OUR 28TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 28 NO. 39 APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
C O NT E NT S
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Best of WNC since 2014!
VERTICAL HORIZON Polarizing “urban infill” defines West Asheville’s boom
10 REDEFINING RECOVERY Economic, community and cultural resilience marks aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred
22 HEALTHIER OPPORTUNITIES Pilot program addresses social drivers of health
27 ‘WHEN FLESH AND BLOOD ARE SHED’ Ron Rash rounds out Xpress’ celebration of Poetry Month
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COVER PHOTO Brooke Randle
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LETTERS
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CARTOON: MOLTON
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CARTOON: BRENT BROWN
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NEWS
12 BUNCOMBE BEAT
16 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 22 WELLNESS 24 ARTS & CULTURE 34 CLUBLAND
A&C
regenerationstation.com
After more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city of Asheville was due for a deep clean. After kicking off the first of several city-wide cleanup efforts, elected leaders, city staff and organization heads discuss what it takes to keep downtown clean and what the future may hold for funding the city’s maintenance.
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COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 14 GARDENING WITH XPRESS Columnist Chloe Lieberman discusses leaf mulch, mushroom compost and dahlias
WELLNESS
Grey, Leather Bernhardt Sofa
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A&C
FEATURE
OF ANTIQUES, UNIQUES & REPURPOSED RARITIES!
NEWS
NEWS
FEATURES
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32 AROUND TOWN Asheville benefit concert will raise money for Ukrainian humanitarian aid
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OPINION
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
Seek first to understand I read “My Story” on Florida’s bill, which many call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill [“My Story: ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Law Denies Identities and Truths,” April 6, Xpress]. My heart goes out to the author and all those who have felt in some way judged by society. However, the author’s characterization of social conservatives as homophobic white supremacists is totally unfair in my opinion, and worse, it is divisive. The author wrote that she feared “being whispered about or bullied” in school. This is unacceptable for any child to be allowed to feel this way. It is adults’ responsibility to create environments where all children can develop a positive sense of self, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity or race. I understand what the author described as the negative school environment. Any put-down of people, just because they are different somehow, cannot be tolerated, and children need to be taught this. But we also have to role model acceptance of people different from ourselves. Florida’s bill is not a “gag order,” as the author presents. The bill simply prohibits school staff from giving instruction in sexual orientation or gender identity to very young children (kindergarten through third grade), and that when these subjects are taught after third grade, they are done in an age-appropriate manner. The bill does not prohibit a school counselor from reassuring a child who is feeling different or alienated for any reason, as long as this support is not hidden from the parent. Parents want to teach their own children about sex at an age the child is developmentally ready to understand. How might someone feel if the situation was reversed and their child was being taught by their teacher that being gay is wrong? This bill also prohibits this. When my son was at an age to show interest in sex, I told him that sex should only be shared with someone he loves and who is very special to him. That was the value I wanted to impart to him, contrary to what I perceived as the message of popular culture. The author also refers to the conflict over critical race theory in schools as an example of white supremacy. I do not believe this is anywhere near true. My understanding is that parents are not objecting to teaching factual history, especially our country’s long struggle for equal rights. Parents object to their child being labeled as either a victim or an oppressor solely because of the color of their skin. If we truly want to stop the divisiveness that is tearing apart our coun-
C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N try, we must follow Stephen Covey’s advice to “seek first to understand, then to be understood.” To create the peaceful, united country that we all want, we must try to listen to each other with an understanding heart. — Mollie Rose, Candidate for N.C. House District 116 Weaverville
Ready’s opinion is right on [Regarding “Quo Vadis, Asheville? City at Crossroads Must Find Its Way,” March 30, Xpress] Milton Ready’s assessment is right on. An example would be the number of ugly hotels that seem to continue to be built, which makes no sense. They are an eyesore and certainly don’t enhance. As for housing developments, there seems to be a true market for these. Personally, I’d prefer fewer, but there seems to be some control over appearance, traffic and other factors. This is reassuring. — Wendy Bell Asheville
Let’s push Asheville to regulate single-use plastics [Regarding “Green in Brief: MountainTrue Seeks Ban on Singleuse Plastics,” April 13, Xpress:] I would like to thank Mountain Xpress for helping to bring more public awareness to the issue of microplastics, their effects on human health
and the environment, and our efforts to reduce them through local legislation. However, a few points in the article need some clarification: First, MountainTrue is not alone in the effort to reduce plastic pollution in WNC. The campaign to pass a single-use plastic-reduction ordinance is a collaboration between MountainTrue and the WNC Sierra Club. Additionally, we would like to acknowledge all the hard work our friends at Asheville GreenWorks have done hosting litter cleanups, installing Trash Trout litter collection devices and encouraging local businesses to adopt greener practices. Second, since microplastics are just the smaller fragments of everyday plastic items, it’s worth noting broader concerns about the effects of plastics and the additives used to make them. Styrene, an ingredient in styrofoam (a form of plastic), is classified as a likely human carcinogen. Phthalates, which are used to make plastic products more flexible, disrupt the endocrine system, harm the reproductive and nervous systems, and have been linked to higher rates of childhood asthma and other respiratory conditions. Both of these chemical classes readily leach out into the environment around them, be that a drinking water source, a landfill or the human body. These are serious concerns in light of the fact that the average person ingests approximately one credit card’s worth of microplastics every week and that microplastics have been found in the human placenta and, according to a recent study, in 80% of blood samples.
Finally, while it is true that the General Assembly repealed the local bag ban for the Outer Banks in 2017, the ordinance we propose takes a different approach. The N.C. Solid Waste Management Act mandates that towns, cities and counties implement programs and other actions to address deficiencies and “protect human health and the environment.” Furthermore, it protects cities from retaliation by clearly stating that nothing within the act “shall be construed to prevent the governing board of any county or municipality from providing by ordinance or regulation for solid waste management standards which are stricter or more extensive than those imposed by the state.” Because the presence of a pollutant that is harmful to both human health and the environment has been documented in our region (we have the water samples to prove it), Asheville and Buncombe County not only have the power to act, they have a legal duty to protect its residents. Let’s push Asheville to adopt an ordinance regulating single-use plastic. We want a healthier and
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
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OPI N I ON
Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.
safer place to live and recreate. Visit plasticfreewnc.com for more information and find out how to be involved. — Anna Alsobrook Watershed Outreach Coordinator MountainTrue Black Mountain Editor’s response: Thank you for your feedback on the article. We have updated the online post of the story to note the WNC Sierra Club’s role in developing the model ordinance.
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I believe that Sheneika Smith is one of the finest people to ever serve on the Asheville City Council. A native Ashevillean of distinguished roots, she has now had five leadership years on Council in a variety of key roles. Among Asheville’s leaders, she has distinguished herself as a brave community representative with the grace of humility and giving and has so often boldly been on target with the city’s needs. She has become an impressive vice mayor. It appears that becoming a good elected person can be a school-ofhard-knocks kind of experience, learning through conflict and responding thoughtfully and yet quickly. In this way, she has built a reservoir of experience and knowledge for us. As a retired city and county planner and a civic advocate for equitable decision-making and sound growth management and helping the underserved, I know she will be strong for justice, kindness and sharing. She is a business coaching client at Mountain Bizworks. Before her election in 2017, she demonstrated her grasp of Asheville by founding the Date My City program. This unique social organization coordinates events that activate Black history and plans corresponding events within the business community. She is the chair of the city’s important Boards and Commissions Committee, at this time being evaluated for greater reach and decision-making strength. She is an active member of Asheville’s Housing and Community Development Committee, helping achieve affordable housing and neighborhood revitalization. She strongly supported the Haywood Street Congregation’s progressive development of its Haywood Street Community Development project. In addition, she occupies an equally important seat on the city Public Safety Committee, now reimagining the role and assignments of our police department. She
serves as City Council liaison to the Public Art and Cultural Commission. She has enthusiastically been endorsed by The Sierra Club. Sheneika is being courageous on our behalf and, in my opinion, should be reelected by us to the Asheville City Council. — David Nutter Asheville
Electric vehicles offer opportunity for WNC There have been several high-profile recent announcements of new industrial, commercial and multifamily housing developments in WNC. Similarly, it’s hard not to notice that EVs (electric vehicles) are rapidly gaining ground. Taken together, these two trends present a significant opportunity for our region. EVs offer many benefits to their drivers. Electricity to charge an EV costs about 3 cents per mile, versus 10 cents or more to fuel a typical ICV (internal combustion vehicle). EV maintenance requires a fraction of the cost and time demanded by ICVs. EVs also benefit the community. EVs emit far fewer smog-forming pollutants and greenhouse gases than ICVs. Most money spent for gas and diesel fuel leaves the state. Electric bill payments recirculate through local economies, rather than flowing to Vladimir Putin’s cronies or to Mohammed bin Salman’s torture squads. With EVs saving 7 cents or more per mile, rural drivers (who travel longer distances than city dwellers) can enjoy substantial reductions in their “fuel” costs. Contrary to much of what you’ve heard, EVs aren’t any pricier to buy than ICVs. Plenty of new EVs sell for less than the average new ICV. Used EVs cost significantly less than comparable ICVs. Short-range models are particularly affordable. Workplace charging can make short-range EVs viable for owners with long commutes. Charging at businesses can draw new customers and encourage loyalty among existing ones. Home charging makes all EVs easier to use. All developers of industrial, commercial and multifamily housing projects should consider providing EV charging. EVs can be charged at three speeds: Level 1 (L1, slow); Level 2 (L2, medium); and DC fast charging (DCFC, fast), also known colloquially as Level 3. L1 requires only a standard 120volt, three-prong, grounded outlet. L1 chargers, included as standard equipment with every EV, replenish
CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN roughly 5 miles of range per hour of charging. L2 uses a 240-volt electric supply, like a clothes dryer or oven, and replenishes between 15 and 40 miles of range per hour of charging. Kudos to Ingles Markets for providing free L2 charging for its employees and customers. Newer EVs travel over 200 miles on a charge, three hours at highway speeds. Most charging happens at home or work. On road trips, DCFC can replenish 200 miles range in the time it takes to eat a fast-food meal. DCFC stations are common enough to allow convenient travel virtually everywhere in the country. You can find chargers on plugshare.com. Like your first smartphone, switching from ICVs to EVs requires a few mental adjustments. But the results are worth it, and help is available. Property developers wishing to install chargers need to be aware of some important, counterintuitive nuances. The Land-of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition can provide guidance. The Blue Ridge EV Club is an excellent resource for prospective EV owners. On Saturday, April 30, the club will hold its annual Drive Electric Earth Day event at the Asheville Outlets on Brevard Road. The show offers an opportunity to see a wide variety of EVs, talk to owners
and dispel some of the mis- and disinformation that swirl around the topic. For details, see [avl.mx/bhs]. It’s a whole new world out there. Let’s explore it. — Dave Erb Asheville
Thanks for the music coverage and scene Just a quick kudos for the AVL music biz cover story [“Under Review: Is Asheville Truly One of the Nation’s Top Music Cities?” April 20, Xpress]. I kinda dig music, to the tune of six decades. We moved here in spring 2002, our son came up in the local school system, and I got my diploma in keeping things weird in the interim. From the Pritchard Park drum circle and summer bluegrass on the city lawn to the underground concerts spearheaded by the Vincent’s Ear denizens and the staggeringly great diversity of my fave venues, such as the Grey Eagle and Orange Peel, and
to the radio/print support for this region’s musicians, it’s been a great run for us. Moving westward to the Arizona desert now, but I wanted to say “thanks.” Special shoutout to the local recovery community as well. I’ll be tuning in to my friends I’ve developed among the Xpress and WNCW-FM staffers via those dang interwebs. Don’t let me down with the aforementioned support. — Fred Mills (former editor of Blurt, Harp, Capital at Play) Arden
Mental health ‘stigma’ is actually bias
A correction: “There are a lot of people taught and teaching there is. We provide them with far too much support,” according to one authority. “Stigma” has been used as an all-purpose term for the negative attitudes faced by people with behavioral health issues. However, increasingly reporters are using more precise terms, such as “prejudice,” “bias,” social exclusion“ or ”discrimination." I cannot think of when it is warranted to accommodate anyone directing a stigma or to use less than precise language. — Harold A. Maio Retired mental health editor Fort Myers, Fla.
[Regarding: “Burn Notice: How Local Health Care Workers Are Tackling Burnout,” April 6, Xpress:] “There is a lot of stigma for physicians and residents seeking support for mental health counseling or therapy,” says Western Carolina Medical Society director of development Amy Barcomb.
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NEWS
Spring clean
Asheville organizations, volunteers spruce up downtown
BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com For many people, springtime inspires a deep yearning to refresh and renew: an urge to throw open the windows, deep-clean all the nooks and crannies and let go of belongings that don’t spark joy. And after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asheville itself was due for a spring cleaning as well. That’s why city government, along with the nonprofits Asheville GreenWorks and BeLoved Asheville, kicked off the first of four community cleanup efforts downtown April 18. “Downtown definitely needs a little bit of a refresher,” said Liese Freund, who attended Tuesday’s cleanup with around 10 co-workers from Katie Button Restaurants. Roughly 200 volunteers met at Rabbit Rabbit on a cold but sunny Tuesday morning to help pick up trash. In three hours, participants collected 60 bags containing approximately 700 total pounds of refuse, mostly consisting of food and drink packaging, plastic bottles and cigarette butts — as well as one shopping cart. “I enjoy seeing a street or alley that looks better after you go through and clean everything up,” said volunteer Jonathan Lohr, a nursing student at Western Carolina University. “It’s a good feeling.” Outside of organized events, assuring Asheville’s cleanliness is a task that many people might not notice — that is, until it’s not getting done. Xpress wanted to learn what it takes to keep downtown clean and what the future may hold for funding the city’s maintenance.
TIDYING UP: Students from Western Carolina University were among the roughly 200 people who participated in a downtown cleanup event April 18. Pictured, from left, are Christy Zbylut, Emily Nease, Kathryn Scott and Jonathan Lohr. Photo by Brooke Randle Asheville’s Parks and Recreation Department also provides 150 hours of service in downtown parks per week and contributes to litter cleanup, waste collection and pressure washing twice per month at Pritchard Park. Asheville’s Sanitation Department maintains and empties 125 downtown trash receptacles seven days per week and provides street sweeping services. Wood emphasized that the city has many partnerships to round out the work. Buncombe County helps maintain sharps containers within the city limits, and the N.C. Department of Transportation responds to maintenance needs on its rights of way and other properties.
Local organizations, such as Asheville GreenWorks, BeLoved, the Asheville Downtown Association, United Way, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Explore Asheville, as well as neighborhood associations, businesses and concerned citizens, also play a crucial role in cleanup efforts and reporting litter in and around the city, Wood said. THE PERFECT STORM While those combined efforts had generally been working to keep downtown tidy, the effects of the COVID19 pandemic disrupted many of the
DIRTY WORK Maintaining downtown is a multifaceted, multiorganizational feat, explained Assistant City Manager Rachel Wood during a March 22 meeting of Asheville City Council. “There’s not just one culprit that’s contributing to the cleanliness issue across the community,” Wood said. “And in order to solve cleanliness, it’s really going to take a communitywide, holistic approach.” The city’s current cleaning and maintenance efforts, Wood explained, include contracting with outside vendors for downtown litter collection, weed control, waste receptacle cleaning and sidewalk pressure washing five days a week. 6
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GREEN TEAM: Asheville GreenWorks Executive Director Dawn Chávez addresses the crowd of volunteers before they head out into downtown to collect litter. Photo by Brooke Randle
MOUNTAINX.COM
city’s partnerships and volunteers, upended homelessness resources and reduced crucial staffing on the city’s sanitation and maintenance workforce. Respondents to this year’s Asheville Downtown Association survey recently scored downtown a 2.2 out of 5 on cleanliness. Dawn Chávez, executive director at Asheville GreenWorks, says her organization normally harnesses over 2,200 volunteers for more than 100 different cleanup projects each year, the majority of which take place in Asheville city limits. Those efforts were hobbled when efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 reduced participation. Over each of the past two years, Chávez says, GreenWorks has averaged about 800 volunteers. “One of the things we learned about cleanliness is how dependent we were on volunteer organizations to help keep our city clean,” adds Mayor Esther Manheimer. “And of course, when all of those organizations shuttered during COVID, I think we saw the results.” As shelters that normally house Asheville’s homeless population closed or reduced capacity due to pandemic concerns, residents were pushed onto the streets of downtown with few options for disposing of waste, says the Rev. Amy Cantrell, co-director at BeLoved. “There are a lot of people downtown — that’s the easiest way to put it,” Cantrell says. “Most of us have our city sanitation that comes every week to our homes and recycling every other week.
And that’s just not a luxury that people on the streets have.” And Jes Foster, Asheville’s solid waste manager, adds that like many businesses across the city and country, her department has seen reductions in its workforce. “It has been difficult to keep a full staff. And that’s extremely challenging in sanitation because we have a job that we have to do every day. And we have to get it done that day. We can’t just push it off to the next week,” Foster explains. “We’re talking about a supercomplicated piece of equipment,” adds Asheville Public Works Director Greg Shuler, referencing the city’s trash pickup trucks. “You’re driving on the wrong side. The trucks are about $350,000 each. So we want to make sure that we have the right people driving.” He says there are roughly 20 fulltime positions open across the Public Works Department, many many of which are very specialized. “The skill sets that our employees have are in unbelievably high demand right now. And it shows we need to be competitive to get the best and to keep them. The work that we do is really some of the most important core services that the city provides,” he maintains. GETTING BACK ON TRACK Cleanup efforts like those that happened last week offer temporary solutions. But elected leaders, city staff and organization heads say longer-term strategies are needed to keep Asheville clean. Cantrell says for its part, BeLoved plans to continue organizing downtown cleanup events roughly once a month. So far, the nonprofit has coordinated five such cleanups, in which homeless residents often participate. She hopes those efforts will help combat negative stereotypes about people without homes. “BeLoved has been really focused on being a part of the solution. And so one of those things is caring for what we call the common spaces, that all of us are a part of, that make this beautiful place where we live,” she says. “I love the fact that people that you might not expect, people who are unhoused, our friends on the streets, have been really leading the charge within the city.” Chávez says while GreenWorks plans to continue its own cleanup and education efforts, those may not be enough. She would like to see more enforcement of litter and illegal dumping laws from local law enforcement agencies. “We do a lot of education. And we can see that it definitely helps, especially getting kids to talk to their parents,” she says. “But people who are throwing out huge bags of trash are not our
target audience. They’re not going to be the ones coming to a workshop to learn how to recycle. So there has to be a multipronged approach, and the other part of it is enforcement.” Asheville Police Department spokesman Bill Davis says that his department does take littering and illegal dumping seriously, adding that APD has issued 75 charges for litter over the last five years. “Enforcement of all existing laws is a priority for APD and any law enforcement agency, whether it’s litter or larceny, illegal dumping or illegal drugs,” Davis tells Xpress. “While APD is often reactive to many crimes in our patrol and investigative actions, we also encourage proactive measures and often rely on the public to be our partners in crime by giving us tips about littering.” Meanwhile, Schuler says that Asheville would benefit from having a solid waste master plan, which would help coordinate fee structures, ordinances and operations, as well as provide long-range planning for waste and recycling over a 10 to 20 year span. “We would need to have the support through our budget process. And I think this will be our third year asking for this,” says Schuler. He notes that Asheville City Council named core services as one of its priorities during this year’s retreat. “We know resources are strained but we really feel like this is one of our top priorities for public works,” Shuler says. (City spokesperson Kim Miller declined to provide a cost estimate for a solid waste master plan, saying that “we’re still reviewing numbers on all budgetary concerns.”) Mayor Manheimer says she hopes that new legislation regarding Buncombe County’s occupancy tax may offer a way for the city to fund ongoing maintenance and cleanup. Currently, Buncombe’s occupancy tax revenue, which is expected to exceed $40 million this fiscal year, must be spent on tourism marketing and tourism-related capital projects. The mayor and other local leaders are pushing for changes at the upcoming short session of the N.C. General Assembly, which starts in May, that would both shift more funds away from marketing and expand their allowable uses to include maintenance. “Downtown is heavily impacted by the tourism industry, both in a positive way for the economy and in a negative way, in terms of just keeping up with infrastructure and cleanliness,” Manheimer says. “And we’re hopeful that the pending legislation will allow more flexibility so we have better resources available that are paid for by tourists to help with things like cleanliness.” X
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
7
NEWS
Vertical horizon
Polarizing ‘urban infill’ defines West Asheville’s boom
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER: This stretch of houses on Waynesville Avenue has triggered a range of responses from West Asheville residents and visitors. Photo by Sterling Cooper
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Earlier this month, a Reddit user posted a photo of a row of houses on Waynesville Avenue in West Asheville. Accompanying the shot was a simple question: “What style is this?” In response to the tall, skinny homes, each a hodgepodge of colors and materials built on a sharp slope, members of Reddit’s architecture forum quickly replied with suggestions both thoughtful (Postmodern, Contractor Contemporary, Modern Vernacular, Deconstructivist, a mixture of ’70s Shed and Contemporary) and sarcastic (Favela Expressionist, Casa Cerdo, Schweinhaus, Asheville Yupster Modern, Construction Site Surplus). Whatever one calls it, this style of home has become increasingly popular in West Asheville over the past few years. It’s a solution to maximize square footage on small lots in a desirable part of town, where available land grows scarcer by the day. But while some community members see these structures as an afford8
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MOUNTAINX.COM
able means of putting down roots in a neighborhood they love, others view the additions as eyesores with wide-ranging negative implications. SIGNS OF THE TIMES W. Smith McAulay, president and lead designer for Asheville-based contractor WSM Craft and a West Asheville resident from 2002-18, refers to these houses as “urban infill.” Their materials and styling tend toward Modern/Contemporary with varying degrees of elegance and creativity, he says, but they are guided by the lots on which they are built. He notes that the style has emerged over the past decade or so as the property supply has thinned out. “I remember when the Riverside Drive stilt houses went up in about 2006. They’re just Craftsman bungalows, so you don’t have the emergence of the style yet. But you do have a substantial commitment to engineer a solution to all of that ‘unbuildable’ space right here in town,” McAulay says. “Just about the only lots left in West Asheville are the kudzu canyons that
have been considered unbuildable for a long time,” he continues. “They are, in fact, buildable, but the only option is a small footprint — in some cases a substantial lower level just to get the main floor up to street level.” Overall, McAulay considers urban density along the river corridor a good thing. Not only have these additions created housing out of challenging terrain rather than by destroying pristine woodlands, he says, but the demand to build on these lots has resulted in graders, concrete technicians, block masons and other subcontractors becoming accustomed to the challenging conditions. In general, McAulay likes the modern lines of urban infill houses and their tendency toward creative use of materials. He applauds the shabby-chic element in the best examples, saying it aligns with numerous businesses in the greater West Asheville/ River Arts District area that are outfitted in a similar spirit. HERE TO STAY When considering whether the style will age well, McAulay believes
it will define the current West Asheville renaissance in a similar way that neighborhoods like Montford or Kenilworth are reference points for specific eras in Asheville’s history, shaped by the economy and available workforce at that time. Over the next few years, he sees the current boom squeezing the last available lots out of West Asheville. More forgettable homes in the area, he suggests, will be torn down to free up lots for new builds that will inevitably piggyback the infill style, even without lot constraints. “Most are built on block foundations, which are far superior to the brick-on-clay foundations of the cherished West Asheville bungalows from the ’20s. And most are framed with the ZIP sheathing system, with engineered trusses or joists for floors and roofs, which is a tight and uniform method of framing,” McAulay says of the style’s advantages. “Most also have metal roofs and cementitious lap siding or metal roofing for siding, which will essentially last forever. And most are certified Green Built [through Asheville-based nonprofit Green Built Alliance] and/or Energy Star certified because the market demands it. So, yes, they are built to last.” Though he notes that housing affordability is another conversation altogether, McAulay says demand for homes in West Asheville is “through the roof” and that people are willing to pay high prices for the active, urban, pedestrian lifestyle that this part of town offers. In turn, those desires are also shaping the type of people who live in these houses, and he feels they’ll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. “The market is asking for comfortable, stylish accommodations for young families, young professionals and the young at heart,” he says. “They’ll either grow old there or they’ll be replaced by new youngsters who’ll put their own mark on the houses as they continue to renovate and innovate.” NEIGHBORHOOD DEBATE The opinions of West Asheville homeowners on urban infill houses, like the structures themselves, are more varied. Longtime resident Wendi Williams refers to the style as “glorified chicken coops” and feels that structures resembling old industrial buildings visually clash with surrounding homes. The amount of stairs common in these designs, she adds, makes aging in place impractical without adding a costly elevator. Beyond aesthetic concerns and the suitability of the homes for future
CROWDING IN: West Asheville resident Jeannie Lindsay has seen her 1920s-built home surrounded by tall, skinny houses over the past decade. “I grew up in Chicago and lived in Southern California before moving here, so I’m used to densely built cities, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of planning that’s gone into this,” she says. Photo by Lindsay West Asheville residents, Williams says new homes often create environmental issues. She has witnessed builders disregard trees, leading to what she calls “the raping and pillaging of our once splendid canopy,” as well as significant increases in erosion and runoff. Meanwhile, though fellow neighborhood mainstay Jeannie Lindsay is generally fond of the style and the way its houses incorporate land conservation and energy efficiency elements, she says they can feel crowding in old neighborhoods. “If you live in a tiny 1925 house (we do) and they start popping up right next to you all over the place (they have), they loom over your house, throw shade on your solar panels, and since there isn’t enough yard around the homes for, say, trees, they’re staring right into all your windows,” she explains. Among people who actually own these kinds of homes, many are both happy to be in stable housing in a desirable area and pleased with the urban infill style. Tessa and Andy Paul doubted that they’d ever be in a financial position to build a house, especially in West Asheville, where they wanted to live long-term. But through local affordable builders Compact Cottages, the Pauls achieved that dream on State Street for less than $300,000. “It’s not that we were looking to build in a certain style. We needed a
house,” Andy Paul says. “That said, I’m all about shaking things up in terms of aesthetics and architecture, so I love the fact that our house is in this style and that it’s something different.” Though the homes are tall and skinny, the LP SmartSide siding, made from a treated engineered wood product, is distinct from the metal roofing siding on some similar West Asheville houses. And while frequent stair usage is a necessity, the Pauls quickly adjusted — part of a situation they say they knew they were getting into with a company whose name is upfront about its product. Regarding neighborhood pushback, Paul notes that many architectural styles were initially loathed, including the now-iconic brownstones in New York City’s Manhattan and Greenwich Village. He suggests that many Asheville residents want the city to stay the way it was when they arrived — a phenomenon he also observed from multiple generations while living in Austin, Texas, in the early 2000s. Scott Adams, who also built a Compact Cottages house in West Asheville with his wife, Erin, for
roughly $370,000, understands why people with houses built in the 1920s get upset when something new and different is built across the street. But he believes the desire to freeze time is doubly implausible when a modest new-build house frequently costs less and is a better long-term investment than a much older home in need of significant repairs. “It’s kind of like the analogy of, if you got a puppy, would you be surprised or angry if it turned into a dog 10 years later?” Adams says. “City neighborhoods change over time. It’s the whole conundrum of, just because you’ve always lived in the neighborhood, do you get to dictate who else gets to live there and how it looks over time?” While Adams’ property features a city-mandated 30-foot buffer from a neighboring stream and a silt fence to help reduce erosion, he plans to plant new trees and add multiple raised-bed gardens on the slope by his house. He sees himself carrying on the tradition of those 1920s homeowners who likewise cleared West Asheville lots to build their houses — around which new oaks and maples grew to shade those who live there today. X
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
9
NEWS
Redefining recovery
Economic, community and cultural resilience marks aftermath of Tropical Storm Fred BY SARA MURPHY smurphy@mountainx.com When the floodwaters from Tropical Storm Fred receded early Aug. 18, Saturnia Farm co-owner Ben Pick struggled to take in the damage. The nursery’s mowers and delivery van were kaput. Chemicaland sewage-laden silt covered the fields, including the cut-flower garden planted for a new subscription service. Plants he and co-owner Sarah Coury had elevated to keep safe fared worst of all, floating away on tabletops that became rafts in the rushing current. Environmental sustainability was at the heart of Coury and Pick’s decision to start Saturnia Farm in Clyde in 2019. Of its inventory, 75% is native plants that thrive without the assistance of fertilizers or pesticides.
Now, all of that was buried under a toxic sludge. “I remember just [thinking], ‘Where do you start?’” Pick recalls. Before he could sink into despair, however, hope arrived in the form of their neighbors. Some helped Ben — Sarah was out of town — air things out to prevent mildew. Others shoveled away the sludge and rinsed off plants. Still more volunteers brought coffee and food. “That is what sustained us initially,” Pick says. Government agencies like the Federal Emergency Management Agency prioritize environmental sustainability through programs like the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for state and local governments. When it comes to home and business owners receiving assistance, however, FEMA spokesperson Ron Roth acknowledges that survivors may need to prioritize eco-
AFTER THE RAIN: Saturnia Farm co-owners Sarah Coury and Ben Pick estimate they lost about $12,000 worth of nursery crops due to Tropical Storm Fred, with total losses — equipment, missed sales, property damage and lost plants — equaling about $30,000. Photo by Ann Tiner nomic rather than environmental sustainability. FEMA neither considers sustainability when approving applications nor requires mitigation measures beyond flood insurance for properties in flood zones. “When a storm hits, you’re trying to rebuild and recuperate as fast as you can,” Roth says. For Canton Mayor Zeb Smathers, sustainability in the town’s recovery goes beyond flood mitigation and prevention measures to encompass rebuilding and strengthening the town’s economy, culture and community. “Sustainability means a whole lot more than just environmental,” he says. “Sustainability is understanding what our culture is — our traditions, our heritage — and how to literally sustain that, but also at the same time evolving, bringing new people [and] new ideas.” As recovery enters its eighth month, Tropical Storm Fred survivors in the hardest-hit areas of Haywood County find strength in these less quantifiable types of sustainability as they navigate the ongoing challenges of rebuilding both environmentally and economically. BUILDING BACK SUSTAINABLY To ensure both that Canton traditions persist and that new people
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can continue to reside in the town, Smathers says, environmental sustainability remains crucial. “It’s going to happen again,” he says of the flooding. “To sustain what we have, we have to mitigate.” According to a N.C. Department of Public Safety press release, mitigation projects begun after Hurricane Frances and Tropical Storm Ivan flooded the area in 2004 helped minimize the damage from Fred. In 2006, the state bought and demolished 22 structures so the Pigeon River could flow more freely during floods. N.C. Emergency Management estimated that $1.19 million in damage was avoided as a result, more than recouping the initial financial investment. According to NCDPS state hazard mitigation officer Steve McGugan, local and county governments have applied for 11 Hazard Mitigation Grant projects in Fred’s wake. He said the most common grants for residential areas are to acquire or elevate homes, while public projects include stream restoration, creating retention ponds and installing generators for critical infrastructure. “It behooves anyone to take any mitigation matters that they can take,” Roth adds, noting that every $2 of mitigation saves $6 in the long run.
FEMA has already pledged over $4.9 million for 805 homeowners, business owners and renters across Buncombe, Haywood and Transylvania counties. The state government will provide $44 million for homeowners through its Residential Recovery Program, according to Rich Trumper, senior construction manager within the Office of State Budget and Management. Almost half this amount will go to residential repairs, with the rest budgeted to repair or replace private roads and bridges and provide short-term housing. “As we look at what repairs make sense, we always want to see how we can build back more [resiliently],” Trumper says. There are limits, however. “Sometimes we can’t retrofit an older home.” Since the August flooding, 547 applications from 11 counties have been submitted. “Our challenge is finding a third way that doesn’t just build it back as it was [and] doesn’t tear it down,” Smathers says about rebuilding downtown Canton. “How can we do both?” Smathers is particularly excited about replacing the old playground in the Canton Recreation Park with an all-accessible one. “When you rebuild, you have a chance to define what you stand for,” he says. “No matter who you are, what your lot in life is, you can come to this playground … and smile.” SUSTAINING SPIRITS Cruso United Methodist Church pastor Peter Constantian became passionate about sustainability working with Ecuadorian farmers as a Peace Corps volunteer. “I think what we want to sustain is the relationship between our community and the natural world. ... [We want to] sustain and improve it,” he says. With the most immediate needs of flood survivors now met, Constantian can focus more on that goal as part of the church’s Western North Carolina Conference Committee on Relief. Summer volunteer projects include river cleanup, as well as controlling erosion by planting native shrubs and grasses that can stabilize riverbanks. “Climate disaster response can look like [more than] just serving the humans in a particular environment,” he says. “It can serve the entire creation.” At the same time, he recognizes the importance of community in sustaining flood survivors’ spirits. Sitting on higher ground, the church stayed dry, and it quickly became a focal point for the community.
“At first, it was just a bathroom for the swift-water recovery teams to use,” Constantian says. “Then, it was a place for people to find photos that had washed downstream. Then, it was a place for picking up flood buckets. Then, it was a place for getting hot meals and boxes of food that they could take home and prepare. We fed probably an average of 140 people per day, seven days a week.” The recovery teams have left, the photos have been collected, and the flood buckets stashed away — but the community dinners initiated during the recovery efforts continue every Wednesday evening. “One of the things I noticed was really needed was not just hot meals, but a sense of community,” Constantian continues. He estimates about 35 people come each week — more than three times the average size of the church’s congregation on Sundays. “My Christian perspective is that we can’t really love our neighbors unless we know our neighbors,” Constantian says. “This becomes sustainable [because] it’s something that we’re doing together — with and for one another.” UNSUSTAINABLE SITUATIONS As much as Coury and Pick appreciate their community’s support, they know their business cannot survive another flood. “For our business to remain sustainable in the future, we have to have a place that we know is safe,” Coury says. This summer, they will start looking for a new site. The search won’t be easy: “The land prices … are priced for developers right now and not growers,” she says. Of the challenges that remain for Canton, one with much symbolic significance to the community is the question of whether Pisgah Memorial Stadium can acquire a flood permit to be repaired and available before the 100th anniversary of the clash between the county’s two high school football teams, Canton High and Pisgah High. Such practical concerns often weigh heavy on Smathers’ mind. “We’re replacing stadiums and businesses and parks,” he says, “[but] there are homes that are not going back in [the community of] Cruso.” Losing these homeowners, he points out, will reduce taxpayer funding for crucial services like Cruso’s fire department. “I want to remain positive and give people good news,” says Smathers. “But we’re not out of the woods yet.” X MOUNTAINX.COM
APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
11
N EWS
BUNCOMBE BEAT
Voters may decide on $70M in Buncombe borrowing this year Buncombe County residents often tell their elected officials that they want more affordable housing, protected land and greenways. But in November, the county’s voters may be asked if they’re willing to put their money where their mouths are. During an April 19 briefing, the county Board of Commissioners heard a presentation by the nonprofit Trust for Public Land about the feasibility of issuing $70 million in bonds for housing and land conservation, which in this case would require approval through referendums of Buncombe voters. TPL conducted a study on the matter, at no cost to the county, following a November request from the board. (Full results of the study are available at avl.mx/bht.) According to Pegeen Hanrahan, TPL’s Southeast conservation finance director, majorities of Buncombe taxpayers responding to an April survey of 400 residents backed both a potential $30 million issue for conservation and a $40 million issue for affordable housing. Support was stronger for the
former than for the latter — with 71% and 63% of respondents, respectively, saying they would vote yes for each proposal — but Hanrahan said both were well above “the threshold of viability” for likely passage. If the bonds were repaid with 4% interest over a period of 20 years, they would cost the county roughly $103 million in total, with the median household shouldering about $640 of the burden, or $32 per year. That would equate to a property tax increase of just over 1 cent per $100 dollars of assessed value. “It’s something that I’ve heard people speak to over the past three years — both of these issues — and how important it is to them,” said Commissioner Terri Wells. “If we want Buncombe County to thrive for future generations, we need to look at doing both of these things, not just for us, but for our children and grandchildren.” County Manager Avril Pinder said she would return to the commissioners Tuesday, May 3, for formal approval to proceed with placing the
SNAPSHOT
LAND PLANS: Farmland conservation projects, such as the easement placed on Ed and Suzy Rankin’s Fairview farm in December, would be among the work that could be funded with new county borrowing. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County bond referendums on the November ballot. A public hearing on the ballot language would take place in early June, with final language being delivered to the county Board of Elections by Friday, Aug. 5. The referendums would be the county’s first on public borrowing since November 2016, when Asheville residents faced three referendums on a total of $74 million in bonds for transportation, parks and affordable housing. All three measures passed with more than 70% support.
County looks to TDA for affordable housing support
BEAR WITH US: On April 21, a black bear made its way downtown, to the surprise of business owners, tourists and the Xpress staff alike. After a brief stint on Haywood Street and Battery Park Avenue, the bear climbed a tree in Pritchard Park. According to the Asheville Police Department, the animal eventually descended and left the downtown area. Photo by Thomas Calder
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As the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority reopens applications for grants from its Tourism Product Development Fund — the pool of money, funded by 25% of the county’s occupancy tax, that by law must be spent on capital projects to drive new overnight visits — county government is hoping to get its own piece of the pie. According to Tim Love, Buncombe’s director of economic development and governmental relations, part of that ask may be a $2 million recurring contribution toward affordable housing development. In an April 19 presentation to commissioners, Love said the housing
would, if funded, “be utilized by residents that are likely to be employed in the service, hospitality and other industries.” No further details were available regarding where those units would be built or what costs residents would face. If the TDA were to subsidize housing development, it would mark a significant change from previous occupancy tax spending. None of the $44 million the authority has awarded as TPDF grants since 2001 has gone toward housing; the largest two allocations, of $7.1 million and $6 million, have funded city of Asheville transportation improvements in the River Arts District and the Buncombe County Enka Recreation Destination, respectively. Speaking with Xpress after his presentation, Love said tourism leaders were enthusiastic about supporting housing for the area’s workforce. While he said the path forward would be “delicate,” he emphasized that the TDA believed such spending would be allowed under its current legal limitations. According to the most recent available financial statements, the TPDF contained over $11.6 million in available funds at the end of February. TDA leaders will accept initial grant applications through Wednesday, June 1, with awards announced Wednesday, Oct. 26.
— Daniel Walton X
FEA T U RE S
Q&A: Jeff Ashford talks opossums, biodiversity and venomous spiders Jeff Ashford’s youthful curiosity about lizards and toads led him to a post-military job at PetSmart, before studying marine biology at MiraCosta College in California in the 2010s. Following a stint at Sea Life Aquarium, Ashford pursued his passion for parrots at the Sacha Yuca Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in the Ecuadorian rainforest. “That’s how I really got my experience with wildlife, in rehabilitation and conservation,” Ashford says. He took that experience in animal husbandry to the Macaw Recovery Network in Costa Rica, a pilot program for breeding scarlet and great green macaws, until the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to return to the U.S., temporarily sidelining his career. “I was in Austin, working at dog kennels while the world was upside down, trying to figure out what was next,” Ashford explains. In August 2021, he traded the Texas Hill Country for the Blue Ridge Mountains. “I had never been here, but I love the mountains and was fascinated by the biodiversity and biomes of North Carolina. When the opportunity at Appalachian Wildlife [Refuge] came up, I jumped on it.” Below, Xpress speaks with Ashford about his work, the appeal of opossums and his unusual home pet. You have worked with exotic creatures in exotic locales. What interests you about Appalachia? To me, this area kind of epitomizes the North American wildlife. The biome is very suitable to what I and many think of as the animals of North America — the black bears, foxes, squirrels, hawks, all these beautiful species we are fortunate to have here. I got a taste of that in Texas, but Texas is not nearly as biodiverse as here. All the biodiversity here is beautiful. Explain wildlife husbandry. The term is derivative of the need to reproduce animals in the livestock industry. Husbandry in livestock implies you are getting these two animals together to reproduce, setting up their area and taking care of their needs. In the middle of the 20th century, when people started taking zookeeping seriously, they started to adopt the term, and it became less used for the reproduction of animals and more used for the daily care of animals — giving them their daily
medicine, food and water, setting up their enclosures and taking care of all the things they need to be comfortable in captivity. That’s pretty much what a husbandry tech does. It can include reproduction, but across the zoo and wildlife world, husbandry basically refers to the care of the animals. What type of wildlife comes to your facility? We get larger animals, but the plurality of what we see are small mammals susceptible to being hit by cars and litters of mammals that get orphaned and displaced from their parents. Any of the animals you see killed on the side of the road are what we get a lot of. A good percentage of them survive that initial car hit, and hopefully we are able to get them recovered enough to get back into the wild. What is the biggest threat to wildlife? Suffice it to say that a lot of the animals that come in injured are injured due to human activity and humans in their area. We’re not out there trying to hurt them, but they get hit by cars or fly into our windows. The majority of things are not intentional, it’s just humans living their lives and not considering the environment and the animals living all around them. It can be something as simple as someone saying, “I don’t want this tree in my yard anymore,” and cutting it down, unaware there are a couple families of squirrels living in there. How do you return orphaned babies to the wild? Common gray squirrels are very able to go back to the wild after
being hand-raised by people. After they reach a certain weight and level of maturity, they are just like a wild squirrel even though you’ve been syringe feeding them, handling them and looking them directly in the eye since they were a neonatal, little cute furless thing. They revert right back to being wild. On the other hand, if you take a bobcat kitten and raise it in the same way, that cat will become so habituated it will not know how to act in the wild. There are techniques we can use like covering our faces and doing what we call predator aversion training, which is where we intentionally make them afraid of other animals and associate humans with something bad. Opossum sightings give a lot of people the creeps. Are they misunderstood? Absolutely. We say in the business if opossum didn’t have those tails, they would have it so much better! It’s their big rat tails that turns everyone off. If they had a cute little cotton tail, they’d be so loved. When you rehab them and get to know their personalities, they are so gentle, sweet and intelligent. They are more apt to understand you are helping them than other mammals. But their biggest selling point is they eat ticks in the wild — hundreds and hundreds of ticks. Who likes ticks? Even epidemiologists who study insects don’t like ticks. Is there an animal that wildlife experts are afraid of? I’d say spiders. Snakes are a close second. Even people in my field who work with animals and wildlife are
CAMERA SHY: Jeff Ashford poses with a common snapping turtle. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Wildlife Refuge afraid of spiders. I’m not, but a lot of my peers are. When you’re in a place like the Amazon, they are kind of hidden, and I have come uncomfortably close to very venomous spiders. Do you have any pets? I do. I have a small, white Chihuahua mix named Bean. She is 4 pounds and adorable. I also have an ambassador animal at my house from Appalachian Wildlife — an Eastern milk snake named Milkshake. She is nonreleasable due to medical issues. So, she lives with me and when AWR does public events, Milkshake sometimes comes and kids can see and touch her.
— Kay West X
Green thumbs & aspiring gardeners alike! Spring is here, and Xpress has launched a monthly gardening feature based on reader questions.
Please submit all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com MOUNTAINX.COM
APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
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GARDENING WITH XPRESS
Leaf mulch, mushroom compost and dahlias! Hi there neighbors, Chloe here, back again with some more gardening guidance. This month’s reader questions were about mulch, compost and dahlias. We’ll explore the qualities and uses of leaf mulch versus mushroom compost, how to separate and plant dahlia tubers and some tips for caring for dahlias once they’re in ground. A reminder to email me your questions at gardening@mountainx.com. I can’t wait to hear from you! WHICH IS BETTER FOR A VEGETABLE GARDEN, LEAF MULCH OR MUSHROOM COMPOST? Both leaf mulch and mushroom compost can be great garden amendments. In fact, they have a lot in common. Each one adds some of the same compounds and qualities to your garden, such as organic matter and trace minerals. On the other hand, they are distinct, and one or the other may be more suited to your particular situation. First, let’s dive into some definitions: What are leaf mulch and mushroom compost? Leaf mulch is just what it sounds like: decomposed leaves that have fallen from the many beautiful and generous deciduous trees that share these mountains with us. Often, you
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organisms, increase water retention and drainage (isn’t that magical?!) and boost root growth and nutrient mobility in the soil. Leaf mulch is higher in trace minerals, since the leaves grew on deep-rooted perennial trees. Mushroom compost is higher in nitrogen, which boosts green growth of all plants, and phosphorus, which supports fruiting and flowering. The downsides of leaf mulch are that it’s low in nitrogen, so it doesn’t act as a fertilizer per se, and it takes a bit of elbow grease to collect and make. Mushroom compost has its flaws, too. For one, you can’t just collect it from the forest or neighborhood yard cleanups; it costs money. Additionally, mushroom compost can be high in dissolved salts. This means it’s not gentle enough for germinating seeds, very young plants or salt-sensitive veggies like turnip, radish, carrot, onion and lettuce. HOW TO USE LEAF MULCH AND MUSHROOM COMPOST IN THE GARDEN?
SOCIAL DISTANCE: When planting multiple dahlia tubers, it’s best to keep them about 12-18 inches apart, as dahlias get quite large. Photo courtesy of HummingBlooms Flower Farm can find bags of leaves free for the taking on curbsides during the fall. Sometimes these leaves will be mixed with dry pine needles, which are less ideal to add to the garden due to their acidity. A few pine needles are
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fine, but my definition of leaf mulch includes a majority of broad-leafs. When you pile up the dry leaves and let them crumble and break down, they transform into leaf mulch. Mushroom compost is a little less straightforward. It’s basically the leftover substrate that commercial culinary mushrooms have been grown on. After mushroom farmers are done with it, they compost it, then bag it up and sell it to us gardeners. According to the Oregon State University Extension Service, “the recipe for mushroom compost varies from company to company but can include composted wheat or rye straw, peat moss, used horse bedding straw, chicken manure, cottonseed or canola meal, grape crushings from wineries, soybean meal, potash, gypsum, urea, ammonium nitrate and lime.” Some of these ingredients, notably horse bedding straw, cottonseed, and canola and soybean meal, may harbor significant pesticide residues and/or genetically modified contamination. When you buy mushroom compost, there may or may not be a specific list of ingredients on the bag, so it’s a bit of a gamble as to what you’re getting. As I already mentioned, both are very high in organic matter, which helps loosen the soil, feed soil micro-
Both well-broken down leaf mulch (not just crumbled-up fresh leaves) and mushroom compost can be mixed into garden soil during bed preparation, though mushroom compost shouldn’t be added like this if you plan to direct-sow seeds. Lessbroken down leaf mulch works well when spread atop the soil surface, around veggie plants. Applied in this way, it can suppress weeds and improve water retention while slowly breaking down to feed the soil. To apply mushroom compost after the fact, it’s best to dig it in gently around the base of established plants. These rich sources of organic matter and other plant nutrients can be added any time of year and will benefit your garden soil for years to come. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SEPARATE DAHLIA TUBERS? Dahlias, like potatoes, store their energy through the winter in underground tubers. Once the soil warms up in spring, sprouts pop up out of “eyes” that grow into the luscious flowering beauties we adore. Dahlia tubers, which are living, breathing storage organs, will die if they freeze. So, many gardeners dig them up in the fall and store them in cool (but not freezing), moist conditions until spring planting. Each year, dahlia tuber clusters expand, leading to larger and more robust plants the following spring. A benefit of this natural growth is that we can separate or divide dahlia tubers to produce more individual
COME SEE US TODAY! plants. Depending on how big the cluster of tubers is at the base of a dahlia stalk, we might be able to turn one plant into two, three, four or more. The trick is to cut off an entire tuber (or tuber cluster) at a time, including the eyes. Unlike potatoes, dahlia tubers don’t have a smattering of eyes all over their bodies. Their eyes are just up top, near where the tubers connect with the stalk. To divide dahlia tubers, use a very sharp and clean knife; a shorter curved blade is ideal for dahlia dividing, but a straight one will do. Work at the base of the stalk and identify eyes. They are small bumps and can be hard to discern; waiting until sprouts begin to emerge makes this much easier. Slice around an eye or group of eyes, being careful not to break off the juicy tuber beneath. After you’ve cut off an eye-with-tuber pair or group, leave them exposed to air for a day or two to help heal the wound, then either plant them in the ground or restore them to storage conditions. See avl.mx/bhq for a great video on dividing dahlia tubers from Swan Island Dahlias, the nation’s largest dahlia grower.
THE EYES HAVE IT: Unlike potatoes, dahlia tubers don’t have a smattering of eyes all over their bodies. Their eyes, circled in red, are just up top, near where the tubers connect with the stalk. Photo by F.D. Richards HOW TO PLANT AND SUPPORT DAHLIAS? To plant dahlias, dig a hole 4-6 inches deep in rich garden soil,
place a tuber on its side, eye facing up, and cover with soil. Plant dahlia tubers about 12-18 inches apart, as they get quite large! Don’t water them much until they’ve poked through the soil, as the tubers can rot in overly moist soil if they’re not actively growing. Also, don’t feed them with high-nitrogen fertilizers; instead, use composted cow manure or a product called “bloom food.” Once they’re about 1 foot tall, snip or pinch off the top 3-4 inches to encourage a bushier growth habit that will yield more blooms. To support tall, top-heavy, abundant dahlia plants, you can stake each one individually by tying its main stalk to a piece of wood or bamboo planted near the tuber as it grows. Alternatively, if you have a large dahlia patch, corral all of the plants together by pounding stout T-posts every several feet along the perimeter and running two courses of string around the whole party. A special thanks to Michelle Morrision of HummingBlooms Flower Farm for sharing her dahlia-growing wisdom!
— Chloe Lieberman X
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Tarah Singh & Alex Stilber: LOAM Mother and daughter explore layers of the human experience through mixed media, revealing their multi-generational connection of consciousness as they explore the feminine experience. Daily 11am, closed Wednesdays. Art Garden, 191 Lyman St, Ste 316
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Online Events = Shaded WELLNESS & HEALTH Sparkle Time Holistic Senior Exercise Aerobic, strengthening, balance and flexibility. Proof of vaccines required. Every Monday and Wednesday. WE (4/27, 5/4), MO (5/2), 10:30am, Avery’s Creek Community Center, 899 Glennbridge Rd SE, Arden Montford Tai Chi Hosted by local acupuncturist Tyler White. All ages, every Thursday. TH (4/28, 5/5), 9am, Montford Recreation Center, 34 Pearson Dr Introduction to Tai Chi Pre-registration required ashevillecommunityyoga. com. TH (4/28, 5/5), 10:30am, Asheville Community Yoga Center, 8 Brookdale Rd
Nutrition & Training for 5K & 10K Distances An informative workshop by record-winning cross country and track coach Randy Ashley. All are welcome. TH (4/28), 6:30pm, Jus' Running, 523 Merrimon Ave Fiddlin’ 5K: Walk/Run for the Arts All funds raised granted to Madison County youthbased art programs. SA (4/30), 9am, Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill Woodfin Elementary 5K Fundraiser for the school. Volunteers needed - visit woodfin5K.com to sign up. SA (4/30), 9am, Woodfin Elementary, 181 Elk Mountain Rd, Woodfin Waves On The Edge, LGBTQ Sweat Your Prayers Safe space for Queer
WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES: An open house will be held at Deborah’s School of Shoemaking on Sunday, May 1, 2-4 p.m., at 121 Montana Ave. in West Asheville. The founder, Deborah Robertson, is forming handmade shoemaking classes that will begin in May. Photo courtesy of Deborah Robertson people to move. No dance experience required. Hosted by certified 5Rhythms teacher Karen. Sliding scale. SA (4/30), 9:30am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd DEA National Rx Takeback Turn in your unused or expired medication for safe disposal. Locations also at Sheriff’s Satellite Office 339 New Leicester Hwy and Mission Hospi-
tal parking lot between 1 Hospital Dr and Sarah Canon Cancer Center. SA (4/30), 10am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd Yoga in the Park Asheville Join together alongside the French Broad River for an all-level friendly yoga classes based on Hatha and Vinyasa traditions. SA (4/30), SU (5/1), 1:30pm, $10, 220 Amboy Rd
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Reiki Level 1 Training Participants will be attuned to the Reiki energy and will learn Reiki healing techniques, via lecture and hands-on exercises. No previous Reiki or bodywork experience necessary. SU (5/1), 9am, S Main St, Marshall WNC Prostate Group Us TOO Kathy Wiedener with Advancing Cancer Treatments PROMISE study will share information regarding clinical trials. For information: Eric (828)419-4565 wncprostate@gmail.com. TU (5/3), 7pm Men’s Cancer Support Group RSVP to Will at 412-9130272 or acwein123@ gmail.com to safely meet in a large conference room and stay socially distant while wearing masks. Proof of covid vaccination or professional test results within 72 hours are also required. WE (5/4), 6pm, Woodfin YMCA, 40 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 101 Anxiety Support Group Held the first and third Thursdays each month. Contact namiwnc.org or (828)505-7353 for more information. TH (5/5) Asheville Outlets Hosts American Red Cross Blood Drive Help the current critical need - register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code AshevilleOutlets. TH (5/5), 11am, Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd
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ART Unconventional Perceptions Conti creates contemporary photographic essays that play with the possibilities of the imagery that surrounds our daily lives, challenging the concept of what a photograph is, and can be. A reception with the
artist will be held April 30, 5pm. Daily 11am, closed Sundays. Contemporaneo Asheville Gallery-Shop, 4 Biltmore Ave Mirror, Mirror An exhibition of contemporary art featuring 24 artists, from the collection of Hedy Fischer and Randy Shull. By appointment through May 28. Opening receptions April 28 and 28, 5-9pm. 22 London Rd Floralia An exhibition to celebrate the birth of spring with glass vessels, botanical sculpture and mixed media, all with a nature theme. Daily 10am, closed Tuesdays. FR (4/29), 10am, North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Suite B Ray Baccari: Humans Excited About Being Human Described by the artist as an “empathy machine,” this interactive, sonic installation amplifies visitor heartbeats. Tuesday through Friday, 10am. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee Faces of Change Youth Artists Empowered captured images and narratives from Asheville residents and neighborhoods that are in danger of being directly impacted by flooding, drought, and climate change. In collaboration with Tepeyac Consulting and the City of Asheville. Daily 11am, closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Gillian Laub's Southern Rites The artist engages her skills as a photographer, filmmaker, and visual activist to examine the realities of racism and raise questions that are essential to understanding the American consciousness. Daily 11am, closed Tuesdays. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
WNC Fibers/Handweavers Guild Exhibition Processes represented include spinning, shibori, batik, silkscreen, weaving, natural dyeing, needle felting, knitting, and more. Daily, 10am. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway
COMMUNITY MUSIC Baby Jams Have a picnic and jam out - instruments will be provided but feel free to bring your favorite. WE (4/27, 5/4), 12:30pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd TFAC Spring Concert Series Good Morning, Bedlam, a folk band from Minnesota, will kick off the series in the Peterson Amphitheater. TH (4/28), 6:30pm, Tryon Fine Arts Center, 34 Melrose Ave, Tryon North Buncombe Music Scholarship Concert by the North Buncombe High School Chamber Choir and The Black Hawk Voices, sponsored by Weaverville Music Club. TH (4/28), 7pm, First Baptist Church of Weaverville, 63 N Main St, Weaverville Music on the Porch Four regional bands performing on the wraparound porch of the 1908 Monteith farmhouse; including Susan Pepper, Sheila Kay Adams, Lee Knight and Kornbread Kreek. Bring a lawn chair, food trucks available. Proceeds go toward the Music Room Exhibit. SA (4/30), 12pm, Appalachian Women’s Museum, 100 W Hometown Pl, Dillsboro Pops Concert Featuring the college choir, rock ensembles, and orchestra. Bring your lawn chairs and picnic blankets, the concert will be held outdoors on the Gaither Commons lawn. SA (4/30), 7pm, Montreat College, 310 Gaither Circle, Montreat Blue Ridge Ringers Celebrate Spring concert series, with traditional hymns, spirituals, folk songs and more. MO (5/2), 3pm, Lake Pointe Landing, 333 Thompson St, Hendersonville American Guild of Organists, Blue Ridge Chapter Concert Annual members' recital.
Musicians will play the church's three manual wicks that were recently refurbished by Dan Angerstein. Open to the public. TU (5/3), 7:15pm, The Episcopal Church of Saint John in the Wilderness, 1905 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock
SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Dennis Drabelle w/ The Power of Scenery: Frederick Law Olmsted and the Origin of National Parks The author will discuss his book. Sponsored by Malaprop's and the NC Arboretum. Registration required. TH (4/28), 6:30pm, avl.mx/bia Virtual POETRIO: Rebecca Baggett, Lisa Dordal, Barbara Quick SU (5/1), 4pm, avl.mx/bhm ReadWNC Series: Even As We Breathe With authors and historians, explore the facts behind the fiction in these books centered in WNC. The series begins with the 2021 winner of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. TU (5/3), 6pm, avl.mx/bib Malaprop's WILD (Women in Lively Discussion) Book Club Woman-only book club will discuss The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis. Registration required. TU (5/3), 6:30pm, avl.mx/9or Kathryn Miles, author of Trailed, in conversation with Ben Montgomery The authors discuss Miles' book. Sponsored by Malaprop's. Registration required. WE (5/4), 6pm, avl.mx/bhn Malaprop's Book Club Participants will discuss The Call of the Wild by Jack London. Registration required. WE (5/4), 7pm, avl.mx/9s5
THEATER Back in the Spotlight: An all-school musical revue Featured performances include favorites from Shrek, Annie, The Lion King, and more, with a silent auction. Presented by The Learning Community School. WE (4/27), 6pm, $5-10, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St NC Stage Presents: The Lifespan of a Fact A new comedy of conflict about the high-stakes world of publishing. Adult themes. Wednesday through Saturday, 7:30pm, Sunday 2pm. Through May 15. $10-46, North Carolina Stage Company, 15 Stage Ln
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Human: a children's puppet show A children's puppet show about a group of sea creatures and their quest to save humanity. Written and directed by Nephrii Amenii. Presented by Asheville Creative Arts. Fridays 7pm, Saturdays 1pm, Sundays 3pm through May 15. TH (4/28), 7pm, Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Enter the Temple An alternative nightlife experience with 11 theatrical performances that celebrate the body. FR (4/29), 7pm, Haiku I Do, 26 Sweeten Creek Rd The Magical Lamp of Aladdin An encore presentation from the Overlook Theatre Company. FR (4/29), 7pm, $13, Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts, 1028 Georgia Rd, Franklin Catch Me if You Can Classic comedy thriller with twists and turns from beginning to end. Various dates and times through May 14. Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Hwy 225, Flat Rock Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree This comedic hoedown is Nunsense fun with “Hee Haw” moments. Book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggins, directed by Victoria Lamberth. Presented in arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. Various dates and times, through May 8. $21.25-30, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St
FILM Craft Cinema: Daughters of the Dust Screening A monthly film screening series with a Sundancewinning film that centers on an extended,
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multi-generational family from the Gullah sea islands at the turn of the century. Introduction by Mellanee Goodman, Craft Scholar and Grant Program Manager at the Center for Craft. FR (4/29), 6pm, Free, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING Pisgah Project Day 2022 An all-hands-on-deck volunteer event hosted by the Pisgah Conservancy for the benefit of the Pisgah Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest. All are invited to the official PPD afterparty at Oskar Blues. SA (4/30), Pisgah Ranger District Office, 1600 Pisgah Hwy, Brevard Rummage Sale A church fundraiser to include clothing, shoes, tools, filing cabinets, kitchen appliances and gadgets, linens, lamps, miscellany, Christmas decor, furniture and more. SA (4/30), 8am, Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave Raise a Home Auction Help to build an innovative solution to the affordable housing crisis through the BeLoved Village project. With a live jazz band, live and silent auction, heavy hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, and a wine and beer bar. SA (4/30), 5pm, Fernihurst Mansion, 16 Fernihurst Dr, A-B Tech Masquerade Ball hosted by Divine the Bearded Lady Themed ‘Garden Party,’ this event will be a ticketed private event. With DJ Eric Scott, small bites, and a costume contest. 100% of ticket sales are donated this year to beneficiary Blue Ridge Pride. Produced by butchOUT. SA (4/30), 8pm, $10, Banks Avenue, 32 Banks Ave
Benefit Concert for Ukraine Performers will include Amanda Anne Platt with Matt Smith, Chris Rosser, Hannah Kaminer, and Chris Wilhelm. 100% of proceeds will go to the Ukrainian National Womens League of America Humanitarian Aid Fund. There will also be a silent auction with items from local businesses and artists, and a merchandise table with traditional Ukrainian Eggs and more. SA (4/30), 8:30pm, Isis Music Hall & Kitchen 743, 743 Haywood Rd One World for Safe Passage Watch the Grateful Dead’s performance from May 3, 1972, streaming in its entirety. Jeff Hunter from National Parks Conservation Association will serve as the event emcee; the evening will also raise awareness and funds for Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project. SU (5/1), 5pm, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd WNC Bridge Foundation Fundraiser This fund offers adults assistance to purchase medications, equipment, and other essentials which are not covered by insurance. MO (5/2), Hillman Beer, 25 Sweeten Creek Rd WNC Chapter Project Linus Seeking volunteers to make crocheted or knitted children’s blankets, quilts or no-sew fleece to donate. If interested contact Ellen Knoefel at (828)645-8800 gknoefel @charter.net or Pat Crawford (828) 873-8746 in Transylvania County. Asheville Museum of Science Volunteers To help with museum operations, meet and greet visitors, answer questions, and interact with students of all ages. All training is provided on site, and no museum experience is necessary. For more information,
call Patrick Willis at (828)254-7162 or email pwillis@ashevillescience. org
CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Community Garden Nights Seeking volunteers for the School Garden. Gloves and tools will be provided. Email volunteer coordinator, Polly, at pphillips@verneremail. org for more details. WE (4/27, 5/4), Verner Center for Early Learning, 2586 Riceville Rd Master Gardener Plant Clinic Drop in with a description of any homeowner gardening issue. Every Tuesday and Thursday through September. TH (4/28), 9am, Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office, 589 Raccoon Rd, Waynesville Bullington Gardens Spring Plant Sale Pollinator-friendly plants that support a wide variety of bees, butterflies, beetles, or wasps. All plant sale proceeds benefit Bullington’s mission to educate and inspire children and adults in horticulture, the natural sciences and integrated disciplines. FR (4/29), 9am, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville Spring Plant Sale Proceeds support the BGA, a donor-supported non-profit organization that maintains Asheville's favorite native plant sanctuary. FR (4/29), 11:30am, Botanical Gardens at Asheville, 151 WT Weaver Blvd Sixth Annual Color Me Goodwill Fashion Show Featuring seven designers, each of whom will create a five-piece collection based on their selected color, and their stipend to shop for
materials at Goodwill. FR (4/29), 6pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave
will lead an educational ramble focusing on the useful and interesting wild plants as well as birds, insects and other critters. Attendees will hear stories, songs, lore and natural history facts stranger than fiction. SA (4/30), 1pm, Firefly Gathering, Weaverville
Lake Junaluska Annual Plant Sale More than 2,500 plants will be available and include plants propagated from Lake Junaluska’s Biblical Garden to colorful, original Coleus cross-bred on the grounds. SA (4/30), 8am, Nanci Weldon Memorial Gym, Lake Junaluska, Waynesville
Snuggle in the Park A non-sexual touch based event that invites participants to explore platonic intimacy in a safe environment. Outdoors. SA (4/30), 2pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd
Carolina Curd's Cheesemaking Class Learn to make ricotta, queso blanco, quick mozzarella, and paneer with hands-on experience in a small group setting. SA (4/30), 9am, Barn Door Ciderworks, 23 Lytle Rd, Fletcher
Annual Spring Bird Walk Bring you binoculars. Rain or shine, led by Dr. Andrew Laughlin. SU (5/1), 8:30am, Botanical Gardens at Asheville, 151 WT Weaver Blvd Deborah's School of Shoemaking Open House Learn about handmade shoemaking classes. SU (5/1), 2pm, Deborah's School of Shoemaking, 121 Montana Ave
WNCHA Hidden History Hikes: Ellicott's Rock A moderately strenuous 6.5 mile backcountry hike through three states, while exploring the history of this contested boundary. For questions, contact Trevor Freeman at eduation@wnchistory. org. SA (4/30), 9am, meet: Cashiers Designer Showhouse, 95 Bobcat Dr, Cashiers
Taste It Don't Waste It Food Waste Solutions WNC and Wicked Weed willchallenge four Asheville chefs to create delicious dishes from food scraps that might otherwise be wasted. The public is invited to attend this free event to sample the dishes and vote for their favorite. With live music. SU (5/1), 2pm, Wicked Weed West, 145 Jacob Holm Way, Candler
Homegrown Dreams An entry-level workshop designed to help attendees become more self-sufficient and live off of the land. SA (4/30), 10am, Creekside Farms Education Center, 339 Avery Creek Rd, Arden
Stitch n' B*tch Fiber Arts Group Ideal for beginners that need guidance or for the seasoned professionally looking for a crafting social group. TU (5/3), 6:30pm, Continuum Art, 147 Ste C, 1st Ave E, Hendersonville
Town Hall Meeting on Stranger Danger Presented by Awake and Bold, with guest speaker Leigh Dundas, Esq., Freedom Fighter Nation. Tickets by donation to raise money for Vets4Childrescue and SERT Ministries. SA (4/30), 12pm, AVL City Church, 3867 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden
City of Hendersonville Mulch Giveaway Thursdays and Fridays 3-7pm, Saturdays 8am-12pm. While material lasts. Through May 7. Waste Water Treatment Plant, 80 Balfour Rd, Hendersonville
Woodslore, Weeds, and Wildwoods Wisdom Walk Storyteller Doug Elliott
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New Trail Networks in Western North Carolina A panel of speakers will share information on the Fonta Flora State Trail, the Ecusta Trail, and other new or related trails in our region. For more information, contact WENOCA Chair Judy Mattox at judymattox15@ gmail.com, (828)683-2176. TH (5/5), 7pm
LOCAL FOOD & ART MARKETS Asheville City Market South Midweek market operated by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project. WE (4/27, 5/4), 12pm, Biltmore Town Square, 1 Town Square Blvd RAD Farmers Market Weekly local goods. WE (4/27, 5/4), 3pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St Les-ter Farmers Market Over 20 vendors offering fresh local produce, cheese, baked goods, meat, body care products, arts and crafts in a family-friendly environment. WE (4/27, 5/4), 3:30pm, 338 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester Spring International Market A multicultural shopping experience, with handmade creations from all over the world. TH (4/28), 1:30pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd East Asheville Tailgate Market Local goods, every Friday. FR (4/29), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd Henderson County Tailgate Market One of the oldest openair markets in WNC, this unique market has a festival feel, with local growers who operate small family farms in Henderson County. SA (4/30), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville North Asheville Tailgate Market The oldest Saturday morning market in
WNC. Over 60 rotating vendors. SA (4/30), 8am, 3300 University Heights, Asheville Asheville City Market Over 50 vendors and local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and more. SA (4/30), 9am, 52 N Market St Haywood's Historic Farmers Market Located at HART Theatre. SA (4/30), 9am, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville Maker’s Market Featuring several resident makers, crafters and artisans with handmade goods and wares. SA (4/30), 10am, The Northside at Merrimon, 600 Merrimon Ave Madison County Farmers Market Fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, soaps, tinctures and crafts. SA (4/30), 10am, College St, College St, Mars Hill Spring Art Market An outdoor pop up by the artists and staff of the center. SA (4/30), 12pm, Open Hearts Art Center, 217 Coxe Ave Spring Makers Market at Oak and Grist Featuring handmade homegoods, pottery, apparel, fine art and functional crafts, straight from the local community. With Cajun food from Grush’s Cajun Dino Grill, as well as craft cocktails and non-alcoholic options for the whole family. SA (4/30), 12pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain Jackson Arts Market Makers & Music Festival Authentic handmade goods, live arts demos and local music with ERockBabeyy on Saturday and an open jam on Sunday. SA (4/30), SU (5/1), 1pm, Downtown Sylva
Spring Market Twleve local vendors with organic skin care, candles, jewelry, poettery, art, dog treats and more. Plus coffee and matcha, and yoga with Burning Sage. SU (5/1), 10am, Centerville Luncheonette, 204 Weaverville Rd Fairview Handmade Market at Root Cause Farm Over 20 local craft vendors will be set up on the knoll with pottery, plant-based arts, herbal medicine, jewelry, paintings, woodwork, artisan soap and more. Enjoy garden tours, the Bun Intended food truck and live music by Juan Holladay, and enter to win a collection of handmade prizes through the raffle benefiting the farm. SU (5/1), 12pm, The Lord's Acre, 26 Joe Jenkins Rd, Fairview Sundays on the Island Local market located on Marshall's island in the middle of the French Broad River. SU (5/1), 12pm, Blanahasset Island, Marshall Ginger’s Revenge Spring Maker’s Market This market will feature ten vendors, charity raffles, and special small batch ginger beer releases. Goods include jewelry, art, gluten-free/ vegan baked goods, house plants, aromatherapy products, and more. SU (5/1), 2pm, Ginger’s Revenge, 829 Riverside Dr, Ste 100 West Asheville Tailgate Market Over 40 local vendors, every Tuesday. TU (5/3), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd Weaverville Tailgate Market Local foodstuffs, alongside a small lineup of craft and artisan vendors. WE (5/4), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville Enka Candler Tailgate Market To promote local agriculture and heritage crafts, to provide the
Enka-Candler community with a market for fresh local produce and other quality products, and to serve as an educational resource. TH (5/5), 3pm, 70 Pisgah Hwy/Hwy 151, Candler
FESTIVALS Welcome Spring Festival Family-friendly festival with food trucks, craft vendors, local authors, environmental groups, garden tours, kids activities and more. SA (4/30), 11am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd Ross Farm's Spring Fling Fest with Appalachian Standard In addition to the greenhouses being open, guests are invited to enjoy live local music, food trucks, a mechanical bull, curated vendors selling art, craft, CBD products, and more. The first 100 people to join us will receive a goodie bag. Limited parking. SA (4/30), 11:30am, Ross Farm, 91 Holbrook Rd, Candler Festival of Peonies in Bloom A Certified Appalachian grown peony farm specializing in growing, propagating and selling herbaceous and intersectional peony plants and peony cut blooms. Daily through May 31. Wildcat Ridge Farm, 3553 Panther Creek Rd, Clyde
SPIRITUALITY Online Baha'i Sunday Devotional Friends gathering virtually for readings, music, prayers, and conversation. All are welcome. SU (5/1), 10am, avl.mx/a9m Asheville Wisdom Exchange: One God or Many? Join Rob Field, founder of Center for Spiritual Wisdom, to hear the Perennial Tradition's take on question. WE (5/4), 7pm, avl.mx/8u5
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2022 ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
PEPI ACEBO
LIZA ENGLISH-KELLY
Website: Pepi4Asheville.com Occupation: Small-batch manufacturer of children’s products Previous candidacy or offices held: President/co-president of the Montford North Star Academy Parent Teacher Organization for three years; vice president/co-vice president of the Isaac Dickson Elementary PTO for four years. Key endorsements: I was one of three school board applicants to be endorsed last year by the Asheville City Association of Educators and the Buncombe County Association of Educators. I am not actively seeking new endorsements during the primary. Amount of money raised: I am not actively fundraising for the primary. Top three donors: I am not actively fundraising for the primary.
Website: See Liza English-Kelly for ACS Board of Education on Facebook Occupation: Teacher Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators Amount of money raised: Did not answer. Top three donors: Did not answer.
What would you bring to the Board of Education that other primary candidates do not?
I first got involved when I witnessed [developmentally delayed] EC students being dragged down a kindergarten hallway and advocated for better training and support. As an active parent and PTO leader, I’ve attended almost every regular session, work session and special session of the Asheville City Schools Board of Education over the past eight years, longer than any current board member. I offer continuity, accountability and historical insight into what has worked, what’s broken and how we razed our $8 million surplus.
I am a former employee of Asheville City Schools and a parent of children who attend schools in-district. I served as an instructional assistant at Asheville Primary School for four years and witnessed firsthand the potential to close opportunity gaps through access to public Montessori and strong teacher/family relationships, beginning in preschool. My focus is on serving the children and families of Asheville and amplifying and centering the voices of people of color in the district.
What recent Board of Education decision do you most disagree with, and what would you have done differently?
We have amazing staff and parents, but our leadership is at war with its past, throwing out the babies with the bathwater, including many successful programs like Asheville Primary School’s Public Montessori program, which now has the district’s smallest achievement gap. Our Asheville City Preschool, in the same building, is a model NC Five Star preschool which should be expanded, not cut, so that every family has access to quality pre-K and every child starts school ready to learn.
The decisions to close Asheville Primary School and downsize preschool access were shortsighted, reactionary and emblematic of the way the current Central Office and board operate. Like access to public Montessori, universal pre-K has been proven to close opportunity gaps and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. The board and Central Office received plentiful research on these topics in advance of the votes to dismantle successful programs; these decisions were made knowing that closure and downsizing is harmful, particularly for underserved populations.
What specific steps should the Board take to improve the Asheville City Schools system’s financial situation?
A balanced budget requires increasing revenue. We simply cannot cut our way to fiscal health while shrinking enrollment. We can work with the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Asheville City Council, state legislators, staff and families to be a financially healthy, growing district. We have excellent schools in a growing city. We need leaders committed to excellence that lifts up every student and builds trust so we can grow enrollment to better serve the needs of our entire community.
There must be a commitment to developing a long-term strategic plan and capital improvements plan that is shared with the community, a reduction in Central Office redundancies through a staffing audit, reduced operations costs across the district and a firm commitment to bringing all staff up to a living wage. ACS board members must build strong relationships with the people they serve and develop a culture of transparency to earn the trust of students and families.
Asheville City Board of Education 2022 marks the first time the Asheville City Board of Education will have elected members. The five-member board, currently appointed by Asheville City Council, will also expand to seven seats, as part of changes made in November by the N.C. General Assembly. Four members will be picked this cycle, with the remaining three chosen in 2024. Neither of the two appointees whose terms are expiring this year, vice chair Martha Geitner or member Shaunda Sandford, are trying to retain their seat. But the field is crowded nonetheless, with nine hopefuls seeking to guide ACS as the system faces financial challenges and staffing vacancies. Eight candidates will advance to the November general election. Further raising the stakes is the impending departure of Superintendent Gene Freeman, who announced April 20 that he would retire from ACS at the end of November. The system’s top appointed official will leave a little more than halfway through a four-year contract, which began in July 2020, after a tenure marked by public clashes with Buncombe County leaders, transparency concerns and censure by the state Department of Public Instruction over mismanagement of school nutrition operations. While the current board will select Freeman’s interim replacement, the members elected this year will help pick a permanent superintendent for the 2023-24
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school year and beyond. Whomever they choose will be the system’s fifth superintendent since 2013; by comparison, Superintendent Tony Baldwin has led Buncombe County Schools since 2009.
— Daniel Walton X
THE QUESTIONS
2022 PRIMARY ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
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MIRI MASSACHI
AMY RAY
SARA SHEA
REBECCA STRIMER
Website: None Occupation: Preschool8th grade movement instructor Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Did not answer. Amount of money raised: Did not answer. Top three donors: Did not answer.
Website: AmyforACS.com Occupation: Attorney Previous candidacy or offices held: I have never served as a candidate or held office. I have, however, served on the boards of the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, the Asheville City Schools Foundation and Women at Risk, among other community or nonprofit organizations. Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators Amount of money raised: None, so far. My campaign website is currently under development. I hope to have the website up and running and begin collecting campaign donations in the next couple of weeks. Top three donors: N/A.
Website: None Occupation: Marketing consulting and copywriting Previous candidacy or offices held: Single parent of a special-needs child. Key endorsements: Not seeking endorsements at this time. Amount of money raised: N/A. Top three donors: N/A.
Website: StrimerForACS.com Occupation: Housing counselor and program coordinator at OnTrack WNC Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators Amount of money raised: $75 Top three donors: Laura Burke, Robin Payne
I hope to earn my fellow ACS parents’ trust by listening to their priorities and ensuring their voices are heard on the board. That accountability is critical, and I plan to hold myself and fellow board members responsible for upholding it. I bring many years of experience working with kids of all ages, as well as a passion for raising a generation of independent, resilient and purpose-driven kids. Alongside my professional experience, I am a mother of two ACS students.
As an assistant United States attorney, I deeply appreciate the tragic consequences that occur when we fail to inspire in our public school students a belief that they are welcome members of our community who can contribute positively. Though not without problems, Asheville City Schools serves many students well, thanks to incredibly dedicated teachers and staff. But it does not serve all students equally, and ACS can and must serve all students as well as it has served my family.
I have a liberal arts education and I’m working toward an MBA. I’m a single working parent to a special-needs preschooler. I’m a product of public schools. My child thrived at Asheville Primary School’s developmental day preschool. I’m an advocate for children with special needs. Our kids lost a critical year of education during the pandemic. This is not a time to cut budgets. I’d strive to expand, nurture and fund innovative paradigms and access to preschool.
I am a mom to two ACS students and a social work professional with over a decade of experience administering public funds. I have built relationships with a diverse range of community members from my work with groups like the Asheville City Schools Foundation, Read 2 Succeed and Youthful Hand. I have been attending board meetings for three years, educating myself on our challenges and opportunities. I know what is happening in our district and where we need to go.
School boards across the country are deeply divided on a number of issues, and these divisions can be a distraction from ensuring students have all the support and access to opportunity they deserve. This board will inherit choices, good and bad. I’d like us to move forward in a way that allows us to close the opportunity and achievement gaps by creating consensus when possible and highlighting the voices that are most impacted by our decisions; our students and families.
Because divisions over recent ACS decisions are deep and I do not believe it would serve ACS students or staff to add to that division, I will respectfully decline to disagree with a single decision. I can promise that if elected, I will listen to stakeholders, do my own homework, be mindful of the need for financial stewardship and insist on transparency. My ultimate measure will be what is best for the entire ACS community of students, staff and families.
I disagree with the closure of Asheville Primary School. This decision has negatively impacted our entire community by limiting access to preschool, damaging the morale of teachers and staff, and pulling the rug out from under so many families. I would have held a “Large Group Intervention” or “Future Search” and involved community and stakeholders in a large, well-facilitated brainstorming session to explore potential solutions and alternatives to closing APS.
I disagree with the board’s decision to operate in a piecemeal fashion for too long. This board has been making many decisions, each in isolation from the other, without connecting to an overarching strategic plan. It’s past time for a participatory planning process. ACS sits as one component of a larger community with resources to enhance our students’ educations. We need stakeholders at the table to leverage those resources for student success and well-being.
K-12 finances are complicated by competing priorities from federal to state levels and whether those ideas actually address issues in our unique community. Hard decisions will be made moving forward, but if we get input from the community and get clear on our priorities, then we can make truly needed investments first. We need to work with local agencies and partners more to ensure that needs are better met, and I am hoping to help with these ventures.
We need a deep dive to understand our financial situation — exactly what it is and why ACS reserve funds have been depleted. We must ensure that the funds entrusted to ACS are carefully and wisely spent, with equity and strong financial management as our guiding principles. We must explore every possible funding source but also appreciate that ACS has significant financial resources available. If we are student and faculty/ staff focused, we can achieve equity, excellence and financial health.
I would make financial cuts within the Central Office rather than closing schools. One of the responsibilities of schools is for financial diligence to the taxpayers who support them. But primarily, schools are schools. Schools are for children. Schools are an investment in our future. When decisions are made regarding programs, staff and facilities, the impact on the children must be the first consideration.
A school district can say what it values, but the budget tells the real story. I will evaluate where funds go and determine which spending least supports students. The board must build the budget by starting with our values. For me, I value fair pay for teachers, access to preschool and closing the opportunity gap for Black students. I will call for publicly available justifications for all spending decisions because transparency is key to building trust in our district.
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2022 ELECTION VOTER GUIDE
Asheville City Board of Education
SARAH THORNBURG
JESSE J. WARREN
WILLIAM (BILL) YOUNG JR.
Website: ThornburgForSchoolBoard. com Occupation: Attorney, McGuire Wood & Bissette Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: None at this time. Amount of money raised: $0 Top three donors: None at this time.
Website: Not complete Occupation: Retired/ student at Fayetteville Technical Community College Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Asheville City Association of Educators Amount of money raised: $0 Top three donors: N/A
Website: N/A Occupation: Retired Previous candidacy or offices held: N/A Key endorsements: Keith Young, former Asheville City Council member Amount of money raised: Under threshold. Top three donors: N/A
What would you bring to the Board of Education that other primary candidates do not?
My children attended Asheville City Schools grades K-12, during which time I volunteered in numerous capacities. For 14 years, I have shown up for the Asheville City Schools. I am a former public high school teacher, and I have significant, practical experience serving on boards, working cooperatively toward shared goals. I know how to facilitate meetings, how to listen, how to pull in all voices, how to read a balance sheet and how to budget for critical priorities.
I am running beside several candidates with my same commitment to Asheville City Schools. I come to the board as a “global Black educator” who served nearly 16 years connecting our schools to the community. I plan to apply my leadership, encourage and give hope to each student to take that extra step forward toward their aspirations. I plan to support teachers and classrooms to cultivate proper behavior so that students can achieve the quality of learning to be successful.
As a former school teacher in New Jersey and longtime employee of the Asheville City School system, I’ve served in many different roles that intersect education with community: working with exceptional children, Communities in Schools and even now as a retiree I still substitute. I bring lifelong experience and my different perspectives in the education system as a former teacher. The well-being of all of our children is valued, including that of our most vulnerable kids.
What recent Board of Education decision do you most disagree with, and what would you have done differently?
Asheville City Schools is fortunate to have stalwart teachers, administrators and staff; curious and resilient students; and engaged parents. As the school board seeks to serve and guide these stakeholders, improvements could be made in the processes by which decisions are made and the manner in which those decisions are communicated. I believe my experience as a teacher, attorney, parent and board member can be put to use to strengthen the work of the school board.
Even when it is hard to hear or unpopular: Honesty with the facts, all the information to make a proper, correct decision. Wavering when the time came to make a sound decision made it more difficult for parents, staff and students with the decision that the school board close the preschool.
I do not so much disagree with any one action as much as I am disappointed in the inaction to pull our school system’s budget out of financial disrepair, despite having many funding advantages over a majority of North Carolina’s school systems. We have one of the highest-funded systems and largest central offices, all while trying to reverse one of the worst opportunity gaps between Black and white students and needing to expand pre-K.
What specific steps should the Board take to improve the Asheville City Schools system’s financial situation?
The focus should be on maximizing school funding to benefit all students. Consideration needs to be given to federal, state and local funding sources. Budget decisions should seek to balance the many needs of the system (fair and equitable teacher and staff compensation, mental health support for students, and facility maintenance, to name just a few) while remaining financially stable.
A) Look at Central Office payroll. B) Examine why every time there’s an administration turnover, there’s a new, expensive initiative. C) When programs are implemented, keep them long enough to evaluate them and give them a chance to meet the intended objective.
We continue leaking teachers like a faucet and are unable to fill most positions. We must alleviate the pressure somewhere! We should immediately establish a formal fund balance policy to save our future, if we plan on keeping a city school system at all. I would hate to see the city school system consolidated because of fiscal irresponsibility amidst adequate funding.
Continued THE QUESTIONS
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BILL BRANYON
AL WHITESIDES
Website: BranyonForCommissioner. org Occupation: Former staff reporter and regular contributor to Mountain Xpress for over 30 years, novelist, hyperactivist Previous candidacy or offices held: Chair of Operation Safe Return (the first Gulf War); Democratic chair of precinct 7.1, Kenilworth; residency officer at UNC Asheville Key endorsements: My sci-fi novel, Billy Graham In Heaven, was endorsed and published by Urthona Press Amount of money raised: Self-financed Top three donors: N/A
Website: AlWhitesides.com Occupation: Retired banker Previous candidacy or offices held: Buncombe County commissioner, former Asheville City Schools board member Key endorsements: Sierra Club, WNC Central Labor Council, state Rep. John Ager, state Rep. Brian Turner Amount of money raised: Did not answer. Top three donors: Did not answer.
What would you bring to the Board of Commissioners that other candidates do not?
An understanding that Jack Cecil and the county commissioners plan to recruit many other weapons factories in addition to the Pratt & Whitney F-35 plant, subsidized by almost $100 million of your tax dollars. Also, a willingness to stand up to the treasonous Republicans of Raleigh and decriminalize most drugs, have a referendum on how much development we want, guarantee at least a $15 minimum wage and institute rent controls in areas such as the River Arts District.
I have 40 years of banking experience and my lifetime of experiences as an African American living in Buncombe County.
Name three achievable goals you would champion in the next four years.
1) Decriminalize drugs. Use harm reduction rather than a punitive approach. Mass rehab, not mass incarceration. This will hugely reduce pressure on police, as well as greatly reduce violent crime. 2) Use the $100 million in subsidies given to Pratt & Whitney to subsidize green industry instead. 3) Rent controls in lower-income areas and in designated spots such as the River Arts District to keep from herding artists elsewhere, as they were herded from downtown. Freeze property taxes on low-income neighborhoods.
1) Achieve universal pre-K education in Buncombe County. 2) Continue to support transparency in all of Buncombe County government. 3) Continue to support diversity and inclusion for all employees in Buncombe County government regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation.
The winner of the Democratic primary will run against Republican Anthony Penland, chief of the Swannanoa Fire Department and a former District 2 commissioner, in November. No other primaries are being held for board seats.
What one recent decision by the Board of Commissioners do you most disagree with, and what would you have done differently?
Not only is it obvious the commissioners plan for more weapons factories, but the F-35 built with parts from the Pratt and Whitney plant can carry a nuclear weapon that’s 22 times more powerful than that which annihilated Hiroshima. The American fleet of 2,500 F-35s can kill almost everyone and everything on Earth, turning our economy into World War III County. Is that the economy you want? Subsidize peace, not violence. Subsidize our highest hopes, not deepest fears.
None.
— Daniel Walton X
What one action you would prioritize to increase trust and satisfaction in county government?
The Pratt & Whitney decision was shoved down the throats of Buncombe County. The commissioners announced it one meeting; the next meeting they had a very limited public comment, 95% of which was against the plant, and then ignored citizens and voted for it. I’ll call for an investigation of the whole process, as well as avoid such miscarriages of democracy in the future. I’m not alleging dishonesty, but am alleging very bad democracy and atrocious judgment.
Keep an open-door policy and make sure all Buncombe County citizens can easily contact me with any concerns.
How will you honor the perspectives of all Buncombe residents, including those whose political views aren’t represented on the board?
I’ll call for referendums on the big issues, the biggest perhaps being whether we want more development. If not, I’ll zone accordingly. I’ll save Buncombe’s forests like the Big Ivy from clearcutting and preserve our dwindling tree canopy from the travesty of “open spaces” now being debated. I’ll consult with local nongovernmental organizations regularly and incorporate as much as possible their views on homelessness, sex and race inclusiveness, and any other issues that are challenging Buncombe County.
Same as above.
Buncombe County Board of Commissioners District 1 — Democratic Al Whitesides, the incumbent District 1 member of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, is facing something new in 2022: a challenger. First appointed to the board by Democratic party leaders in 2016 to fill the vacancy created by Brownie Newman’s election as Board Chair, Whitesides ran unopposed in both the primary and general elections in 2018. This time around, writer and activist (and erstwhile Xpress reporter) Bill Branyon is providing Democratic competition. Branyon has bashed Whitesides for his vote to approve county subsidies for Pratt & Whitney, an aerospace firm building a large manufacturing plant in the Bent Creek area, due to the company’s role in supplying the U.S. military.
Spring 2022
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Buncombe County District Attorney Democratic
Voters who choose a Democratic ballot in Buncombe County face a Goldilocks-like decision for district attorney: Is incumbent Todd Williams too hard on crime, too soft on crime or just right? Criticizing Williams from the first of those positions is assistant public defender Courtney Booth. She has said Williams’ “law-and-order office” has failed poorer residents and communities of color, arguing that practices such as cash bail are discriminatory. From the other side comes Doug Edwards, a prosecutor and former assistant district attorney. Edwards, endorsed by the N.C. Police Benevolent Association, has attacked
— Daniel Walton X
COURTNEY BOOTH
DOUG EDWARDS
TODD WILLIAMS
Website: CourtneyBoothForDA. com Occupation: Attorney (assistant public defender) Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Did not answer. Amount of money raised: $5,350 Top three donors: Michael Casterline, Albert Messer, Todd Lentz
Website: DougForDA.com Occupation: Attorney Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: International Association of Fire Fighters Local 332, Asheville Fire Fighters Association; AFL-CIO WNC Central Labor Council; International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART); North Carolina Police Benevolent Association. Amount of money raised: Did not answer. Top three donors: Did not answer.
Website: ToddWilliamsforDA.com Occupation: District attorney Previous candidacy or offices held: Elected DA in 2014, took office in 2015, reelected DA in 2018 Key endorsements: Drew Reisinger, Buncombe County Register of Deeds; former state Sen. Terry van Duyn; state Rep. John Ager; James “Fergie” Ferguson, civil rights attorney; Frank Goldsmith, civil rights attorney Amount of money raised: Roughly $25,000 Top three donors: Moe Davis for Congress, Teresa van Duyn, Patricia Williams
What unique perspective do you bring to the office of district attorney?
I am a mom and have been an assistant public defender for over 16 years. I would be the first woman to hold this office. I am a humble yet strong person who is not interested in political gain but stepped up to reform our criminal justice system to pursue justice and safety for all. Our courthouse sits in Asheville, and Asheville has the progressive values to support the Reform DA movement that is happening across the country.
I am the only candidate that has successfully obtained a conviction for first-degree murder by jury trial. My opponents are trained as public defenders; I am trained as a prosecutor. These are entirely different skill sets needed for keeping our community safe. I have spent my career prosecuting violent criminals and protecting citizens against some of the most dangerous people in our community. I’ve worked alongside victims and understand the impact crime has on them and their families.
Capital defender (death penalty cases) during 14 years as a public defender. Ran against and defeated the 24-year incumbent, who wrongfully convicted young Black men; I now serve on the innocence commission that cleared them. I’ve earned national recognition for effective, sustainable justice reform. Promised and delivered child advocacy and family justice centers. Trauma-informed, evidence-based approach to victim services and second chances for nonviolent offenders. Successful prosecution of violent crime (murders, rapes, assaults). Secured freedom for those wrongfully incarcerated.
Besides prosecuting crimes, what is the most important function of a DA?
It’s not about getting convictions. It’s about pursuing justice, and per the oath, to apply the law fairly, all while taking into account how the system has historically failed persons of color, the working class and working poor. It’s about using resources wisely to prioritize and prosecute violent crimes and ensuring swift justice to make a victim or victim’s family as whole as they can be made.
The most important function of the DA is to ensure public safety and fairness to both victims and defendants. The role of the DA is to serve as an advocate for victims and ensure their voice is heard. The DA also is responsible for ensuring that the rights of defendants are protected. Decisions made have a tremendous effect on victims and defendants and must be given a great deal of thought and consideration.
To deliver sustainable justice reform, because that’s what’s necessary for the long-haul systems change of achieving justice and equity — ending disproportionate incarceration, education, health and employment outcomes. This requires constant improvement of the process and procedure of seeking justice. I created anti-bias grand jury measures. I established a conviction-integrity review to uncover biased punishment. This is my life’s work, and it’s the responsibility of every DA. My duty is to ensure justice through protection of everyone in our community.
How should the DA approach collaboration with local law enforcement offices, especially the Asheville Police Department?
The DA has to be transparent and communicate their expectations with law enforcement. A DA’s discretion is independent and serves as law enforcement’s checks and balances. A relationship that is too close is too entangled and incestuous to make an independent decision and to truly pursue justice, without the taint of close relationships interfering. I am supportive of our law enforcement and will remain collegial but separate.
The roles of law enforcement and prosecutors are mutually dependent. Prosecutors rely on law enforcement to gather facts and evidence necessary to hold offenders accountable. Law enforcement officers rely on prosecutors to advise them and support their efforts to keep our community safe. As district attorney, I will work to restore trust and relationships to help build morale and confidence within the DA’s office and law enforcement agencies throughout our county.
I am in constant collaborative communication with APD. I partner with APD on mutual goals and responsibilities to identify safety threats and to secure accountability for violent crime. I credit this approach and community action with an 18% reduction in shots-fired calls and bucking the trend of spikes in homicides. My office also consults with APD to seek solutions to nuisance crimes. “Unhoused diversion” decriminalizes poverty and diverts nonviolent offenders to treatment and assistance, which is more effective than incarceration.
What specific role should the DA play in promoting public safety?
Violent crime has risen in the city, and public safety is a priority. Prioritizing the prosecution of violent crime, in light of the backlog of cases coupled with an understaffed police department, is key to achieving public safety. Vowing to identify any type of overpolicing of neighborhoods is key to restoring trust in law enforcement and will likely result in an opportunity to protect and truly serve our community. I want safety for all, not just some.
The district attorney promotes public safety by prioritizing crimes that have the most impact. As DA, I will prioritize crimes against children and the most vulnerable in our community. I am particularly concerned with the high rate of crime against African American women. We must find solutions to address the victimization rates of women in all neighborhoods. Domestic violence and crimes against children should be taken seriously, and offenders must be held accountable.
The DA has a duty to ensure justice through equal protection of all community members. We cannot and should not allow public safety and prosecution to differ based on a person’s race, identity, wealth, life experience, neighborhood, etc. This positions the DA as an advocate for just accountability that fosters trust. That requires just consideration of charges and prosecution strategies, and alternatives if appropriate. This includes accountability for the public and law enforcement officers and providing trauma-informed victim services.
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the incumbent for dismissing nuisance crimes such as trespassing and solicitation. And Williams, who was elected as district attorney in 2014, is running on his record. He says that under his tenure, the county has seen stable or decreasing numbers of homicides, robberies and incidents of gun violence. No Republicans have filed for the district attorney race, meaning that whoever wins the Democratic primary will run unopposed in the general election. (Attorney Joe Bowman will appear on the Democratic ballot but announced March 14 that he was suspending his campaign to support Booth.)
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Buncombe County Sheriff
As reported last year by Asheville Watchdog, Hurley significantly differs from the Democratic party line in embracing the “constitutional sheriff” movement. Under this interpretation, promoted by the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association but regarded as incorrect by mainstream legal scholars, sheriffs have constitutional authority to determine which laws should be enforced within their jurisdiction. Hurley was also part of a group that protested during meetings of the Buncombe County Board of Education last year over critical race theory and student mask mandates. An affidavit filed by the protesters notes that Hurley had asked Miller to countermand the school board’s restrictions on public comment at those meetings based on the sheriff’s constitutional authority, which Miller did not do.
QUENTIN MILLER
Website: HurleyforSheriff.com Occupation: Selfemployed Previous candidacy or offices held: Did not answer. Key endorsements: Did not answer. Amount of money raised: avl.mx/bgy Top three donors: N/A.
Website: QuentinForBuncombe.org Occupation: Sheriff of Buncombe County Previous candidacy or offices held: Sheriff from 2018 to present Key endorsements: All six Democratic Buncombe County commissioners, state Sen. Julie Mayfield, former state Sen. Terry Van Duyn, Gene Bell and former Buncombe County Commissioner and state Rep. Patsy Keever Amount of money raised: $29,536.81 as of 3/29/22 Top three donors: Eddie Harwood, Terry Van Duyn, Moe Davis for Congress (campaign committee)
What unique perspective do you bring to the office of sheriff?
Unlike many who hold the position of sheriff, I do not have a career law enforcement background. I have a strong combination of military, police, highrisk security and business experience. I think this is an advantage over other candidates because I’m not approaching this position from the perspective of a law enforcer. Instead, I’m approaching it from a constitutional problem-solver perspective. I’ve been in law enforcement long enough to know that things could be done better.
Being born and raised in Asheville, I consider myself a community member, and that is a big part of what I bring to the role of sheriff. Every day I see friends, old classmates or community members who I can talk to and ask what is going on in our community. With my experience the last three years as sheriff, I bring knowledge of budgets, staffing and the challenges that Buncombe County is facing with the opioid epidemic.
What do you consider the biggest challenge currently facing the Sheriff’s Office, and how would you address it?
The biggest challenge facing the Sheriff’s Office today is the lack of leadership and approach to policing. Like many law enforcement agencies, BCSO is engaged primarily in reactive policing, not proactive, community-oriented policing. This approach reduces community relations, doesn’t prevent crime and gets increasingly costly over time. I would review current policies and start turning the office into a community-oriented office with the purpose of increasing positive engagement with the community and preventing crime, particularly property theft and drug distribution.
I will tell you that fentanyl and the opioid epidemic is our greatest challenge. We are now seeing more than 100 individuals die from overdoses each year in Buncombe County, with the numbers increasing during the last 18 months. Most of these deaths are from fentanyl, which can be 50 times as strong as heroin. I am proud of our medication-assisted treatment program in the jail that began under my watch to help combat this crisis.
What specific opportunities for collaboration do you see with other public safety agencies, including the Asheville Police Department and the local court system?
I would move to absorb the Asheville police into the ranks of the Sheriff’s Office. Besides the obvious benefit of being able to serve the public’s needs, this would result in better transparency, community engagement and accountability. I would also work closely with the district attorney to ensure cases are handled constitutionally. We will not enforce “crimes” that do not infringe on the rights of others (i.e., recreational marijuana use, loitering in public areas, panhandling).
The Post-Overdose Response Team program is a great example of how law enforcement is partnering with other agencies to address the opioid epidemic. Both the Sheriff’s Office and Asheville Police Department work with this new and innovative program that is run through Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services. Law enforcement does not have all the answers on how to address issues like addiction or mental health, and we need to find new ways to tackle these issues together.
If you could choose any additional professional development training for the Sheriff’s Office and its deputies, what would it be?
As sheriff, I will implement community-oriented communications training and qualifications standards, fitness training and qualifications standards, and constitutional training and testing before field assignment. I would also discontinue Taser and baton training while increasing training in empty-hand techniques. The overuse of police Tasers has led to unnecessary deaths and serious bodily injury during confrontations. If done correctly, training can mitigate a lot of situations from happening in the first place and deescalate situations so less-than-lethal tools are not needed.
Our staff have many different specialities depending on their role, but if I had to generalize across our staff, it would be Crisis Intervention Training. We are working to get all our deputies and detention officers certified. This training program teaches officers and first responders about different types of mental health diagnoses and medications, discusses the impact of stigma on individuals living with mental health issues and teaches deescalation skills specific to this population.
Democratic Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin MIller earned his first Democratic nomination in a five-way 2018 primary with over half of all votes cast. Now the incumbent, he faces just one primary challenger: David Hurley.
DAVID HURLEY
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— Daniel Walton X
$1,686 – $2,848
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Buncombe County Sheriff Republican The Republican candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff, whoever it will be, faces an uphill battle. In 2018, first-time Democratic candidate Quentin Miller bested Republican Shad Higgins by more than 26 percentage points, and Republican voter numbers in the county have since decreased. Nevertheless, two retired lawmen are vying for the GOP nomination to challenge the incumbent. Jeff Worley, a former N.C. State Highway Patrol officer and current law enforcement trainer, has the backing of both Higgins and former Buncombe Sheriff Van Duncan. Former Buncombe Deputy Ben Jaramillo did not list any endorsements but brings 19 years of experience with the county, including patrol, court security and jail duties. (The first local candidate to declare his intentions for 2022 — AJ Fox, who announced his run for Buncombe County Sheriff in April 2019 — died April 3. While his name will still appear on the Republican ballot, any votes for him will not be tallied.)
BEN JARAMILLO Website: Jaramillo4Sheriff.com Occupation: Retired deputy sheriff Previous candidacy or offices held: None Key endorsements: Did not answer. Amount of money raised: $1,200 Top three donors: Did not answer.
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N.C. House District 115 N.C. Senate District 46 N.C. Senate District 49 U.S. House District 11
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Website: WorleyForBuncombe.org Occupation: Teacher/ instructor Previous candidacy or offices held: Did not
answer. Key endorsements: Former Sheriff Van Duncan, Buncombe County; N.C. Troopers Association; Woodfin Mayor Jerry Vehaun; Shad Higgins, local business owner and former Republican Buncombe County Sheriff candidate Amount of money raised: Did not answer. Top three donors: Did not answer.
What unique perspective do you bring to the office of sheriff?
According to the N.C. Sheriff’s Association, the office of sheriff is a North Carolina constitutionally required office with common-law duties such as operation of the jail, law enforcement, service of process and courts (bailiffs). I served the office for 19 years until my retirement and worked in the jail (advancing to sergeant), law enforcement (advancing to field training officer and K-9 handler and trainer) and courts as a bailiff, which additionally gave me knowledge of service of process.
I offer an easily overlooked but important perspective: my experience and focus on leadership of the agency as a whole and our community at large. It is easy to think of the job solely as one of law enforcement and fail to understand that a successful sheriff must be more to people than a chief law enforcement officer. A sheriff must be a strong communicator and listener who remains open to community ideas while remaining decisive when needed.
What do you consider the biggest challenge currently facing the Sheriff’s Office, and how would you address it?
All of the deaths of inmates and assaults on officers in the detention center. I would personally investigate the reasons these deaths and assaults are occurring and would dedicate resources to hire and train qualified personnel, e.g., medical staff and certified detention officers, as needed.
Poor morale, lack of discernible vision and personnel shortages, all related to one another, have led to the professional decline of our Sheriff’s Office. We must continue to look toward professional leadership throughout the ranks as the corrective action needed. Making the training and rewarding of these principles a part of the culture, from the very top down, must be a priority. We must not be afraid to ask for this type of guidance from the outside as well.
What specific opportunities for collaboration do you see with other public safety agencies, including the Asheville Police Department and the local court system?
There is a breakdown in communications between agencies in many areas. We take an oath to protect and serve all residents in our county. To do this, I believe we need to open that flow of communication with each agency. I further believe that we need to partner with these agencies to develop critical resources that would ensure our residents’ safety.
We sometimes think in narrow terms relating directly to daily law enforcement actions like answering calls for service. I would suggest that much greater gains come from planned collaboration that has resulted from long and trusting relationships and regular collaborationdriven meetings between potential public safety partners. These types of collaborations are simply not happening with the Sheriff’s Office now because these important relationships between agencies have wilted. My goal is to bring all the public safety elements together again.
If you could choose any additional professional development training for the Sheriff’s Office and its deputies, what would it be?
I would choose training in diversity, recognizing mental health issues, finding and identifying narcotics, and preventing human trafficking. I would also work to grow each officer in the area best suited to their talents to aid in retention and slow the amount of monies spent on training new officers. The N.C. Justice Academy is one training center that provides excellent free training for officers. I would use the academy, as well as many free federal training programs.
Interpersonal communication and advanced leadership training are offered inside and outside of traditional law enforcement resources. We should always be training the next sheriffs and other leaders of Buncombe County. That means we must offer personnel the cutting edge of professional training. To have the most professional and motivated agency possible, it must put communication and leadership first. When both of these topics are part of the professional heart of all employees, the Sheriff’s Office can actually succeed.
— Daniel Walton X
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
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WELLNESS
Dr. Elizabeth Garbarino
Healthier opportunities Pilot program addresses social drivers of health
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jwakeman@mountainx.com Good health depends on many factors. A new Medicaid program called the Healthy Opportunities Pilot addresses the social factors involved in health. Developed by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the pilot covers 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina (in addition to two regions in Eastern North Carolina). It’s the first pilot in the nation to “test and evaluate the impact of providing select evidence-based, nonmedical interventions,” according to NCDHHS. Impact Health, a new nonprofit created by Dogwood Health Trust to manage the pilot, is serving as network lead for WNC. One of the goals of the pilot is to identify which services both improve health and lower health care costs. This means addressing nutrition, housing, safety and transportation. In total, 29 potential interventions are available for reimbursement under the Healthy Opportunities Pilot fee schedule. The Healthy Opportunities Pilot is part of North Carolina’s July 1 transition to Medicaid Managed Care health plans. According to Impact Health, the transition “essentially outsources the management and reimbursements of the state’s Medicaid system to private health plans.” The human service organizations selected will receive Medicaid reimbursements from the private insurance plans for the services they provide Medicaid enrollees. The federal government has authorized up to $650 million in
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Dionne Greenlee-Jones, left, interim executive director for Impact Health, and Glenn Wise, director of programs for MANNA FoodBank, are excited about the pilot. Photos courtesy of Impact Health and MANNA FoodBank Medicaid funds for the next five years, NCDHHS reports. Impact Health opened the application process for human service organizations in September, and it announced the organizations that would serve in the pilot March 3. In total, 46 human service organizations will participate in the network. Some organizations focus on a singular domain, such as Bounty & Soul, a Black Mountain-based nonprofit that provides boxes of nourishing food to individuals. Others serve across multiple domains, such as Safelight, a Hendersonville-based nonprofit that provides services for cases of intimate partner violence as well as housing navigation and reimbursement for health-related public transportation. The first phase of the pilot’s rollout began March 15 with an emphasis on food insecurity. Dionne GreenleeJones, interim executive director for Impact Health, says referrals began immediately. Since the pilot began, there have been more than 35 referrals made for services from providers within the food domain. “To find that we’ve already seen some reimbursements happen points to the fact that the pilot has successfully launched,” says Greenlee-Jones. Healthy Opportunities is rolling out two more phases this spring: housing and transportation Sunday, May 1,
and interpersonal violence services Wednesday, June 15. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH Social determinants of health, also called social drivers of health, have traditionally not received as much attention as in-office aspects of health care, such as vaccinations or bloodwork. But those in the medical community have long known that their patients’ living conditions are a factor in their overall health. According to a 2018 survey of physicians in America, conducted by The Physicians Foundation, 88% of physicians said some, many or all of their patients experienced a social condition, like poverty, that impacted their health. The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recognizes five domains for social determinants of health: economic stability, neighborhood and built environment, education access and quality, social and community context and health care access and quality. “A well-paying job, after-school programming for youth, trees in the neighborhood — all contribute to our physical, mental and emotional well-being, and can delay or reduce ill-
ness in individuals and populations,” writes Ameena Batada, professor of health and wellness at UNC Asheville. Ventures like the Healthy Opportunities Pilot are laying the groundwork for larger structural changes to address health concerns, she indicates. “Initiatives such as Healthy Opportunities, which create mechanisms to allocate funding outside of health care, have the potential to offer greater support to populations that have been historically, and continue to be, disenfranchised due to classism, racism and other critical systemic problems,” she says. FOOD FIRST The Healthy Opportunities Pilot is focusing on food insecurity in the first phase. “Food insecurity is a huge issue all throughout the state, but particularly in Western North Carolina,” explains Greenlee-Jones. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Low food security is considered to be “reduced quality, variety of desirability of diet,” while very low food security means “multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake,” the USDA says. In 2019, North Carolina’s food insecurity rate was 13.5%, according to Feeding America, a nonprofit that partners with the USDA on implementing federal nutrition programs. On a county level, Feeding America reports Buncombe County’s food insecurity rate was 13.5%, while Haywood County’s food insecurity rate was 14.9%. McDowell County had a rate of 16.5%, which was among the highest in the state. MANNA FoodBank is a hunger relief organization in the pilot that services over 250 food pantries in the
16 WNC counties, says Glenn Wise, director of programs for MANNA FoodBank. “One of the reasons that the food domain was chosen to launch [the pilot] initially [is] because that’s a pretty strong network, and those networks exist across the state,” he explains. North Carolina is permitting nine food-related services to be reimbursed under the pilot, Wise explains — “everything from healthy food boxes — both for pickup at a partner agency or delivered. Also healthy meals for pickup and delivery.” Evidence-based nutrition classes such as Cooking Matters and diabetes prevention programs also make the list. Nineteen organizations in the food domain were part of the pilot at its launch, says Greenlee-Jones. As additional organizations join the pilot in future phases, more might be added, as some organizations serve multiple domains, she says. Since the Healthy Opportunities Pilot is new, it remains to be seen which services move the needle on participants’ health the most. However, Wise tells Xpress he is particularly enthusiastic about the educational programs. “Providing the actual food is only a part of what it’s going to take for someone to really improve their health or change behavior in a way that it improves their health outcome,” he explains. It’s “absolutely critical,” he says, for people to understand how they can “adopt changes in their diet that ultimately reduce their risk of diabetes.” Wise tells Xpress that the Healthy Opportunities Pilot has the potential to serve some of the most vulnerable among us. (Three in seven children in North Carolina are insured by Medicaid, according to 2019 data from Kaiser Family Foundation, a nationwide research and policy organization.) “To be able to use Medicaid dollars to treat food insecurity for children and even some of those in their family is really pretty powerful,” Wise says. X
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ARTS & CULTURE
One piece at a time
Local art collectors reflect on their growing collection BY ARNOLD WENGROW a.wengrow@yahoo.com Mirror, Mirror, an exhibition on self-reflection, opens in Asheville on Thursday, April 28. Given the collection’s breadth — 24 works by contemporary artists from 17 states and nine foreign countries — you might expect to see it in a museum or at least a commercial gallery. Instead, the show takes place at local artist Randy Shull’s studio, 22 London, a former warehouse in South Asheville. Making Mirror, Mirror even more unusual, the works are not on loan from museums or galleries. Shull and his life and business partner, Hedy Fischer, own the collection — one that has caught the eye and praise of local and statewide art leaders. Linda Johnson Dougherty, the chief curator at the N.C. Museum of Art in Raleigh, calls it “one of the most significant collections of contemporary art in the state.” Meanwhile, Pamela L. Myers, executive director of the Asheville Art Museum, praises Shull and Fischer for their astute eye. “They have a clear and energetic focus, and that’s the hallmark of a great collection,” she says. Despite owning some 250 works by many of today’s most visible artists, the couple say they did not set out to become collectors. And while they remain dedicated to sharing their acquisitions with Asheville and beyond, the pair are also considering the future destination for their growing collection. ALMOST BY ACCIDENT According to Shull, both collecting and exhibiting began almost by accident. “As an artist, I traded a lot with my friends,” he explains. “I had a significant art collection from my friends in New York and Philadelphia. Then when Hedy and I got together [in 1993], we were able to pool our funds and buy more significant pieces.” “That opened up a whole new door of opportunity,” Fischer adds. Fischer arrived in Asheville in 1978 to work for the Buncombe County Health Department. “From my career in public health, I segued into performance art and traveled around the world with Poetry Alive! for five years,” she says. 24
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COLLECTORS: When Randy Shull and Hedy Fischer met in 1993, the pair had no intentions of becoming art collectors. But over the last 20 years, the couple have amassed an extraordinary collection of some of today’s most visible artists. Photo by Jennifer Castillo Shull, on the other hand, came to Western North Carolina in 1987 for a five-year residency at Penland School of Craft. By that point, he was only a few years out from earning his bachelor of fine arts degree in furniture design from the Rochester Institute of Technology. His handmade, oneof-a-kind polychromed wood pieces were already attracting collectors and earning praise from critics. “Asheville was my place to go on a date,” Shull remembers. “The big draw was to go to Malaprop’s to look at books and to buy alcohol [downtown]. Penland School was devoid of those things.” As Shull and Fischer began traveling internationally together, they always visited museums and galleries. When they saw artists they liked, they began to buy their works “one piece at a time,” Shull says. “I don’t think we thought of ourselves as collectors for 20 years. We were just buying art that we loved. Then you realize your art-buying has a focus, and all of sudden you’ve got a collection.”
IN OUR TIME That focus, says Fischer, leans toward works with social and political consciousness. “The majority of the artists we collect are Latinx or African diaspora,” she notes. Shull adds, “We buy work if we feel the artist has something to say about the times we live in.” To date, a sense of immediacy has pervaded the five exhibitions they have hosted. For example, in 2017, ¡Viva! showcased more than a dozen Latin American artists as controversy flared about immigration. Three years later, High Anxiety was developed as the pandemic was taking hold. Similar to their overall collection, the idea to host exhibitions was fortuitous, as well. When Shull bought the warehouse at 22 London Road in 2013, “It was just going to be my studio,” he says, “And it still is.” But when two friends — David J. Brown, a museum curator in West Virginia, and David Raymond, an
artist, filmmaker and collector of photography who moved to Asheville from Manhattan in 2012 — visited the space, they persuaded Shull and Fischer to create their first show: Love, Devotion and Surrender. Though the turnout was small in 2016, “It was enthusiastic enough that we were encouraged to do more,” says Fischer. “We saw a hunger for contemporary art [displayed] in a contemplative environment that was not commercial.” MIRROR, MIRROR In their collectors’ statement for the upcoming exhibit, Shull and Fischer write: “Self-portraits have been made since we first glimpsed our reflections in water, but it was not until the mid15th century, when the mirror was made from more reflective silvered glass, that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the primary subject or as an important character in their painting.” Tying this theme of self-reflection to the present day, Mirror, Mirror examines the pandemic and the self-searching it’s generated for many throughout the extended periods of social isolation. One of the questions Mirror, Mirror raises is, “What can we learn from how artists have portrayed themselves?” Though not all featured works were created amid the health crisis, some were a direct reaction to it. For example, New York-based artist Kevin Beasley’s sculpture “Recliner,” shows the artist reclined in a chair, draped in a bedsheet, appearing as a solidified ghost. The work came about after missing a family reunion in his home state of Virginia in the early days of COVID-19. Meanwhile, Tryon-based artist Margaret Curtis tackles her response to contemporary cataclysms with “Portrait of My Anxiety (Wallpaper).” A woman sitting tensely in a hard
wooden chair is knitting furiously. Knots and tentacles of yarn envelop her head, torso, arms and legs. Behind her, elaborately patterned wallpaper is disintegrating in flames. Curtis says she was driving down the road “when the image popped into my head fully formed of a woman completely covered in knots. I could see it so clearly.” The painting, she admits, “is about a certain level of neuroticism.” PROMISED GIFT Shull and Fischer clearly get a kick out of collecting and sharing their art. “It’s fun to think about what we’ll show next, based on the things we have,” Shull says. “And just knowing we have the space.” But the pair will also purchase future works with themes in mind, Fischer adds, once they’ve settled on the next exhibit. Looking toward the future, the couple are also currently in conversation with the N.C. Museum of Art about donating a major portion as a legacy. Dougherty, the N.C. Museum of Art curator, says this gift will transform the museum’s collection. “Randy and Hedy have made a concerted effort to think about artists who have been overlooked,” Dougherty says. “Having these works will allow us to present a more inclusive and more accurate view of art history.” X
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ARTS & C U L T U R E
LITERATURE
‘When flesh and blood are shed’ Ron Rash rounds out Xpress’ celebration of Poetry Month
Well, dear reader, this week’s issue marks the end of Xpress’ celebration of Poetry Month. And how fitting to conclude our run with a poem that touches on the ultimate ending — death! Writer, poet and New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash shares with us his poem, “Good Friday, 1995, Driving Westward,” which first appeared in his 2000 poetry collection, Among the Believers. Many thanks to Rash, along with this month’s other three contributors — Mildred Barya, Wayne Caldwell and Jessica Jacobs — for sharing their works and thoughts on poetry with Xpress.
Good Friday, 1995, Driving Westward by Ron Rash This day I feel I live among strangers. The old blood ties beckon so I drive west to Buncombe County, a weedy graveyard where my rare last name crumbles on stone. All were hardshell Baptists, farmers who believed the soul is another seed that endures when flesh and blood are shed, that all things planted rise toward the sun.
Q&A WITH RON RASH Xpress: I know from a previous talk with you that a single image often inspires some of your work. Was that the case here? If so, what was the particular image? If not, how did the poem come about? Rash: Yes, my paternal grandparents are buried in a church cemetery in the Alexander community of Buncombe County. “Rash” is not a common name, but there is a long row of stones with Rash chiseled on them, and that was the image the poem came from. Faith comes up in many of your works. Can you speak to the inspiration and how it has influenced your writing over the years? I grew up in a family and extended family in which religion — Christian, but at times also pagan — was very important. But to their
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NET IN HAND: “When I write a poem, among other aspects, I want it to be a net for catching sounds,” says poet Ron Rash. Photo by Ulf Andersen credit, they never hectored me or tried to frighten me into belief. Instead, I gained a sense that life is mysterious. I agree with the Welsh poet Bobi Jones that “it is the boundless mystery that comforts being.” As both a poet and a fiction writer, do you notice a difference in your approach depending on the form? Absolutely. Like FM/AM. Poetry for me is about sound-play within the line, prose within the sentence and paragraph. Also, the poetry I
I dream them shaking dirt off strange new forms. Gathered for the last harvest, they hold hands, take their first dazed steps toward heaven.
love most has an aural energy or word arrangement that also offers a kind of pre-verbal communication, as in [Gerard Manley] Hopkins, or more recently poems such as Seamus Heaney’s “Postscript.” And so that is the aim for you when approaching your poetry? When I write a poem, among other aspects, I want it to be a net for catching sounds. Lastly, as I’ve asked all poets featured in this month’s series, is there a new collection of poems written by a local author that
you’re particularly fond of? If so, what makes the collection stick out to you? Joyce Brown’s Hard-Packed Clay is a collection set in the North Carolina mountains. Brown is in her mid-70s, and she is the rare poet, as with Yeats, who has produced her/ his best work at this stage in a career. The poems are elegiac, but within them is, as she says in the concluding poem, “the heart’s resurgent beat of hope.”
— Thomas Calder X
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ARTS & C U L T U R E
FOOD ROUNDUP
What’s new in food Taste It, Don’t Waste It during Food Waste Reduction Month
April is Food Waste Reduction Month in Asheville and Buncombe County. According to city data, every year, local residents waste an estimated 57.5 tons of food, comprising a quarter of Buncombe County’s commercial and residential landfill. In an effort to reduce overall waste, volunteer-based Food Waste Solutions WNC has partnered with Wicked Weed Brewing to host an awareness-building cook-off event to cap off the month’s educational and communal celebrations. Four local chefs, Clarence Robinson (Cooking With Comedy and soon-to-open Areta’s Soul Food), Steven Goff (Tastee Diner), Eric Morris (Cultura) and John Rice (Wicked Weed Brewpub), will compete in a friendly competition to prepare the best dish made from foods that would typically be discarded.
Guests attending the free event will be provided samples of the offerings and vote one chef as the first Taste It, Don’t Waste It! champion. “This is the first year we’re launching what we hope will be an annual celebration of chefs and community members committed to food waste reduction,” says Kiera Bulan, sustainability coordinator for the city of Asheville. “The goals of this event are to lift up and celebrate our local chef heroes using their platforms to promote innovative food use and celebrate food waste reduction.” In addition to the Sunday, May 1, event, Food Waste Solutions will conclude its second annual Food Waste Challenge. Held on Instagram, participants perform select food waste challenges for chances to win a prize package from local purveyors East Fork and Ware.
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NO SCRAPS: The inaugural Taste It, Don’t Waste It! chef challengers, clockwise from top-left: Clarence Robinson, Eric Morris, John Rice and Steven Goff. Photos courtesy of the chefs “We are hopeful that Food Waste Reduction Month activities inspire people to make changes in their own kitchens to reduce the organic materials we’re sending to the landfill,” says Bulan. “Food waste reduction and the online challenge is an accessible way to take action, make personal life changes and have fun being creative.” The Taste It, Don’t Waste It! Asheville Chefs Challenge takes place on Sunday, 2-4 p.m., at Wicked Weed West, 145 Jacob Holm Way, Candler. For additional information and waste reduction tips, visit avl.mx/bh5.
Raise a Home Auction Gala BeLoved Asheville will hold its Raise a Home Auction Gala at the A-B Tech Mission Health Event Center on Saturday, April 30, 6 p.m. (5 p.m. for VIP ticket holders). The event benefits the BeLoved Village project, which will build 12 microhomes in East Asheville for those struggling with housing insecurity. “The BeLoved Village project is an innovative and cost-effective solution to the housing crisis created by impacted people where social connections and equity lead to better health, more opportunities and long-term stability,” says BeLoved Asheville co-director Amy Cantrell. Live jazz band Jason DeCristofaro & Friends will accompany a night featuring silent and live auctions. Event participants will also enjoy chef sta-
tions provided by Chestnut, Corner Kitchen, Chef Michael’s Catering and 50/fifty. VIP guests are granted access to an exclusive VIP hour featuring hors d’oeuvres from Céline and Company, Cecilia’s Kitchen, Every Day Gourment and more. “We hope that everyone leaves the event feeling very connected in community,” says Cantrell. The A-B Tech Mission Health Event Center is at 16 Fernihurst Drive. Event tickets are $50; VIP tickets cost $100. For additional information, visit avl.mx/bha.
Asheville Jewish Food & Heritage Festival After a two-year hiatus, the HardLox Jewish Food & Heritage Festival returns to downtown Asheville, Sunday, May 1, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Pack Square. Hosted by Congregation Beth HaTephila and the city of Asheville, the free festival welcomes all community members to enjoy homemade Jewish foods, Israeli dancing, crafts, klezmer music and more. “We are living in a time when it is important for Jews to be seen and recognized for our contributions to making communities strong,” says Congregation Beth HaTephila’s Executive Director Buffy Skolnick. “There is a long-standing history of Jews quite literally building the
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A R TS & CU LTU R E businesses that have grown into the downtown Asheville that brings in tourists to support our commerce.” Fifteen active organizations currently exist within the Asheville Jewish community. Learn more about the past and present of Asheville’s Jewish roots while enjoying matzo ball soup, corned beef on rye, potato knish and lox bagels at Pack Square. For more information, visit avl.mx/bhb.
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12 Bones Brewing honors its three-year anniversary with a special celebration on Sunday, May 1, noon-7 p.m. Admission to the brewery’s event is free, but a $20 advance ticket will buy you an 8-ounce beer brat plate (topped with peppers and onions and accompanied by sauerkraut and house-made chips) and any beer on draft poured into a commemorative pint glass. Food will be served from 1-4 p.m. “Every year we have the privilege to make and pour our beers for our customers is a good year,” says 12 Bones Brewing head brewer Brandon Audette. “The past two years haven’t been easy on anyone, but we adjust, innovate and figure out how to keep moving forward. Year three is a big one for us.” Sixteen beers will be on tap, including the limited-time return of the local favorite Low-Key Lit IPA to complement birthday cake, raffle prizes and food provided by the Ob-Skewered food truck from noon-5 p.m. Scott Stetson supplies live music for the celebration from 1-4 p.m. 12 Bones Brewing is at 2350 Hendersonville Road, Arden. Visit avl.mx/bhc for tickets and additional information.
Cider and cheese Barn Door Ciderworks, in partnership with the WNC Cheese Trail, will host a four-course cider and cheese pairing event Wednesday, April 27, 6 p.m. Co-owners Katie Moore and Dan Fowler will guide guests through each pairing of house-made cider and local cheeses. “Offering pairing events is always a fun and interesting way to share knowledge and educate people,” says Moore in a company press release. Barn Door Ciderworks is at 23 Lytle Road, Fairview. Tickets cost $22 per person. For additional information, visit avl.mx/bhg.
Spring Herb Festival returns WNC Agricultural Center will host the 32nd Spring Herb Festival Friday-Sunday, April 29-May 1. The festival will be held by the WNC Herb Marketing Association, a nonprofit organization supporting the growers of herbs and makers of herbal products in the WNC region since 2017. Over 60 WNC and regional herb growers and specialists will present medicinal and culinary herbs, heirloom vegetables, native plants and garden supplements. “We want people to take away a new awareness of the value and importance of natural products,” says Andrew Reed, executive director of the festival. “Food and natural health practices and products are a big part of our regional economy; the herb industry brings in millions of dollars to the area each year.” The WNC Agricultural Center is at 765 Boylston Highway. Admission, parking and workshops are free to all. Visit avl.mx/bhi for hours and additional information.
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The Med: After Dark Asheville’s nocturanl crowd has a new option for late-night grub, and it comes by way of a very familiar local staple. The Med, downtown’s iconic diner dishing creative takes on classic breakfast and lunch dishes since 1969, recently announced a new menu available after dark on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. “We’re really excited to offer Asheville a late-night food option that downtown has been missing,” says co-owner Elijah Scott in a press release announcing the addition. “Visitors can expect a high-quality, delicious and satisfying meal after a long night of brewery hopping, concertgoing or just getting off work for the night.” A select menu of six remixed Med classics and unique creations now await hungry moonlit passersby from the comfort of a drive-thru-style sliding glass window. Standards like scratch burgers and fried chicken complement new innovations such as the Doner-inspired Gryo Box with shaved lamb, grilled peppers and onions served over a bed of fries with tzatziki, and The City Haul: a smorgasbord of french fries, fried okra, meat, cheese and veggies piled high and topped smothered in red-eye gravy and “smack” sauce. The Med is at 57 College St. Visit avl.mx/bhk for additional information and updates.
Popular food truck rebrands and expands In January 2021, Julianne and Bobby Piñata took over operations of the Appalachian Chic food truck. More recently, the couple rebranded the business as Appalachian Chick, debuted a new look and logo and opened a quick-service deli — The Appalachian Chick Express — inside the Kounty Line, 195 Charlotte Highway. “We had outgrown the original food truck operation and came across the opportunity to lease space in the Kounty Line,” says Bobby. “At that point, we had already decided to rebrand. People tended to call us Appalachian Chick anyway.” “It swells my heart, especially with me being born and raised in Asheville, to start our own business and serve this community as a team,” adds Julianne. For food truck hours and locations, visit avl.mx/bhl. The Appalachian Chick Express is open Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m., serving breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, lunch wraps and more.
— Blake Becker X MOUNTAINX.COM
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AR T S & C UL TU R E
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Asheville benefit concert will raise money for Ukrainian humanitarian aid
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MUSIC MATTERS: From left, Chris Rosser, Hannah Kaminer, Amanda Anne Platt, Chris Wilhelm and Andrew Scotchie will be among the musicians performing at a benefit concert for Ukraine on Saturday, April 30. Photo by Jennifer Castillo
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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, local Ukrainian American artist Andrea Kulish has helped raise an estimated $27,000 in aid through various fundraising initiatives. And the work continues. She and her husband, local musician Chris Wilhelm, have since announced their latest plans: “Benefit Concert for Ukraine,” taking place Saturday, April 30, at 8:30 p.m. at Isis Music Hall. All proceeds from the show will go to the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America humanitarian aid fund, which sends aid directly to four hospitals in Ukraine to help wounded and displaced soldiers and civilians. Performers will include Hannah Kaminer, Amanda Anne Platt with Matt Smith, Chris Rosser, Andrew Scotchie and Wilhelm. The evening will also feature speakers from Ukraine and a silent auction with items from local businesses and artists, as well as a merchandise table with traditional decorated Ukrainian eggs known as pysanky, stickers, T-shirts and handmade items from Ukraine. Long before the war, Kulish worked to share her Ukrainian heritage through pysanky she creates in her Studio A at Pink Dog Creative Collective in the River Arts District, 334 Depot St. Last month, the artist began making and selling #standwithUkraine stickers at her studio as well.
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“I have not taken a day off since the invasion began,” she says. “I cannot sit still. The future of the world is at stake. There is a fire inside me that keeps me fundraising. My negative emotions about the war are transformed into positive action.” For more information or to buy a $20 ticket, go to avl.mx/bh6.
The Eagle soars The Grey Eagle has been organizing large outdoor shows since its 25th anniversary concert at Black Mountain’s Lake Eden in 2019. Now the venerable venue is partnering with Asheville Outdoor Center to open a space along the French Broad River with increased capacity for large national touring acts. “Our goal is to continue our enrichment of Asheville by creating a community gathering space for live music,” says John Zara, marketing director at The Grey Eagle. The venue’s second location, 521 Amboy Road, sits on over 2 acres and will house two stages. Zara expects the smaller stage, designed for regional and local bands, to open later in the summer. The second, larger stage will open on a later date, possibly next year.
Disappearing act While researching a book about aviation in 1927, Hendersonville author Richard DuRose was invited to attend a meeting of the Paul Rinaldo Redfern Aviation Society, which honors the memory of the pioneering South Carolina pilot and adventurer who went missing that year while attempting to fly to Brazil. Redfern’s plane was last spotted over Venezuela. “At the meeting, some men from Venezuela brought a silent film their fathers had taken during one of their hunts for Redfern,” says DuRose, a retired attorney. “The film showed the white men talking with natives on a riverbank deep in the jungle.” Seeing that footage inspired DuRose to start writing a novel based on the incredible story of Redfern and the ongoing mystery surrounding his disappearance. More Than a Man Can Stand was published by Escarpment Press in March. The book tells the story of Redfern’s life, including his stint working at an aircraft factory during World War I, his aviation business and his time chasing moonshiners for the federal government. But the bulk of the narrative is a fictional
account of Redfern’s life living with Indigenous people in the jungle. “It is speculation as to what really happened to Paul Redfern because we cannot know for sure in 2022,” he says. DuRose’s first book was a nonfiction account of the life of his aunt, Mildred Doran, an aviation enthusiast who disappeared with several others during a race in 1927. That led to his second book, 1927: A Brilliant Year in Aviation. For more information or to purchase the book, go to avl.mx/bh9.
You’re only human Asheville Creative Arts, a professional children’s theater, will return to live productions with the world premiere of Human Thursday, April 28-Sunday, May 15, at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. The play explores what it means to be human through projection design, sound design, dance, puppetry and sensory play, ACA says in a release. It is meant for children 5 and older. Written, directed and designed by Nehprii Amenii, the show features original compositions and lyrics from Martha Redbone and Aaron Whitby. The cast includes April Tilles, Joshua Chung, Kaylyn Carter, Khalilah Smith, Olympea, Rebekah Babelay and Tippin. Public performances will be Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 1 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m., with special performances on Thursday, April 28, and Saturday, May 7, at 7 p.m. The Tina McGuire Theatre at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is at 18 Biltmore Ave. Admission to the show is free, with a hat passed for donations. For more information or to reserve seats, go to avl.mx/bhe.
Coloring outside the lines Artsville Collective will present In Living Color: At Home with Paint, Paper and Thread Friday, April 29-Monday, July 25. The show will feature colorful, abstract works by three guest artists: Betsy Meyer, fibers; Karen Stastny, painting; and Michelle Wise, mixed media. Also showing will be the retro pop art and augmented reality of Daryl Slaton and the mixed-media art of Louise Glickman. Artsville Collective is a joint partnership of Sand Hill Artists Collective and Crewest Studios/LA. Artsville Collective is inside Marquee at 36 Foundy St. Gallery hours are Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5
p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/bhf.
Let’s stroll Artists in West Asheville’s Falconhurst neighborhood will present the first Falconhurst Studio Stroll on Sunday, May 1, 1-5 p.m. The event was organized by local artists Brian and Carrie Turner, who have have lived in the neighborhood for 15 years and were inspired by the Beaverdam Studio Tour in North Asheville. “We thought something similar would be a great way to highlight all of the great creativity happening in our little corner of Asheville,” says Carrie Turner. “We love that our neighborhood is full of creative people.” The self-guided tour of Falconhurst studio spaces will feature blown glass, photography, music, sculpture, mosaic, yard art, painting and more. Participating artists include the Turners, Sarah Garrard, Jennifer Murphy, Jennifer Barrineau, Pur Radiance Wax and Cedar’s Sculptures and Toys. The Falconhurst neighborhood is bordered on the east by Louisiana Avenue, on the south by Haywood Road, on the west by Mitchell and Druid avenues and on the north by Patton Avenue. For more information about the event and participating artists, visit avl.mx/bhd.
— Justin McGuire X
MOVIE REVIEWS Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include: THE NORTHMAN: Perfect films don’t exist, but while watching Robert Eggers’ violent Viking revenge epic, there’s a sense that the writer/director couldn’t have done a better job telling this particular story. Grade: A — Edwin Arnaudin THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT: Nicolas Cage plays himself in this silly, entertaining meta comedy that finds the movie star getting paid to attend a birthday party in Spain. Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin
Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies MOUNTAINX.COM
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The featured icon indicates which venues or artists require proof of vaccination for upcoming shows. Due to the evolving nature of the matter, the list may not be comprehensive. Before heading out, please check with all venues for complete information on any vaccine or negative COVID-19 requirements. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 185 KING STREET Trivia and Karaoke, 7pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB All Night Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Will Abeles, 7pm • AQUANET Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Trivia Night, 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke! Karaoke w/KJ Terra Ware, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm ICONIC KITCHEN & DRINKS Marc Keller (acoustic), 6pm LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Trivia Night, 6:30pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic power trio), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING Pingo Wednesdays, 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 7pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Wednesday Acoustic Jam, 5pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE • Jordan Tice (singer/ songwriter), 5pm • We Banjo 3 (Americana, bluegrass, Celtic), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Mat Kearney (soft rock, folk), 8pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic, 6pm
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THURSDAY, APRIL 28 ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Open Mic & Pop Up Art Show, 8pm AMERICAN VINYL CO. Walk Home w/Gummy (rock 'n' roll)k 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Jazz Thursday, 7:30pm KB and the LMD (jazz standards, classic pop)k 7:30pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Slice of Life Comedy Open Mic & Feature Comedy, 7:30pm BLUE RIDGE HEMP CO. Comedy Night w/Daniel Van Kirk and Andrew Youngblood, 8pm CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Thursday Night Trivia w/ Kelsey, 6:30pm CROW & QUILL Black Sea Beat Society (Baltic, Klezmer, Turkish) k 8pm DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Roll w/DJ Fast Eddy (punk, soul, garage), 10pm DOWN DOG Music Bingo, 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Razor Braids, Smoky MTN Sirens & Florecita (punk), 8pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia Band tribute), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Jacqueline Kelsh (folk, country), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Asheville Sessions ft Aaron price (jazz, blues, rock), 7pm • Flock of Dimes w/ Karima Walker (sub pop, indie rock, alternative), 8:30pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Chuck Melchin (singer-songwriter), 7pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 9pm
RENDEVOUS Gin Mill Pickers (Americana, Piedmont blues, ragtime), 6pm ROOM NINE College Night Dance Party, 10pm RYE KNOT KITCHEN BREWERY DISTILLERY John O'Connor (Americana, singer-songwriter), 6pm SILVERADOS Nu Breed, Jesse Howard and The Outlaw Nation Band (Southern rock, country), 7pm THE 2ND ACT The Neverwhere Sisters (alt folk), 7pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE Too Many Zooz w/Karina Rykman (brasshouse), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Kurt Vile and the Violators (indie rock), 9pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke, 9pm
FRIDAY, APRIL 29 185 KING STREET 49 Winchester w/The Maggie Valley Band (alt country, soul), 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY VENUS (dark house dance party), 10pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Mr Jimmy's Big City Bluesk 7:30pm BIG PILLOW BREWING Jungle Man Sam (acoustic), 5:30pm BREWSKIES Karaoke, 10pm CORK & KEG 3 Cool Cats (oldies), 8pm CROW & QUILL Queen Bee & The Honeylovers (swing)k 8:30pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Misdemeanor (Southern rock, funk, blues), 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Powder Horns w/CDSM (punk, garage rock), 8pm GINGER'S REVENGE CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM Digging Deeper (singer-songwriter), 7pm GUIDON BREWING Stephen Evans (acoustic), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Jesse Barry (soul, blues), 6:30pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Drag Music Bingo w/ Divine the Bearded Lady at Highland Brewing Downtown, 7pm
THE BEST MEDICINE: New York-based comedian Pedro Gonzalez will perform a stand-up show at The Getaway River Bar on Friday, April 29, 8-10 p.m. The Colombian-born Gonzalez has been on the bill at Caroline’s and other iconic New York comedy clubs and has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Photo courtesy of Gonzalez ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Rev. Billy C. Wirtz (blues, humor, boogie woogie piano), 7pm • South for Winter & Life Like Water (Americana, world, blues), 8:30pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Fresh Locals, 8pm
ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm
THE 2ND ACT Eric & Hope (acoustic duo), 7pm
ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Vince Junior Band (blues, surf, reggae)k 7:30pm
MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Jessi & The River Cats (Americana), 6pm
THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Getaway Comedy: Pedro Gonzalez, 8pm
MILLS RIVER BREWING Pretty Little Goats (oldtime country), 7pm
THE GREY EAGLE • In Flight (prog rock), 6pm • Helado Negro (alt/ indie), 9pm
OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Blue Ridge Pistols (blues, rock), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL • GE Early Free Dead Friday (jam band, rock), 6:30pm • Free Dead Friday w/ Gus & Friends (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING 5j Barrow (folk rock), 8pm RABBIT RABBIT Joe Russo's Almost Dead (Grateful Dead tribute, rock), 6pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Ionize, 6pm ROOM NINE Ladies Night Dance Party w/DJ Moto, 10pm SALVAGE STATION Goose (jam)k 7:30pm SILVERADOS Ying Yang Twins (hip hop), 7pm
THE BARRELHOUSE Andy Farrel (singer-songwriter), 8pm
THE POE HOUSE Howie Johnson (acoustic), 7pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Susie Copeland (rock, pop, blues), 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Dancing Fleas (pop, Americana), 8pm
SATURDAY, APRIL 30 185 KING STREET The Travelin' Kine (Americana), 8pm 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Old Men of the Woods (folk, pop), 1pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB All Night Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Beauty Parlor Comedy: Gavin Matts, 7pm • Big Gay Energy Dance Party w/ Ganymede, 10pm
BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (gypsy jazz), 5:30pm BIG PILLOW BREWING Burnt Reputation (acoustic), 5pm BREWSKIES Pool Tournament Saturdays, 7pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS Wayne Taylor (bluegrass), 2pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK Eric Congdon (acoustic), 2pm Supper Break (bluegrass), 2pm CITIZEN VINYL Saturday Spins (local DJs), 1pm CORK & KEG Vaden Landers Band (honky tonk, blues), 8pm CROW & QUILL Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm DRY FALLS BREWING CO. Circus Mutt (bluegrass, acoustic), 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Tiger Sex, Viva Le Vox & Charming Disaster (goth punk), 8pm GUIDON BREWING the queue (pop hits), 4pm
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C LU BL A N D HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Chalwa (Appalachian reggae), 6:30pm
HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Soul Jazz Sundays w/ Taylor Pierson Trio, 3pm
HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Falcon 3 (improvisational), 7pm
HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Blues and Brews w/Mr Jimmy, 1pm
ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • Amici presents “Iron Maidens” (classical), 7pm • Benefit Concert for Ukraine, 8:30pm
ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 • UNCA Music Night: Student Showcase (jazz, contemporary), 5pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Supper Break, 8pm MILLS RIVER BREWING • Utility Players (blues, funk, rock), 2pm • Marc Keller Band (blues, country, Southern rock), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Abbey Elmore Band (pop, folk, rock), 8pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Drinkin' & Thinkin' Trivia, 5:30pm ROOM NINE Asheville's Biggest Dance Party, 10pm SALVAGE STATION Snarky Puppy, 8pm SILVERADOS Free Ride (Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute), 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA JRAD Afterparty - Live Dead, 10pm THE 2ND ACT Daniel Sage (singer-songwriter), 8pm THE DUGOUT Bad Rabbit (alt country, rock), 8pm THE GREY EAGLE • The Well Drinkers (bluegrass), 6pm • Shannon and the Clams (indie garage punk), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Paul Thorn (roots), 8pm THE POE HOUSE Steve DuRose (acoustic), 7pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT DJ Molly Parti, 7pm
SUNDAY, MAY 1 185 KING STREET Open Electric Jam w/the King Street House Band ft. Howie Johnson, 5pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Low Key Karaoke Chill Vibes, 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Life's A Drag Brunch w/Ida Carolina, 12pm • SOL Dance Party w/ Zati (soul house), 9pm BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS CHIMNEY ROCK J. Stephens (singer-songwriter), 2pm CROW & QUILL The Roaring Lions (parlour jazz)k 8pm
JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Sunday Bluegrass Brunch w/Supper Break, 12pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Kimmi Bitter (Americana), 2pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. J.C. Tokes & The Empty Pockets (retro Americana), 5pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Shakedown Sundays (rock, jam band), 8pm PISGAH BREWING CO Phuncle Sam (Dead tribute, jam band), 6:30pm SECRET LOCATION Don't Tell Comedy (River Arts District), 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Bike Night w/Ashley & Big Matty, 2pm
5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Drag Bingo w/ Calcutta, 8pm • Downtown Karaoke w/Ganymede, 10pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING Grateful Family BAnd Tuesdays (Dead, jam) 6pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Open Jam hosted by Lactones, 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL PUP (punk), 9pm THE SOCIAL Open Mic w/Riyen Roots, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Eister's Twin Leaf Trivia, 7pm
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4
ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY • Queer Comedy Party: Lily Campbell, 7pm • AQUANET Goth Party w/Ash Black, 9pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Trivia Night, 7pm CONTINUUM ART Westie Wednesdays (West Coast Swing), 6:30pm FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke! Karaoke w/KJ Terra Ware, 6pm HI-WIRE BREWING RAD BEER GARDEN Game Night, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Well-Crafted Wednesdays w/Matt Smith, 6pm LAZY HIKER BREWING SYLVA Trivia Night, 6:30pm
185 KING STREET Trivia and Karaoke , 7pm
ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Anesthesia (psychedelic power trio), 10pm
ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB All Night Karaoke Dance Party, 8pm
ONE WORLD BREWING Pingo Wednesdays, 7pm
RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Wednesday Acoustic Jam, 5pm
FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead, JGB Tribute), 6pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm
GUIDON BREWING Cinco de Mayo celebration, 4pm
SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic Hosted by Kid Billy, 8pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic , 6pm
THURSDAY, MAY 5 ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Kiki Thursdays Drag and Dancing, 8pm ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR MGB at the AGB (covers, singer-songwriter) k 7:30pm CONTINUUM ART Singer Songwriter Open Mic, 6pm CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Thursday Night Trivia w/Kelsey, 6:30pm DOUBLE CROWN Rock & Roll w/DJ Fast Eddy (punk, soul, garage), 10pm
HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Divine’s Drag Cabaret, 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich & Friends, 7pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Gunslinging Parrots (Phish tribute), 9pm ROOM NINE College Night Dance Party, 10pm RYE KNOT KITCHEN BREWERY DISTILLERY John O'Connor (Americana, singer-songwriter), 6pm SALVAGE STATION Lucero (Southern rock, punk)k 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR • Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm • Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Hot Chip (synthpop), 9pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Craft Karaoke , 9pm
THE GREY EAGLE • Nilüfer Yanya w/ Tasha (singer-songwriter), 8pm
MONDAY, MAY 2 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 7pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Industry Nite Drink w/ DJ, 8pm BREWSKIES Open Jam w/Tall Paul, 7:30pm DOUBLE CROWN Country Karaoke, 10pm HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Taylor Martin’s Open Mic, 7:15pm HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Improv Workshop, 8pm THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Trivia by the River w/ James Harrod, 8pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm
TUESDAY, MAY 3 185 KING STREET Travis Book & Friends ft. Phil Barker w/James Schlender & Mike Ashworth, 6pm
s X Award2 2 0 2
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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): I recommend you adopt a limitation that will enable you to claim more freedom. For example, you could de-emphasize your involvement with a lukewarm dream so as to liberate time and energy for a passionate dream. Or you could minimize your fascination with a certain negative emotion to make more room for invigorating emotions. Any other ideas? You’re in a phase when increased discipline and discernment can be liberating. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Imagining anything is the first step toward creating it,” wrote author and activist Gloria Steinem. “Believing in a true self is what allows a true self to be born,” she added. Those are excellent meditations for you to focus on right now, Taurus. The time is ripe for you to envision in detail a specific new situation or adventure you would like to manifest in the future. It’s also a perfect moment to picture a truer, deeper, more robust version of your beautiful self—an expanded version of your identity that you hope to give birth to in the coming months. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author William Butler Yeats won a Nobel Prize for Literature, so I conclude he had considerable talent and wisdom. But he cultivated interests and ideas that were at variance with most other literary figures. For example, he believed fairies are real. He was a student of occult magic. Two of his books were dictated by spirits during séances. In the coming weeks, I invite you to draw inspiration from his versatile repertoire. Welcome knowledge in whatever unusual ways it might materialize. Be eager to accept power and inspiration wherever they are offered. For inspiration, here’s a Yeats’ quote: “I have observed dreams and visions very carefully, and am certain that the imagination has some way of lighting on the truth that reason has not, and that its commandments, delivered when the body is still and the reason silent, are the most binding we can ever know.” CANCER (June 21-July 22): You know what’s always good for your well-being? Helping people who are less fortunate and less privileged than you. To enhance your health, you can also fight bigotry, campaign against the abuse of animals, and remedy damage to the natural world. If you carry out tasks like these in the coming weeks, you will boost your vigor and vitality even more than usual. You may be amazed at the power of your compassion to generate selfish benefits for yourself. Working in behalf of others will uplift and nurture you. To further motivate you, here are inspirational words from designer Santiago Bautista: “I am in love with all the gifts of the world, and especially those destined for others to enjoy.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “There is a moment in each day that Satan cannot find,” wrote author and artist William Blake. Here’s how I interpret his poetic words: On a regular basis, you become relatively immune from the debilitating effects of melancholy, apathy, and fear. At those times, you are blessed with the freedom to be exactly who you want to be. You can satisfy your soul completely. In the next six weeks, I suspect there will be more of these interludes for you than usual. How do you plan to use your exalted respite from Satan’s nagging? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Louis Little Coon Oliver (1904–1991) was a member of the indigenous Mvskoke people. He declared, “I do not waste what is wild.” That might mean something different for him than what it would mean for you, but it’s an excellent principle for you to work with in the coming weeks. You will have more access than usual to wildness, and you might be tempted to use it casually or recklessly. I hope that instead you harness all that raw mojo with precision and grace. Amazingly, being disciplined in your use of the wildness will ensure that it enriches you to the max and generates potent transformative energy.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I suspect you will have the skills of an acrobat in the coming weeks—at least metaphorically. You will be psychically nimble. Your soul will have an exceptional ability to carry out spry maneuvers that keep you sane and sound. Even more than usual, you will have the power to adjust on the fly and adapt to shifting circumstances. People you know may marvel at your lithe flexibility. They will compliment you for your classiness under pressure. But I suspect the feats you accomplish may feel surprisingly easy and breezy! SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A Tumblr blogger named Af-70 gives copious advice. From his wide selection of wise counsel, I have selected six tips that are right for your needs in the coming weeks. Please study the following counsel. 1. “Real feelings don’t change fast.” 2. “Connect deeply or not at all.” 3. “Build a relationship in which you and your ally can be active in each other’s growth.” 4. “Sometimes what you get is better than what you wanted.” 5. “Enjoy the space between where you are and where you are going.” 6. “Keep it real with me even if it makes us tremble and shimmer.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Consider putting a sign on your door or a message on your social media that says something like the following: “I’ve still got some healing to do. While I’m making progress, I’m only partway there. Am open to your suggestions, practical tips, and suggestions for cures I don’t know about.” Though the process is as yet incomplete, Sagittarius, I am proud of how diligent and resourceful you have been in seeking corrections and fixes. My only suggestions: 1. Be bold about seeking help and support. 2. Be aggressive about accessing your creativity. Expand your imagination about what might be therapeutic. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “To uncover what is hidden in my soul might take me a week or two,” my friend Allie told me. I told her she would be lucky if her brave and challenging exploration required such a short time. In contrast, some people I know have spent years trying to find what is buried and lost in their souls: me, for instance. There was one period of my life when I sought for over a decade to find and identify the missing treasure. According to my astrological analysis, you will soon enjoy multiple discoveries and revelations that will be more like Allie’s timeline than mine: relatively rapid and complete. Get ready! Be alert! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A Thai cook named Nattapong Kaweenuntawong has a unique method for cooking the soup served in his Bangkok restaurant. At the end of each night, he saves the broth for use the next day. He has been doing that daily for 45 years. Theoretically, there may be molecules of noodles that were originally thrown in the pot back in 1977. In accordance with current astrological omens, I urge you to dream up a new tradition that borrows from his approach. What experience could you begin soon that would benefit you for years to come? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pisces-born Casimir Pulaski (1745–1779) was a Polish nobleman and military commander. As a young man, he fought unsuccessfully to free Poland from Russian domination. Driven into exile, he fled to America, arriving during the Revolutionary War with Britain in 1777. General George Washington was impressed with Pulaski’s skills, making the immigrant a brigadier general. He distinguished himself as a leader of American forces, exhibiting brilliance and bravery. For that excellence, he has been honored. But now, over two centuries later, his identity is in flux. DNA analyses of Pulaski’s remains suggest he was an intersex person with both male and female qualities. (Read more: tinyurl.com/PulaskiSmithsonian.) I bring this to your attention, Pisces, because the coming months will be a favorable time to question and revise your understanding of your identity. May you be inspired by Pulaski’s evolving distinctiveness.
MOUNTAINX.COM
MARKETPLACE
BY ROB BREZSNY
REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT REAL ESTATE OUT-OF-TOWN PROPERTY GORGEOUS MOUNTAIN PROPERTY WITH VIEWS FOR SALE Beautiful mountain property located in Swannanoa. Private and 10 minutes from Asheville. 25.7 acres of gorgeous mountain property with building sites. $259,000. Call Wayne at Purcell Realty at 828-279-8562 for more information.
RENTALS APARTMENTS FOR RENT LOOKING FOR A FURNISHED RENTAL IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE? Seeking roommate for condo w/private bedroom & bathroom, walkable to everything. Kitchen, living space & deck. Shared w/ female condo resident & dog. Credit/background check required. 3 month minimum. Call/text 917-603-0058.
EMPLOYMENT GENERAL TOUR GUIDE-CDL DRIVERS If you are a "people person" you could be a great TOUR GUIDE! Part-time and seasonal FULL-TIME. Training provided. MUST have a Commercial Driver's License (CDL). Call 828-436-0202 or email Info@ GrayLineAsheville.com.
SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES NEED A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE WHERE YOU ARE EARNING A SOLID LIVING WAGE? We are looking for the best, most detailed, and punctual cleaners. Join The Nice and Fresh Cleaners Dream Team! Job Title: Cleaning Crew Member. Compensation: $17.50-$25.00 /hour. Job Types: Full-time, Part-time. Application: nicefreshclean. com/job-application/.
ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE CLIENT CARE COORDINATOR - HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Home Instead is seeking a Client Care Coordinator to join our team. Applicants should have strong communication skills, a friendly demeanor, and a professional attitude. Email nicole.farrell@homeinstead. com CUSTOMER CARE ASSOCIATE - 1ST SHIFT Weaverville, NC $20.00/hour + monthly incentive + sign-on! You'll provide personalized customer service of the highest level, empowered to serve our customers through a variety of means. Apply: www.ally. com/about/careers CUSTOMER CARE ASSOCIATE - 2ND SHIFT Customer Care Associate - Weaverville, NC - $20.00/hour + monthly incentive + sign-on bonus! More info and to apply: www. ally.com/about/careers OFFICE ASSISTANT FOR FEELFREE US LLC Feelfree Kayaks is looking to hire someone to assist with daily office operations. Full-time, in-office position. M-F 9-5. Apply today by sending your cover letter and resume to jason@feelfreeus.com
RESTAURANT/ FOOD
minutes outside of Asheville in the Old Marshall Jail, we are downtown Marshall's newest hub for hanging out on the river, events and live music. We are looking for inspired line looks to join our quality-driven, hyper-local kitchen team. Send your info to info@zadiesmarket.com, and check us online at www. zadiesmarket.com.
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 record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday mornings and afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is is sometimes needed or can be an option. E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. ASHEVILLE HABITAT FULL TIME TRUCK ASSISTANT Join our team and help us further our mission of building homes, communities, and hope. Valid Driver license & clean driving record required. Pay starts at $15.80/hr, Drug free work place. Email jobs@ ashevillehabitat.org
MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE
LINE COOK AT ZADIE'S MARKET - LIKE CBGB WITH AN EARLIER BEDTIME Come join the crew at Zadie's Market as a line cook! We know there are lots of opportunities for line folks right now. We hope you'll work with us because we are a team where everyone matters, and where everyone is invited to grow their skills. Plus, we might be cool. Like CBGB cool, but with an earlier bedtime. People start bands here, and celebrities eat here. Located just 25
NOW HIRING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS Urgently Hiring at all locations! Starting Hourly Base Rate of Pay $16.00 plus shift differential for 2nd, 3rd, and weekends To apply send resume to : apply@ bluewestopportunities.org EOE, DFWP
HUMAN SERVICES CASE MANAGER NEEDED Case Manager needed for our CAP-DA Program in the greater Asheville area. Contract position, flexible scheduling, immediate need. Must have degree in Human Services or related field. Send resumes to rcuellar@ candbsupportservices.com and bethspeace@outlook. com. Phone: 828-654-0644 DISABILITY PARTNERS ASHEVILLE OFFICE Full time non-exempt Independent Living Specialist/Asheville Pathways For The Future, Inc. dba DisAbility Partners is dedicated to partnering with individuals and the community to enhance, advocate for and support personal choices, independent living and community inclusion. The Independent Living Specialist is a strong voice for disability rights and independent living, working to assist consumers in maintaining their lives independently in the community. Promotes Disability Partners in the seven county service area and collaborates with community agencies to best assist the consumer to reach goals for independent living. The Independent Living Specialist will provide general information and referral for consumers and the community as requested. Email: Eva Reynolds at ereynolds@ disabilitypartners.org for job description and application. No phone calls please. DISABILITY PARTNERS ASHEVILLE OFFICE Full-Time Non-Exempt Youth Coordinator The Youth Coordinator recruits, educates, empowers and serves youth with disabilities regarding disability-related issues, resources, advocacy, peer support and transitioning into adulthood. The Youth Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing youth programs and services, youth outreach activities and events, delivering independent living services to youth, helping youth develop and implement independent living transition plans. Conduct public education regarding disability issues, independent living services and Disability Partners. Email: Eva Reynolds
The Key to a New Barbering Career PROGRAMS 1 Hour Drive from Asheville GI Bill Accepted
• Master Barber • Cosmetologist to Barber Crossover • Barber Instructor
809 N. Roan St., Johnson City, TN 37601 • 423.461.0004 info@crowncutzacademy.com • crowncutzacademy.com
THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE at ereynolds@disabilitypartners.org for job description and application. No phone calls please. HELPMATE POSITIONS Hiring! For more information go to helpemateonline.org. Email resume and cover letter to hiring@helpmateonline. org.
TEACHING/ EDUCATION A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Part-Time, limited position: Nurse Aide Adjunct Instructor (Looking to fill four positions ASAP); For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin. com/postings/6090 NOW HIRING: LEAD & ASSISTANT TEACHER The Christine Avery Learning Center is hiring for a Lead Teacher and Teacher Assistant for our Early Learning Program. The position is full time and the pay rate is $15-$20/hr. walearningcenter.com SUMMER CAMP COUNSELOR Come join us for the most rewarding, challenging, outdoor adventure at Talisman Summer Camp. We are a special needs summer camp working with Autism and ADHD. Call 828-845-0584 or email cory@talismancamps. com
CAREGIVERS/ NANNY
hope. Valid Driver license & clean driving record preferred. Pay $15.80/hr. Drug free work place. Email jobs@ashevillehabitat.org DURITY VAPE & SMOKE SALES ASSOCIATE NEEDED Sales Associate needed, must be 21 years or older to apply. Job duties are ringing up customers on POS and keeping shop clean. Pay $13.50-$15.00 an hour. Email: durityvape208@gmail.com NATURAL FOOD MANAGER WANTED Madison Natural Foods is seeking an evening manager. Fun, friendly environment in downtown Marshall. Ideal candidates are friendly, self-motivated and attentive to detail. Must have natural food and management experience. Send resumes to madisonnaturalfoods@gmail. com
XCHANGE ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES STILL BUYING ANTIQUES Seeking old stuff! Cast iron, advertising signs, military, primitives, collections, art, pottery, estates, crocks, bottles, silver, license plates, unusual stuff, taxidermy, rifles, bbguns, more. Call/ Text 828-582-6097,steadyaim1@yahoo.com.
SERVICES
IN HOME AIDES & CARE PROFESSIONALS - HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE Join the leading Home Care company in WNC. No experience needed, paid training, flexible schedules, and competitive wages. Give us a call at 828-274-4406 or email at caroline.ratner@ homeinstead.com
AUDIO/VIDEO
RETAIL
4G LTE HOME INTERNET NOW AVAILABLE! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo! 1-888519-0171. (AAN CAN)
ASHEVILLE HABITAT FULL TIME RESTORES ASSOCIATE Join our team and help us further our mission of building homes, communities, and
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)
HOME
ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available. Call: 1-877-649-5043 (AAN CAN) BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally. We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN) COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-5544616. The Mission Program Information and Tuition is located at CareerTechnical. edu/consumer-information. (AAN CAN) DIRECTV SATELLITE TV Service Starting at $74.99/ month! Free Installation! 160+ channels available. Call Now to Get the Most Sports & Entertainment on TV! 877310-2472 (AAN CAN) DO YOU OWE OVER $10,000 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 877-414-2089. (AAN CAN) (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)
PUBLIC SALE OF VEHICLE To satisfy a lien: 2019 Dodge Ram lien against Edward Dean Thomas and Johnny Jason Macias for $8815.00. Auto Safe Towing Inc., 474 ½ N. Louisiana Ave., Asheville NC 28806. 828-236-1131. TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD GUITARS! 1920-1980 Gibson, Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, Guild, Mosrite, Rickenbacker, Prairie State, D'Angelico, Stromberg. And Gibson Mandolins / Banjos. 877-589-0747 (AAN CAN) TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 1-866-2435931. (M-F 8am-6pm ET) (AAN CAN) WATER DAMAGE TO YOUR HOME? Call for a quote for professional cleanup & maintain the value of your home! Set an appt. today! Call 833-664-1530 (AAN CAN)
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) 2583229.
AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689. (AAN CAN)
edited by Will Shortz | No. 0323
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20 FLOP 22 Itsy-bitsy biter 25 Volunteers 26 FLIP-FLOP 30 Metonym for the U.S. Congress, with “the” 31 Cheney in the House 32 Matches up 36 Mathematician Lovelace 37 Rock band that memorably played Carnegie Hall on 2/12/1964, with “the” 40 One of the Manning brothers 41 Verboten
49 Dr. Montgomery on “Grey’s Anatomy” 52 Fancy pillowcase
The donation is tax-deductible. The process is simple. The impact is real.
workingwheelswnc.org | 828-633-6888
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53 FLIP 55 Doesn’t buy, say 59 Make a knot not? 60 FLOP 63 Education professional 64 Drink of Athens 65 Asics competitor 66 Famed English boarding school 67 Stepped 68 Andrew who ran for president and mayor of New York City
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PUZZLE BY BARBARA LIN
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Your donated car can open the doors to independence, increased income, and higher education for a hardworking member of our community. Vehicles of all types and conditions are welcomed and appreciated!
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Do you have an extra car that needs a new home?
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3 Newton, for one 4 Like whatever comes after “How should I put this?” 5 “Dynamite” boy band 6 Part of a nest egg, in brief
15 Place to play dodgeball, informally 17 Caffeine nut 21 Many a swing voter: Abbr. 23 Magazine that sponsors Women in Hollywood awards 24 Home to more than 2,300 languages
50 Food with a hole 51 “So do I” 54 Curved line over a series of notes, in sheet music
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10 Challenging soprano pieces, say
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29 Culture that introduced popcorn to the world
7 Word that may be defiantly rhymed with “schmool” 9 With a chip on one’s shoulder
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56 Flare up? 57 Single bed, curiously
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61 Emmy-winning actress Aduba
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE
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APRIL 27 - MAY 3, 2022
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