ministries, Ball said.

Woods said the Rescue Ministries staff collects the data — and more — in a separate system and is willing to provide it anytime or allow the city to tap into his database for a fee.

Participation in the HMIS should be mandatory, the consultant said.

The Houston nonprofit that oversees homelessness in that city includes a representative from a university that analyzes data and committees that ensure its “data is solid,” Oliva said.

San Diego, a place that Oliva said more closely aligns with Asheville, publicly posts live data on its unhoused. “They look at their data every single day,” she said.

MONEY FLOWS, BUT HOW MUCH?

Another shortcoming of Asheville’s system: A lot of money is going toward homelessness, but no central entity tracks the total or coordinates where best to spend it.

The federal and local governments currently provide $3.3 million annually, and this year, the city and county received $23.8 million in COVID-19 relief money that went toward homeless services and housing.

On top of that is additional federal funding for veterans and private donations to the many nonprofits operating shelters, providing housing and helping people on the streets.

Homeward Bound has raised more than $15 million through public and private sources for the purchase and conversion of the Days Inn into housing for 85 chronically homeless people.

ABCCM recently built housing for 100 homeless women, children and veterans, and “raised $13 million entirely from the private sector,” said Rogers, the director.

The current city-county advisory committee decides how to spend one piece, the federal homelessness funding. Asheville should track all the money to ensure it’s used “systemically and not funding ad hoc projects,” the alliance said.

In all, the consultant’s recommendations, primarily for the increase in rental assistance and shelter beds, will cost an additional $6 million, according to estimates in the report.

‘GOT TO KEEP TRYING’

Asheville Watchdog asked all Asheville City Council members

and Buncombe County commissioners about the consultant’s proposals. Only Wells and Commissioner Parker Sloan responded by deadline.

Wells said she wants to see a timeline with costs. “In order to make a significant impact, we must address multiple aspects of this issue with urgency,” she said. “Prevention and diversion measures are key.”

Sloan said that “homelessness is a policy choice, and we have built a society that allows it to happen.

“We can provide people with health care, with addiction treatment, a basic guaranteed income, public safety and make sure they have housing,” he said. “Our society is already spending money on these things; we just do it in a needlessly punitive, unintentional and inefficient way.”

Sloan said the new leadership structure “may be the biggest benefit” of the consultant’s report. “My hope is that we make a number of different choices so that my kids don’t have to have this same conversation 20 years from now.”

Jerome Jones, a former Buncombe County assistant manager, chaired the committee that produced the 2005 plan to end homelessness in Asheville.

He said homelessness has remained a pervasive problem in most cities because of a lack of affordable housing, and “an endless supply of people in need … because of our economy, because of our lack of a social network, because of our ‘don’t give a damn about poor people that are homeless.’”

“I think it’s not a matter of a lot of good hasn’t been done,” Jones said.

He said he titled the 2005 report an “end to homelessness,” knowing “that wasn’t going to happen.”

“A lot of people did beat homelessness, people did get their lives together, people did get services they hadn’t been getting,” said Jones, who retired and now lives in Madison, Wis.

And given that the number of unhoused people in Buncombe has stayed relatively flat since 2000 while the county’s population grew by 33%, Jones said, is “a big win.”

“It’s never going to be zero,” Jones said. “I think you simply can’t say we’re going to let this population just stay the way they are. We’ve got to keep trying.”

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Email skestin@ avlwatchdog.org. X

Council opts for $5.9M in I-26 aesthetic improvements

The Interstate 26 Connector project will not only make I-26 wider for vehicles, but it will also make the corridor more attractive for anyone passing through. That beauty will come at a cost to Asheville taxpayers: about $5.9 million in new spending, as approved unanimously by Asheville City Council on Feb. 14.

The “aesthetic treatments” approved as part of the package include improved lighting, safety railing, pedestrian and bike surfaces and monument pillars. Asheville has already budgeted about $1.4 million for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure along the I-26 Connector route, bringing the city’s total allocation for the project to $7.3 million.

The N.C. Department of Transportation would be responsible for the remainder of the work’s cost, as well as covering any unexpected budget increases. The selection of a contractor to complete the project will begin early this year, with a decision expected by mid-October.

The spending approved by Council matches the full amount recommended by the city’s I-26 Connector Aesthetics Committee in December. City staff, however, had pushed to limit the aesthetics spending to about $4 million.

The reduced scope would have omitted stamped and colored concrete sidewalks at the Haywood Bridge Interchange and bridgehead monuments and stamped concrete surfacing on the Bowen Bridge. Asheville Transportation Director Ken Putnam explained that the staff’s recommendations for cuts arose due to “numerous competitive needs” in the city’s budget and limited funding sources.

“We realize that the price tag for all of the improvements recommend-

ed by this committee is not insignificant,” said committee Chair Ted Figura in a presentation to Council.

“The aesthetic improvements that we are asking the city to fund will not only improve the pedestrian and bicyclist experience and their safety, help remediate previous injustices inflicted on vulnerable neighborhoods and further the city’s vision for extending the downtown westward,” Figura continued. “We believe that they are also valuable placemaking initiatives that will enrich Asheville’s character [and] not only contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by Asheville citizens — it will add to the attractiveness of our community for tourists.”

Members of Council agreed to support the higher level of spending, but they said that finding additional community partners such as Buncombe County and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority would be necessary to help pay for the work. No source of funding has yet been specified for the new I-26 commitments.

At the behest of member Kim Roney, Council also voted to support I-26 aesthetic recommendations made by neighborhoods that will be directly impacted by the project, including Burton Street, Montford and Hillcrest. Documents outlining those recommendations weren’t attached to Council’s agenda.

Council member Maggie Ullman was the sole vote against Roney’s motion, saying that she didn’t feel comfortable offering her support without first seeing specifics from the neighborhoods.

“I’ve got to be clear with everybody — I love Burton Street. I think Burton Street is fantastic,” Ullman explained. “I feel a little caught off guard not having written materials to consider. I support the neighborhood, but the lack of precision and detail makes me uncomfortable.”

COUNCIL SHUTS THE DOOR ON CHECK-IN MEETINGS

Council also voted unanimously on a resolution replacing its current system of private “check-in” meetings with public, in-person briefing work sessions. The new meetings would take place at 11 a.m. on the first and third Thursdays of each month in City Hall’s first-floor North Conference Room.

According to a Feb. 15 city press release, the first of the new meetings will be held Thursday, Feb. 23. No public comment will be accepted. An agenda for each meeting will be posted online no later than noon the day before.

“This is another opportunity to capture the story and tell the story of the hard work that we’re doing, the challenging issues and the successes that we’ll share together when we do the people’s work in public,” said Roney. “So, thank you for the effort to schedule these meetings in public. And follow us on the journey as we try this new effort.”

— Brooke Randle X

BUILDING BRIDGES: Council agreed to the full $5.9 million recommended by the I-26 Connector Aesthetics Committee in a unanimous Feb. 14 vote, but members said finding additional community partners such as Buncombe County and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority would be necessary to help pay for the work. Rendering courtesy of the city of Asheville

AVL school board selects firm to lead superintendent search

Asheville City Schools is one step closer to finding someone to steer the district as superintendent after the Asheville City Board of Education voted at its Feb. 13 meeting to hire a firm to lead the search effort.

Board Chair George Sieburg explained that school board members reviewed seven search firm proposals that were received last month before narrowing the candidates down to three. Sieburg and Vice Chair Amy Ray interviewed the finalists before settling on Summit.

Summit Search Solutions described itself in its proposal as a “boutique” search firm that specializes in education. The firm is headquartered in Asheville, with offices in five other states.

“We were really impressed with how prepared Summit is to work with us. The fact that they came in talking about what they’ve already seen in our board sessions and the work that we’ve already done, they were really encouraged by that work,” said Sieburg. “In the conversations that Amy and I had with everyone, we felt they had stood above the rest.”

Ray acknowledged that Summit’s original bid at $35,000 was “significantly higher in terms of the cost to the school district,” but that the board was able to negotiate the contract down to $30,000.

“The cost is still a little bit higher than our other choices. But at the end of the day, what convinced me was the services, the amount of work that they are prepared to do and the expertise that they can bring to our district,” Ray explained.

Summit’s proposal states that the firm will facilitate focus group and input meetings, identify and vet prospects before interviewing and recommending finalists to the board.

Sieburg said that at the recommendation of Summit, the board will extend the deadline for applications from March 1 to mid-March, as well as amend some of the application questions. “Their caution was that it’s such a cumbersome application, that given what potential applicants are doing in their lives anyway … that might be better served for us to ask those questions as we enter into maybe the first round of interviews.”

Summit’s proposal also included a guarantee that the superintendent would serve the district for at least one year, otherwise the firm would conduct another search at no cost. But before the vote, board member Liza Kelly requested that the firm guarantee its

final candidate for two years, noting that the district has hired five superintendents over the last 10 years. Former Superintendent Gene Freeman left abruptly in June, more than five months before his previously announced November retirement, when the district bought out his contract.

“I just want to acknowledge that we’ve had a revolving door of superintendents and I really don’t want to go down that path again,” Kelly said.

Summit subsequently agreed, guaranteeing to repeat the search process if the recruit left for any reason during the first year of employment, or was terminated or resigned based on performance-related issues within two years on the job.

Asheville City Schools spokesperson Dillon Huffman told Xpress after the meeting that work with Summit will begin this week and will end after a new superintendent starts in July.

HAVE YOUR SAY

The school board has scheduled seven public input sessions aimed at gathering feedback and recommendations from community members regarding the superintendent search. Initial sessions took place at Ira B. Jones Elementary School on Feb. 16, virtually on Feb. 20 and at Asheville Middle School on Feb. 21. More info at avl.mx/cez.

The remaining sessions take place on the following dates:

• Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Hall Fletcher Elementary: 10:30 a.m.

• Thursday, Feb. 23 at The Arthur R. Edington Center: 6 p.m.

• Monday, Feb. 27 Isaac Dickson Elementary: 8:15 a.m.

• Wednesday, March 1 at Asheville High/SILSA: 6 p.m.

— Brooke Randle X

SEARCH PARTY: Members of the Asheville City Board of Education chose the search firm Summit Search Solutions to lead the district’s superintendent search during their Feb. 13 meeting. Screen capture courtesy of Asheville City Schools

Tips on snakes and seeds

Midwinter greetings, mountain neighbors! I’m excited to restart this monthly gardening feature and to engage with your plant- and land-tending questions. You can get in touch with me at gardening@mountainx.com, and I’ll share what I know about growing things in our beautiful ecosystem.

SNAKES IN MY GARDEN BED

Is there a safe way to relocate a snake nest or “hide” the nest from my dog?

When I hear about snakes in gardens, I rejoice! Of course, the first and most important step is to identify what kind of snakes they are. Fortunately, the vast majority of species that live in North Carolina are nonvenomous, 31 out of 37 to be more precise. And many that are harmless to humans like to hunt garden pests like voles, mice and rats. In fact, the snake I’ve seen most frequently in my garden has been the black rat snake, which, true to its name, loves to eat rodents (thank you!).

Other common types are garter snakes, milk snakes and corn snakes. The only venomous snakes I’ve seen here are copperheads and rattlesnakes. They’re both fairly easy to identify with their wide, diamond-shaped heads and catlike vertical pupils. Another cool feature of these beautiful snakes is that they are ovoviviparous, which means the mothers hatch eggs inside their body and give birth to live babies. This characteristic leads me to believe that your friend’s babies are not rattlers or copperheads, because the birthing season doesn’t come until at least midsummer.

So, if it were my garden, I would happily leave the snake den and hope that some of the babies stick around to help me manage herbivorous pest populations. As for protecting the snakes from the dog, you could place some large stones around the nest so that the dog can’t dig them out while they’re inside.

POTATO TIME

The weather is pretty warm. Is it too early to plant potatoes?

Potatoes are a favorite spring crop and are indeed one of the earliest things that can be put into the ground as spring comes. However, they do require a soil temperature of at least 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Since “seed potatoes” are planted deeper than true seeds, this means the ground

needs to be that warm about 6-8 inches down. It’s not quite there yet.

If potatoes are planted too early (before the ground is warm enough for them to sprout), they will either just hang out and wait for the temperature to rise, or they may rot. The former, of course, is not a problem; the plants just take a little longer to come up. The latter, however, can mean no potato plants at all. Rotting is more likely if you’ve cut up seed potatoes into pieces, leaving large exposed surfaces in contact with cool, moist soil. Unless you have very small seed potatoes, cutting them into pieces with 2-4 eyes each is a good practice, so waiting for warm weather is well worth it.

One way to fine-tune your potato planting schedule is to purchase a simple soil thermometer and pop them in the ground when you know it’s warm enough to get them going. Around here, that’s usually mid to late March.

THE LIFE OF SEEDS

Where can I buy the best garden seeds?

Seeds are the foundation of any garden, and now is the time to get them for spring and summer gardening. Not all seeds are created equal, and the quality of your seeds plays a major role in the success of your crops. I am a strong proponent of open-pollinated, regionally adapted seeds and varieties for small-scale growers like us. Some hybrid seeds that have been developed for organic practices can be great in the home garden, too. Genetically modified seeds, on the other hand, have no place in our food system, in my humble opinion.

The best sources for good seed are small, regionally adapted seed companies, and a few larger companies that breed their own seeds and/or buy from small seed growers who care about quality.

Before you start ordering seeds, take stock of what you’ve got. Don’t just look at crop or variety names, but also look at packed-on dates. Seeds are living organisms that don’t stay viable forever. Many types of seeds can last for years if they’re stored properly, but others won’t germinate well after just one year in storage. Exposure to moisture, heat and light can decrease a seed’s viable life. Here’s a quick reference that tells you approximately how long different types of seeds will be viable under good storage conditions. We got this information from a more in-depth chart at Johnny’s Selected Seeds (avl.mx/cey):

• 1 year: onions, parsnips, parsley, salsify, spinach

• 2 years: corn, peas, beans, chives, okra, dandelion

• 3 years: carrots, leeks, asparagus, turnips, rutabagas

• 4 years: peppers, chard, pumpkins, squash, watermelons, basil, artichokes, cardoons

• 5 years: most brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli, etc.), beets, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, muskmelons, celery, celeriac, lettuce, endive, chicory

Along with a good sense of your current seed inventory, it will be help-

ful to have a basic garden plan for the coming year. This doesn’t have to be fully flushed out but rather just a general sense of how much space you’ll be planting and the different kinds of crops and varieties you hope to grow. For help with garden planning, you can check out the Holistic Garden Planning Class we offer through our school, Wild Abundance.

Once you’re ready to buy seeds, my favorite sources are Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (which is nearby in Virginia), Fedco Seeds (based in Maine), Adaptive Seeds (in Oregon), and Johnny’s Selected Seeds (also in Maine). Our hyperlocal seed company is called Sow True Seeds and it’s got a great selection of open-pollinated and organic seeds, plus some live plants and bulbs and growing supplies.

If you’re a seed nerd like me and enjoy perusing lots of small seed companies’ offerings, check out the blog post I wrote (avl.mx/cf9) about small, independent seed companies all over the country. If you have a favorite seed source that’s not on there, please email me so I can add it.

If you want to save money on your seed order, get a group together and order in bulk. Many of these companies have larger packets available at lower prices per ounce, and some offer blanket bulk discounts on larger orders.

Once you receive your seeds, store them in a cool, dry, ideally dark environment like a closet or shelf in a corner. In humid environments like ours, a plastic tote or other vessel can be really helpful in maintaining a stable microclimate to keep seeds fresh. As an extra layer of protection against moisture, you can add silica desiccant packets to your seed tote (like the ones that you find in jars of vitamins or packages of sushi nori). If a seed packet happens to get wet, don’t put it back in the container with others until after it’s completely dry.

— Chloe Lieberman X

BACK AT IT: Chloe Lieberman resumes her monthly gardening feature. Photo courtesy of Lieberman

FEBRUARY 22 - MARCH 2, 2023

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

 Online-only events

 More info, page 22

 More info, pages 24-25

WELLNESS

Sparkle Time Holistic

Exercise

Aerobic, strengthening, balance and flexibility.

MO (2/27), WE (2/22, 3/1), 10:30am, Avery's Creek Community Center, 899 Glennbridge Rd SE, Arden

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life.

WE (2/22, 3/1), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Tai Chi for Beginners

For all ages and abilities. Yang 10 and 24 forms along with Qigong Exercises.

TH (2/23, 3/2), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Nar-Anon Family Group Meeting

Weekly meeting for family and friends of addicts. Use Door C.

TH (2/23, 3/2), 7pm, 1316D Patton Ave

Asheville Aphasia Support Group

Every Friday in Rm 345.

No RSVP needed.

FR (2/24), 10am, WCU at Biltmore Park, 28 Schenck Pkwy

Yoga for Everyone

For all ages and abilities. Instructors are trained to facilitate classes to people standing or in a chair. Classes are in English, but instructor is able to speak Spanish

if needed. Registration is required. Visit avl.mx/cf7.

SA (2/25), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Magnetic Minds: Depression/Bipolar Support Group

Weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. Email depressionbipolarasheville@gmail.com or call or text (828)367-7660 for more info.

SA (2/25), 2pm, 1316C Parkwood Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

A conscious movement experience in a 100year old building with a community of women at all life stages.

SU (2/26), Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Winter Flow

This class is designed to build heat in the body and release excess kapha during the winter. Working as a class towards headstands with a goal of early April. Bring a mat. SU (2/26), 11am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Ben's Friends

Offering supportive community to food and beverage industry professionals struggling with addiction and

PRETTY PAPER: Ikebana International of Asheville will host an event at the Folk Art Center on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 10:30 a.m. on the Japanese history and uses of washi paper, a term referring to handmade paper using Japanese techniques. The event will feature examples of prints and projects that use the technique, which began in the Nara period (710 to 784). Photo courtesy of Ikebana International

substance abuse. Every Tuesday.

TU (2/28), 10am, Avenue M, 791 Merrimon Ave

Old School Line Dancing

TH (3/2), 6:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings Visit wncna.org/ basic-meeting for dates, times and locations.

ART

Courtney M. Leonard - BREACH: Logbook23 | Coriolis

Exploring cultural and historical connections

to water, fishing practices, and sustainability.

Created by Shinnecock Nation ceramic artist

Courtney M. Leonard as part of her BREACH series, the installation is a response to the artist’s research in Western North Carolina. Open Monday through Thursday, 10am.

WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Kirsten Stolle: The Grass Isn't Always Greener Working in collage and text-based imagery, Stolle’s research-based practice examines the influence of pesticide companies on our food supply. Gallery

open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 5pm. Exhibition through April 8.

Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave

Art in the Heart: A Speculative Moment

An installation of a transparent, nine-foottall obelisk that will be filled with swirling fog that will slowly disperse into the atmosphere through small holes in the top of the obelisk. Text and images from interviews with Asheville youth and leaders will be projected onto the fog that represent what a monument could possibly be and say in 2523.

SA (2/25), 6:30pm, Pack Square Park

Great Pottery Throwdown

More than a dozen local potters face off in tests of speed, precision and creativity. See p24

SA (2/25), 6pm, Odyssey Clayworks, 236 Clingman Ave

Ikebana International

Asheville presentes

Washi Paper

A Japanese cultural demonstration.

TU (2/28), 10:30am, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational

Swannanoa Valley Museum Winter Workshop: Shape-Note

Singing

Stefani Priskos will discuss the history of the practice of shapenote singing, and teach participants the basics of learning how to read and sing shape-notes.

SA (2/25), 1:30pm, Thomas Chapel AME, 124 W College Dr, Black Mountain

Greg Hager

Award-winning entertainer, Greg Hager, will be performing songs from his newest album.A free-will offering will be accepted.

SA (2/25), 4pm, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 10 N Liberty St

The Tribe Jazz Orchestra

The Tribe Jazz Orchestra is an ensemble of musicians led by vocalist Lenora Zenzalai Helm with a unique approach to the music of the big band tradition. The instrumentation features a combination of jazz orchestra and modern chamber ensemble.

SA (2/25), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville

Love Stories

Five WNC storytellers explore love in all its glorious, complicated facets. Sponsored by the Weaverville Center for Creative and Healthy Living. Tips appreciated.

TH (2/23), 7pm, Lake Louise Community Center, Weaverville Poetry Open Mic Hendo

A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday. Performances must be no longer than ten minutes. 18+

TH (2/23, 3/7), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave E, Hendersonville

opportunities are open to the public. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

COMMUNITY MUSIC

The Rhythmic Arts Project: Rhythm and Percussion Class for Everyone

A family-inclusive program that teaches the basics of music theory by playing percussion instruments. Everyone is welcome, but instruments are limited. To sign up visit the website or call (828)250-4758.

TH (2/23), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd

Imani Winds: Black and Brown

An entire program celebrating composers of color such as Wayne Shorter, Paquito D’Rivera, and Valerie Coleman - from the twice Grammy-nominated wind quintet.

TH (2/23), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Seamus Egan Project

Seamus and his band explore the further reaches of the Celtic tradition, blazing through Irish reels, while also taking on compositions that enrich the culture’s ancient melodies.

FR (2/24), 8pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

Lenten Arts Series: Brennan Szafron, Organist Spartanburg Philharmonic principal piano, organ choir master, organist, Church of the Advent. Renaissance to contemporary.. SU (2/26), 4pm, The Cathedral of All Souls, 9 Swan St

Land of Sky Men’s Chorus Rehearsal

Four part a cappella harmony singing. Men of all ages and from all backgrounds welcome.

TU (2/28), 6:30pm, Care Partners Main Campus, 68 Sweeten Creek Rd

Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Shannon Whitworth and her husband Woody Platt take the stage for a rare duo performance.

TU (2/28), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

LITERARY

Joke Writing Workshop

Hosted by Disclaimer

Stand Up Lounge and moderated by Cody Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn’t working.

WE (2/22, 3/1), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Poetry Open Mic w/

Host Caleb Beissert

All forms of entertainment welcome at this weekly poetry-centric open mic. Sign up at 8pm.

WE (2/22, 3/1), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

Victoria Casey-McDonald 80th Memorial Birthday Celebration: Stories and Memories Teacher, preacher, local historian, storyteller, and daughter of Appalachia. Friends and family will share their memories along with readings from her 2022 reissued book, Just Over the Hill: Black Appalachians in Jackson County, Western North Carolina SA (2/25), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva Shut Up and Write! Writing together, in silence. No reading or critiquing, and no real talking, except for the optional socializing afterwards. All are welcome.

MO (2/27), 2pm, Dripolator, 909 Smokey Park Hwy, Candler

THEATER & FILM

She Kills Monsters

A dramatic comedy about the world of fantasy role-playing games and the story of Agnes Evans as she comes to terms with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. Feb. 23-25, 7:30pm and Feb. 26 at 3pm.

Western Carolina University, 1 University Way, Cullowhee

North Carolina Stage Company presents Every Brilliant Thing

Based on true and untrue stories and told with the help of the audience, a life-affirming story of how to achieve hope through focusing on the smallest miracles of life. Various dates and times through Feb. 26.

North Carolina Stage Company, 15 Stage Ln Emanuel

This documentary weaves the history of race relations in Charleston, SC, the significance and impact of Mother Emanuel Church, and the hope that somehow emerges in the aftermath of this tragic mass shooting. There will be short discussion after the film. Cash donations accepted to continue the work of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in Henderson

County.

TU (2/28), 7pm, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St, Hendersonville Friday the 13th: Part III

In 3D, glasses provided. Free popcorn.

WE (3/1), 8pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd

Women's History Month

Movie: Hidden Figures

Screening the story about three brilliant women at NASA who serve as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the first American space orbit.

TH (3/2), 6pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Sewing Club

Bring your machine or borrow one and be taught how to use it.

WE (2/22, 3/1), 5:30pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St Black Mountain Home Campus Connect Tour & Volunteer Info

Learn about and history and programs with a tour of campus, followed by a light lunch prepared by the Culinary Arts apprenticeship program.

TH (2/23), 10am, BMH West Campus, 100 Clover Ln, Swannanoa Southside Card Game Night

Families and community memberscan play card games like bid whist/ spades, Apples to Apples, Uno, and more. Light refreshments served.

TH (2/23, 3/2), 6pm, Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St Family Education:

Relational Artistry: Essential Skills for Meaningful Connections

These meetings are designed to help cultivate intimacy skills in a variety of contexts. Through play, learn and practice different skills such as boundaries and consent, emotional IQ and responsibility, nonviolent communication, social meditation, sensitivity training and more.

FR (2/24), 6:15pm, Mountain Magic Studio, 3 Louisiana Ave

Sanctuary Saturdays

Join others in the community for a free hot lunch in a warm and safe setting. Use the restroom, charge your phone, be part of a conversation, play cards, rest - all are welcome.

SA (2/25), 11am, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St

Become a Power User of DigitalNC.org

Learn techniques to maximize your discoveries on the site as you seek clues to aid you in your genealogical research. Presenter Taneya Koonce, an experienced family history researcher, co-hosts a North Carolina-focused online research series with Renate Yarborough Sanders, Let's Talk NC Genealogy. Registration required.

SA (2/25), 2pm, Online, visit avl.mx/cf8

Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club

Drop in as you please.

All gear provided, bring your vocabulary and energy. No dues for the first three months.

women in woodland stewardship, ForestHer NC, and sharing the stories of women landowners in North Carolina.

TU (2/28), 6pm, Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Rd, Leicester

Folkmoot Life Long

Learning

Sponsored by Dr Darryl Nabors, this program embraces a variety of subjects tailored to local residents. This semester, seven courses are offered including: Beginning Knitting, Haywood County Beginnings, Introduction to Genealogy, The Pandemic History of WNC, Conversational Spanish for Beginners, Swedish Weaving, and Planning to Thrive-Financially. Visit avl.mx/cf6 for more info.

Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville

The Franklin School of Innovation Community Info Session

With snacks, activities and information about the public tuition-free charter school that provides grades 5-12 and serves the greater Asheville area.

TH (3/2), 6:30pm, Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

WNC Sierra Club

Abuzz with Gardening for Pollinators

Phyllis Stiles, founder and director emerita of Bee City USA, will discuss how to alter gardening practices to ensure that the pollinators make the most of your yard.

TH (3/2), 7pm, Online, visit avl.mx/977

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Pie Baking Contest

A staple throughout culinary history, pie recipes are often a closely-held secret. To enter a pie, register online or call the center at (828)350-2062.

TH (2/23), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Elevate Old Fort: The 150th Celebration Kick-Off

The Town of Old Fort's sesquicentennial kick-off, with guest speakers, a student wax museum, art exhibits and a historical presentation followed with cake and activities.

TH (2/23), 5pm, Old Fort Elementary, 128 Mauney Ave, Old Fort Alley 26 Bar Takeover: Session Cocktails

Joseph Gailes from Durham’s Alley Twenty

Six will br mixing cocktails and showing you how to become a mixologist at home.

TH (2/23), 5pm, Botanist & Barrel Tasting Bar + Bottle Shop, 32 Broadway

Soul Food Supper

In the late 19th century, the church became a gathering place for the Black community and impacted the development of what's now considered soul food. Advance registration is requested to help with planning. Call (828)350-2058 for more info. See p22

TH (2/23), 6pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

30th Annual Spring Conference

Joel Fruits will guide through a wide range of pipes and tobaccos from Peterson, Savinelli, Rossi, Cornell & Diehl, G.L. Pease, and more.

TH (3/2), 2pm, B&B Tobacconists, 377 Merrimon Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Food Is Love: Food Donation Drive for MANNA FoodBank

Focusing on collecting healthy, nonperishable foods for distribution to those in need in Western North Carolina. Items of need include low-sodium canned vegetables, canned tuna and chicken, low salt nuts, no sugar added fruits, shelf stable milk, whole grain pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, canola and olive oil, peanut butter, low sodium soups, canned and dried beans, and low sugar cereals. Collection bins will be in the Asheville Outlets food court. Monetary donations can be made at MANNAFoodBank. org. Daily through Feb. 28.

Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

Work Trade Opportunity: Organic Growers School 30th Annual Spring Conference

In exchange for each shift worked you will be compensated for the same day of the conference. Work traders can select two shifts if they would like to attend on Saturday and Sunday, or three shifts, if they would like to participate the whole weekend.

FR (2/24) - SU (2/26), Mars Hill University, Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill

Dog Adoption Event

In partnership with Mountain Pet Rescue. SA (2/25), 1pm, Burning Blush Brewery, 4891 Boylston Hwy, Mills River

Become a Volunteer Court Advocate for Children In Need

Seeking volunteers for Guardian ad Litem advocates, trained community volunteers who are appointed by a district court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children petitioned into the court system. Visit volunteerforgal.org or call (828)259-6603.

First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St

There are more than 2000 sweat glands and 4000 pores in your feet? Detoxifying footbaths have been used in Ayurvedic & Eastern traditions for thousands of years!

Group Discounts Available

- A stronger immune system

- A reduction in chronic pain & inflammation

- Relief from the symptoms of chronic illness

- Enhanced lymphatic drainage

- Improved circulation & heart health

- Reduction of swelling in feet/ankles

- Improved digestion / nutrient absorption

BEFORE AFTER

Foods to Eat When You’re

Well

Not Feeling

Learn about what you can eat or drink to improve your immune system and help you feel better. Presented by Bounty and Soul.

FR (2/24), 10am, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Introduction to Medicare: Understanding the Puzzle

How Medicare works, the enrollment process, how to avoid penalties and ways to save money. To register, visit coabc.org or call (828)277-8288.

FR (2/24), 2pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd

Bingo & Spaghetti

Dinner

Bingo, with a chance to win prizes, will follow dinner. Advance registration helpful, visit avl.mx/cf5.

FR (2/24), 6pm, Dr. Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

SU (2/26), 12:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Psychedelic Preparation for Beginners

This workshop is for anyone interested in learning about embarking on psychedelic explorations for the first time.

SU (2/26), 2pm, Mountain Magic Studio, 3 Louisiana Ave

Sew Co./Rite of Passage Factory Tour

On this micro-tour, learn about sustainable and transparent business practices and hear about our production processes and client collaborations.

MO (2/27), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & SewCo, 240 Clingman Ave Ext

Ticket to Ride Tournament

Registration is firstcome, first-serve.

MO (2/27), 6pm, Well

Played, 162 Coxe Ave

ForestHer NC: Engaging Women in Forest Stewardship

Dakota will focus on the importance of engaging

LOCAL MARKETS

RAD Farmers Market Winter Season With 25-30 vendors selling a variety of local wares. Handicap parking available in the Smoky Park lot, free public parking available along Riverside Drive. Also accessible by foot, bike, or rollerblade via the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

WE (2/22, 2/1), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Weaverville Tailgate Market

Vendors from WNC sell their locally raised meats, veggies and fruits, cheese, herbal products, jams, jellies, pickles, baked goods, breads drinks and more.

WE (2/22, 2/1), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville North Asheville

Tailgate Market

Locally produced goods and fresh fruits and vegetables, since 1980.

SA (2/25), 10am, UNCA, 3300 University Heights

This year’s conference will continue the nonprofit’s mission to support, inspire and educate people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands-on education.

FR (2/24) - SU (2/26), Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill

A Beautiful Buzz Pop-Up

A honey pairing event with local vendors. See p22 TH (2/24), 6pm, Honey & the Hive, 23 Merrimon Ave, Weaverville

Stand with Ukraine Peace Rally & Vigil Peace rally and candlelight vigil to mark the one year anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

A Proclamation of Solidarity with Ukraine from the City of Asheville will be read aloud. See p25 SA (2/25), 2pm, Pack Square Park

Asheville Pipe Trunk Show

An opportunity for pipe lovers to gather, learn and share. Charlie Davis and Laudisi’s

by Jessica Wakeman | jwakeman@mountainx.com

VA debuts ambulance for veterans

On Feb. 13, Charles George VA Medical Center began operating a new ambulance to transport veterans to and from health care services. The Veteran Medical Transport ambulance will provide transportation between facilities and after hospitalization; it is not an ambulance operating in the Buncombe County 911 system.

The VMT is staffed by emergency medical technicians and paramedics who are able to provide services from basic life support to advanced medical care. The ambulance service aims to provide daily care when staffing increases.

For more information, contact Charles George VA Medical Center at 828-298-7911.

Vaya Total Care to launch in April

Vaya Health, a public managed care organization, will soon be offering Vaya Total Care, a behavioral health and intellectual/developmental disabilities tailored plan for Medicaid members and state-funded services recipients.

Beginning April 1, Medicaid beneficiaries with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, severe substance use disorder, I/DD or traumatic brain injury can receive assistance with physical health care services, mental health services, pharmacy benefits, a dedicated care manager and other services.

Qualifying North Carolina residents who have no insurance or are underinsured can also access I/DD, TBI and other services.

For more information about Medicaid and state-funded services at Vaya, call 800-962-9003 or visit vayahealth.com.

Grant supports study of sidewalks, bike paths

Asheville and Hendersonville are among the cities receiving

grants from the N.C. Department of Transportation to determine the feasibility of new bike paths, sidewalks, paved trails and greenways in their communities.

Over $2 million in grants will be used to study the feasibility of new paths in 19 cities and towns; an additional $388,000 in DOT funding will be used to study potential paths in six counties. According to a press release from NCDOT, feasibility studies provide an environmental

review and develop implementation strategies.

More information is available at avl.mx/cf4.

Senior Games registration open

Registration is open for the Asheville-Buncombe 2023 Senior Games, which will take place in Asheville April 1-May 18. The Senior Games are run by N.C. Senior Games, the largest senior Olympic program in the country. Events include pickleball, croquet, bowling, miniature golf, cycling and swimming. Participants from outside the local area will also be accepted. To register, contact Colt Miller at Asheville Parks & Recreation at 828707-2376 or cmiller@ashevillenc.gov. A schedule of events is available at avl.mx/cex.

Town hall on toxic exposure set for April 1

A town hall about military toxic exposure and PACT Act disability benefits will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at A-B Tech Asheville Conference Center, 16 Fernihurst Drive. Veterans and their families are encouraged to attend.

The town hall will include presentations about the assumed health effects of military toxic exposure, such as from burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, lead, asbestos and other toxic substances. The PACT Act is a new law that provides disability benefits to veterans who have presumptive conditions related to toxic exposure, as well as their beneficiaries. (Toxic exposure screenings are available at VA

VEHICLE FOR VETS: The Charles George VA Medical Center has a new ambulance for post-hospitalization transportation for veterans. It will be staffed by, clockwise from left, Dereck Lindsey, Brittney Letterman, Ricky Brown and Thomas Dunn. Photo courtesy of CGVAMC

Elizabeth Garbarino, MD Grace Evins, MD

facilities around the country. More information about the screenings and benefits under the PACT Act is available at avl.mx/cf1.)

The Veterans Benefits Administration, the Charles George VA Medical Center and other organizations will have representatives on hand to answer questions about the PACT Act. The town hall is hosted by the CGVAMC, Vietnam Veterans of America and the N.C. State Council, an affiliate of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World Inc.

More information about the town hall is available at avl.mx/cf0.

Renovation at neuro health center

Black Mountain Neuro-Medical Treatment Center, a state-operated treatment facility for adults with Alzheimer’s disease, progressive dementia or brain injuries, will undergo a renovation in June. The center’s renovation will increase resident capacity and privacy in rooms. More information is available at avl.mx/cew.

Movers and shakers

• Anthony Del Toro , chief executive officer of Western North Carolina AIDS Project, announced Feb. 9 that he will be leaving the nonprofit on July 1. WNCAP’s board of directors is currently seeking applicants for the position. A job description is posted at avl.mx/cf2.

• In January, Gov. Roy Cooper appointed UNC Pardee Health Care radiation oncologist Dr. S. Yaseen Zia to the N.C. Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control. The advisory committee seeks to increase access to support and treatment for cancer survivors and their loved ones. Zia has been with Pardee since 2018.

• Mark D. Constantine is joining Dogwood Health Trust as senior vice president of community investment. Before joining Dogwood, Constantine was president and CEO of Richmond Memorial Health Foundation in Richmond, Va., for seven years.

Mark your calendars

• Down Dog Yoga Studio & Dog Bar holds donation-based community yoga classes every Monday 6:307:30 p.m. The minimum requested donation is $8 per person, and all

proceeds are donated to a local nonprofit. Classes are trauma-informed and taught by LGBTQand BIPOC-informed instructors. For more information visit downdogavl.com.

• The Asheville Parks & Recreation Department and Bountiful Cities, a nonprofit that teaches sustainable agriculture skills, are hosting a free educational event and maintenance session for George Washington Carver Edible Park from 3:30-5:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 24. The park contains a vegetable garden and over 40 fruit and nut trees. For more information, call 828-350-2058.

• A workshop on psychedelic preparation for beginners will be held 2-4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 26, at Mountain Magic Studio, 3 Louisiana Ave. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at avl.mx/cf3.

• The sexual violence prevention nonprofit Our VOICE will host a discussion of the memoir Know My Name by Chanel Miller, followed by a guided tour of the Buncombe County Family Justice Center, 35 Woodfin St., 10 a.m.12:30 p.m., Saturday, April 15. The book club welcomes individuals ages 16 and older. Registration is required at avl.mx/cfa or by calling 828-250-4700.

• A Gay-Straight Alliance Summit for LGBTQIA+ youths will be held 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa. All presentations will be held by high school and college-age young adults. The summit is free for anyone under age 24; adults in youth-serving roles and parents of LGBTQIA+ children are asked to donate $25. For more information, visit givebutter.com/ GSASummit2023.

• Green Built Alliance is hosting an Earth Day 5K at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at Carrier Park in Asheville. Early registration through Sunday, March 12, is $33 per person; after March 12, registration is $40 per person. All proceeds will be donated to Appalachian Offsets, Green Built Alliance’s carbon offsets program. To register visit avl.mx/cev.

• Blue Ridge Hiking Co. is hosting an introduction to backpacking trip Friday-Saturday, April 21-22. The trip spans 7 miles in Pisgah National Forest and is designed for hikers without previous backpacking experience. The cost is $480 per person and includes tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, trekking poles and food. For more information, visit avl.mx/ceu. X

Three (wrestling) ring circus

Urban Combat Wrestling partners with Hi-Wire

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Walk into Hi-Wire Brewing’s Big Top production facility, and odds are pretty good that you won’t get booed or cheered. But once a month when the men and women of Urban Combat Wrestling make their dramatic entrances and step into the ring, the audience’s noise for the villains (aka heels) and heroes fills the cavernous space, transforming it into a bizarrely wonderful theater for a few hours.

Wait a second: Did you say wrestling in a brewery? While such a pairing may seem as unlikely as archrivals teaming up to take down a new enemy, forging the partnership has been a decidedly smooth process for all involved.

WNC RUMBLE

The wheels of the collaboration began moving in 2019, mere months after Asheville-based performers Davaion “Spaceman Jones” Bristol and Marcus “Mook Massacre” Cunningham started UCW. The duo noticed a lack of storylines in wrestling that prominently featured minorities and marginalized communities and sought to fill that void.

A series of mutual connections led Bristol to Hi-Wire co-owner Chris Frosaker, a fellow wrestling fan who loved the idea of pairing UCW’s brand of entertainment with the brewery’s cheerful circus theme.

“Hi-Wire’s all about fun and creating community,” Frosaker says. “It’s not every day that you can come to an affordable, super entertaining, super well-produced event that’s unique and unavailable anywhere else.”

The two sides agreed to a fiveshow Brawls at the Brewery series, which launched in November and runs through March.

The residency led off with “Rap & Wrestling X,” in which hip-hop artists performed in the ring between battles, followed by “Season’s Beatings II,” which featured Santa Claus and other holiday-themed fights. January’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later” event included comedy sets between battles by a trio of local stand-up comics.

The variety continues on Sunday, Feb. 26, with “Mimosa Slam II,”

which Bristol describes as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and will feature performances by area drag queens. Wrestling, says Cunningham, is for everyone. And UCW, he adds, strives to feature Black, female, gay and transgender performers in its entertaining yet respectful shows.

“From the beginning, we wanted to create an environment where people who normally haven’t gotten the spotlight in traditional wrestling were going to be able to come here, be themselves and shine,” Cunningham says. “We want people to know that wrestling is a safe space, and we’re changing the narrative of it.”

The series concludes on Sunday, March 19, with “The Big Beer Bash.” The event will be a celebration of the host site and the local craft beverage industry overall, though the UCW team is coy on the specifics of the evening.

“We’ve got some stars coming out who are beer related, so take that however you want to take it,” Bristol says. “It’s going to be an expansion on our party theme. Every party is a good party. But a wrestling party? Man, that might be the greatest thing ever.”

‘THEY HATE MY GUTS’

Prior to landing its residency at Hi-Wire, UCW members honed their craft in more modest spaces where wrestlers tested out elements of their show and fine-tuned their deliveries. During these initial stints, the group amassed a passionate fan base that has followed the production from location to location.

By the time UWC partnered with Hi-Wire, longtime attendees had developed relationships with the wrestlers and became invested in the ongoing narratives, encouraging their favorites while taunting their enemies.

Both sides of the rope double down on their roles, and as much as Cunningham notes that he and his fellow heroes love their goodguy personas, the heels have just as much fun being showered with hate. Perhaps no one digs in deeper than AC Reddick, half of the despicable White Claw Outlaws, who recently lobbed continuous insults at his rivals during the January event. At the time, he was being pushed around in a wheelchair, sporting a host of bandages and casts from injuries “sustained” in a previous bout.

“He’s very happy being booed,” Bristol says. “He’s like, ‘This is awesome! They hate my guts.’”

HI-WIRE BOMB

Consistent with UCW’s welcoming mindset, all ages can attend the shows. Though as frequent event emcee Jeff Baker noted at the start of “Laugh Now, Cry Later” and at other shows, young attendees will hear some R-rated words that they shouldn’t repeat at school the next day.

They’ll also see a move created by Cunningham that’s inspired by UCW’s current home and has been used by different wrestlers at each series event. Mook Massacre describes the Hi-Wire Bomb as a variation on the Powerbomb, a throw-in which an opponent is lifted up — typically while seated on the other wrestler’s shoulders — then slammed back-first onto the mat. Frosaker’s eyes light up as Cunningham informs him of the move, and it’s connections like those that have made UCW and Hi-Wire want to continue their partnership. Once the Brawls at the Brewery series concludes in March, UCW will take its show on the road in April and May, and hold events at Hi-Wire’s taprooms in Knoxville, Tenn., Charlotte and Durham. The two sides are also in early talks for a summer outdoor series at Hi-Wire’s RAD Beer Garden, and chatter has additionally begun on a collaborative brew.

“I am a chef,” Bristol muses. “And I have been wanting to make a beer. I almost took a class at A-B Tech.”

“And I just have really good taste,” Cunningham says with a laugh.

“That’s right,” Frosaker says. “We should make a beer together.” X

WHAT

Urban Combat Wrestling presents Mimosa Slam II

WHERE

Hi-Wire Brewing Big Top, 2A Huntsman Pl.

WHEN

Sunday, Feb. 26, 7 p.m. $10. avl.mx/cej

HITS HARDER: Urban Combat Wrestling’s Brawls at the Brewery series at Hi-Wire Brewing has allowed the group to be more ambitious in its fights and storytelling. Photo by Carmenia Baker/CMB Photography

Crowd favorite

Hillcrest High Steppin’ Majorettes and

Corps’ legacy endures

If you live in Asheville, whether you know it or not, there’s a good chance you’ve met someone with ties to the Hillcrest High Steppin’ Majorettes and Drum Corps. Established in 1977 by the late John R. Hayes, the group and its various offshoots had over 10,000 kids participate during its 42-year run.

“I remember around ’86 or ’87, we were about 120 deep,” says Hayes’ son Michael, a former drum major and choreographer with the group. “And we were from everywhere [in Asheville], and we marched around Hillcrest and that was our daily routine. And every time we started, the whole community would be out. There was a sense of pride.”

That legacy continues with two local dance teams, Majorette Dolls of Asheville and The Carolina Diva Diamondz, whose founders both have strong ties to the Hillcrest group. And though the Hillcrest unit has been dormant for several years, it may soon be revived and carry on the work of its esteemed founder.

FINDING ITS FOOTING

John Hayes moved to Asheville in 1976 to work for the Asheville Parks & Recreation Department. Through his job, he became close with the residents of the Hillcrest Apartments public housing and saw an opportunity for youth development — and possibly more.

“He had this idea of bringing back the old way of marching that you used to see at Stephens-Lee High School,” Michael says. “Much like the [marching bands at historically Black colleges and universities], they were the star of the show. If you went to the game, you stayed for halftime.”

John got buy-in for his idea from the parents in Hillcrest, particularly the mothers, and launched the Hillcrest High Steppin’ Majorettes and Drum Corps the following year.

“In ’77, it was about baton twirling — which was still new to Asheville. It was still creative. It still gave hundreds of kids this opportunity to be a part of something that was special, that was mind-blowing, that would have people following them for miles and miles when they marched in

parades,” Michael says. “And it was Black kids doing this.”

But that style, he notes, was already somewhat passé in other parts of the U.S. Between 1977 and ’84, Michael and his siblings alternated between Asheville and Winston-Salem, where their mother lived. In 1983, Michael and two of his brothers joined a Winston-Salem band. That same year, John brought Hillcrest over for the annual homecoming parade at Winston-Salem State University, whose school band had a long legacy of greatness.

“[Hillcrest was] still doing the same old baton routine and there were no [drum] cadences,” Michael says. “That was good when they first started. But now it’s 1983 and you come to Winston-Salem, home of the Red Sea of Sound and the Stone Funk Drummers — you’ve got to bring some noise. And me and my brothers thought they weren’t really bringing it.”

Knowing that they’d be back in Asheville the following year, the younger Hayeses had a talk with their father about elevating Hillcrest’s sound and style. And that summer, Michael and a group of his Hillcrest bandmates received an opportunity to get to that next level when they were invited to attend Grambling State University’s weeklong summer band camp.

“It was grueling,” Michael recalls. “[The other kids] called us ‘country.’ We’re in New Orleans and they’re calling us ‘country’ because we still had that baton-twirling mentality.”

For the first two days, Michael and his fellow members felt overwhelmed performing next to drummers pounding out complex cadences and dancers who seemed ready to step onto an HBCU team. But the Asheville players soon regrouped. “We’re from Hillcrest; we don’t run,” Michael remembers thinking.

The renewed focus paid off. At the end of the week, he placed third out of 50 male drum majors, bandmate Cheryl Pulley was awarded third best female drum major, Michael’s sister Dewanna earned a top three majorette spot and the Hillcrest drummers came in 10th.

“So we come back and this is the beginning of how Hillcrest really

branched off into being a leader of this new thing,” Michael says.

GROWING THE LEGACY

In his competing days, Michael says it wasn’t uncommon for him and his siblings to wake at midnight to work on beats and choreograph routines in their yard. Such dedication was necessary, he notes, to stay creative for the 20-25 parades the group marched in from Thanksgiving through the end of each year — events where Michael says people came just to see Hillcrest perform.

As the group’s reputation grew and the Hayes children stayed on after graduating high school to help their father, Hillcrest received additional opportunities outside of parade season. Numerous dance groups formed from the majorettes and competed in talent shows, often with routines choreographed by Michael.

Hillcrest also performed at basketball games for UNC Asheville and Mars Hill University, marched in numerous parades at the request of North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt during his 1977-85 and 1993-2001 terms and got to meet Roots author Alex Haley

In 1995, they performed at the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. Michael recalls legendary dancer and actor Gregory Hines being so taken with their groove that he joined them for a few blocks, dancing alongside the majorettes and matching their choreography.

Over time, multiple generations from the same families passed

through the group, and several members went on to become notable community leaders. Among Hillcrest’s famous alums are former Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy, and Mickey Ray, who played football at Appalachian State University and went on to become a beloved schoolresource officer with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department before retiring in 2019.

“The beautiful thing that happened though is it wasn’t just people from the Hillcrest housing development. It was so big that people from all over the city came to be a part of this,” Michael says. “And it was meant for that purpose. It was meant to take young people from around this area — because we had white folks that marched with us too — and give us an experience like we’ve never had before.”

PASSING THE FLAME

Music and dance, however, were merely an entry to self-empowerment and self-improvement.

Michael notes that while marching instilled discipline, camaraderie and creativity in participating youth, his father also educated them on Black history and cultural celebrations such as Kwanzaa. The Hillcrest program also stretched out to include championship basketball, football, track and double Dutch teams, as well as a community garden that consistently won top ribbons at 4-H competitions.

That holistic approach is likewise at the core of Majorette Dolls

of Asheville, started in 2017 by Quiante Brown, a former Hillcrest drum major. The same goes for The Carolina Diva Diamondz, which formed in 2020 under the guidance of Tamera Simmons, who danced with Michael in talent shows in the group Big Booty Posse, and whose daughter was a Hillcrest majorette.

“It was my way of giving back to my community and giving young men and women that outlet they may not have,” Brown says. “Even travel — going to Greenville, S.C.,

for a competition was like going to Mexico for some of them.”

Both dance teams focus on education and character, holding high standards for its members if they want to continue participating. That sense of pride has led to each group performing at Asheville’s Juneteenth celebrations and the Holiday Parade, where Majorette Dolls have won the Youth Program award the past two years and The Diva Diamondz have also shined.

“I’ve seen the girls grow a lot. I focus on giving them confidence, making them feel special about themselves and trusting that they can do this regardless of their shape and size,” Simmons says. “I don’t discriminate. I don’t say, ‘Oh, because you’re this size, you can’t dance.’ Any size can dance.”

Such inclusiveness and support would no doubt earn approval from John Hayes, who passed away in 2021. But before his death, he had a conversation with Michael and reminded his son to hold true to the values presented in the song “The Greatest Love of All,” made popular by Whitney Houston . Though the elder Hayes lived a life that adhered to the entirety of the tune’s opening verse, he felt the most important line was, “Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be.”

“He said, ‘If we can continue to hold on to that part, then we can always reach the next generation,’” Michael says.

— Edwin Arnaudin X

MARCH ON: The Hillcrest High Steppin’ Majorettes and Drum Corps were a crowd favorite in Asheville parades for decades. Photos courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections

What’s new in food

Gourmand owners Katie Grabach and Peyton Barrell want to bring Paris’ popular cave à manger dining experience to Asheville’s historic S&W Market.

The couple, who are relocating their charcuterie and wine business from New Orleans, first experienced the concept — which is part wineand-cheese market, part grab-andgo counter offering small plates — during a trip to France.

“It was perfect,” says Grabach. “We’d go grab a glass of wine and a piece of cheese on our way to dinner, then we’d go to a similar place after dinner and enjoy more wine and maybe more cheese, too.”

Grabach and Barrell are excited to share their culinary passions with locals and visitors alike, and they want to ensure that their space in the market is approachable. “We don’t want to intimidate,” says Barrell. “We want to educate. We have a desire to engage with customers and start every transaction with a simple conversation.

Charcuterie and wine come to the S&W Market

Consumer interaction is very important to us.”

The two are also working with a number of local vendors, including OWL Bakery, plēb urban winery and several area farmers. For now, eager fans can get a taste of Gourmand during weekend pop-ups outside plēb — Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. until the food runs out.

Gourmand is slated to open in early March.

S&W Market is at 56 Patton Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/ceo.

A pizza partnership

River Arts District’s All Souls Pizza, which has been open for almost 10 years, is welcoming a new owner. Trevor Payne, the chef and owner of Tall John’s in Montford, is partnering with Brendan Reusing, All Souls Pizza founding chef and owner.

With the new partnership comes updates to the restaurant’s interior as well as its menu. “We’ve been putting a lot of energy into our pizza dough and refining our recipe,” says Payne in a press release.

“The River Arts District has evolved considerably, and we want to continue to evolve with it,” adds Reusing in the same press release.

“We love this neighborhood.”

All Souls Pizza is at 175 Clingman Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/cen.

Waste not

The city of Asheville, in partnership with Buncombe County, is asking residents to drop off leftover food via its Food Scrap Drop-Off program.

SAY CHEESE: Peyton Barrell and Katie Grabach are bringing wine and charcuterie to S&W Market in downtown Asheville. Photo courtesy of Barrell

The initiative, which offers multiple drop-off locations for all Asheville and Buncombe County residents, will turn the scraps into compost, keeping it out of landfills.

For more information and to register for the free program, visit avl.mx/akn.

A celebration with soul

On Wednesday, Feb. 23, the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association and alumni of Stephens-

Lee High School will host Soul Food Supper. The free event, which runs from 6-8 p.m. at the Stephens-Lee Community Center, is a celebration of African American cuisine. The gathering will also serve to honor what would have been the 100-year anniversary of Stephens-Lee High School, which closed in 1965.

The Stephens-Lee Community Center is at 30 George Washington Carver Ave. Advance registration is requested. Call 828-350-2058 or visit avl.mx/cek for more information.

Oh, beehive

Downtown Weaverville’s Honey & the Hive will host a pop-up pairing event with Red Fiddle Vittles, Noble Cider and Shanti Elixirs on Friday, Feb. 24, from 6-9 p.m. Locally made cheese and honey-themed small bites will be paired with meads from Noble Cider and jun from Shanti Elixirs. Honey and bee-related merchandise as well as beekeeping supplies will be for sale, and staff and honey experts will be on hand to share information and answer questions.

Honey & the Hive is at 23 Merrimon Ave., Weaverville. For more information, visit avl.mx/cel.

Seeds to sow

The Farm Connection, which reopened for the 2023 season on Feb. 11, is offering a new vegetable garden plant CSA. The curated tray of plants and seeds will be sent out monthly through October. Gardening tips and instructions are included. The signup deadline is Sunday, March 12. For more information, visit avl.mx/cem.

Late-night bites

Earlier this month, Asheville Beauty Academy launched Late Night Tacos, a Friday and Saturday night pop-up from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. in the bar’s upstairs space, The Parlor. Chef Sunil Patel blends his Indian heritage and passion for Mexican cuisine into a fusion menu of tacos, beans and rice, as well as homemade salsas and sauces. Vegetarian and vegan options are available.

The Parlor at Asheville Beauty Academy is at 28 Broadway. For more information, visit avl.mx/b90.

— Andy Hall X

Poetry Contest

Xpress announces a 2023 poetry contest in celebration of April as National Poetry Month.

Are you poet living in Western North Carolina? If so, consider submitting an original, previously unpublished work for this year’s contest. This year’s theme is all about hope. Where do you go in Western North Carolina to find your moment of zen or sense of purpose? Do you gravitate toward hiking trails or do you prefer a swimming hole? Or are you more likely to find your peace of mind in a local bookstore or cafe?

Wherever it is, we want to read about it in the form of a poem.

All poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font. Again, only previously unpublished works will be considered.

The contest is currently open for submission and will close at midnight on Wednesday, March 22. Email your poem in the body of the message to tcalder@mountainx.com. The subject line should read “Xpress 2023 poetry contest.” Include the author’s full name and contact information in the email. Only one submission is allowed per person. There is no cost to enter.

A winning poem will be determined by local, award-winning poet Michael Hettich. The winner will be published online and in print in the final issue of our annual Sustainability series on Wednesday, April 26. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or freelance contributors.

Contact Thomas Calder at tcalder@mountainx.com with any questions

Around Town

Great Pottery Throwdown raises money for arts nonprofit

Wheel throwing pottery is not usually done blindfolded. A potter also generally has more than three minutes to, say, shape clay into a teapot. And there’s almost never gambling involved in the process.

All that will change during the inaugural Great Pottery Throwdown, when more than a dozen local potters face off in tests of speed, precision and creativity. The competition will be Saturday, Feb. 25, 6-9 p.m., at Odyssey ClayWorks. Admission is free, but donations, raffle ticket sales and auction proceeds will raise money for All Together Art, a new Asheville nonprofit dedicated to providing quality arts education and services to underserved communities.

“Asheville has an incredibly vibrant creative community, but art instruction is beyond the financial means of many people,” says Brandon Daughtry Slocum, the group’s board chair. “We want to make it accessible to them.”

The competition, which was inspired by the long-running British television show of the same name, will feature beer from Hi-Wire Brewing, as well as wine and light refreshments. Raffle tickets will allow audience members to bet on the competing potters and win prizes donated by local artists. There will also be a live auction of pottery, paintings and photography.

Slocum connected with Gabriel Kline, the founding director at Odyssey ClayWorks, when she was taking a class at the studio. All Together Art was born after Slocum discovered funding for Odyssey’s therapeutic pottery program for military veterans had been cut.

“Odyssey is a wonderful environment, an extended family of open and friendly people exploring their creativity,” Slocum says. “We want to introduce people to our organization and encourage them to participate in programs at Odyssey.”

Among All Together Art’s upcoming initiatives are a weekly ceramics course for LGBTQIA+ teens (Sunday, March 26-Sunday, May 21); 10 youth scholarships to Odyssey ClayWorks’ Summer Clay Camps; and a ceramics course for veterans in the fall.

With Odyssey firmly in place as a partner, Slocum hopes to start working with other arts groups as well.

“We have dreams and plans to offer free art classes for the visually impaired, women escaping domestic abuse and elders in long-term care facilities,”

she says. “We plan to offer classes in Spanish. And we are launching a campaign to purchase wheelchair-accessible pottery wheels. For us, it’s all about access, inclusion and opportunity.”

Odyssey ClayWorks is at 236 Clingman Ave. Ext. For more information, go to avl.mx/cep.

Peaceful podcast

The Tao Te Ching was written about 2,500 years ago, but Marc Mullinax believes the classic Chinese work remains a necessary resource in the 21st century.

With that in mind, the recently retired Mars Hill University religion professor has launched a podcast, “Power for the Peaceful,” an introduction to one of the fundamental texts of Taoism.

“Tao Te Ching bears witness to the Tao, a creative, spontaneous and sometimes mysterious force,” he explains. “By learning to listen for Tao, I hope listeners will find practical wisdom for how they live their days, but also they may realize it is a deep resource for the necessary wisdom work we need for living harmoniously as one species among millions in our world today.”

Episodes of the weekly podcast will be about 30 minutes, Mullinax says. His plan is to address each of the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching in order. Every episode will have a guest reading quotes about the verse from other sources or authors. “Put Your Roots Down,” a song by Asheville singer Molly Hartwell, is the podcast’s intro song.

Mullinax says the podcast is an extension of his 2021 book Tao Te Ching: Power for the Peaceful, a new translation that includes his own commentary and quotes from other sources about every verse.

“I have not yet found a good podcast on the Tao Te Ching,” he says. “I hope this will be a helpful remedy.”

“Power for the Peaceful” can be found on most podcast apps and at avl.mx/ceq.

Facing the music

Asheville, long lauded for its vibrant local music scene, will host a multiday music festival at more than 20 venues Thursday, Aug. 3-Sunday, Aug. 6. AVLFest will be produced by Wicked Weed Brewing and Worthwhile Sounds, which was

THROWS OF PASSION: Gabriel Kline, the founding director at the Odyssey ClayWorks, will be among the local potters competing in the Great Pottery Throwdown. Photo courtesy of Kline

formed in 2015 by former Grey Eagle owner Jeff Whitworth

The festival will feature local, regional and national acts at concert halls, clubs and outdoor venues. Performance showcases will take place throughout the four days with wristbands granting pass holders entry to the venues, discounts at local retailers and restaurants, as well as presale access and discounts to separately ticketed AVLFest stand-alone events.

“Our music community is really unique and special … it deserves to have something like this to further put it on the national map,” Liz Whalen Tallent, manager of The Orange Peel, says in a press release.

AVLFest will partner with Asheville nonprofits, including RiverLink, Black Wall Street AVL, Homeward Bound and Campaign for Southern Equality. In addition to raising awareness for their respective missions, a portion of proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to benefit the nonprofits.

A national presale of tickets will be Wednesday, Feb. 22, through Wednesday, March 8. Prices will increase March 8, and lineup announcements will begin shortly thereafter.

For more information or to get tickets, go to at avl.mx/cer.

Somber anniversary

Local Ukrainian American artist Andrea Kulish has organized a peace rally and candlelight vigil to mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Pack Square Park. The peace rally will be 2-6 p.m., to be followed by the vigil from 6-8 p.m.

“Continued support for Ukraine is important, not only for preventing further genocide, but also to deter [Russian President Vladimir] Putin from future territorial aggression in Europe,” says Kulish, whose parents were born in Ukraine. “The year ahead is decisive.

The fate of not only the Ukrainian people but also the entire civilized world depends on us. The greater our unity, the faster Ukraine’s victory will come.”

Over the past year, Kulish says, she has helped raise more than $62,000 for the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America’s humanitarian aid fund through donations of the pysanky eggs she creates in her Studio A at Pink Dog Creative Collective in the River Arts District and other fundraisers, including an April benefit concert.

“Ukrainian pysanky artists and local artists have donated their work to me, and I give these artworks as a gift when someone donates,” she explains. “I had been creating all the pysanky myself but couldn’t keep up with the demand [so] I reached out, and the community has been so generous with their pysanky and monetary donations.”

To donate to the UNWLA relief fund, go to avl.mx/cet.

Phoning it in

UNC Asheville English professor Lori Horvitz has released a collection of memoir essays, Collect Call to My Mother: Essays on Love, Grief, and Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. The book, published last month by New Meridian Arts, follows Horvitz’s experiences as a queer Jewish New Yorker living in the South, looking for love in the internet age.

“When she teaches a class of queer college students who look to her as a role model, what they don’t know is that she spent her 20s and 30s in the closet and leapt from one relationship disaster to the next,” reads a press release announcing the publication. “In these essays exploring themes of love, family and grief, Horvitz gradually embraces who she is and finds a healthy, long-term relationship.”

Horvitz’s first collection, The Girls of Usually , won the 2016 Gold Medal IPPY Book Award in Autobiography/Memoir.

For more information or to buy the book, go to avl.mx/ces.

Poetry in motion

The annual N.C. State Poetry Contest is accepting submissions through Wednesday, March 1. The free literary competition is open to all North Carolina residents, including out-of-state and international students who are enrolled in North Carolina universities.

This year’s guest judge is award-winning poet Khalisa Rae and features The Dorianne Laux Prize for Poetry of $500.

All entries should be postmarked by Wednesday, March 1, and submitted to N.C. State Poetry Contest, Department of English, N.C. State University, Campus Box 8105, Raleigh, NC 27695-8105.

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

— Justin McGuire X

MOVIE REVIEWS

Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include:

ANT-MAN AND THE WASPQUANTUMANIA: The latest action-packed MCU film sends our titular heroes to the Quantum Realm, where they encounter the gloriously weird locals and evil Kang the Conquerer (Jonathan Majors). Grade: A-minus

— Edwin Arnaudin

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

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

185 KING STREET

Winter Trivia Tournament and Karaoke Night, 7pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL

CLUB

Karaoke Wild Wednesday Dance Party, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BIER GARDEN Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Music Bingo, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S JD Pinkus and Ralph

E White (Americana, indie), 9pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

Weekly Trivia Night w/ Not Rocket Science Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Wild Wednesday Funkn-Rock, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

RENDEVOUS

Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

SHAKEY'S Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek

Balam & Mad Mike, 8pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN

BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

An Evening with Ron Sexsmith (classic pop, folk, root-rock idioms), 7pm

THE ODD

Ultra Deluxe, Wasp Factory, Hex Sign, Snakessnakewhale (indie-punk), 7pm

THE SOCIAL

Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

THOMAS WOLFE

AUDITORIUM

Bobby Weir & Wolf Brothers ft The Wolfpack (acoustic, country western, jam), 7pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

185 KING STREET

George Shingleton (country), 7pm

27 CLUB

Assimilation: Dark Dance Party, 9pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL

CLUB

Swing Dance, 8pm BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 7pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Frank/ie Consent & Friends (clown pop, noise folk, jazz), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE LOUNGE

Hops Around Comedy: Gwen Sunkel, 7pm

DANCE PARTY: Muy Mucho AVL will hold an event with bachata lessons, a guest DJ and live music from Greenville, S.C.’s Latin Soul band at Different Wrld on Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Muy Mucho is a local Latin organization whose purpose is to “uplift and highlight Latin culture in Asheville.” Photo courtesy of the band

GREAT WILD NOWHERE

Keep Asheville Weird w/Bellizia & Indelible Sauce (prog rock), 7pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Niño, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Stand Up Comedy for Your Health w/Justin Blackburn, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Dish, Landon George, & Aunt Ant (indie-rock mellow alternative), 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Midnight North w/ River Tramps (folk & Americana), 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Lil Meow Meow (house, hip hop, dance, R&B), 9pm

THE ODD

K!ng Sh!t: Episode II, 8pm

Season Kickoff Party

With special guests

Chilltonic and Josh Clark’s Visible Spectrum

DOORS OPEN 5PM SHOWTIME 7PM

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:45pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Trivia Thursday, 6:30pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

185 KING STREET

The Dancing Fleas (pop, Americana), 8pm

27 CLUB

Tired All the Time w/ Krave Amiko & Angry Lovers (synth-driven art rock, folk-tronica, Scorpio pop), 9pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Noche de Gozadera, 9pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Venus (dark house dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

DRRTYWULVZ, Medisin, Intrinsic, CubeMusik (edm), 9pm

BOLD ROCK MILLS RIVER

Awake In the Dream (rock), 5pm

BOTANIST & BARREL

TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

Syrrup (jazz, soul, blues), 6pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

1-800-WILLTWERK4BEADS, 9:30pm

FROG LEVEL BREWERY

Wife Island (folk rock), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

AVL Underground Comedy: Joe Pettis, 8pm

GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Frances Eliza (jazz. indiefolk, pop), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

David Graham & the Eskimo Brothers (honky tonk), 9pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE

Bo Aughtry (Americana), 6pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Ben Phantom (singer-songwriter), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Twinz (rock), 10pm

SHAKEY'S

• The Zealots (folk, prog rock), 9pm

• DJ Duo Ek Balam & Mad Mike, Midnight SHILOH & GAINES

Mama & The Ruckus (blues, soul), 9pm

SILVERADOS

Anna Leigh Band (country, indie, honkytonk), 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Mountain Soundsystems (drum and bass), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Jacuzzi Boys, Snacks, Greg Cartwright (psychedelic rock, garage pop), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Are You Ready For It?

A Taylor Swift-inspiredDance Party, 7pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Press Play, 9pm

THE ODD

Asheville After Dark

Presents: Perversion (adult & kink-friendly), 8pm

WORTHAM CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

The Comedy Zone w/ Aaron Weber, 7pm

WRONG WAY

CAMPGROUND

Fireside Fridays, 5:30pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Karaoke Hot Night, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

COSMO: Late Night Dance Party, 10pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Fractured Frames & Dawn of Dismality w/

Severed By Dawn (metal, prog), 9pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

BOLD ROCK MILLS

RIVER

• Gin Mill Pickers (Americana, Piedmont blues, ragtime), 5pm

• 5j Barrow (folk rock), 7pm

BURNTSHIRT

VINYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK

J. Stephens (singer-songwriter), 2pm

CITIZEN VINYL

Appa-Laffin' Mountain

Revue, 8pm

CORK & KEG

The Uptown Hillbillies (honky tonk, classic country), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Close-Up Magic w/Doc

Doherty, 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Muy Mucho AVL w/ Latin Soul Band, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Oblivion Throne, Ape

Vermin & Night Beers (heavy metal), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE

LOUNGE

Mark & Mary (jazz), 4pm

GROVE STREET

COMMUNITY CENTER

Groove at the Grove, 3pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

The Feels (roots, soul, R&B), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Nobody’s Darling

String Band, 4pm

• Trusty Hucksters (rock'n'roll, swing, ragabilly), 9pm

MEADOWLARK

MOTEL

Andrew Wakefield (bluegrass, folk, Americana), 6pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

BADDRABBIT (alt country), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Hedonistas (funk, pop, rock), 10pm

SALVAGE STATION

TAYTAY Party: The Ultimate Taylor Swift DJ Party, 9pm

SHAKEY'S Partyland Session Dance Party w/DJ Duo Grimm

Joi & D-Vo, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Chris Jamison’s Ghost (singer-songwriter), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Uncle Ralph's Music

Jukebox (DJ), 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Traumagang w/ 7elix, Lavey, Yung Burg & more (emo rap), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Machine Funk: A Tribute

To Widespread Panic (Southern rock, jazz, blues), 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE DJ Short Stop, 9pm

THE ODD Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Paul Thorn (Southern rock, blues, Americana), 7pm

WHITE

MILLS RIVER BREWING

CO.

Mr Jimmy (blues), 2pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Finkelstein 3 (bluegrass), 3pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Sunday Jazz, 1:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Grateful Shred (Dead tribute), 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Aaron "Woody" Wood (cosmic Appalachian soul, Americana), 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

BRAT w/Cystic Nourishment, Tracheal Shave & Plan B (death metal thrash), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Bill Callahan (alternative-indie), 7pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Nex Millen, 9pm

THE ODD

El Perro w/Bone Church & Mtn Roller (psychedelic, funk, rock), 7pm

WHISTLE HOP BREWING CO.

Al "StumpWater" Lyons (acoustic, folk, Celtic), 5pm

WICKED WEED WEST

Chili Cookoff w/Stephen Evans (folk rock), 12pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27

27 CLUB Karaoke Night, 9:30pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

The Hot Seat: Comedy Night, 8pm

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

Taylor Martin's Open Mic, 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Pub Trivia, 7:30pm

LITTLE JUMBO

The Core (jazz), 7pm

NOBLE CIDER

DOWNTOWN Freshen Up: Comedy Open Mic, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Night, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Monday Mashup, 8pm

SHAKEY'S

Shake the Mondays Off w/DJ Mountain Vibez, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Weekly Ping Pong Tournament, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Razor Braids w/Tan Universe (rock, heavy-punk, indie-rock), 7pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Short Stop, 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy and Friends (blues), 7pm

THE ODD

Magic The Gathering, 8pm

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

185 KING STREET

Jon Weisberger & Friends (bluegrass, Americana), 6:30pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Karaoke w/Ganymede, 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:30pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

JackTown Ramblers (bluegrass), 6pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

LITTLE JUMBO

Jay Sanders, Zack Page & Alan Hall (jazz), 7pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family

Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute, jam band, rock), 6pm

SHAKEY'S

Booty Tuesday w/DJ Ek Balam, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Weekly Open Jam

hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 6:30pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER

BAR

The Dandy Warhols After Party, 11pm

THE GREY EAGLE

OS Mutantes w/Esme Patterson (brazilian psychedelic rock), 7pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Mad Mike, 9pm

THE ODD

Open Mic Comedy, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

The Dandy Warhols (alternative rock), 7pm

THE SOCIAL Travers Freeway Open

Jam Tuesdays, 7pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Trivia Night, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 1

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BIER GARDEN

Geeks Who Drink: Trivia, 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Music Bingo, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

Weekly Trivia Night w/ Not Rocket Science Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Wild Wednesday Funkn-Rock, 10pm

ONE WORLD

BREWING WEST

Latin Night, 8:30pm

RENDEVOUS

Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

SHAKEY'S

Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 8pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY

Jazz Night, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Joshua Ray Walker w/ Vandoliers (country, honky-tonk, Americana), 7pm

THE SOCIAL

Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 2

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

Jerry’s Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science

Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

PULP

Slice of Life: Comedy

Open Mic, 7:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Mama & The Ruckus & Aaron "Woody" Wood (blues, soul), 8pm

SHAKEY'S

Karaoke w/DJ Franco Niño, 9pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR

Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Enter the Haggis (Celtic rock), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:45pm

URBAN ORCHARD Trivia Thursday, 6:30pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Philosopher John O’Donohue wrote a prayer not so much to God as to Life. It’s perfect for your needs right now. He said, “May my mind come alive today to the invisible geography that invites me to new frontiers, to break the dead shell of yesterdays, to risk being disturbed and changed.” I think you will generate an interesting onrush of healing, Aries, if you break the dead shell of yesterdays and risk being disturbed and changed. The new frontier is calling to you. To respond with alacrity, you must shed some baggage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Rightwing religious influencers are rambling amuck in the United States. In recent months, their repressive pressures have forced over 1,600 books to be banned in 138 school districts in 38 states. The forbidden books include some about heroes Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks. With this appalling trend as a motivational force, I encourage you Tauruses to take inventory of any tendencies you might have to censor the information you expose yourself to. According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to pry open your mind to consider ideas and facts you have shut out. Be eager to get educated and inspired by stimuli outside your usual scope.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I think we can all agree that it’s really fun to fall in love. Those times when we feel a thrilling infatuation welling up within us are among the most pleasurable of all human experiences. Wouldn’t it be great if we could do it over and over again as the years go by? Just keep getting bowled over by fresh immersions in swooning adoration? Maybe we could drum up two or three bouts of mad love explosions every year. But alas, giving in to such a temptation might make it hard to build intimacy and trust with a committed, long-term partner. Here’s a possible alternative: Instead of getting smitten with an endless series of new paramours, we could get swept away by novel teachings, revelatory meditations, lovable animals, sublime art or music, amazing landscapes or sanctuaries and exhilarating adventures. I hope you will be doing that in the coming weeks, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The scientific method is an excellent approach for understanding reality. It’s not the only one, and should not be used to the exclusion of other ways of knowing. But even if you’re allergic to physics or never step into a chemistry lab, you are wise to use the scientific method in your daily life. The coming weeks will be an especially good time to enjoy its benefits. What would that mean, practically speaking? Set aside your subjective opinions and habitual responses. Instead, simply gather evidence. Treasure actual facts. Try to be as objective as you can in evaluating everything that happens. Be highly attuned to your feelings, but also be aware that they may not provide all facets of the truth.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Is there anything in your psychological makeup that would help you do some detective work? How are your skills as a researcher? Are you willing to be cagey and strategic as you investigate what’s going on behind the scenes? If so, I invite you to carry out any or all of these four tasks in the coming weeks: 1. Try to become aware of shrouded half-truths. 2. Be alert for shadowy stuff lurking in bright, shiny environments. 3. Uncover secret agendas and unacknowledged evidence. 4. Explore stories and situations that no one else seems curious about.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The country of Nepal, which has strong Virgo qualities, is divided into seven provinces. One is simply called “Province No.1,” while the others are Sudurpashchim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati and Janakpur. I advise Nepal to give Province No. 1 a decent name very soon. I also recommend that you Virgos extend a similar outreach to some of the unnamed beauty in your sphere. Have fun

with it. Give names to your phone, your computer, your bed, your hairdryer and your lamps, as well as your favorite trees, houseplants and clouds. You may find that the gift of naming helps make the world a more welcoming place with which you have a more intimate relationship. And that would be an artful response to current cosmic rhythms.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Are you aimless, impassive, and stuck, floundering as you try to preserve and maintain? Or are you fiercely and joyfully in quest of vigorous and dynamic success? What you do in the coming weeks will determine which of these two forks in your destiny will be your path for the rest of 2023. I’ll be rooting for the second option. Here is a tip to help you be strong and bold. Learn the distinctions between your own soulful definition of success and the superficial, irrelevant, meaningless definitions of success that our culture celebrates. Then swear an oath to love, honor and serve your soulful definition.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The next four weeks will be a time of germination, metaphorically analogous to the beginning of a pregnancy. The attitudes and feelings that predominate during this time will put a strong imprint on the seeds that will mature into full ripeness by late 2023. What do you want to give birth to in 40 weeks or so, Scorpio? Choose wisely! And make sure that in this early, impressionable part of the process, you provide your growing creations with positive, nurturing influences.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I recommend you set up Designated Arguing Summits (DAT). These will be short periods when you and your allies get disputes out in the open. Disagreements must be confined to these intervals. You are not allowed to squabble at any other time. Why do I make this recommendation? I believe that many positive accomplishments are possible for you in the coming weeks, and it would be counterproductive to expend more than the minimal necessary amount on sparring. Your glorious assignment: Be emotionally available and eager to embrace the budding opportunities.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actor Judi Dench won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film Shakespeare in Love — even though she was onscreen for just eight minutes. Beatrice Straight got an Oscar for her role in the movie Network, though she appeared for less than six minutes. I expect a similar phenomenon in your world, Capricorn. A seemingly small pivot will lead to a vivid turning point. A modest seed will sprout into a prismatic bloom. A cameo performance will generate long-term ripples. Be alert for the signs.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Most of us are constantly skirmishing with time, doing our best to coax it or compel it to give us more slack. But lately, you Aquarians have slipped into a more intense conflict. And from what I’ve been able to determine, time is kicking your ass. What can you do to relieve the pressure? Maybe you could edit your priority list — eliminate two mildly interesting pursuits to make more room for a fascinating one. You might also consider reading a book to help you with time management and organizational strategies, like these:

1. Getting Things Done by David Allen. 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. 3. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management by Kevin Kruse.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “What is originality?” asked philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Here’s how he answered: “to see something that has no name as yet, and hence cannot be mentioned though it stares us all in the face.” Got that, Pisces? I hope so, because your fun assignments in the coming days include the following: 1. to make a shimmering dream coalesce into a concrete reality; 2. to cause a figment of the imagination to materialize into a useful accessory; 3. to coax an unborn truth to sprout into a galvanizing insight.

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CHIEF OPERATIONS

OFFICER (COO) - BURIAL BEER CO. Burial is seeking a financial-focused Chief Operating Officer to oversee the company's financial planning and operational efficiency. To apply or for a more detailed job description go to: burialbeer.com/jobs

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

BATH & SHOWER UPDATES

In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-866-370-2939. (AAN CAN)

BCI WALK-IN TUBS ARE ON SALE Be one of the first 50 callers and save $1,500! Call 844-514-0123 for a free in-home consultation. (AAN CAN)

CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN? Switch to DIRECTV & save + get a $100 Visa gift card! Get more channels for less money. Restrictions apply. Call now! 877-6930625. (AAN CAN)

CAREER TRAINING: COMPUTER IT CTI Career Training allows students to earn a degree from home and ready to work in months. Call 888-281-1442 (AAN CAN)

CAREER TRAINING: MEDICAL BILLING CTI Career Training allows students to earn a degree from home and ready to work in months. Call 866-243-5931. (AAN CAN)

DIAGNOSED WITH LUNG CANCER? You may qualify for a substantial cash award - even with smoking history. No obligation! We've recovered millions. Let us help! Call 24/7. 1-888-376-0595 (AAN CAN)

DONATE YOUR VEHICLE TO FUND THE SEARCH FOR MISSING CHILDREN Fast free pickup. 24 hour response. Running or not. Maximum tax deduction and no emission test required! Call 24/7: 999-999-9999 Call 877-266-0681 . (AAN CAN)

GUTTER GUARDS AND REPLACEMENT GUTTERS

INBOUND Never clean your gutters again! Affordable, professionally installed gutter guards protect your gutters and home from debris and leaves forever! For a free quote call: 844499-0277. (AAN CAN)

LEGAL NOTICE On January 27, 2023, Auslator, LLC, licensee of W264DT, 100.7 MHz FM, Clyde, North Carolina, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for Assignment of the license for W264DT to Radio Training Network, Inc. Members of the public wishing to view this application or obtain information about how to file comments and petitions on the application can visit avl.mx/ce0, and search for W264DT

MEN'S SPORTS WATCHES

WANTED Advertiser is looking to buy men's sport watches. Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Patek Philippe, Here, Daytona, GMT, Submariner and Speedmaster. The advertiser pays cash for qualified watches. Call 888-320-1052

(AAN CAN)

MOVING OUT OF STATE?

Licensed and insured, full-service, nationwide movers. Call now to get a free, instant price quote on your next move.

1-866-590-6549

(AAN CAN)

NEVER PAY FOR COVERED HOME REPAIRS AGAIN!

Complete care home warranty covers all major systems and appliances. 30 day risk free. $200.00 off + 2 free months!

1-877-434-4845

(AAN CAN)

SPECTRUM INTERNET AS LOW AS $29.99! Call to see if you qualify for ACP and free internet. No Credit Check. Call Now! 833-955-0905 (AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING

SERVICES

ASTRO-COUNSELING

Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 258-3229

FOR MUSICIANS

MUSICAL SERVICES

GUITAR REPAIR / RESCUE

Somewhat famous luthier with 35 years experience offering comprehensive repair service. Quick turnaround, competitive rates, free evaluation / estimate (in-person only). Convenient Asheville location. Brad Nickerson. 828-252-4093 nickersonguitars.net nickersonguitars@hotmail.com

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689. (AAN CAN)

ACROSS

1 Recede

4 Submit, as homework

10 “Yeah ... I don’t think so”

14 Gymnast Suni of Team U.S.A.

15 Plaza resident of fiction

16 What some flakes are made of

17 59-Across from someone who’s paying?

19 Thus

20 Feature of Jupiter’s moon Europa

21 Apple field worker?

23 Acronymic title for a legendary athlete

26 23-Across, in boxing

27 Purchase

30 59-Across from an anxious caller?

33 Sound of intrigue

34 Thoroughly enjoy

35 59-Across from a frustrated parent?

41 “I’m ___ of you” (Valentine’s Day message for a plant lover?)

42 Mole that should definitely be removed?

43 59-Across from a carpooler?

50 Record label for H.E.R. and SZA

51 Letters of amusement

52 Erstwhile

54 Tons o’

56 Singing rodent of cartoondom

57 Bridges in film

59 “Come here often?,” e.g. … or a hint to 17-, 30-, 35and 43-Across

63 “Frozen” snowman

64 It might include a plus one

65 Feminist assn. since 1966

66 Storage containers

67 Like matryoshka dolls

68 Speech fillers

DOWN

1 Poet who wrote “April is the cruellest month”

2 “You ___!” (informal affirmative)

3 Appear in public

4 “Whoa, take it easy!”

5 Prefix with rock or country

6 Neither’s partner

7 Game piece with multiple faces

8 Name meaning “God is salvation”

9 Annoy

10 Cab alternative

11 1983 hit song that begins with “Domo arigato”

12 Prod, and then some

13 Famous bed-in participant

18 They have issues, in brief

22 Certain itinerant musician

24 “___ Flux”

(1990s animated sci-fi series)

25 Setting for the “Iliad”

28 “E pluribus ___”

29 Informal affirmative

31 Ones being pointed to at a distance

32 Good, in Chinese

35 Certain slip-on shoe

36 Die-hard follower

37 Ambient musician Brian

38 Grown-up

39 Topknot, for one

40 Reynolds of “Deadpool”

41 N.Y.C. drive, with “the”

44 Straight-up

45 Five-time Olympic sprinting gold medalist ___

Thompson-Herah

46 Harvested

47 “___ be OK”

48 Heavenly

49 Key of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5

53 Celeb gossip show 55 Exterminates 57 Word with snow or day 58 QB Manning 60 Drugstore chain known for long receipts 61 Baby fox 62 Great Basin tribe

Mountain Xpress Presents