Mountain Xpress 03.02.22 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 28TH Y EA R OF W E E K LY I NDE PE NDE NT NEWS, A RTS & EVE NTS FOR W E STE R N NORTH CA ROLI NA VOL . 28 NO. 31 M A RCH 2- 8, 2022

C O NT E NT S

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FEATURES 10 ALL A BOARD Asheville seeks to restructure citizen advisory groups

14 DEVELOPMENT ROUNDUP Multiple apartment complexes seek approval from Asheville, Buncombe

The quest for reporter Edwin Arnaudin? Visit a different caffeine dealer in North, South, East, West and downtown Asheville to have a cup of something delicious and legal, while pretending he was in the mid-’90s heyday of such establishments. COVER PHOTO Thomas Calder

20 HAVING A VOICE Community doulas work toward birth equity

25 HIDDEN HISTORY WCU professor shares research on Cherokee women activism

LETTERS

CARTOON: MOLTON

CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

COMMENTARY

10 NEWS 16 BUNCOMBE BEAT 18 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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27 WHAT’S NEW IN FOOD Ashleigh Shanti competes in season 19 of “Top Chef ”

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20 WELLNESS 22 ARTS & CULTURE 30 CLUBLAND

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34 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 29 AROUND TOWN MakeHER Market celebrates International Women’s Day

34 CLASSIFIEDS 35 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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STAFF PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Walton ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Justin McGuire, Sara Murphy, Brooke Randle, Jessica Wakeman, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Justin McGuire, Andy Hall CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Johanna Patrice Hagarty, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Alli Marshall, Linda Ray, Kay West ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, David Furr, Tiffany Wagner OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Able Allen BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen, Jennifer Castillo DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Desiree Davis, Henry Mitchell, Tiffany Narron, Kelley Quigley, Angelo Santa Maria, Carl & Debbie Schweiger

OPINION

COME SEE US TODAY!

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

BRING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR & YOUR ASIAN CAR — TOYOTA, LEXUS, HONDA, ACURA, SUBARU, NO EUROPEAN MODELS

Bravo for reporting on vaccine side effects Who cares? Mountain Xpress does. A great newspaper does not shy away from reporting difficult stories that may go against the grain of current consensus paradigms. I am late to writing because I did not read the cover article “Who Cares?” in the Jan. 12 issue of Mountain Xpress until recently [“Side Effects: Local Handling of COVID Vaccine Troubles Breeds Medical Mistrust.”] In my estimation, our little local newspaper deserves a reporting prize for that story. I am writing in gratitude. Vaccine injury is almost a taboo topic in polite society these days without getting the dreaded label of anti-vax. Although patients are handed papers at vaccination that list adverse events which can occur after any given shot, those who suffer these events are primarily marginalized or demeaned by the medical establishment and others, or are too young to piece together the consequences until later in life. I was hospitalized and fighting for my life at Duke Hospital for four months, days after receiving an MMR vaccine when I was 11 months old. My wise physician told my mother that she should hold off any more vaccines for a very long time. The result of that injury was a lifelong battle with asthma and discolored teeth from the tetracycline antibiotic that was given to me. Asthma is a known and listed adverse reaction to many vaccinations. Tetracycline’s teeth-staining properties in young children were not known at that time. I have my mother’s recollections and my records to piece together my story. In “Who Cares?” Jeff Fobes, the publisher, and Niko Kyriakou, the writer, chose to honor the voices of the injured from the current COVID vaccination campaign. They published an outstanding piece of journalism highlighting facts of which very few American citizens are aware. As Mr. Kyriakou pointed out, VAERS is an important database to monitor vaccine side effects, since the ability to sue vaccine manufacturers for childhood vaccinations was taken away from Americans in 1986. Even fewer people are aware of the Harvard Pilgrim Study commissioned by our government that concluded that VAERS woefully underestimates the vaccine adverse reactions which occur year after year. Distressingly, the current COVID vaccination campaign has seen the reports of injuries skyrocket as shown in the VAERS database and reported by the Xpress. “Who

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C A R T O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N Cares?” highlights the fact that the injuries officially reported may have already greatly exceeded the historical, documented underreporting of past vaccination campaigns as revealed in its local canvassing of disparate communities in our area. I was truly impressed by the professionalism involved in finding the varied individuals who participated in making the article relevant. It would have been better that the anonymous fireman and EMT who serve the injured were free to speak without retribution, but it speaks to the unbalanced emotions behind this issue that they could not add their names without risking their jobs. In my mind and in the community of all vaccine injured, Mountain Xpress did what we rarely see in journalism these days — take an unpopular stance — because their commitment is to all the community. I am sending in a donation and urge

others on both sides to do the same. We truly have a little newspaper in Asheville that courageously honors its duty to represent all local voices in its editorials and in its reporting. Bravo. — Christiana Dillingham Leicester

You pay a lot to live in the mountains Just to mention, as per your article of living and wages [“Pay Raise: WNC Reacts to New Living Wage Rate,” Feb. 16, Xpress], I moved from Asheville in 2019, after just short of three years. I was living at Hawthorne at Southside apartments off Hendersonville Road. A nice area, but had I not moved from there at that time, I would have been paying

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OPINION

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN $1,000 a month in rent for one of their older apartments, for a one-bedroom. At the time of living in Asheville also, I was just working at a drugstore and without a second-income partner. The Asheville experience: You pay a lot to live in the mountains. Now that I’ve moved to Greensboro, a three-hour drive away, I’m saving $300 a month in rent for where I am now. It’s not as updated as my Asheville apartment was, but for the price, I don’t miss paying higher rent. — Irene Corey Greensboro

Expand your consciousness with lifelong learning “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost Mountain Xpress has published information on public schooling, and I’d like to expand this to a conversation on adults learning throughout life. We are failing many families and children in developing the social, emotional and civic skills needed for success and happiness. Why are higher American values and princi-

ples such a hard sell to Americans beyond the realm of formal education? Schooling is not enough. There’s an old saying: A teacher affects eternity, and one can never know where his or her influence stops. Let’s expand this: We citizens affect eternity. We never know where our influence stops — we are always affecting the energies around us in either a negative or positive way. What you do today, this moment, can affect the trajectory of your whole life into retirement years. If we are skeptical, suspicious and close-minded, it narrows our life. If we are active, caring, hopeful and trustful, our lives continue to expand and enrich us. Do mental and spiritual growth stop after schooling? Athletes know that practicing is necessary. If their skills are not challenged, their skills and muscles will atrophy. And it is the same with you if your inner growth is not challenged. Do yourself and our society a favor by participating in some way, in whatever your life situation allows. Don’t limit your ability or imagination or neglect your dreams and ideals. Your journey on Earth requires lifelong learning. All of us may not be able to actively participate in demonstrations, but each of us can daily leave our comfort zone and social class and inform yourself on whatever issues are close to your heart. Move toward

a world of love, justice, generosity, empathy. It will contribute greatly to your personal life. Change must be spiritual because the threats we face go deeper than politics and economics. It cannot be imposed from above but can best be spread from person to person, friends to friends, family to families, and hopefully from differing world views in mutual respect and kindness. It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old; they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams. The goal for an adult’s lifelong learning is to expand your consciousness. Make your life big enough. Get out of your comfort zone. Make your own choices rather than follow lockstep, secondhand news and cement yourself in ideologies like conservative, liberal and anti-this-and-that. There’s a beautiful world right here now to discover. Yes, it is a slow process of ups and downs, failures and successes, but hold onto your

ideals and prepare yourself at an early age to thrive rather than merely survive. Focus more on growing and changing yourself than changing others. Pay attention, study, reflect in some form of meditation or prayer, and act in ways that energize you. You will discover a meaningful life that transcends today’s challenges. Sigh — I say this with boldness as I’ve discovered that service to others in the interest of an ever-expanding truth, goodness and beauty is ever present. And for me, the local community is a good place to practice this. — Ed Sacco Asheville

Editor’s note Due to changing health recommendations related to COVID-19, readers are encouraged to check with individual businesses for the latest updates concerning upcoming events.

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OPINION

River visionary When Asheville’s Karen Cragnolin died Jan. 22, our region lost a dedicated champion of the French Broad River — the first executive director of the nonprofit RiverLink, a mover and shaker who left an indelible mark on the riverfront and the hearts of those who knew her. A piece that Cragnolin herself wrote for Xpress in 2014, “Saving the French Broad River: Naysayers, Start Paddling,” offers a detailed account in her own distinctive voice of the efforts to revitalize the riverfront. And her online obituary (avl.mx/ba4) fills in many biographical and other details, along with noting that a celebration of her life is yet to come. To gauge what she meant to the community, Xpress reached out to a number of locals who knew her or observed her in action for their reflections on someone who will surely go down in Asheville’s history as one of its most significant change agents. A LASTING LEGACY I don’t remember Karen Cragnolin ever saying the word “can’t.” Her work with RiverLink was sustained by her undaunted belief in a wonderful outcome for Buncombe County and beyond. She was an advocate on so many levels. During her yearslong commitment to the French Broad River, she was patient, yet eager to get the necessary work done. She honored the past and embraced the future with gusto and made friends with the doubters. She was tireless, courageous, fearless and persevered in the face of criticism and controversy. Karen recognized that the health of the community depended on the health of the French Broad. She knew that the environment didn’t have to be at the expense of the economy, and the economy didn’t have to be at the expense of the environment. Her enthusiasm and energy attracted an amazing group of believers, from politicians, environmentalists, businesspeople and more. Today, we owe Karen Cragnolin a huge debt of gratitude for the greenways, bikeways, parks and River Arts District that help define us. I am honored to have known her, called her friend and thank her for her lasting legacy. — Leni Sitnick Mayor of Asheville, 1997-2002 6

MAR. 2-8, 2022

Community reflects on Cragnolin and her legacy

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH US When she first came to the mountains in the 1980s, Karen Cragnolin recognized the Thames-like French Broad River as the organ of creation and recreation for Asheville and much of Western North Carolina. Few others did. The genesis of much of Asheville’s history, the river then resembled a flood plain littered with automobile junkyards, landfills, moldering warehouses, railroad turntables and abandoned buildings. I labeled it Asheville’s Bangladesh. Jerry Sternberg defiantly and proudly called himself its mayor. No more. Now it’s aptly described as a creative hub for the region, an arts district filled with psychedelic murals, art and craft studios and galleries, small and diversified businesses, dining, breweries and parks. Lots of them. Credit Karen Cragnolin for that. And Jerry Sternberg, the best of contrarians. It wasn’t easy. Visionaries, especially passionate “tall women” like Karen Cragnolin, seldom are appreciated — only criticized — in their own time. As an outsider, Karen confronted, then bridged cultures — those of mountaineers who loved the older river raceway and who derided Asheville’s “artsy” community, an entrenched elite of mill and land owners along the river, and of timid elected officials who preferred building new jails to riverwalks and parks. Yet she also brought a new sense of civitas, of stewardship and ownership in the river and all it touched. She was the nurturing link that runs through us all. — Milton Ready Retired UNC Asheville history professor FOCUSED BUT FUN-LOVING I first met Karen around 1987; I was working for the French Broad River Foundation, a now-defunct nonprofit, and she’d just been hired by the Chamber of Commerce to head up its Riverfront Attraction Committee. If the area could be made more appealing, they reasoned, it might induce tourists to linger in Asheville beyond the one day it took to visit Biltmore Estate. Hard to imagine that now, but that’s how things were back then. Needless to say, Karen stepped up and, more than any other single individual, helped transform what was mainly a string of decrepit ware-

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KAREN CRAGNOLIN houses and auto graveyards into the vibrant urban riverfront we see today. I moved on to other endeavors, but Karen remained tirelessly focused on her goal. Through the years, we enjoyed a remarkable friendship, sustained by three-hour lunches marked by lively, wide-ranging conversation. Among the countless fond memories I have of her, I still chuckle over this one: In 2000, my then-partner and I began leading bike tours in France’s Loire Valley. Karen signed up for one, and when she handed in the required waiver form, she’d signed it “Karen I-Can’t-Ride-A-Bike Cragnolin.” True to her word, she spent the eight days riding in the “sag wagon” with Francoise and enjoying the food, wine and scenery without breaking a sweat. — Peter Gregutt Xpress contributing editor A DRIVING FORCE I met Karen when she became the first executive director of RiverLink in the early ’80s. Several years before, there was a fledgling effort to focus attention on the potential of the French Broad River riverfront. We had seen what San Antonio, Texas, had done with its riverfront, turning it into a major tourist destination and amenity for locals. The French Broad River Foundation established a Riverfront Improvement Committee and started getting folks down to the river to see the opportunities and

identify constraints. The first French Broad RiverFest was held on the river near the old ice house. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce established a Riverfront Improvement Initiative with the goal of getting tourists to stay one extra day in Asheville after visiting the Biltmore Estate. Karen got involved in the Asheville Chamber effort and made revitalization of the riverfront a major focus of RiverLink’s mission. Over time, she brought people with various backgrounds and interests into the discussion and effort, including landowners and business owners, city officials, artists, planners, landscape architects, water resource management professionals, river rats and many others. She brought Wilma Dykeman, author of The French Broad, into the effort, and they became good friends and strong advocates for river improvement. City officials were focused on downtown redevelopment and were somewhat hesitant to refocus attention on the riverfront, but Karen was able to eventually get the city to buy in. She advocated for the city to allocate resources to the effort. RiverLink organized a series of riverfront redevelopment charrettes to get professional and public input on the community’s vision for the river and begin a multiyear planning effort. Over the years, several very impressive redevelopment plans were prepared, including the Wilma Dykeman Riverfront Plan. Karen got some national media attention focused on the effort, which created local excitement and strengthened support. She secured many state, federal and private foundation grants to develop plans and begin the redevelopment process. She encouraged the city to put the riverfront effort in its capital improvement budgets. She brought so many people into the fold and partnered with the Land of Sky Regional Council in recognizing individuals and organizations for their river improvement efforts through the annual Friend of the River Awards. She also worked with the city to develop the beautiful French Broad River Park, the first within the city. She played a key role in developing Carrier Park that began the effort to create a greenway along the river. Without a doubt, Karen is the person most responsible for the transformation of the Asheville riverfront. It is amazing to see the results of her work over the past 35 years. When I

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JERRY stroll along the new greenway in the River Arts District, I think of Karen as the driving force that made it all a reality. What a tremendous legacy. The city and region is a better place, thanks to Karen. — Bill Eaker Former senior environmental planner Land of Sky Regional Council FIGHTER FOR THE RIVERFRONT When I was hired as Asheville’s planning director in 1999, almost immediately two of the city’s most important change agents visited me — Pat Whalen and Karen Cragnolin. Each had a compelling vision for Asheville’s future: Pat for the downtown and Karen for the rivers. The transformations they envisioned have become reality, from the South Slope’s continuing conversion from warehousing and heavy commercial to a revitalized mixed-use and entertainment district to the incredible changes we have seen along the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers. Karen was such a fighter for refocusing attention on the city’s riverfront. It took a fighter, someone to take the brunt of the culture war necessary to convert a beloved racetrack to the West Asheville treasure called Carrier Park, to fill abandoned warehouses with artist studios, to generate funky from forlorn. Often one of the real tragedies in life’s short span is not being able to see what comes next. Thankfully, Karen did get a chance to see her work-life’s passion so significantly realized, but she was also always ready to imagine what comes next. We will miss you, Karen Cragnolin, and we’ll often think of you as we enjoy the fruits of your labors. — Scott Shuford Weaverville SMART AND DETERMINED I knew Karen for 10 years, even before I moved to Asheville. She was a tough, smart and determined visionary with a great sense of humor who transformed our city and the region. Asheville’s great outdoor spaces and economy would not have happened without Karen’s commitment and focus. She had a knack for bringing together whoever and whatever was needed to reach the goal. She loved to laugh and tell stories. The ones about how Carrier Park and French Broad River Park came to be were well told with tongue-in-cheek and chutzpah!

I greatly respected Karen and mourn her loss to all of us. — Anne E. Keller RiverLink board chair EYE TOWARD THE LONG GAME As a RiverLink board member and Wilma Dykeman Riverway Plan Task Force member in the early 2000s, I had great vantage point to know Karen Cragnolin. For decades, Asheville’s river had been ignored and polluted. Karen saw the potential and educated herself and others about all the varied pieces of the puzzle that had to fit together for the French Broad riverfront to become the recreational and cultural gem that it is today. She was a strategic thinker and a doer. But the quality I admired the most was her perseverance. At the same time Eastern North Carolina suffered from devastating 1999 Hurricane Floyd damage, Karen fought for state funding for Western North Carolina to protect the French Broad River Basin from the potential damage of future, similar storms. She lobbied for and won approval for purchasing four contaminated land parcels along the river — which she wanted for future open space that could become greenways and parks. Unfortunately, only one parcel was purchased due to local government foot-dragging. Karen just shook it off and kept moving. Thankfully, her tenacity and eye toward the long game led to the parcels being cleaned up and completing the recent RADTIP revitalization zone that includes greenways, boat launches and park space today. Karen was among several female nonprofit leaders who have shaped Asheville in immeasurable ways. She was way ahead of most businesses, lenders and local government in her advocacy for the river. May her impact and memory inspire a new generation of leaders to celebrate and protect our river and other valuable aspects of our city. — Jim Samsel Asheville WONDERFUL SENSE OF HUMOR Karen had a wonderful sense of humor, as I hope this anecdote illustrates. In 2012, Karen was an original member of the board of directors of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy. In my wisdom, I had developed a schedule for quarterly board meetings that

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Ode to the River Queen She rode into town on her white steed. And immediately found this silver serpent slithering slowly through the valley, passing the city and sorely in need. She saw the railroad parallel to this creature, bringing generations of those whose industrial might used her water for things that caused such a blight, using steam and coal to create a living for thousands who produced goods that were sold throughout the land, destroying the serpent with toxins and sewage. KAREN CRAGNOLIN AND But the serpent fought back JERRY STERNBERG with flooding and sand, leaving death and destruction in its track. In time, the industry ran away, leaving small businesses that were necessary but unsightly, those who would labor in auto wrecking, trash removal, recycling. Heavy machinery did not take this lightly. Her name was Karen. This larger-than-life interloper demonstrated awesome dedication, determination and power to heal the serpent, attracting a huge following of environment zealots to help the serpent they would scour. A band of river rats whose livelihood was threatened swarmed out of the basin, protesting the ruin they thought they were facing. She sharpened her brand called RiverLink, finding treasure to buy the old mill, which promptly burned to the ground. It was indeed a bitter pill. Undaunted, she continued to buy buildings and land, including the speedway, Which caused anger and spite. She was not one to give up the fight. Eventually, the rats saw the wisdom of her dream as the vision came true, and the basin would grow. They joined in the movement, consuming large plates of crow. They named this place the district of RAD, with parks and greenways, new roads to be had. Studded with breweries and bars and artists galore, land prices jumped as never before. River sports abound, hotels and apartments are coming. When you go to the river, you are no longer slumming. As you travel through this nirvana of green, give your thoughts and thanks to the River Queen. Farewell, dear Karen.

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OPINION specified a 4 p.m. start time during our spring and summer meetings, and a 3 p.m. start time during our autumn and winter meetings. What could possibly go wrong? You guessed it: Karen showed up at 4 o’clock for one of our 3 p.m. meetings. As she walked into the room, all eyes were on her. I said we were just finishing. She broke into a smile and asked, “Did I miss anything?” Every person in that room burst out laughing. — Jim Stokely President of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy RESCUING THE RIVER FOR ALL Karen Cragnolin rescued much of the mighty, majestic French Broad River and its sumptuous banks from a capitalism so abusive that it had, by the early 1990s, transformed the once-pristine waters into a toxic brew and its once-bountiful banks into a massive trash dump. The Broad’s water had become so lethal that it could almost pickle you in formaldehyde and burn you with acid, according to an analysis by the late Rick Maas of UNC Asheville. Successful resistance to Asheville’s efforts to get citizens to drink from this noxious nastiness was one reason Green Line, which became Mountain Xpress, was founded. Now, in large part thanks to Ms. Cragnolin, you can usually safely swim in the wondrous river, though you may get drunk from the spilled beer of tubing tourists. However, you

RIVER CHAMPIONS: Author Wilma Dykeman, left, and RiverLink’s first executive director, Karen Cragnolin, share a moment at RiverLink’s Admirals’ Dinner in 1994. Photo courtesy of RiverLink can then sweat off the inebriation by strolling, biking or skateboarding in one of its beautiful river parks stretching for luscious miles — miles which now host elegant river oaks and resplendent bird wildlife. Miles that Ms. Cragnolin helped socialize, giving it to all Ashevilleans instead of letting capitalist developers ravage it even more. — Bill Branyon Asheville author A LIFE LIVED WITH GUSTO Karen in the 1980s was a dynamo of ideas, dreams and plans for

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the French Broad riverfront. She inspired me as well as dozens of other people interested in the water quality and beauty of the French Broad River Basin. She enlisted the help and cooperation of the movers and shakers in the area and was not shy about approaching anyone who could help realize that goal. But Karen was not only driven, she was kind, funny and a little naughty. I went to France on a bicycle trip with a group that included her, and I don’t remember laughing so hard in all my life. She truly lived with gusto and the belief that big plans could come to fruition with effort, patience and a touch of Karen persuasion. I admired her tremendously and was also in awe of her, but most of all, I loved her. She was there for me in a very dark moment of my life with support and kindness. I’ll never forget her. — Linda Taylor Asheville THRIVING ON A COLD RECEPTION Karen Cragnolin had a vision for the river that very few understood when she moved to Asheville. She had lived in many parts of the world and understood how important riverfront development can be to a successful community. She was ridiculed by many elected officials and government staff when she organized and started RiverLink. Karen was a lawyer and had worked extensively in bringing folks with otherwise diverse points of view together for a common benefit. I think Karen enjoyed and thrived on the cold reception she initially received

from her river plans because she was confident in her ability to persuade and advocate others to understand and ultimately support her vision. Over time, Karen won over many people who initially thought she was crazy for suggesting that the river could become a thriving business and recreational area. She was relentless in her efforts to educate, plan and dream about the river’s potential. Karen always did her homework. She extensively researched and appreciated the history, culture, geography and physical beauty of the river. Karen was an excellent leader and facilitator of the highest order. She was an exceptional person who will be missed as our community focuses on how and not whether development will occur on the river. — David Gantt Former chairman of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Karen Cragnolin’s recent death has been a tremendous loss for her family, her many friends and for the greater community. We were blessed to have had her incredible visionary leadership to improve our rivers and inspire, encourage and mentor others to join her in these efforts. Karen was someone whose health challenges didn’t stop her from continuing to civically contribute and to stay connected with her friends. She was always there for her friends right up until she died, and my inbox is filled with emails that hold her wit and proud photos of her family. Early on, Karen encouraged me to participate in the Leadership Asheville program and to look for volunteer opportunities on city boards and commissions. She also offered support to me professionally and introduced me to other interesting and active women in the community. Karen sponsored me to join her in membership to Asheville’s historic Pen & Plate Club, and she was always thrilled to be able to go and enjoy the camaraderie, a fine meal and thoughtful essays presented by the club membership. In later years, that meant me learning to maneuver her wheelchair-accessible van to take her, which was slightly daunting for someone who learned to drive on a VW Beetle. However, it will be continued visits down to the riverfront and trips in the canoe I won at the first RiverFest in 1986 that will always help to bring Karen’s spirit close to me and to those who knew and loved her. — Jane Gianvito Mathews President of Mathews Architecture X

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NEWS

All a board

Asheville seeks to restructure citizen advisory groups

BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com As riffed on in last week’s Xpress by cartoonist Brent Brown, Asheville’s city government is well known for hiring consultants, outside experts who offer their opinions on everything from homelessness strategies to police recruitment. But much of the advice rendered to the city still comes free of charge, courtesy of the more than 200 citizen volunteers who serve on its advisory boards and commissions. Most meet monthly for three-year terms, providing information and recommendations to Asheville City Council in specific focus areas like public transit and the environment. That system could be set for a major change. In February, Asheville unveiled a plan to reduce the number of advisory groups from 20 to four, each aligned with a focus area of the 2018 Living Asheville Comprehensive Plan. Each of those boards would be capped at 11 members, meaning the number of residents who serve in a regular advisory role would be cut by roughly 80%. Some Asheville City Council members and board volunteers say the new approach would more effectively harness community input while reducing stress on city staff. But others, including Council candidate

PARTICIPATION STATION: Asheville currently has 20 boards and commissions composed of roughly 200 members of the public who examine issues and provide policy recommendations to Asheville City Council. Graphic by iStock and Downtown Commission member Andrew Fletcher, believe the proposal goes too far. “I completely agree that boards and commissions need renovation. I disagree with Council’s approach that boards and commissions need demolition,” Fletcher explains. “Their proposal to somehow listen better by taking 200 people out of

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City Hall is contradictory to their aims or stated goals.” TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING? Council member Gwen Wisler, who is spearheading the restructuring effort, says that she started noticing issues with the city’s citizen advisory boards during her time as vice mayor from 2015-19. In that role, she chaired Council’s Boards and Commissions Committee, which is responsible for reviewing citizen applications, recommending appointments to Council and providing guidance on establishing new boards. Wisler, first elected in 2013 and not seeking reelection this year, says the number of citizen advisory boards has steadily grown over the recent past, with six created in the last three years alone. That increase has led to a “duplication of priorities,” she says, and placed a heavy burden on city staff, who often must present the same information multiple times to different groups. “Our number of boards and commissions is very high relative to other municipalities. And while we really value all the great input, we just feel we can better harness that effort,” Wisler says. (Including quasi-judicial and state-mandated boards, Asheville has 40 total boards and commissions, within the range of other large North

Carolina cities. Wilmington and Raleigh both have 28 boards and commissions, Charlotte has 35, and Winston-Salem has 44.) And Council member Sage Turner, who herself has served on numerous advisory boards over the years, says she’s also been hearing concerns from boards and commission members. “Some feel they’re asked to do too much, others not enough,” Turner tells Xpress. “Some feel the process is inefficient and not inclusive, and many have expressed they don’t feel their input is heard by Council.” “Boards are currently so specialized and focused on limited topics that we can miss the bigger picture, and as a result, our community may not get the best options and decisions,” adds Anne Keller, who has served on the Sustainability Advisory Committee on Energy and the Environment for five years. Fletcher, appointed to the Public Art and Cultural Commission in 2016 and the Downtown Commission in 2018, generally agrees that not all boards are created equal. He recalls that the Haywood Street Advisory Team, tasked with developing ideas for the so-called “Pit of Despair” in Asheville’s downtown, was well resourced and productive. “We had discussions, a lot of experts at the table, and we had a ton of staff resources. If we wanted something at one meeting, we got it

SNAPSHOT at the next meeting. It was a really good process,” he says. By contrast, Fletcher says the nine-person Public Art and Cultural Commission has been less successful, claiming that the board hasn’t received a lot of funding or attention. “I’ve seen our Council liaison at one meeting in the entire time I’ve been there,” he adds. “And that seems to make a big difference.” OVERHAUL The four newly established advisory boards would deal with the broad topics of equitable community, health environment and livable community, well-planned community and housing. Each would be supported by a cross-departmental staff team and hold monthly formal meetings with live public comment. Board members would then be able to establish working groups to tackle specific issues, such as greenway expansion or improvements to Pack Square, that fall under their general purview. The working groups would be responsible for gathering community input and providing feedback to the advisory boards, who would then relay those recommendations to Council. Working groups would be much more informal than advisory boards, says Deputy City Clerk Sarah Gross, and would convene on an as-needed basis. New groups could be created or dissolved as issues are addressed, and group members could flow in and out depending on their interests or level of commitment. Because Asheville government resources would not directly support the working groups, she continues, there would be no limit to the number of people who could participate. “We see this as an opportunity for more inclusive participation, so that more people, rather than those that are appointed to a board and commission, are making recommendations based on their networks,” says city spokesperson Dawa Hitch. “This is an opportunity to have a broader, more intentional effort towards including everybody.” Fletcher says he’s skeptical of that idea, noting that without staff support, putting together effective working groups may prove challenging and time consuming. “I’ve seen working groups that come together for specialized stuff underneath other boards and commissions. But they take a long time to build,” he says. He points to the Downtown Commission’s Public Space Management Committee, which hasn’t yet filled all its positions despite city staff support and three months

of effort. “A lot of talent has left town, and the people that are experienced with this stuff are increasingly jaded about giving their time to a city that doesn’t listen,” Fletcher adds. INPUT ON INPUT Beyond the scope of the city’s proposal, Fletcher and others have criticized the way it came about. Although the city has been researching potential changes to boards and commissions since fall 2019, with updates provided to Council members during their private check-in meetings as early as fall 2021, it didn’t issue a press release about the effort until Feb. 22. The proposal was brought up in a public forum for the first time by Patrick Conant, director of government transparency project Sunshine Request, during public comment at Council’s Jan. 25 meeting — a week before current board chairs and vice chairs were briefed. “Boards and commissions are … the best example of participatory democracy that we currently possess,” Conant said during the meeting. “The proposal would eliminate all 20 advisory boards that operate in our city. This includes boards with a focus on human relations, police accountability, urban forestry in more than a dozen other areas.” “How can a proposal of this magnitude appear without any mention in a public meeting?” Conant continued. City officials say they plan to conduct a robust community engagement campaign on the issue and that the restructuring will address longstanding issues within the committees. But Conant tells Xpress that he feels that “proposal has all the most critical details predetermined.” “Despite the city’s lack of public communication and transparency about this process, it is obvious their proposal has been under development for an extended period of time,” he continues.

GRADUATING CLASS: On Feb. 25, the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court, a rigorous two-year program for veterans facing felony charges, celebrated its latest graduating class. Jerry Pharr, left, Nick Baird, center, and Matthew Walton “have spent the last 18-24 months participating in therapy to address the underlying issues that led to their justice involvement, finding their path into recovery from substance use disorder and finding healing in all areas of their lives,” says Program Director Kevin Rumley. “I am proud to celebrate their incredible successes in our program and look forward to witnessing their continued growth and reclamation of their lives.” Photo by Jennifer Castillo

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MIXED REVIEWS While all of the boards and commissions members who spoke with Xpress agreed there were issues with the current framework, they varied on whether they supported the city’s proposal. Sharon Sumrall, who serves on the Urban Forestry Commission and the Neighborhood Advisory Commission, says that she is “very concerned about the wholesale

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SNAPSHOT

NEWS disintegration” of the city’s boards and commissions. “I can understand that there may be redundancy in some of the [boards and commissions] … but as an example, the UFC has accomplished a huge amount of work. To just name a few [accomplishments], the Tree Canopy Protection Amendment, Chapter 20 Revisions, Gap Analysis, NASA study on heat island effect in Asheville and many more positive and constructive changes and our continuing ask for an urban forester,” she explains. But Sara Coplai, who has been on the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee since October 2020, sees the proposal another way, calling it vital as Asheville grapples with how to spend $26.2 million in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, occupancy taxes and other sources of funding. “It is bold, with a vision,” she says. “How these funds will be invested over time could either improve historically entrenched problems or increase their disparities. Aligning the proposed restructured boards and commissions with the Living Asheville recommendations will provide avenues to invest these dollars and future ones in an integrated and impactful way.” And Barry Bialik, who has been on the Asheville Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and currently serves as chair, believes that the city should resume all meetings in person before making major changes. “I feel like this proposal is part of a kneejerk reaction by city officials and management reacting to not enough staff capacity to be able to effectively manage the boards and commissions rather than from any specific ineffectiveness of the boards and commissions themselves,” he says. Asheville suspended all board and commission meetings in March 2020, with many not returning until that summer as the city implemented a virtual meetings platform. Over 100 board seats became vacant due to resignations from January 2020 through February, with over 40% of total vacancies at any given time generated by someone quitting. Several board members who spoke with Xpress pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a contributor to this high turnover.

Eileen McMinn, who became chair of the Homeless Initiative Advisory Commission in spring 2020 after a year and a half on the board, says her group was told by a city staff liaison that its meetings would be temporarily reduced to bimonthly virtual meetings because the city lacked resources. “As a result, our work on the Five Year Plan [on Homelessness in Buncombe County] ceased abruptly,” she says. “Despite many inquiries and protests, I never got a satisfactory response to who decided we only could meet every other month or why.” Feeling frustrated by the experience, McMinn says that she decided not to apply for the board again after her term expired. “There was a transition period in which a small team of production staff was conducting all virtual meetings while training additional staff to be able to assist,” said Gross, the deputy city clerk, when asked about McMinn’s experience. “All boards had the option to resume regular scheduling in 2021.” NEXT STEPS

BLUE AND YELLOW: On Feb. 26, local residents marched through downtown in support of Ukraine. The group ultimately convened at Pack Square, where they protested and denounced Russia’s invasion. Photo by Jennifer Castillo

Several current board members declined to comment on the plan, saying that they had little or no understanding of the proposed changes. But opportunities for public engagement are coming, city officials say. In a Feb. 16 press release, the city announced four workshops that will be held virtually throughout March aimed at gathering input on the proposal. City officials say that it is too early in the process to finalize a transition plan but that they will implement a pilot program once the core restructuring is figured out. If that pilot proves successful, the city would phase out its other boards and commissions and begin building its newly structured ones. Should the proposal move forward, current projects managed by advisory committees would be reevaluated to determine priorities with guidance from Council committees. The city does not yet have a plan for transition of the current boards and commissions members. X

Get involved The city of Asheville will hold four virtual workshops on the proposed boards and commissions restructuring in March. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/bac.

• Thursday, March 3, 5-7 p.m. • Monday, March 7, 12:302:30 p.m. • Wednesday, March 9, 5-7 p.m. • Friday, March 11, 9-11 a.m. X

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DEVELOPMENT ROUNDUP

Multiple apartment complexes seek approval from Asheville, Buncombe City of Asheville The public will be able to provide input on several potential developments in Asheville at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, and the Design Review Committee meeting 12:30 p.m. Thursday, March 17. Both groups will meet remotely. PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION The Historic Star Building (24, 26, 28 N. Lexington Ave. and 15, 17 Broadway, 28801) Asheville-based developer Star Master Tenant LLC seeks to convert the existing historic structure known as the Star Building into a 35-room hotel. These rooms will be located on the upper floors of the building, whereas the ground floor will include approximately 4,500 square feet of retail space. The facade of the building will receive extensive rehabilitation, including the repair of brick, glass, metal windows and marble-style glass, as well as the removal of nonoriginal exterior insulation and finishing. Detailed documents, including site plans, maps and reports from previous levels of city review, can be accessed at avl.mx/bap. Under the city’s recently adopted hotel rules, the project will not have to go before Asheville City Council if approved by the PZC. Reed Creek Mixed Use Development (427 Broadway, 28801) Asheville-based Reed Creek Greenway LLC seeks to develop 1.53 acres at the intersection of Broadway and Cauble Street into a mixed-use development consisting of three buildings ranging from one to four stories. One building will contain 49 residential units, of which 10 will be affordable housing. Another will contain 6,000 square feet of office space. The final building, a renovation of an existing gas station on the site, will house a coffee shop. Documents, including site plans, the original application, neighborhood meeting minutes and sewer and water reports, can be accessed at avl.mx/bag. At the PZC meeting, members will discuss changing the location’s zoning from Neighborhood Corridor to Neighborhood Corridor14

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SPACES ON THE SHOALS: This architectural rendering shows one of the apartment buildings proposed for a 218-unit complex in South Asheville. Graphic courtesy of the city of Asheville Conditional Zone. The following three conditional zoning modifications are requested: • Reducing the size of the required 20-foot landscaping buffer on the property line. • Reducing the requirement for a 40-foot setback on the side of the property. • Spacing the pedestrian entrances more than 45 feet apart. 273/291 Long Shoals Road, 300/400 Julian Shoals Road The PZC will also discuss changing the zoning for this area from Community Business II to Residential Expansion-Conditional Zone. The property owners are Long Shoals Partners LLC, Weaverville Shopping Center LLC and Long Shoals Development BOJO LLC. The owners seek to construct a 218-unit residential complex on 11.09 acres. Five three-story buildings and one two-story building will house 198 units, with an additional 20 units in two-story townhouse-style structures. Of those units, 11 will be designated as affordable housing. Detailed maps and site plans, as well as previous city staff reports, can be accessed at avl.mx/baq. Members of the public can submit comments via email and voicemail until 24 hours prior to the meeting or provide live comments during the meeting itself. Instructions on how to

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attend and comment are available at avl.mx/8b6. DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE The Artful Way (31 Artful Way, 28801) Asheville-based owner and developer Artful Asheville LLC proposes to build a six-story, 61-unit mixed-use building on approximately 0.75 acres in the River Arts District, adjacent to The Grey Eagle and across from All Souls Pizza. Detailed site plans and other documents are available at avl.mx/bah. The proposed building will contain 34 residential units, 27 hotel rooms, approximately 1,400 square feet of retail space and 42 parking spaces. Before a mandatory neighborhood meeting on the project Dec. 21, 14 notifications were sent to adjacent property owners. No members of the public attended. The public can submit comments via email and voicemail until 24 hours prior to the meeting or provide live comments during the meeting itself. Instructions on how to attend and comment can be found at avl.mx/anr. TECHNICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE The following development is coming before the city’s Technical Review Committee at a remote meeting 2 p.m. Monday, March 7. Although no

public comment is permitted at TRC meetings, members of the public may attend, with more information available at avl.mx/bai. Redwood Commons (21 Governors View Road, Asheville, 28805) Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, a Columbus, Ohiobased developer, is seeking to erect a 18,500-square-foot apartment building containing 70 one- and two-bedroom units for affordable senior living at 21 Governors View Road near the Swannanoa River. BCHF is a nonprofit that has focused on affordable housing for seniors and families since its incorporation in 1991. Documents for the proposal, including conceptual plans, neighborhood meeting minutes and architectural plans, can be viewed at avl.mx/baj. Because the project will require conditional zoning, it will face review by the PZC and Asheville City Council, both of which permit public comment, before final approval.

Buncombe County Three projects requiring special use permits will be on the agenda for the Buncombe County Board of Adjustment meeting at noon Wednesday, March 9. Special use, as defined in the Buncombe County Zoning Ordinance, refers to “a use

which is permitted in specified zoning districts only after review by the board of adjustment and found to meet specific conditions and procedures … so as to maintain the safety and general welfare of the community.” The primary reason all three projects have requested special use permits is that their buildings all have a proposed maximum height approximately 10 feet above the current 35-foot maximum for R-2 Residential Zoning. Information on how to attend the meeting and apply for comment can be found at avl.mx/anq. Crescent Hill Apartments (180, 184, 188 and unaddressed parcel on Crescent Hill Drive, unaddressed parcel on Watson Road, Arden, 28704) Southwood Realty Co., based in Gastonia, has applied to build a 252unit multifamily apartment complex on 24.6 acres in Arden. The complex will include 10 three-story apartment buildings, four one-story garages, and a one-story clubhouse with fitness facilities. Other potential recreational areas include a pool, playground and dog park. A staff report by the Buncombe County Planning & Development Department raises concerns about vehicle safety at the potential development’s entrance on Watson Road, as well as vehicle and pedestrian safety at the intersection of Crescent Hill Drive and Hendersonville Road. The county recommends the addition of a sidewalk on Crescent Hill Drive; the project already includes a sidewalk on Watson Road. Detailed project documents are available at avl.mx/bak.

Hominy Creek Apartments (40 Pallet Road, unaddressed parcel and 26 on Old Pisgah Highway, Candler 28715) Developer Southeast Partners LLC, based out of Mount Pleasant, S.C., seeks to build a 216-unit apartment complex on 24.7 acres in Candler. The complex will include nine three-story apartment buildings, as well as a one-story clubhouse with fitness and mail rooms, office and meeting spaces, and restrooms. Proposed recreational facilities include a pool with deck, fire pits and dog walk. The property is currently used for industrial purposes and owned by Goodson Holdings LLC. Detailed project documents are available at avl.mx/bal. McIntosh Apartments (unaddressed parcels on McIntosh Road, 28806) Developer Gary Hall of Alabamabased Hall Group LLC has applied to build a 228-unit apartment complex on 23 acres on McIntosh Road, across from the IC Imagine Public Charter School. These units will be divided between 14 three- or four-story structures. Other proposed structures include a clubhouse, pool, maintenance facility and two garages. A county staff report raises concerns about the traffic near the school, but a traffic analysis provided by the developer countered that no changes to traffic infrastructure were needed. Detailed project documents are available at avl.mx/bam.

— Sara Murphy X

Participating at Board of Adjustment meetings Buncombe County’s Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body. Like a jury, board members base their decisions on sworn witness statements and evidence — such as photographs, presentations, posters and studies — presented during the meeting. Members of the public who wish to speak must apply either to serve as a witness or to have standing. Witnesses are sworn in and can be cross-examined. Anyone can apply to be a witness. Standing is reserved only for parties who possess evidence that a project will impact them in a negative way distinct from its impacts on the general public. Equivalent to the power of an attorney at trial, standing allows a person to cross-examine witnesses, object to evidence, provide contrary evidence and offer rebuttals. Members of the public who miss the deadline to submit witness and standing applications can request to comment during the meeting. Any comments made in the live chat of the meeting livestream will not be visible to the public, considered by the board or entered into the case record. They are considered public record, however, and may be shared as a result of public record requests. It is up to the discretion of the board who gets to serve as a witness, have standing or present a live comment. X

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

Haywood Street affordable housing to receive $2.2M in city support

COMING SOON: Haywood Street Community Development is on track to build a 45-unit affordable development after Asheville City Council approved $2.2 million in support. Graphic courtesy of HSCD The first step toward breaking ground on affordable housing in Asheville often isn’t a shovel in the ground — it’s money in the hand. And after a unanimous vote by Asheville City Council Feb. 22, Haywood Street Community Development is more than $2.2 million closer toward making a 45-unit affordable development in the West End Clingman Avenue Neighborhood a reality. The project, which has been in the works for more than five years, received a $1.3 million grant from the city’s 2016 affordable housing bond proceeds, as well as a $904,000 low-interest loan from the Housing Trust Fund. Council also unanimously approved a conditional zoning that allowed the development to be built.

“I’m just thrilled and tearful,” the Rev. Brian Combs told Xpress after the vote. “Not because of all the hard work, but because of the folks who are going to be so impacted by this.” The project, located at 343 and 357 W. Haywood St., will consist of affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom units available for residents of mixed income levels. Of the 45 units, 23 will be affordable for those making 30% of the area median income ($15,800 for a single person or $26,500 for a family of four), nine for those making 60% AMI ($31,575 or $45,300) and 13 for those making 80% AMI ($42,100 or $60,100). The design also includes 5,550 square feet of community space. “What’s not typical that we see in development applications is that not

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only are all 45 units affordable, but they’re permanently affordable,” said Shannon Tuch, the city’s principal planner, while presenting the project. “We do not see that very often.” The nonprofit Haywood Street Community Development was formed in 2020 by Haywood Street Congregation, a United Methodist Church mission, after the congregation determined it wanted to pursue the development of permanently affordable housing near its 297 Haywood St. church. The nonprofit spent the next several years trying to acquire land adjacent or close to the church in every direction, including a 2019 offer to purchase 339 W. Haywood St. that was not accepted. The city then agreed to sell HSCD city-owned property on Asheland Avenue for a similar project in 2020. However, the nonprofit abandoned that plan after Black activists objected to the sale of the land, which the city had acquired as part of the East Riverside urban renewal program, to a white-led organization. HSCD made an offer on the current site that was accepted in July and has since worked to secure funding from the city, Buncombe County and Dogwood Health Trust. Asheville had already granted $296,000 to the project through previous agreements, while Buncombe County approved $749,000 Feb. 1. The project’s total cost is estimated at over $10 million. No members of the public spoke on the issue during the meeting.

But Council members offered their support for the project. “Congratulations,” said Mayor Esther Manheimer. “We will all win, all of us, from you making the incredible effort you’ve made.” “I know it has been a long road and I appreciate your tenacity,” added Council member Sage Turner.

Development turned down At the same meeting, Council also voted 5-2 against a conditional rezoning of properties at 363 Hilliard Ave., which would have allowed the construction of two residential buildings containing 187 new residential units, 7,850 square feet of commercial space and 204 off-street parking spaces. Council members Sandra Kilgore and Antanette Mosley voted in favor of the rezoning. According to a presentation led by city planner Will Palmquist, nine of the development’s units would have been offered at 80% AMI for 20 years, five of which would have accepted housing choice vouchers. None of the members of Council who voted against the conditional zoning shared their rationales during the meeting, and none responded to Xpress requests for comment before press time.

— Brooke Randle X

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MAR. 2-8, 2022

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MARCH 2 - 10, 2022 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

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WELLNESS Yoga and the 12 Steps of Recovery (Y12SR) Addresses addiction as a mental, physical and spiritual disease. WE (3/2, 9), 8:30am, Asheville Yoga Center, 211 S Liberty St Men's Cancer Support Group Socially distanced meeting the first and third Wednesday of every month. RSVP to Will at (412)913-0272 or acwein123@gmail.com. WE (3/2), 6pm, Free, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101 Pub Run Rain or shine, all ages and experience levels welcome. WE (3/2, 9), 6:15pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd Tai Chi by Roger Byrd Pre-registration required, ashevillecommunityyoga.com. TH (3/3, 10), 10:30am, Free, Asheville Yoga Center, 211 S Liberty St Queer & Trans Yoga Class For everyone who identifies outside the lines and hasn't felt comfortable in a traditional yoga space. TH (3/3, 10), 6pm, avl.mx/b1t LGBTQ Sweat Your Prayers A safe space for the LGBTQ community to move their bodies with intention, love, in solidarity. All are welcome, sliding scale. SA (3/5), 9:30am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

ART Room for a View Solo exhibition of Lisa Klakulak’s mixed media sculpture exploring what is felt in material, social environments and the psyche. Monday through Friday, 9am-6pm. Owen Hall, One University Heights, UNC-A Color Dance Featuring new gallery artists Anne Marie Brown, Raquel Egosi, JoAnn Pippin, and Cindy Shaw. Meet the artists on First Friday, March 4, from 5-8pm. Daily 11am-6pm. Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave Of Body & Mind This exhibit explores the connection between form and soul through

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the medium of glass. Daily except Tuesdays. North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B

ᎢᏛᏍᎦ ᏫᏥᏤᎢ ᎠᎵᏰᎵᏒ Weaving Across Time Showcases the works of nine Eastern Band Cherokee basket makers - touching on the dynamic evolution of lineage, sustainability, and cultural expression. Monday through Friday, 11am. Center for Craft, 67 Broadway A Living Language: Cherokee Syllabary and Contemporary Art Highlights the use of the written Cherokee language. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square A Hand in Studio Craft: Harvey K. Littleton as Peer and Pioneer Littleton’s collection from the early days of the Studio Glass Movement and the height of the American mid-century Studio Pottery Movement. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Stained with Glass: Vitreograph Prints from the Studio of Harvey K. Littleton A wide circle of artists in a variety of media— including glass, ceramics, and painting—were invited to Littleton’s studio in Spruce Pine to create prints using the vitreograph process developed by Littleton. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square The Wyeths: Three Generations Provides a comprehensive survey of works by N.C. Wyeth and his children and a grandson. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Useful and Beautiful Silvercraft by William Waldo Dodge Silver tableware created in the Arts and Crafts tradition, from a trained architect who moved to Asheville in 1924. Daily 11am-6pm, Thursdays until 9pm. Closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Carrie Mae Weems Exhibition Features recent photographic and video works questioning stereotypes that associate black bodies with criminality by MacArthur Genius Award-winning artist Tuesday through Friday. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee 42nd Annual Juried Student Exhibition An opportunity for emerging student artists to share their artwork with the public and enhance their skills in presenting in a professional gallery setting. Tuesdays through Thursdays at 10am. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee Medicine Heart Mural Exhibit An exhibition of original large-scale collaborative paintings by Asheville artists and Art Garden co-founders, Annie Kyla Bennett, Dillon Endico and Jack Henry. Closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Free, Art Garden AVL, 191 Lyman St #316 Postcards to Zelda An exhibit of small works by local artists, created as postcard responses to the life and times of Zelda Fitzgerald. FR (3/4), 5pm, The Refinery AVL, 207 Coxe Ave WNC Fibers/ Handweavers Guild Exhibition Processes represented include spinning, shibori, batik, silkscreen, weaving, natural dyeing, needle felting, knitting, and more. Daily, 10am. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

ART/CRAFT STROLLS & FAIRS MakeHER Market A way to highlight and create connections between the talented community of Asheville female entrepreneurs, in honor of International Women’s Day. SA (3/5), 11am, Reynold's Village, 61 North Merrimon Ave Art Market Local makers and musicians. SA (3/5), 12pm, Continuum Art, 147 Ste C, 1st Ave E, Hendersonville

COMMUNITY MUSIC Buncombe Turnpike Bluegrass Concert FR (3/4), 7:30pm, $15, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 South Washington St, Hendersonville Pianist Brian Turner World-renowned pianist returns to the Grove Park Inn Main Hall's

TO MARKET, TO MARKET: Continuum Art in Hendersonville will host its monthly art market on Saturday, March 5, noon-5 p.m. The market will feature local makers and musicians. Photo courtesy of Continuum Art grand piano, playing everything from Mendelssohn to Metallica. SA (3/5), 7pm, The Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave Danú Flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion, bouzouki and vocals fuse a mix of ancient Celtic music with brand-new repertoire. SU (3/6), 7pm, $42, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Adele Myers presents The Tobacco Wives, in conversation w/Wiley Cash The authors discuss Myers' debut novel. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. WE (3/2), 7pm, avl.mx/b8m Malaprop's Book Club Participants will discuss The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Registration required. WE (3/2), 11pm, avl.mx/9s5 Derek Baxter presents In Pursuit of Jefferson: Traveling through Europe with the Most Perplexing Founding Father The author discusses his new book. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. TH (3/3), 6pm, avl.mx/b8n

Malaprop's Crime and Politics Book Club Participants will discuss Hoffa's Shadow by Jack Goldsmith. Registration required. TH (3/3), 7pm, avl.mx/a3t Friends of the Weaverville Library Fill a Box for $5 The library will provide the boxes to fill with fiction, non-fiction, kids and teen books, music and DVDs. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Weaverville Library. FR (3/4), SA (3/5), 11am, $5, Friends of the Weaverville Library Used Bookstore, 41 N Main St Ruth Behar presents Tía Fortuna's New Home in conversation with Marjorie Agosín The authors discuss Behar's book. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. SA (3/5), 2pm, avl.mx/b9o Virtual Poetrio: Alexis Jackson, Komal Mathew, Marianne Worthington Monthly poetry event featuring three poets coordinated by Mildred Barya. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. SU (3/6), 4pm, avl.mx/b9p Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox launch Fitz and Cleo Get Creative The authors discuss their new graphic novel. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. TU (3/8), 6pm, avl.mx/b9q

Discussion Bound Book Club Participants will discuss The Art of Acquiring by Mary Gabriel. WE (3/9), 12pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Neema Avashia presents Another Appalachia in conversation with Chaya Bhuvaneswar The writers discuss Avashia's book. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. TH (3/10), 6pm, avl.mx/b9t

THEATER The Joshua Show Described as a modern-day Mr. Rogers with hipster appeal, Joshua Holden comically adapts his family show for more mature audiences. FR (3/4), SA (3/5), 8pm, $25, Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Play Reading of Red by John Logan One act play about American Artist Mark Rothko and his intended Murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC. Donations accepted. SU (3/6), 2:30pm, Weaverville Center for Healthy Living, 60 Lakeshore Dr Ephrat Asherie Dance presents Odeon Set to the music of Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazarath, known for

mixing early 20th century romantic music with samba and other popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms, this work takes a hybrid approach to movement. TU (3/8), 8pm, $55, Diana Wortham Theatre, 18 Biltmore Ave

BENEFITS Bowl For Kids' Sake Create or join a bowling team of up to five people to raise money to support Big Brothers Big Sisters in local counties. Costumes encouraged. SA (3/5), 11am, Tarheel Lanes, 3275 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Asheville Private Networking Group A small group to support each other in business through encouragement, critique, referrals and connections. Meet in the Food Court. WE (3/2), 8:30am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd Asheville Garden Club: Growing and Cooking with Herbs Learn about growing and using herbs with a focus on those used year-round for culinary purposes. Ideas about processing herbs will be discussed including recipes for making herb pesto, vinegar, butter, rubs and oils. WE (3/2), 9:30am, All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St

Cherokee Continuity Through Land and Craft Panel Lightning round talks followed by a panel discussion about the intrinsic relationship between Eastern Band Cherokee identity, land, and craft. WE (3/2), 6pm, Free, avl.mx/b94 Expand Your Circle: Speed Connecting Events for Women Entrepreneurs Connect with like-minded, forward thinking, entreprenuerial women. TH (3/3), 5pm, $11, Focal Point Coworking, 125 South Lexington Ave Ste 101 Sierra Club presents The Future of Our WNC Forests: A Review of the Nantahala-Pisgah Forest Revision Plan David Reid of the NC Sierra Club, Will Harlan of the Center for Biological Diversity, and Sam Evans of Southern Environmental Law Center will give an overview of the plan and its impact on the future of special places, old growth, habitat for threatened and endangered species, clean water, and others. TH (3/3), 7pm, avl.mx/aox Truth and Unity Rally Purple Nation, the event sponsor, invites all Americans to move beyond the divisions of party dogma, race, gender, religion and combine the best of "Red" and "Blue" values into a unified purple. SA (3/5), 11am, Downtown Asheville, One Pack Square VITA Tax Preparation Assistance Moderate and low-income individuals

and families in WNC can have income tax returns prepared for free by UNCA volunteers as part of the IRS VITA (Voluntary Income Tax Assistance) program. SA (3/5), 10am, Free, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St Wild Walk: A Behind the Scenes Tour Go behind the scenes at WNC’s habitat for regional animals. SA (3/5), 1:30pm, WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Rd Holistic Crop Management Series Managing Disease Holistically: Discover ecologically-based preventive, and integrated practices to reduce the impact of disease on your farm. TU (3/8), 6pm, avl.mx/b7t WNCHA History Hour - Refugees and Resettlement in WNC A panel discussion discussing past and present refugee resettlement and immigrants in WNC. TU (3/8), 6pm, Free, avl.mx/bas WNCHA History Hour - Cherokee Women in Resistance and Activism: Valleytowns to the Voting Booth Learn more about Cherokee women and their activism. TH (3/10), 6pm, avl.mx/b97

FOOD & BEER River Arts District Winter Market Local produce, cheese, breads, meats and

more. WE (3/2, 9), 3pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St Weaverville Winter Tailgate Market Weekly winter market with produce, bread, cheese and fermented food makers, alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors. WE (3/2, 9), 3pm, Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville ASAP Winter Farmers Market SA (3/5), 10am, A-B Tech Conference Center, 340 Victoria Rd Jackson Arts Market Makers & Music Festival Rain or shine. Live music on Saturdays, an open jam on Sundays. SA (3/5), SU (3/6), 1pm, Downtown Sylva

SPIRITUALITY Online Baha'i Sunday Devotional Unstructured, informal gathering. All are welcome. SU (3/6), 10am, avl.mx/a4t Jewish Power Hour Weekly Torah class via Zoom. All are welcome. TH (3/10), 6pm, avl.mx/b0h

VOLUNTEERING Stitches of Love Asheville A group of dedicated people who create and donate handmade items to local charities. If interested, contact Janet Stewart, (828) 575-9195. Facebook: Stitches of Love-Asheville.

Green thumbs & aspiring gardeners alike!

Spring is near, and as the weather warms, Xpress will be launching a monthly gardening feature based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com

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MAR. 2-8, 2022

WELLNESS

Having a voice

HEMP & HEALTH The CannaCafé is now open in South Slope!

Community doulas work toward birth equity

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GOT YOUR BACK: Wakina Robertson, who co-founded Sistas Caring 4 Sistas, a group of doulas committed to serving families of color in Buncombe County, assists a pregnant client. Photo courtesy of Mountain Area Health Education Center

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BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com

New Edition coming soon

MAR. 2-8, 2022

When Wakina Robertson birthed her twins in Buncombe County 30 years ago, it was a harder experience than it should have been. The babies arrived nine weeks early. “I wasn’t listened to,” she tells Xpress. “Did I want to have my babies early? … If I could have pushed a little longer to carry them a little longer…” She trails off, then notes her babies “stayed in the hospital a long time.” Robertson, who is Black, didn’t feel that her medical team listened to her concerns when she had her twins. And 19 months later, she didn’t feel as if she could advocate for herself when a doctor proposed she get her tubes tied at age 24. “After I had my last baby, the birth control was pushed on me to get sterile,” she recalls. Robertson continues, “I’ve always said I would’ve had more children, but I was stopped. I was young; I listened to what they told me. I did not have a voice.” Her personal experiences, as well as attending a public talk by Dr. Arthur James, an obstetrician at Ohio State University committed to decreasing infant mortality in Black communities, inspired Robertson to train as a certified birth doula and postpartum doula. Through Sistas Caring 4 Sistas, a group of doulas committed to serving families of color in Buncombe

MOUNTAINX.COM

County, Robertson has assisted with delivering 92 babies. “To me, helping our moms be able to have a voice, that’s deep in me,” she says. “That’s a passion for me.” Racial disparities in Buncombe County’s birth outcomes, especially infant mortality, are stark: The death rate for Black infants from 2013-17 was nearly four times that for white infants, according to the 2019 State of the County Health Report. (Infant mortality is most often caused by babies born prematurely or with a low birth weight.) In 2018, Buncombe County Health & Human Services released a community health assessment that identified improving birth outcomes and lowering infant mortality as top priorities. Local organizations like Sistas Caring 4 Sistas are furthering birth equity — the term defined by the American Academy of Family Physicians as “the assurance of the conditions of optimal births for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequalities in a sustained effort.” They’re committed to this work, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has at times made it more difficult.

al Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies as those occurring before 37 weeks of pregnancy. In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, the CDC reported a nationwide preterm birth rate of 10.09% — a slight decrease from the 10.23% preterm birth rate nationwide in 2019. But the preterm birth rate nationwide among non-Hispanic Black mothers didn’t change significantly from 2019 to 2020: The CDC reported a drop of only .03 percentage points, from 14.39% to 14.36%. That percentage reflected the highest preterm birth rate of any racial group in the country. Similar disparities in preterm births existed in Buncombe County, according to data collected between 2013 and 2017 and published in the Buncombe County Community Health Improvement Plan in 2019. Research found the overall preterm birth rate in the county was 9.9%, but that among Black mothers was 13.8%. Black infants in Buncombe County also had a greater chance of low birth weights compared with their white counterparts. While the county’s overall rate for low birth weight was 8.3%, among Black infants it was 15%.

UNEQUAL CHANCES

‘SITTING AT THE TABLE’

Disparities in birth outcomes seen nationwide are echoed locally, including preterm births, which the feder-

Cindy McMillan co-founded Sistas Caring 4 Sistas with Robertson and Nikita Smart in 2016, and the group

began providing doula services for the Asheville-based Mountain Area Health Education Center. Sistas Caring 4 Sistas has since assisted over 250 families with births. McMillan has seen maternal health outcomes for families of color increasingly prioritized and credits MAHEC for considering doulas as “an integral part of the health care team,” which enables them to advocate for their patients. “Sitting at the table with all of our partners that we have, the synergy is really good,” she adds. The three certified doulas with Sistas Caring 4 Sistas also have a mentorship program that is helping to train eight additional doulas. Robertson says a lot of interest in that training has come from women who were assisted during childbirth by a doula themselves. COVID CHALLENGES The Sistas Caring 4 Sistas program has encountered some obstacles through the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption of health care. “When COVID first began, [doulas] weren’t allowed in the birthing space in the hospital,” explains McMillan. “That was a bit of a challenge that

we overcame by providing iPads on the floor of the hospital, so our clients could interact with us via FaceTime through the tablet.” Doulas were eventually allowed to return to hospital rooms in July 2020. Since then, all health care professionals have worn gloves and masks — typically N95 masks for the most protection — while assisting with a birth. That extra gear has taken some adjustment. “They couldn’t see our smiles, and we couldn’t see their smiles,” McMillan. “We had to learn how to read your eyes and understand your needs through another form of communication.” But doulas and birthing families have adapted, she says, noting that these measures provide “more protection for everybody involved.” Still, she acknowledges, the experience can feel less personal than everyone may want. Prior to COVID, birthing families were allowed to have multiple support individuals, such as a partner, parent or other children, in the room. Now, “you’re only allowed one support person outside of your doula,” McMillan says. So, Sistas Caring 4 Sistas has continued to rely on FaceTime for con-

‘SYSTEMS WERE FAILING’

THE BIG PICTURE: Ameena Batada, professor of health and wellness at UNC Asheville, says social determinants of health — such as access to health services — are key to addressing birth inequality. Photo courtesy of UNCA necting friends and family to support birthing moms in the delivery room. “We try to make it as family-centered as possible under the conditions that they won’t be able to have everyone there that is really excited for them giving birth,” she says.

Robertson and McMillan both say they believe birth equity in Buncombe County is headed in the right direction, emphasizing the strong partnerships they have with health care providers. “We’re here — they know we’re here,” says Robertson of the Black community. “I believe that [community doulas] will be sustainable, as long as everybody continues to collaborate together, to listen to the community and allow things to be community-led.” But work must go beyond positive changes to health care to eliminate racial disparities. Ameena Batada, professor of health and wellness at UNC Asheville, agrees that other social determinants of health — like social and physical environments, and access to health services — are key to addressing birth inequality. “Even though the doula programs are integral to the positive change that we’re seeing all over the country and in Western North Carolina, we definitely need to reevaluate our health care system and our social determinants of health,” says Batada, who teaches about maternal and child health. “The systems were failing people of color beforehand.” X

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAR. 2-8, 2022

ARTS & CULTURE

Fear and loathing in Coffeeland A caffeinated journey through the heart of Asheville

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

of activity buzzes around us in the small but sufficient space on Merrimon Avenue. Neither of us has been to this particular PennyCup location, nor have we spent much time indoors over the last two years with nonhousehold members. Yet the conversation flows as if between old friends. During a lull in sales, Raji joins us to discuss his lifelong love of coffee shops despite the convenience of homebrewing. Steph observes that he must see a lot of awkward first dates. Raji reveals that he sometimes changes the shop’s music to suit the mood. I forget to ask if he DJs on the side.

earnaudin@mountainx.com I was somewhere outside of Burger Bar on the edge of the French Broad River when the caffeine began to take hold. My third Asheville coffee shop of the day was just over the hill and around Beacham’s Curve. By then, I was having trouble telling if my perkiness was from the bean juice or the face-to-face, unmasked interactions with some of the most fun and interesting people I could think to meet up with on a Wednesday. The quest? Visit a different caffeine dealer in North, South, East, West and downtown Asheville to have a cup of something delicious and legal, while pretending I was in the mid’90s heyday of such establishments. That meant the phone stayed in my pocket on silent; replicating Jennifer Aniston’s and David Schwimmer’s fashion senses, however, remained merely suggestions. Who would show up for such shenanigans without assurances that Spin Doctors would be strumming away in the corner? Famous last words, but I was confident that author Stephanie Perkins, Get Right Band guitarist/vocalist Silas Durocher and St. George’s Episcopal Church priest-in-charge Erin MaxfieldSteele would all arrive on time at their respective locations — mostly because they’d yet to ghost me when I interviewed them for previous articles. Elsewhere, Melissa Williams, lead press secretary for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, is known for her punctuality, and Matt

11:15 a.m.: Slightly caffeinated, feeling awake

Kane, general support representative for TherapyAppointment, hasn’t barred the door to his house yet when I’m invited over — so optimism was likewise high regarding these final two parties following through. North Asheville, 9:59 a.m. At the chime of 10 a.m., as the contract stated, I meet Steph at PennyCup Coffee North. (She’d arrived five minutes earlier — the rascal.) Introducing myself and my 22

MAR. 2-8, 2022

MOUNTAINX.COM

mission to the staff, I ask barista Raji Hewavita for a recommendation that encapsulates PennyCup’s work. He steers me right with the Northside, a blended coffee with house-made lavender syrup and honey that packs just the right amount of sweetness. Building on our shared love of movies, Steph and I talk Oscar nominations — those French Dispatch snubs are looking worse by the day — and discover that we’re the world’s two biggest fans of David Fincher’s Zodiac, all while a mix

Back out in the chilly air, Steph returns to her literary world, while I head downtown to link up with Silas. As I trudge past the Xpress office’s Miles Building home, I formulate believable excuses for potential co-worker encounters, before making it to Trade and Lore Coffee right on time (weird). Wisely, I take barista Marissa Lowe’s recommendation of a Pistachio & Rosewater latte, featuring syrup made on-site. It’s Silas’ first time at the Wall Street café, whose indoor seating is restricted to the front section by the restrooms. We catch up on our recent cinematic viewings (I’m a film critic — these things happen), his music and how we plan to keep wearing masks in many situations for the foreseeable future, especially at concerts and movie theaters. I happen to look down at my wristwatch precisely as the second hand ticks to noon, officially marking the end of Buncombe County’s mask mandate. Silas and I look outside, expecting an elaborate, professionally choreographed musical number on Wall Street involving the removal and burning of face coverings, but no such In the Heights revelry occurs. This must be Sondheim country. 12:47 p.m.: Is this euphoria or the first signs of death? Caffeine levels skyrocketing, it’s off to my neighborhood joint, BattleCat CoffeeBar, where — after another bizarrely prompt arrival (I mean, really, I’m not even on time to my own movie events) — barista

STEPHANIE PERKINS Orlando Cordero tells Melissa and me the Spicy Mocha is where it’s at. While the concoction is being crafted, lunch from the feline-themed shop within the feline-themed shop, Tiger Bay Café, is brought out just as the online ordering system said it would. Melissa got the rice bowl; I got the veggie taco salad. We head off to the backroom where I notice a man wearing headphones and … holy Juan Valdez, are we in the quiet room? I think we’re in the quiet room. But we have no plans of being quiet. This is why we can’t have nice things!

SILAS DUROCHER

I try not to freak out by focusing on our fresh, colorful food, as well as the lovely leaf pattern Orlando drew atop my beverage. At which point a woman to my left takes a phone call. So, either we a-holes outnumber the decent headphone citizen 3-to-1 or else THE QUIET ROOM IS A MYTH. I mean, I didn’t see a sign (sign everywhere a sign). While I breathe into an invisible paper bag and picture the Caffeine Cops (probably all guys I went to high school with) dragging me away in T-minus 60 seconds, I can’t help but ponder the daily balancing of disparate social bubbles within each café. Even among the maybe 10 people currently within BattleCat’s cozy walls, folks are there to separately work, read and talk, and I marvel at how these dynamics have coexisted in such places for so long. Is the U.N. aware of these peaceful activities? Simultaneously wondering if my accomplices and I are being model customers by buying something, staying for an hour or so, then leaving and allowing for the cycle to continue, Melissa and I discuss her strategic social outings with her group of close liberal friends and commiserate at being the only two people in the world to dislike The Lost Daughter. (Yes, I am wearing my Martin Scorsese T-shirt with the text modeled like the Marvel Studios logo. Why do you ask?)

MELISSA WILLIAMS AND HUNTER S. ARNAUDIN back to Florida, which he does more frequently than melanoma-tinged retirees. A fellow native Floridian, Matt can smell warm weather on the horizon and is ready for more frequent socializing but is also willing to take out a home equity loan to satisfy the Ticketmaster gods in order to see that very same Dylan character at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in early

April. It’ll be his first concert in … well, he quit counting a while ago. While both of us would rather be at a brewery, it is midafternoon, we’re both professionals on the clock, and, hey, this article has to be a success for that article to get approval. I lob my

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

1:58 p.m: I’ve got how many more stops? By 2 p.m., Melissa must resume saving the world, and I’ve got to head east to meet Matt at Filo Pastries, where, after another bout of timeliness, I run my spiel by the barista who, noting the business’s Greek leanings, suggests the baklava latte. (And there’s no way I’m turning one of those down.) Requesting her name “for the record,” she says “Jody Bettencourt.” I ask, “Are you a musician?” She confirms this, and I compliment her on her Shadow Paint side project, which made Xpress’ Singles Spotlight in late 2021. Cue “It’s a Small World,” but also … don’t. Instead, let’s go with G. Love’s “Milk and Sugar,” famously tracked at our very own Echo Mountain Recording, or Bob Dylan’s “One More Cup of Coffee.” (When Dylan sings, “To the valley below,” does he mean the Swannanoa Valley? I like to think so.) I’d not seen Matt much over the winter, but before frostbite became a concern, we’d have fairly regular deck hangs at his Beverly Hills home with Thom “O.G. Beer Scout” O’Hearn, prior to the latter’s move MOUNTAINX.COM

MAR. 2-8, 2022

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70th “Friends” joke of the day, and Matt makes the keen observation that coffee culture has held steady despite the ubiquity of screens, largely thanks to its newfound artisanal offerings. Those bums at Central Perk weren’t exactly picky about what was in their cups, he notes, but by the time the reunion special rolled around, there had better been some rare roast for the actors or they would have hopped a Lyft to Williamsburg. Our time winds down and, uh oh, my throat is a little sore. Is it COVID? Worse? After some soul-searching and internal pep talks, I’ve determined it’s from talking with people for four hours and drinking delicious, complicated caffeinated beverages. Is this the “real life” they told us about? Not sure I’m ready for that. 3:01 p.m: Jesus (from The Big Lebowski), take the wheel! South I go, via I-40 (hello, Barstow!) and … wow, am I a better driver while highly caffeinated? Should I have taken an Uber? I’m pinballing between these two likelihoods when I arrive at Round Earth Roasters, where Erin, who’d threatened to cosplay as Phoebe from “Friends,”

MATT KANE complete with guitar, has apparently bailed on this idea. Behind the counter, Rae Simonson says the Golden Milk Latte, featuring a yellow viscous liquid made with turmeric, is the ticket for my tingly throat, so I take the ride and, damn, she is right. These baristas have got to be the most trustworthy people in Asheville, I think, as I head around back to chat with an honestto-god priest. Curious of my preceding adventures, Erin is impressed with my hand having only a slight tremor and, as a drizzly rain gives way to inconsistent sunlight, she talks about the role that coffee shops played in her life. From the place where people of alternative lifestyles could gather in her small Virginia hometown to a place where she could study and feel safe in college outside of Boston, such spaces have been a constant for her. Meanwhile, I ramble on about not

even liking the taste of coffee until I was 26 — with major assists from sugar and milk — and a reticence to study or read in public during my student days lest my sleep-deprived self conk out for all to see and, potentially, draw things on my face. With rush hour looming, we say our goodbyes, and I arrive home just before 5 p.m., at which point the caffeine crash hits and, wary of doing anything important for fear of certain disaster (yet somehow able to type out a few coherent notes that will later require intense editing), I go take a nap. Ninety minutes later, my bass guitar teacher Ryan Furstenberg claims that I’m making progress on Fontella Bass’ “Rescue Me” at three-quarter speed, though he is getting paid and wants me to return in two weeks, so who the hell knows? What I am certain of is that I’m fading by the end of our lesson, yet back home I somehow get through a screener of the aggressively mediocre new Channing Tatum movie, Dog, then turn in my Night Owl card, do the unheard of and fall asleep before midnight. Reflecting on my exhaustion the following morning, I wonder, “Are we built for constant face-to-face interactions anymore?” A day of phone interviews and meetings is one thing, but the presence required to physically share a space — albeit in a series of appealing java joints — with a string of people is something else entirely. Maybe John Boyle is right: We are a generation of wimps. Time will tell. But for that one brief window, I felt like a monster reincarnation of Horatio Alger … a Man on the Move, and just caffeinated enough to be totally confident. X

ERIN MAXFIELD-STEELE 24

MAR. 2-8, 2022

MOUNTAINX.COM

HISTORY

Hidden history

WCU professor shares research on Cherokee women activism

Susan Abram’s commitment to Cherokee research, particularly the roles that women have played within the culture, could be an inspiration for anyone passionate about a particular topic. The findings by the independent scholar and visiting instructor at Western Carolina University are the focus of “Cherokee Women in Resistance and Activism: Valleytowns to the Voting Booth,” a live Zoom webinar presented by the Western North Carolina Historical Association on Thursday, March 10. But her interest in these subjects has been in motion for decades. COMMUNITY ASSET A native of Indiana, Abram has lived primarily in the WNC community of Whittier since 1989, where she and her husband, R. Michael Abram, raised their two children, “and are now blessed with six grandchildren, a cat and minidachshund,” the historian says. “We initially planned to honeymoon in Florida and never made it past the beautiful Western North Carolina mountains, where we began our extensive collection of Cherokee arts and crafts,” Abram continues. The couple exhibited their collection at the Cherokee Heritage Museum and Gallery at Saunooke Village in Cherokee for over 25 years, until its closing in 2010. During that time, Abram went back to school, eventually earning her doctorate in history from Auburn University. Along with her current position at WCU, she is the author of the 2015 book Forging a CherokeeAmerican Alliance in the Creek War: From Creation to Betrayal and is the secretary of the Trail of Tears Association’s North Carolina chapter, where she previously served as executive officer. “The NCTOTA’s mission is to support the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, one of only two historic trails dedicated to the history of Native peoples in the United States,” she says. “Our mission is to promote, protect and preserve the trail, along with raising awareness of the trail’s historical legacy within North Carolina.” In September, the group will host the National TOTA Conference and Symposium at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee. Abram

EXAMINING THE PAST: Susan Abram’s research on Cherokee women reveals their critical roles in rebuilding lives across the tribe. Photo of Abram, top left, courtesy of Abram; sketch from American Agriculturalist, Sept. 1883, courtesy of the Western North Carolina Historical Association; photo of Cherokee woman voting from the Greensboro Daily News, Sept. 27, 1931, courtesy of WNCHA says that tribal peoples, dignitaries, scholars, students, TOTA members from chapters in nine states as well as community members will attend these social and educational events. “I am blessed to have worked within the Cherokee community for decades and consider many my family and friends,” Abram says. “A few years ago, one of our grandsons, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, was chosen to participate in the annual Remember the Removal ride, a journey of more than 900 miles that follows the Trail of Tears to Indian territory in present-day Oklahoma, the home of the Cherokee Nation.”

ASHEVILLE

P! GET THE AP

YEARS OF THE WOMAN Abram’s upcoming WNCHA talk is the culmination of new research she’s conducted over the last several years. In 2018, she spoke at the Southern Association for Women Historians conference about Valleytown Cherokee women during the Trail of Tears. Part of the presentation examined government rolls taken prior to the removal. “I was intrigued about the number of households led by a woman,” she says. “Past scholars of Cherokee history note that Cherokees residing in the mountains were the most ‘backward,’ staying more traditional. The evidence, however, does not support this thesis.”

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The presentation was well received, leading Abram to continue her research. With the excitement over the 2020 centennial for women’s suffrage and the passage of the 19th Amendment, she began looking at how those changes affected Cherokee women. She soon uncovered documentation of the first woman to vote in an EBCI tribal election in the 20th century, which she plans to further discuss at her upcoming WNCHA presentation — her first such talk in several years. “COVID-19 has resulted in the cancellation of many conferences around the nation, including the TOTA conference that has twice been rescheduled,” Abram says. “I have been invited to several other virtual conferences, both as an attendee and participant, but declined at the time. So, this is very special to me.” The webinar will shed further light on a notoriously difficult time for Cherokee people, whose society was traditionally based on matrilineage. During the centralization of the Cherokee Nation, however, men’s roles became more prominent, but Abram notes it was women who held their families together and helped to rebuild their lives. Of the few accounts that exist, the importance of women in the community and tribe is clear. Abram is excited to share these findings, and though the presentation will take place during Women’s History Month, she encourages everyone to avoid limiting such mindfulness to a mere monthlong federal recognition. “It is important to not just think about Native American history in November or about Native women only during March,” Abram says. “To study Cherokee history is to study the history of our state, region and nation, and this should also be the instance if vice versa. One cannot separate them, though it is often done separately or just completely ignored.”

— Edwin Arnaudin X

WHAT Cherokee Women in Resistance and Activism WHERE Zoom webinar, avl.mx/b95 WHEN Thursday, March 10, 6 p.m. Free-$10

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MAR. 2-8, 2022

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

On Thursday, March 3, the 19th season of Bravo’s “Top Chef” premieres. Among the 15 chefs competing for this year’s $250,000 grand prize is Asheville resident Ashleigh Shanti, who will be marking the event with one of her Good Hot Fish pop-ups frequently staged at Burial Beer Co.’s South Slope Taproom + Kitchen. Though Shanti remains tightlipped about the season’s outcome, she says participating in the perennially popular cooking competition, hosted by Padma Lakshmi, was extremely physical, challenging, stressful, illuminating, enlightening and, at times, “really, really fun.” She also notes that her role in the latest season, which was filmed in Houston, was all a matter of timing. The network had initially approached Shanti about competing in season 18. But at the time, Shanti was still chef de cuisine at Benne on Eagle, navigating the industry’s ongoing challenges brought about by COVID-19. “I told them no but maybe next time,” she remembers. “When they reached out for season 19, the timing was perfect.” Timing took on a whole new meaning once Shanti joined the show’s latest cast of hopeful chefs and began competing. “That countdown timer is right there in the kitchen, and you’re very aware of it,” she says. “The clock is the only thing I didn’t make friends with on the show.” She did buddy up with the other chefs, though, while they lived together over the course of filming. “I don’t think most people go into this thinking, ‘I’m going because it will be like chef summer camp and I’ll make all these friends,’” she says with a laugh. “But you do end up forming some really cool relationships. We cooked for each other and had potlucks. It was like college dorm all over again, with better food.” Along with these newfound bonds, Shanti says she was excited to film in such a diverse and culinary-rich city as Houston. The cast, she adds, reflects the city’s multiculturalism. “‘Top Chef’ really does the work of telling stories from a very diverse perspective of food. That’s what food is — cultural, diverse, personal and political — and they certainly hit all those points.” That approach, continues Shanti, has always been a major component

Ashleigh Shanti competes in season 19 of ‘Top Chef’

MISE EN PLACE: Chef Ashleigh Shanti prepares her station on the set of “Top Chef.” Photo by David Moir/BRAVO of her craft. “The food I cook is very meaningful to me,” she explains. And while competing on “Top Chef,” she made it a point to pay homage to her culinary history and identity. “My goal was to bring me to the table.” Season 19 of “Top Chef” airs Thursday at 8 p.m., beginning March 3. Each episode is posted the next day on the Bravo website. Burial Beer Co.’s South Slope Taproom + Kitchen, 40 Collier Ave., will host the latest Good Hot Fish pop-up starting at 5 p.m. “Top Chef” will be screened at the taproom as well. For all the dish on the new season, visit avl.mx/b8x.

Goodbye, hello Changes are at play at Jargon. Steven Goff recently announced his departure as executive chef, shortly after he and his wife, Sam, purchased nearby Tastee Diner from its previous owners Kate and Adam Bannasch. Meanwhile, Ryan Kline is taking over Goff’s former position. It was a quick turnaround for Kline, who, after stints at the

Biltmore Estate, Storm Rhum Bar and Zambra, intended to take a break from restaurant kitchens and launch his own Latin-infused Toro Furioso pop-up series at various venues. But when Jargon owner Sean Piper reached out to see if he knew of anyone who might be interested, Kline asked some follow-up questions, then recommended himself. “I have always admired Jargon’s attention to detail, and the space is beautiful,” he says. “I knew Sean some, but once we sat down and talked, I really came to appreciate his values as far as the business goes, and after talking to Steve about his experience, I was totally comfortable taking the position.” “Latin cuisine is one thing I really like, and I have a passion for Middle Eastern and French,” he continues. “The appeal with Jargon is it’s wide open and not pigeonholed into any particular style. I want to build from my experiences to create the best possible guest experience.” Kline officially starts the first week of March. Jargon is at 715 Haywood Road. For more, visit avl.mx/9hw.

Better late than ever Entrepreneur and Sovereign Remedies owner Charlie Hodge listened as his staff bemoaned the lack of late-night, post-shift dining options in downtown Asheville. Taking matters into his own hands, he opened the second-floor space above his other downtown businesses, Asheville Beauty Academy, christening it Parlor. With a menu by newly named “hodgepitality” executive chef David Van Tassel (formerly of Chestnut and Corner Kitchen), Parlor will serve late-night food, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with plans to eventually be open seven nights a week. Fuel up for the drive home with midnight-munchie comfort food like biscuits and gravy, “mac-n-chz,” skillets (meat or vegan), Parlor ham rolls, smashed red potatoes and a smoked salmon pizzetta on naan. Parlor is at 28 Broadway. For more, visit avl.mx/b90.

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MAR. 2-8, 2022

A R TS & CU LTU R E

Grape expectations

anticipate a late spring reveal of their new baby at 203 W. State St.

Aimee Diaz says that when her husband and business partner, Hector Diaz, called to tell her he was purchasing a restaurant in Black Mountain, she was reminded of the feeling she gets when a pregnancy test is positive. “You’re happy, but also a little nervous and just hope it all works out.” So far, so good. The couple have four children, and now a fourth restaurant in their portfolio of Asheville’s Modesto, Salsas and Bomba. Aimee says a former Salsas manager working as a real estate agent in Black Mountain alerted them that La Taperia, the Spanish wine and tapas restaurant that only briefly operated between September and October was coming on the market. “Hector went to look at it and told me that when he walked in, it felt like the perfect fit,” Aimee says. They closed on the sale in late 2021. The holidays and supply chain issues postponed initial work on the space. But Aimee says Black Mountain residents are already making them feel welcome. “People who are downtown or out walking their dogs poke their head in the door to say hello. It’s a great community.” She says the name and exact concept are still under consideration, but the food will be Spanish. They

Table for two

MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include:

Extra credit

STUDIO 666: Rock band Foo Fighters prove an inspired choice as the stars of this horror/comedy, which finds them making their latest album in a haunted Encino mansion. Evil Dead-like gore and plentiful humor ensues, much to genre fans’ delight. Grade: B — Edwin Arnaudin

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies MAR. 2-8, 2022

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Home plate On the other hand, if you prefer dining at home, after a nearly sixmonth hiatus, Buxton Hall Barbecue has relaunched its takeout service. According to spokesperson Charlotte Beck, after the South Slope restaurant reopened for on-site dining in August, it suspended takeout to focus on guests and ensuring it could meet that demand. With sourcing of takeout packaging more reliable in the new year, Buxton Hall is once again offering all that smoky goodness — as well as sides, soups, stews and sweets — to go. Buxton Hall Barbecue is at 32 Banks Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/6sx.

UNCHARTED: Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg exhibit terrific rapport in this comedic action/ adventure in the vein of the National Treasure, Pirates of the Caribbean and, yes, Indana Jones movies. Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

Holeman and Finch invites you to swipe right on their dinner-for-two date-night deal every Sunday, 4-10 p.m. Two salads, a bowl of creamy guanciale carbonara, salt and pepper roast chicken and a bottle of wine is $60 ($30 each if you’re going Dutch), with the option to extend the evening with the purchase of a sticky toffee pudding, chocolate mousse or apple and cider chess pie. Holeman and Finch Public is at House 77 Biltmore Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/aup .

The 13th annual (with a two-year skip for COVID) Student Food Drive for MANNA FoodBank is taking place during March, with participating schools hosting food drives to see who can donate the most pounds of food to MANNA or their local partner agency. Students can earn points that will be added to their total score by making financial donations, volunteering at the nonprofit’s local partner agency and participating in hunger and nutrition education opportunities. They can also create TikTok videos for the #MANNAStudentChallenge2022 TikTok campaign; videos must include students eating a fruit or vegetable they have never tried before or highlighting a recipe that they believe is unique to their family. For more information and to sign up your school, contact Jake Deuterman at jdeuterman@ mannafoodbank.org

— Kay West X

ROUNDUP

Around Town

MakeHER Market celebrates International Women’s Day International Women’s Day has been celebrated in various forms around the world since the early 20th century. In 2019, three local women-owned businesses got in on the festivities with the launch of MakeHER Market. “Asheville has such a rich variety of female entrepreneurs — those who work with their own handcrafted goods and those who work with craft and farm communities in other parts of the world,” says Mandy Broderick, owner of fair trade business Maadili Collective and one of the creators of the event. “The MakeHER Market is an effort to highlight the enterprising ventures and empowerment of women everywhere.” After being canceled in 2021 due to COVID-19, the market returns Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Reynolds Village. Previous renditions were held at The Mothlight in West Asheville before it closed in June 2020. Incite Coffee Co., owned by Margaret Gibbs, and Hello Gorgeous! Professional Bra Fitting & More, owned by Kim Broshar and Michelle Nailen, are the other companies responsible for the market, which will feature goods for sale from 20 vendors, including Pride & Archive, Appalachian Woven, Blue Ridge Plant Co., Midnight Mountain Gems and Amelia’s Pastries. Among the items for sale will be fair trade coffee, jewelry and home décor as well as locally made art, accessories and botanicals. Shoppers also will have the opportunity to donate to the Hello Gorgeous! Bra Drive for Helpmate, a local nonprofit that assists victims of domestic violence. “All women deserve to wear properly fitting bras, and our bra drive will help make that happen,” Nailen says. The market takes place at Hello Gorgeous! Professional Bra Fitting & More, 61 N. Merrimon Ave., Suite 107. For more information, go to avl.mx/b98.

Class act A group of students from The Franklin School of Innovation will present an independently organized TEDx event at N.C. Stage Company on Tuesday, March 8, 6-9 p.m. The theme of the conference is “Molding the Future.” The idea for the event originated last spring with Lora Hawkins, then a teacher at the school. “She had helped students run a TEDx conference when

she was teaching in Kuwait, so she was able to use her experience to help us organize the conference,” says 10th grader Brody Sandifer-Williams. Hawkins has since left the school, and Mathew Reynolds and Chad Gerber are now the senior advisers. Other student organizers are Kylee Roark, Julia Freeman, Gabe Kirsch, Ayden Stewart and Addison Hudgins. The conference will feature presentations from 12 speakers, including Franklin students Oliver Edwards, Ryan Heasley, Sarah Pusser and Emily Cortright. The TEDx initiative grants free licenses to people around the world to organize TED-style events in their communities with TED Talks and live speakers. The N.C. Stage Company is at 15 Stage Lane. For more information or to purchase $15 tickets, go to avl.mx/b9l.

No place like home The Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s 2022 online series, “This Is Home: Western North Carolina, Past and Present” launches Monday, March 7, 6:30-8 p.m. It will run monthly through Monday, Nov. 7. The series explores key historical, cultural and ecological aspects of the region, including the age of the French Broad River, the founding of Asheville and the origin of the Brown Mountain lights. Researchers and experts from across the country will make presentations. The March 7 lecture, “The French Broad River, Past and Present,” will be presented by John Ross, author of Through the Mountains: The French Broad River and Time. The event will take the audience on an aerial tour of the French Broad’s natural and cultural history. Tickets are $10 for museum members and $15 for the general public. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/b99.

War and remembrance R.J. “Del” Del Vecchio, who served in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam, has been making presentations about the war to high school and college students for decades. He says photographs are often the most effective

HIGHLIGHTING WOMEN: The MakeHER Market, which launched in 2019 to mark International Women’s Day, will take place Saturday, March 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., at Reynolds Village. Photo courtesy of MakeHER Market way of educating people who have no firsthand experience of combat. “We are living in an age in which visual stimuli have become very important, and seeing actual images of events has a lot more impact than any verbal description,” says Del Vecchio, who was a combat photographer from December 1967 to November 1968. “Consider the two most famous photos of the war, the general shooting a man in the head in the streets of Saigon and a naked little girl running burned down a road. For most people, examining an image grabs their attention and focus much better, stimulates thinking and questioning and leads to more of a dialogue.” Del Vecchio will discuss his use of combat photographs during his presentation, “Talking About Vietnam,” on Thursday, March 10, 2-3 p.m. at the Transylvania County Election Center. His work involved assignments with various Marine units and engagements, including battles during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He was wounded in a major encounter in May 1968 and returned to duty in July of that year. Del Vecchio became involved in veterans affairs in 1998. “I think it’s important for young people especially to hear about the history of the conflict between democracy and communism, and to understand that however many faults we have and mistakes we made, we were not the evil colonialists or just totally mistaken fools to ever go there,” he says. “And that there are really critical lessons to learn from those events, which when ignored, bring on tragedies like Afghanistan.” The Transylvania County Election Center is at 150 South Gaston St. in Brevard. For more information about the free event, go to avl.mx/b96.

The legend of Zelda Postcards to Zelda, an exhibit of small works created to celebrate the

life of Zelda Fitzgerald, will be shown at The Refinery Creator Space on Friday, March 4, 5-8 p.m. “We have invited local artists to imagine that they received a postcard from Zelda, and this show is their response,” the gallery says in a press release. Featured local artists include Deanna Chilian, Rhonda Davis, Dawn Eareckson, Cheryl Eugenia Barnes, Annie Gustely, Elise Okrend, Debbie Palminteri, Kyley Shurrona and Joyce Thornburg. Fitzgerald was an American socialite novelist and painter known for her wit and flair for fashion. Along with her husband, novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, she became an emblem of the Jazz Age. She spent much of the last 12 years of her life at Asheville’s Highland Hospital, where she died in a March 10, 1948, fire. The Refinery Creator Space is at 207 Coxe Ave. For more information or to register for the free event, go to avl.mx/b9b.

Seeking restoration stories Have you been inspired to repair or update a barn on your property as a result of the work of the Appalachian Barn Alliance? If so, the group wants to hear from you. “We would like to highlight and record your work on our website and include stories on our e-bulletins and Instagram — maybe even on our YouTube channel,” the group says in a press release. Contact the alliance by emailing info@appalachianbarns.org with photos and a brief description of what you did and when, and a general location of the barn. For more information, visit avl.mx/b9a.

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— Justin McGuire X MAR. 2-8, 2022

CLUBLAND

WEST ASHEVILLE FADEAWAY: Members of one of Asheville’s original Grateful Dead cover bands, Phuncle Sam, will host Grateful Family Band Tuesday at One World Brewing West, 6-9 p.m. on March 8. The event, which also includes appearances from weekly special guests, is held on the outdoor stage every Tuesday at the brewery’s Haywood Road location. Photo courtesy of Phuncle Sam

The featured icon indicates which venues or artists require proof of vaccination for upcoming shows. Due to the evolving nature of the matter, the list may not be comprehensive. Before heading out, please check with all venues for complete information on any vaccine or negative COVID-19 requirements. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

185 KING STREET Miss Tess (blues, rock, country), 7pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm

185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR KB & The LMD (rock, blues), 7:30pm

ARCHETYPE BREWING Bluegrass & Brews w/ Knob Creek Incident, 6pm

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 An Evening w/Liz Longley (Americana, indie, songwriter)k 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic & Feature Comedy, 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY •Queer Comedy Party: Mary Jane French, 7pm •AQUANET Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 7pm

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

RENDEZVOUS Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

CONTINUUM ART Singer Songwriter Open Mic Night, 6pm

CITIZEN VINYL Open Folk, 6pm CONTINUUM ART Westie Wednesdays, 6:30pm DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Roll w/DJ Fast Eddy, 10pm FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke! Karaoke w/KJ Terra Ware, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING BIG TOP Free Weekly Trivia Night, 7pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm

MAR. 2-8, 2022

131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm

ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

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

THURSDAY, MARCH 3

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RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Acoustic Jam, 5pm SILVERADOS Open Mic, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm THE ODDITORIUM Desolation (industrial, EBM, darkwave), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Coheed and Cambria (rock)k 7pm

CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Thursday Night Trivia w/Kelsey, 6:30pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Gluten-Free Comedy, (open mic), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady, 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 •Asheville Sessions ft. Ruth Cooney (jazz, blues, rock), 7pm •The Floyd Philharmonic (classic rock)k 8:30pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY VENUS (dark house dance party), 10pm

•The Wooks w/the Dirty Grass Players (Americana, roots rock, bluegrass), 8:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Daniel Sage (rock), 7pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Red Clay Revival w/ Brushfire Stankgrass (bluegrass), 8pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Sons of Ralph (bluegrass), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Josh Clark's Visible Spectrum (soul, funk, rock), 7pm OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night w/Nick Pearl, 6pm ROOM IX College Night Dance Party, 10pm SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Dirty Logic (Steely Dan tribute)k 6pm SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Free Weekly Table Tennis Tournament, 7pm THE 2ND ACT Russ Wilson & The 2nd Act Orchestra (swing), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Karaoke Jackazz, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Iceage w/Sloppy Jane & Secret Shame (rock) k 8pm

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 185 KING STREET Jay Van Raalte (guitarist, singer), 8pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 5pm

BLUE RIDGE HEMP CO. Chaotic Comedy at Blue Ridge Hemp, 8pm BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Denis Coleman (acoustic), 3pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Seth and Sara (Americana, country, pop), 7pm CITIZEN VINYL Fiddle Fridays w/Casey Driessen, 4pm CROW & QUILL DJ Dr. Filth (old school vinyl)k 8:30pm D9 BREWING COMPANY Diego De Los Cobos (acoustic), 7pm FLEETWOOD'S The Deathbots w/ Bonny Dagger & The Styrofoam Turtles (punk rock, prog)k 8pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY AND TASTING ROOM The Freeway Jubilee (psychedlic rock, gospel roots, funk), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Divine's Peachful Cabaret at Highland Brewing, 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 •Jon Shain & FJ Ventre (acoustic, Americana, blues)k 7pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Chris Caruso (acoustic), 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Roots and Dore (roots), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. The Greybirds (rock), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL •Generous Electric Early Free Dead Friday (Grateful Dead tribute), 6:30pm •Free Dead Friday w/ Gus & Friends (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Funky Fridays w/Eric Travers & Friends (soul, blues, rock), 7pm ROOM IX Ladies Night Dance Party, 10pm SALVAGE STATION Supatight w/Record Prophets (rock)k 8pm SILVERADOS Karaoke w/DJ Steph, 9pm THE DUGOUT Twisted Trail (Southern rock, blues, country), 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Getaway Comedy: Collin Chamberlin, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Faye Webster (alt/indie) k 9pm THE ODDITORIUM Curtis Eller w/ Annie Frazier (folk), 9pm

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MAR. 2-8, 2022

CLU B LA N D THE ORANGE PEEL The Breakfast Club ('80s tribute)k 8pm TRISKELION BREWING CO. Analog Crash (acoustic duo), 7pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 185 KING STREET Chatham Rabbits (folk), 8pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Danny Grooves & Pheel, Relativity Lounge, Inspect3r, & Exiszt (dance/electronic), 8pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (gypsy jazz), 5:30pm BOOJUM BREWING COMPANY Brother Fat (rock), 5pm BREWSKIES Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Roots and Dore (roots), 2pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK Supper Break (bluegrass), 2pm

MAR. 2-8, 2022

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OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Ross Osteen Band album release (rock, blues), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Threesound (rock), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Community Drum Circle, 2pm Minor-High School Rock Band, 5pm ROOM IX Asheville's Biggest Dance Party, 10pm SALVAGE STATION Natti Love Joys (reggae)k 8pm

BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Seth & Sara (acoustic duo), 2pm

DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke, 10pm

BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK The JackTown Ramblers (bluegrass, swing, jazz), 2pm CROW & QUILL The Roaring Lions (parlor jazz)k 8:30pm DOUBLE CROWN Karaoke Night, 10pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Soul Jazz Sundays w/ Taylor Pierson Trio, 3pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Justin Ray & His Big Band (jazz)k 7:30pm

ARCHETYPE TAP LOUNGE + VENUE Trivia Sundays, 4:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Monday Mashup (jazz, funk, soul), 7pm SILVERADOS 8 Ball Tournament, 7pm

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

THE GREY EAGLE Shiner & Spotlights w/ Shun (indie/rock) k 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE Lazybirds, The Appalucians & Blushin' Roulettes (roots, old-time), 7pm

185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam with the King Street House Band ft. Howie Johnson, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm

THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Donna the Buffalo (zydeco, folk rock)k 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Falcon 3 Live at Highland Brewing Downtown Taproom, 6pm

LITTLE JUMBO The Page Brothers Quartet (jazz)k 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Two Step Too (acoustic duo), 6pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR •Bike Night w/DJ Avel Veeta, 2pm •Totally Exhausted Women of Atlanta Comedy, 7pm

SUNDAY, MARCH 6

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE •EARLY SHOW: Della Mae (string band)k 7pm •LATE SHOW: The Grateful Brothers (Dead, Allmans tribute)k 10pm

THE DUGOUT Sinder Ella (rock), 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Sunday Bluegrass Brunch w/Supper Break, 12pm

DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Awake in the Dream (classic rock), 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Pimps of Pompe Live at Highland Brewing, 7pm

350 RIVERSIDE DR. ASHEVILLE, NC 28801 828-350-0315

MILLS RIVER BREWING •Drew Matulich & James Schendler (bluegrass), 2pm •Cast Iron Bluegrass, 7pm

BREWSKIES Open Jam w/the Legendary Tall Paul, 7:30pm

SUNNY POINT CAFÉ Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

GUIDON BREWING Daniel Sage (rock), 5pm

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JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Knotty G's (jam, rock, soul), 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Life's A Drag Brunch w/ Ida Carolina, 12pm

CROW & QUILL Big Dawg Slingshots (Western swing)k 8:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Phantom Handshakes, Tombstone Poetry & Sweet Fiend (indie dream pop), 8pm

Cheers to a better New Year from your friends at Smoky Park

ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 •Jake Blount (acoustic, Americana, bluegrass) k 7pm •An Evening with Pierre Bensusan (acoustic, world)k 8:30pm

PLEB URBAN WINERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Liquid Stranger (downtempo, dubstep)k 8pm

MONDAY, MARCH 7 AMERICAN VINYL CO. Daddy's Beemer, Nordista Freeze & Computer Science (indie rock), 7pm

THE ODDITORIUM Bonny Dagger, MINKA & Random Animals (rock, dance, indie/ soul), 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats (metal, psychedelic rock)k 8pm

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 185 KING STREET Tuesday Casual Collaborations Hosted by Travis Book ft. Tim O'Brien, 6pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Downtown Karaoke w/ Ganymede, 9pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm

THURSDAY, MARCH 10

HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Asheville 8 String Collective (jazz, funk, blues), 6pm

12 BONES BREWERY Musical Bingo w/DJ Bar-One, 7pm

MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Team Trivia Night, 6pm

131 MAIN Aaron LaFalce (soul, rock, pop), 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute), 6pm

185 KING STREET Tray Wellington Band (acoustic newgrass), 7pm

SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING All Arts Open Mike w/ Mike Waters, 6pm THE ORANGE PEEL Anderson East (Southern soul, R&B)k 8pm

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm 185 KING STREET Trivia and Karaoke, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY •Beauty Parlor Comedy: Wayne Cousins, 7pm •AQUANET Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Roll w/DJ Fast Eddy, 10pm FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke! Karaoke w/KJ Terra Ware, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith (singer-songwriter), 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Ordinary Elephant & Taylor Rae (acoustic, Americana, folk)k 7:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 7pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Acoustic Jam, 5pm SALVAGE STATION The Greyboy Allstarsk 8pm SILVERADOS Open Mic, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

OPEN FOR LUNCH, DINNER & BRUNCH! OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

Featuring vegan & vegetarian options

Reservations Recommended

47 Biltmore Ave. Downtown Asheville ============== 828.254.2502==============

THEBLACKBIRDRESTURANT.COM

305 LOUNGE & EATERY Bob Sherill (singer-songwriter), 1pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Classic Beauties Drag Show Downtown, 8pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic & Feature Comedy w/Hilliary Begley, 7:30pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Thursday Night Trivia w/ Kelsey, 6:30pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM UniHorn (jazz, funk), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Luna Mother (acoustic), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 •Asheville Sessions ft. Hank Bones (jazz, blues, rock), 7pm •Italian Night with Mike Guggino & Barrett Smith (world)k 8:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Buffalo Kings (soul, pop, funk), 7pm OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Trivia Night w/Nick Pearl, 6pm SALVAGE STATION Badfish (Sublime tribute)k 8pm SILVERADOS Get Vocal Karaoke, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Free Weekly Table Tennis Tournament, 7pm THE 2ND ACT Russ Wilson & The 2nd Act Orchestra (swing), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Karaoke Jackazz, 8pm URBAN ORCHARD The Coveralls (roots, country, rock), 5:45PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAR. 2-8, 2022

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I not only bow to the inevitable,” wrote Aries author Thornton Wilder. “I am fortified by it.” Wow. That was a brazen declaration. Did he sincerely mean it? He declared that he grew stronger through surrender, that he derived energy by willingly giving in to the epic trends of his destiny. I don’t think that’s always true for everyone. But I suspect it will be a useful perspective for you in the coming weeks, Aries. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Vive la différence! Hooray for how we are not alike! I am all in favor of cultural diversity, neurodiversity, spiritual diversity and physical diversity. Are you? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to celebrate the bounties and blessings that come your way because of the holy gift of endless variety. The immediate future will also be a perfect phase to be extra appreciative that your companions and allies are not the same as you. I encourage you to tell them why you love how different they are. Now here’s poet Anna Akhmatova to weave it together: “I breathe the moonlight, and you breathe the sunlight, but we live together in the same love.” GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini singer-songwriter Bob Dylan said, “I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” I think that will be a key theme for you in the coming weeks. Dylan described the type of hero I hope you aspire to be. Be alert! You are on the cusp of an invigorating liberation. To ensure you proceed with maximum grace, take on the increased responsibility that justifies and fortifies your additional freedom. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I’d rather be seduced than comforted,” wrote author Judith Rossner. What about you, Cancerian? Do you prefer being enticed, invited, drawn out of your shell and led into interesting temptation? Or are you more inclined to thrive when you’re nurtured, soothed, supported and encouraged to relax and cultivate peace? I’m not saying one is better than the other, but I urge you to favor the first in the coming weeks: being enticed, invited, drawn out of your shell, and led into interesting temptation. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A woman from Cornwall, UK, named Karen Harris was adopted as a little girl. At age 18, she began trying to track down her biological parents. Thirty-four years later, she was finally reunited with her father. The turning point: He appeared on the “Suggested Friends” feature on her Facebook page. I propose we make Karen Harris your inspirational role model. Now is a favorable time to find what you lost a while ago; to re-link with a good resource that disappeared from your life; to reclaim a connection that could be meaningful to you again. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa told us, “Meditation is not a matter of trying to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss or tranquility.” Instead, he said that meditation is how we “expose and undo our neurotic games, our self-deceptions, our hidden fears and hopes.” Excuse me, Mr. Trungpa, but I don’t allow anyone, not even a holy guy like you, to dictate what meditation is and isn’t. Many other spiritual mentors I’ve enjoyed learning from say that meditation can also be a discipline to achieve ecstasy, spiritual bliss, and tranquility. And I suspect that’s what Virgo meditators should emphasize in the coming weeks. You people are in a phase when you can cultivate extraordinary encounters with that all fun stuff. If you’re not a meditator, now would be a good time to try it out. I recommend the books Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield and How to Meditate by Pema Chödrön. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Comedian Fred Allen observed, “It is probably not love that makes the world go around, but rather those mutually supportive alliances through which partners recognize their dependence on each other for the

MAR. 2-8, 2022

achievement of shared and private goals.” That’s an unromantic thing to say, isn’t it? Or maybe it isn’t. Maybe it’s very romantic, even enchanting, to exult in how our allies help us make our dreams come true — and how we help them make their dreams come true. In my astrological opinion, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to focus on the synergies and symbioses that empower you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood!” declare many self-help gurus. “It’s never too early to start channeling the wise elder who is already forming within you,” declare I. Oddly enough, both of these guiding principles will be useful for you to meditate on during the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re in an unusually good position to resurrect childlike wonder and curiosity. You’re also poised to draw stellar advice from the Future You who has learned many secrets that the Current You doesn’t know yet. Bonus: Your Inner Child and your Inner Elder could collaborate to create a marvelous breakthrough or two. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “A myriad of modest delights constitute happiness,” wrote poet Charles Baudelaire. That will be a reliable formula for you in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. You may not harvest any glorious outbreaks of bliss, but you will be regularly visited by small enchantments, generous details, and useful tweaks. I hope you won’t miss or ignore some of these nurturing blessings because you’re fixated on the hope of making big leaps. Be grateful for modest delights. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I found out some fun facts about renowned Capricorn poet Robert Duncan (1919–1988), who was a bohemian socialist and trailblazing gay activist. He was adopted by Theosophical parents who chose him because of his astrological make-up. They interpreted Robert’s dreams when he was a child. Later in life, he had an affair with actor Robert De Niro’s father, also named Robert, who was a famous abstract expressionist painter. Anyway, Capricorn, this is the kind of quirky and fascinating information I hope you’ll be on the lookout for. It’s time to seek high entertainment as you expedite your learning; to change your fate for the better as you gather interesting clues; to be voraciously curious as you attract stimulating influences that inspire you to be innovative. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I always strive, when I can, to spread sweetness and light,” said P. G. Wodehouse. “There have been several complaints about it.” I know what he means. During my own crusade to express crafty, discerning forms of optimism, I have enraged many people. They don’t like to be reminded that thousands of things go right every day. They would rather stew in their disgruntlement and cynicism, delusionally imagining that a dire perspective is the most intelligent and realistic stance. If you’re one of those types, Aquarius, I have bad news for you: The coming weeks will bring you invitations and opportunities to cultivate a more positive outlook. I don’t mean that you should ignore problems or stop trying to fix what needs correction. Simply notice everything that’s working well and providing you with what you need. For inspiration, read my essay: tinyurl.com/HighestGlory PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pastor and activist Charles Henry Parkhurst (1842–1933) said, “All great discoveries are made by people whose feelings run ahead of their thinking.” The approach worked well for him. In 1892, he discovered and exposed monumental corruption in the New York City government. His actions led to significant reforms of the local police and political organizations. In my astrological opinion, you should incorporate his view as you craft the next chapter of your life story. You may not yet have been able to fully conceive of your future prospects and labors of love, but your feelings can lead you to them.

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MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classiﬁeds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classiﬁed ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com RENTALS

SALES/ MARKETING

APARTMENTS FOR RENT 2 BEDROOM DUPLEX APARTMENT A/C, Elevator on outside. Oil Heat. Lease to sign. $900/Mon. 218 Barnardsville Hwy., Weaverville. No Animals. Jack Carver, 828-891-4215.

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL BREWERY SUPPORT WORKER/ JANITORIAL The Brewery Support Worker 1 is responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the brewery and restaurants to the highest standard of quality. Reporting to the Brewery Support Supervisor, the core responsibility of the role is to perform facility wide housekeeping and sanitation duties to ensure the facility is orderly and hygienic. This is an entry-level position into a production facility with internal growth opportunities. https://sierranevada.com/ careers/ DOG DAYCARE/ KENNEL ATTENDANT You Work, I'll Play Dog Daycare and Training is looking for someone for a part time or full time. Must be flexible, willing to work at least one weekend day per week, and have own transportation. You will have to work some holidays. Job requires interpreting canine behavior, supervising and maintaining a safe play group, heavy cleaning, and customer service. Hard work, punctuality, and a responsible work ethic are a must. Positions starts at $13/hour. At three months we provide dental and vision insurance. Send cover letter and resume to YWIPDogdaycare@yahoo. com. NO PHONE CALLS.

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES HISTORIC RESTORATION TECHNICIAN Logan Restoration. Ideal candidate has experience with historic restoration techniques. Works well with others under a tight schedule. Training provided. Full time position. For more info, email us at michael@ logan-restoration.com. NEED A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE WHERE YOU ARE EARNING A SOLID LIVING WAGE? We are looking for the best, most detailed, and punctual cleaners. Join The Nice and Fresh Cleaners Dream Team! Job Title: Cleaning Crew Member. Compensation: $17.50$25.00 /hour. Job Types: Full-time, Part-time. Application: nicefreshclean.com/ job-application/.

SALES PROFESSIONAL WORK FOR A LOCAL COMPANY THAT HAS COVERED THE LOCAL SCENE FOR OVER 20 YEARS! This is a full-time position with benefits in a supportive, team-oriented environment in a community-service, locally-owned business. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present our company with confidence. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and self motivation. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies. If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person looking to join an independent media organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@ mountainx.com.

RESTAURANT/ FOOD DISHWASHERS PT AND FT SIERRA NEVADA BREWING $1000 SIGN ON BONUS + BENEFITS The Dishwasher, who reports to the BOH Supervisor, is a member of the kitchen team who will receive and organize products; wash and sanitize equipment, plates, utensils, and spaces; stock equipment as needed in order to maintain proper BOH operations for the continuity of the guest experience. https:// sierranevada.com/careers/ LINE COOK - SIERRA NEVADA BREWING $1000 SIGN ON BONUS + BENEFITS The Line Cook is a member of the kitchen team, who will work closely with all other positions in the Back of the House operations to prep, cook, and expedite food to the guests ordering onsite, delivery, and to-go. The Line Cook, who reports to the BOH Supervisor Team, operates grills, fryers, broilers, and other commercial cooking equipment to prepare and serve food. https://sierranevada.com/ careers/ TAPROOM SUPPORT The Taproom Support position is centered in the restaurant's Front of the House operations whose responsibilities include but are not limited to

clearing and resetting tables, running beverages and food, carrying trays, assisting with the expediting of food coming from the kitchen, and supporting servers throughout the dining experience. The Taproom Support, who reports to the Front of the House Supervisors Team, is responsible for being an expert resource to the guests visiting our onsite Food and Beverage Operations. https://sierranevada. com/careers/

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE MEDICAL- NURSES NEEDED STATEWIDE MEDICALRNS $40/HR. for addictions, psych & corrections in Asheville and throughout Western NC. All shifts. Fully employer-paid medical and dental. 401(k) with 6% employer contribution. Call Morgan at Worldwide Staffing 866.633.3700 x 114

HUMAN SERVICES

MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN ASHEVILLE! Make a Difference in the Life of a Child in Asheville! Youth Counselors are needed to provide support to at-risk youth being served in our short-term residential facility. Duties include implementing direct care services, motivating youth, and modeling appropriate behaviors. Candidates must be at least 21 years old and have a valid driver's license. Experience working with youth is highly preferred. We offer paid training, excellent benefits, and advancement opportunities. Apply online at https://www.mhfc.org/ opportunities/. Call 919754-3633 or email vpenn@ mhfc.org. ONTRACK WNC IS HIRING A FINANCIAL & HOUSING COUNSELOR Please visit our website for the full job description and application instructions: ontrackwnc. org/hire-me.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position Chair, Occupational Therapy Assistant (Looking to fill this position ASAP; this job vacancy reposted on 02/20/2022). For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/6013 A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position Law Enforcement Continuing Education and Assistant, BLET Coordinator. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin. com/postings/5917

HOTEL/ HOSPITALITY

ROOMS KEEPER AT OLD MARSHALL JAIL HOTEL Support the general upkeep and cleaning of guest rooms and common areas of a 6-room property in Downtown Marshall. Looking for a friendly, detail-oriented person. Saturday or Sunday required. Apply at oldmarshalljail.com/jobs or email info@oldmarshalljail. com.

SERVICES AUDIO/VIDEO HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844416-7147. (AAN CAN)

CAREGIVERS COMPANION FOR SENIOR (MARION) Seeking person available for the months of April and May live-in. Senior is basically self-sufficient but needs help with meal prep, transportation, shopping. The person hired can still work or attend school during the day. They would have their own private apartment and there would be a monthly stipend. A person needs to like pets, be vaccinated, and be available for a background check. 828460-9055

HOME 4G LTE HOME INTERNET NOW AVAILABLE! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo! 1-888519-0171. (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! 1-877-673-0511. Hours Mon-Thu, Sun: 9:30am to 8:00pm Fri: 9:30am to 2:00pm (all times Eastern) (AAN CAN)

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-649-5043 (AAN CAN) BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN) COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-5544616. The Mission Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical. edu/consumer-information. (AAN CAN) DIRECTV SATELLITE TV Service Starting at $74.99/ month! Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV! 877310-2472 (AAN CAN) DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s, too! Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response Maximum Tax Donation. Call 877-266-0681. (AAN CAN) NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department:

electronic equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property has 30 days from the date of this publication to make a claim. Unclaimed items will be disposed of according to statutory law. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section, 828-232-4576. NOTICE OF DISPOSITION The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department tagged for disposition: audio and video equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous. All items will be disposed of 30 days from date of posting. Items to be auctioned will be displayed on www. propertyroom.com. NOTICE TO CREDITORS Estate of Lucy P. Chandler: All claims against estate should be sent with debt and account numbers to Lana Chandler: Executor 420 Panther Branch Rd. Alexander, N.C. 28701 Written this day January 31, 2022 for four consecutive weeks. SAVE MONEY ON EXPENSIVE AUTO REPAIRS! Our vehicle service program can save you up to 60% off dealer

prices and provides you excellent coverage! Call for a free quote: 866-915-2263 (Mon-Fri :9am-4pm PST) TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 1-866-243-5931. (AAN CAN)

Solutions books, online and in-person education, workshops and sessions. Positive Hypnosis—re-learning thru positive reinforcement, Emotional Freedom Technique, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Birth Mix Personality Assessment, Past Life Regression.

HEALTH & FITNESS

WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN)

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) 2583229.

TIME TO INVEST IN YOURSELF, TIME TO BUILD A BETTER YOU My name is Luis Baltierrez, founder of Caffeine N Fitness, a training facility that offers personal training, group classes, strong coffee and full accountability for success. Details at www. caffeinenfitness.com. For questions, contact me at caffeine.n.fitness89@gmail. com or call 619-587-1384.

ACROSS 1 Lettuce often used in lettuce wraps 5 Guest essays 10 Major oil acronym 14 Blend of black tea, honey, spices and milk

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES

edited by Will Shortz | No. 0126

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)

BMW & MINI maintenance, repairs, and upgrades. We are your dealership alternative.

21 24

22 26 29

34 37

16 Language of Pakistan

50 52

20 Cloak-anddagger sort

21 Hypotheticals

22 Wall St. debut 23 Site of a legend 24 One with a venomous bite 26 Many a Jul. 4 party

68 Actress Hathaway 69 Parisian papa

28 Second part of the message

70 Furnace/vent connectors

35 Against

71 Chow

36 Old Toyota coupe

DOWN

37 Dear’s rhyming partner

1 Includes secretly, in a way

39 “The Simpsons” prankster

2 Breakfast chain

42 Eldest von Trapp daughter 44 Minecraft block made from gunpowder and sand 45 Sega hedgehog 46 Lead-in to “long” 47 Last part of the message 50 Vegan milk source 51 Plain 53 Genre similar to indie rock 56 Corrects 60 Manhattan district 61 ___ alla vodka 65 Garden hose shape 66 Stratford’s river 67 Cinder-to-be

3 Sacred Indian plant also called the strangler fig 4 Ginormous 5 German chancellor Scholz 6 Caresses 7 End of a college valedictorian’s address? 8 Place to nosh on a knish 9 Like some decisions 10 Paris accord? 11 These women “rule” the dance floor 12 Poet ___ St. Vincent Millay 13 Brink 18 Kelly of morning TV 19 Keith of country music

51 53

17 First part of a message suggested by this puzzle’s circled letters

41 Z, in Athens

57 Bradley Branch Rd., Arden 828-214-9961 • info@bimmerlogic.net • bimmerlogic.net

PUZZLE BY MICHAEL SCHLOSSBERG

15 Packed, like a ship with cargo

40 Root beer treat

• Complimentary BMW loaners available • Third party extended warranties accepted • 2 year / 24,000 miles warranty on repairs

25 Barely rains

48 Jabbered

27 “Bedtime for ___”

49 Scornful looks

28 Studio sign

51 Ahead by a run

29 Beach bottle letters

52 After-dinner coffee order

30 Like pretzels and winter highways

53 “Stat!” 54 The “heart” of “I [heart] N Y”

31 Doesn’t get fooled by

55 Avenger with a hammer

32 Not as messy 33 Came down with

57 Taboo

34 5:1, e.g.

58 Member of the Rat Pack

35 Fit

59 Coaster

38 Borderline indecent

62 Member of the ratite pack?

43 Fallon’s late-night predecessor

63 43-Down’s network

45 Edible part of asparagus

64 Sports barrier … or target

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

D R O P

R O A R

Y A N G

I D O L

A L T E R N A T E

M A T C H

I C A M E

X E N O N

G S O T S R E M I E A P L E P T S E S E P E T G R S O U S E N S S T

MOUNTAINX.COM

T A R S H R E E E I N S E T A L A M I A F L E T T O E R R S C A T W P E E V E O G E T B U T A P O E T E W S O A S T

R O L L

O X E Y E

C E T U S

K N O P E

S O T O E H O R T O M A N A L A S T T O N S O R E O K E E N E D D Y

MAR. 2-8, 2022