OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 31 MARCH 3-9, 2021
C O NT E NT S
FEATURES
PAGE 12
NEWS
NO THANKS
OF ANTIQUES, UNIQUES & REPURPOSED RARITIES!
NEWS
36,000 SQ. FT.
6 GOOD MEDICINE Buncombe jail officials reflect on opioid treatment program a year after expansion
10 BUNCOMBE BEAT Downtown survey spotlights longstanding issues, pandemic concerns
Many local health care workers have chosen to avoid or delay taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Xpress reached out to learn about the concerns of those saying ‘no’ to the immunization, as well as the thoughts of those who enthusiastically or reluctantly lined up to receive the shots.
GREEN
COVER PHOTO iStock 14 THE LIFE AQUATIC Arboretum’s Willow Pond educates visitors on wetland ecosystems
COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick
3 LETTERS
A&C
3 CARTOON: MOLTON 16 LIGHTS IN THE TUNNEL Asheville artists grapple with the pandemic’s oneyear anniversary
5 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 6 NEWS 8
BUNCOMBE BEAT
Wed. - Mon. • 10-6pm Open by Appt. on Tuesdays 26 Glendale Ave • 828.505.1108 regenerationstation.com
TheRegenerationStation
Too early to start spring cleaning?
We think not! Junk Recyclers to remove your items in an eco way. TRS to make your house a home. Greenest Junk Removal!
Asheville’s oldest Junk Removal service, since 2010
Have you been at home Cleaning?
call us to remove your junk in a green way!
828.707.2407
www.junkrecyclers.net 2
MARCH 3-9, 2021
18 BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-19 closed their businesses but did not defeat their purpose
12 WELLNESS 14 GREEN SCENE 16 ARTS & CULTURE 22 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
A&C
Best of WNC since 2014!
A&C
11 COMMUNITY CALENDAR
21 OPENING ARGUMENT Restaurants that took a winter break plan to reopen for spring
23 CLASSIFIEDS 23 NY TIMES CROSSWORD
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Mountain Xpress is available free throughout Western North Carolina. Limit one copy per person. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 payable at the Xpress office in advance. No person may, without prior written permission of Xpress, take more than one copy of each issue. To subscribe to Mountain Xpress, send check or money order to: Subscription Department, PO Box 144, Asheville NC 28802. First class delivery. One year (52 issues) $130 / Six months (26 issues) $70. We accept Mastercard & Visa.
C O N T AC T U S: (8 2 8 ) 2 5 1 - 1 3 3 3 • F A X (8 2 8 ) 2 5 1 - 1 3 1 1 news tips & story ideas to NEWS@MOUNTAINX.COM letters/commentary to LETTERS@MOUNTAINX.COM sustainability news to GREEN@MOUNTAINX.COM a&e events and ideas to AE@MOUNTAINX.COM events can be submitted to CALENDAR@MOUNTAINX.COM or try our easy online calendar at MOUNTAINX.COM/EVENTS food news and ideas to FOOD@MOUNTAINX.COM wellness-related events/news to MXHEALTH@MOUNTAINX.COM business-related events/news to BUSINESS@MOUNTAINX.COM
MOUNTAINX.COM
venues with upcoming shows CLUBLAND@MOUNTAINX.COM get info on advertising at ADVERTISE@MOUNTAINX.COM place a web ad at WEBADS@MOUNTAINX.COM question about the website? WEBMASTER@MOUNTAINX.COM find a copy of Xpress DISTRO@MOUNTAINX.COM WWW.MOUNTAINX.COM FACEBOOK.COM/MOUNTAINX follow us @MXNEWS, @MXARTS, @MXEAT, @MXHEALTH, @MXCALENDAR, @MXENV, @MXCLUBLAND
STAFF PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron ASSISTANT EDITOR: Daniel Walton ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Molly Horak, Brooke Randle, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Madeline Forwerck CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Leslie Boyd, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Gina Smith, 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: Bowman Kelley BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Gary Alston, Tracy Houston, Henry Mitchell, Tiffany Narron, Kelley Quigley, Angelo Santa Maria, Carl & Debbie Schweiger
COPYRIGHT 2021 BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS ADVERTISING COPYRIGHT 2021 BY MOUNTAIN XPRESS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Where are workers’ views on tourism plans? In response to the article published on Feb. 17 titled, “Stay Awhile: New TDA Boss Sketches Post-pandemic Tourism Plans” [Xpress], I was disappointed not to see any counterargument or opposition represented in response to some of the details mentioned in relation to the Tourism Development Authority money pool. Xpress could have had a voice representing the workers (referred to as protesters in the article) in Buncombe County. Most people I know working in the “hospitality field” are struggling to meet the recently announced $17-plus per hour living wage threshold and facing rising property taxes. Buncombe County is indebted to the workers for making it a desirable, marketable place. People sometimes have to work multiple jobs within the industry — waiting tables in the morning, bartending in the afternoon, cleaning STRs, playing a gig (before COVID) at night. Also, people outside the hospitality industry, for example, child care workers and educators, might have to take second/third jobs — catering gigs, cashier at a grocery store, a weekend shift at a brewery or hotel — to make ends meet. The hospitality industry exploits people who are underpaid, working below living wage, expecting tips to balance out their income. Sure, someone can have a good night collecting tips, but that, as COVID has put front and center, is not guaranteed. A lot of these hard workers are also the artists, musicians, pop-up small-business owners and future political leaders working in restaurants and hotels to pay rent and bills so they can work on their passion projects in their spare time. Workers make Asheville and Buncombe County an interesting place to want to visit for the out-of-towner. Without advertising, Buncombe County had its “best-ever month.” The article mentions the TDA [almost entirely] paused spending on advertising “in May in light of COVID-19,” but in October of 2020, “Buncombe County recorded its best-ever month of room sales: over $53.7 million.” I read this to say: Without advertising, Buncombe County still managed to record its best-ever month of room sales, during a pandemic!? My question is why are we spending so much on advertising? [Almost] no money was spent since May, and yet the county had its “best-ever month?” No advertising was done to hit the “best-ever month,” yet Victoria “Vic”
homeless, as well as for education. In Minneapolis, $8 million was cut from the police budget and invested in mental health crisis response teams and violence prevention. Services such as these reduce the need for law enforcement, provide humane assistance and improve quality of life for marginalized people. Shouldn’t crime prevention be the goal? Please urge your state senator to vote no on SB 100 and SB 101! — Cathy Holt Swannanoa
Who will pay costs of development?
C A R TO O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N Isley is going to be paid a quarter of a million dollar salary? According to the Feb. 17 article, the occupancy tax collected, by state law, has to be split 75% to pay back into the advertising pool, then 25% for “local capital projects.” At the very least, this occupancy tax needs to be split 50/50 — giving more money back to the community. Please elaborate on the definition of “local capital projects?” — where does that 25% go? Why, as Sen. Julie Mayfield says, is “affordable housing … off the table?” What else is considered “off the table?” — Ryan Anderson Asheville Editor’s response: Thank you for your feedback. Although this article focused on the TDA’s plans, an AVL Watchdog article published in Xpress last May included the perspectives of local workers on the TDA’s $5 million contribution to a coronavirus relief bill (avl.mx/927). Previous Xpress articles have delved into the debate around how local occupancy taxes can be spent, including the requirement that 25% go to “tourism-related capital expenditures” (avl.mx/925).
with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading to deportations. Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller has pledged not to work with them, which gladdened the hearts of many, including myself, who want to see an end to deportations and a more humane immigration policy. Following the murders of George Floyd and countless others at the hands of brutal and racist police, we’ve heard calls around the nation to “reimagine the police.” Many cities are now reallocating funds from bloated police departments to underfunded social services that help to alleviate homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse. For example, in Austin, Texas, the police budget was cut by one-third; $6.5 million of that was spent to purchase a hotel to house 60 homeless people safely with dignity. New York City cut $1 billion from its police department and reinvested $354 million in services for the mentally ill and
We observe, across our nation, that taxes go up after major development, even though the developers promise the opposite. Why? Developers get rich by making the community pay the long-term costs of their development. Projects like the one proposed for Richmond Hill have real, externalized costs, as well as intangible costs. We need to identify those costs and ask who will pay for them. Riverside Drive will need to be expanded and traffic lights added to cover the increased traffic, estimat-
Stop the Police Funding Protection Act State Sen. Chuck Edwards has introduced Senate Bill 100, the Police Funding Protection Act, which would cause local governments to lose state funding if they transfer more than 1% of current funding from police or sheriff’s departments to social services that would prevent crime. Senate Bill 101 calls for all sheriffs to work MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
3
4
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN ed to be more than 3,000 vehicle trips each day. Who will pay for the expansion? The landowner, the developer or the local taxpayers? The development will need a bridge over the river and railroad tracks. Who will pay for the bridge? The landowner, the developer or the local taxpayers? After the development is done and the developer leaves with his moneybag, who will pay to maintain the bridge and the roads through the development? Will the landowner and residents of the Bluffs cover the entire costs, or will the other residents of Woodfin be required to cover part of the maintenance costs? If the construction vehicles are permitted to use Asheville city roads through Richmond Hill, they will tear up the roads, leading to costly repairs. Will Asheville city taxpayers have to cover these costs, while all the tax revenues from the development go to Woodfin? After the development increases local traffic by 3,000 trips each day, we will all pay the costs related to sitting in the traffic jam. Just consider the traffic problems that have followed development on the south side of Asheville and the regular delays on Interstate 26. There will be other related infrastructure costs. Who will pay to maintain the water and sewer lines,
expanding the schools, fire department and other related services? It won’t be the developer. And without a clear plan upfront, it won’t be just the landowner and new residents. When the landowner realizes he can increase his profits by expanding the project, loading down infrastructure even further, we will all pay the related costs. What prevents this from happening? This list fails to address very real, but less tangible environmental costs, such as stormwater runoff, and social costs such as neighborhoods ceasing to be walkable by their own residents as the increased traffic makes walking unsafe. How will these costs be managed? Who will be held responsible? For those accusing the Richmond Hill community of NIMBYism, we have simple questions. Are you willing to have your taxes raised so that a Florida developer can make a quick buck? By how much? Are you willing to tell your own children they cannot ride their bike in front of their own house because there is too much traffic? Learn more about the real costs of mismanaged development: strongtowns.org, grow-wise.org, ashevillegreenworks.org and ashevilleonbikes.com. — Karl Kuhn Asheville MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
5
NEWS
Good medicine
Buncombe jail officials reflect on opioid treatment program a year after expansion
BY MOLLY HORAK mhorak@mountainx.com Samantha Brawley thought she had tried everything to curb her opioid addiction. She had visited addiction treatment centers and attended Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Each time, she gained new tools to help manage her illness. And each time, she still had cravings, leading her back to drug use. Then someone suggested that Brawley try MAT, or medication-assisted treatment. Her family and friends didn’t support her decision to start the treatment, but for the first time, she felt as if she had a shot at a better life. That was five years ago. Brawley, still on MAT, now works as a MAT peer support specialist at the Buncombe County Detention Facility, helping individuals in custody treat their addictions and
ROLLING OUT THE MAT: The Buncombe County Detention Facility’s Strategic Community Opioid Response team celebrates the expansion of its medication-assisted treatment program with an official ribbon cutting in September. Photo courtesy of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office safely reenter the community. Once formerly incarcerated at the same jail, Brawley sees her job — and the county’s MAT program, nearing its one-year anniversary of
expanded resources for inmates — as a way to ensure no one else goes through what she experienced. “I know what I needed when I was in jail and didn’t get it, because at the time it wasn’t available,” Brawley says. “When I made the choice to start MAT, no one supported me. I don’t want that to be the case for our participants. I want them to know it can be their first option, and their only option.”
MORE TO GIVE
Medications such as buprenorphine and naltrexone can help normalize the brain chemistry of people with substance use disorder, relieving psychological cravings and blocking the euphoric effects of opioids and alcohol without dangerous side effects. In many cases, MAT increases retention rates for people in therapy while decreasing illicit drug use and mortality rates, says Dr. Tracy Goen, an addiction specialist and medical director at the detention center. The Buncombe jail used MAT to treat pregnant women for years, says Sarah Gayton, the Sheriff Office’s community integration and MAT services director. But it wasn’t until 2019, when the county received a $283,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, that the program started opening to a broader population. That July, staff began collecting data during the jail’s intake process to better understand the type of 6
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
services needed, Gayton explains. In March 2020, the team began offering MAT to anyone entering the facility who was already on medication, and new patients began enrolling in the program in August. All new inmates are screened at intake for opioid use disorder, says Felicia Wood, a registered nurse working with the MAT program. For anyone indicating opioid use disorder, the jail’s harm reduction team gives a brief introduction to the program; eligible detainees, generally those being held at the jail for at least two weeks, can opt into treatment at any point during their stay. The team has provided education materials and case management for over 1,000 individuals since receiving the initial 2019 grant, Gayton says. Since last March, she estimates 20-30 people have begun MAT and another 120 have been able to continue treatment while detained.
BEYOND DETENTION
As Gayton and her team were establishing their MAT program, they worked with the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services and the Register of Deeds to learn more about patterns in county overdoses. They found that roughly 50% of Buncombe County residents who died from an opioid overdose between 2010 and 2019 passed through the detention center at some point in their lives. Of those who visited the jail, 50% had been detained for fewer than 24 hours. “Once we figured out that half of the people who came through the facility and died would only be here for a day, we made the decision to frontload a lot of our programs to provide the most service in the shortest amount of time,” she explains. Everyone identifying as an opioid user at intake is given an overdose kit containing community resources and naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, upon release from the jail. Reentry services are also available to individuals with opioid use disorder through the health department and Asheville-based nonprofit Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness’ Linkage-2Care program, adds Amy Upham,
Buncombe County’s opioid response coordinator. The partnership pairs individuals with recovery programs, harm reduction services and basic necessities, like a place to live and personal hygiene products, after their release. Other county harm reduction strategies include syringe exchange programs and naloxone distribution and training.
POPULATION SHIFTS
The MAT program’s expansion came as county leaders were also making a concerted effort to reduce the number of people housed at the detention center to limit the spread of COVID-19. In 2020, following the release of more than 200 detainees at the start of the pandemic, the average daily jail population was just under 400, down from 533 in 2019. With the end of the pandemic in sight, Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller says it’s time to put the MAT program “in fourwheel drive. We have the potential to serve more people with the numbers changing, which is a good thing. But at the same time, it gives us the opportunity to really develop this out.” Simultaneously, Buncombe County is working to permanently reduce the jail’s population through its ongoing Safety and Justice Challenge. The county Board of Commissioners voted Feb. 16 to accept an additional $1.75 million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to divert people away from the jail and into behavioral health and substance abuse treatment programs. The grant also calls for an equity consultant to reduce racial disparities in sentencing. The MAT program was designed to “fit into the natural jail crossroads,” Gayton says, regardless of how many inmates the facility houses. If the population were to suddenly jump or drop, protocols would remain the same: Everyone will still be screened at intake, and as individuals in custody move through the jail’s existing medical timeline, MAT will continue to be offered at every step. When people on MAT are released back to the community or sent to a different facility, the team usually sends them with five days worth of medication, enough to tide them over until they can find another treatment provider. But fewer than 1% of the more than 5,000 U.S. jails and prisons offer MAT to people in custody
— and only 11 of North Carolina’s jails currently offer the medication. Those who are transferred to a facility that doesn’t offer the medication, are likely out of luck. “We’ll put them in line for continuation, but if the facility doesn’t offer it, they don’t get it,” Gayton says. “We try to send them with a few doses of MAT to take when they get out, so they’ll have that lifesaving safety net, and they’ll have their overdose kit. But unfortunately that’s about all we can do.”
’A BEAUTIFUL RESET’
A year after the MAT program’s expansion, its leaders are beginning to notice positive effects rippling through the community. It’s not uncommon for participants to break down in tears as they grasp what a MAT regime might allow them to accomplish, Gayton says, and a number of individuals in custody who rejected the program at intake are changing their minds and seeking treatment weeks or months after arriving at the jail. Kevin Rumley, the coordinator for Buncombe County’s Veteran Treatment Court, has only heard positive things from his clients, many of whom have spent short stretches of time at the detention center. Now, a brief stint in jail means his clients already on MAT will be able to continue their treatment without any issues. For others who may have fallen off the MAT wagon, Rumley says the jail provides a “beautiful reset” to resume treatment. “Jail is no longer the place where you go and are forced to detox off of your prescribed medications, but it’s a place where you can continue your recovery,” Rumley says. “It’s kind of a paradigm shift. Jail used to be punitive but now there’s this treatment focus.” Detention center officers who were skeptical of the program at first have also come to appreciate MAT as they’ve learned more, Brawley notes. Wood, the jail’s MAT nurse, says she now gets referrals from officers about inmates they believe could benefit from the program. “Having positive people in the building who understand how it works is so important,” Wood says. “Their enthusiasm is infectious.” “Buncombe County has started working on the solution instead of the problem,” Brawley adds. “We overcome barriers that, being a person formerly incarcerated, I’ve never seen done anywhere else.” X MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
7
BUNCOMBE BEAT
Asheville City Council approves new hotel development regulations 100-220 points depending on their project’s size and location. At least half of those points must come from a donation to the city’s Housing Trust Fund or Reparations Fund or the construction of permanently affordable housing for residents making 80% or less of the area median income. A new 100-room hotel in downtown Asheville would thus need to contribute at least $400,000 to the reparations or housing fund or build 10 affordable housing units, explained Todd Okolichany, the city’s director of planning and urban design. The remainder of a project’s required points could come from a broader menu of options, including B Corporation certification (120 points), offering a living wage (60 points) or contracting with minority- or women-owned businesses (10 points). Roney suggested that the point requirements were too low and moved to double the minimums. Although Vice Mayor Sheneika Smith backed her motion, the remaining five Council members voted against it. Such strong requirements would discourage developers from opting in to the process, argued Council member Gwen Wisler. She noted
If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll want some milk to go with it — or so the children’s book goes. The same reasoning also goes for hotel developers, warned Asheville City Council member Kim Roney during a debate over Asheville’s new lodging development guidelines: Once standards are set, the floodgates open for developers to seek ever-weaker restrictions. Roney’s argument didn’t sway her colleagues on City Council, who voted 6-1 to adopt the new development guidelines at their Feb. 23 meeting. The move marked an end to the city’s 17-month hotel moratorium and years of public engagement and discussion. A second 6-1 vote established a new Hotel Overlay zoning district, limiting the geographic location of new lodging development by right to the outskirts of downtown, Biltmore Village and the River Arts District. Roney was the only Council member to oppose both actions. The new regulations allow hotels with 115 rooms or fewer to avoid a Council vote if they meet a series of design requirements, are located in the overlay district and contribute to equity-related public benefits. The approved public benefits table requires developers to score
Nature’s Vitamins & Herbs [FORMERLY NATURE’S PHARMACY]
24
Products Available by Mail Out, Curbside Service, or In Store Top CBD Oil brands: Charlotte’s web • SunsOil • Plus CBD Palmetto Harmony
Mike Rogers, PharmD Bill Cheek, B.S. Pharm
We stock great vitamin brands including: Pure Encapsulations • Thorne Research Metagenics • King Bio Professional brands • and more!
Bring this ad in for 10% off
Professional advice since 1996 MONDAY-FRIDAY 10-4
752 Biltmore Avenue • 828-251-0094 • naturesvitaminsandherbs.com 8
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
— Molly Horak X
UNDER THE WIRE: The historic Flatiron Building was the last hotel proposal to be approved by members of Asheville City Council before they implemented a hotel moratorium. Development can now resume under new lodging regulations passed Feb. 23. Photo by Virginia Daffron
Story Medicine Worldwide AN INDIGENOUS PATH TO RACIAL HEALING
YE ARS
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE on CBD Oil, Supplements
Setting the Standard for Excellence Owners:
that Council could not legally require developers to make contributions to equity projects or other city goals outside of the new permitting approach. If Council set the bar too high, she continued, developers would likely seek conditional zoning approval, the same process used since 2017. The new hotel guidelines also formally establish the reparations fund, which Council first supported in July, to address harms against Asheville’s Black population, noted member Antanette Mosley. Earlier in the meeting, City Manager Debra Campbell shared a timeline for creating a reparations commission to begin crafting short-, mediumand long-term strategies to address disparities and create generational wealth. Council will review the new lodging requirements in six months. Before that happens, Smith asked staff to present a demonstration of what the process looks like from project submission to final approval. Roney also requested that Council’s Planning and Economic Development committee review the process on a quarterly basis.
3-DAYS: CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!! Music, Stories & a chance to tell Your Story! Featured Speakers include:
3/12 3/13
6:308:30pm
Nothing But the Medicine w/ Meta Commerse
9:30amNoon
I Had No Me Left: Sexual Trauma & the Healing Paradox of Oral History Performance w/ Dean E. Patrick Johnson, Northwestern University
3/14
2:004:30pm
Alternatives to State-Sanctioned Violence
2:004:30pm
Time Travel: The Journey that My Spirit Took to Heal My Soul w/ Robert Thomas, Jr.
w/ Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director, Emancipate NC
Community Liaison, Asheville’s Racial Justice Coalition
Information & Registration: storymedicineworldwide.com
School board appointments proceed without teacher input “I’m really struggling with this process as a parent, as a councilor,” said Asheville City Council member Sage Turner, as her colleagues considered how they would appoint three members of the Asheville City Board of Education. “I’m really struggling with us not listening to teachers.” Nevertheless, Turner joined all Council members save Kim Roney in a Feb. 23 vote to request essays and interviews from only seven of 15 school board applicants. That approach is significantly more limited than a parallel process by the Asheville City Association of Educators, a local teacher group, which will endorse candidates after sending all 15 hopefuls a detailed questionnaire. In light of the ACAE’s work, Roney had also asked Council to request essays and interviews from all 15 candidates. “I suggest we take a moment to listen and lead in a way that’s going to make space for inclusion, with the intent to promote healing,” she said, before introducing a motion to that effect; none of her colleagues offered a second. Council’s pool of candidates is already one fewer than had previously been agreed to in a Feb. 9 vote. In addition to the three school board incumbents — Joyce Brown, James Carter and Patricia Griffin — Council had planned to interview five newcomers: juvenile court counselor Stephen Blount, urban education graduate student Michele Delange, UNC Asheville Dean of Students Jacquelyn Carr
According to City Attorney Brad Branham, Council could still reopen its approach to consider more candidates should members wish to include the ACAE’s input. “You are not required at this point to continue the same process or limit yourself on who you vote for at the end of the day,” he explained. “You have one and one only obligation in this regard, and that is to make those final appointments.”
— Daniel Walton X
The
Sustainability CELEBRATING EARTH DAY 2021
INDEPENDENT STUDY: Teachers in the Asheville City Schools system have no formal role in the process approved by Asheville City Council to appoint Asheville City Board of Education members. Screen capture courtesy of the city of Asheville McHargue, Buncombe County Recreation Services Director Peyton O’Conner and Homeward Bound of WNC executive George Sieburg. However, as of Feb. 16, Blount had withdrawn his application, and Council members did not move to fill his slot with another new candidate. Speaking with Xpress on Feb. 18, Blount said he had pulled out after “persons in the community who were supporters of individuals who didn’t make it” questioned the address he had listed on his board application. Per city policy, all school board members must live in the Asheville
City Schools district. Buncombe County property records show that the address on Blount’s application is located in the district and owned by his parents. Although the 26-year-old Blount provided Xpress with a phone bill listing his name with that address, he repeatedly refused to confirm that he resided there. Council members are expected to interview the seven school board candidates on the morning of Tuesday, March 23, with appointments made during their regular meeting that evening. State law requires all appointments to be effective by Thursday, April 1.
Series
Every week in April Contact us today! 828-251-1333 x1 advertise@mountainx.com
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
9
COME SEE US TODAY! BRING YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR & YOUR ASIAN CAR — TOYOTA, LEXUS, HONDA, ACURA, SUBARU, NO EUROPEAN MODELS
Free alignment inspection with any service, just ask.
LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU MIX ALCOHOL WITH LITERATURE? TEQUILA MOCKINBIRD!
WINTER SPECIAL Mention Ad - Get 10% off labor!
We Treat You Like Family!
MOSTLY AUTOMOTIVE 253 Biltmore Ave. 828-253-4981
You know us in print each week,
Try us online each day. Essential updates. Original reporting. Daily at 2 p.m.
Sign up at MountainX.com/Newsletters
10
MARCH 3-9, 2021
NE W S
Downtown survey spotlights longstanding issues, pandemic concerns The more things change in Asheville as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, the more things stay the same — at least according to the Asheville Downtown Association’s latest annual survey. As explained by Meghan Rogers, the ADA’s executive director, during a virtual State of Downtown presentation Feb. 23, entrepreneurs have harbored some enduring grievances and persistent wants even as the coronavirus disrupts business. Outside of pandemic-related challenges, the top three business issues remain virtually identical to those of previous years: downtown cleanliness, safety and parking for both visitors and employees. “It’s not an ADA meeting if we don’t mention parking,” Rogers said. Respondents specifically cited a need for more resources for people experiencing homelessness downtown, followed by more cleaning and pressure washing of public spaces and sidewalks and an increased police presence. Waste management and boosting transit options to and around downtown were also identified as top challenges for downtown businesses, along with rent and other fixed cost increases. But COVID-19 has posed a more immediate threat than those longstanding structural issues, Rogers explained. Of the 93 business owners and residents who responded to the survey, 17 indicated that they had a business in danger of closing as a result of the pandemic. “This number, coupled with the dozens of businesses that have already closed or moved out of downtown, is troubling — and that’s putting it very mildly,” she said. More than 70 respondents indicated that they had seen a loss of revenue in 2020, with about half experiencing a drop between 20% and 60%. Business owners also revealed that 261 people employed downtown had lost full-time work as a result of the pandemic, while another 216 lost part-time employment and 32 lost contract work. “While it’s not surprising to learn that we saw a decrease in employment, it is heartbreaking. Because these numbers, they’re not just numbers: They represent people,” Rogers said. “I worry that when we lose our small, local business-
MOUNTAINX.COM
ROAR OF THE CROWD: Events such as Downtown After 5, shown here in 2016, normally bring in up to 85% of the Asheville Downtown Association’s revenue but were canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Photo by Jim Donohoo es, we lose some of the character of downtown.” Tommy Dennison, the ADA’s board president and director of member development at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, said that the association’s top priorities for 2021 include continuing to support downtown businesses through pandemic recovery, diversifying revenue streams beyond live events and advancing equity and inclusion. Dennison said the association, which represents over 300 area businesses, nonprofits, families and individuals, will offer complimentary one-year memberships to any business located in the central business district in the coming weeks, as well as extend existing memberships for up to one year without additional costs. The ADA also is working with Mountain BizWorks to provide five grants of $2,500 each to downtown businesses owned by entrepreneurs who are Black, Indigenous or people of color. More information about this initiative will be released in the next few weeks. “We have a long way to go, but we believe that this grant program
and our internal equity work will bring positive changes for our organization and our downtown,” Dennison said. Rogers noted that the ADA relies primarily on income generated from events such as Downtown After 5, which also employ area music professionals, food vendors, waste management staff and workers from other industries. The lack of in-person events in 2020, she explained, represented a loss of roughly 85% in revenue for the nonprofit. Despite that setback, Rogers said that the association still managed to invest roughly $60,000 into the local economy in 2020 through the virtual Downtown After 5 series, a virtual July Fourth event and other initiatives. The ADA is also poised to hold new and recurring events in 2021 once the pandemic is under control. “When it’s safe and the time is right, we’ll be ready to bring music, food and fun back to the streets of downtown Asheville,” she said. View the full results of the survey at avl.mx/920.
— Brooke Randle X
COMMUNITY CALENDAR MARCH 3-12, 2021 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.
In-Person Events = Shaded All other events are virtual
CIVICS & ACTIVISM Stay up to date on local government meetings by subscribing to the Xpress daily newsletter: avl.mx/8st. Buncombe County Board of Adjustment Special meeting. WE (3/3), 9am, avl.mx/934 Asheville Affordable Housing Advisory Committee Regular meeting. TH (3/4), 9:30am, avl.mx/8re Asheville City Council Formal meeting. TU (3/9), 5pm, avl.mx/7b5
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY SCORE: Financial Planning for Starting a Business Start-up assistance webinar led by Bernie Filipiak. SA (3/6), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/930 Western Women's Business Center: Marketing in a Crisis Digital marketing workshop. MO (3/8), 2pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/933 Mountain BizWorks Orientation Session Info on lending and learning opportunities for small business owners. MO (3/8), 5:30pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/931
Mountain BizWorks Legal Workshop Intro to small business contracts. TU (3/9), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/932 Mountain BizWorks: Paycheck Protection Program Update Presented by Mike Ames. TU (3/9), 3pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/8yc
CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS UNCA: Archaeology Webinar Featuring Jenny Ebeling on the discovery of an ancient winery in Jezreel, Israel. WE (3/3), 7:30pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/91i Aurora Studio & Gallery: The Myth of the Southern Belle Discussion led by Zelda Fitzgerald scholar Dr. Alaina Doten. MO (3/8), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92e Our VOICE Break the Silence Speaker Series Featuring Chanel Miller, author of the memoir Know My Name. TH (3/11), 7pm, $10$25, avl.mx/92w
ECO & OUTDOOR
MUSIC & DANCE
WNC Sierra Club: Conservation & Education Featuring Jonathan Marchal, director of education at NC Arboretum. TH (3/4), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/91L
Angel of Light Performance by Cilla Vee in the museum’s oculus window, viewable from outside. TU (3/9), 7pm, Free, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
ASAP CSA Fair Annual gathering of farmers with info on community supported agriculture programs. WE (3/10), 4pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/91z
BMC Museum + Arts Center: Perspectives Performance by jazz musician William Parker and discussion on Universal Tonality, a new book on his life and music. WE (3/10), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/92v
WNC Historical Association: LitCafe Featuring Danny Bernstein, author of DuPont Forest: A History. TH (3/11), 6pm, Registration required, $5, avl.mx/8zz
Thursday Night Live: Alex Travers In-gallery classical violin performance. TH (3/11), 6pm, Included with admission, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
ANIMALS Friends of the WNC Nature Center: Critter Trivia Night Reptile and amphibian themed questions. TH (3/4), 7pm, Registration required, $5, avl.mx/91o
CLUBLAND
Online Event= q WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm THE 2ND ACT Open Mic w/ Letters to Abigail, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia Night, 6:30pm THE GREY EAGLE q Travis Book Happy Hour w/ Anders Beckley & Jon Stickley (bluegrass), 7pm, avl.mx/92y
THURSDAY, MARCH 4 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Hope Griffin (solo acoustic), 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD Bluegrass Jam w/ Drew & the Boys, 7pm
FRIDAY, MARCH 5 ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Hourglass Kids (reggae, jazz), 5pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Jake Cox (country, blues), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL The John Henrys (jazz), 7pm MILLS RIVER BREWING CO. ALR Trio (blues, rock), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kid Billy (solo multi-instrumentalist), 7pm
SATURDAY, MARCH 6 BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Brian Ashley Jones (blues, country), 2pm MILLS RIVER BREWING CO. • Iggy Radio (rock, pop, jazz), 2pm • Kevin Daniel & the Bottom Line (Americana, blues), 7pm
SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Generous Electric (rock, electronic), 3pm WEHRLOOM HONEY MEADERY Music & Mead w/ Phantom Pantone DJ Collective, 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Asheville Winter Grass w/ Songs from the Road Band & Steve McMurry, 4pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5pm
ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Asheville Winter Grass w/ Songs from the Road Band & Steve McMurry, 4pm
MONDAY, MARCH 8 THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Blue Monday w/ Mr Jimmy, 6pm
TUESDAY, MARCH 9 MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Trivia Night, 6pm
ISA'S FRENCH BISTRO James Hammel (solo acoustic), 5pm
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10
JACK OF THE WOOD Chelsea Lovitt (blues, country), 6pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm
ISIS MUSIC HALL Darren Nicholson Band (bluegrass), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. DJ Sumsun, 7pm
SUNDAY, MARCH 7 SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Mr Jimmy (blues), 2pm
THE 2ND ACT Open Mic w/ Letters to Abigail, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia Night, 6:30pm THE GREY EAGLE q Travis Book Happy Hour w/ Nicki Bluhm (bluegrass), 7pm, avl.mx/92z
LITERARY Malaprop’s Young Adult Book Launch Jodi Lynn Anderson presents Thirteen Witches, Book 1: The Memory Thief. WE (3/3), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92m Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance: Reader Meet Writer Featuring Kate Clayborn, author of Love at First. TH (3/4), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92n Malaprop’s Poetrio Reading Featuring poets Jesús Sepúlveda, Gianna Russo and Aditi Machado. SU (3/7), 3pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92o Discussion Bound Book Club Women Who Read Are Dangerous by Stefan Bollman. TU (3/9), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92f Malaprop’s Book Launch Amy Reed presents Tell Me My Name. TU (3/9), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92p
Aurora Studio & Gallery: Asheville’s Doomed Duo Discussion on the literature and letters of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, led by Tom Hearron. TU (3/9), 7pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/92g Malaprop’s Author Discussion Featuring Sarah C. Patten, author The Measure of Gold. WE (3/10), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92q
ART BMC Museum + Arts Center: Faith In Arts A conversation with writer and Soto Zen priest Norman Fischer. WE (3/3), 1pm, Free, avl.mx/92i Center for Craft Exhibit Tour: Desire Paths Led by curators Lauren Kalman and Matt Lambert. TH (3/4), 6pm, Free, avl.mx/91n Art Travels: Detroit Institute of Arts Tour led by Asheville Art Museum. TH (3/4), 7pm, Registration required, $20, avl.mx/91m Slow Art Friday: We Wear the Mask Discussion led by touring docents Kay Dunn and Susan Coleman at Asheville Art Museum. FR (3/5), 12pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/91k Blue Spiral: Artist Talk Featuring glass artist Alex Bernstein. FR (3/5), 6pm, Free, avl.mx/93d Jackson Arts Market Live demonstrations by local artists. SA (3/6), 1pm, 533 W Main St, Sylva Down Home NC Winter Market Local craft vendors. SU (3/7), 12pm, Haywood Square, 308 N Haywood Rd, Waynesville Warren Wilson: Artist Roundtable Discussion on the exhibit Mirror/Mentor moderated by artists Lara Nguyen and Julie Caro. MO (3/8), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92s
Swannanoa Valley Museum Workshop: Art from your Yard How to make tempera paint using egg yolk and natural pigments. MO (3/8), 6:30pm, Registration required, $12, avl.mx/92u
Asheville School of Film: Candid Conversations Featuring filmmakers Richard Schenkman, Takashi Doscher and Angel Vasquez. SU (3/7), 3pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92t
Aurora Studio & Gallery: The Shadow & the Sunlight Talk by Evie Lindemann on the relationship between trauma, art and health. WE (3/10), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92h
Beer City Sisters: Time of the Month Weekly variety show. SU (3/7), 7pm, Free, beercitysisters.org
Aurora Studio & Gallery: Painting Workshop Zelda Fitzgerald-inspired class using watercolor and gouache to paint art deco floral arrangements, led by Annie Gustely. TH (3/11), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92j Slow Art Friday: Discovering Rural Landscapes Discussion led by touring docent Megan Pyle at Asheville Art Museum. FR (3/12), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/92k
THEATER & FILM Wandering with Magnetic: something i cared about Walking performance directed by Jason Phillips. Tickets: avl.mx/8zu. Ongoing (thru 3/14), 11am-5pm, $23, Reed Creek Greenway, 24 Magnolia Ave NC Stage: The Book Club Documentary-style comedy performed from actors’ homes. WE (3/3), 7:30pm, $25, avl.mx/91d UNCA Drama Dept: Hindsight 2020 Spoken word, music, dance, short film and creative writing by students. FR-SA (3/5-3/6), 7pm, By donation, avl.mx/93b
Aurora Studio & Gallery: Up Close with Zelda Fitzgerald Staged interview on the creative life of the novelist. FR (3/12), 7pm, $10, avl.mx/92L
WELLNESS Steady Collective Syringe Access Outreach Free naloxone, syringes and educational material on harm reduction. TU (3/9), 2pm, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd Council on Aging: Introduction to Medicare How to avoid penalties and save money. WE (3/10), 2pm, Registration required, Free, coabc.org
SPIRITUALITY Groce UMC: A Course in Miracles Group Study Register to get Zoom link: 828-712-5472. MO (3/8), 6:30pm, Free
VOLUNTEER MountainTrue: Island Park Work Session Invasive plant removal. Register for location details: avl.mx/91a. WE (3/3), 11am-2pm, Tuckesegee American Red Cross Blood Drives Register with code AshevilleOutlets: redcrossblood.org/give. SA & FR (3/6 & 312), 11am-3pm, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd
Dr. Elizabeth Garbarino
10 yrs WNC/ETN notes, bonds, maps, currency etc.
A Women’s Healthcare Practice Specializing in Gynecological Care
Member SPMC, NCNA, SCNA, TNS
Welcoming New Patients!
BUYING OLD PAPER MONEY
msg/ txt 865-207-8994 or email papermoneybuy@gmail.com
828.575.9562 • LivingWellWNC.com
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
11
WELLNESS
Calling the shots
Some local health care workers say ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ to COVID vaccine BY NIKOLAOS KYRIAKOU nkjournalist@gmail.com As Buncombe County’s waiting list for the COVID-19 vaccine reaches over 54,000 hopeful recipients (and growing), many local health care professionals can skip the line and receive the two-shot series through their employers. Yet despite their elevated risk of contracting the coronavirus, many of those workers have not taken the first dose. Area hospitals and care facilities report that a sizable percentage of their workforces are holding off or refusing the vaccine, citing concerns that include the short timeline for the futuristic drug’s development, possible adverse reactions, specific medical conditions including allergies and other autoimmune diseases and a lack of data on the long-term effects of the shots. Xpress reached out to learn more about those workers’ concerns, as well as the thoughts of those who had chosen to go ahead with the shots. “I feel like I don’t want to be a guinea pig,” says Charlie Dewberry, a certified nursing assistant with over 15 years of experience who works at AdventHealth Home Care in Asheville. Dewberry says she refused the vaccine primarily due to the lightning-speed approval process. “Normally it takes years to produce a vaccine, and they came up with this one in less than a year.” Tanya Blackwell, a registered nurse in a physician’s office affiliated with Mission Health, agrees. “There’s still too much of an unknown, and people need to discuss
12
MARCH 3-9, 2021
BIG DECISION: Despite their elevated risk of contracting the coronavirus, many local health care workers have not taken the first dose of the two-shot series. Some are waiting for more information and results, while others have chosen not to receive the drug, which was developed in record time and approved under an emergency use process. Photo by iStock
“The people who decided not to get it definitely had strong feelings about not getting it, which I respect 100%.” — Natasha Clabern it with their physician to know whether or not the ingredients are safe,” says Blackwell; she adds that her neurologist advised her not to get the vaccine due to regular migraines. Both nurses estimate that half or more of the people they work with also refused the vaccine. A federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released last month found that only 38% of staff members at 11,000 long-term care facilities nationwide had received the COVID vaccine. Natasha Clabern, an X-ray technician who works for a Mission Health contractor, says that half of the 35 or so people in her office said “no way” to the vaccine. Their primary concern was the lack of studies on the jab, she says: “It may not be safe. We don’t know the long-term effects of any of this.” Clabern has received both doses but she says she was “scared” to get the vaccine. “There is definitely a divide in our workspace. The people who decided not to get it definitely had strong feelings about not getting it, which I
MOUNTAINX.COM
respect 100%. It’s your choice right now,” Clabern notes.
EMERGENCY USE
In December, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines emergency use authorization, making the vaccines widely available. And on Feb. 27, the administration granted the same authorization to the single-shot Janssen COVID-19 (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine for people 18 and older. The drugs, however, remain in an experimental or trial phase and have not yet been proven to stop COVID infection or transmission, though they have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the severity of symptoms. In one of the first real-world studies to look at the impact of COVID19 immunizations across an entire nation, an analysis of Scotland’s program released on Feb. 22 showed that receiving one dose of the Pfizer vaccine was associated with an 85% decrease in the risk of hospitalization
from the illness. Those results have not yet gone through the peer-review process. A study released Feb. 26 on the use of the Pfizer vaccine in Israel, which had vaccinated over 84% of its population aged 70 and older, showed a significant decline in the severity of COVID-19 cases post-vaccination compared to the months prior to the vaccine’s availability. The drugs use messenger RNA technology, which has been studied for decades but hasn’t yet been licensed to protect against an infectious disease. According to the CDC, “Interest has grown in these vaccines because they can be developed in a laboratory using readily available materials. This means the process can be standardized and scaled up, making vaccine development faster than traditional methods of making vaccines.” Nationwide, hesitance to take the vaccine has receded in recent months, but a January survey by Kaiser Family Foundation found that 51% of Americans still want to see more proof the vaccines are effective before rolling up their sleeves. As of late February, over 45 million people, representing about 13% of the total United States population, had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. About 20 million, or 6% of the population, had received both doses, according to the CDC. As of Feb. 25, over 2.3 million doses had been administered in North Carolina, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services, while nearly 13% of Buncombe County’s population had received at least one dose of the vaccine by Feb. 26.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Rusty Ginn, an RN and owner of Asheville Home Health, a small in-home care provider, says about half of his employees have received the first vaccine. Ginn says he wants his employees vaccinated but doesn’t tell them the vaccine is safe because “we don’t know if the vaccine is safe or not; we just have to trust that it is.” Ginn says some of his employees were deterred from receiving the shot after one of their co-workers, a woman in her 20s, went into seizures and was hospitalized post-vaccination. “We have our own horror story, which shakes people up, so I’m not telling people one way or another. I feel we’re all in the same boat with this,” Ginn says, adding that the woman has recovered and returned to work. “There are nurses that believe coronavirus is man-made and that the vaccine is going to be maybe even more harmful than good, which is a strange thing to hear from a health care work-
er. Those people are not going to take the vaccine,” he muses. “I don’t think health care workers are different than anyone else insofar as their fears go.” Another reason staff members resist the vaccine is that “they themselves are young and healthy so they might not have that personal concern that someone in another age group may have and they see their peers getting coronavirus and surviving,” Ginn adds. Vickie White, physical therapist in a local hospital neighboring Buncombe County (she declined to say which one), was initially reluctant to get the vaccine due to allergies and asthma. And the newness of the drug made her nervous as well. “I’ve never been one to do anything new. When you change model of cars, you wait a couple years and wait for them to get the kinks worked out,” she notes. But after talking to her doctor, White decided to go ahead. She had a slight headache after the first shot. “The second shot was a little worse,” White says. “There was a decent amount of fatigue, and I did have a migraine. And I haven’t had a migraine for 15 years, and it really threw me for a loop. It was two full days before I felt like myself again.” Nevertheless, White is glad she got the vaccine, as now she feels she and her husband are better protected since she is regularly exposed to COVIDpositive patients.
SICK DAY
Clabern says she felt fatigue and headaches the day after getting the first dose. Having previously had a COVID infection, however, she found the illness far worse. “Compared with having COVID, the vaccine was nothing. I got lucky. Half of my co-workers who had the vaccine got sick for 24 hours afterwards with fever, chills and other symptoms. They had to call out sick the next day because they were required to not have a fever after 24 hours, although not to the point of being hospitalized.” Clabern has not seen severe reactions to the vaccine among her patients. “Most of our patients have a lot of comorbidities, and I think they’re valid in being scared of [the vaccine]. But most of the elderly that have taken the vaccine have been fine so far. I haven’t heard of any horrible adverse reactions yet, but that could change.” On Feb. 19, the CDC released results from its monitoring of the new vaccine Dec. 14 to Jan. 13. During that period, “There were 4.5 cases of anaphylaxis per 1 million doses given during this time — a rate similar to what we’ve seen in other commonly used vac-
cines,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director. She also noted that 34% of vaccine recipients reported fatigue and 30% a headache after receiving the shot. Amy Waters, a pediatric intensive care unit nurse at Mission Hospital in Asheville and a leader in the newly formed local chapter of National Nurses United, has received both doses. Despite being down for a couple of days with flu-like symptoms, she remains an enthusiastic advocate for the vaccine. “I’m a strong believer in vaccines,” Waters says. “If I can personally get a vaccine to keep a child from being critically ill or dying, I will take it.” While initially she was concerned that the vaccine development had been rushed, “Not having spoken personally to any medical professional who is against the vaccine, I can’t see why people would be against it. I feel like people who have a strong science background would feel it’s a good thing.” In recent weeks experts have recommended people continue to practice hand-washing, mask wearing and social distancing even after being vaccinated. Yet some nurses, Waters says, only got the vaccine because they wanted life to go back to normal.
NUMBERS GAME
Only 56% of staff at Mission Hospital in Asheville had been vaccinated as of mid-February, not including those who may have been vaccinated outside the hospital, according to Nancy Lindell, spokesperson for Mission Health and parent company HCA Healthcare. Marty Bowser, a spokesperson for Rutherford Regional Health System in Rutherford County, says about 400 of 600 staff members have been vaccinated in-house. Bowser also could not provide data on whether the other 200 staff members had been vaccinated outside the hospital. As of Feb. 4, Dr. David Ellis, chief medical officer at Hendersonville’s Pardee UNC Health Care, said, “Right at 70% of our employees have been vaccinated. You’ll never get 100%, and I don’t think any of us going into this exactly knew what we would get.” Dr. William McLean of Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community attributes his organization’s success at achieving a similar 70% vaccination rate among its staff to “a coordinated, significant push through education and sitting down and talking with folks about their concerns.” Jeff Horton, executive director of the N.C. Senior Living Association, points out that some of the language
“We don’t know if the vaccine is safe or not; we just have to trust that it is.” — Rusty Ginn, owner of Asheville Home Health used by federal agencies may have contributed to concerns among health care staffers about the safety of the vaccine. “There is caution in that it was fasttracked and rushed through and there hasn’t been time to know all the side effects and long-term issues,” Horton says. “People with the state have even said the term ‘Operation Warp Speed’ had possibly not been conducive to take it because it gives the impression it was rushed through and may not be safe.” Both Horton and Deerfield’s McLean add that some female employees — who make up a significant percentage of the direct-care industry’s workforce — are worried about potential effects on fertility or future pregnancies. “I think that’s understandable,” says Horton.
FINDING THE BALANCE
While AdventHealth Hendersonville Chief Medical Officer Dr. Teresa Herbert didn’t provide specific numbers of vaccinated employees, she says that the process of answering staff members’ questions and reminding them of the availability of the vaccine is ongoing. “We are now asking people who did not respond at all in the first round
of emails to either accept or decline and then we’ll have a better idea of true decline versus ‘I might get it next week,’” she says. “The email says, ‘If you don’t want the vaccine, please decline,’ and I tell them on the regular calls, ‘Go ahead and decline if you don’t want it.’” Until COVID-19 vaccines have received the full, nonemergency approval of federal regulators, health care institutions are unlikely to require their employees to take them. While opinions differ about whether employers can mandate an emergency-use medication as a condition of employment, few local companies seem inclined to force the issue. In the long-term care industry, McLean and Horton point out, employers must balance the challenges of filling low-wage, difficult jobs with protecting residents from COVID-19. “If you only have 50% of your staff that will accept vaccination in these positions that are a labor of love as it is,” McLean explains, “they could be lured away by jobs that pay more or pay the same but are easier work.” For now, a significant portion of area medical workers are opting to wait to take their shot or rejecting the coronavirus vaccination altogether. With additional reporting by Kay West X
A Therapist Like Me We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 dedicated to connecting minority-identifying clients (of race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, language, mental health, neurotype, disability, and other intersections of identity), to minority-identifying therapists, as well advancing therapists of color. Through grants, donations and fundraising we are able to provide financial gifts to the community to gain access to mental health care.
Next psychotherapy voucher applications open 3/22-3/28 Minority-identifying clients unable to access therapy because of financial barriers may apply for psychotherapy vouchers with current A Therapist Like Me Psychotherapy Voucher members.
To find A Therapist Like Me, for more information or to become a Therapist Like Me, please visit www.atherapistlikeme.org 34 N. Ann St., AVL, NC 28801 • 828-263-7273 MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
13
GREEN SCENE
The life aquatic
Arboretum’s Willow Pond educates visitors on wetland ecosystems
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com One February day in 2009, N.C. Arboretum youth educator Jonathan Marchal was strolling the gardens when he heard what sounded like a hundred ducks in a woody spot down the hill. Unaware of an aquatic place in that vicinity that could house so many birds, he began bushwhacking toward the noise — and discovered not ducks, but a pond full of wood frogs, which start breeding that time of year. “That was a pretty big surprise, but I was just delighted because I had no idea we had a pond that we could start bringing programming within,” says Marchal, now the arboretum’s director of education. Marchal and his colleagues have since used the pond, originally built for sediment capture during construction of the arboretum’s core buildings, for educational programs such as summer camps and youth field trips. But thanks to a recently completed three-year, $2 million project, the spot known as Willow Pond will now provide even greater opportunities to teach the community about wetland ecosystems. The new outdoor classroom and garden area features three distinct ponds, a boardwalk, a 20-person teaching shelter and interpretive signage, complete with a frog kiosk that plays different amphibian vocalizations. Marchal will share more details about Willow Pond in a virtual presentation to the Western North Carolina Sierra Club at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4.
SALAMANDER HOTEL: The N.C. Arboretum’s new Willow Pond project features three distinct ponds, a boardwalk, a 20-person teaching shelter and interpretive signage, complete with a frog kiosk that plays different amphibian vocalizations. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Arboretum
HEALTHY HABITAT
Beyond Willow Pond’s role in education programs, the site’s transformation itself teaches the importance of protecting wetland habitats. After arboretum staff first began using the site, Marchal recalls, they discovered a particular mole salamander designated as a species of special concern in North Carolina. Naturalists with the state Wildlife Resources Commission soon visited and were elated to find both adult and juvenile mole salamanders in the pond. “We continued to monitor it that way, but as we were noticing, the pond was continuing to fill up with sediment,” Marchal says. “If we didn’t do anything, it was just going to fill in completely, and we’d be losing that
NO JOB TOO LARGE OR SMALL
FATHER AND SON
Home Improvement Billy & Neal Moxley
100 Edwin Place, AVL, NC 28801 | Billy: (828) 776-2391 | Neal: (828) 776-1674 14
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
educational component. But even more importantly, we’d be losing that aquatic habitat.” As arboretum leaders redesigned the pond, they tied the project in with the property’s parking renovations, which included permeable pavers to help reduce stormwater runoff and soil erosion. Marchal worked with the WRC to time most construction for when the salamanders naturally left the water to live beneath logs and rocks in the forest. Nervous that some species might not return to Willow Pond given the extensive construction, Marchal and other arboretum staffers placed sticks and logs in the water to make it more hospitable for creatures to lay their eggs. Those efforts paid off when wood frogs started using the debris for that purpose, a sight Marchal says made him “a little bit emotional” in early February. “Not only have we seen the frogs return and the insects, but we’ve now found mole salamanders back into the pond, too,” he says. “We’ve also seen pairs of mallard ducks down there. That’s not really something we ever saw before.” Thanks to the arboretum’s increased stormwater management efforts, which also include a floating wetland in the main pond and riser structures between all three bodies of water, Marchal is optimistic that staff and visitors alike will notice other new additions to Willow Pond. He’s hopeful that four-toed salamanders, also a state species of special concern,
may establish a population there. The pond may also attract bog turtles, a threatened species likewise found in the area but not yet spotted on the property. “We never had any water filtration as a part of this, so the water coming off of the parking lot would just go untreated into the pond,” Marchal says. “It’s kind of amazing that we have that degree of aquatic life there, knowing how sensitive they are to pollution. But now we’ll hopefully have a situation where it’s a cleaner pond and we may find more sensitive species that will be able to exist in it now.”
RIPPLE EFFECTS
Marchal sees Willow Pond as an example for the broader WNC community of how people can improve wetland environments by managing stormwater. The salamanders and other organisms that inhabit wetlands, he notes, play a vital role in supporting plants and animals throughout the entire ecosystem. “Pollution does not stay contained either, sadly, and salamanders are sensitive to many water pollutants,” Marchal says. “Impacts anywhere in the French Broad River watershed, even in downtown Asheville, can threaten our salamander populations.” Both Asheville and Buncombe County governments have departments to address stormwater management. Victoria Hoyland, Buncombe County stormwater administrator,
Accuracy. Reliability. PRECISION. Auto Service Excellence You Can Trust LIKE FISH TO WATER: The new Willow Pond will provide youth education opportunities around the importance of wetlands and serves as a “hot spot” in the arboretum’s ecoEXPLORE program. Photo courtesy of the N.C. Arboretum says she’s still getting her bearings after approximately six months on the job. She’s looking forward to the county’s upcoming comprehensive plan, where she sees the potential for increased community engagement. “I think a component of that will be stakeholder engagement on stormwater, [plus] environmental and resilience topics,” Hoyland says. “I’m excited to see if the community has any interest in evaluating our current ordinances and seeing if they warrant an update based on community needs.” Hoyland says revised stormwater policy could help the county address climate adaptation and changing weather patterns, as well as improve water quality in regional streams. In generating best practices, she’ll seek input from such region-
al groups as Land of Sky Regional Council, MountainTrue and the state Division of Energy, Mineral and Land Resources. On the city level, spokesperson Polly McDaniel points to the CarterAnn Street and Kenilworth stormwater projects as two important undertakings by the Public Works Department’s Stormwater Division, which manages infrastructure on city property and rights of way. Both projects aim to improve drainage and intercept more water, reducing ponding and runoff problems. “[We’re] working to be proactive in replacing aging infrastructure before it fails, as well as trying to plan out future projects where stormwater infrastructure is needed,” says Public Works Assistant Director Amy Deyton. X
23 Sardis Rd, Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 670-9191 precisionInternational.com
Learn by the water In addition to its environmental components, Willow Pond will significantly expand the arboretum’s educational offerings. The Blue Ridge Parkway’s TRACK Trail program (avl.mx/92c) is making a custom Willow Pond brochure for kids to engage with the habitat. The site has also been designated a “hot spot” in the arboretum’s ecoEXPLORER program (ecoexplore.net), which encourages youngsters to make photo observations of organisms around the property in exchange for prizes. And once COVID-19 pandemic restrictions lift, the arboretum plans to reintroduce Discovery Backpacks (avl.mx/92d) so that families can embark upon self-guided pond explorations with creek nets, bug boxes and binoculars. In-person adult education classes are slated to return in June, including Ecology of Insects and Fluvial Systems From the Blue Ridge to the NC Coastal Plains. Until then, online courses related to Willow Pond are scheduled throughout spring. Among the options are Meet the Spotted Salamander (Wednesday, March 17); Identifying Regional Frogs by Sight & Sound (Wednesday, March 24); and Wetlands in a Changing World (Tuesday and Thursday, April 27 and 29, and Tuesday and Thursday, May 4 and 6). More information and registration are available at avl.mx/92b. X
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
15
ARTS & CULTURE
Lights in the tunnel
Asheville artists grapple with the pandemic’s one-year anniversary BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com
dinner bar & patio our patio will be reopening for dining starting march 3rd! wed - mon 4:30 - 9 deliver y available at
coppercrownavl.com 16
MARCH 3-9, 2021
The past year has been difficult for performing artists across the world, and Cilla Vee (aka Claire Elizabeth Barratt) is no exception. The Asheville-based interdisciplinary artist had an entire season of gigs canceled in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, including an unusually high number of local events to complement her usual touring schedule. But out of the lockdown, an unexpected opportunity arose that wouldn’t have otherwise occurred. The New York City-based arts organization Chashama received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts for a project called Enliven NYC, which allowed for six performance artists to inhabit six different storefront gallery venues across the five boroughs and responsibly share creations with members of the public on the other side of the glass. Thus was born Cilla Vee’s VIGIL: Prayers of Healing for the Living and the Dead, a monthlong July residency at Chashama’s space on the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront. “The approach I took for the project was very spiritual,” Cilla Vee says. “I did a lot of research into different healing practices, mostly spiritual or at least alternative, but also medical. And each day, the end result was not only a performance prayer but also a written prayer to conclude the day.” Individual prayers were devoted to each of the six chromotherapy healing colors, plus themes of sound healing, breathing and hand-washing rituals, as well as wandering with departed souls and then guiding them into the light. Upon returning to Western North Carolina, Cilla Vee knew she wanted to bring VIGIL to her hometown but wasn’t sure how or where it would manifest. Then in November, during her performance in the Asheville Art Museum’s rescheduled and livestreamed spring gala, inspiration hit. “I was suddenly struck with the image of an Angel of Light holding vigil over the city of Asheville … for the whole year, unseen, yet present,” she says of the character she’ll portray. “Now she is revealing
MOUNTAINX.COM
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS: Asheville-based interdisciplinary artist Cilla Vee performs the final installment of VIGIL, her monthlong residency last July at Chashama’s space on the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront. Angel of Light, her locally themed, hourlong continuation of that series, will be shared March 9 at the Asheville Art Museum. Photo by Fred Hatt herself to offer hope. She is saying, ‘I’ve been here with you throughout this difficult time. Keep going, we’re almost there. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer.’” Commemorating the one-year anniversary of the city’s state of emergency declaration for the pandemic, the Angel of Light durational performance takes place Tuesday, March 9, 7-8 p.m. Similar to past VIGIL installments, viewers outside — this time at Pack Square — will be able to see the artist in action as she shares the piece within the oculus window above the building’s entrance.
DIMINISHING RETURNS
Cilla Vee’s resilience and success are all the more impressive considering the dire conditions facing local artists. The Asheville Area Arts Council’s latest arts impact survey — published on Feb. 1 and compiling data from 179 responses — reports $23.1 million in lost revenue since March 2020 for the Buncombe County creative sector. According to the survey, 68% of respondents said they earned enough income from
their arts job to support themselves prior to the pandemic. But a year into the health crisis, 62% now state they’ve since taken supplemental work or entirely left the arts sector in order to cover their expenses. While those findings are disturbing, AAAC Executive Director Katie Cornell is even more troubled by another statistic. “In three months, we could see 16 business closures in the arts sector and 40 in the next six months,” she says. “These businesses provide value to the community, and each closure will have a ripple effect. It will mean a loss of jobs, programs, support services and places to perform and work, sell and exhibit work.” Based on those numbers, Cornell feels that Asheville is three-six months away from seeing “a significantly diminished arts sector.” She adds that vaccinations are “crucially important” in creating conditions where performance and music venues can resume having events, but until such gatherings can occur at full capacity, financial assistance will be necessary.
T
The second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans and the Shuttered Venue Operators grant (formerly Save Our Stages) could deliver key support to help turn the tide. There’s also funding proposed in the new federal stimulus package that might provide additional aid similar to the North Carolina CARES for Arts grant that the AAAC was able to offer at the end of last year. Cornell says a large number of business owners that participated in the survey expressed their intention to apply for either PPP or SVO funding. Though the latter will potentially provide more support than the former, the SVO grant application period has yet to open — and organizations cannot apply for both. “With the PPP deadline approaching at the end of March and still no clear guidance on when the SVO grant will open, organizations are getting nervous about what to do,” Cornell says. “Should they go ahead and apply for PPP — which will be less money, but they could get it faster — or hold out for SVO, not knowing when or if they will receive the funds?” Among the businesses whose management teams will soon have to make that decision are Asheville’s numerous music venues. Cornell points out that the 53% growth of Buncombe County’s arts and entertainment industry over the past five years is largely due to the music industry and that losing music venues could have “a long-term detrimental impact on a significant driving force in the local creative economy.”
Cornell is also especially concerned about the local musicians who rely on those stages and others to make a living. They’re a big part of why Buncombe County has 21% more gig-based workers than the national average, and many of these earners also happen to be women and members of minority groups. According to the AAAC’s March 2021 creative jobs report, 68% of creative jobs held by female workers and 76% held by nonwhite workers in 2019 were self-employed/freelance or extended proprietor jobs. “These workers do not have unemployment benefits, and there is a high probability that they also do not have health insurance unless they have a private plan or are insured through a spouse,” she says. “This highlights just how important the extended federal unemployment benefits and health assistance programs are for this segment of our workforce.”
SHINE ON
Despite the plentiful trials and setbacks over the past 12 months, there have been occasional silver linings. Cornell says she’s seen an encouraging willingness among members of what can be a “rather siloed” arts community to collaborate, and she hopes to see partnerships built there and with local, state and federal agencies outside of the arts sector continue after the pandemic ends. The work by creators who acknowledge the bittersweet anniversary also help. In addition to Angel of Light,
We heard you AVL!! New Hours WED-SAT 12-7pm
• Falafel & Meatball • Rotating Daily Shawarma
Please see the full menu @babanahm.com & download our free app • Local delivery @Kickbackavl
order at babanahm.com
local visual artists Cleaster Cotton and Bridget Benton are readying work that directly addresses the current longevity of the pandemic. “Commensurate with new life circumstances, a new type of art emerged from me which was unlike my previous creations,” Cotton says. “A debilitating artist’s block shifted into a repurposing, manipulation and harmonic convergence of my previously created works of art into new work, which satisfied my need to express myself and put me onto a path of decompression and clarity.” She’s coined the term “Nouveaux Outsider Collage” to describe the mixed media syntheses of her photography, drawings, hand-rendered designs and paintings. Each piece conveys the “raw emotions and mental congestion” brought on by the pandemic, including “the collective searing fear; splintering, fragmenting mental stress; confusion, isolation and economic challenges.” “I used layers, fragments of color, [and] sharp and blurred imagery to depict that which was clearly in our faces each day, triggering the cloudy, mind-boggling uncertainty offered up daily by mainstream media and social media,” Cotton says. “And [I]
used keyboard strokes, hashtags, question marks and dots to reference our main form of input, information, communication and socialization during the isolation of quarantine and government mandates.” Meanwhile, Benton recently began working on a new collection that centers on the idea of emergence. “The series focuses on figures emerging into the light, much like plants do in the spring,” she says. “Some of the figures are still partially encased in darkness, and some of the pieces reference seeds and roots.” Throughout the last year, she feels as if she’s gone through the full grief cycle of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, finally, acceptance. Various plans were “adjusted, adjusted again and then destroyed,” all of her classes and workshops were canceled, and one of the galleries in which she regularly showed her work closed permanently. “I went through a pretty bad depression,” Benton says. “And now I’m emerging on the other side of that. It’s reflected in the work, that sense of something new emerging, something blossoming.” X
Poetry Contest
What’s your
story?
Xpress announces a 2021 poetry contest in celebration of April as National Poetry Month. Western North Carolina residents are asked to submit their work that examines the ways our connections with friends, family and community — tested over the past year as perhaps never before — sustain us. Poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font and have not been previously published. The contest is currently open for submissions and will close at midnight on Wednesday, March 10. Email the poem in the body of the message or as a Doc attachment to tcalder@mountainx.com. The subject line should read “Xpress poetry contest.” Include the author’s full name and contact information in the email. Only one submission is allowed per person. There is no cost to enter. A winning poem will be determined by Mildred Barya, poet and UNC Asheville assistant professor of English. The winner will be published online and in print in the final issue of our annual Sustainability series on Wednesday, April 28. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or freelance contributors. Contact Thomas Calder at tcalder@mountainx.com with any questions.
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
17
ARTS & C U L T U R E
FOOD
Before and after
COVID-19 closed their businesses but did not defeat their purpose BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com With apologies to the Irish and all who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2020, will be forever remembered as a dark moment in the history of Asheville’s bar and restaurant industry. At 5 p.m. on that date, the sector’s hustle and bustle came to a screeching halt as Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order prohibiting indoor drinking and dining went into effect as part of COVID-19 quarantine measures. In the ensuing year, despite heroic efforts to hold on, navigating takeout models, outdoor dining, reduced-capacity indoor seating and alcohol curfews, more than 20 Asheville businesses were ultimately tossed off the COVID roller coaster that upended the hospitality sector, particularly local and independently owned businesses. Some of those shuttered buildings and storefronts remain vacant and in states of deconstruction, such as Over Easy Cafe on Broadway and Golden Fleece in Grovewood Village. Some have been flipped: Katie Button and Felix Meana turned Button & Co. Bagels into La Bodega by Cúrate; Miyako House sushi and pan-Asian restaurant debuted in the old Korean House space on Feb. 20; Broth Lab’s River Arts District site (the original home of White Duck Taco) is set to become Bull & Beggar’s burger joint, Baby Bull, this spring; and before long, 68 N. Lexington Ave. — home for nearly three years to AUX Bar — will see the opening of Water
LOVIN’ FROM THE OVEN: Chef Laura Smith has turned Baba Nahm’s indoor dining area into the Suladan Bake Shop, making pastries, candy, sweets and cookie bags to order online. Photo courtesy of Baba Nahm Street, a new concept from Rosetta’s Kitchen owner Rosetta Buan. Closing a restaurant is complicated, costly and emotional, say three restaurateurs who all made that difficult decision in 2020 and are still navigating the after-effects and determining what’s next.
THE PARTY’S OVER
On March 13, 2020, Rustic Grape Wine Bar celebrated its two-year
anniversary with a little party. “We were just starting to break even,” remembers co-owner and sommelier Melissa Ward, who opened the cozy spot on Aston Street just off Biltmore Avenue with partner Patty Wright. “We had survived our second winter and were having fun. We felt like 2020 would be the year we found our footing.” Instead, four days later the party was over. In compliance with state orders, Rustic Grape locked the door and corked the wines. Because
OPEN FOR LUNCH, DINNER & BRUNCH! Delivery Exclusively with Takeout Central 47 Biltmore Ave. Downtown Asheville ============== 828.254.2502==============
THEBLACKBIRDRESTURANT.COM
Rustic Grape was classified as a bar and not a restaurant, it didn’t have the option to resume operations with limited capacity when quarantine restrictions were loosened at the end of May. At that point, even though their landlord worked with them, Ward and Wright felt they had no choice but to put the business up for sale. With the food and beverage industry in an uncertain place, the pair received no offers for months. “We took out loans to build out the space from a shell and are still dealing with the financial fallout,” says Ward. “We don’t know if the (U.S. Small Business Administration) will forgive any or part of our loan. This is happening to so many small, heart-and-soul projects that did not fail because of decisions we made, but because COVID took it away.” Ironically, after closing Rustic Grape, it was a job Ward took working the farming side of the operation at Marked Tree Vineyard that led to a new tenant for the location. Since December, the 700-squarefoot corner space has served as a satellite tasting room for the Flat Rock winery. “I tried working in the downtown tasting room, but I’m still pretty raw and couldn’t do it,” she says. “I’m so glad it stayed a wine concept and local, and it’s a good outcome for them and the landlord. But it’s not a happy ending for me.” Still, Ward keeps her nose in the wine glass through hosting virtual tastings through Sips With a Somm, which she launched last year. And she intends to bring back her popular monthly networking group, Women & Wine, in person when allowed.
THE BAR IS CLOSED
Brown butcher paper is taped to the windows of 68 N. Lexington Ave. The glass door still bears the bold logo and red block letters announcing AUX Bar, but a man standing on the brick-paved patio bereft of tables confirms that work is being done inside the building. After opening with a bang in February 2018, AUX Bar served a gastropub-type menu and quirky cocktails for lunch, dinner and late-night revelry from partners Samantha and chef Steve Goff and Marlene and chef Mike Moore. But on Sept. 13, 2020, the kitchen sent out its last duck wings, hot catfish sandwiches and pickled eggs.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 20 18
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
19
A R TS & CU LTU R E Steve Goff says that thanks to the partners’ agreement with the separate limited liability corporation they operated under, closing AUX was fairly simple once the decision was made — and he felt relief to no longer be managing 21 shifts a week. “I could have worked 24-hour days to keep it going, but looking into winter, I knew it was time,” he says. “When I turned over the keys in September, I went home and slept until about December. Since 2013, I have opened five restaurants, a food truck and a butcher shop. It was the most amazing thing on earth to take a rest.” The brightest silver lining, he adds, was spending time with his daughter and his wife, who is a preschool teacher. In January, the chef started teaching in A-B Tech’s culinary program and is enjoying cooking for his family, though he admits it took some time to learn to downsize from preparing for a crowd to a party of three. “I surf the internet for dishes and think, ‘That looks stupid, I’ll try it!’” Goff does not anticipate diving into another restaurant project until more normalcy returns to the industry, which he thinks may be as far off as early 2022. For now, he’s fine with taking time to ponder what type of restaurant he wants. “I’d like one with dinner service seven nights a week, not 21 shifts a week,” he says. “I like the aesthetic of what AUX Bar had, but something more upscale that still has a funky feel to it. I sit at the table at home and write menus for fun. I’m not done with that at all.”
END OF AN ERA
On the penultimate week of February 2021, the narrow glass cases on either side of Rezaz’s main entrance that once held the Mediterranean restaurant’s menus are empty. The host stand remains just inside the front door as if awaiting diners, but there are no tables or chairs in the dining rooms, no stools pulled up to the marble-topped bar, no wine bottles behind it ready to be opened and poured. The last day of service — takeout only — of the nearly 20-yearold mainstay of Historic Biltmore Village was June 4, COVID Year 2020. Owners since 2015, when they bought the business from founder Reza Setayesh, chefs Laura and Brian Smith went out with panache, boxing up chicken and chorizo paella, shrimp tagine, osso buco with merguez and rice, 20
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
summer salad of peaches and goat cheese, coconut cake with lemon curd and chocolate ganache torte. They found the tasks and logistics of closing daunting and complex. “There’s a ton to do; it’s very expensive and nearly as complicated as opening a restaurant,” says Laura Smith. “It’s shocking.” On top of paperwork and number crunching, the personal loss is severe. “It was very emotional not to go into Rezaz every day,” Smith remembers. “Brian and I met there, it’s where our families met for the first time, it’s where we had our wedding feast and the first restaurant we owned together. It was our dream restaurant. The sadness still creeps up on us.” But the Smiths still had Baba Nahm. In early fall 2019, the couple had bought out Setayesh’s share of the downtown fast-casual Middle Eastern eatery they had opened together in 2017. Because Baba Nahm already had a steady takeout business, it was able to remain operational in the early weeks of the pandemic shutdown. In May, the Smiths closed it while they started the process of shuttering Rezaz. Then, after some cleaning and reorganizing, they reopened it in June with just two employees: themselves. “COVID allowed us to restart Baba Nahm,” Laura says. “We were always afraid to touch that menu, but we scratched everything and started over. We tried several concepts but have settled on six different family meals — including some things from Rezaz, like the lamb shank — and brought back lunch.” The classically trained pastry chef is finding her happy place using what used to be Baba Nahm’s indoor dining space for her Suladan Bake Shop, named after herself and siblings Susan and Dan. “It’s my outlet to still be creative and have fun,” she says. The desserts and pastries are listed on Baba Nahm’s online menu. But memories of Rezaz abide. In a storage facility in Asheville, the Smiths keep treasured items, décor and furnishings they salvaged from the space, such as the sofra — family dining table — they commissioned from local woodworker Danny Schwalje. “We are holding onto those things for the future,” Laura explains. “You still have to plan, and you still have to dream. Once you’re in the restaurant business, it stays with you forever. Brian and I have new adventures to come.” X
FOOD
Opening argument Restaurants that took a winter break plan to reopen for spring
Whether wary of the weather or weary of the worry of keeping up with pingponging pandemic response phases, several restaurants opted to take a bit of a winter nap. With spring around the corner, it’s time to rise and shine again. RE-RE-RE-RE-OPENING Ralph Lonow, sommelier and co-owner with Tony Creed of Avenue M, spent January and February when the restaurant was closed playing with his 3-year-old daughter. But now he’s ready to get back to work. On March 9, Avenue M will reopen for the fourth time since the partners signed the lease in June 2019. “When Tony and I bought it in 2019, we had the first reopening. Then we closed in January 2020 for a remodel and to get our new chef, Andrew McLeod, on board, so we re-re-opened after that,” Lonow explains. “We closed for COVID in March, and re-re-re-opened in May, and then we closed this January and February, so this is our re-re-re-re-opening.” Avenue M will roll out new operating days and hours — Tuesday through Saturday, 5-9 p.m. — and some menu tweaks, including what Lonow calls a “chef cooks for you button,” — also known as a moderately priced tasting menu — from newly married chef McLeod. Mazel tov! Avenue M, 791 Merrimon Ave. avl.mx/91w
TACOS AND COCKTAILS
In 2020, restaurateur Jacob Sessoms (Table, Imperial Life, Cultura, All Day Darling) flipped the table on Table, closing the acclaimed Asheville eatery and installing popular taco pop-up El Gallo as a permanent resident at 48 College St., operating under pandemic protocols via a streetside order window and sidewalk tables. He and chef Luis Martinez kicked off the new year with a twomonth winter sabbatical and will reopen El Gallo on March 11 with new menu items; safely distanced,
indoor, table-service dining on both floors and a cocktail menu from Imperial Life. El Gallo, 48 College St. avl.mx/91t
PARKING LOT DINING
Zia Taqueria took a few weeks off in November then brought back to-go orders with curbside pickup or delivery through Kickback AVL. On Feb. 12, operating partner Robert Tipsword reopened Zia’s brightly painted and tented al fresco dining room on the site formerly known as the parking lot. “Opening before spring will help us shake the rust off from being closed and get our systems in place,” he says. “Last year was so wishy-washy — open, close, open, close — I just wanted to make a decision and stick to it.” And the decision is: Zia Taqueria will be open seven days a week, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wash, rinse, repeat. Zia Taqueria 521 Haywood Road. avl.mx/91v
WINE AND DINE
Feeling parched? Leo’s House of Thirst is there for you after a two-week break in February. The wine shop, wine bar and restaurant offers limited indoor seating and tables under heaters on the deck and yard. Chef Austin Inselmann’s full dinner menu is also available for online orders and curbside pickup. Leo’s House of Thirst, 1055 Haywood Road. avl.mx/91x
2021
Kids Issues
AT YOUR SERVICE: Chef Luis Martinez is ready to welcome taco lovers back to El Gallo when it reopens for pickup and inside dining. Photo by Chris Talbot
SUNNY DAYS AHEAD
MOVIE LISTINGS
Sunny Point Café pulled the shade shut on service Jan. 19 through Feb. 3, reopened for counter-service breakfast and lunch and table-service dinner on Feb. 4, closed again Feb. 22-27 for repairs and renovation, then opened again Feb. 28. “We are anticipating spring,” says Alice Oglesby, garden manager and marketing. Aren’t we all? Sunny Point Café, 626 Haywood Road. avl.mx/91u
Bruce Steele’s and Edwin Arnaudin’s latest critiques of new films available to view via local theaters and popular streaming services include:
— Kay West X
I CARE A LOT: Rosamund Pike earns her Golden Globe in this deliciously dark tale of a conniving court-appointed guardian who meets her match. Grade: B-plus. Rated R RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON: The newest Disney animated feature is a feast for the eyes and its message of unity feels especially powerful in these divisive times, but the predictable plotting and so-so humor hinder its potential for greatness. Grade: B. Rated PG TOM & JERRY: The iconic cat and mouse deserve better than this spectacularly dumb liveaction/animated hybrid designed exclusively for very young children. Grade: D. Rated PG
Publish 3/10 & 3/17 Contact us today! advertise@mountainx.com 828-251-1333 x1
Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
21
Brand new apartment community opening this Spring
Maple Crest Apartments
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): In late April of 1969, Cambridgeshire, UK hosted the first-ever Thriplow Daffodil Weekend: a flower show highlighting 80 varieties of narcissus. In the intervening years, climate change has raised the average temperature 3.24 degrees Fahrenheit. So the flowers have been blooming progressively earlier each year, which has necessitated moving the festival back. The last pre-Covid show in 2019 was on March 23-24, a month earlier than the original. Let’s use this as a metaphor for shifting conditions in your world. I invite you to take an inventory of how your environment has been changing, and what you could do to ensure you’re adapting to new conditions. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Leo Buscaglia told us that among ancient Egyptians, two specific questions were key in evaluating whether a human life was well-lived. They were “Did you bring joy?” and “Did you find joy?” In accordance with your current astrological potentials, I’m inviting you to meditate on those queries. And if you discover there’s anything lacking in the joy you bring and the joy you find, now is a very favorable time to make corrections.
Now Accepting Applications
Call (828) 237-7150
maplecrest@partnershippm.com Located in beautiful Asheville NC, near Mission Hospital. These apartments will go fast! We offer all of the amenities you deserve & want, at affordable rates you'll love! Units start at: 1BR $690, 2BR $828 and 3BR $967. Income restrictions based on household size. Tax Credit Income Limits/ Maximum Household Income 1 Person - $30,120 2 Person - $34,380 3 Person - $38,700 4 Person - 42,960 5 Person - $46,440 6 Person - $49,860 7 Person - $53,280 8 Person - $56,760
• Range, Refrigerator, • 1, 2, & 3 Bdrm Apts • Community Computer Center & Dishwasher • Utilities included Elevator provided • Picnic area w/ Grill • Community Room • Convenient • Exercise Room Location and more • Playground • On-Site Laundry Equal Housing Opportunity. Criminal/Credit Check Required. Accessible units designed for persons with disabilities subject to availability. This institution is professionally managed by Partnership Property Management, an equal opportunity provider and employer.
22
MARCH 3-9, 2021
MOUNTAINX.COM
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): At age 11, the future first President of the United States, George Washington, became the “owner” of 10 slaves. A few years later he “bought” 15 more. By the time he was president, 123 men, women and children were struggling in miserable bondage under his control. Finally, in his will, he authorized them to be freed after he and his wife died. Magnanimous? Hell, no. He should have freed those people decades earlier — or better yet, never “owned” them in the first place. Another Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, not only freed his slaves but became an abolitionist. By my count, at least 11 of the other Founding Fathers never owned slaves. Now here’s the lesson I’d like us to apply to your life right now: Don’t procrastinate in doing the right thing. Do it now. CANCER (June 21-July 22): During World War II, the Japanese island of Ōkunoshima housed a factory that manufactured poison gas for use in chemical warfare against China. These days it is a tourist attraction famous for its thousands of feral but friendly bunnies. I’d love to see you initiate a comparable transmutation in the coming months, dear Cancerian: changing bad news into good news, twisted darkness into interesting light, soullessness into soulfulness. Now is a good time to ramp up your efforts. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Scars speak for you,” writes author Gena Showalter. “They say you’re strong, and you’ve survived something that might have killed others.” In that spirit, dear Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to authorize your scars to express interesting truths about you in the coming weeks. Allow them to demonstrate how resilient you’ve been and how well you’ve mastered the lessons that your past suffering has made available. Give your scars permission to be wildly eloquent about the transformations you’ve been so courageous in achieving. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to novelist Doris Lessing, “Everybody in the world is thinking: I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who’d be kind to me.” She implied that hardly anyone ever gets such an experience — or that it’s so rare as to be always tugging on our minds, forever a source of unquenched longing. But I’m more optimistic than Lessing. In my view, the treasured exchange she describes is not so impossible. And I think it will especially possible for you in the coming weeks. I suspect you’re entering a grace period of being listened to, understood and treated kindly. Here’s the catch: For best results, you should be forthright in seeking it out.
BY ROB BREZSNY
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “How much has to be explored and discarded before reaching the naked flesh of feeling,” wrote composer Claude Debussy. In the coming weeks, I hope you’ll regard his words as an incitement to do everything you can to reach the naked flesh of your feelings. Your ideas are fine. Your rational mind is a blessing. But for the foreseeable future, what you need most is to deepen your relationship with your emotions. Study them, please. Encourage them to express themselves. Respect their messages as gifts, even if you don’t necessarily act upon them. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You may never wander out alone into a dark forest or camp all night on a remote beach or encounter a mountain lion as you climb to a glacier near the peak of a rugged mountain. But there will always be a primeval wilderness within you — uncivilized lands and untamed creatures and elemental forces that are beyond your rational understanding. That’s mostly a good thing! To be healthy and wise, you need to be in regular contact with raw nature, even if it’s just the kind that’s inside you. The only time it may be a hindrance is if you try to deny its existence, whereupon it may turn unruly and inimical. So don’t deny it! Especially now. (P.S. To help carry out this assignment, try to remember the dreams you have at night. Keep a recorder or notebook and pen near your bed.) SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “What damages a person most,” wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, “is to work, think and feel without inner necessity, without any deep personal desire, without pleasure — as a mere automaton of duty.” Once a year, I think every one of us, including me, should meditate on that quote. Once a year, we should evaluate whether we are living according to our soul’s code; whether we’re following the path with heart; whether we’re doing what we came to earth to accomplish. In my astrological opinion, the next two weeks will be your special time to engage in this exploration. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What are your edges, Capricorn? What aspects of your identity straddle two different categories? Which of your beliefs embrace seemingly opposed positions? In your relations with other people, what are the taboo subjects? Where are the boundaries that you can sometimes cross and other times can’t cross? I hope you’ll meditate on these questions in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you’re primed to explore edges, deepen your relationship with your edges and use your edges for healing and education and cultivating intimacy with your allies. As author Ali Smith says, “Edges are magic; there’s a kind of forbidden magic on the borders of things, always a ceremony of crossing over, even if we ignore it or are unaware of it.” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to intermedia artist Sidney Pink, “The idea of divine inspiration and an aha moment is largely a fantasy.” What the hell is he talking about?! That’s fake news, in my view. In the course of my creative career, I’ve been blessed with thousands of divine inspirations and aha moments. But I do acknowledge that my breakthroughs have been made possible by “hard work and unwavering dedication,” which Sidney Pink extols. Now here’s the climax of your oracle: You Aquarians are in a phase when you should be doing the hard work and unwavering dedication that will pave the way for divine inspirations and aha moments later this year. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For you Pisceans, March is Love Yourself Bigger and Better and Bolder Month. To prepare you for this festival, I’m providing two inspirational quotes. 1. “If you aren’t good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you’ll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren’t even giving to yourself.” — Barbara De Angelis 2. “Loving yourself does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion.” — Margo Anand
MARKETPLACE REAL ESTATE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY
2 GARAGE BAYS + OFFICE + STORAGE FOR RENT 2 garage bays, storage, and office space in NAVL. Ideal for hobby shop or non-retail business due to limited parking. Heat, water, compressed air, and 2 lifts. $2200/ month. 828-436-0116.jamie@ workingwheelswnc.org.
RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT APARTMENT FOR RENT Unfurnished One bd apartment in west Asheville. Rent includes electric and heat. Also free internet. $875 per month. Nice. Full kitchen. And garden space if desired. Air conditioner. 828778-5520 • smaphet@gmail.com
EMPLOYMENT GENERAL JOB OPPORTUNITY FOR MINORITY AND/OR WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES. Minority Participating Commercial Contractor seeking to offer Minority and/or Women owned eligible Businesses, Vendors, Subcontractors, or individuals’ economic opportunities of job training, employment, and contracting work to promote local economic development and individual self-sufficiency. We will provide economical units to allow for minority participation as well as provide assistance for bonding and insurance for Minority and/ or Women owned Businesses. Also, quick payment policies to help minority suppliers and contractors participate will be available. We are committed to satisfy our goal to provide equal opportunities and help these persons/businesses have chances to gain growth in their industry and throughout this entire housing project. If you are a Minority and/or Women Owned Business or Resident in the County area and seeking work please contact us at 828-548-3675, email to ad949@bidsec3.com, or via fax at 828-548-3682 to become part of our HUD-assisted project and help promote quality housing and community development in this area. Plans are available at: https://parker.box.com/v/ Jasper-Section-3.
ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE EARTH EQUITY ADVISORS IS HIRING: FT CLIENT SERVICE ASSOCIATE We are seeking a Client Service Associate who is driven to create exceptional client experiences while setting the tone for our firm's relationship with our clients. For more details and directions on how to apply, please visit https://www. earthequityadvisors.com/ careers/.
record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is is sometimes needed or an option. E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Central Downtown Asheville route.
me to discuss how we can be of assistance. 828-243-7699 • lendingawynninghandhomecare21@ gmail.com.
TEACHING/ EDUCATION
HOME
RAINBOW COMMUNITY SCHOOL - AFTER SCHOOL ASSISTANT! Do you love to laugh, swing, jump rope, hopscotch, skate, sing songs and be outdoors? Do children bring you joy and is community important to you? How about puppet shows, arts & crafts, hula hooping, sewing, gardening or more? Rainbow is operating with a strict COVID safety protocol with mask wearing, social distancing and outside programming/classroom. Pay $15 hourly. rainbowcommunityschool.org. Send resume WITH references to denisa.rullmoss@ rainbowlearning.org.
HOTEL/ HOSPITALITY HOUSEKEEPING / DEEP CLEANER Housekeeping/ deep cleaning of our campus in Asheville. Full time Monday-Friday includes benefits and PTO; cleaning experience required, min 21 years old and clean driving record-email resume to hr@cooperriis.org • www. cooperriis.org.
RETAIL SILK SCREEN OPERATOR We are looking for someone with silk screening experience. What we do is screen print on metal parts. It requires pulling screens. This is a first shift 7:00am to 3:30pm position with some opportunity for overtime. 828-236-3993 • brenda.bearden@t-fab.com.
XCHANGE WANTED BUYING OLD PAPER MONEY Asheville, WNC, ETN over 10 years. Fair, open, and responsive. Buying currency, bonds, maps, documents, etc. Email papermoneybuy@gmail.com, or call/text 865-207-8994. Member SPMC, NCNA, SCNA, TNA.
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. 1-844-416-7147 (AAN CAN)
CAREGIVERS COMPANION • CAREGIVER • LIVE-IN Alzheimer's experienced • Heart failure and bed sore care • Hospice reference letter • Nonsmoker, with cat, seeks live-in position • References • Arnold, (828) 273-2922.
DRIVERS/ DELIVERY
MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving
LENDING A WYNNING HAND HOME CARE Looking for dedicated in home care? We can assist with ADL's, light housekeeping, medications, driving to appointments. Get in contact with
FINANCIAL AUTO INSURANCE STARTING AT $49/ MONTH! Call for your fee rate comparison to see how much you can save! Call: 855-5691909. (AAN CAN)
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! 1-888-519-0171 (AAN CAN) BATHROOM RENOVATIONS EASY, ONE DAY updates! We specialize in safe bathing. Beautiful new walk-in showers with no slip flooring. Also, grab bars and seated showers available. Call for a free in-home consultation: 844-242-1100. (AAN CAN)
HOME IMPROVEMENT HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. Insured. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.
THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE All items will be disposed of 30 days from date of posting. Items to be auctioned will be displayed on www.propertyroom.com.
CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLAY CLASSES & WORKSHOPS FOR ALL AGES Come experience the love of clay! We are offering an amazing line-up of classes and workshops this Spring! Whatever your skill level is- we have a class! odysseyclayworks@gmail.com • www.odysseyclayworks.com • 828-285-0210.
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES ASTRO-COUNSELING Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 258-3229.
ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS 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) DO YOU OWE OVER $10K TO THE IRS OR STATE IN BACK TAXES? Our firm works to reduce the tax bill or zero it out completely FAST. Let us help! Call 855-955-0702. (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) 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) HEARING AIDS!! Buy one/ get one FREE! High-quality rechargeable Nano hearing aids priced 90% less than competitors. Nearly invisible! 45-day money back guarantee! 1-833-585-1117 (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.
FREE COURSE OFFERING! HOW TO ERADICATE FEAR: A GUIDE FOR ENTREPRENEURS In this online course I will listen, guide and share tools to assist with our current times while operating as an entrepreneur. It's free! Sign up today at https:// www.NicoleLee.me..
POSITIVE HYPNOSIS | EFT | NLP Michelle Payton, M.A., D.C.H., Author | 828-681-1728 | www.MichellePayton.com | Mind Over Matter 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.
AUTOMOTIVE AUTOS FOR SALE MINI COOPER CONVERTIBLE & NISSAN SENTRA Two cars, each ~160000 miles: '05 Mini Cooper S Convertible - perfect parkway cruiser, manual sports car- $5,800 AND '06 Nissan Sentra - efficient daily driver $2,600. 828-342-4116 or able.l.allen@ gmail.com.
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)
edited by Will Shortz | No. 0127
ACROSS
1 ___ California 5 Frequent sights in Road Runner cartoons 10 Attempt 14 Vegetarian substitute for gelatin 15 “Silence is the most perfect expression of ___” (line in a Shaw play) 16 Philosopher David 17 Despicable … or where this answer goes? 20 Paradises 21 Output of Santa’s workshop 22 Retort to 4-Down 23 Dandies 25 Moving around very nicely, thank you 26 Nonstop joker 28 Midday break 32 Merit badge holder 35 Nearly forever 36 What to expect between June and September in India 38 What’s what, in Italy 39 Sick … or where this answer goes? 42 “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord …,” e.g. 43 “Diamonds” 44 Habitat for bitterns and herons 45 ___ walk 47 University whose name is also a food 49 Levels 52 Knuckleheaded act? 56 Is indebted to 57 Side to be considered 61 “I only got a seventh-grade education, but I have a doctorate in ___”: James Brown 62 Latent … or where this answer goes? 65 Notable time
1
2
3
4
5
14
6
8
9
10
28
35
29
30
31
32 37
34
54
55
38
40
41
42
43 45 50
33
25
36
39
13
22
24
27
12
19 21
23
11
16
18
20
49
7
PUZZLE BY MIKE KNOBLER
15
17
26
|
44
46
47
51
48 52
56
57
62
63
65
66
68
69
66 Shipping route 67 Burnish 68 Servius Tullius, e.g., in ancient Rome 69 Part of w.p.m.: Abbr. 70 One-eighty 71 Like some wines and humor
DOWN 1 Hon 2 Like sharp cheddar 3 Longtime actress co-starring in Netflix’s “Grace and Frankie” 4 Schoolyard denial 5 Winter hrs. in the Midwest 6 Fünf + drei 7 2017 Pixar hit 8 Where Paris took Helen 9 Holiday ___ 10 Heavy scissors 11 Possible result of overeating, informally 12 Roadies’ loads 13 Texas politico O’Rourke 18 “Poor venomous fool,” to Cleopatra
58
59
53
60
61 64 67
70
71
19 A hot one is timely 24 Place for a coin 25 Old woman’s home, in a children’s rhyme 26 Enlist again 27 Na+ and Cl– 29 Square 30 Tiny fraction of a min. 31 Shrink in fear 33 What dogs do in the spring 34 One of a pair of towel markings 36 Citi Field mascot 37 Drug trafficker, informally 40 City across the Rio Grande from Juárez
41 Drive … or drive mad? 46 Drifted downriver, say 48 Not off key 49 Not drunk 50 Quaint contraction 51 “Stop worrying!” 53 Play defense against 54 Run up, as charges 55 Barely make it 58 Cries of discovery 59 Animated frame 60 Biblical twin 63 Indianapolis-toSt. Louis dir. 64 Female Jedi in “Star Wars”
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE P O E C O L L M I N D M U T Z O M E I R O T W O R K E T H E U N A B C A R E I N J O I N T A T V S C H I W K E N O O R G K
T S I S I E L D D O R M A T O R L I T E C A I E R P A I N I N E N E P N O T
P A M O N S I N G T O A D
C R I S C S O N I C P A E R S
H I N T E D
A G O
C A S T A N E T S
A S A P O K P I R I C E N K Y E
G R O O M S M E N
I T S M E T S A
P E U G N G T
ISO Warehouse Space
You: 1000-ish sq.ft. rough space with a roll-up door and possibly a loading dock US: Local independent newspaper with a thing for purple Call to connect: 251-1333 x112 MOUNTAINX.COM
MARCH 3-9, 2021
23