Mountain Xpress 05.03.17 by Mountain Xpress

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OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 41 MAY 3 - 9, 2017

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on pro

Food for thought Homework diner propels student success

46 Artisan Bread Fest returns 66 LEAF presents Legends of Africa

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OUR 23RD YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 23 NO. 41 MAY 3 - 9, 2017

C O N T E NT S

on pro

Food for thought Homework diner propels student success

FEED YOUR BRAIN The Homework Diner initiative, a collaborative effort among two local nonprofits and area schools, offers tutoring for students while providing families with free, hot meals. On the cover: Gov. Roy Cooper visits with participant Eli Dougherty. COVER PHOTO Jack Sorokin COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

46 Artisan Bread Fest returns 66 LEAF presents Legends of Africa

FEATURES

NEWS

24 BUNCOMBE BEAT Asheville traffic stop data show racial inequities

FARM

42 SMALL BUT MIGHTY How minuscule microgreens are taking WNC by storm

FOOD

46 ON THE RISE Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival returns for 13th year

A&E

20 BURNED OUT Preserving Asheville’s teacher corps

67 A MUSICAL WELCOME MAT Resonant Rogues celebrate ‘Hands in the Dirt’ with an album release party

A&E

NEWS

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68 ROGUE REVIS Local YA author launches a ‘Star Wars’ novel

Spring Nonprofit 8 WEATHERING THE STORM A survival guide for nonprofits 10 LEARNING THE ROPES Hurdles nonprofit startups face 18 LOCAL HOME, GLOBAL REACH Asheville nonprofits export goodwill 34 A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS Nonprofits assist women with cancer 38 HEALING THE SOUL WNC groups offer yoga to at-risk populations 50 COOKING UP SUCCESS Program teaches kids culinary and life skills 56 SOUL SHAKEDOWN BY THE RIVER Kitchen Ready fundraiser returns 58 SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW Bringing back the digital crafts trail 64 ‘A PLACE WHERE WE’D GATHER TOGETHER’ Just Folks launches its summer series 5 LETTERS 5 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 COMMENTARY 28 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 34 WELLNESS 42 FARM AND GARDEN 46 FOOD 48 SMALL BITES 58 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 70 SMART BETS 75 CLUBLAND 82 MOVIES 84 SCREEN SCENE 85 CLASSIFIEDS 86 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 87 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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O PINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com. STA F F PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Virginia Daffron A&E EDITOR/WRITER: Alli Marshall FOOD EDITOR/WRITER: Gina Smith WELLNESS EDITOR/WRITER: Susan Foster OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS/WRITERS: Able Allen, Thomas Calder, Virginia Daffron, Dan Hesse, Max Hunt CALENDAR EDITOR: Abigail Griffin

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On the edge of brilliance I feel honored to have been one of 17 Asheville folks who worked through a 10-month review of the city’s Haywood/ Page public space, a much-maligned and jumbled-up area sliced through with too many streets and odd intersections in front of St. Lawrence Basilica and the civic center. The task of this advisory committee came down to recommending, based on a gargantuan amount of citizen input, exactly what most people wanted and envisioned as occurring in this undeveloped area, roughly 1.3 acres that have defied organization into anything worthwhile for more than a decade. To put it another way, the idea was to “tee up” for qualified (and hopefully brilliant) designers, yet to be named, how most people felt about the space, plus notes on topography, pedestrian and traffic flow and other phenomena confronting a sensitive design process. Moreover, the team was asked to develop a core vision for how the area will work and what it could eventually mean as an inspirational destination for residents and visitors. A concern that I have personally had throughout the process is that whatever “view” congeals, it should provide an unmuddled interpretation for the design team, the exact reverse of trying to be “everything for everybody.” ... On that basis, and taking into account the overwhelming majority of citizen

responses calling for an open (parklike or green) space with multiple open-space uses, I think it was clear to everyone on the team that “passive/active” open space has ruled the roost of everyone’s thinking from the very start. Any trouble in the henhouse, so to speak, for any and all parties involved seems to have arisen over the words “education,” “housing” and “retail” as small bubbles that wound up affixed to the idea of an active open area. For what it’s worth, and strictly speaking as an individual, I believe these words are not only poorly chosen, but incredibly distractive to a central concept for the space. I saw them, all along, as peripheral and down-the-line tangential to building a fabulous open space, conceivably with gardens, paths, fountains, trees, views and public art. ... [T]he accent should be on breathtaking, inspirational beauty, on community, on relaxation and wonder. Education may be an ad hoc book club meeting in the open space under a tree, housing in an extremely complementary way could develop well down the line beyond the edge of the park and retail, drawn to the beauty of the space (but not within it), would naturally provide opportunities and fill some needs without defacing the inherent beauty of a gorgeous space. So I’m simply asking that we all raise our expectations. At one point in

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O PINION

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

time, Central Park was a dream, as was Bryant Park and the High Line, all in Manhattan. ... The worst thing we could do, especially after all this consideration, is to lower the sights of what this space could be and especially try to make it a space that includes something of everything. That is not how great spaces work. I was asked to help write a “sense of place” vision statement as part of the report for [the] Council presentation. One of my favorite lines reads: “Whenever I walk into this space, changeable and fluid with the seasons, it’s like a curtain rising on one of the city’s most consequential and beautiful urban spaces.” Let’s not stop until that dream comes true. — Jay Fields Member, Public Art and Cultural Commission Asheville Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx. com.

Another view from Haywood Street advisory team On April 12, your paper ran an [letter to the editor] titled “Park Is Not a Four-letter Word,” written by Julie Nelson, one member of the Haywood/ Page Visioning Advisory Team. I, too, was a member of the advisory team and would like to offer another view of the process and its results. Ms. Nelson stated that public input was overwhelmingly in favor of open, public green space. It is true that many comments expressed a desire for green space. It is also true, however, that questions posed to the public didn’t assume that an answer favoring one use necessarily excluded all others. For example, people were not asked, “What is the only thing you would like to do on the property.” In the results of the Open City Hall survey, Public Civic Space did have the highest single total at 351. However, 484 responses asked for a variety of active, locally based mixed uses, retail, commerce or residential space. The advisory team did not just consider the data collected from the public. Team members also studied the site itself; the views into and out of the site, the vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the site, and the topography of the site were all examined. Suggested uses were filtered to find those possible uses that were compatible with the property’s neighbors. 6

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Ms. Nelson correctly notes that Section 3 of the current Downtown Master Plan recommends a park at the tip of the property closest to the basilica. The plan also identifies the southwest section of the property as an enhancement/redevelopment priority. The April 12 [letter] states that the task force was made up of “mostly downtown developers/businesspeople currently serving on other city boards and commissions,” not “average citizens.” I believe that business people willing to give their time to serve on boards and commissions are citizens, too, and indeed this willingness to serve is one of the things that make Asheville a great place to live. In addition to those, Ms. Nelson mentioned there were members representing downtown residents, the busker community, the two senior apartment buildings that surround the property being studied, three atlarge members, and Ms. Nelson herself, who represented the Friends of St. Lawrence Green. That’s why I voted for the 17-page document produced by the advisory team. — Susan Robbins Haywood Street Advisory Team Task Force member Asheville

City should require apartments to provide recycling I wish Asheville would make providing recycling for renters mandatory. Confining it to this millennium, I have been a renter in New York, Maryland and Florida. They all had recycle bins near the dumpsters. I didn’t think to ask about recycling when I was looking at apartments here; it would have been like asking if there was trash service. When I called the office after moving in to ask where the recycling area was, I was told they didn’t recycle and to just put it in the trash. I bought a recycle bin and drive my recyclables to the transfer station when it is full. Not everyone can or will do this. My complex has over 300 units; there are several other complexes nearby with more planned. I live in South Asheville. I’m sure many of the thousands of renters who do not now recycle would if it were convenient. — Lynda Cozart Asheville

Kudos to the sign vigilante There is a vigilante roaming our fair city. I wish to commend the activist. I have occasionally helped with his or her silent but effective protest. This is a good thing. I am speaking of the person responsible for blackening out the numerical portion of the “I-buy-houses” fast or with cash signs via the push-in-theground-type signs that litter many of our city’s street corners. Some of the signs are placed strategically high on utility poles as a deterrent, but not to our intrepid vigilante. As determined as this activist is, the “business” that places and replaces their signs is no slouch, either! This has become a test of wills, and while mildly amusing to break up the monotony of the daily commute, it really should come to an end. The city sign police came down on the East Asheville, “U-Haulywood” sign quickly; this, too, should get their attention. These overnight sprouted signs surely are illegal. Why not just call the number and tell the signplanters to cease? The vigilant vigilante does not just pluck them out of the ground but takes the time to black out the number and leave the sign in the ground as a reminder of its sponsor and to shame them. Some similar signs are temporary, such as “going out of business,” and though probably not legal, are not targeted by our vigilante friend. A thoughtful exemption that reveals their true methodology. Kudos to the vigilante: thanks! We appreciate you. Now if the city will just help out the vigilante, the person(s) can move on to even greater civic involvement. Sincerely, — Ron Levitan Asheville

Haywood Street sidewalks need attention As a resident of Haywood Street for almost three years, I have become increasingly concerned about the deplorable condition of the sidewalks on Haywood Street. Crumbling tiles have caused people to stumble and fall, causing real harm. Since I walk these sidewalks every day, I’ve become acquainted with the worst of the spots and know to avoid them, but what about the poor tourists? We voted to approve the bond issue to remedy this situation, yet nothing has been done unless you consider

that the city sends a crew to ridiculously “patch” the spots with what looks like spackling compound. Then along come [contractors] with their high-pressure washers causing the “patches” to crumble, making sidewalks even more dangerous! The walks in front of the library are extremely bad as are the ones across the street and continuing around to the entrance of the Haywood Park Hotel. I cannot understand why the city will not address this issue with a permanent solution since these are some of the most heavily trafficked by tourists in the city! They and local residents deserve better. It is shameful. A very bad spot in front of the library is a crumbling curb where the N3 bus stop is located. Step off the bus, and this is what you are faced with. I have made three trips to City Hall, leaving a note and then a letter and will continue to make a nuisance of myself until they give me the courtesy of a response. — Martha Bille Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress contacted the city, and Asheville Public Works Director Greg Shuler offered the following response: “I’d like to respond to your reader’s concerns about the condition of the sidewalk on Haywood Street. That section of street and sidewalk was identified as a project in the bond referendum package Asheville voters approved in November. Currently, we have $815,000 budgeted for the planned work, and it is scheduled for construction beginning in 2019-2020. “The scope of work includes upgrades to the sidewalk, stormwater infrastructure and resurfacing the street. We are coordinating with all of the other utilities that are located in the area to assure we are all working towards the same goal. “The city is also working closely with the various community stakeholders to incorporate their input on the process. These types of outreach should minimize the disruption and increase timely communication required for a major construction project like the one planned for this corridor. A larger community engagement is planned well in advance of this work. “Because of the condition of the sidewalk, our contractor responsible for cleaning the sidewalks has modified their methods in this area to minimize the damages that your reader identified. If damage to the sidewalk occurs due to cleaning, the responsible crew is notified to make the repairs.”

Starvation wages, urban renewal and gerrymandering It would seem to be the height of foolishness to go into a voting booth every couple of years and make your mark against the name of the candidate whose party has, for decades, promised to take away the few nice things you might have — like health care, retirement savings and highways that don’t collapse — to fund Christmas in April for their friends in the 0.1 percent. Such a vote is nothing more or less than self-harm. But if that is the height of foolishness, how to characterize our daily actions when we support businesses that only pay starvation wages — by walking through their doors and giving them our money? Those businesses are depressing the local economy — their workers have no cash to spend on anything other than the bare essentials — and imposing a tax on us all by forcing their workers to seek out subsidized or free food, housing, transportation and so on. ... And, of course, a worker living with food stress, housing stress and transportation stress is unlikely to be a happy or productive worker. By enabling these things we are — daily — committing acts of self-

C A RT O O N B Y B R E NT B R O W N harm that could well be interpreted as symptoms of madness. Where can this madness have come from? Future historians will argue about it forever — after all, like internet trolls, they get paid to argue — but at this point, it seems clear that the relentless assault on Christ’s teachings and civilization itself has been a major influence. ... Locally, of course, this failure reached some kind of peak in the city’s racist assault by bulldozer and fire on the East End under the banner of urban renewal. As an investment, it was a total failure — money went into the destruction of a living neighborhood, and in return we got nine lanes of tarmac slicing through people’s homes and livelihoods. And since then, nothing — shame perhaps? A hope that if we don’t talk about the great sin that was committed, it will somehow be forgiven? Whatever fine words might have come from the Council dais over the years, their staff has actually implemented precious little to repair the damage. Indeed, policies are still in place actively working against the formation of new communities — zoning rules that forbid local shops that could serve as neighborhood hubs, lot size restrictions that might work for the suburbs, but which result in a farcically low population density in a city; a lack of sidewalks that means you may have to take your life in your hands just to go check up on a neighbor.

If the current Council, with minority representation, has failed to move their staff on this, what hope is there that one elected from gerrymandered districts would even try? After half a century, all we have got to the point where all a council needs to do is sit on its hands and wait for time and gentrification to push the remaining survivors out — then their pet property speculators will have something to drool over. — Geoff Kemmish Asheville Editor’s note: A longer version of this letter will appear at mountainx.com.

No longer of and for the people Over the past several years, it has become apparent to me that this nation’s people-centered, democratic republic has become eroded to the point of no longer functioning as “of and for” the people. I am sure you will agree that the fundamental and foundational rights of people have been usurped by special interests, corporations and those who have enough money to make their “speech” heard over the rest. In North Carolina, there is a coalition of individuals, community groups and organizations working to correct this imbalance.

This coalition is working with the state Legislature to get a ballot measure on the 2018 ballot that would ask the people of this state what they think: 1. Should artificial entities such as corporations have constitutional rights of personhood? And 2. Should money be considered speech and be protected as speech under the First Amendment? Here is how you can get involved: 1. Sign the petition (www.ncwethepeople.org). 2. Send persuasive emails to your legislators. 3. Attend press conferences. 4. Recruit a favorite nonprofit organization to become a co-sponsor with the current 18 sponsoring groups in our coalition. — Diana Kruk Candler

CORRECTIONS In our April 19 story, “New Model of Health Care,” the annual fee listed for Blue Ridge Premier Medical was incorrect. The yearly fee ranges from $2,000 to $3,000. Also, in the April 26 issue, the letter to the editor “I-26 Widening Will Destroy Homes, Families, Flora and Fauna,” the letter writer meant to write, “I wouldn’t try speeding on these interstates when they state 60 mph.”

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A survival guide for nonprofits in tough times BY CINDY MCMAHON I love living in the mountains, where I can get up high and gain perspective on the landscape. WNC Nonprofit Pathways enjoys a unique vantage point for viewing the trends, challenges and opportunities facing nonprofit organizations in our region. Pathways is a collective of four local funders: The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County, Mission Health and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Additional support comes from The Duke Endowment, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. When the leaders of these organizations come together, the ideas and insights fly.

Pathways is a funders’ collaborative: Our purpose is to strengthen the nonprofits that help communities succeed. We provide training and consulting for organizations across North Carolina’s 18 western counties, helping them plan for the future, strengthen their boards of directors, learn how to increase fundraising and improve all areas of management. We dive in deep with the organizations we serve. In so doing, we get an up-close perspective on the daily challenges faced and the achievements celebrated by groups of all sizes, both rural and urban. These nonprofits’ programs run the gamut from the environment and the arts to education and human services. What are we hearing? Frankly, it’s a bit of a crazy time for nonprofits. Environmental advocates are fighting fiercely in the courts and the media as they watch state and

CINDY MCMAHON federal lawmakers challenge the protections for public lands, water, air and green energy. Concerned citizens and undocumented residents from other countries are flooding the doors of nonprofit Latino centers across the region. They ask, “What are my rights?” “How do I make sure my children will be taken care of if I am detained?” “What can you do for me and my family?” Meanwhile, nonprofit clinics and other health organizations are operating in an ongoing fog about the future of the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid and the insured and uninsured children and families they serve. What will change in the world of health care coverage? How will health organizations fund their services in the future? If you don’t have a crystal ball, it’s hard to find any answers. President Trump has announced a plan to “get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment,” the federal tax law provision that requires 501(c)(3) nonprofits to be nonpartisan. If this provision is abolished, it will dramatically change the landscape for the sector and

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Weathering the storm

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

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most likely damage the public’s trust in nonprofit organizations. Organizations that receive federal funding find themselves with huge question marks around grants that have already been awarded. There are rumors that funding will be retracted in the middle of grants. Even government staffers can’t tell executive directors whether they can count on the full amount that was promised. How are they to move forward with these programs? Even arts organizations face new challenges amid the intensified political divides of the day. All art carries a message. What plays do we stage, and who will we offend in the process? What statements do we want to make with our art installations? In a time of uncertainty and volatile change, local nonprofits are doing their best to remain strong and adapt. And unlike their counterparts in other areas of the state, nonprofits here in the mountains do have access to the low- and no-cost services provided by WNC Nonprofit Pathways, which can help them navigate the current turbulent environment. Based on our collective experience guiding many organizations through difficult times, we offer local nonprofit leaders these reminders: • Use your core mission as a touchstone. Your organization’s strength comes from the commitment to addressing its key purpose. Do you have programs or practices that pull you away from that centering core? Now may be a time to re-focus on what matters most to your organization. • Engage the board. Remember to include the board of directors as you consider whatever policy or funding changes may be coming down the pike. Don’t avoid the tough topics! You may be surprised at the wisdom that arises in a roomful of your strongest advocates. • Create contingency plans. Be prepared! Consider the various changes that may impact your organization. What would be the best response to each? Keep in mind that you may need more than just Plan B: What are Plans C, D and E? • Speak up! Now more than ever, local, state and federal officials need

to hear how proposed policy changes may affect your constituencies. And if your board is interested in learning how they can be involved in advocacy, Pathways can help. • Prioritize diversity, equity and inclusion. Organizations are stronger when they represent a variety of voices and perspectives. Reach out to include diverse leaders on your board and staff, and make an effort to ensure that new and different perspectives are heard and valued. And remember:

Strengthening your organization is more important now than ever! The nonprofits that survive tough times are those that focus their attention inward as well as outward. WNC Nonprofit Pathways can help your organization withstand the inevitable storms — so you can continue to serve those who need you the most. To learn more about WNC Nonprofit Pathways, visit nonprofitpathways.org. Asheville resident Cindy McMahon is the organization’s senior consultant. X

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MAY 3 - 9, 2017

Nonprofit startups face hurdles

LEARNING THE ROPES

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NEWS

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THE GENERAL: Alex Comfort, far right, has worked in the fundraising world for 31 years. For the past four years, he has offered a four-day course called Fundraising Boot Camp through Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville. Photo courtesy of Comfort

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com If you live in Western North Carolina, there’s about a 1-in-9 chance that you work for a nonprofit; in Buncombe County, those odds are better than 1-in-8. Statewide, the sector accounts for about 400,000 jobs and has an annual economic footprint of roughly $42 billion, according to the N.C. Center for Nonprofits. These organizations, stresses Jeannette Butterworth, program consultant for WNC Nonprofit Pathways, are “an economic driver. The role they play in our community is something that gets lost because we’re used to it. … They’re all around us.” Ubiquity, however, doesn’t necessarily mean easy or immediate success. To better understand the challenges these newbies face, Xpress sat down with a number of recently formed local nonprofits and spoke with experts in the field. IS THIS A GOOD IDEA? Ryan Coffield joined The Van Winkle Law Firm in 2013, and nonprofits are one of his areas of exper-

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tise. “The first question I usually ask people when they say they want to form a nonprofit is, ‘Are you sure?’” he reveals. That’s not cynicism on Coffield’s part — just a way to introduce the complex, paperwork-heavy process. First, a board of directors must be formed. And while state law requires only a single member, best practices call for at least five. Once a board has been recruited, the organization has to clarify its mission and purpose. Next, articles of incorporation need to be filed with the N.C. Department of the Secretary of State. Then, bylaws must be drafted (and, ideally, reviewed by a lawyer) before being finalized and adopted. After that, the organization can apply for tax-exempt status. But don’t hold your breath: It can take the IRS anywhere from three to 24 months to rule on those applications. And once a nonprofit has a certain number of staffers, it will have to apply for a federal Employer Identification Number, carry workers’ compensation insurance and pay unemployment insurance tax. But even putting aside all the paperwork, expenses and time, says Coffield, people often don’t realize that the nonprofit they’re seeking to start may already exist. “This is a

problem that plagues the nonprofit world and always has: Organizations are constantly running parallel,” he explains. Instead, Coffield encourages interested people to consider volunteering with an existing group, becoming a board member or perhaps even joining its staff. And of course, once a new nonprofit has cleared all those hurdles, it will most likely confront the question of funding. In Coffield’s experience, people are often far too optimistic about their chances of obtaining grants, due in part to the way many funders represent themselves. “There are a bunch of government entities and private foundations that have money available,” he explains. “Their message is, ‘Here’s all this money: Come and get it.’” The problem, continues Coffield, is that “There’s not a lot of information out there about the fact that you’re going to be one of 500 organizations applying for this one grant.” Compounding the problem is the fact that fledgling nonprofits don’t typically have an experienced grant writer — or the money to hire one. “That is something that

nonprofits run into,” notes Coffield. “How do you deal with not having cash upfront unless you’ve got some benefactor willing to put in the money?” A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE The Collider is a nonprofit innovation center that promotes market-driven climate solutions. Its downtown office on the fourth floor of the Wells Fargo Building includes a co-working space that’s home to 45 small businesses and entrepreneurs, and a theater space that’s used for special events as well as multiday conferences. Executive Director Megan Robinson is quick to point out that her organization is “not a traditional nonprofit.” The brainchild of local businessman Mack Pearsall, The Collider opened in March of last year, an offshoot of the nowdefunct Asheville-Buncombe Sustainable Community Initiatives. Pearsall provided the initial funding. “Normally, you get those big philanthropists and big donations

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NEWS of communications. Absent that initial community buy-in, many people tend to forget that The Collider is, in fact, a nonprofit. “That’s a dilemma they have,” concedes Pearsall. “Since I have funded it, because I believe in it, it does create for them an after-the-fact education process for the public.” Support from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and building owner Claire Callen, stresses Robinson,

10 or 20 years down the road,” Robinson explains. Still, that unusual situation presented its own unique challenges. “You would think starting a nonprofit with someone footing the bill out of their personal resources ... would be really great — and, of course, it is — but, on the other hand, when you have a capital campaign … you’re generating lots of community support,” notes Kathi Petersen, The Collider’s director

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has also been crucial to the organization’s early success. At the same time, the nonprofit continues to seek new ways to boost community involvement, both financially and in terms of active participation. “We know we need to diversify and have a strong revenue portfolio,” she says. The Collider held its first fundraiser in March, and, more recently, it launched a membership drive to pull in supporters from across the country. “But the Asheville community,” stresses Robinson, “is fundamental in us surviving day to day.” CRAFT YOUR MESSAGE CAREFULLY Alex Comfort has worked in the fundraising world for 31 years. He spent 11 of them as a staffer at UNC Asheville raising money for the school before starting his own consulting company, Mountain NonProfit Solutions, in 2009. For the last four years, Comfort has also offered a four-day course called Fundraising Boot Camp through Lenoir-Rhyne University in Asheville. To be sustainable here, he estimates, a nonprofit needs a budget of

NO ROOM FOR DOUBT: “The first question I usually ask people when they say they want to form a nonprofit is, ‘Are you sure?’” says Ryan Coffield of The Van Winkle Law Firm. Photo courtesy of Van Winkle Law Firm

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Grey Eagle! BUILDING COMMUNITY: The Collider’s Kathi Petersen, left, and Megan Robinson note that community support remains a top priority for the new nonprofit. Photo by Thomas Calder roughly $300,000 per year, though he acknowledges that this isn’t always the case. “A lot of nonprofits, in the region and across the country, don’t have any employees and just do everything on a shoestring budget,” notes Comfort. But that typically means one person wearing various hats and struggling to balance day-to-day duties and long-term goals — a daunting challenge for those just starting out. Fundraising, meanwhile, is a major hurdle for many nonprofits, regardless of size. Most of the organizations he works with, says Comfort, were created by folks with no background in sales. His first piece of advice is to write down the names of the people they know who’ll support the organization’s mission. “It may only be three people, but the bottom line is you’ve got to start somewhere. Most groups have some sort of core funding that gets them off the ground, and then from there, you’ve got to figure out how to expand it.” This is where things get tricky, however: Generosity has its limits, and once someone donates to any given cause, a tsunami of other funding requests is likely to start arriving in their mailbox. For this reason, says Comfort, organiza-

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tions have to consider the potential donor’s point of view: “What’s going to make me open that letter? What’s going to make me read the whole thing — and what’s going to make me pull out my checkbook and send off a check?” First and foremost, he explains, the nonprofit must earn a donor’s trust: “Prove that you’re doing your mission and doing it well.” This, he continues, typically requires a wellcrafted message that tells a compelling story about the organization’s origin and purpose. It must be comprehensive but concise, keeping in mind that while the group may view the letter as an essential strategic tool, to the recipient it’s just one more request from a virtual stranger. “When I teach fundraising to people I say, ‘This is not a democratic (with a small “d”) enterprise: You’ve got to concentrate on the people who have the means to help you. … You’ve only got so much time, so you’ve got to be very strategic in what you do and how you go about it.’” Just suppose, says Comfort, you’re a new nonprofit with a mission that’s similar to the Boy Scouts. By chance, you come up with your local Boy Scout troop’s complete

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FRIENDS OF THE FOREST: Rob Lamb, left, and Andy Tait of EcoForesters speak with students from the Yale Graduate School of Forestry and Environmental Science about the Southern Appalachians. Photo courtesy of EcoForesters donor list. “If you sent them all a really good story in the mail and 1 percent sent you back a gift, you’re doing well.” Or suppose a nonprofit has six board members, each of whom has agreed to ask 25 friends for $500 apiece. “So that’s what, 150 people?” asks Comfort. “I’d say that if each of them comes back with two gifts, you’re doing well.” NONPROFITS DO PROFIT Despite those challenges, however, successful nonprofits do make money: They have to. “You need to pay the bills, pay the employees, you need to have money to do the initiatives and pay someone to write grant proposals and manage volunteers,” says Robinson of The Collider. The key difference is that while forprofit enterprises generate returns for their shareholders and investors, nonprofits channel all of their income, after covering expenses, into programs and services. “What we always say is, ‘We’re a nonprofit but a not-for-loss,’” she continues. “There’s still a business model — you still need to make a profit, and that’s sometimes lost on people.” Rob Lamb, the founder and executive director of EcoForesters, echoes that concern, noting, “Folks

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sometimes think we just do everything for free.” Established in April 2015, the Asheville-based nonprofit promotes positive-impact forestry, offering clients restoration and conservation services while working to educate the general public. Its director of ecoforestry, Andy Tait, says part of the misunderstanding comes from the fact that EcoForesters partners with several other local groups, including the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, the Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy and the Blue Ridge Forever network. “We provide at-cost services to these organizations,” Tait explains. “We’re not trying to make any profit off them.” Private landowners, though, are currently the nonprofit’s primary revenue source, and EcoForesters charges them competitive rates. “Fundraising is new to us,” he admits. “We’re trying to get more stable funding so we’re not reliant on the fee-for-service work.” A steady base of donations would enable the organization to focus more on educating property owners and communities about better ways to restore and conserve the land. “Those forests are on the cusp of crisis,” says Lamb. “There’s a slow march toward ecological death out there that a lot of people just don’t know about.”

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But if folks outside the nonprofit world often fail to grasp some key points, those within the industry may have their own blind spots. “You cannot believe how many nonprofits don’t send a thankyou note to the people that just gave them a gift,” says Comfort. Often, he clarifies, it’s just because the organization is short-staffed. “They don’t have time to do it the right way.” Sometimes, though, gratitude is simply forgotten. One client, remembers Comfort, told him that the nonprofit’s staff referred to donors as their ATM. “Everybody needs to understand that these folks don’t owe them a dime,” he emphasizes. But donors also fall on a very broad spectrum, and sometimes, “You’re dealing with people who are kind of lost and lonely. They may have some money, but some of these folks really don’t have much of a community.”

Montford Hall opened in March 2016. The nonprofit residential recovery program serves teenage boys struggling with substance abuse. Alex Kirby, the co-founder and executive director, says people often praise the quality of the organization’s clinical and academic programs. “What they don’t know is we had ... years to figure it out,” he explains. “We didn’t just show up and create it last year.” The nonprofit was actually incorporated in 2009. Deb Kirby, the co-founder and director of communications, says the starting point was her husband’s idealism. “He’d worked for a lot of for-profit organizations in this industry and felt like, too many times, the motivation to make money was interfering with their mission to help.” Initially, however, idealism and experience weren’t enough to make Alex an effective nonprofit leader. In the midst of a seven-year struggle to get the organization off the ground, he turned 50. The now

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DON’T STOP BELIEVING: Husband-and-wife team Alex and Deb Kirby spent seven years getting the nonprofit Montford Hall up and running. Photo by Thomas Calder 53-year-old remembers that particular birthday vividly. “I didn’t have a party,” he recalls. “I didn’t have a cake. I didn’t have people over for dinner. I was such a piece of shit at that point that there was no way anyone was going to celebrate anything about Alex Kirby’s life because it was such a disaster.” Compounding his total lack of fundraising experience was the fact that the mission itself proved to be a tough sell. “It’s not particularly appealing to the general public,” Deb explains. “We’re treating drugaddicted teenage boys. Then there’s

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the challenge of being in Asheville but not serving the Asheville community. We had to do … a very broad regional fundraising push” that included competing for donations from people in Charlotte, Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn. The process had its fits and starts. A check would arrive in the mail, and it would seem as though the organization was beginning to build momentum, but then another dry spell would hit. “We would literally wake up and not know what to do next,” says Alex.

Deb cites her husband’s persistence as the key factor that eventually landed the organization its first major donation, $200,000, in November 2014. That money gave the flailing nonprofit clout. Suddenly, organizations and individuals that had previously heard Alex out without offering financial support began to take note and see Montford Hall’s potential. But it wasn’t just the money that changed people’s minds, stresses

Deb. Early on, her husband was “just some guy” with an idea. But as the years went by and some of those early potential donors kept hearing about “this guy Alex Kirby talking to their friends, still on a mission to get this program open … they started to take it more seriously.” Alex concurs. “I guess that’s the thing: I didn’t quit. And I think, in time, if you don’t quit, you learn what you need to learn. You convince the people who need to be convinced.” X

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LOCAL HOME, GLOBAL REACH Asheville nonprofits export goodwill

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NEWS

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Buncombe County is home to numerous nonprofits with a focus on international or foreign affairs, perhaps reflecting Ashevilleans’ willingness to look beyond their doorstep toward the broader world. But while some of these groups attract considerable attention, others tend to fly under the radar. Here’s a look at three small, Asheville-based service organizations that are working to feed, shelter and motivate individuals and communities both here and abroad — each in its own unique way. THE WOVEN EARTH FOUNDATION In the Max Street Community Garden off South Charlotte Street, residents of the Grail House for Men worked side by side with members

POWER OF THE EARTH: Asheville-based nonprofit The Woven Earth Foundation is helping disaster-ravaged Nepal rebuild after a devastating earthquake two years ago with earth-bag construction, above. Co-founder Brandon “Bodhi” Denton, inset, was in Bandipur when the temblor hit. Photos courtesy of The Woven Earth Foundation of The Woven Earth Foundation to restore an existing garden while raising funds for the halfway house. At the same time, the men were reconnecting with nature as part of a holistic restorative process for those recovering from addiction. But recovery can take many forms, and on the other side of the globe, the Asheville-based nonprofit is helping disaster-ravaged Nepal rebuild after a devastating earthquake two years ago. Brandon “Bodhi” Denton was in Bandipur when the temblor hit. “The ground was oscillating, almost as the surface of the ocean does with its rippling waves,” he recalls, adding, “I was humbled and mesmerized by the sheer power of the earth.” The 7.8 magnitude quake lasted just three minutes, but it affected more than 6 million people. The tremors were felt as far away as Lahore, Pakistan; Lhasa, Tibet; and Dhaka, Bangladesh; and a full two weeks later, one aftershock was measured at 7.3. Nepal is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, with annual floods and landslides, periodic drought and epidemics, and a high level of seismic activity. Back in Asheville, Denton and fellow permaculture enthusiast Michael Smith teamed up with local earthen building instructors Justin Hall and Luke Trotman to form

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Woven Earth that fall. A workshop in Nepal’s hard-hit Gorkha District taught participants how to create domed structures out of superadobe, which uses coiled bags of dirt to make earthquake-resistant buildings. Unlike the traditional building techniques, which could not withstand the tremors, the foundation’s Nepal Resilience Project uses permaculture principles to create “model structures and systems which are lowcost, durable and ecologically regenerative,” says Denton. Permaculture, he explains, “is a way of creating systems that are modeled after nature and operate as natural systems do — in a continuously regenerating fashion, a cyclical fashion, to create an environment in which all of life can thrive.” This fall, Woven Earth will once again be hosting a service-learning workshop in Nepal on superadobe construction. Participants will rebuild as many houses as they can, and interested locals will learn modified earth-bag techniques. “We have a lot of projects in the works that we need funding for, including community-driven agroforestry and preserving traditional Himalayan skills,” says Denton. “By empowering local people to teach their skills to interested foreigners and Nepalese,” he continues, these locals are able to

generate income. “We also give scholarships to local Nepali people to participate in our programs.” And despite the significant challenges, Denton remains optimistic. “Nepal will recover,” he says, “and not only recover but gain even more long-term resilience and sustainability.” To learn more about the permaculture design workshop in Bali, Indonesia, in July, other projects in various Himalayan mountain communities, or to make a donation, visit wovenearth.org or email wovenearthdesign@gmail.com. SEED PROGRAMS INTERNATIONAL In a small farmhouse nestled in the hills near Swannanoa, a dedicated team is getting seeds sent to far-flung corners of the world where there’s a big need. “We do hear, from our partners in the field, just how the vegetables they grow change lives,” notes Naima Dido, program director for Seed Programs International. As a Muslim woman from Kenya, the Asheville transplant knows how to work effectively with other East African women. “We develop solutions that work for the community,” she explains, adding, “We also make sure we don’t disturb the culture.” Seed industry veteran John A. Batcha had witnessed firsthand both the power of seed donations and the many hurdles involved. Drawing on that experience, he founded Seed Programs International in 1998 to connect seed companies with areas of need around the world. Now retired, he serves on the organization’s board of directors. “I think it’s about ‘agro-biodiversity,’” says CEO Peter Marks, a champion of sustainable practices and a veteran of Asheville-area agriculture. “That’s a fancy word that relates to the variety of what you’re producing. So much of the world is now displaced from homes established three or four generations ago. They’re separated from traditions that, at one time, gave them a strong base and a diverse diet. I think they’re eager to reconstruct that.” Rather than relying on template solutions, notes Marks, “Our programs are adaptable and scalable because we rely on partners: They tell us what they need. Replicability is a great concept, but with the nature of what we do, the only thing truly replicable is the practice of listening and asking questions. We learn how a resource that we can share can best be deployed in your setting, in your

culture, in your context, at this time. And the kind of resources we provide are exactly what these countries need to raise their economies out of poverty in a self-sustaining way. That creates a base for other kinds of economic development later.” This is especially important, says Dido, “for women that have these small backyard gardens.” One Kenyan woman told her, “I can send my kids to school now. I can buy medicine when I need it.” And at the broader community level, continues Dido, “Some of the women have a savings group where some of that money might go into a cleaning service or other business. Some is used for health insurance or as a backup safety net for catastrophic events. It goes far beyond where we see it.” To learn more about Seed Programs International, visit seedprograms.org. THE SCHOOL OF ESOTERIC STUDIES Meanwhile, another small, local organization is using spiritual tools to foster positive change in the world. Working out of a historic home on South French Broad Avenue, the School for Esoteric Studies’ two staffers coordinate the efforts of some 20 “senior students” scattered around the world. These “commentators” are the heart of the project, voluntarily contributing their time and effort to promote deeper understanding and help others learn to live the life of the soul in the everyday world. The school champions a range of ideas put forth by Alice Ann Bailey, an English mystic who spent most of her life in the U.S. Among many other things, her writings discuss the “seven rays,” an ancient Hindu concept concerning the fundamental energies that are behind, and through, all manifestation. They are seen as creative forces of the universe and expressions of Divinity, the unifying and coordinating quality of deity, that fosters the evolution of all things. Bailey founded the Arcane School in New York City in 1923. After her death in 1949, a disagreement among her followers about the kinds of courses that should be offered led to the establishment of the School for Esoteric Studies in 1956. The New York-based organization moved to Arden in 1998 and relocated to Asheville in 2012. In an article on the school’s website titled “What is Evil?” Executive Director Gail G. Jolley writes, “The

Forces of Darkness try to keep the Forces of Light from entering our world, because they ‘feed’ on our material natures. Thus they need to keep humanity trapped in its material world by appealing to our baser instincts, and they seek to keep humanity’s spirit from rising free by keeping our minds and hearts focused on the ‘attractions’ of the material world.” To counteract this, the school offers correspondence courses on a donation basis. Each individual’s work is reviewed by a commentator who remains anonymous. “As we study the Ageless Wisdom teachings,” writes Jolley, we get the impression that much of what we might categorize as evil is basically a question of people or entities behaving badly due to materialistic, separative and retrogressive attitudes based on fear, selfishness and ignorance — which is certainly bad enough, but is it evil?“ The antidote, she believes, is spiritual evolution. “Transformation, healing and redeeming action,” says Jolley, “can only come from a higher spiritual focus, a higher will, so that we can see the situation whole and not focus on

duality and conflict.” To that end, she continues, “We offer ideas for your consideration: If you find them to be meaningful, fine. I’m a very practical person, and as far as I’m concerned, what’s most important to get out of this course of teaching is what you can apply directly to your own life — to change things, to give benefit to the world around you.” To learn more about the School for Esoteric Studies, visit esotericstudies.net. X

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by Erika Williams

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When seasoned teachers leave the classroom, everybody suffers. Students lose out on the benefits of the educators’ experience, school systems struggle to find and train replacements and the larger community often mourns the departure of a valued contributor with established relationships. Western North Carolina has the second-lowest teacher turnover rate among the state Board of Education’s eight education districts. But teacher attrition here has been increasing steadily in recent years. Meanwhile, a law that requires smaller classes for grades K-3 has been tweaked to allow more time for adjustment amid concerns that schools would have to scramble to hire new teachers without additional funding. Departing teachers who aren’t retiring cite many reasons, including bureaucracy, high housing costs, meager pay, philosophical differences and other stressors. Because of its desirability, Asheville sees less turnover than some other areas, but the fundamental problems remain. “The truth is, we live in a society, a country and, in particular, a state where the teaching profession isn’t adequately honored, either through financial compensation or otherwise,” asserts thirdgrade teacher Eben Heasley, who’s planning a career change after 15 years at Evergreen Community Charter School. And when a veteran educator leaves, students pay a price. “I think I was not as good a teacher when I first started, and that affects students,” notes Heasley. “I did my best, but you just can’t replace experience.” MOVING ON

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“It’s been a long, strange, wonderful journey as a teacher at Evergreen,” Heasley began a recent letter to parents and colleagues explaining his decision. “At the end of this 2016-17 school year, it will be time for me to move on.” Part of what drew him to Evergreen was its Expeditionary Learning approach, which emphasizes direct experience and hands-on activities. In some classes, for example, students research and interview their chosen “heroes of Asheville.” Now, however, with his son entering college and his wife changing jobs, Heasley says he realized that teaching is no longer the right profession for him. “If I could do the job in less than 50 hours a week, not have anything that I’m taking home beyond that, and be able to pursue other interests with a reasonable

Preserving Asheville’s teacher corps

SCHOOL DAZE: Shown here in a 2008 photo, Eben Heasley is a longtime educator at Evergreen Community Charter School. Though he says he loves the teaching profession, Heasley says he’s planning to leave it for a second career that offers a better balance of schedule, stress and compensation. Photo courtesy of Evergreen Community Charter School time span outside of school, then I probably would be making a different decision,” he explains. Besides the heavy amount of take-home work, Heasley cites increased class sizes and the sheer number of tactical decisions teachers have to make throughout the day. He also remembers a tough financial call Evergreen’s board of directors had to make back in 2013, when he was serving on the board: Either cut teacher pay, lay off staff or increase class sizes. And though he finds teaching intrinsically rewarding, Heasley believes the compensation should more accurately reflect the amount of time and stress involved. The veteran educators he’s worked with, notes Heasley, were masters at creating engaging lessons and giving students useful feedback. DEVALUED During the 2015-16 school year, 29 teachers left the Asheville City Schools; the Buncombe County Schools, a much larger system, lost 144. Three of the Asheville departures are now working in other North Carolina public school districts; the rest either left the profession altogether or are teaching in private schools or out of state. According to figures from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, however, teacher turnover in the city system has more than tripled in recent years, from about 5 percent during the 2010-11

school year to just over 17 percent by the end of 2014-15, and it continues to rise. The vast majority of those leaving last year cited personal reasons, including retirement, moving to a nonpublic school in North Carolina, teaching in another state or making a total career change. One key problem, however, is that “legislators, at least in North Carolina, tend to give the impression that they don’t value teachers,” says Charlie Glazener, executive director of community relations and communications for Asheville City Schools. This contributes, he believes, to the declining enrollment in teacher training programs across the state, which Glazener finds alarming. “All of these things add up in the minds of potential teachers. There’s the pay issue and vouchers that take tax money and give it to religious schools.” On April 27, Gov. Roy Cooper signed HB 13 into law. The measure eased the provisions of a state budget that would have set a maximum class size for K-3 classes in public schools between 16 and 18 students in the 2017-18 school year. And while smaller classes could improve educational quality and perhaps reduce teachers’ stress levels, many school leaders worried about how they would pay for the additional staff and facilities needed without any increase in state funding. The compromise legislation gave schools a temporary reprieve from the unfunded class-size mandate, reducing the maximum kindergarten class

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LOVE WHAT YOU DO: Third-grade teacher Eben Heasley plays guitar at Evergreen’s fall 2016 camping trip. Photo courtesy of Evergreen Community Charter School size from 24 to 23 for the 2017-18 school year and to 19 to 21 the following year. State representatives Susan Fisher (D-Asheville) and Chuck McGrady (R-Henderson County) both voted for the compromise. McGrady, who was a co-sponsor, touted the benefits of the bill in a message to constituents. Although the measure delays class-size reductions, he wrote, it also includes provisions for obtaining data from various school systems about current K-3 class sizes. And, he continued, “Since the state is already paying for class-size reductions, it should be clear to school boards that transitioning to lower class sizes must occur.” Fisher sees the delay as a victory, writing in her weekly newsletter that the bill represents a “temporary reprieve from a no-win situation.” Without the compromise, she said, schools would have been compelled to fire specialist teachers in order to hire the requisite early-grade teachers — a trade-off she said schools wouldn’t have to make if they received adequate funding from the state. To comply with the law, says Glazener, Asheville City Schools would have had to add 10-12 classrooms. He doesn’t think the city schools would have been forced to cut funding for the arts or physical education, as many other schools across North Carolina were considering doing, but the class size requirements would have meant logistical struggles. Even with looming concerns about class size mandates and funding fights, Asheville is in better shape than some districts. “Luckily, the turnover rate in Asheville City is fairly low because of the

area’s attractiveness and the high quality of life here,” Says Glazener. “We also pay a reasonably high supplement.” As of the 2015-16 school year, the average teacher supplement in the city schools was $3,951; in the county system, it was $3,721, according to the Department of Public Instruction. This additional money is provided by county government to sweeten the pot. The state pays starting teachers with a bachelor’s degree about $35,000; after 14 years, the base salary reaches $43,250. Teacher pay tops out at $51,000 for those with 25 or more years of experience, not including local supplements.

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FAR FROM HOME Another challenge to sustaining educational quality is the high cost of living in the city, which forces some local teachers to live farther from where they work. “We would love for teachers to be able to live in the communities they serve,” notes Kate Pett, executive director of the Asheville City Schools Foundation. That’s particularly important, she maintains, in the city schools, which have a much more diverse student population than surrounding areas. “Students benefit from seeing themselves reflected in adult role models,” says Pett, but most of the system’s teachers are white. And though they’re encouraged to be aware of their students’ diverse needs and backgrounds and use this knowledge to make education engaging and relevant, “This is difficult when there’s

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N EWS a mismatch between teacher pay and increased housing prices.” A recent partnership involving the city and county schools, county government, the SECU Foundation and Eblen Charities will provide workforce housing for Asheville and Buncombe County teachers. The 24-unit project on Erwin Hills Road is supposed to be completed this summer. Two-bedroom apartments are expected to rent for about $900 a month. Meanwhile, to help head off teacher burnout, the Asheville City Schools Foundation trains teachers in mindfulness techniques and other strategies for collaborating and reducing stress. The foundation also tries to give them more of a say in which educational experiences they can offer their students. Through the Teaching Artists Presenting in Public Schools, or TAPAS, program, for example, teachers can apply for grants to bring artists into the classroom. GREENER GRASS Teachers leaving local schools are often drawn to neighboring states that pay better, both Pett and Glazener say. In Georgia, for example, teachers can make as much as $10,000 more per year than in North Carolina and may get more raises. WNC teachers also leave to take more lucrative positions in Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina. Jan Galloway taught anatomy at Brevard High School for 14 years, but “as I looked at facing my last 10 years of working before retirement, I began to see how little North Carolina had

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to offer teachers, both financially and professionally.” She took a teaching job in Georgia last year. Multiple factors contributed to her decision, including the substantial pay raise she received. The veteran educator also says she’s troubled by the increased emphasis on test scores and state report cards in this data-driven age, which she feels is particularly true in North Carolina. Georgia, she believes, does a better job of seeing students as people and encouraging them to achieve their full human potential rather than focusing solely on academic performance. “My life has been influenced by my teachers, all the way back to elementary school, and I wanted to give back to the profession,” Galloway explains. “I would like to think I’ve found a way to inspire some students to be the best they can be, as many of my teachers did for me.” But North Carolina, she maintains, “needs to wake up before they lose their pick of the teachers.” And that’s true for other states as well, says Galloway. “I think we’ll see huge changes in education across the nation in the next five or so years.” NEW BLOOD Each year, notes Glazener, he and other city schools staffers visit college campuses and attend job fairs seeking to recruit new teachers. For the first three years, these new hires are paired with more experienced colleagues, who serve as mentors. UNC Asheville graduates can also get help from their former professors.

MINDFUL APPROACH: Veteran kindergarten teacher Leslie Blaich has taken sabbaticals from teaching when the demands of the profession grew overwhelming. Implementing mindfulness practices in her classroom at Isaac Dickson Elementary School, Blaich says, has helped her better meet her students’ needs and manage the stress of the classroom environment. Photo by Virginia Daffron UNCA is one of 15 schools in the state university system that offer education programs leading to a North Carolina teacher’s license. But since the General Assembly discontinued the N.C. Teaching Fellows Program in 2011, every one of those training programs has seen its enrollment decline, notes Glazener. In exchange for four-year scholarships, teaching fellows agreed to teach in North Carolina public schools for at least four years. “When people leave the licensure program, the reasons are across the gamut,” says Brook Thompson, UNCA’s teacher recruitment and retention liaison. “Sometimes they’re feeling overwhelmed completing their major and education courses at the same time, or they figure out that they don’t really want to teach.” To encourage more local students to pursue teaching careers, the school is now partnering with Warren Wilson College. Beginning this fall, students who’ve completed their coursework at Warren Wilson will be able to enroll in UNCA’s licensure program. An unusually high percentage of current program enrollees are older students: 27 percent of them already have a bachelor’s degree.

And when seeking teaching jobs, notes Thompson, they’re more likely to remain in the area than more traditional students. Thanks to the university’s strong relationship with the Asheville City Schools as well as the systems in Buncombe, Henderson, McDowell and Transylvania counties, a higher percentage of these graduates end up working as teachers in WNC. That continuity also supports the educational system’s long-term sustainability. To encourage licensure candidates to stay the course, Thompson and other program staff try to keep students informed about scholarship and professional development opportunities. In addition, she helps organize events that give students opportunities to advocate for public education. Gov. Cooper has said he’d like to revive the Teaching Fellows program, which Thompson says might also help reverse the decline in students choosing a career in teaching. POSITIVE SUPPORT In the meantime, however, Heasley doesn’t know how he’s going to make a living next year, which he says is a little scary. “Teaching,” his letter notes, “is largely a labor of love, and I do not deny that there are fabulous inherent rewards provided to those who choose to engage in this work, but for me, at this point in my life, it’s not enough. It’s time to give space to other possibilities.” Boosting teachers’ overall job satisfaction can help keep other veteran educators from following suit. Jeremy Gibbs, curriculum director for Transylvania County Schools, says providing support for educators is a focus of his work. He tries to give school principals the information and resources they need to maintain an enjoyable, productive work environment for their teachers. “Sometimes teachers can feel isolated in their classroom, so we encourage peer collaboration,” he explains. “We want to make school a great place not just for students but also for teachers, who are still growing and learning too.” But though Gibbs says the system’s teachers are highly qualified, it’s a complex, high-stakes job, and he’s seen the applicant pool shrink in recent years. “People look for stability — not in a boring sense, but [in terms of] ongoing support, which we try to give them. I hope this positive support transfers all the way up to state legislators, when they consider helping with support and funding.” X MOUNTAINX.COM

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Asheville traffic stop data show racial inequities Driving while black in Asheville, City Council member Keith Young said, “is real.” Young, who is African-American, said data on racial disparities in police traffic stops presented to Council at its Tuesday, April 24, meeting validated his personal experiences and anecdotal observations about unequal treatment of black and white drivers by Asheville police. Council heard a report on the data from Ian Mance, an attorney with the Durham-based Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Black drivers in Asheville, Mance said, are subject to 33 percent of all searches related to traffic stops, even though black people make up 13 percent of the city’s population. And that’s in spite of data that show searches of white drivers are more likely to reveal contraband than those of black drivers. The disparity data isn’t breaking news: Mance has been presenting the information to groups in Asheville since November.

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DINER-IN-CHIEF: Gov. Roy Cooper visited the Homework Diner program at Enka Middle School on April 25 as part of National Volunteer Week. Cooper met with program participants and their families. Photo by Jack Sorokin Mance’s organization initially began presenting the data at the request of the local chapter of the NAACP, Mance told Mayor Esther Manheimer. He has appeared at meetings of the Citizens Police Advisory Committee and City Council’s Public Safety Committee, as well as at smaller meetings with Asheville Police Chief Tammy Hooper and her staff. On Open Data Policing’s website (opendatapolicing.com), Asheville traffic stop data for the past 15 years is available. North Carolina, Mance said, was the first state in the country to require police departments to collect demographic data for each traffic stop, and the Open Data website uses data reported to and provided by the State Bureau of Investigation. Though police departments are required to report the data, Mance said an analysis he and local data specialist Patrick Conant performed raises questions about

whether the Asheville Police Department is fully complying with the law. According to the Open Data website, in 2010, the APD reported 1,259 searches related to traffic stops. That year had the most searches of any since data has been collected. In 2016, that figure had dropped to 172 searches. To try to understand whether the reduction in searches might be attributable to a lack of reporting, Mance said he and Conant audited 50 court cases related to traffic stops. They cross-referenced the date of each stop to search for matching driver demographic information for that day in the SBI data. In 58 percent of the cases, no demographic data corresponding to the date of the stop appeared in the state database. Though Hooper was present during Mance’s presentation, she did not comment at the Council meeting. Asked on Wednesday for comment, APD spokesperson Christina

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

DISPARATE MEASURES: According to data reported by the Asheville Police Department to the state since 2002, 33 percent of the searches conducted as part of a traffic stop were of black drivers. Over the same period, black residents made up 13 percent of the city’s population. Graphic from opendatapolicing.com Hallingse responded by email, “Chief Hooper is reviewing the information that was presented and will submit a report to Council regarding her findings and a response to the [report’s] suggestions, per Council’s request.” POLICY PROPOSALS Mance recommended four lowor no-cost policy proposals he said several police departments in North Carolina have implemented. First, the APD should scrutinize and correct any shortcomings in reporting the data. “It does seem that a large number of stops are going unreported for whatever reason,” Mance said. Next, Asheville should follow the lead of other police departments in North Carolina and around the country to dial back equipmentrelated stops. After a New York Times article showed that a majority of traffic stops involving black drivers in Greensboro were initiated due to minor equipment violations, Mance said, the Greensboro police chief quickly announced a plan to reduce those stops. In the year that followed the policy change, Greensboro experienced a 10 percent reduction in black-towhite search disparity rates. Mance recommended requiring officers to receive written, rather than spoken, consent to search

a vehicle when no specific grounds for a search are present. Although this policy change doesn’t generally result in a change in racial disparity data, Mance said, it is “a more racially equitable policy,” since studies show that black drivers experience greater social pressure to allow a search than white drivers. And while the intent of the policy isn’t necessarily to reduce searches, it does cause officers to be more thoughtful about performing a search, which has resulted in an 11 percent reduction in searches where the policy has been implemented, he said. Finally, Mance said, Asheville could implement periodic, routine audits of individual officer stop-andsearch data through a confidential section of the Open Data website. Using a tool on the website, police chiefs can enter an officer’s unique code and instantly create a report on the officer’s enforcement history. If the data appears to be out of line, Mance said, it “provides an occasion to have a conversation.” NEXT MOVE Several members of Council signaled eagerness to move quickly to implement what Council member Cecil Bothwell, who chairs the Public Safety Committee, called Mance’s “very reasonable policy suggestions.” Given that the data has been presented to various committees already, Young said, routing the proposed changes back through the committee process “feels like a punt.” After a discussion, City Manager Gary Jackson said Hooper would present either an “interim or full report” to Council at its May 9 meeting. In an email on Wednesday, April 26, however, Jackson wrote Council members that Hooper “is scheduled to be out of town on May 9.” Council will receive a written response that “will nonetheless offer an update on the strategy and action plans of the Asheville Police Department.” Finally, Jackson wrote, “we hope to outline the

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NEWS legal framework and possible policy role(s) of Council.” Council member Brian Haynes commented, “Though this data was not surprising, it’s still extremely disturbing. I don’t feel like we can let this go any longer than we should. We should address this as soon as possible.” Local business leader and City Council candidate Dee Williams spoke to Council during the public comment portion of the meeting. She emphasized the importance of the role of the local NAACP chapter, whose Criminal Justice Reform Committee she chairs: “I know that there is no microaggression intended, but if you want to have pertinent input, and our data, and coordination, you need to properly address us. We are the initiators, the conveners and the leadership here.” Williams accused the Police Department of violating state law by not reporting its data. Despite that concern, she continued, “You [Council] are looking at throwing additional dollars, $1 million are being asked for the Police Department.” More funding should not be provided, she said, until the department’s “qualitative issues” are addressed. “Please don’t throw money at an existing problem,” Williams said. “We have documented, and you have the data.” —

Virginia Daffron

Getting ready to rumble over Asheville district elections Asheville voters may get to cast an up-or-down vote on a state bill that would break the city into districts for City Council elections — but the possible impact of Asheville voters’ preferences is unclear. At City Council’s meeting on Tuesday, April 25, Council members decided to move forward with preparations for a referendum on the district plan championed by Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards of Hendersonville. Reached on Friday, April 28, Edwards criticized the city’s referendum plans, saying the district question is so complex as to be “impossible to put to voters.” The state must step in to protect voters who feel disenfranchised by the current at-large system for electing City Council members, Edwards said, even if

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

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UNDERREPRESENTED? Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards of N.C.’s 48th District has introduced legislation that he says protects the rights of an underrepresented minority in Asheville City Council elections. Who are these voters who have been disenfranchised? Residents living in South Asheville, who haven’t seen one of their number seated on the council for over a decade. Photo courtesy of Edwards the majority of Asheville citizens feel and vote otherwise. “It seems like a very unfair way to approach the problem at hand when you’ve got a group of citizens saying they feel underrepresented by the system,” said Edwards. “Why would we send them to that same system for a resolution?” Edwards’ bill would divide Asheville into six districts. Each district would elect its own representative to the council, while the mayor would be elected citywide. According to the bill, if Asheville failed to map out its own districts by Nov. 1, the state would step in and draw the districts. Council members would be elected from the districts starting in November 2019. MEANWHILE IN RALEIGH The day after Council’s meeting, Edwards’ plan passed the N.C. Senate on April 26 on a 34-15 party line vote. The bill will now advance to the House of Representatives. Rep. Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville said he will lead the bill in the House. In his weekly newsletter on April 27, the Republican representative wrote, “Some might find that strange since I represent Henderson County, but I’m the senior House member who is supporting the bill from the greater Asheville area.” Since Election Day falls on Nov. 7, the bill’s Nov. 1 deadline would require the city to create districts

before Asheville voters have a chance to weigh in on whether to switch to district elections or maintain the current at-large system for choosing Council members. Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer said she had been well aware of the timing set forth in Edwards’ bill when Council agreed to move forward with the referendum. “I knew that he was still going to require us to draw districts by Nov. 1,” and she knew that Edwards “doesn’t care for polling; he does not want the referendum,” she said. In fact, Manheimer explained, an earlier version of the bill specifically prohibited Asheville from holding a referendum on the issue. According to the mayor, that language was removed at least in part because a federal court ruled in April that a similar provision in a bill that imposed districts in Greensboro violated the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. The legislation that created districts for the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners also contained language blocking the county from holding a referendum, she continued, but no municipality had challenged the provision before the Greensboro case. GAME THEORY Assuming Edwards’ bill is approved by the House and signed into law, Manheimer said, she expects Asheville to move forward with the referendum. If the bill fails, on the other hand, “Then I think the question is, do we need to go ahead with this referendum?” she said. Edwards said he views the referendum as a waste of the city’s time since he fully expects the bill to pass and Asheville will be required to abide by its provisions. Asheville, Manheimer said, is “running kind of a parallel process here, where we are insisting on having control of this situation.” If voters reject Edwards’ district proposal, she said, “We won’t put six districts in effect.” What would happen then? According to the mayor, “If the state disagrees with that and doesn’t honor the referendum that’s allowed by statute, and not banned by this bill, I think we’ll end up in litigation. The state would have to sue us to enforce the bill if they think it pre-empts any voter referendum. And our position would be that it doesn’t.” If Asheville voters accept the sixdistrict arrangement, Manheimer said, she would prefer that an independent commission draw the lines.

MOVING AHEAD: Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer says the city is moving ahead with a referendum to gauge Asheville voters’ preferences for how City Council members are elected, even though that vote will come after the deadline in Sen. Chuck Edwards’ bill for the city to draw six electoral districts. Photo courtesy of the city of Asheville But would the state allow Asheville to draw its own lines after the Nov. 1 deadline? “Good question,” said Manheimer. “Everybody get all your lawyers together and figure that one out. It’s like chicken or egg — who knows?” PRO AND CON Opponents of creating districts say dividing the city into six separate areas would pit the interests of different areas against each other and hamper unified collective action. Edwards said one of the most convincing arguments he has heard in favor of districts has come from Buncombe County commissioners. “At first they were resistant to changing to a district structure, but now they recognize that with districts they can be closer to their voters,” he said. Commissioners speak of meeting their voters in the community, whether at school, church or in the grocery story. “It’s a far better system of government. ... With districts, it’s very clear where to go to resolve a problem, and it’s clear to the representatives whose concerns they are responsible for.” Because Asheville already has six Council members, basing the electoral system on six districts is the least disruptive model to implement, Edwards said. And as the city continues to grow, he said, the six-district structure will serve

it well. “This is not only a system for today — it also positions us better for the future,” he explained. Asked whether he has plans to implement a district election system in Hendersonville, Edwards pointed out the difference in population between the two cities. “When Hendersonville gets to 91,000 people, you can be sure I will have switched it to a district system by then,” he said. ALMOST OUT OF TIME To meet state timing requirements for placing a measure on November’s ballot, Asheville City Attorney Robin Currin said on April 25, Council must review a description of the proposed amendment to the city’s charter at its meeting on June 13 and hold a public hearing on June 27. On July 25, the city would request state permission to place the question on the ballot. Although there may be “other concepts that are better suited to Asheville,” Manheimer told Council, “we’re running out of time.”

During public comment at the end of Council’s meeting, City Council candidate Rich Lee spoke against Currin’s proposed course of action. “We shouldn’t be putting what we all acknowledge to be a bad idea up against the status quo and giving people that choice,” Lee said. Dividing the city into six districts would create “a lot more factionalism and a lot more focus on these separate fiefdoms,” he said. Lee advocated putting “our best choice” in front of voters, despite the challenges posed by the legislative calendar, “Even if it takes some kind of Manhattan Projecttype effort to try to get something ready in the next month or two.” But Council directed Currin to proceed with developing an ordinance to amend the city’s charter to elect City Council members from six electoral districts, with the mayor continuing to be elected at-large. Currin and Manheimer agreed that the language of the ordinance could be reviewed by Council’s Governance Committee before the June 13 meeting of Council

— Virginia Daffron X

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MAY 3 - 9, 2017

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAY 3 - 11, 2017

CALENDAR GUIDELINES For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 2511333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 251-1333, ext. 320.

ANIMALS DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SU (5/7), 2pm - “The Amazing Acro-cats,” theatrical show featuring trained acrobatic cats. $24/$22 children. PETSMART CHARITIES NATIONAL ADOPTION WEEKEND 150 Bleachery Blvd. • SA (5/6) & SU (5/7), 11am5pm - Animal adoption event with over 100 animals from local rescue centers. Free to attend.

BENEFITS 12 BASKETS CAFE FUNDRAISER 255-8115 • SA (5/6) & SU (5/7), 1-5pm Proceeds from this vegetarian/ vegan meal benefit 12 Baskets Cafe. Admission by donation. Held at Firestorm Cafe, 610 Haywood Road ART COUNCIL OF HENDERSON COUNTY 693-8504, acofhc.org/art-on-main.html • SA (5/6), 5-7pm - Proceeds from "Grape Escape," wine and cheese pairing and live music by Dan Lewis Entertainment benefit the Arts Council of Henderson County and Kat William's kidney transplant fund. $25. Held at Crate Wine Market & Project, 100 Daniel Drive, Laurel Park ASHEVILLE GREEN OPPORTUNITIES 398-4158, greenopportunities.org • SA (5/6), 6-9pm - Proceeds from "Soul Shakedown by the River," with raffle, live music by Natural Born Leaders and soul food from Green Opportunities benefit Green Opportunities. $30/$25 advance. Held at The Boathouse Riverside Pavilion, 318 Riverside Drive BATTLE OF THE BANDS 970-221-0524, newbelgium.com/community/

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

asheville-brewery • SA (5/6), 2-6pm - Proceeds from this live music competition, featuring Ian Ridenhour and Carolina Wray, benefit Asheville on Bikes and MountainTrue. Admission by donation. Held at New Belgium Brewery, 21 Craven St. FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF SWANNANOA SwannanoaFANS.org • SA (5/6), 8am-1pm Proceeds from this community yard sale benefit the Friends and Neighbors of Swannanoa. Information: SwannanoaFANS. org. Free to attend. Held at Ingles Markets Inc., 2299 US Highway 70, Swannanoa HADAYA BENEFIT DINNER hadaya.splashthat.com • SU (5/7), 6-8pm - Proceeds from this "Taste of India," event with live and music with heavy appetizers and one drink (open bar available) benefit HADAYA. $25. Held at MG Road, 19 Wall St. LEADERCAST ASHEVILLE 255-3066, eblencharities.org • FR (5/5), 9am-3:30pm Proceeds from “Leadercast Asheville” leadership broadcast conference and lunch benefits Eblen Charities. $55/$45 for groups of 5 or more. Held at Biltmore Baptist Church, 35 Clayton Road, Arden MONTREAT COLLEGE 310 Gaither Circle Montreat, 669-8012, montreat.edu • SA (5/6), 4-7pm - Proceeds from the "Spring Fling Fundraiser" with live music, raffle, barbecue buffet, dancing, performances and silent auction benefit Swannanoa Valley Montessori School. $20/$10 for children. Held at the barn at Montreat MOUNTAINTRUE 258-8737, wnca.org • SA (5/6), 5:30-9pm Proceeds from the "Spring Green Bash," with live music by the Honeycutters benefit MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper. Free to attend. Held at Green River

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WALK A MILE ASHEVILLE: Get out your fancy shoes and walk a mile in the eighth annual Our VOICE People’s March Against Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence. The family-friendly fundraising event takes place Saturday, May 6, with registration and check-in at 10 a.m., one-mile walk at 11 a.m. and closing ceremony and awards at noon. The organizers invite attendees to wear whatever shoes they choose – from high heels, to combat boots, to comfy running shoes and any kind of shoe in between – as a symbolic act of solidarity for survivors of sexual violence. For more information about the event or to register, visit goo.gl/AW8Y3U. Photo courtesy of Our VOICE (p. 28)

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THE XPRESS’ COMMUNITY CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS NONPROFITS EVERY WEEK The Mountain Xpress is dedicated to supporting the work of nonprofits by providing free community calendar listings for events that benefit or are sponsored by nonprofits all year long! Adventures, 111 E. Main St., Saluda • SA (5/6) - A portion of proceeds from river, zipline, and rappelling trips benefit MountainTrue’s Green Riverkeeper. Register for prices: greenriveradventures. com. Held at Green River Adventures, 111 E. Main St., Saluda SOLAR SUNDAY cleanenergy.org • SU (5/7), noon-6pm - A portion of proceeds from this fundraising event featuring presentations by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, live music and raffle benefit the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Free to attend. Held at Highland Brewing Company,

12 Old Charlotte Highway WALK A MILE IN HER SHOES ourvoicenc.org • SA (5/6), 11am - Proceeds from this march against rape, sexual assault and gender violence benefit Our Voice. Registration at 10am. Ceremony at noon. $20/$30 with t-shirt/$15 students/Free for kids under 13. Held at Pack Square Park, 121 College St.

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY A-B TECH SMALL BUSINESS CENTER 398-7950, abtech.edu/sbc • TH (5/4), 6-9pm - " Successful Sales on Amazon,"

seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • SA (5/6), 9am-noon - "Google Triple Play for Small Business," seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TU (5/9), 6-8pm "Business Organization and Recordkeeping," seminar. Registration required: Evette. davis@irs.gov. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler • TH (5/11), 3-6pm - "An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Bridging the Digital Divide," seminar. Registration required. Free. Held at A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler

ASHEVILLE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: SMALL BUSINESS WEEK 258-6114, ashevillechamber.org • WE (5/3), 8-9am - Educational Series: “Demographic Trends,” workshop. Registration: ashevillechamber.org/smallbusinessweek. Free. Held at Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Ave. • WE (5/3), 9:30am-1pm “Business Check-Up: Get Free Expert Advice for Business Success,” workshop. Registration: ashevillechamber.org/smallbusinessweek. Free. Held at Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, 36 Montford Ave. • TH (5/4), 5:30-7pm "Business After Hours," networking opportunity for businesses of all sizes. Free to attend. Held at Crowne Plaza Expo Center, 1 Resort Drive BLUE RIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE 180 West Campus Drive, Flat Rock, 694-1885 • TH (5/4), 4:30-6:30pm Henderson County Public Schools drop-in technology

Slow Flow & Deep Stretch with Alex Moody

and innovation fair. Free. Held in the Conference Hall.

A mindful mix of movement, breath, & bliss

Wednesdays: 5:45-7pm

DEFCON 828 meetup.com/DEFCON-828/ • SA (5/6), 2pm - General meeting for InfoSec professionals, students, enthusiasts and neophytes. Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road PUBLIC EVENTS AT A-B TECH 340 Victoria Road • FR (5/5), 2pm - Computer technologies expo featuring graduating students capstone projects. Free. Held in the Mission Health Conference Center

West Asheville Yoga.com 602 Haywood Rd. 28806 • 828.350.1167

WNC LINUX USER GROUP wnclug.ourproject.org, wnclug@main.nc.us • 1st SATURDAYS, noon - Users of all experience levels discuss Linux systems. Free to attend. Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS A NEW ERA IS DAWNING (PD.) The World Teacher and Masters of Wisdom are in the world. To help us create a civilization where Justice and Truth; Freedom and Peace are the keynotes. What role can you play in the coming time? “… look to the future with hope." – Maitreya. • Saturday, May 13: Asheville Friends Meeting. 227 Edgewood Road. 2pm. Free presentation. 828-398-0609. AERIAL ARTS + POLE DANCE + FLEXIBILITY CLASSES AT EMPYREAN ARTS (PD.) BEGINNING AERIAL ARTS weekly on Tuesdays 11am and Wednesdays 4:15pm * TRAPEZE & LYRA weekly on Tuesdays 6:30pm and Saturdays 1pm * AERIAL ROPE weekly on Tuesdays at 2:15pm and Fridays at 6pm * POLE DANCE weekly on Mondays at 8pm * FLEXIBILITY weekly on Mondays 6:30pm, Tuesdays 8pm, and Thursdays at 1pm. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT EMPYREANARTS.ORG or CALL/TEXT 828.782.3321. COOKING CLASSES AT MOUNTAIN KITCHEN! (PD.) • Saturday, May 6: Mother and Child class for Mother's day! • Saturday, May 20: Moroccan Tagine. • 6pm-9pm. More information/registration: (917) 566-5238 or visit www.ofrishomecooking.com OLIVER PEOPLES EYEWEAR TRUNK SHOW (PD.) Saturday, May 13 from 12pm-6pm. Stop by the iconic L'optique on Wall Street for snacks, wine and the most extravagant eyewear! www.loptique.com ASHEVILLE CHESS CLUB 779-0319, vincentvanjoe@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Sets provided. All ages and skill levels welcome. Beginners lessons available. Free. Held at North Asheville Recreation Center, 37 E. Larchmont Road

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ASHEVILLE NEWCOMERS CLUB ashevillenewcomersclub. com • 2nd MONDAYS, 9:30am - Monthly meeting for women new to Asheville. Register for location: ashevillenewcomers@gmail. com. Free to attend. ASHEVILLE ROTARY CLUB rotaryasheville.org • TH (5/4), noon-1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. • TH (5/11), noon-1:30pm - General meeting. Free. Held at Renaissance Asheville Hotel, 31 Woodfin St. ASHEVILLE WOMEN IN BLACK main.nc.us/wib • 1st FRIDAYS, 5pm Monthly peace vigil. Free. Held at the Vance Monument in Pack Square. BIG IVY COMMUNITY CENTER 540 Dillingham Road, Barnardsville, 626-3438 • MO (5/8), 7pm Community meeting. Free. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (5/4), 6pm Beginner's Spanish class for adults. Registration required: buncombecounty. org/library. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. BUNCOMBE COUNTY SPECIAL OLYMPICS buncombecountyspecialolympics.org • TH (5/4), 9:45am - Special Olympics athletes from all over Buncombe County will compete in track and field events. Event will have live music, face painters and refreshments. Free to attend. Held at TC Roberson High School, 250 Overlook Road FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • WE (5/3), 6pm - A member of the Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee will be giving a talk on IWOC and prison organizing. Free to attend. • WEDNESDAYS, 6pm - "What's Up with Whiteness" discussion group. Free to attend.

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

by Abigail Griffin

HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION 297 Haywood St., 246-4250 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS - Workshop to teach how to make sleeping mats for the homeless out of plastic shopping bags. Information: 828-707-7203 or cappyt@att.net. Free. LAUREL CHAPTER OF THE EMBROIDERERS' GUILD OF AMERICA 686-8298 , egacarolinas.org • TH (5/4), 9:30am - Monthly meeting with second part of a twosession class on creating a Hapsburg Lace scissors case. Free to attend/ Fee applies for supplies. Held at Cummings United Methodist Church, 3 Banner Farm Road, Horse Shoe LEICESTER COMMUNITY CENTER 2979 New Leicester Highway, Leicester, 774-3000, facebook.com/ Leicester.Community. Center • 2nd TUESDAYS, 7pm Public board meeting. Free. ONTRACK WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave., 255-5166, ontrackwnc.org • TH (5/4), 12-1:30pm "Surviving the Benefits Cliff. A Personal Story." Seminar. Registration required. Free. • MONDAYS (5/8) through (5/22), 5:30-8pm - "Manage Your Money Series," seminar. Registration required. Free. • WE (5/10), 5:30-7pm "Understanding Credit. Get it. Keep it. Improve it." Seminar. Registration required. Free. KIWANIS OF ASHEVILLE kiwanisofasheville.org • TU (5/9), noon-1:30pm General meeting. Free. TARHEEL PIECEMAKERS QUILT CLUB tarheelpiecemakers. wordpress.com/ • WE (5/10), 9:30am - Meeting and presentation by Marti Sofie. Free. Held at Balfour United Methodist Church, 2567 Asheville Highway Hendersonville VETERANS FOR PEACE 582-5180, vfpchapter099wnc. blogspot.com/ • 2nd TUESDAYS, 6:30-

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

8:30pm - General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road WNC KNITTERS AND CROCHETERS FOR OTHERS 575-9195 • MO (5/8), 7-9pm - All skill levels welcome to knit items for those in need. Free. Held at New Hope Presbyterian Church, 3070 Sweeten Creek Road

DANCE POLE FITNESS AND DANCE CLASSES AT DANCECLUB ASHEVILLE (PD.) Pole Dance, Burlesque, Jazz/Funk, Flashmobs! Drop in for a class or sign up for a series: • 6 Week Chair Dance Series - Ongoing • 4 Week Beginner Jazz/Funk to Prince - Begins Apr. 20 • 6 Week Intro to Pole - Begins April 26 • Tues. and Fri. at 12PM - Pole class for $10 • Intro/Beg. Pole Drop in - Sat. at 1:30PM - $15 • Memberships available for $108/month Visit the website to find out more about these classes and others. DanceclubAsheville.com 828-275-8628 Right down the street from UNCA - 9 Old Burnsville Hill Rd., #3 STUDIO ZAHIYA, DOWNTOWN DANCE CLASSES (PD.) Monday 12pm Barre Wkt 4pm Ballet Wkt 5pm Bellydance Drills 6pm Hip Hop Wkt 6pm Bellydance Special Topics 7pm Classical Ballet Series 8pm Tribal Bellydance Series • Tuesday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm Sculpt-Beats Wkt 6pm Intro to Bellydance 7pm Bellydance 2 8pm Advanced Bellydance • Wednesday 12:30pm 80/90s Fitness Wkt 5pm Hip Hop Wkt 5pm Bollywood 6pm Bhangra Series 8pm Lyrical Series • Thursday 9am Hip Hop Wkt 12pm Sculpt-beats Wkt 4pm Girls Hip Hop 5pm Teens Hip Hop 6pm West African Drumming 8pm Sassy Jazz Series • Saturday 9:30am Hip Hop Wkt 10:45 Buti Yoga Wkt • Sunday 6:15pm Restorative Yoga • $13 for 60 minute classes, Wkt $6. 90 1/2 N. Lexington Avenue. www.studiozahiya.com :: 828.242.7595

THE ROOTS OF BELLY DANCE (PD.) With Michelle Dionne. Saturday, May 20, 10am4pm. No experience needed! Men, women and youth 15 and above. A workshop in self-healing, divine connection and tribal dance. At Earthaven Ecovillage. $75 till May 6; then $95. To register: www.themandorla.com.

Free. Held at Asheville City Hall, 70 Court Plaza

SOUTHERN LIGHTS SQUARE AND ROUND DANCE CLUB 697-7732, southernlights.org • SA (5/6), 6pm - "Mexican Fiesta" themed dance. Advanced dance at 6pm. Early rounds at 7pm. Plus squares and rounds at 7:30pm. Free. Held at Whitmire Activity Center, 310 Lily Pond Road, Hendersonville

HENDERSON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY 905 S. Greenville Highway, Hendersonville, 692-6424, myhcdp.com • 1st SATURDAYS, 9-11am - Monthly breakfast buffet. $9/$4.50 for children under 10.

FESTIVALS RHYTHM & WINE FEST tryonrhythmwinefest.com • SA (5/6), 3-7pm Outdoor live music festival featuring Blair Crimmins & The Hookers and the Snopes Family Band. $35/$30 advance. Held at Tryon Depot Plaza, Depot St., Tryon

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS BLUE RIDGE REPUBLICAN WOMEN’S CLUB facebook.com/BRRWC • 2nd THURSDAYS, 6pm General meeting. Free to attend. Held at Gondolier Italian Restaurant, 1360 Tunnel Road BUNCOMBE COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN'S CLUB 243-6590 • TH (5/11), 11:30am1:30pm - Meeting with keynote speech by Cindy Keehn of Damsel in Defense. Free to attend. Held at Olive Garden, 121 Tunnel Road CITY OF ASHEVILLE 251-1122, ashevillenc.gov • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 5pm - Citizens-Police Advisory Committee meeting. Free. Meets in the 1st Floor Conference Room. Held at Public Works Building, 161 S. Charlotte St. • TU (5/9), 5pm - Asheville City Council public hearing.

FRIENDS OF CONNECT BUNCOMBE weconnectbuncombe.org/ about • TU (5/9), 5:30-9:30pm - Reems Creek Valley greenways informational meeting. Free. Held at Vance Birthplace, 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville

KIDS ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 175 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, 253-3227 • 2nd TUESDAYS, 11am12:30pm - Homeschool program for grades 1-4. Registration required: 253-3227 ext. 124. $4 per student. ASHEVILLE MUSIC SCHOOL 126 College St., 252-6244, ashevillemusicschool.com • FR (5/5), 6-7:30pm - Rock workshop for young guitarists and singers. $5. AZALEA MOUNTAIN SCHOOL 27 Balm Grove Ave., 5752557, azaleamountain.org • SA (5/6), 11am-2pm "May Faire," festival with live music, food, crafts and activities for children. Free to attend. BARNES AND NOBLE BOOKSELLERS ASHEVILLE MALL 3 S. Tunnel Road, 296-7335 • SA (5/6), 11-11:30am - Storytime featuring, Dragons Love Tacos 2. Free to attend. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (5/3), 4-5pm - Art After School: Printmaking class with the Asheville Art Museum for grades K-5. Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road • MONDAYS, 10:30am "Mother Goose Time," storytime for 4-18 month olds. Free. Held at Skyland/ South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Road

• MONDAYS, 10:30am - Spanish story time for children of all ages. Free. Held at Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Road, Candler • TUESDAYS through (5/30) - Read for 15-minutes with JR the therapy dog for preschool readers through age 10. Registration required: 250-6482. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • 2nd WEDNESDAYS,

4-5pm - "After School Art Adventures," guided art making for school age children with the Asheville Art Museum. Free. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester

HANDS ON! A CHILDREN'S GALLERY

FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync. org • WEDNESDAYS, 10:30am Family story time. Free.

invite learning into play.

318 N. Main St., Hendersonville, 697-8333 • Through FR (5/5) "Screen Free Week," crafts, games, and activities to Admission fees apply. • (5/9) through (5/12), 10am-4pm - "National Pet Week," pet-themed activities. Admission fees apply.

KOONTZ INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL 305 Overlook Road, 684-1295, ctkis.buncombeschools.org/ • TH (5/4) & FR (5/5), 7pm - The Wizard of Oz, presented by Koontz fifth and sixth graders. $5. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WEDNESDAYS, 10am

- Miss Malaprop's Story Time for ages 3-9. Free to attend. • SA (5/6), 1-4pm - Middle grade and young adult book fan party. For teens and tweens. Free to attend. SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop.com • WE (5/3), 4:30-5:30pm -

NCDOT TO HOST COMBINED PUBLIC HEARING MAY 23 REGARDING THE PROPOSED CONVERSION OF THE LIBERTY ROAD (S.R. 1228) GRADE SEPARATION OVER I-40 TO AN INTERCHANGE AND CONSTRUCTION OF A TWO LANE ROADWAY BETWEEN U.S. 19 (SMOKEY PARK HIGHWAY) / N.C.

5/15/17

Asheville’s Paddle Shop

151 AND MONTE VISTA ROAD (S.R. 1224), PART ON NEW LOCATION IN ASHEVILLE

TIP Project No. I-4759 Buncombe County The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold an informal, Combined Public Hearing for the proposed conversion of Liberty Road (S.R. 1228) Grade Separation over I-40 to an interchange, and construction of a new roadway between U.S. 19 (Smokey Park Highway) / N.C. 151 and Monte Vista Road (S.R. 1224) in Asheville. The project addresses the lack of connectivity along I-40 between U.S. 19/23 and Wiggins Road by providing an alternate access point to I-40. The informal style public hearing will be held in the Gymnasium at St. Francis Asbury United Methodist Church, located at 725 Asbury Road, in Candler from 4 to 7 p.m. Interested citizens are encouraged to attend at any time during those hours. NCDOT and Consultant staff will be available to provide information on the project, answer questions and receive comments. Please note there will be no formal presentation. A map of the proposed project is available on the NCDOT Public Meetings Website at: http://www.ncdot.gov/projects/publicmeetings/.

EVENT SPACE, FOOD TRUCKS & LIVE MUSIC!

OPEN DAILY 10 AM – MIDNIGHT

$3 LOCAL CRAFT CANS + $4 16 OZ. DRAFTS

L IVE MUSIC EV ERY SATU R DAY

MAY 6TH @ 8PM

GEORGIA HORSESHOES

Maps of the project alternatives as well as the Environmental Document (an Environmental Assessment) are available for viewing at the following locations: NCDOT Highway Division 13 55 Orange Street, Asheville, NC 28801 Land of Sky Regional Council 339 New Leicester Highway, Suite 140, Asheville, NC 28806 Enka-Candler Library 1404 Sand Hill Road, Candler, NC 28715 Anyone desiring additional information regarding the project may contact Ahmad Al-Sharawneh, NCDOT Project Development Engineer at (919) 707-6010 or by email: aalsharawneh@ncdot.gov. Comments may be submitted until June 23, 2017. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Ms. Diane Wilson, Senior Public Involvement Officer at (919) 707-6073 or email: pdwilson1@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. Aquellas personas que hablan español y no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

CLEAN STREAMS DAY PARTY

MAY 20TH LIVE MUSIC 4:30–6:30 PM

W/ THE RESONANT ROGUES SPONSORED BY GREENWORKS, CATAWBA BREWING CO. & HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

230 HOMINY CREEK RD. 28806 SOUTHERN END OF THE GREENWAY MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

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C O M M UNI TY CA LEN DA R

by Abigail Griffin

Send your event listings to calendar@mountainx.com

There’s much more online. mountainx.com

SPRING HERB FESTIVAL: The Spring Herb Festival returns to the WNC Farmers Market on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 7, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The 28th annual free, family-friendly event, which, according to organizers, is the largest herb festival in the United States and Canada, is set to bring together more than 60 growers and sellers of herbs and herbal products and thousands of attendees. Parking and admission are free, and shuttles are available on the festival grounds. For more information, visit ashevilleherbfestival.com. Photo courtesy of the organizers (p. 45)

Ashevilleʼs headquarters for school band instruments, accessories and repairs

Josh Funk presents his new picture book, The Case of the Stinky Stench. Free to attend. • SATURDAYS, 11am Storytime for ages 3-7. Free to attend. • SA (5/6), 3-4pm "Children's Book Week Celebration," activities, refreshments and costume prizes. Free to attend.

OUTDOORS CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE

(828) 299-3000 Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

800 Fairview Rd (at River Ridge Marketplace) 32

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

cityofhendersonville.org • SATURDAYS (4/22) through (5/27), 10am Guided history walks in Downtown Hendersonville. Registration: 828-545-3179 or maryjo@maryjopadgett. com. $10/Free for children. Meet at the back door lobby of the Hendersonville City Hall, Fifth Avenue East and King Street, Hendersonville

PISGAH CHAPTER OF TROUT UNLIMITED

MECHANICAL EYE MICROCINEMA

pisgahchaptertu.org/ New-Meeting-information.html • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - General meeting and presentations. Free to attend. Held at Ecusta Brewery, 36 E Main St., Brevard

mechanicaleyecinema.org • FR (5/5), 6-9pm "Parents' Night Out," with movie making adventure for children ages 4-11. Registration: goo.gl/forms/ z6XdoJOpGiUK8kNg1. $25/$40 two sibling. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave.

THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY 828-587-9453 • TU (5/9), 8-10am - Birding outing in downtown Sylva. Registration: michelle_ ruigrok@tws.org. Held in downtown Sylva, 474 W. Main St., Sylva

PARENTING BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • TH (5/11), 7-8pm - "Raising Children in a Wireless World. How Wireless Radiation Effects Children’s Health & How to Protect Them," presentation. Free. Held at Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, Fairview

VERNER CENTER FOR EARLY LEARNING 2586 Riceville Road • TUESDAYS until (5/9) - Veteran parenting workshop. Childcare available. Registration: 828-298-7911 x 4347. Free.

SENIORS SERVICES AND SUPPORT FOR SENIORS (PD.) • Companionship and respite care • Accompaniment to appointments • Monitoring and family liaison • Meal preparation • Nursing home visits • Housesitting • Consultation and Mentoring • Conscious Aging Workshops. Evalina

Everidge, RN (828) 5777841. SeasonedPathways. com AGUDAS ISRAEL CONGREGATION 505 Glasgow Lane Hendersonville, 693-9838, agudasisraelsynagogue.org • WEDNESDAYS, 11am2pm - The Hendersonville Elder Club for older adults of all faiths. Free. SENIOR OPPORTUNITY CENTER 36 Grove St., Asheville • 1st & 3rd FRIDAYS, 1:30-3:45pm - "Charitable Sewing and Yarn Crafts." Complete your own projects in the company of others. Free. SKYLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT 9 Miller Road, Skyland, 684-6421 • Through WE (5/17) Asheville-Buncombe Senior Games and Silver Arts Competition for ages 50 and over. For full schedule visit ashevillenc.gov/parks. $12/$10 advance.

SPIRITUALITY ABOUT THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION TECHNIQUE • FREE INTRODUCTORY TALK (PD.) Deep within everyone is a wellspring of peace, energy and happiness. With proper instruction anyone can effortlessly transcend the busy or agitated mind and directly experience that rejuvenating inner source. Learn how TM is different from mindfulness, watching your breath, common mantra meditation and everything else. NIH-sponsored research shows deep revitalizing rest, reduced stress and anxiety, improved brain functioning and heightened well-being. Thursday, 6:30-7:30pm, Asheville TM Center, 165 E. Chestnut. 828-254-4350. TM.org or MeditationAsheville.org

ASTRO-COUNSELING (PD.) Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Readings also available. Christy Gunther, MA, LPC. (828) 258-3229. FULL MOON TRANSMISSION MEDITATION (PD.) Want to help the world? Group meditation that 'steps down' energies from the Masters of Wisdom for use by people working for a better world. Combination of karma yoga and laya yoga. Nonsectarian. No fees. Free. Wednesday. May 10. 7pm. Crystal Visions. 5426 Asheville Hwy. Information: 828-398-0609. OPEN HEART MEDITATION (PD.) Now at 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 212. Tuesdays 7-8pm. Experience the stillness and beauty of connecting to your heart and the Divine within you. Suggested $5 donation. OpenHeartMeditation.com SHAMBHALA MEDITATION CENTER (PD.) Wednesdays, 10pmmidnight • Thursdays, 7-8:30pm and Sundays, 10-noon • Meditation and community. By donation. 60 N. Merrimon Ave., #113, (828) 200-5120. asheville. shambhala.org CENTER FOR ART & SPIRIT AT ST. GEORGE 1 School Road, 258-0211 • 1st & 3rd THURSDAYS, 2pm - Intentional meditation. Admission by donation. CENTER FOR SPIRITUAL LIVING ASHEVILLE 2 Science Mind Way, 2532325, cslasheville.org • 1st FRIDAYS, 7pm "Dreaming a New Dream," meditation to explore peace and compassion. Free. FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC OF HENDERSONVILLE 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville, 692-8630, fcchendersonville.org • SA (5/6), 10am-noon - Introduction to the “Community Resilience Model,” presentedy by Rev. Beth Turner. Free.

• SU (5/7), 10:30am "Immigrant Rights Sunday," worship service for all faith communities. Free. URBAN DHARMA 225-6422, udharmanc.com/ • THURSDAYS, 7:30-9pm Open Sangha night. Free. Held at Urban Dharma, 29 Page Ave, Asheville

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD ANOTHER CAROLINA ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR acab2017.noblogs.org • Through SU (5/7) Anarchist bookfair. See website for locations and full schedule: acab2017. noblogs.org. Held at See website for locations, ASHEVILLE WRITERS' SOCIAL allimarshall@bellsouth.net • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 6-7:30pm - N.C. Writer's Network group meeting and networking. Free to attend. Held at Battery Park Book Exchange, 1 Page Ave., #101 ASHEVILLE ZINE FEST ashevillezinefest.com • SU (5/7), 11am-4pm - Festival with over 40 vendors of zines, comics and artist books. Free to attend. See website for full schedule. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. BLUE RIDGE BOOKS 152 S. Main St., Waynesville • 1st & 3rd SATURDAYS, 10am - Banned Book Club. Free to attend. • SA (5/6), 3pm - Deb Williams discusses her new book, Images of Modern America: Charlotte Motor Speedway. Free to attend. BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • WE (5/3), 3pm Weaverville Afternoon Book Club: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. Free. Held at Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St., Weaverville • TH (5/4), 6:30pm - East Asheville Book Club: A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash. Free. Held at East Asheville Library, 902 Tunnel Road CITY LIGHTS BOOKSTORE 3 E. Jackson St., Sylva, 586-9499, citylightsnc.com

• FR (5/5), 7pm - North Carolina Writers Network NetWest program open mic night. Sign-ups at 6:45 for 10-minute slots. Free to attend. FIRESTORM CAFE AND BOOKS 610 Haywood Road, 255-8115 • First THURSDAYS, 6pm - Political prisoners letter writing. Free to attend. • FR (5/5), 7pm- Unarmed Insurrection and the Rhetoric of Resistance, presentation by Shon Meckfessel. Free to attend. FLATIRON WRITERS ROOM LITERARY CENTER 5 Covington St. • TH (5/6), 4-8pm - Open house with refreshments. Free to attend. FLETCHER LIBRARY 120 Library Road, Fletcher, 687-1218, library.hendersoncountync. org • 2nd THURSDAYS, 10:30am - Book Club. Free. • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1:30pm - Writers' Guild. Free. MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE AND CAFE 55 Haywood St., 254-6734, malaprops.com • WE (5/3), 7pm Malaprop's Book Club: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko. Free to attend. • WE (5/3), 7pm - Rose Senehi presents her novel, Carolina Belle. Free to attend. • TH (5/4), 7pm - Beth Revis presents her book, Star Wars: Rebel Rising. Free to attend. • FR (5/5), 6-8pm - Children’s literature trivia night for all ages. Free to attend. • SA (5/6), 11am-noon Amy Chrrix presents her book, Eye of the Storm: NASA, Drones & the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code. Free to attend. • SU (5/7), 3-5pm "Poetrio," poetry readings by Jon Thompson, Patricia Hooper and Kathy Nelson. Free to attend. • MO (5/8), 7pm - Mystery Book Club: Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane. Free to attend. • TU (5/9), noon Discussion Bound Book Club: Un/Masked by Donna Kaz. Free to attend.

SPELLBOUND CHILDREN'S BOOKSHOP 640 Merrimon Ave., #204, 708-7570, spellboundchildrensbookshop. com • SU (5/7), 4-5pm - ROYAL Book Club for adult readers of young adult literature: March: Book One by John Lewis. Free to attend.

in elementary schools and after-school sites. Free.

THE LITERARY CIRCUS facebook.com/literarycircus • SA (5/6), 7-9pm - Openmic and performances by The Literary Circus with live music in between acts. Free to attend. Held at Habitat Tavern & Commons, 174 Broadway St

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 2574530, dwtheatre.com • SU (5/7), 2pm Volunteers are needed for the “Amazing Acro-cat” show. Registration: doodle. com/poll/e9c52stgkbzamp6p.

THE WRITER'S WORKSHOP 387 Beaucatcher Road, 254-8111, twwoa.org • Through TU (5/30) Submissions accepted for the "Hard Times Personal Essay Contest." Contact for full guidelines. $25. • Through WE (8/30) Submissions accepted for the "Literary Fiction Contest." Contact for full guidelines. $25. WILMA DYKEMAN LEGACY 458-5813, wilmadykemanlegacy.org, stokely.jim@gmail.com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 5:30pm - Thomas Wolfe Book Club. Free. Held at Thomas Wolfe Memorial, 52 North Market St.

VOLUNTEERING TUTOR ADULTS IN NEED WITH THE LITERACY COUNCIL (PD.) Dedicate two hours a week to working with an immigrant who wants to learn English or with a native English-speaking adult who has low literacy skills. Sign up for volunteer orientation on 5/31 (5:30 pm) or 6/1 (9:00 am) by emailing volunteers@litcouncil.com. www.litcouncil.com BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF WNC 50 S. French Broad Ave. Ste. #213, 253-1470, bbbswnc.org • TH (5/11), noon Information session for those interested in volunteering to share their interests twice a month with a young person from a single-parent home or to mentor one-hour a week

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

HANDS ON ASHEVILLEBUNCOMBE 2-1-1, handsonasheville.org • WE (5/10), 5-6:30pm Volunteer to help keep up with the maintenance of the Verner Center for Early Learning community garden. Registration required. HOMEWARD BOUND OF WNC 218 Patton Ave., 258-1695, homewardboundwnc.org • 1st THURSDAYS, 11am - "Welcome Home Tour," tours of Asheville organizations that serve the homeless population. Registration required. Free to attend. RIVERLINK 252-8474, riverlink.org • TH (5/4) - Volunteers needed for French Broad River clean-up sponsored by Nantahala Outdoor Center, Riverlink, Sierra Nevada, Keen and The French Broad River Festival. Half-day raft trip on Section 9, have lunch, and pick up trash. Registration required: craig. sanslow@noc.com or 828230-4054. Free. UNITED WAY OF HENDERSON COUNTY 692-1636, liveunitedhc.org • Through FR (5/12) Register to volunteer for the annual Day of Caring. Volunteers are needed to work on 35 projects among 24 nonprofits on Friday, May 12. Registration: liveunitedhc. org. For more volunteering opportunities visit mountainx.com/volunteering

Collaboration + Diversity = Resiliency Collaborative governance for organizations, businesses and networks

Get the FREE Circle Forward Starter Kit circleforward.us/start-here

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

Attendees will receive a copy of our new book:

LGBT Rights in North Carolina Two Years After Obergefell: What Marriage Equality Means for Family and Finances

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WELLNESS

Strauss Attorneys, PLLC would like to invite you to join us for our free seminar:

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Asheville nonprofits assist women with cancer BY LESLIE BOYD leslie.boyd@gmail.com

May 20, 2017, 12 pm at the Renaissance Hotel in Downtown Asheville. Attendees who RSVP will be provided a light lunch and a free copy of our new book.

Topics to be discussed include: Estate Planning • Taxes • Financial Planning Adoption • Divorce Plus, a quick update about the state of LGBT Legal Affairs in the Trump Administration.

To reserve your seat, please RSVP: 1-828-696-1811 or lisak@strausslaw.com

2017

BEER WEEK PULL-OUT GUIDE

COMING SOON! Advertise@MountainX.com 34

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

When Michelle Butler was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer last August, she was grateful that she had insurance to cover the bulk of her bills. What she didn’t realize right away was how many costs are associated with cancer treatment and how quickly they add up. Butler was a “traveling” nurse working as a contractor in Virginia when she was diagnosed. That meant she wouldn’t be paid for any day she couldn’t work during treatment, since independent contractors don’t receive employee benefits. “We didn’t have children at home, so we decided to travel,” Butler, 45, says. “My husband is a freelance photographer, and we figured we should travel while we’re still young and healthy enough to enjoy it.” Before they started traveling, the couple paid off most of their debts, including their mortgage, but while they were in Virginia, Butler was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer. She continued to work most days, except for the four weeks she had to take after surgery. That’s when the little expenses started adding up, and Butler needed help. Butler found Hope Chest for Women, a small nonprofit that helps women with breast and gynecological cancers, after she returned to the area and started going to Pardee Hospital for care. Hope Chest for Women was founded as part of Hope, a Women’s Cancer Center. It became a stand-alone nonprofit after the medical practice was sold to Mission Health. Sara Laws, executive director of Hope Chest for Women, says, “We would have had to limit our help to women who were patients at Mission, and we decided we didn’t want to be limited.” Hope Chest is 100 percent community-funded, with no government or large grants. Money comes solely

HOPE HELPS: Michelle Butler of Asheville talks about the help she received from Hope Chest for Women following a cancer diagnosis last August. Photo by Leslie Boyd

Magical Offerings from personal contributions and the nonprofit’s own fundraising events. Hope Chest for Women has just one employee. The rest of the work is done by volunteers. “This gives us the flexibility to cover things other nonprofits can’t,” Laws says. “Our money can go to things that aren’t directly related to treatment, like mobile home lot rent and property tax, or for utility bills.” Butler has spent $7,000 out-ofpocket so far this year, and she says she is grateful it wasn’t more. Cancer costs can top $1 million pretty quickly, and with deductibles and copays, it can cost tens of thousands a year, even with insurance, Laws says. For Eunice Daniels, the help from Hope Chest for Women has allowed her to keep living independently by paying small bills when her money runs out before the end of the month. “I was getting by, well, almost,” Daniels says. “I came up short, and Hope Chest helped. They have never given up on me, so I don’t give up, either.” Daniels’ cancer has recurred, so she has to remain in treatment to keep the cancer at bay. Hope Chest also provides gift cards for groceries and gasoline. “If you live 50 miles away and you have to drive here for treatment every week or two, that gets expensive,” Laws says. “This and other expenses need to be met if people are going to be able to show up for treatment.” Cancer Care WNC offers similar services to its patients through its LoveLights program, raising money through dress-down Fridays (staff members at Cancer Care pay $5 each to wear jeans on alternate Fridays), a Christmas candlelight service and other events. Both nonprofits collect and distribute items that women in treatment need, such as fleece blankets, hats and scarves, makeup, ginger chews, activity books, herbal teas, crackers and other tummy-soothing snacks. While most breast cancer charities fund research and education, Hope Chest and LoveLights focus on getting local women the day-to-day help they need, and if patients need more help, both organizations help them find the resources they need. The American Cancer Society has a long history of helping cancer patients, and the chapter in Asheville offers several programs,

5/4: Tarot Reader: Bobbi Oshun 12-6pm 5/6: Planetary Influences in World Events Hosted by Cumulus 3-5pm, $10-30 Sliding Scale 5/7: Scrying with Angie 12-6pm Centaurs: Nectar & Poison Hosted by Hominy Creek Horoscopy 4-6pm, $10-30 Sliding Scale 5/9: Tarot Reader: Byron Ballard 1-5pm

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MAY 3 - 9, 2017

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WELLN ESS including Reach to Recovery, a program that pairs new breast cancer patients with survivors, and Look Good, Feel Better, which pairs volunteer cosmetologists with patients to help them learn to use head scarves and apply makeup. ACS also offers Road to Recovery, which provides transportation to and from treatments. “Some people feel too weak or ill to drive after a treatment,” says Paige Crone, spokeswoman for ACS. “They

might not have someone who’s available to drive them, so we do that.” And at Mission Hospital, ACS offers wigs to women who have lost their hair to chemo and helps with patient navigation — getting through an often confusing and sometimes overwhelming medical and insurance system (email Kim Battle at kim.battle@ cancer.org for information). Allison Mann, who lost her mother to cancer, was looking for a way to help breast cancer survivors when

she came across a program called Knitted Knockers. The website has patterns for knitted and crocheted prostheses, each of which takes a couple of hours to complete. “Prosthetics are expensive,” Mann says. “Not everyone can afford them. They’re heavy, too, so some women just don’t want to wear them. I love to knit — it’s very therapeutic — and I love that I can do something to help women who need it.” The Knitted Knockers are given free of charge to breast cancer survivors. Another nonprofit helps women who don’t have insurance get mammograms to catch breast cancer early, when it’s most likely to be curable. Ladies Night Out offers free mammograms the first Thursday of every month for Buncombe County women who are uninsured, provided they meet financial guidelines. With the help she has gotten, Butler says, she has been able to concentrate on beating cancer instead of worrying about paying the bills. She has been able to feel pampered by the gifts she received. During her fight, Butler has collected a notebook full of

resources available to women with cancer, and she hopes to convert all her information to a one- or twopage resource guide. “I’ve gotten so much help since I was diagnosed, I want to pass that on,” she says. “I found a guide with a calendar in Virginia and I want to do that here. X”

MORE INFO Hope Chest for Women hopechestforwomen.org LoveLights cancercareofwnc.com/ support-resources/ 2013-williamson-fund-newsletter American Cancer Society cancer.org Knitted Knockers knittedknockers.org Ladies Night Out buncombecounty.org/pink, or call Wanda Anderson at 250-6006

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HEALING THE SOUL Jennifer Green grew up in Waynesville and never had any trouble with the law. But after she had several surgeries and was prescribed painkillers, she became addicted to opioids, which led her down a path of criminal activity. After ending up in Swannanoa Women’s Correctional Facility, Green sought help. She says, “I was looking to help relieve the stress and anxiety of what I had done.” Yoga delivered relief, Green says. “When Light a Path brought yoga to the women’s prison, I went immediately to it. I knew what yoga had to offer but never realized how it [could] heal the soul. It really played a big part in my recovery and beginning to forgive myself.” Throughout her 10-month sentence, Green practiced yoga with instructor Sierra Hollister, one of the founders of Light a Path. After being released, Green didn’t forget the positive impact the yoga practice had, so she gravitated to the Asheville Yoga Center for Hollister’s public classes. Broke at the time, Green

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MOUNTAINX.COM

received a three-month, unlimited pass, which helped her continue her practice. Most inmates who are released, she says, find it difficult to secure a job. “I wanted to start bringing yoga to other people because it helped me,” says Green, who decided she wanted to be a yoga instructor and so enrolled in the the 200-hour training at Asheville Yoga Center. “I wanted to be a part of Light a Path. It’s a wonderful way of giving back to the community.” Green graduated from teacher training in January and now teaches yoga once a week in Waynesville. “I am introducing yoga to people who would not be able to experience it because there is not much yoga in Waynesville except at different gyms,” she says. “There is so much trauma in the prison system,” Green continues. “To have comfort and healing space for an hour, even if once or twice a week, you are able to let yourself be a normal person again.” There are not many ways to exercise in prison, Green says, and yoga helps

WNC groups offer yoga to at-risk populations heal the body from aches and pain. “It does help to relieve stress and anxiety, and it seems to help everyone that wants to try,” she says. “Everybody that tried it enjoyed it, and the only problem was people were so out of shape, and the next morning they were sore and not sure what to do with it. They had no exercise regimen in the past.” Green stayed in touch with several other inmates who practiced yoga in prison and says it has helped them all — mentally, physically and emotionally — come through their sentence. The most helpful were the breathing practices (pranayama) that Hollister brought to the inmates, although it seemed really “kooky” at the time, says Green, because she had never really experienced anything similar. “But looking back on it, that is what stands out the most in my mind ... to calm my nervous system,” she adds. “I was able to sleep better. The breathing exercises were a calming practice, and a couple of the girls [at the prison] remembered

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WELLNESS

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the breathing practices, so that when they were triggered or something went wrong during the day at prison, they realized that they have something to help calm themselves down.” A few of the women who enjoyed the yoga basics taught by Hollister would practice during the days when classes were not held, says Green. “We took whatever we could back with us and tried to do some of the moves,” she says. “I loved ‘sitali’ breathing, which was inhaling through the mouth, with the tongue curled up, and exhaling through the nose. When you inhale, it is cooling, so it cools the burning inside.” Susan Kaagan, yoga teacher and board member of Light a Path, says success stories like Green’s illustrate the mission statement of the nonprofit: Connection creates resilience. “Jenny found herself incarcerated, and for her to come to a yoga class while being in the facility and being able to use

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HOME FOR THE HOMELESS: Light a Path offers a weekly yoga class for the unhoused population at Haywood Street Congregation. Photo courtesy of Light a Path yoga to personally create resilience — to control herself in the environment through movement, breath work and mindfulness — that can take an individual to a level of personal resiliency,” Kaagan says. “Once out in the world [released from prison], for the unhoused or for those who don’t know where to sleep or where to eat, yoga can give them the stability to go back to at any time, any place and create that environment to move through a life of uncertainty.” Started in August 2014, Light a Path initially consisted of two yoga classes at Swannanoa Women’s Correctional Facility and one in Madison County for youths at risk. “We are trying to affect as many populations as possible,” says Kaagan, who notes that the nonprofit has now grown to 22 classes per week with over 35 volunteers in three counties. The program serves youths at risk, the unhoused population, people in recovery and those in communities who are in low-income housing and have no access to transportation or financial resources to attend classes at a yoga studio, she explains. The organization is still 100 percent volunteer-driven, Kaagan says, and while every population can benefit from yoga, those at risk have the most opportunity to really reap the benefits of stability. “Each of the volunteer teachers will tell you that the students at Light a Path come forward and say what has changed for them while attending the classes on regular basis,” she says. “Not only did Green leave prison and change her own life around, she then went through yoga teacher training to

share the experience. We know those stories are out there, and it is up to us to document them” with the help of donations and funding. “We believe we are in an exciting place, that we are being invited to expand and grow in order to respond. Part of what we are doing is organizing our fundraising to respond to our needs for verification of our work for those we are serving and those we haven’t reached yet.” You don’t have to be a yoga teacher to volunteer with Light a Path, as the organization includes other modalities, such as acupuncture and massage, and is open to new ideas and ways to get involved for the Asheville community. On Wednesday, May 3, Leah and Chloe Smith from the musical group Appalachia Rising will host a benefit concert for Light a Path at Asheville Yoga Center at 8 p.m. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit. Hollister will discuss activism and yoga during the event. Light a Path is also hosting Soul Session Yoga series, which will run for six consecutive Thursdays from May 4 to June 8 at New Belgium Brewery; the series is co-sponsored by the yoga clothing store Lululemon Athletica in Biltmore Village. YOGA FOR OLDER ADULTS Cyndy Kirkland knew she wanted to work with older people and veterans. A yoga instructor through the local nonprofit Council on Aging of Buncombe County, Kirkland had received therapeutic yoga for seniors training from Duke Integrative Medicine at Duke University. “I find with the older popu-

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WELLNESS lations that it’s not like the younger population doing yoga,” says Kirkland. “It’s more about keeping the body loose and limber to improve daily living, range of motion and lung capacity, which diminishes as we age.” Kirkland teaches chair yoga at the lunch site at Highland Farms and at Lakeview Center for Active Aging, which is a part of Black Mountain Recreation and Parks. “Chair yoga is a great option for those seniors with limited mobility, and it makes our programming more diverse in giving our participants options on how they enjoy staying active,” says Phil Gale, senior dining and wellness program manager at COA. “The best way to prevent falls is to practice preventive medicine such as chair yoga. It can greatly reduce the chance of someone falling by improving their balance and strength, which is very important should they trip and need to catch themselves.” COA wants to be the main source of information and assistance for seniors in the Asheville area, says Gale. It helps senior dining programs offer high-quality meals at inviting locations to help seniors stay healthy, both socially and physically. As the population of seniors increases, says Gale, it is vitally important for COA to be the agency where the Asheville community can find the answers it needs to its aging questions. Kirkland’s chair yoga class, which is funded through COA, offers a social community aspect in addition to physical benefits. “I try to get them to focus on what is going on in the physical, mental and emotional level and to increase awareness on how that all works together,” says Kirkland. “I have them concentrate on setting aside judgment and celebrating what they can do versus what they can’t do.” The senior population is not often thought of as an at-risk population, says Kirkland, but in fact seniors are at risk for multiple chronic diseases and for falls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the leading cause of injury among older adults, citing that every 20 seconds a senior dies from a fall. “They fear falling more than just about anything,” says Kirkland, who offers her chair yoga group the tools to help with fall prevention and awareness of strategies for decreasing the risk of falling, including proprioceptive awareness (knowing where our limbs are in space without having to look) and shifting the weight forward and back to find balance. Kevin Mahoney, a state-certified peer counselor at the nonprofit Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness, says that yoga can be an integral part of recovery. “We focus on the whole-spirit 40

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model, not just substance use, but the whole person,” says Mahoney. The center will be offering yoga classes on Saturday mornings starting May 6 for anyone interested, Mahoney notes. Classes are free and will be held from 1 to 2 p.m. “We are offering yoga classes because it helps establish healthy connections.” It is easier to go toward something instead of trying to avoid or not engage, Mahoney points out, and that includes moving in a different direction, not just waiting for addictive behaviors to come back. The mind-body connection is paramount to recovery, he says. “Anytime you can access the parasympathetic nervous system, like yoga offers, you are seeking safety within yourself.” X

MORE INFO Light a Path Lightapath.org WHAT Benefit concert for Light a Path with Rising Appalachia WHERE Asheville Yoga Center, 211 S Liberty St, youryoga.com/yoga-workshops WHEN Wednesday, May 3, 8-10 p.m. $40. WHAT Soul Session Series: 1-hour yoga practice benefiting Light a Path WHERE New Belgium Brewing, 21 Craven St, facebook.com/ events/452596871739269/ WHEN Thursday, May 4, to Thursday, June 8. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Donation based. Jenny Green Yoga facebook.com/pg/jennygreenyoga Sunrise Recovery sunriseinasheville.org Council on Aging of Buncombe County coabc.org CDC Statistics healthypeople.gov/2020/topicsobjectives/topic/older-adults

W EL L NESS CA L E N DA R WELLNESS DAOIST TRADITIONS OPEN HOUSE • THIS FRIDAY (PD.) Interested in studying Chinese Medicine? Join Daoist Traditions College for their Open House: Friday, May 5th from 10am-3pm, 382 Montford Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. Tour our campus, meet the College President and faculty, talk with alumni. • Registration is required. Attendees will receive Chinese massage and lunch. • Admissions and financial aid will be available. Contact admissions@ daoisttraditions.edu or 828-225-3993 to register and for more information. • Attendees receive a $250 tuition credit on their 1st semester tuition! LWA STRONG MOM DAY! (PD.) Ladies Workout Asheville dedicates a day to Moms. Find balance & WIN free giveaways! River Ridge Business Center.Monday (5/15) 8-11:30am & 4-6:30pm. FREE OPENING THE ENERGY GATES • QIGONG CLASS (PD.) Saturdays, 11am-12pm, Weaverville, NC. Foundational mind/ body practices for creating whole health. Instructor Frank Iborra has over 47 years experience in the internal and Taoist movement arts. 954-721-7252. whitecranehealingarts. com ASHEVILLE COMMUNITY YOGA CENTER 8 Brookdale Road, ashevillecommunityyoga. com • SATURDAYS (5/6), (5/13) & (5/27), 12:302:30pm - Meditation workshop series. $40/$15 drop-in. • SU (5/7), 12:302:30pm - "Yoga for Your Spine," workshop. $20.

CANCER TRANSITIONS 771-0885, journeytobefreenaturally. org • THURSDAYS (5/4) until (5/25), 5:30-7:30pm "Cancer Transitions: Moving Beyond Treatment," interactive four-week group program for cancer survivors. Registration required: 828-7710885. Free. Held at Blue Ridge Community College - Health & Science Center, 805 6th Ave. West, Hendersonville GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH 1245 Sixth Ave., W. Hendersonville, 693-4890, gracelutherannc.com • TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS, 9am Walking exercise class. Free. HAYWOOD REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 262 Leroy George Drive Clyde, 456-7311 • TH (5/4), 5pm - Tired leg and varicose vein education seminar. Registration: 828-4528346. Free. THE MEDITATION CENTER 894 E. Main St., Sylva, 356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - "Inner Guidance from an Open Heart," class with meditation and discussion. $10.

SUPPORT GROUPS ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS & DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES adultchildren.org • Visit mountainx.com/ support for full listings. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS • For a full list of meetings in WNC, call 254-

8539 or aancmco.org ASHEVILLE WOMEN FOR SOBRIETY 215-536-8026, womenforsobriety.org • THURSDAYS, 6:308pm – Held at YWCA of Asheville, 185 S French Broad Ave. ASPERGER'S TEENS UNITED facebook.com/groups/ AspergersTeensUnited • For teens (13-19) and their parents. Meets every 3 weeks. Contact for details. CHRONIC PAIN SUPPORT 989-1555, deb.casaccia@gmail. com • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6 pm – Held in a private home. Contact for directions. CODEPENDENTS ANONYMOUS 242-7127 • FRIDAYS, 5:30pm Held at First United Methodist Church of Waynesville, 556 S. Haywood Waynesville • SATURDAYS, 11:15am – Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. • TUESDAYS 7:30pm - Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 DEBTORS ANONYMOUS debtorsanonymous.org • MONDAYS, 7pm - Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE 367-7660, depressionbipolarasheville. com • WEDNESDAYS, 7pm & SATURDAYS, 4pm – Held at 1316-C Parkwood Road. EATING DISORDERS ANONYMOUS (561) 706-3185, eatingdisordersanonymous. org • FRIDAYS, 4:30pm -

Eating disorder support group. Held at 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave # G4, Asheville FOOD ADDICTS ANONYMOUS 423-6191 or 242-2173 • SATURDAYS, 11amHeld at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 FOUR SEASONS COMPASSION FOR LIFE 233-0948, fourseasonscfl.org • TUESDAYS, 3:304:30pm - Grief support group. Held at Four Seasons - Checkpoint, 373 Biltmore Ave. • THURSDAYS, 12:30pm - Grief support group. Held at SECU Hospice House, 272 Maple St., Franklin GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS gamblersanonymous. org • THURSDAYS, 6:45pm - 12-step meeting. Held at Basillica of St. Lawrence, 97 Haywood St. HAYWOOD COUNTY COMPASSIONATE FRIENDS 400-6480 • 1st THURSDAYS - Support group for families who have lost a child of any age. Held at Long's Chapel United Methodist Church, 175 Old Clyde Road, Waynesville INFERTILITY SUPPORT GROUP resolveasheville@gmail. com • 1st THURSDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Held at Earth Fare South, 1856 Hendersonville Road LIFE LIMITING ILLNESS SUPPORT GROUP 386-801-2606 • TUESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - For adults managing the challenges of life limiting illnesses. Held at Secrets of a Duchess, 1439 Merrimon Ave.

LIVING WITH CHRONIC PAIN 776-4809 • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 6:30pm - Hosted by American Chronic Pain Association. Held at Swannanoa Library, 101 West Charleston St., Swannanoa

MOUNTAIN MAMAS PEER SUPPORT GROUP facebook.com/ mountainmamasgroup • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Held at The Family Place, 970 Old Hendersonville Highway Brevard

LUPUS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA, NC CHAPTER 877-849-8271, lupusnc.org • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 7-8pm - Lupus support group for those living with lupus, their family and caregivers. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St.

MY DADDY TAUGHT ME THAT mydaddytaughtmethat. org • MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS, 6-8pm - Men's discussion group. Free. Held in 16-A Pisgah Apartment, Asheville

MEMORY LOSS CAREGIVERS network@memorycare. org • 2nd TUESDAYS, 9:30am – Held at Highland Farms Retirement Community, 200 Tabernacle Road, Black Mountain • 2nd THURSDAYS, 1-3pm – Held at Pisgah Valley Retirement Community, 95 Holcombe Cove Road, Candler MEN DOING ALLY duncan2729@yahoo.com • 2nd THURSDAYS, 7pm - Support group for men. Held at Firestorm Cafe and Books, 610 Haywood Road MINDFULNESS AND 12 STEP RECOVERY avl12step@gmail.com • WEDNESDAYS, 7:308:45pm - Mindfulness meditation practice and 12 step program. Held at Asheville 12-Step Recovery Club, 370 N. Louisiana Ave., Suite G4 MISSION CHILDREN'S FAMILY SUPPORT NETWORK 213-9787 • 2nd TUESDAYS, 5:30-7:30pm - Mission Children's Family Support Network youth group from ages 11 to 21. Dinner is provided. Held at Mission Reuter Children's Center, 11 Vanderbilt Park Drive

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS 505-7353, namiwnc.org, namiwc2015@gmail.com • 1st SATURDAYS, 1oam - Connection group for individuals dealing with mental illness. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. • 1st SATURDAYS, 10am - For family members and caregivers of those with mental illness. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. • 2nd MONDAYS, 11am - Connection group for individuals dealing with mental illness. Held at NAMI Offices, 356 Biltmore Ave. OUR VOICE 35 Woodfin St., 2520562, ourvoicenc.org • Ongoing drop-in group for female identified survivors of sexual violence. OVERCOMERS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 665-9499 • WEDNESDAYS, noon1pm - Held at First Christian Church of Candler, 470 Enka Lake Road, Candler OVERCOMERS RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP rchovey@sos-mission. org • MONDAYS, 6pm - Christian 12-step program. Held at SOS Anglican Mission, 1944 Hendersonville Road

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS • Regional number: 277-1975. Visit mountainx.com/support for full listings. RECOVERING COUPLES ANONYMOUS recovering-couples.org • MONDAYS 6pm - For couples where at least one member is recovering from addiction. Held at Foster Seventh Day Adventists Church, 375 Hendersonville Road REFUGE RECOVERY 225-6422, refugerecovery.org • THURSDAYS, 7:30pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery & Wellness, Unit C4, 370 N. Louisiana • FRIDAYS, 7-8:30pm & SUNDAYS, 6-7:30pm Held at Urban Dharma, 29 Page Ave, Asheville • TUESDAYS, 7pm Held at Shambhala Meditation Center, 60 N Merrimon Ave., #113 SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS saa-recovery.org/ Meetings/UnitedStates • SUNDAYS, 7pm Held at First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St. • MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS & FRIDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church, 789 Merrimon Ave. SHIFTING GEARS 683-7195 • MONDAYS, 6:308pm - Group-sharing for those in transition in careers or relationships. Contact for location. SMART RECOVERY 407-0460 • THURSDAYS, 6pm - Held at Grace Episcopal Church, 871 Merrimon Ave. • FRIDAYS,2pm - Held at Kairos West Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville • SUNDAYS,6pm - Held at Kairos West

Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville • WEDNESDAYS, 6:30-8pm - Held at Sunrise Community for Recovery & Wellness, Unit C4, 370 N. Louisiana Ave. SUNRISE PEER SUPPORT VOLUNTEER SERVICES facebook.com/ Sunriseinasheville • TUESDAYS through THURSDAYS, 1-3pm - Peer support services for mental health, substance abuse and wellness. Held at Kairos West Community Center, Haywood Road, Asheville SUPPORTIVE PARENTS OF TRANSKIDS spotasheville@gmail. com • 2nd WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - For parents to discuss the joys, transitions and challenges of parenting a transkid. Held at First Congregational UCC of Asheville, 20 Oak St. T.H.E. CENTER FOR DISORDERED EATING 337-4685, thecenternc.weebly. com • WEDNESDAYS, 7-8pm – Adult support group, ages 18+. Held in the Sherill Center at UNCA. WIDOWS IN NEED OF GRIEF SUPPORT 356-1105, meditate-wnc.org • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Peer support group for anyone who has survived the death of their spouse, partner, child or other closed loved one. Registration required. Held at The Meditation Center, 894 E. Main St., Sylva

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FARM & GARDEN

SMALL BUT MIGHTY

How minuscule microgreens are taking WNC by storm

GREENS KING: Eli Herman, Biltmore’s field-to-table manager, has been growing microgreens for the estate’s restaurants for nearly two decades. Photo courtesy of The Biltmore Co.

BY MAGGIE CRAMER mcramerwrites@gmail.com When Eli Herman first started growing microgreens for Biltmore 18 years ago, the teeny vegetables weren’t yet a big thing. In fact, only one estate chef was using them, a chef who, to keep putting them on plates, needed to cut out overnight shipping costs from

a distant supplier. But today, diners are eating them up: As field-to-table manager, Herman produces an average of 12 pounds a week throughout the year (a number higher in peak seasons) for the property’s many restaurants — quite an impressive volume considering the greens are measured by the ounce and relatively weightless. What’s more, he grows nearly all of the microgreens Biltmore uses, upward of 90 percent.

1st Quality

“We saw some potential for them,” Herman explains of his and the lone chef’s choice to go for it more than a decade ago. “Part of my job in working with the chefs on the property is to subscribe to restaurant magazines. … As they start predicting things that are ‘trendy,’ I gear up at least two to three seasons in advance to figure out the economics and technique for production.”

ROSES

Thankfully for Herman, microgreens haven’t been a boom-and-bust phenomenon, although he acknowledges their popularity has grown more slowly off the estate than on — something Wesley Sleight of Sleight Family Farm can attest to. He and his wife, Anna, moved to McDowell County about four years ago. “We came and scouted all the farmers markets before we moved, just to see

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TO SOIL OR NOT TO SOIL? Herman and Sleight represent two sides of the microgreens divide. Herman grows hydroponically, while Sleight plants in soil. Both, however, are eco-friendly in their endeavors. “We’re moving toward hydroponics for the majority of our field-totable garden production because I personally feel it’s more environmentally sound than field production,” Herman says. Why? All of the

nutrients are contained, he says, so he doesn’t worry about fertilizers running off into water sources and creating algae blooms. Because the greenhouses are screened, he’s all but eliminated insects and the need for pesticides. And, he says, he actually uses less water per crop in his hydroponic greenhouses than in field production, which requires watering ground that’s not produc-

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PLANT A GARDEN

SNACK RACK: Biltmore’s hydroponic rack system from Cropking helps produce a dozen pounds of microgreens a week. Photo courtesy of The Biltmore Co. what people were doing and what the market climate was like,” Sleight says. Even then, he notes, nobody was really offering microgreens. But sure enough, by the time they got their production underway, a few other farmers had the tiny-yet-mighty greens at their tailgate booths, too. This season, a search for “microgreens” in the Local Food Guide published by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project turns up 43 Appalachian Grown farmers listing them as an offering. WHY GO MICRO? From a consumer/culinary perspective, microgreens’ increasing popularity comes as no surprise to Herman and Sleight. They both cite the intense flavor, attractive appearance, appealing texture and nutrient density — microgreens can pack a punch up to 40 times more nutritionally powerful than their full-grown counterparts. Sleight has even heard of doctors prescribing his greens to their patients. “They add pizzazz to basically any meal,” he says. “And they have much more depth to them than light, watery sprouts.” Though they look similar, microgreens and sprouts aren’t one and the same, Herman stresses. “Microgreens are the first true leafed stage [of the

plant], and just the stems and leaves, not the roots,” he says, noting that a sprout is the whole shebang. Any green can be grown to and harvested at micro status: Think kale, pea greens and broccoli. Like lettuces, microgreens are often packaged as mixes, too — from braising mix with mustards and Asian greens to spicy combinations of arugula and radishes. Sleight says a lot of shoppers are drawn to his sunflower greens in particular, which he describes as incredibly juicy. They’re more difficult to cultivate than other microgreens, though, as they hold onto their seed hull throughout maturation, which requires extra processes for farmers during growing and harvesting. Despite that, from a grower’s perspective, Sleight says going micro is huge fun. “You can play with hundreds of different varieties of plants and it’s only a two-week turnover. That allows us to be nimble as farmers; we can customize our growing really efficiently.” Because they’re grown in a protected greenhouse environment, microgreens also offer growers a year-round product — vital for Biltmore, which boasts its busiest season over the winter holidays, when field production is at a standstill. And microgreens are a fairly sustainable option, no matter how you grow them.

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FARM & GA R DE N ing any vegetables. Herman’s preferred growing medium for the greens is an untreated burlap, an entirely compostable substance that gets reworked back into the soil elsewhere on the estate. Sleight swears by soil: “We’ve experimented with a bunch of different kinds, but we’ve grown really fond of a certain type of soil with natural mineral amendments. … It just nourishes the greens really well.” He adds that after growing both in soil and hydroponically, he believes the former produces a more flavorful green, with what he thinks is a more agreeable texture. Soil, he finds, also seems to extend shelf life — from just four to five days to closer to two weeks (although, he says, the greens are always best the sooner they’re consumed, a good reason to get them at a farmers market versus a grocery store). He acknowledges that the purchased soil is an off-farm input — the microgreens need a pure soil, otherwise, they can foster mold easily — and that plays a role in their sustainability factor. To offset this, the couple are applying for

GET GROWING?

TINY TREASURE: Some of the plants in Sleight Family Farm’s signature microgreens blends include broccoli, kohlrabi and kale. Photo courtesy of Sleight Family Farm North Carolina rural energy grants to help reduce their carbon footprint; if received, they’ll install solar panels to power their heating and cooling system, fans, and lights. “As we evolve in this whole process, we’re always scrutinizing how to make things more efficient and more eco,” Sleight says.

Having previously taught microgreens classes at the Organic Growers School, Herman knows those interested in growing the greens at home can find success. He advises that microgreens kits may be the way to go, noting that Ikea even has a tabletop hydroponics system that could help make things reasonably simple. Lighting is the trickiest part, he notes, because getting it just right is necessary to ensure good green color and that the plant isn’t all stem and no leaf. For Sleight, the initial setup wasn’t too challenging. But as he began to grow more and more types of microgreens, he found that they do each have their own nuances, which can present a learning curve. In addition to light, he says some types need less water than others or a different amount of airflow. It takes trial and error. For farmers thinking about growing commercially, Herman reminds growers of the capital investment needed to begin, emphasizing that it’s important to identify the market first and get a commitment, then start small. That’s the route Sleight took, and it has worked for him and his family, who are now branching out into the production of field crops. “Microgreens got our foot in the door with markets and got us introduced to restaurants,” he says. “It has been awesome to see it take off from something that we really loved and had passion for as customers … and to be able to share that with the general public; we think it’s a good, vital product.” X

Eat your (micro) greens BILTMORE EATERIES + OTHER LOCAL RESTAURANTS Herman doesn’t market his microgreens off the estate, but you can find them on dishes in all of Biltmore’s restaurants. Sleight currently sells his microgreens directly to Chestnut, Elements, Bone & Broth, Root Down food truck and Farm to Fender food truck, as well as to other eateries through the local food distributor New Appalachia. Of course, other Appalachian Grown™ restaurants source local microgreens; for a complete list, search “restaurants and bakeries” by product in ASAP’s online Local Food Guide, at appalachiangrown.org. TAILGATE MARKETS Find Sleight Family Farm microgreens at the West Asheville Tailgate Market, Asheville City Market and North Asheville Tailgate Market. For a full list of tailgates offering microgreens, and the farmers growing them, browse appalachiangrown.org. Learn more at biltmore.com and sleightfamilyfarm.com. X

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ECO PASSIVE SOLAR GREENHOUSE TOURS (PD.) M R Gardens. Saturdays, 11am, April 8-June 10. One-of-a-kind structure remains ideal growing temperature through the coldest parts of winter and in unseasonably warm weather. $5. • Sustainable plants available for sale. RSVP: (828) 333-4151. megan@mrgardens.net

CITY OF HENDERSONVILLE cityofhendersonville.org • THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS until (5/13) - Seasonal mulch and composted leaves giveaway. Thurs. & Fri.: 3:30-7pm. Sat.: 8am-noon. Free. Held at the old Waste Water Treatment Plant, 80 Balfour Road, Hendersonville LIVING WEB FARMS 176 Kimzey Road, Mills River, 5051660, livingwebfarms.org

• TU (5/9), 5-7:30pm - “Spring Plant Walk & Wild Foods Preservation,” workshop regarding spring wild edibles, sustainable harvest, cooking and preservation tips. $10. M R GARDENS 441 Onteora Blvd. • SATURDAYS through (6/10), 11am - Tours of passive solar greenhouse. Registration: megan@ mrgardens.net or 828-333-4151. $5 and up.

MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR motherearthnews.com • SA (5/6), 9am-6pm & SU (5/7), 9am5pm - Homesteading fair with more than 150 workshops, demonstrations and lectures. $20 both days/$15 per day. Held at WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road THE CRADLE OF FORESTRY 11250 Pisgah Highway, Pisgah Forest, 877-3130 • SA (5/6), 9am-5pm - “Garden Day,”

event with information and presentations about lawn-to-meadow conversion, certified backyard gardens and monarch waystations. Admission fees apply. WNC SPRING HERB FESTIVAL 301-8968, ashevilleherbfestival.com • FR (5/5) & SA (5/6), 8:30am-5pm & SU (5/7), 10am-3pm - Largest herb festival in the U.S. and Canada featuring vendors, workshops, free parking and shuttles. Free to attend. Held at WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Road

ASHEVILLE GREEN DRINKS ashevillegreendrinks.com • 1st WEDNESDAYS, 7pm - Ecopresentations, discussions and community connection. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place BLUE RIDGE NATURALISTS NETWORK facebook.com/groups/ BRNNmembers/ • TU (5/9), 5:30pm - Presentation by Jeff Hunter about his work here in the Southern Appalachian Mountains as the program manager for National Parks Conservation Association. Free. Held at Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St. HENDERSONVILLE TREE BOARD 692-3026 • FR (5/5), 12:15pm - Arbor Day celebration with tree planting and awards presentation. Sponsored by the Four Seasons Rotary Club. Free. Held at Pet’s Own Place Dog Park, Sevent Ave. East, Hendersonville WNC SIERRA CLUB 251-8289, wenoca.org • WE (5/3), 7-9pm - “Flowers, Trees, and Mountains of our Appalachian Spring,” presentation by Scott Dean, naturalist and photographer. Free. Held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place

FARM & GARDEN ASHEVILLE BOTANICAL GARDENS 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd., 252-5190, ashevillebotanicalgardens.org • FR (5/5), noon-6pm & SA (5/6), 8:30am-3pm - Spring plant sale. Free to attend. ASHEVILLE GARDEN CLUB 550-3459 • WE (5/3), 10:30am - “The ‘Other’ Bees in WNC: Discover the rich diversity of bees in WNC and learn how to increase their numbers in your garden,” presentation by Jill Sidebottom of the NC Cooperative Extension Agency. Free. Held at Asheville Botanical Gardens, 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

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FOOD

ON THE RISE

Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival returns for 13th year

BY NICK WILSON nickjames.w@gmail.com Saturday, May 6, marks the start of the 13th annual Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival on Asheville’s A-B Tech campus. The two-day event offers the chance for bread enthusiasts and professional bakers to get together and celebrate bread, hone their baking techniques, explore ideas and network within the artisan bread community. This year’s festival will feature the talents of five of the United States’ most respected bakers: Jim Lahey, Peter Reinhart, Lionel Vatinet, Tara Jensen and Kaley Laird. The festival was started in 2004 by husband-and-wife bakers Steve Bardwell and Gail Lunsford of Wake Robin Farm Breads. Bardwell is amazed when he reflects on how the festival has grown in scale over the past 13 years. “The very first event we held was actually at the little café in

BREAD ALONE: Organizers expect as many as 1,500 people to attend the bread fair at the Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival on Saturday, May 6. During the event, more than 15 local artisan bread bakers will offer samples and sell their products. The festival also features workshops for home bakers and a master class for professionals. Photo by Sissy Meif

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Greenlife grocery,” says Bardwell. “Now somewhere between 1,200 and 1,500 people will show up on Saturday morning at A-B Tech. It’s unbelievable.” The festival grew from a cunning plan Bardwell and Lunsford devised as a means of meeting one of their baking heroes. “When my wife started our bakery, one of the books that was a big inspiration for us was Peter Reinhart’s book The Bread Baker’s Apprentice,” says Bardwell. “We were really intrigued with Reinhart, and so my wife said, ‘We gotta meet this guy.’ ... So we thought, ‘You know what we could do? Let’s start a bread festival and invite Peter Reinhart, then we’ll have a chance to meet him.” At the time, Reinhart was a professor at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte. They contacted him about their hastily conceived event, and the rest is history. “He’s been involved with the festival every year since then and is always a big draw,” says Bardwell.

This year’s festival schedule is packed with events. From 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, 15 local artisan bakeries will sell bread and offer samples. “The amount of bread that’s brought in and sold is astounding,” says Bardwell. “Last year, I think there were 16 bakeries that sold over $10,000 worth of bread in about three hours.” There will also be hands-on workshops and lectures by the featured guest bakers from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the same location, as well as a site visit to Carolina Ground Mill and a presentation by Stephanie Swane, managing editor for Modernist Cuisine. That evening, the public part of the festival concludes with a dinner with the bakers hosted by Rhubarb chef John Fleer. On Sunday, May 7, a six-hour master class for professional bakers will offer intensive instruction and discussion with Lahey and Vatinet. “I think the professional class might be the most important part of the festival,” says Bardwell. “I

actually think we’ve helped improve the quality of bread in the Western North Carolina area by providing local bakers the opportunity to learn how to bake better bread over the years.” The Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival’s showcase of bakers takes place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at the Magnolia Building on the campus of A-B Tech, 340 Victoria Road. Admission is free. Workshops are scheduled from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. that day at the same location with an additional workshop and demonstration at Carolina Ground Mill at 2 p.m. Tickets are required for all workshops and cost $15 each. A festival dinner takes place at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at The Rhu, 10 S. Lexington Ave. Tickets are $50 each. The master class for professional bakers happens Sunday, May 7. To buy tickets for workshops and the dinner, visit ashevillebreadfestival. com. Professional bakers interested in attending the master class should email wakerobinfarmbreads@main.nc.us. X

The art of bread James Beard Award-winning baker, chef and author Jim Lahey is a headlining guest at the 13th Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers’ Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 6-7. Lahey opened Sullivan Street Bakery in Soho in New York City in 1994. In October 2000, he built the Sullivan Street Bakery headquarters in Hell’s Kitchen, where he has become renowned not just for his bread but also for his Roman-style pizza, rustic Italian pastries and cookies. In 2009, he opened Co. in New York — his first pizza restaurant. He’s currently in the process of launching a Sullivan Street Bakery location in Miami. Lahey and his businesses have been featured in Vogue, Bon Appétit and The New York Times, and he has appeared on the “Martha Stewart Show” and NBC’s “Today” show. His cookbooks include My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method and My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at Home. In 2015, Lahey was honored with the first James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Baker. Mountain Xpress: Walk us through the journey of how you eventually got into baking. Jim Lahey: Well, I knew I would get into something artistic. I just didn’t know what. Like most artists, or wannabe artists, I went to art school and hung with the artist crowd. I was kind of weird though and, honestly, I think I was so weird I didn’t even fit in with the artists. Be that as it may, it’s kind of what artists are … a bunch of misfits. … I consider myself an artist and, to some degree, all bakers are artists. Here’s an interesting thing, actually, about the word “art” — the ancient Greek word for bread is “artos.”… It’s like the word “company.” I have a restaurant in New York called Co., short for Company, which is an old word that means “with bread.” I understand that you actually studied visual arts in Italy. How did that experience impact your decision to get into the world of food? I went to Italy because I had a language requirement to fulfill, and I wasn’t getting very far studying

An interview with chef, baker and author Jim Lahey a tomato like this. … And so unbeknownst to myself, with the intention of studying art, I ended up having this amazing food experience there that gave me a sense of some standards … and I sort of became infected by it. So, I eventually came back to New York without even realizing at the time that I was a changed person. When did bread come along for you in your cooking training? I bought my first cookbook, which was a book by Anne Willen called La Varenne Pratique — it’s like a cookbook for general techniques and methods … and began studying and practicing some of the recipes. … And so I started practicing bread, and I became obsessed with baking. … At this point, I was still at Stony Brook University, and it was just sort of done, you know? The transformation was complete. I had become a food person and didn’t even know it. I just started

baking incessantly. … I was living in Williamsburg at the time, and I had retrofitted my $300 GE gas oven with bricks and quarry tiles to make it act or perform better. In my own sort of naïve way, it was this Yankee ingenuity. What do you think the future of artisan bread looks like? I’m curious and wondering what bread will evolve into. … Can it traject like the growing culture of coffee, wine and cannabis? Like, will normal suburban culture end up becoming fascinated with selecting great flour … and say, “Oh, wow, that’s really great red fife over at the supermarket!” I don’t know. … I’m not sure that’ll end up happening; I guess we’ll see. ... But I think that the more people that open up bakeries, the better it’ll be for humanity and the world if, in the practice of doing this, we’re somehow elevating, raising or creating a higher standard for bread and bread culture. — NW X

PERFECT PIE: Artisan baker Jim Lahey is a featured presenter at the upcoming 2017 Asheville Artisan Bread Bakers Festival. Photo by Squire Fox Italian in New York. I was exposed to something there that I had never really seen before, which was this food culture. My aha moment with cooking wasn’t actually with bread — it was with a tomato, something that I had grown up loathing … other than tomato sauce. I would have never eaten a raw tomato. I thought they were gross because all I had ever eaten were those standardized hothouse tomatoes that were grown for durability and put in those plastic sleeves. They were kind of grainy and mealy and lacking any kind of depth of flavor, you know? Anyway — this must have been back in the summer of ’87 — I ended up meeting this fruit salesman in Italy who says to me in Italian, “Here, eat this tomato” … and honestly I had never eaten

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

SMALL BITES

FOOD

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

Asheville celebrates Cinco de Mayo Whether or not margaritas played any role in the Mexican army’s moral victory against the French on May 5, 1862, we may never know. Outnumbered and poorly supplied, they nevertheless held their own as 6,000 French troops attacked Puebla de Los Angeles, a small town in east-central Mexico, during the French-Mexican War (1861-67). Fast-forward 71 years and discover that in 1933, the celebration of Cinco de Mayo gained popularity in the U.S., thanks in part to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy, which aimed to improve relations between the U.S. and Latin American countries. Add to this the U.S.’s ever-expanding affinity for tequila (a 2015 report by Statista notes an annual consumption of over 300,000 liters in North Carolina alone) and voila — the celebration continues to grow.

VIVA LA MEXICO: Buxton Hall Barbecue’s cook Jorge Vazquez (pictured) will help facilitate MG Road’s Cinco de Mayo menu of authentic Mexican dishes and scratch-made salsas. There will also be specials on Mexican beer, tequila, frozen margaritas and paletas (Mexican ice pops), and DJ El Mexicano Isaac will provide the music for the celebration. Photo by Michael Files

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On Friday, May 5, food and drink menus throughout Asheville will carry on the tradition. The Cantina at Historic Biltmore Village will offer $1 off all fajitas and fish entrées. The restaurant will also offer $5 off all pitchers of margaritas, sangria, Modelo and Dos Equis (avl.mx/3nz). On Merrimon Avenue, AVL Tacos and Taps will celebrate with a variety of deals as well as a new menu item. The restaurant’s house tacos, which come with either hard or soft shells and offer options that include beef, chicken, carnitas (pork) and tofu, will be available for $2.50 each. In addition, the restaurant will offer $1 off its walking taco, which is an individual-sized bag of Doritos or Fritos topped with beef, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream. Finally, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, AVL Tacos and Taps

will introduce a brand-new menu option — a fried fish taco. At Ole Shakey’s on Riverside Drive, Jim Beam will host a dance party featuring DJ Phantom Pantone. Margaritas will be $5 (avl.mx/3d8). On Charlotte Street, Mamacita’s Taco Temple will host Tequila and Ceviche in conjunction with Asheville Cocktail Week. The ticketed event will feature Fernando Avila, master distiller of Casa Sauza. Participants will sample a series of classic tequila cocktails while learning the history of each beverage. Taco Temple will pair each drink with a variety of ceviche, a South American dish of marinated raw seafood. The gathering will run from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $42 (avl.mx/3ny). Buxton Hall cook Jorge Vazquez will help facilitate MG

Road’s celebration on Wall Street. Vazquez will create an authentic Mexican menu with three types of tacos (including a vegetarian option), tamales and homemade salsas. DJ El Mexicano Isaac will provide the evening’s music. Food will be available from 6 p.m.-midnight (while supplies last). Music starts at 9:30 p.m. (avl.mx/3h0) Meanwhile, Bartaco on Biltmore Avenue will have live music from the local band Natural Born Leaders as well as free kids activities, including face painting, a DIY s’mores bar and the chance to make Bartaco patches (avl.mx/3o1). Finally, downtown on Patton Avenue, Sonora Cocina Mexicana will offer food specials, including a quesadilla poblano, mole enchiladas and barbacoa torta. Plates range from $5-$14. Drink specials include house-

made red and white sangria for $6 a glass, $6 margaritas, $10 specialty margaritas, $2 select Mexican beer and a featured tequila for $6 a shot (avl.mx/3o0). FLAMING HOT Fried chicken, wood-grilled pancakes and spring veggies will all be on the menu at Flaming Hot, a springtime cookout that celebrates equality and diversity in Western North Carolina. In addition to food, the event will feature music, beer and wine. The event, put on by sister restaurants Table and Tod’s Tasties, is part of a larger series of community-focused dinners. “These events are important to the Table family because it’s our way of giving back to the people that support us everyday,” says Table’s general manager, Kelly Vormelker. All proceeds from Flaming Hot will benefit Equality NC, a statewide organization that works to secure equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Flaming Hot begins at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 7, at Tod’s Tasties, 102 Montford Ave. Admission is free. Food is $20 per plate with all proceeds benefiting Equality NC. To learn more about the organization visit equalitync.org. For more on the event, visit avl.mx/3nv.

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT FARMERS MARKET

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CITY LAUNCHES ASHEVILLE EDIBLES PROGRAM

On Wednesday, May 3, the River Arts District Farmers Market will open for the season. As part of the celebration, All Souls Pizza will offer RAD Farmers Market pizza specials with ingredients sourced from participating vendors. “When you buy this pizza, you will receive one free $5 token to use at the market while supplies last,” says market director Kate Eckhardt. Live music will be performed by Searra Jade. The River Arts District Farmers Market happens 2-6 p.m. Wednesdays through Nov. 22 at 175 Clingman Ave. For details, visit avl.mx/3o2.

Habitat Tavern and Commons is partnering with chef Clarence Robinson to host a Sunday brunch series. The event’s Facebook page notes that Robinson, who is the founder of Cooking with Comedy Catering, will blend “his love of soul food with comedy that is good for the soul.” Menu highlights for the inaugural event on Sunday, May 7, include fried beef bologna, salmon patties, sweet potato hash browns and sweet Hawaiian cinnamon rolls. Prices range from $6-$12. Beverage options include $5 beers and $6 mimosas. Sunday Brunch launches Sunday, May 7, at Habitat Tavern and Commons, 174 Broadway. Hours: noon3 p.m. For details, visit avl.mx/3nw.

The city of Asheville recently launched the Asheville Edibles Program, which will allow community members to grow food and pollinator plants on publicly owned land. The new initiative includes three components: Adopt-A-Spot is in partnership with Asheville GreenWorks and allows individuals, businesses or organizations to plant and maintain either an edible or pollinator garden with dedicated signage that recognizes the site. The Community Garden program offers neighborhoods and organizations areas throughout the city to lease land at no cost for growing produce. And the Urban Agriculture Lease program grants qualified applicants the chance to lease city-owned property at fair market rates. To learn more, visit avl.mx/3nx. X

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COOKING UP SUCCESS Kids at Work program teaches kids culinary and life skills Sometimes the recipe for success can involve an actual recipe. Kids at Work is a nonprofit organization that takes at-risk youths ages 12-17 and teaches them culinary skills while building character and preparing them for the job world. The program, which operates in Haywood, Buncombe, Henderson, Polk, McDowell, Transylvania and Rutherford counties, was created in 2009 by Kim Castano, director of Aspire Youth & Family. Kids at Work meetings take place after school one evening a week for 16 weeks, allowing students opportunities to engage with both interpersonal coaches and chefs. Though a majority of participants are court-referred, others are recommended by school counselors, local therapists or their parents. Given that most kids enter the program due to negative circumstances,

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the goal is to provide a positive and life-changing experience for them. “A lot of times, the population that we work with, they’re not normally privy to experiences of success,” says Hannah Clark, an interpersonal coach for Kids at Work. “So our program becomes one of those venues for kids to be successful and kind of adjust that vision that they might have so they can reach those higher goals that they have in life.” BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS The Juvenile Crime & Prevention Councils and the Governors Crime Commission are the two main sources of funding for the nonprofit program, which is why court-referred youths are served before other referrals. Aside from funding, the biggest

LEARNING TO COOK: Makiyah Suber, left, and Anareya Lee participate in a cooking class through the Kids At Work program. The 16-week course employs interpersonal coaches and culinary instructors to provide at-risk teens with positive experiences that teach social and leadership skills. Photo by Hannah Clark challenge to the program is getting kids to be open to the program itself. Clark notes some will enter proclaiming, “I don’t want to be here. I have to be here.” The program aims to overcome that perception. “That’s one of the barriers we have to break down,” says Clark. Rhiannon Cole, a 17-year-old graduate of the program, can relate. During Cole’s freshman year of high school, she was put on probation for truancy and was court-ordered to complete Kids at Work. “The first day going into the group I cried,” says Cole. “I was terrified to be doing something out of my comfort zone and being surrounded by people I’d never met before. I

didn’t even talk to anyone because I was so shy. Hannah talked to me and helped me through that day and made sure I was comfortable with everything.” Eventually, she says, she opened up, became more talkative and began to look forward to attending each week. “But most importantly, I knew it was a safe space, and I felt comfortable and, in some ways, at home there.” Ultimately, the experience changed her life in positive ways. “The program is an amazing thing,” she says. “It teaches at-risk teens cooking skills, [and] it teaches them social skills, team skills, leadership skills, and they

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FOOD help you when it comes to job résumés and job opportunities. All in all, the group is one big family, in my honest opinion.” Kids at Work uses the Say It Straight curriculum. A typical meeting involves interpersonal lessons, group check-ins and cooking instruction followed by a family-style meal. Since many participants don’t get real meals on a regular basis, food comes first if the kids are hungry. Students are taught to make homemade ramen, soups, pasta sauces (marinara and Alfredo), tacos, pizza dough, veggie and beef burgers, stuffed peppers, spaghetti squash, California sushi rolls, meatballs, ribs and many chicken dishes, says chef instructor Whitney Rosenblatt. They also learn to create desserts such as brownies, cookies, chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream. “The students are expected to learn knife skills, a variety of cooking methods — poaching, baking, grilling, sauté, roasting, braising — kitchen conversions, different cuts of meat and where they come from on an animal, the five flavors that we experience and how to combine

them to make tasty food, and nutrition, including the importance of protein, fruits and vegetables,” says Rosenblatt. “They also learn how to read recipes, prepare a balanced meal and how to work as a team from start to finish.” At the end of the 16 weeks, there’s a graduation ceremony. Students receive certificates and get to choose the menu for the event. Later, graduates can return as leaders and implement their new skills. LABOR OF LOVE For Clark, who volunteered with Kids at Work for a year before being offered a staff position, Kids at Work is a true labor of love. “Growing up, I was a troubled youth; I was an at-risk youth,” she says. “I had my daughter when I was 15. I was always put in that stereotypical category. I wasn’t given those opportunities, and I didn’t feel like I mattered. I remember I had an English teacher who … noticed that I was doing good in school … and her just recognizing that meant the world to me. … That feeling is something

that these kids experience when they come to group.” Rosenblatt echoes Clark’s sentiments. “As instructors, we’ve all gone through our own battles and came to Kids at Work for very different reasons, and our experiences are just as valid,” she says. “They love hearing our stories as we love hearing theirs.” Cole says her favorite thing about Kids at Work is the compassion the instructors show participants. “They always helped out the students when they needed advice, someone to listen, or if they just needed a hug,” she says. “They do everything they possibly can to assure you that someone cares about you. They always make sure that you enjoy your time there.” Rosenblatt adds: “All these kids who are isolated and think people don’t understand what they’re going through, they learn quickly that their peers understand because they’re all going through these same really difficult transitions in their lives.” To learn more about Kids at Work, visit aspireyouthandfamily.com/kidsatwork. Donations to the program can be sent to Kids at Work, P.O. Box 250, Balsam, NC 28707. X

FEED YOUR BRAIN

Homework Diner program brings free meals, academic support, connection to families

gsmith@mountainx.com

by Gina Smith

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ideal situation is that the whole family is there, and that can be a struggle [for them],” says Bocklet. “But we’ve had upward of 100-150 family members on some nights.” DOING THE WORK The sessions run from 5:30-7 p.m. Mondays at Erwin Middle School and Tuesdays at Enka and Asheville middle schools. After eating, students, and sometimes parents or grandparents as well, can sit down with teachers and figure things out together. This group dynamic can be empowering for both the kids and the adults. “I met a great-grandfather who has custody of six kids,” Bocklet recalls. “He’s sitting there like, ’I need

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MAKING THE GRADE: Kathryn Medford, left, works with Tristan Cox at a recent Homework Diner at Enka Middle School. Tristan began attending the weekly dinners with his grandmother, Portia Simpson, in order to improve his grades. Photo by Jack Sorokin Homework isn’t something students or their parents necessarily look forward to tackling in those precious after-school hours of freedom — especially when there’s also dinner to worry about. But the new Homework Diner initiative spearheaded by the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County offers help with schoolwork while feeding families and the community in multiple ways. Rolled out as a pilot project at Enka Middle School in the fall, the program is about to finish out the school year with tutoring sessions and free, hot dinners being hosted weekly in the cafeterias at Enka, Erwin and Asheville middle schools. Plans are also in the works to extend the effort to Owen Middle School next school year. Although middle schools are employed as the host sites, Homework Diner sessions are open to students and families from all grade levels in the Asheville

and Buncombe County school districts. But the program is a collaboration that goes beyond the United Way and school district leadership. The Green Opportunities catering team, which is staffed with graduates from the organization’s Kitchen Ready culinary training program, comes in each week to prepare healthy, high-quality meals for attendees. And for the tutoring component, teachers from schools within each host district are paid to be there to offer students one-on-one help with tricky homework assignments and subjects that have stumped them in the classroom. INSPIRATION The concept, which originated in 2012 at a school in Albuquerque, N.M., made its way to the Asheville area after Laura Elliot, local United Way Middle School Success director, heard about it

during a national meeting of the leadership network Coalition for Community in Schools. Intrigued, she brought the idea back with her to the Asheville Buncombe Middle Grades Network. The local United Way followed up on her tip last spring by sponsoring a group of representatives from Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools and the UWABC to attend the Coalition for Community Schools National Forum in Albuquerque. There they were able to witness the Homework Diner program operating in three schools in the area. “Our team came back really excited,” says Elliot. Although Homework Diner is a fledgling effort in Western North Carolina, the response has already been extremely positive. Elisabeth Bocklet, United Way director of marketing and communications, says that although it can be challenging for many families to attend, participation has been strong. “The

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FULL PLATE: Providing delicious, healthy fare at each Homework Diner is the goal for GO Kitchen Ready chef instructor Gene Ettison, center. Also pictured are Guy Stivender, left, and Gary McDaniel, right. Photo by Jack Sorokin the help; I don’t know this stuff.’ So they’re able to learn a little bit about how to approach helping their own child.” Portia Simpson began attending the Homework Diner sessions at Enka Middle School several weeks ago with her 14-year-old grandson, Tristan Cox. Tristan’s grades had been declining, and Simpson was looking for answers, so Tristan suggested they give the program a try. “The teachers are so good with them,” Simpson says. “They come around and talk to the students oneon-one, and they can look at their laptops and see where they’re behind on everything.” Within two weeks, says Simpson, Tristan was able to pull his grades up from Ds to Bs. “He learned the importance of following through with stuff and how much that brings his grades up,” she says. “So every week, even if he thinks he’s not behind, we’ve been going, and every time we go, something good comes out of it.” Asheville Middle School math teacher Joanne Robert, who has tutored with the program since it began, agrees that she’s seen Homework Diner make a huge difference for students in her classes who are struggling. “One of the things is that you get one-on-one time,” she

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says. “And then [the students] can see how just by persevering on a problem, it’s not that big a deal.” Studying in a different atmosphere can be helpful, too. “You know, it’s after a full dinner, [some kids] are afternoon kids, not morning kids, so it works out better for them. … I’ve seen a real big change. It’s been real good for them.” Students can also earn academic and attendance bonus points for participating in a Homework Diner. The extra credit is handled individually by schools and teachers. TIME TO EAT Another draw for families, of course, is the bonus of getting a free, healthy meal for the whole family — that’s one night a week parents don’t have to worry about figuring out what to make for dinner. “The families eat on real plates with real silverware — it’s not this disposable feeling,” says Bocklet. And she notes that at each of the participating schools, the percentage of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches is well over 50 percent, so having that one night of meal support available can be a huge help for some families. The food the Green Opportunities caterers provide is carefully planned. Kitchen Ready executive chef instructor Gene Ettison, whose daughter attends Erwin Middle School, says the goal is to offer fresh, nutritious fare. “We always try to provide a fresh garden salad and a nice, healthy dessert. They’re always structured around the guidelines set forth by the school system already.” Simpson, who has to be careful with her diet because of health issues, says the meals are something she looks forward to. “They use all locally grown stuff, and it’s fresh, so it’s a different twist on the usual meals the schools have to provide,” she says. “It’s not processed foods, so that makes it really nice.” Additionally, Ettison says, the events offer members of his team, some of whom have overcome challenges such as incarceration and drug addiction, a chance to practice life skills and gain relevant professional experience in menu planning, cost efficiency and more. “Also, they now have a chance to come back and make a living wage,” he says. “It has such an impact. … Here we are dropping a seed with our youth, and as they progress, they’ll just pay it forward to other people. It has such a ripple effect in the community, and it’s awesome.”

BUILDING CONNECTIONS Elliot points out other ways the effects of the initiative can reach far beyond providing nutrition and supporting academic success. One benefit she witnessed in action on her trip to Albuquerque, she says, was “the relationship- and trust-building, the community-building between schools and parents.” “It’s quality time for parents to talk to their kids about the work they’re doing because a lot of parents don’t see what their kids are doing in class,” says Robert. “I also see parents and kids bonding. There are no phones out. People are talking to each other. And because there are transportation issues, for parents to come with their kids, it’s a commitment on their part as well. That’s a good model for kids to see.” Another bonus is that the weekly events also offer space for connection between families and community resources. “It’s a great outreach opportunity for our nonprofit, social and health service and higher-education partners to reach families in a safe, friendly, welcoming environment — to build relationships in a different way, where they’re sitting around a table and sharing a meal with someone and offering resources,” Elliot says. Organizations such as Pisgah Legal Services and OnTrack Financial Education and Counseling have attended past Homework Diner sessions to offer information and services to families, and there are plans to include more in the future. Members of the community are also encouraged to be a part of the effort — volunteers are crucial to making the events happen. Hands On Buncombe County handles recruitment of the vast number of volunteers who are needed each week at all three schools to serve food, clean up, help teachers with tutoring and register families. “It’s a nice, tangible thing for volunteers,” says Bocklet. Robert looks forward to seeing the program grow in order to expand these connections. “It takes care of a lot of things,” she says. “I hope that next year it’s bigger, and we have more students and parents than ever. I think they’ll see the long-term benefit of it.” The last Homework Diner events for this school year are Monday and Tuesday, May 8 and 9. For more information about the program, visit unitedwayabc.org/homework-diners. For details on volunteering, visit handsonasheville.org. X

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Benefits Asheville Area Arts Council Oct. 29: Stevie Lee Combs

Benefits Charlie’s Angels Animal Rescue

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SOUL SHAKEDOWN BY THE RIVER A tasty fundraiser for Green Opportunities’ Kitchen Ready program returns For the last three years, chef Joe Scully, owner of Chestnut and the Corner Kitchen, has volunteered as an instructor with Green Opportunities’ Kitchen Ready culinary program. Kitchen Ready is one of several job-training programs that the nonprofit offers to youth and adults from low-wealth neighborhoods, with additional classes in carpentry, construction, building trades and facilities maintenance. “[Kitchen Ready] is set up to give people an opportunity to refocus and possibly take on a trade in the food-service industry,” says Scully. “A lot of the individuals that go to the culinary program are people that have come out of hard times or have had other challenges.” On Saturday, May 6, Scully, along with members of Green Opportunities’ Southside Kitchen,

FUNDING THE FUTURE: Green Opportunities director J Hackett, center, is pictured with graduates Stephen Hammond, left, and Jevia Nebitt. The Soul Shakedown fundraiser supports GO’s Kitchen Ready culinary program. Photo courtesy of Green Opportunities will prepare the meal for the organization’s second Soul Shakedown by the River (the first was held in 2015). Menu highlights include jerk chicken wings, pork sliders with mango chutney and Caribbean banana fritters. Along with the food, the event will feature beer and wine, a musical performance by Natural Born Leaders, a raffle and silent auction. Soul Shakedown functions as Green Opportunities’ primary fundraiser. Executive director J Hackett estimates that the individual donations and business sponsorships account for 10 percent of the organization’s total budget. “While this amount may seem small, these funds are incredibly important,” he says. “They fill the gaps that our grants don’t always cover.” Emergency support services for students, notes Hackett, are one way these contributions play into the nonprofit’s day-to-day operations. “Rent support, emergency utility support, child care and transportation services ... typically are not covered by grants,” he says. “But [they] are necessary to helping support [students] as they train.” And the training pays off. In 2016, 59 members of Green Opportunities were awarded certifications (44 ServSafe Food Handler certificates

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tcalder@mountainx.com

by Thomas Calder

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and 15 OSHA Construction Safety certificates), while 48 members were placed in jobs or apprenticeships. Last year, the organization also hosted two job fairs, launched a partnership with the YMCA of Western North Carolina (which brought the Healthy Living Mobile Market to the Edington Center once a month, as well as free fruits and vegetables to Green Opportunities students and Southside residents), and catered over 100 local events. Just as Green Opportunities gives back to the community, the community is giving back to Green Opportunities at this year’s Soul Shakedown. “Our silent auction and raffle are going to be pretty cool,” says Gwen Hill, the organization’s communication’s manager. “We have a lot of local businesses donating a lot of great items.” Buxton Hall, 12 Bones, White Duck Taco, Chai Pani, Asheville Pizza & Brewing, The Hop, French Broad Chocolates, Geraldine’s Bakery and Kilwins have all provided gift cards as part of this year’s raffle. Other donated items include tickets to Asheville Community Theatre’s performance of The Producers, a free bike tuneup from MustAsheville Bikes, private yoga classes and more. “Soul Shakedown is about celebrating what our community does together,” says Hackett. “It’s the time we come together and recognize that we are connected — not because we are here, but because we care.” X

WHAT Soul Shakedown by the River WHERE Boathouse Pavilion, 318 Riverside Drive avl.mx/3oi WHEN Saturday, May 6, from 6-9 p.m Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. avl.mx/3oj

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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

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Blue Ridge National Heritage Area brings back the digital crafts trail

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LOCAL NATIVES: Amanda Swimmer demonstrates her pottery making at the 2015 Cherokee Heritage Festival in Hayesville. Photo courtesy of Clay County Communities Revitalization Association

BY LAUREN STEPP lstepp98@gmail.com Though Appalachia’s heritage crafters are perhaps better known for spinning flax fiber and forging knives than for high-tech proficiency, one group of artisans is staking claim to a slice of web real estate. At a press event held last month, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (a federally designated span of 25 counties in which the culture and history of the Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills is actively being preserved) launched a digital project that will promote the region’s professional craft industry. Area artisans, according to a 2008 economic impact study, generate $206 million in

annual sales. The Blue Ridge Craft Trails of Western North Carolina — BRNHA’s newest addition to its programming — “raises all boats” by connecting collectors with authentic makers, says Angie Chandler, BRNHA executive director. “The biggest impediment for small businesses is educating the public on their work and what they do,” she says. “The Craft Trails are a collective opportunity to increase the visibility of all regional crafters and artisans.” Gallery names, locations, hours and other information will be consolidated in an electronic portal accessible by desktop and mobile devices. From there, users can scroll through artists spanning the 25-county area. The hope is that

those viewers will be inspired to visit the creative hotspots they discover. In return, galleries receive more traffic, and collectors go home with unique, handmade items. PATHS ALREADY TAKEN Still, Chandler says, the concept isn’t new. “We’re not reinventing the wheel here,” she says. The Craft Trails date back to the ’90s, when HandMade in America began publishing paper guidebooks. The organization has since disbanded, however, and its last guide came out in 2003. Dedicated to preserving and interpreting five assets — music, agriculture, natural heritage, Cherokee culture and craft — BRNHA decided to

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LOOM AND BOARD: Appalachia beckons fiber artistry students from across the nation. As a result, organizations like the Penland School of Crafts have a collective economic impact of $11.8 million. Photo courtesy of Penland School of Crafts resurrect the project last summer. It joins the Blue Ridge Music Trails, an oral history partnership with WNCW, 88.7-FM, that was launched in 2013. Because 73 percent of represented musicians agree that the initiative helped rev up business, Chandler says BRNHA is taking notes from the music trails. But being a 501 (c)(3) makes for an interesting setup. As a nonprofit commissioned, largely, to help other nonprofits, BRNHA must match its federal support with external proposals, private donations and fundraisers. The Craft Trails endeavor, for instance, is fueled by a $90,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Matching funds also come from the N.C. Arts Council, the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina and private donors. That capital affords market research, site documentation and web development. Phase one calls for six listening sessions. In these community forums, BRNHA will field crafters’ comments and suggestions, and use that feedback to select an initial 75 galleries. The Southern Highland 60

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Craft Guild is one of six partners providing meeting space and support. Hannah Barry, director of public relations and technology at the guild, says the craft trails couldn’t come at a better time. Despite economic dips — chiefly the recession in 2008 — the organization has remained relevant, boasting four brick-and-mortar shops, craft sales and two rotating exhibits. Still, Barry admits to a less-than-impressive online presence. (She does note that an e-store revamp is in the works, thanks to a grant from BRNHA.) “It’s ironic that craftsmen and women who are not using modern technologies to get a final product are now relying on technology for promotion,” says Barry. “These people work with their hands, not behind a computer.” HISTORY AND INDUSTRY But bringing crafts into the public eye has been a long time coming. When settlers pushed east from Tennessee’s Watauga settlements, Appalachia’s unforgiving topogra-

phy was both the region’s disadvantage and saving grace. Back then, natural resources beckoned timber barons. They came in droves and did well for themselves until the stock market crash of 1929. During that nationwide struggle, WNC residents returned to what they knew: traditional crafts. Women sewed coverlets, and men carved furniture. They made beautifully functional wares, and Frances Goodrich, the guild’s founder, took notice. “A Presbyterian missionary, she realized a lot of people living in the mountains were suffering from the [Great] Depression,” says Barry. Goodrich became fascinated with weaving. An anecdote in “Craft Revival: Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present,” Western Carolina University’s digital effort to resuscitate handcraft, cites the first eiderdown that made her swoon. According to the database, “out of pure good will” a neighbor brought Goodrich a 40-year-old coverlet woven in the double bowknot pattern. The woman dyed it a “golden brown on a cream-colored background” using chestnut.

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Buy art directly from Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian artists. Each purchase helps promote and preserve Cherokee culture and way of life.

KINFOLK CRAFTS: Rob Mangum moved to Asheville in 1997 to continue a creative tradition started by his parents 30 years earlier. His studio, Mangum Pottery, owned with his wife, is in Weaverville. Photo by Nathan Chesky “[It] was as fine a color as the day it was finished,” writes Goodrich. She established Allanstand Cottage Industries, now known as the Allanstand Craft Shop, and later the guild.

‘WE CONTINUE TO TELL THE STORY’ “The mountain people capitalized on what they knew, like rug hook-

ing and carving, and that built up the economy,” says Barry. “Crafts would boom again in the ’60s and

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www.authenticallycherokee.com

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A&E ’70s.” Goodrich deserves some credit: She and other women like Lucy Morgan, founder of Penland School of Crafts, and Olive Dame Campbell, founder of John C. Campbell Folk School, turned a pastime into an industry. Keather Gougler of John C. Campbell says Olive’s early involvement helped communities supplement their incomes. “Back in the ’30s, Olive noticed men sitting around and whittling at a local store,” says Gougler. Fred Scroggs, the general store’s owner, tried to cow these men as best he could because they’d start carving right into his benches if wood ran low. Noticing their skill, Olive established the Brasstown Carvers. The school bought “class A” quality work outright and paid students when “class B” sold. These men and women came to rely on their skills, using carvings to pay for groceries and doctor’s visits. Woodcarving classes are still offered today. “We continue to tell the story of the region’s history,” says Gougler. “Through regular programs and classes, we continue an important custom.”

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RAISING CANE: Brandy Clements learned the art of chair caning, or weaving furniture seats, from her grandmother. Though a centuries-old practice, Clements is one of a few crafters to carry on the tradition. Photo by Nathan Chesky

With 6,000 students per year, craft schools also buttress WNC’s economy. According to a study conducted by DESS Business Research in 2008, craft schools contribute nearly $12 million each year to the local economy. Craft nonprofits, like the guild, gross $4.4 million and 2,200 individual artists have an annual economic impact of $86.2 million. “I don’t think Asheville would be what it is today if it weren’t for people making beautiful crafts,” says Barry. “The industry slowly but surely brought other types of commerce to the area.” And now BRNHA is adding to the visibility and viability of weavers, smithies and other makers. The Blue Ridge Craft Trails of Western North Carolina is slated for completion in five years. “We want WNC to be celebrated and known as an international center for the crafts,” says Chandler. “We want artisans to be able to use their work to bring economic benefit to themselves and the region.” X

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‘A PLACE WHERE WE’D GATHER TOGETHER’

Just Folks launches its summer series in The Block’s Triangle Park

amarshall@mountainx.com

by Alli Marshall

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When it came to naming one local civic organization, its members didn’t overthink it. “It started off with five guys who were sitting in the park,” says Julia McDowell. “They said, ‘What could we do with this area?’ They got together and said, ‘We’re just folks.’” And that’s how, in 2011, the nonprofit civic organization Just Folks came to be. The park that McDowell — the group’s secretary — references is Triangle Park on South Market Street. It’s one of the last remaining vestiges of The Block, Asheville’s historic African-American business district and cultural center. Just Folks hosts a spring and summer series in the park, which kicks off its 2017 season on Saturday, May 6.

HEART OF THE CITY: Local nonprofit Just Folks organizes a series of warm-weather events in Triangle Park on South Market Street. This year’s kickoff get-together doubles as a celebration for the park’s murals, which depict local African-American history. Pictured, from left, are Herman Bright, aka DJ Besbleve, Just Folks Secretary Julia McDowell and Just Folks President Timothy Burdine. Photo by Makeda Sandford Back in the day — the 1970s and earlier — The Block was feared by some and frequented by others. But the Eagle and Market Street area was at the heart of the black community. “There were three restaurants and a bar on the corner … where we’d sit down and have a drink and socialize,” says Timothy Burdine, the current president of Just Folks. “It’s a place where we’d gather together.” He remembers having a summer job during his high school years. On Fridays, when he and his friends got paid, “We ran to the [G.I. Outlet] store to get clothes to wear that weekend. We dressed to impress.” The Block, he says, was the place to go to: “I just felt at home up there.” These days, social centers for local African-American residents have all but

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disappeared. Triangle Park represents not only history but solidarity in community. “Blacks are really limited [as to] where to go,” says Burdine. Just Folks aims to create confraternity and togetherness through its programming. Sundays in the Park features church groups and provides food to the homeless. Saturdays in the Park, a secular celebration, spotlights musicians and food vendors. The season launch doubles as a special commemoration for the brightly colored, multipanel mural that spans two sides of Triangle Park and depicts the history of The Block and the surrounding Valley Street and East End neighborhoods, both of which were drastically changed during urban renewal initiatives.

The mural “was a collaboration between the Just Folks organization, the Asheville Design Center and artist/community arts organizer Molly Must,” according to an overview of the project. Planning began in 2011, and the mural, funded largely through a Kickstarter campaign, was completed two years later. “The idea of the mural was born out of a collective desire to improve the park and illuminate the beautiful, unseen stories of the area,” reads the overview. The Triangle Park mural is part of the Appalachian Mural Trail — a public arts project that engages “local artists to work on large outdoor historical murals,” according to its website — and it will be honored May 6 at 2 p.m. as part of the Appalachian

Mural Trail’s dedication event. Other stops include the “Golden Threads” Shindig on the Green mural at Pack’s Tavern at 2:30 p.m. and the Chicken Alley Mural at 3 p.m. Just as those works of public art help to keep Asheville’s past visible and its stories part of the current narrative, Just Folks and its Triangle Park festivities seek to preserve a piece of local African-American culture. The current mission of the group is “to keep The Block going and to keep black heritage alive [through] community events,” says McDowell. Burdine half-jokes that he became the organization’s president simply because no one else stepped forward. But though he says he’s not typically a leader, that statement isn’t quite accurate. Burdine spent 30 years as a bus driver for the city of Asheville and Buncombe County. He also works with the Sheriff’s Department, transporting prisoners on work-release. “As far as them being in those orange jumpsuits, I don’t look at that. I look at them as human beings,” he says. “I talk to them like a counselor [and] try to steer them the right way. I try to help out the community and get kids back on the right track.”

He’s also been a regular attendee at Asheville High sporting events, though his own children are grown. “When [a kid’s] parents can’t be there, I’m their buddy,” he says. Right now, it’s hard to reach local youths, Burdine says. Events like Saturdays in Park attempt to make a difference by bringing the community together in a positive way. And the Sunday church-based gatherings are also welcoming to anyone interested in participating. “I’m trying to keep up a tradition,” Burdine says. X

WHAT Just Folks’ Saturdays in the Park season kickoff featuring DJ Mixgician and the Triangle Park mural dedication WHERE Triangle Park corner of Sycamore Alley and South Market Street WHEN Saturday, May 6 starting at 1 p.m. Free

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by Daniel Walton

danielwwalton@live.com

BORDER CROSSING In 2006, LEAF founder and Executive Director Jennifer Pickering visited Rwanda at the behest of Jean Paul Samputu, a native performer who had become a recurring presence at the Black Mountain-based music and arts festival. Samputu wanted her to see a troupe of boys he was mentoring in his hometown of Kigali. All of them were orphans, living on the streets in the wake of the country’s 1994 genocide and ongoing AIDS epidemic. The youths slept on cardboard mats in a parking lot and had no regular source of food, but when Pickering asked them what they wanted to do, they made little mention of those circumstances. They wanted to drum. The program that emerged from Pickering’s trip, LEAF International Rwanda, is now sending four of its performers to LEAF. The young Rwandans will join over 400 other artists at the festival’s 44th edition, which takes over Camp Rockmont from Thursday, May 11, to Sunday, May 14. The spring lineup focuses on the resilience and vitality of African culture: 13 countries from the continent will be represented in the “Legends of Africa” series of performances, thanks to support from the National Endowment for the Arts. LEAF performing arts director Ehren Cruz says that the festival’s African emphasis is meant to foster a sense of global citizenship at a time when many Americans are consumed with domestic concerns. “With the social and political challenges of this past year, it’s sometimes easy to be condensed into a very local mindset,” he says. “We wanted to recognize the

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GOOD SOUNDS, GOOD CAUSES: Ghana-born musician and humanitarian Rocky Dawuni has performed with Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, John Legend and others. He’s also joined forces with Product (RED), UNICEF, the Carter Center and the United Nations Foundation, among other global organizations. He and other LEAF performers will not only play the festival but will work with local students while in the Asheville area. Photo by Michael Underwood broader context — we’re all family here in this world, and these traditions from African cultures inspire us.” Particularly important to that goal, Cruz explains, is LEAF’s Visiting Teaching Artists program. Before the festival, performers such as the Ghanian reggae star Rocky Dawuni, Malawian singer Masankho Banda and Zimbabwean Afro-fusion crew Mokoomba — along with the group from LEAF International

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Rwanda — will lead intensive residency programs at area schools, exposing students to their cultures and music. The classes then join the artists onstage during their LEAF performances to share what they’ve learned in front of an audience. “The students connect with people from another country who may look and sound so different, but at the heart of it all, are thrilled to share creativity together,” Cruz says. The residencies are also a way for visiting artists to make the most of a trip that sometimes involves challenging travel arrangements. LEAF global engagement director Schree Chavdarov says that, even for established performers, getting proper paperwork can be a major burden. She outlines the journey for Fredy Nganga, an artist from LEAF International Tanzania: “It’s a six-day process to get from his home in Arusha to the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam for a passport,” Chavdarov says. “Two or three eight-hour bus rides, a lot of walking and accommodations along the way — and then he has to do the same thing for the visa.” She adds that embassies are often slower than expected when processing

applications from African nations; less than a month before the start of the festival, the four LEAF International Rwanda performers were still waiting for their visas. Adama Dembele (an Ashevillebased djembe player originally from the Ivory Coast, who will be performing at this year’s festival) sympathizes with a different issue that traveling African musicians face: protecting fragile instruments. “If you check a calabash, for example, it can break very easily. You have to take it on the plane,” he says. “Sometimes people understand at the airport, but sometimes they make it a little difficult.” Once in Black Mountain, however, artists are eager to participate in vibrant exchanges with fellow performers from across the globe. Beyond African culture, the festival features the Canadian First Nations electronic music group A Tribe Called Red, American soul singer Macy Gray and Cuban hip-hop artist Danay Suarez. Bluegrass, salsa and kirtan traditions are also represented. Dembele poetically sums up the joy of LEAF’s impromptu cultural collaborations: “When I play with other musicians, I let them bring some of their style to my traditional West African music,” he says. “It’s like I build the house, then others use different color paints to make the house beautiful.” X

WHAT 44th LEAF festival theleaf.org WHERE Camp Rockmont 377 Lake Eden Road Black Mountain WHEN Thursday, May 11 to Sunday, May 14. $180 adult weekend pass/ $150 youth weekend pass $120 adult community pass (no camping)/ $105 youth, Friday and Sunday day passes $55/$45 Saturday day passes $65/$60, parking is $10 All tickets are sold online only sales end May 11

A&E

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

A MUSICAL WELCOME MAT

WHO Resonant Rogues

Resonant Rogues celebrate ‘Hands in the Dirt’ with an album release party

ROOM ENOUGH FOR ALL: Resonant Rogues’ original sound makes space for influences ranging from jazz manouche to old-time Appalachian folk. The band celebrates the release of Hands in the Dirt with a May 6 show at Isis Music Hall. Photo by Michelle Nicollet Kowalski Led by Keith Smith and the mononymous Sparrow, Asheville-based band Resonant Rogues combine flavors of Appalachian old-time, early jazz and Eastern European folk to create a distinctive and original sound. The group’s latest album, Hands in the Dirt, uses that sound as a backdrop for lyrics that focus on universal — and sometimes very topical — themes. The band celebrates the album release with a show at Isis Music Hall on Saturday, May 6. Resonant Rogues are a showcase for the musicians’ collective and individual instrumental skills, but the song lyrics are a key component of the group’s appeal. One of the most moving tunes on Hands in the Dirt is its final track, “Can’t Come In.” The song presents an imagined dialogue between a refugee and a gatekeeper who explains that “we have only just enough for all our kin.” Like several of the tunes on the album, “Can’t Come In” was written during the band’s recent jaunt through Europe. “We took a tour from Istanbul

to Ireland,” Sparrow recalls. “A long trip.” During their travels, Sparrow and Smith met and became fast friends with Basher Balleh, a Syrian refugee currently living in the aforementioned Turkish city. Adding an extra layer of poignancy, one verse of “Can’t Come In” was written and sung by Balleh. Lyrically and musically, the song represents Resonant Rogues’ successful synthesis of folk styles from across the globe into something unique and personal. The band isn’t afraid to include a direct message within the lyrics of “Can’t Come In.” Explicitly referencing Emma Lazarus’ 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus,” with its mention of tired, hungry and poor, as well as the core message of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (“Do unto others ...”), “Can’t Come In” celebrates the welcome home that folk music — whatever its origin — provides for social conscience. The song’s final verse changes the refrain to the more hopeful “welcome in / we have ... more than enough for all our kin.” As with all

of the songs on Hands in the Dirt, listeners can appreciate the lyrical content, but they can — and probably should — dance along as well. As part of the current jazz and Americana renaissance, Sparrow and Smith both teach swing lessons and go to the local dances wherever they find themselves on tour. The pair often perform at those events, too. “It’s a good scene that keeps that music alive,” Smith says. “I think we’re seeing more of a resurgence of the earlier styles,” Sparrow says. Those musical forms represent “the places where jazz really intersects with other styles of Americana like country and Western swing.” Among other influences, the songs that Sparrow and Smith write are informed by jazz manouche, a prewar style most often associated with guitarist Django Reinhardt. But Smith recognizes a commonality between that genre and Appalachian styles, as well as traditions from the Baltic region of Europe. “It’s all folk music,” he explains. “People play together like families. It gets passed on; it’s not academic.” Resonant Rogues do their part to keep the music fresh through an exuberant combination of planning and spontaneity. “We work out arrangements with our band members,” Smith says. But Sparrow adds that a song like “Trevor Bought a House” from Hands in the Dirt “has the ‘official’ parts, but then it’s got solo sections built in.” Sparrow and Keith each compose songs individually — a listener can usually tell who wrote a song simply by who’s singing it — but group collaboration on arrangements adds a distinctive character to the music. Like many musicians, both Sparrow and Smith are involved in multiple projects. Sparrow also leads a group called Sparrow and Her Wingmen, which draws from some of the same influences that color Resonant Rogues’ music. But she sees a sharp distinction between the two. “Sparrow and Her Wingmen is specifically focused on vintage jazz,” she explains. “Resonant Rogues play some vintage jazz tunes — that’s part of our influence — but it’s not the focus of the band.” Keeping in mind the various folk styles that stirred her psyche as she wrote new songs — compositions that still feel steeped in history and world travel — Sparrow adds, “Our focus is on original music.” X

WHERE Isis Music Hall 743 Haywood Road isisasheville.com WHEN Saturday, May 6, 9 p.m. $10

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A&E

by Doug Gibson

doug@douggibsonwriter.com

ROGUE REVIS Local YA author launches a ‘Star Wars’ novel

THE FORCE IS STRONG: Author Beth Revis is pictured here at the Lucasfilm offices in San Francisco. “Every single person I met there was passionate about Star Wars,” she says. The local writer, a skilled user of social media, changed her Twitter handle to @RogueRevis in advance of the release of her Star Wars-themed novel. Author photo courtesy of Revis Best-selling author (and Western North Carolina fixture) Beth Revis has never, she says, lost her cool in front of her agent. But last spring, when that literary agent let her know that film and TV production company Lucasfilm wanted her to write a young adult novel based on the Star Wars universe, Revis couldn’t help herself. “She said, ‘Have you ever heard of this? Do you have any interest?’ and I was just screaming on the phone,” Revis remembers. “I told my agent, ‘Yes, of course! I’ll do it for free.’ And she said, ‘Don’t talk to them until I get the contract!’” Revis says she doesn’t know how Lucasfilm selected her to write Star Wars: Rebel Rising, a novel depicting the early life of Rogue One protagonist Jyn Erso. But for many familiar with YA science fiction, the local author seems a natural fit.

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“Her die-hard sci-fi fans are most assuredly crossover Star Wars enthusiasts, too,” says Amy Cherrix, an author, editor and bookseller at Malaprop’s. The local bookstore will hold a launch event for Rebel Rising on Thursday, May 4 — a signal date for Star Wars fans, who have adopted it as “May the Fourth Be With You,” a day to celebrate all things Star Wars. Cherrix is thrilled that Malaprop’s will host the release, which will feature a costume contest, prize drawings and other fun activities, along with books based on the far-flung franchise. “To be able to do that while also celebrating an incredibly talented local author at your community bookstore makes the event so much more fun for everybody,” Cherrix says. “It just really feels like the ultimate hometown Star Wars party.”

It’s a celebration now, but creating a backstory for Jyn Erso presented Revis with some new challenges. “I always wanted to write for Star Wars,” she says, and confesses that some of her earliest memories are of “putting my hair up in Princess Leia buns and beating my brother with a plastic light saber.” But the prospect of actually creating Star Wars canon — new aspects of the beloved universe that creators working after her will have to take note of — was, she says, “amazing and terrifying at the same time because I don’t want to let anyone down.” Revis took the challenge seriously: After meeting in San Francisco with the Lucasfilm writer group, “I came home immediately and wrote until my fingers fell off,” she says. Revis had two months to create a draft, but she finished it in just one. As Revis worked, however, she took pains to research the history, the settings and all the tiny details of Republic and Empire life that previous writers had established over the franchise’s 40-year history. At times, Revis says, it was like writing a historical novel — or the story of a real person. “It almost felt like I was writing the biography

of somebody who happened to live in a galaxy a long, long time ago.” Nevertheless, Revis sees Jyn Erso as an authentic YA protagonist. After all, her story — that of a rebellious soul coming of age under a totalitarian empire — dovetails with Revis’ other books. Both her generation sci-fi trilogy Across the Universe and her contemporary novel A World Without You, about a family dealing with their son’s mental illness, depict teens in dire situations tapping into their resiliency. “Dystopian novels are never about the darkness, but about the people who fight the darkness,” Revis says. “And that’s something that’s very true of YA — and of Star Wars.” X

WHAT Beth Revis launches Star Wars: Rebel Rising WHERE Malaprop’s Bookstore 55 Haywood St. malaprops.com WHERE Thursday, May 4, 7 p.m.

M O U N TA I N X P R E S S P R E S E N T S :

Older Americans Week! • Active Aging • Oral Histories

A Special Issue Coming May 17th

• Staying Connected • Chronic Disease • Lifelong Learning • Post-retirement Careers

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SMART BETS

A&E

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

Aaron Woody Wood Appalachian rocker Aaron Woody Wood will celebrate the release of his latest album Sunshine with a performance at The Grey Eagle. “I feel like I’ve settled into my own style now,” Wood says. “These songs were recorded with almost no fixes of any kind. I wanted a record that would show my beauty marks and all.” It’s a style he’s refined over the decades, influenced by his father, contemporary bluegrass legend A.L. Wood, and his performances with such iconic musicians as Santana, Alabama and The Avett Brothers. Wood will perform the new songs from Sunshine, as well as his back catalog favorites and covers, at the release party. “It will be funky and country and rockin’ like most stuff I do,” says Wood of the show, which takes place on Saturday, May 6, at 9 p.m. $8/$10. thegreyeagle.com. Photo by Bill Reynolds

French Broad River Festival The 20th annual French Broad River Festival celebrates the biggest river of our region with three days of music and outdoor sports. This year’s festival will include whitewater raft and mountain bike races, an opportunity to “Paddle with the Pro” open canoe legend Eli Helbert, an expanded kids village and live music from regional artists like Snake Oil Medicine Show and Empire Strikes Brass. “With Cinco de Mayo, you may see a Mariachi band wander through your campsite and some festive hats and some other surprises in celebration of the 20th anniversary,” notes organizer Sid Border. The festival returns to Hot Springs Campground & Resort Friday-Sunday, May 5-7. $105 weekend pass with camping/$75 weekend pass/$65 Saturday only/$45 whitewater rafting. frenchbroadriverfestival.com. Photo courtesy of Snake Oil Medicine Show

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Lingua Franca Lingua Franca (the stage name of Athens, Ga.-based hip-hop and spoken word artist Mariah Parker) found her path while studying creative writing at Warren Wilson College. “Asheville was the perfect place to explore my tastes, to come out of the closet, to embrace my natural hair — I learned to love so many of my quirks because I felt unafraid living there,” she says. She views her upcoming performance at The Mothlight as both a homecoming and an opportunity to explore the black music scene she missed before: “Athens has a crazy vibrant scene, but I’m interested to probe the perspectives of Asheville artists, compare and contrast our music cultures, and maybe take some insight home with me.” Lucianna Ania and Spaceman Jones will join Lingua Franca at The Mothlight on Saturday, May 6, at 9:30. $8. themothlight.com. Photo courtesy of Lingua Franca

The Amazing Acro-Cats Samantha Martin, the animal trainer behind performance troupe The Amazing Acro-Cats, received her introduction to the business through an unlikely antipode: rats. After initial success with The Acro-Rats, Martin realized she needed a more appealing animal to take her show on the road. Cats were the answer. She’s trained her gang of stray and orphaned felines to jump, scurry and even perform musical numbers on command. With appearances on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl,” these kitties — including members of Tuna and the Rock Cats, the world’s only all-cat (and one chicken) band — are no strangers to the spotlight. Martin has also helped 200 homeless cats and kittens find homes. Catch The Amazing Acro-Cats on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m. at Diana Wortham Theatre. $19-$39. circuscats. com. Photo courtesy of the artists

A& E CA L E N DA R

by Abigail Griffin

‘FRAGMENTS OF FRANKENSTEIN’: Asheville School’s fine arts program presents “Fragments of Frankenstein,” an original multimedia adaptation of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, imagined through dance, original music and poetry, film and large-scale art installation. Docents guide audience members through a series of settings, or “fragments,” which seek to capture the essence of Shelly’s novel through conceptual enactments of major scenes. The collaborative performance is created entirely by Asheville School students and faculty members. Performances take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 11-13. For full performance schedule and registration, visit goo.gl/TQdmhA. Photo courtesy of Asheville School (p. 73) ART GALLERY OF THE MOUNTAINS Inside the Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave. • FR (5/5), 1-5pm - Metalsmith Jeri Bartley demonstrates copper stamping & texturing on jewelry. Free to attend. BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • TH (5/4), 7pm - "A Living Museum," presentation by George Scheer about hidden histories in art and his work fostering creative communities at the intersection of aesthetics and social change. $5/Free for members.

CENTRAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH 27 Church St., 253-3316, centralumc.org • SUNDAYS through (7/15), 9am12:30pm - Nature’s Apothecary, exhibition of textile art by Mountain Art Quilters. Free to attend. DOWNTOWN ASHEVILLE FIRST FRIDAY ART WALKS downtownashevilleartdistrict.org. • 1st FRIDAYS, 5-8pm - Selfguided gallery tour with more than 25 galleries participating within a half mile radius of historic downtown Asheville. Free to attend. Held at Downtown Asheville, Biltmore Ave/College St. GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 253-7651, grovewood.com • WE (5/10) through SA (5/13) Biltmore Industries history tour.

Online schedule of tours: grovewood.com/history-tours. Free to attend. MCDOWELL TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE 54 College Drive Marion, 652-6021, mcdowelltech.edu • TH (5/4), 4-7pm - Graphic design and photography student art showcase. Featuring program tours, demonstrations and miniseminars. Free. THE CENTER FOR CRAFT, CREATIVITY AND DESIGN 67 Broadway, 785-1357, craftcreativitydesign.org/ • FR (5/5), 6:30pm - "The Life and Work of Harvey Littleton," a conversation with Kate Vogel and John Littleton. Free. TRYON ARTS AND CRAFTS SCHOOL 373 Harmon Field Road, Tryon, 859-8323

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• FR (5/5), 6-9pm - "Acting A Monologue," workshop. $40/$35 students. • SA (5/6), 10am-noon - Coffee & Crafts: "Juicy Bits Fused Glass Jewelry," workshop. $40. • TH (5/11), 6-7pm - Crossroads, exhibit artists panel discussion. Free.

ART/CRAFT FAIRS ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES SHOW (PD.) Antique rare vintage wristwatches at the Asheville Outlets Antiques and Collectibles Show, Sunday, May 7, 10:00 – 6:00 pm FOUR M ACRES EVENTS 7 Long Lane, 712-3501, fourmacresevents.com • SA (5/6), - Art and craft market with local vendors. More information: facebook.com/ events/1887580398129083/. Free to attend. WESTERN NC QUILTERS GUILD westernncquilters.org • FR (5/5), 10am-5pm & SA (5/6), 10am-4pm - "A Garden of Quilts," juried quilt show with over 100 quilts. $5. Held at

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by Abigail Griffin

Bonclarken Conference Center, 500 Pine Drive, Flat Rock WNC YARN CRAWL wncyarncrawl.com • TH (5/11) through SU (5/14) Self-guided tour of WNC yarn stores. Visit the website for locations and events. Free to attend.

AUDITIONS & CALL TO ARTISTS BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER 56 Broadway, 350-8484, blackmountaincollege.org • Through WE (7/12) - Papers and proposals accepted for the annual ReVIEWING Black Mountain College conference. Contact for full guidelines. FOOTHILLS FOLK ART FESTIVAL facebook.com/ FoothillsFolkArtFestival • Through FR (9/1) - Applications accepted for The Foothills Folk Art Festival. See website for full guidelines. THE AUTUMN PLAYERS 6861380, www,ashevilletheatre.org,

caroldec25@gmail.com • TU (5/9), 10:30am-2:30pm - Open auditions for All My Sons, by Arthur Miller. Held at 35below, 35 E. Walnut St. TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 8842787, tcarts.org • Through MO (5/15) Photograph submissions accepted for the annual White Squirrel Photo Contest. Contact for full guidelines.

MUSIC ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY CHAMBER CHORUS ashevillesymphonychorus.com • FR (5/5), 7:30pm - “Love’s Longing,” concert. $15. Held at First Presbyterian Church, 40 Church St AMICIMUSIC 802-369-0856, amicimusic.org • FR (5/5), 7:30pm - "Virtuoso Violin," concert with violinist Roseminna Watson and pianist Daniel Weiser. $20 for general and $15 for Church members. Held at All Souls Cathedral, 9 Swan St.

• SA (5/6), 7:30pm - "Virtuoso Violin," concert with violinist Roseminna Watson and pianist Daniel Weiser. $35. Register for house concert location. Held at a private home. Register for location. DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • FR (5/5), 8pm - Free Planet Radio, world music. $35/$30 student/$20 children. • SA (5/6), 8pm - Susan Werner, folk/jazz/pop. $32; Student $27; Child $20. • MO (5/8), 7:30pm - Snatam Kaur, sacred music concert. $37.50 and up. FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE 2661 Highway 225, Flat Rock, 693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • WEDNESDAYS through SUNDAYS until (5/13) - "Smokey Joe’s Cafe," musical revue featuring the songs of Leiber & Stoller. Wed. & Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. Wed., Thurs., Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $15 and up. FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE DOWNTOWN 125 S. Main St., Hendersonville, 693-0731, flatrockplayhouse.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (5/4) until (5/14) - Music on the Rock presents "The Music of Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison." Thurs.-Sat.: 8pm. Sun.: 2pm. $15-$30. • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS (3/30) until (4/9) - "The Music of Simon & Garfunkel." Thurs.: 7:30pm. Fri. & Sat.: 8pm. Sat. & Sun.: 2pm. $30. HENDERSON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 697-4725 • TH (5/11), 3pm - Shaped-note singing presentation by Dan Huger. Free. HENDERSONVILLE CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES 808-2314, hendersonvillechambermusic.org • SU (5/7), 3pm - Pianist Fabio Parrini in concert with violist Miles Hoffman. $25. Held at First Congregational UCC of Hendersonville, 1735 5th Ave. W., Hendersonville HENDERSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 697-5884, hendersonvillesymphony.org • SU (5/7), 2pm - Hendersonville Symphony Children's Choir spring concert. Free. Held at First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville, 204 6th Ave., West Hendersonville

HONEYRUNPRODUCTIONS 100 Hanlon Mountain Rd. Leicester, 989-6263 • TH (5/11), 7pm - Steve Cormier singing and storytelling concert. Registration: 828-989-6263. $15. OLLI AT UNCA 251-6140, olliasheville.com • FR (5/5) & SA (5/6), 7pm - The Reuter Center Singers to perform the music of James Taylor and Carole King. Free. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road PAN HARMONIA 254-7123, panharmonia.org • TH (5/4), 7pm - "Celebrate Cinco de Mayo," latin sounds concert featuring works by Paquito D’Rivera, Astor Piazzola, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Osvaldo LaCerda and Omar Acosta. Free. Held at Harry’s on the Hill, 819 Patton Ave • FR (5/5), 7:30pm - "Celebrate Cinco de Mayo," latin sounds concert featuring works by Paquito D’Rivera, Astor Piazzola, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Osvaldo LaCerda and Omar Acosta. Free. Held at St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St., Black Mountain ST. MARK'S LUTHERAN CHURCH 10 North Liberty St., 253 0043 • TU (5/11), 7pm - Stephen Lynerd Group, sacred jazz concert. Free.

THEATER 35BELOW 35 E. Walnut St., 254-1320, ashevilletheatre.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS (5/5) until (5/21) - The Realistic Joneses, produced by Ellipsis Theater Company. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2:30pm. $18. ANAM CARA THEATRE 545-3861, anamcaratheatre.com • FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS until (5/6), 8pm - Prairie Fire. $20/$16 advance. Held at Toy Boat Community Art Space, 101 Fairview Road, Suite B ASHEVILLE CREATIVE ARTS 914-830-3000, ashevillecreativearts.org/ • SA (5/6) 3pm - Bugs!, multimedia play produced by Jonesalee, Inc. Registration: info@ashevillecreativearts.org. Admission by donation. Held at The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St. BREVARD LITTLE THEATRE 55 E. Jordan St., Brevard, 8842587, TheBrevardLittleTheatre.org

• FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (5/7) - Agnes of God. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 3pm. $18. CHRIST SCHOOL 500 Christ School Road, Arden • TH (5/11) through SU (5/14) - "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind," 30 plays in 60 minutes. Free. CITY OF MORGANTON MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM 401 South College St. Morganton, 433-SHOW, commaonline.org • TH (5/4), 7:30pm - Artrageous, interactive art and music experience with live performers. $20-$26.

Yes, real cats!

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE 2 S. Pack Square, 257-4530, dwtheatre.com • SU (5/7), 2pm - The Amazing Acro-cats, theatrical show featuring trained acrobatic cats. $24/$22 children/$39 prime seating. HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY THEATRE 229 S. Washington St., Hendersonville, 692-1082, hendersonvillelittletheater.org • FRIDAYS through SUNDAYS until (5/14) - Man of La Mancha. Fri. & Sat.: 7:30pm. Sun.: 2pm. Fridays and Saturday 7:30 p.m. Sundays 2 p.m. $26/$20 student/$15 youth. THE ASHEVILLE SCHOOL 360 Asheville School Road, 2546345, ashevilleschool.org • TU (5/9), TH (5/11) & FR (5/12), 7pm & 8:30pm & SU (5/13), 2pm & 3:30pm - Fragments of Frankenstein, original multimedia dance, music, poetry, film, and large-scale art installation. Registration: goo.gl/6hRq3b. Free to attend. THE MAGNETIC THEATRE 375 Depot St., 279-4155 • THURSDAYS through SATURDAYS until (5/6), 7:30pm - Mountain Art Theatre presents Stupid F**cking Bird. $16. • 1st FRIDAYS, 10:30pm SuperHappy Productions present "The SuperHappy Radio Hour." $8. TRYON LITTLE THEATER 516 S. Trade St., Tryon, 8592466, tltinfo.org • THURSDAYS through SUNDAYS until (5/7) - Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, mature comedy. Thurs.-Sat.: 8pm. Sun.: 3pm. $16/$11 students.

Diana Wortham Theatre 5/7 • 2pm show Tickets $24-39 available online or at the door.

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GALLERY DIRECTORY APPALACHIAN PASTEL SOCIETY appalachianpastelsociety.org • TH (5/4) through SA (6/17) - Big Little Paintings, exhibtion of works by the Appalachian Pastel Society. Reception: Thrusday, May 11, 6:30-8:30pm. Held at BlackBird Frame & Art, 365 Merrimon Ave.

PINK DOG CREATIVE 348 Depot St., pinkdog-creative.com • Through SA (5/27) - Modern American Photographs, exhibition of photography by Kora Manheimer. POSANA CAFE 1 Biltmore Ave., 505-3969 • Through SA (7/15) Hats, group exhibition of 18 artists.

ART AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY mhu.edu • Through SA (5/13) MHU senior student art exhibition. • TH (5/4) through SU (5/28) - Shelter on the Mountain: Barns and Building Traditions of the Southern Highlands, exhibition of photographs by Taylor Barnhill. Artist presentation: Thursday, May 4, 7:30pm. Lecture held in Blackwell Hall. Exhibit held in the Rural Heritage Museum

RURAL HERITAGE MUSEUM AT MARS HILL 100 Athletic St., Mars Hill, 689-1304 • TH (5/4) through WE (5/31) - Shelter on the Mountain: Barns and Building Traditions of the Southern Highlands, exhibit. Presentation: Thursday, May 4, 7:30pm. SWANNANOA VALLEY MUSEUM 223 W State St., Black Mountain, 669-9566, history. swannanoavalleymuseum. org • Through (12/1) Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America's Great Public Spaces, exhibition.

ART AT UNCA art.unca.edu • Through SU (4/28) Study Abroad Photo Contest, winning photographs exhibition. Held in the Blowers Gallery in Ramsey Library ASHEVILLE AREA ARTS COUNCIL 258-0710, ashevillearts.com • Through FR (5/12) - Plein Air: Magic and Mystery, exhibition of works by Lisa Blackshear. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. • Through FR (5/12) The Art of Portraiture: An Exploration of Modern Photography. Held at The Refinery, 207 Coxe Ave. ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM 253-3227, ashevilleart.org • Through FR (6/30) - Exhibition of silver works by William Waldo Dodge, Jr. Held at Wells Fargo Downtown Asheville, 1 Haywood St, Asheville ASHEVILLE GALLERY OF ART 82 Patton Ave., 2515796, ashevillegallery-of-art. com

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

ARTISTS WELCOME SPRING: Tucked away on the second floor of The Wedge Studios is whiteSpace, the working gallery of artists Sandra Bottinelli, Lissa Friedman, Mark Harmon and Melanie Norris. These diverse painters are in the midst of their spring art show, Thallo: Four Artists Welcome Spring, which uses Thallo, the Greek goddess of spring, as its inspiration. The show continues through Wednesday, May 31, and features several new works that radiate the seasonal colors, by each of the artists. For more information visit, whitespacewedge.com. Remembering, painting by Lissa Friedman courtesy of the organizers. • Through WE (5/31) Light + Line, paintings by Sandra Brugh Moore. Reception: Friday, May 5, 5-8pm. BEAUTY BAR 800 Fairview Road, Suite AA, 545-1970 • Through TH (6/1) That's How the Light Gets In, exhibition of photography by Bonnie Cooper and Don McGowan. BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS 225 W. State St., Black Mountain, 669-0930, blackmountainarts.org • Through FR (5/12) - Orchestration, installation by Julia C. Burr.

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BUNCOMBE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES buncombecounty.org/ governing/depts/library • Through WE (5/25) Exhibition of paintings by PK Barratt. Held at West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Road • Through WE (5/31) Storybook Characters on Parade, exhibit of original, mixed media art dolls created by Go Figure. Held at Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL RESOURCES WESTERN OFFICE 176 Riceville Road, 296-7230 • Through SA (5/6) Mentors and Heroes, photography exhibit by David Holt.

DOWNTOWN BOOKS & NEWS 67 N. Lexington Ave., 348-7615, downtownbooksandnews. com • Through TH (6/8) Exhibition of the works of Suzanne Teune. GROVEWOOD GALLERY 111 Grovewood Road, 253-7651, grovewood.com • Through SU (5/21) Visions of Nature, paintings by Brad Stroman. HENDERSON COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM 1 Historic Courthouse Square Hendersonville, 694-1619, hendersoncountymuseum. org

• SA (5/6) through SA (12/16) - The Vagabond Players, exhibition of Flat Rock Playhouse Vagabond Players memorabilia. HENDERSON COUNTY LIBRARY 301 N. Washington St., Hendersonville, 6974725, henderson.lib.nc.us • WE (5/3) through WE (5/31) - Why I March, exhibition of art from people who marched in the Women's March in January. Reception: Wednesday, May 3, 6-7:30pm. LONDON DISTRICT STUDIOS 8 London Road • Through TU (5/9)

- Following the Stars to Freedom, exhibition featuring the art nouveau paintings of Heather Shirin. MADISON COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL 90 S. Main St., Marshall, 649-1301, madisoncountyarts.com • FR (5/5), through WE (5/31) - The Barns of Madison County, photography exhibition. Reception: Friday, May 5, 5:30-7:30pm. MOUNTAIN MADRE 13 Walnut St. • TU (4/18) through MO (7/31) - Octopus Art Exhibition, works by Tessa Lang.

THE GALLERY AT FLAT ROCK 702-A Greenville Highway, Flat Rock, 698-7000, galleryflatrock.com/ • Through SU (5/14) - Temporal Witness: Tracing Nature's Path, exhibition featuring works by Alice Ballard, Christina Laurel and Rosamond Purcell. TRANSYLVANIA COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCIL 349 S. Caldwell St., Brevard, 884-2787, tcarts.org • FR (5/5) through FR (5/26) - The Other Side, group art exhibition. WHITESPACE 129 Roberts St. (upstairs at Wedge Studios) • Through WE (5/31) - Thallo: Four Artists Welcome Spring, group exhibition. Contact the galleries for admission hours and fees

CLUBLAND HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Woody Wood Wednesdays (rock, soul, funk), 5:30PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Music on the patio w/ Rob Parks & friends (outlaw country), 5:00PM Ray Chesna, 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM JUICY LUCY'S BURGER BAR AND GRILL Acoustic Jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Salsa Night, 10:00PM

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Redleg Husky (country, bluegrass), 6:00PM

SALVAGE STATION RnB Wednesday Jam Night! w/ Ryan "RnB" Barber & friends, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Tessia Doerfler, 7:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Mark Bumgarner, 7:00PM BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM BYWATER Well Lit Strangers (bluegrass), 8:00PM

CORK & KEG Jesse Lege Cajun dance party, 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Open mic jam w/ Riyen Roots & friends, 7:00PM CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (hot swing jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Billy Litz (Americana, soul), 9:00PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ the Saylor Brothers (bluegrass), 6:30PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open Mic Night, 6:00PM

CROW & QUILL Carolina Catskins (rowdy ragtime jazz), 10:00PM

FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB King Garbage (soul, funk), 9:00PM

PISGAH BREWING COMPANY K Phillips, 6:00PM

185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 6:00PM

CORK & KEG The Gypsy Swingers (Gypsy jazz, Latin, bossa nova), 8:30PM

ODDITORIUM Drag Night, 9:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Bonobo w/ Chrome Sparks [SOLD OUT], 9:00PM

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Peyton Rodeffer & J.W. Teller, 7:00PM

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Steve Everett, 6:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING Katie Kuffel (soul), 9:00PM

WEDNESDAY, MAY 3

BONFIRE BARBECUE Social Function, 8:30PM

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

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:30PM

PICTURE OF THE PAST: Jeff Howlett gained acclaim for his 2012 documentary A Band Called Death, but for the past few years, the photographer and documentarian has focused on an older art form: 19th century tintype photography. Paired with ragtime jazz band The Roaring Lions, Howlett brings this vintage style to the Crow & Quill on Saturday, May 6 for a special evening of old-time photo fun, beginning at 5 p.m. Photo courtesy of event promoters.

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Patrick Fitzsimons (roots music), 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Bob Loiacono (folk, rock), 5:00PM Michael & Gary's Dance Party (blues, swing, cha cha), 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Sean Rowe w/ Faye Webster (singersongwriter, folk, alt. rock), 9:00PM TOWN PUMP Open Mic w/ Billy Presnell, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Wide Screen Wednesday's, 7:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Rock the Taste, 5:00PM The Core, 7:30PM WILD WING CAFE Jeff Anders & Friends (acoustic), 6:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH J Luke (acoustic), 6:00PM

THURSDAY, MAY 4

GOOD STUFF Madison Patriot Jazz Band [POSTPONED], 6:00PM HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS Comedy Open Mic, 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY East Side Social Ride, 6:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Jay Brown & Friends and The Appalucians, 7:00PM Adrian Belew Power Trio, 8:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Open Jam Session, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Heavy Night w/ DJ Butch, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hank Bones ("The man of 1,000 songs"), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Tides w/ Sidewalk Surfers (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Shakey's Karaoke, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Mitch's Totally Rad Trivia, 6:30PM Ascentient w/ Cut Rugs & Mycorr (electronic), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Sarah Tucker, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Waka Flocka Flame (hip hop), 9:00PM PACK'S TAVERN Jeff Anders & Justin Burrell (acoustic rock), 8:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY The Appalucians (family show, Americana), 4:00PM CBDB w/ Roots of a Rebellion, 8:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Pleasure Chest (blues, rock, soul), 8:00PM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Louise Mosrie & Cliff Eberhardt, 7:30PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Will Ray & The Space Cooties, 7:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Hart Bothwell, 7:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Alien Music Club (live jazz), 10:00PM

SCANDALS NIGHTCLUB Dance Club w/ DJ & drag show, 10:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

CLU B LA N D

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Vinyl Night, 6:30PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Unite! Open Mic Night w/ Jack Sley (sign-up @ 7pm), 8:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Tricky Trivia w/ Sue, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT May the Fourth Be With You w/ The Deep End (improv comedy), 8:00PM THE SOUTHERN CAKE Comedy Tour w/ Carrie Gravenson, Abbi Crutchfield, Kaytlin Bailey & Erin Judge, 9:00PM

Free Live Music 5/03 wed

sean rowe

5/04 thu

the deep end presents:

THU - 5/4 • 6:30 PM LINDA MITCHELL (JAZZ) FRI - 5/5 • 8:30 PM JEFF SIPE’S KAIZEN (JAM) SAT - 5/6 • 8:30 PM THE PAPER CROWNS (DEAD)

w/ faye webster

may the 4th be with you:

a night of intergalactic improv comedy

5/05

fri

5/06

sat

cinco de mayo flamenco dance party

malasaña

lingua franca w/ spaceman jones, lucianna ania

5/07 sun 5/08

#headupcountry

weedeater

w/ horseflesh, uktena

mon free monday!

thresher

free!

w/ sapiens slugly

OPEN DAILY 11:30AM UNTIL MIDNIGHT 1042 HAYWOOD RD. ASHEVILLE, NC 28806 828.575.2400 • UPCOUNTRYBREWING.COM

ENJOY $5 OFF

Tues., Thurs., and Sat. 11:30am

Yoga at the Mothlight

Signature & Sandwiches

Details for all shows can be found at

Coupon Not Valid With Any Other Offer. Expires 05-24-17

themothlight.com

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

Daily Specials SUNDAY FUNDAY

$12 BURGER & BEER

NACHO AVERAGE MONDAY

SPECIALTY NACHOS/OLD TIME JAM

TUESDAY TACOS & TAPS

ON TACOS & SELECT HOUSE PINTS

WEDNESDAY WINGS & ‘GRASS DISCOUNT WINGS & EARLY BLUEGRASS SHOW

THURSDAY FOOD & FRETS

EARLY DINNER SHOW & KIDS EAT FREE (WITH PURCHASE OF EACH REGULAR MEAL)

TOWN PUMP Redleg Husky, 6:00PM John the Revelator (blues, rock), 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Jesse Barry & The Jam (live music, dance), 9:00PM WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Darren Nicholson (bluegrass, Americana), 6:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Unplugged w/Ashley Heath, 8:00PM

FRIDAY, MAY 5 185 KING STREET John Nemeth & The Blue Dreamers (blues, soul, R&B), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Jason Moore & Mutual Feels (jazz, funk), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE The Mug (blues, rock, boogie), 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE Shannon McNally (blues, Americana), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Joe McMurrian (acoustic deep roots, blues), 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Electric Avenue (80s MTV experience), 5:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN COLLEGE MUSEUM & ARTS CENTER An afternoon w/ the Asheville Singers, 2:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Acoustic Swing, 7:00PM BYWATER FriDaze, 5:30PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Max Gross Weight, 7:00PM CORK & KEG James & Vivian Leva w/ Al Tharp (Appalachian music, singer-songwriter), 8:30PM CROW & QUILL Vendetta Creme (cabaret jazz), 9:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Free Planet Radio, 8:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Garage & Soul Obscurities w/ DJ Greg Cartwright, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Calvin Get Down (funk), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Salt of the Earth (folk), 6:00PM

GOOD STUFF The Karma Mechanics (rock), 8:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN The Freeway Revival w/ Nathan Robinson (blues, country, funk), 6:30PM MONO w/ Holy Sons (rock), 9:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY St. Paul & The Broken Bones w/ Lonnie Holley (soul, rock), 7:00PM Official After Party w/ LYRIC (pop, funk, soul), 10:00PM HOT SPRINGS CAMPGROUND & SPA French Broad River Festival w/ Keller Williams, Larry Keel Experience, Sol Driven Train, Empire Strikes Brass & more, All day ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL An evening w/ Cliff Eberhardt & Louise Mosrie, 7:00PM Fireside Collective CD release w/ Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Old Chevrolette Set (country, Americana), 9:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Rock 'n' Soul DJ, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Calico Moon, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE Ashli Rose, 8:00PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Billy Litz (soul, roots), 8:00PM MOE'S ORIGINAL BBQ WOODFIN Ashley Heath, 7:00PM NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Full Circle & SoGnar Present: Yheti & Soohan (electronic, experimental), 9:00PM

East Asheville’s Craft Beer Destination • 29 Taps

Featuring

Largest Selection of Craft Beer on Tap • 8 Wines 6 Sours on tap at all times!

5/4: Preyer Brewing Pint Night 5/11: Wine and Cheese Pairing 5/18: Skull Camp Brewing Pint Night 5/28: Beer Week Brewery Relay Race with Wicked Weed, Highland, & Hi-Wire!

On Tap! Tuesday Boardgame Night: $3.50 Pints

Karaoke Every Wed. 8pm New Menu by Homegrown! 2 Hendersonville Road P o u r Ta p R o o m . c o m Monday - Thursday 11am-11pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-1am • Sunday 12-11pm

Patio Opening Party

5/5

All Day!

ROOTS FEST BIRTHDAY BASH LIVE MUSIC

Free Admission & Prizes

May 6th • 6pm

We Cater On & Off Site!

8 Beverly Rd. Asheville, NC

Parties of 10+, please call ahead

ODDITORIUM Flower w/ Mr. Mange, Poet Radio & Shadow Show (rock), 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Fridays w/ members of Phuncle Sam, 5:00PM Free The Optimus presents: The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta (hip hop), 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING Liz Brasher & The Gentlemen of Rhythm, 9:00PM ORANGE PEEL Medicinal Americana w/ Todd Snider & Great American Taxi, 8:00PM PACK'S TAVERN DJ OCelate (dance hits, pop), 9:30PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Marcel Anton Band (jazz, blues, fusion), 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY King Possum, 8:00PM SCANDALS NIGHTCLUB Zumba in Da Club, 7:00PM SCARLET'S COUNTRY DANCE CLUB Open Mic night w/ Sam Warner, 8:00PM SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Cinco de Mayo Party, 11:30AM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE OUT AVL w/ Christy Snow (honky-tonk, R&B, benefit), 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Cinco de Mayo Flamenco Dance Party w/ Malasaña, 9:00PM THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL SOL Vibes presents: "Elevate" w/ Truth I Manifest, Smokifantastic, Bryan Divisions, OB1K & more, 9:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

CLU B LA N D

Where The Blue Ridge Mountains Meet the Celtic Isles

MONDAYS Quizzo – Brainy Trivia • 7:30pm Open Mic Night • 9pm TUESDAYS Zydeco Dance Party Free • 7pm Dance All Night! WEDNESDAYS Asheville’s Original Old Time Mountain Music Jam • 5pm THURSDAYS Mountain Feist • 7pm Bluegrass Jam • 9:30pm Bourbon Specials

FRI 5/5

OLD CHEVROLETTE SET

9PM / $5

LEE SAT PAUL KUPFER 5/6 9PM / $5 BAND FRI 5/12

TOWN PUMP The Lazybirds (blues, rock), 9:00PM

HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Peter Karp (roots, folk, blues), 7:00PM

THE RIDGE AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Sound Check Preparty w/ Live Animals, Cattzly b2b Vibe Emissions & more, 8:30PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Electro-Music Festival, 2:00PM WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Electric w/ DJ Capt EZ, 8:00PM

SATURDAY, MAY 6 185 KING STREET Dear Brother (bluegrass), 8:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR Nimbus (world music, dub, lounge), 6:00PM Jesse Barry & The Jam (blues, funk), 9:00PM 550 TAVERN & GRILLE Redleg Husky (country, bluegrass), 9:00PM ALTAMONT THEATRE An Evening w/ Yarn (Americana), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Hard Rocket, 7:30PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL An evening of music & comedy w/ Creed Bratton, 6:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Ryan Furstenberg (Americana, rock), 8:00PM BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Matt Sellars (Americana, blues, roots), 7:00PM BOILER ROOM Domination (kink event), 9:00PM BURIAL BEER CO. Sharpen the Blades, 12:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Heirlum, 7:00PM

DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Susan Werner, 8:00PM

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

95 PATTON at COXE • Downtown Asheville

252.5445 • jackofthewood.com

MOUNTAINX.COM

THE MOTHLIGHT Lingua Franca w/ Spaceman Jones & Lucianna Ania (hip hop), 9:30PM

9PM / $5

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

HABITAT TAVERN & COMMONS The Literary Circus spoken word & open mic, 7:00PM

CROW & QUILL Tintype Photography & The Roaring Lions (jazz), 9:00PM

SAT LANEY JONES & 5/13 THE SPIRITS

THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Encore Dance Competition, All day

WHISKEY BENT VALLEY

HARD-DRIVING TRADITIONAL TUNES

Send your listings to clubland@mountainx.com

DOUBLE CROWN Pitter Platter w/ DJ Big Smidge (50's/60's R&B, rock 'n' roll), 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Sean Mason and the Madmen (funk, jam), 10:00PM FRENCH BROAD BREWERY Jackson Wellhouse (blues, southern rock), 6:00PM FROG LEVEL BREWERY Bend & Brew, 11:00AM

ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Resonant Rogues CD release w/ Lost Dog Street Band, 9:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Paul Lee Kupfer Band, 9:00PM LAZOOM ROOM Beyonce's Baby Shower, 8:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Sonic Satan Stew w/ DJ Alien Brain, 10:00PM

THE SUMMIT AT NEW MOUNTAIN AVL Honky Tonk Nights (live music & DJ), 10:00PM THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Encore Dance Competition, All day TOWN PUMP Born Again Heathens (celt, punk), 9:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Sean Mason Trio (jazz), 6:30PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Free Flow (funk, soul), 10:00PM

NEW BELGIUM BREWERY Battle of the Bands w/ Carolina Wray & Ian Ridenhour, 2:00PM

URBAN ORCHARD Kentucky Derby Soiree, 4:00PM

NEW MOUNTAIN THEATER/ AMPHITHEATER Sharon Jones Birthday Tribute, 10:00PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Asheville Electro-Music Festival, 2:00PM

ODDITORIUM Mortal Man w/ Neverfall, Demon Eye & Gnarl Scar (metal), 9:00PM

WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT HOTEL WXYZ Live w/ the Lefties, 8:00PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Oskar Blues Putt Putt, 2:00PM Saturday Night Fever, 10:00PM

SUNDAY, MAY 7

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Aaron Lebos Reality (jazz, rock), 10:00PM

185 KING STREET Sunday Sessions open jam, 4:00PM

ONE WORLD BREWING 2nd Annual All Prince Dance Party, 9:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Eleanor Underhill & friends (Americana, soul), 7:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Spoon w/ Tennis (indie, rock), 8:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Guitar Bar Jam, 3:30PM

PACK'S TAVERN The Big Deal Band (bluegrass, covers), 9:30PM

BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Sunday Jazz Brunch, 11:00AM

PURPLE ONION CAFE Lazybirds, 8:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Billy Litz (soul, roots), 7:00PM

SALVAGE STATION Grateful Saturday w/ Free Dead Crew, 5:00PM Live Dead '69, 9:00PM

DARK CITY DELI Redleg Husky (country, bluegrass), 3:00PM

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Yoga w/ Cats with Blue Ridge Humane Society, 10:00AM Be The Moon, 8:00PM SCANDALS NIGHTCLUB Dance Club w/ DJ & drag show, 10:00PM SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. Sierra Nevada After-Nooner Series, 2:00PM

GOOD STUFF JC Tokes (singer-songwriter, alt. country, honky-tonk), 8:00PM Mitch Hayes (singer-songwriter, folk, rock), 9:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Healing Arts Resiliency Hub, 3:00PM Conscious Comedy Night, 7:00PM Latin Rhythms & Salsa w/ DJ Malinalli, 10:00PM

GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN An evening w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood & friends, 9:00PM

THE BOATHOUSE RIVERSIDE PAVILION 2nd Annual Soul Shakedown by the River, 6:00PM

DOUBLE CROWN Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM FLOOD GALLERY FINE ART CENTER True Home Open-Mic (music, poetry, comedy), 5:00PM GOOD STUFF Joe Penland (storytelling, mountain music), 3:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Reggae Sunday w/ Dennis "Chalwa" Berndt, 1:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL AmiciMusic presents: "Violin Virtuoso" (classical), 5:30PM Phantom Pop w/ Metaphonia & Supatight, 7:30PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Traditional Celtic Jam Session, 3:00PM

LAZY DIAMOND Punk Night w/ DJ Chubberbird & Hard Mike, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Hunnilicious, 6:30PM LUELLA'S BAR-B-QUE BILTMORE PARK Gypsy Jazz Brunch w/ Leo Johnson, 12:00PM MG ROAD HADAYA 'Taste of India' Benefit, 6:00PM ODDITORIUM 90s Dance Party w/ DJ NICKIE, 9:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Bluegrass brunch w/ Aaron "Woody" Wood, 11:00AM ORANGE PEEL Waltz Night, 6:00PM PISGAH BREWING COMPANY Sunday Paper Crowns Jam, 6:00PM PURPLE ONION CAFE Sol Driven Train, 7:00PM ROOTS AND FRUITS MARKET Summer Brunch Series w/ King Garbage, 11:00AM SALVAGE STATION Chelsea Paolini, 3:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Laura Thurston (folk, Americana, bluegrass), 2:00PM Jordan Okrend (rock, soul), 6:00PM SCANDALS NIGHTCLUB Miss Scandals Pageant (drag event), 9:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Searra Jade (singer-songwriter, fundraiser for Community Roots), 7:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT UNC Asheville Jazz and Contemporary Music Ensemble, 3:00PM Weedeater w/ Horseflesh & Uktena (metal, rock), 9:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM THOMAS WOLFE AUDITORIUM Encore Dance Competition, All day TOWN PUMP Genna & Jesse (retro soul pop), 9:00PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN AmiciMusic: Night In Vienna, 2:00PM Roy "Futureman" Wooten & Kevin Spears, 7:30PM WICKED WEED BREWING Summer Concert Series, 4:00PM

MONDAY, MAY 8 185 KING STREET Open Mic Night w/ Chris Whitmire, 6:00PM 5 WALNUT WINE BAR The Rahm Trio (funk, jazz), 8:00PM ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Classical Guitar Mondays, 8:00PM BYWATER Open mic, 7:00PM Spin Jam (local DJs and fire-spinning), 9:00PM CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Musicians in the Round Jam, 5:30PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Trivia night, 7:00PM DIANA WORTHAM THEATRE Snatam Kaur (sacred music), 7:30PM DOUBLE CROWN Country karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM

COMING SOON wed 5/3

7:00PM–RAY CHESNA

2017

5-9PM–ALL YOU CAN EAT SNOW CRAB LEGS

6:30-9PM–MUSIC ON THE PATIO (FREE) thu 5/4 7:00PM–JAY BROWN & FRIENDS 8:30PM–ADRIAN BELEW

BEER WEEK

6:30-9PM–MUSIC ON THE PATIO

COMING SOON!

POWER TRIO

WITH THE WILD CARD TRIO (FREE) fri 5/5

6:30-9PM–CONCERT ON THE LAWN

WITH FREEWAY REVIVAL (FREE) 7:00PM–CLIFF EBERHARDT WITH LOUISE MOSRIE 9:00PM–FIRESIDE COLLECTIVE

CD RELEASE WITH HORSESHOES & HAND GRENADES sat 5/6

9:00PM-RESONANT ROGUES

Advertise@MountainX.com

TAVERN

CD RELEASE WITH FLY BY NIGHT ROUNDERS sun 5/7 – 5:30PM AMICIMUSIC PRESENTS

Downtown on the Park Eclectic Menu • Over 30 Taps • Patio 14 TV’s • Sports Room • 110” Projector Event Space • Shuffleboard Open 7 Days 11am - Late Night

“VIOLIN VIRTUOSO”

7:30PM–PHANTOM POP,

METAPHONIA, & SUPATIGHT

tue 5/9 – 7:30PM TUESDAY BLUEGRASS SESSIONS wed 5/10 7:00PM–THE COLLEEN RANEY BAND

5-9PM–ALL YOU CAN EAT SNOW CRAB LEGS

6:30-9PM–MUSIC ON THE PATIO (FREE) thu 5/11 7:00PM–LOW LILY 6:30-9PM–MUSIC ON THE PATIO

WITH THE WILD CARD TRIO (FREE) fri 5/12

7:00PM–AMY STEINBERG FAREWELL SHOW

9:00PM–AARON BURDETT

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USIC! LIVNEEVM E

R A CO VER CHARGE!

THU. 5/4 Jeff Anders & Justin Burrell ( acoustic rock)

FRI. 5/5 DJ OCelate

( dance hits, pop)

SAT. 5/6 The Big Deal Band ( bluegrass, covers)

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GOOD STUFF Songwriter's "open mic", 7:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Branches w/ Dear Brother (Americana, pop), 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Game Night, 4:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo Trivia Night, 7:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Bobby Miller and friends, 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Risque Monday Burlesque w/ Deb Au Nare (burlesque), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Honky Tonk Karaoke, 9:00PM OSKAR BLUES BREWERY Mountain Music Mondays (open jam), 6:00PM THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE The Rhythm & Blues Social Club w/ Joshua Singleton & Peggy Ratusz, 8:00PM THE IMPERIAL LIFE Ghost Pipe Trio (jazz), 9:00PM

THIS WEEK ONLY Friday • May 5th St. Paul and the Broken Bones Outdoor Show: 7pm Doors: 5:30pm $27 Advance - $32 day of show Tickets available for purchase here! After party with Lyric in the Event Center

Sunday • May 7th Solar Sunday with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Trivial trivia w/ Geoffrey & Brody, 8:00PM THE MOTHLIGHT Thresher w/ Sapiens & Slugly (post-hardcore, alt. rock), 9:00PM THE OMNI GROVE PARK INN Bob Zullo (rock, jazz, pop), 7:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Old Time Music Open Jam, 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Champian Fulton (jazz), 7:30PM

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Honky-tonk jam, 7:00PM

TUESDAY, MAY 9

JUICY LUCY'S BURGER BAR AND GRILL Trivia w/ DJ Cliff, 8:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR The John Henrys (hot jazz), 8:00PM

LOBSTER TRAP Jay Brown, 6:30PM

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Shag night, 6:00PM

ODDITORIUM Open Mic Comedy Night w/ Tom Peters, 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Gypsy Jazz Jam Tuesdays, 7:00PM ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Tuesday night funk jam, 11:00PM BLACK MOUNTAIN ALE HOUSE Trivia, 7:30PM

OLE SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday, 11:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Turntable Tuesdays, 10:00PM ONE WORLD BREWING TRIVIA! w/ Ol' Gilly, 7:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Ionize, 7:00PM

ORANGE PEEL Indigo Girls w/ Becky Warren (folk rock), 8:00PM

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

SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Taco and Trivia Tuesday, 6:00PM

CROW & QUILL Boogie Woogie Burger Night, 9:00PM Teach Me Equals (experimental string duo), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Honky-tonk, Western & Cajun night w/ DJ Brody Douglas Hunt, 10:00PM GOOD STUFF Old time-y night, 6:30PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Justin Townes Earle & The Sadies w/ Sammy Brue (Americana, folk, country), 8:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 6:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL Tuesday bluegrass sessions w/ Stig & friends, 7:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE Swing Asheville & Jazz-n-Justice Benefit Tuesday w/ Moonshine Rhythm Club (lessons @ 7 and 8 p.m.), 9:00PM Swing Asheville's Late-night Vintage Blues Dance, 11:00PM THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Open jam w/ Rob Parks & Chuck Knott, 7:00PM TOWN PUMP Chelsea Paolini & Matt Pless, 9:00PM TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Early Jazz & Funk Jam (funk, jazz), 9:00PM UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Open Mic w/ Chris O'Neill, 6:30PM WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish sessions & open mic, 6:30PM

Of Jethro Tull

$1 per pour will beneﬁt S.A.C.E., our Community Partner of the month

OPEN MIC

EVERY WEEK

NIGHT EVERY MONDAY 6PM

Mondays: $3 year-round and seasonal beers, and game night!

EXTENDED HOURS Monday-Thursday 3-9pm Friday-Saturday 12-10pm Sunday 12-6pm

12 Old Charlotte Hwy. Suite 200 Asheville, NC 28803 828-299-3370

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SAT SAT FRI THU TUE MON SAT FRI

Thursdays: East Side Social Ride- 6pm

Historic Live Music Venue Located At

185 CLINGMAN AVE • ASHEVILLE

5/5 MONO AARON “WOODY” TAQUERIA 5/6 WOOD & FRIENDS OPEN AT 11AM DAILY 5/8 BRANCHES TOWNES EARLE 5/9 +JUSTIN THE SADIES COMING SOON CARL PALMER’S ELP LEGACY 5/11 5/12 CARBON LEAF COMEDIAN JARROD HARRIS 5/13 5/13 JOE PURDY w/ Holy Sons

Album Release Show

An Evening With

w/ Dear Brother

w/ Sammy Brue

“EMERSON LAKE & PALMER LIVES ON TOUR!”

5/14: Holy F*ck

5/17: Tony Furtado

5/18: Robert Randolph and The Family Band w/ Luke Wade

w/ Me and My Brother

Funny Business Presents: w/ Lace Larrabee

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT

HARVEST RECORDS + THEGREYEAGLE.COM

Show: 7:00pm

Show: 9:30pm

5/19: Chris Pureka w/ The Harmaleighs

5/20: Dead Man Winter (Feat. Dave Simonett from Trampled By Turtles) w/ War Machine

WEDNESDAY, MAY 10

STRAIGHTAWAY CAFE Redleg Husky (country, bluegrass), 6:00PM

185 KING STREET Vinyl Night, 6:00PM

THE BLOCK OFF BILTMORE The Lazybirds (benefit for WNC ACLU), 9:00PM

5 WALNUT WINE BAR Les Amis (African folk), 8:00PM

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

550 TAVERN & GRILLE Karaoke, 8:00PM

TRESSA'S DOWNTOWN JAZZ AND BLUES Blues & Soul Jam (blues, soul), 9:00PM

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR Brad Hodge & friends (singer-songwriter), 7:00PM

UPCOUNTRY BREWING COMPANY Wide Screen Wednesday's, 7:00PM

BARLEY'S TAPROOM & PIZZERIA Dr. Brown's Team Trivia, 8:30PM

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Take Two Jazz, 7:00PM

BLUE MOUNTAIN PIZZA & BREW PUB Open Mic w/ Billy Owens, 7:00PM

OUT AVL w/ CHRISTY SNOW Tranzmission Benefit

39 S. Market St.

●

5/5 - $5 - 8pm

theblockoffbiltmore.com

BONFIRE BARBECUE Trivia Funtime w/ Kelsey, 8:00PM BROADWAY'S Broadway HumpDay Variety w/ DJ NexMillen, 9:00PM BYWATER Well Lit Strangers (bluegrass), 8:00PM CREEKSIDE TAPHOUSE Open mic jam w/ Riyen Roots & friends, 7:00PM CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (hot swing jazz), 9:00PM DOUBLE CROWN Classic Country Vinyl w/ DJ David Wayne Gay, 10:00PM FOGGY MOUNTAIN BREWPUB Circus Mutt (folk, Americana), 9:00PM FUNKATORIUM John Hartford Jam w/ the Saylor Brothers (bluegrass), 6:30PM GOOD STUFF Jim Hampton & friends perform "Eclectic Country" (jam), 7:00PM GREY EAGLE MUSIC HALL & TAVERN Open mic night (music & comedy), 6:00PM HIGHLAND BREWING COMPANY Clutch w/ Lucero & The Sword (hard rock, funk, metal), 6:30PM After party w/ Bask (rock, psychedelic, Americana), 10:00PM ISIS RESTAURANT AND MUSIC HALL The Colleen Raney Band (Celtic, folk, Americana), 7:00PM JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old-time session, 5:00PM JUICY LUCY'S BURGER BAR AND GRILL Acoustic Jam, 7:00PM LAZY DIAMOND Killer Karaoke w/ KJ Tim O, 10:00PM LOBSTER TRAP Ben Hovey (dub, jazz), 6:30PM ODDITORIUM Synergy Story Slam, 7:00PM Illegal Drugs & Isaacson (rock), 9:00PM OLE SHAKEY'S Salsa Night, 10:00PM ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Evil Note Lab, 9:30PM ONE WORLD BREWING Bradley Carter, 9:00PM SALVAGE STATION RnB Wednesday Jam Night! w/ Ryan "RnB" Barber & friends, 8:00PM SANCTUARY BREWING COMPANY Karaoke w/ Paul Schiro, 7:00PM

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOVIES

REVIEWS & LISTINGS BY SCOTT DOUGLAS & JUSTIN SOUTHER

HHHHH =

M A X R AT I N G

THE ATE R INFO R M ATIO N ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. (254-1281) ASHEVILLEBREWING.COM/MOVIES CARMIKE CINEMA 10 (298-4452) CARMIKE.COM CAROLINA CINEMAS (274-9500) CAROLINACINEMAS.COM CO-ED CINEMA BREVARD (883-2200) COEDCINEMA.COM EPIC OF HENDERSONVILLE (693-1146) EPICTHEATRES.COM FINE ARTS THEATRE (232-1536) FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM FLATROCK CINEMA (697-2463) FLATROCKCINEMA.COM GRAIL MOVIEHOUSE (239-9392) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM

Emma Watson stars as a tech employee who finds out that the seemingly gentile company she works for is more nefarious than she ever expected in The Circle.

I Called Him Morgan HHHS DIRECTOR: Kasper Collin (My Name Is Albert Ayler) PLAYERS: Lee Morgan, Helen Morgan, Wayne Shorter MUSIC DOCUMENTARY RATED NR THE STORY: The life of jazz musician Lee Morgan and his wife, Helen, their marriage and the tragic end to the trumpeter’s life. THE LOWDOWN: An affecting documentary that doesn’t really push the boundaries of the form but is worth watching for fans of Morgan’s music. I’m going to start this review by noting that before watching I Called Him Morgan, I’d never encountered jazz musician Lee Morgan. My knowledge of jazz admittedly has holes, so I’d

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

never heard his music and, of course, never heard the tragic story of his life. I mention this only because Morgan is a documentary, the cinematic form that tends to work best when you have a built-in interest in a film’s subject. There are exceptions, of course, but I’m unfortunately not convinced that Morgan will stick with me far beyond this review. That’s unfortunate because Morgan’s story is one worth telling, and this film is perhaps the best possible means of doing so. I say this because documentaries have always been a tough sell for me. I rarely find them more than curious and have an even harder time with their lack of cinematic verve. They’re too often of a single, rote style, full of little more than talking heads and archival footage. Morgan is no different in this sense, but what it gets right —

or perhaps stumbles into — is a cast of primary sources who worked, knew and seemingly loved Morgan. There is genuine emotion here from people who cared about this musician and regret his lost potential, his lost life and all the tragedies in between. There’s something pure at work in Morgan, something that can’t be shirked. The film opens with the end of Morgan’s life — that he was shot to death by his common-law wife Helen — and then fills in the gaps not only of his life but Helen’s, too. The film is as much about Morgan as it is Helen, who found herself in New York City and pulled the talented, but troubled, Morgan out of a heroin addiction and back into life and music. Theirs was a volatile relationship, however, and the film sets that up from the beginning. But as the movie pro-

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gresses, you understand that there was genuine love there, something that makes Morgan’s ending all the more affecting. And it’s not just Morgan and Helen’s love, but the love of their friends who are interviewed, who still don’t seem to understand how any of this could have happened, even decades later. It’s this genuineness, this sense of humanity, that makes Morgan special in its own small way. If you’re a fan of Morgan’s music or more in tune with documentaries than I am, then this is definitely worth your time. Not Rated. Opens May 5 at Grail Moviehouse. REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

The Circle H DIRECTOR: James Ponsoldt (End of the Tour) PLAYERS: Emma Watson, Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt DRAMA RATED PG-13 THE STORY: An entry-level employee in a giant tech company starts learning that their intentions might be less than innocent. THE LOWDOWN: A silly drama with touches of satire that has little to say and says it in the most inept ways imaginable. James Ponsoldt’s The Circle is one of the most wrongheaded and incompetent movies I’ve seen in some time. I say this as someone who usually watches at least one bad movie a week. Ponsoldt’s (The End of the Tour) movie is the goods, so to speak — at least where unintentional comedy and parades of bad ideas come into play. Based on Dave Eggers novel of the same name, the film has serious inherent flaws, from the source material to the script (written by Eggers and Ponsoldt) to the incredibly uneven performances. It’s genuinely amazing that Ponsoldt never understood where these faults lie. That such a solid and respected (if not spectacular) filmmaker never understood just how goofy the whole enterprise is is honestly amazing in and of itself. It’s almost as if he just gave up — the movie’s that out-and-out-lazy. The movie desperately wants to be the definitive portrait of the dangers of an out-of-control internet. With all the high-mindedness that the tech industry has about changing the world, there is something a bit inhuman and unnatural about how this revolution is being approached. I know this, and The Circle knows this. But the way the film wants to make its point is in the hokiest, cheesiest and least realistic terms possible, skirting melodrama and never having the visual panache or stakes to make this sort of an intellectual pseudo-thriller work. Emma Watson plays Mae, whose career has never made it beyond call center temp until she gets her dream job answering phones in cus-

tomer service for The Circle, a kind of Google/Facebook omnipresent tech company. She’s quickly engulfed into the company’s work culture of participating in extracurricular work activities on her days off and updating her social media presence. This is partly played as satire, partly played for sinister atmosphere with no payoff. Instead, Mae slowly ingratiates herself with The Circle’s heads, Bailey (Tom Hanks) and Stenton (a stiff Patton Oswalt) and mysterious — and suspicious — engineer Ty (John Boyega). She learns that The Circle is perhaps more nefarious than she ever expected, but not before becoming an internet sensation and finding herself the rising star of the company. The notion that The Circle is up to no good never really pays off since the company isn’t really involved in much besides invading the public’s privacy. Yes, this is all topical, but in our post-Edward Snowden world, it’s not particularly surprising. The Circle does itself no favors, never figuring out how to add any weight to its flimsy story. The best it can do is some cheesy nonsense about Mae stealing a kayak and her longtime best friend Mercer (a dead-eyed Ellar Coltrane, Boyhood) being harangued by denizens of the internet. There’s some added familial drama, as Mae’s father (Bill Paxton) suffers from multiple sclerosis, but this is handled with zero dignity, and is instead traded for a cheap sex gag and the strangest and least dignified way imaginable of explaining that this character has soiled himself. The whole thing is a mess of tones butting up against one another and ugly decisions. Honestly, I’m worried I’m underselling just how bad this movie is. It’s almost worth recommending for that reason alone. Rated PG-13 for a sexual situation, brief strong language and some thematic elements including drug use. Now playing at AMC Classic River Hills, Carolina Cinemark, Epic of Hendersonville, Regal Biltmore Grande. REVIEWED BY JUSTIN SOUTHER JSOUTHER@MOUNTAINX.COM

SPECIAL SCREENINGS ASHEVILLE FILM SOCIETY The Asheville Film Society will have its weekly showing on Tuesday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. at The Grail Moviehouse. The title is yet to be determined. Check grailmoviehouse. com for updates.

FILM ISRAEL/PALESTINE FILM FESTIVAL • TH (5/11), 7pm - Israel/Palestine Film Festival. Disturbing the Peace, film screening. Free to attend. Held at UNC-Asheville Reuter Center, 1 Campus View Road MOUNTAINTRUE WILD & SCENIC FILM FESTIVAL goo.gl/OVl50i

HENDERSONVILLE FILM SOCIETY The Hendersonville Film Society will have its weekly showing on Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m. in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. The title is yet to be determined. Contact the Hendersonville Film Society for more information.

• TH (5/4), 8pm – Short-form nature, wilderness and outdoor adventure films. Registration: bit.ly/WSFF17pr. $20/$125 VIP ticket includes 5pm tour of facility and reception/$15 students. Held at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 100 Sierra Nevada Way Mills River THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION 692-8062, saveculture.org • SA (5/6), 7pm - Come Hell Or High

Stolen Kisses

Water, Remembering The Flood Of 1916, documentary film screening.

HHHHS

$15. Held at Tigg’s Pond Retreat

DIRECTOR: François Truffaut PLAYERS: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Delphine Seyrig, Claude Jade, Michel Lonsdale COMEDY-DRAMA Rated R In Brief: The third film in François Truffaut’s Antoine Doinel series, Stolen Kisses (1968) is probably the best after the original, which none of the sequels topped or even equaled. It’s lightweight (a curiously insubstantial affair considering the political and cultural turmoil surrounding its making) and somewhat rambling, but very appealing and still embracing something of the New Wave style that the original film, The 400 Blows (1959), helped define. Essentially, it just follows the adventures of Antoine (JeanPierre Léaud) when he’s discharged from the army — adventures mostly concerning a variety of odd jobs and his romantic affairs, which, as usual, are very disordered. Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present Stolen Kisses Friday, May 5, at 8 p.m. at Flood Gallery Fine Arts Center, 2160 U.S. 70, Swannanoa. This short review, by Ken Hanke, was originally published on Sept. 23, 2014.

Center, 111 Fiddlehead Lane Zirconia

S TART IN G FRIDAY Please contact local theaters for up-to-date information on this week’s showings.

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SCREEN SCENE by Edwin Arnaudin | edwinarnaudin@gmail.com

2017

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LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN: Buster Keaton stars as a man on a desperate quest for a bride in order to receive a $7 million inheritance in Seven Chances. The 1925 comedy screens May 7 at the Grail Moviehouse. Photo courtesy of Kino Video • In honor of Star Wars Day, Asheville Brewing Co. will show Rogue One at 1, 4, 7 and 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 4. Tickets are $3. Attendees who wear a Star Wars costume or wield a light saber receive free admission. ashevillebrewing.com • Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is a tour stop for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Thursday, May 4, 7-10 p.m. The event features a selection of films — all of which address the environmental concerns and celebrations of Earth — from the 15th annual festival, held in Nevada City, Calif. The screening begins at 8 p.m. and is copresented by MountainTrue. General admission tickets are sold out, but a limited number of $125 VIP passes remain, which include a special sustainability tour of the brewery at 5 p.m. and a catered reception on the balcony of the High Gravity reception hall, a prime viewing area for the evening’s films. avl.mx/3o5 • Mechanical Eye Microcinema offers a Parents Night Out on Friday, May 5, 6-9 p.m. Parents and guardians are invited to drop off their children ages 4-12 for an evening of moviemaking under the guidance of Lisa Smith and Charlotte Taylor. Tuition is $25 for one student, $40 for two siblings and $55 for three. Participants may arrive as soon as 5:30 p.m. and depart as late as 9:30 p.m. Register online. avl.mx/3o6

• Hickory Nut Gap Farm hosts a Family Movie Night screening of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) in its Big Barn on Saturday, May 6, at 6 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a blanket and chair. Admission is $6, and children ages 4 and younger get in for free. Popcorn, dinner and Asheville Brewing Co. beers will be available for purchase. hickorynutgapfarm.com • The Fly Fishing Film Tour stops by Oskar Blues Brewery on Saturday, May 6. Now in its 11th year, the annual collection of fishing films features adventures from Siberia, Idaho, Mexico, Florida, Kamchatka, Alaska, Montana and more. The evening starts with a 6 p.m. pre-party with live music from Dave Desmelik and raffle prize drawings. Films begin at 8 p.m. Reserve your spot online and bring your own chairs, as seats are limited. Proceeds from the taproom and all raffles go to the Pisgah Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Project Healing Waters. flyfilmtour.com • Grail Moviehouse’s monthly Silent Sundays series continues May 7, at 7 p.m. with Buster Keaton’s 1925 film Seven Chances. Film historian Frank Thompson will introduce the feature and participate in a postscreening Q&A. Local stride pianist Andrew J. Fletcher will provide a live, improvised score. Tickets are $12 and available online or at the Grail box office. avl.mx/3o7 X

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PUZZLE XPRESS

R EAL ES TAT E | RE NTA L S | R OOM M AT E S | SERV ICES JOBS | ANNO U N C E M E N T S | M IN D , B ODY, SPIRIT CLAS S E S & W O RK S HO P S | M U S IC IA N S’ SERV ICES PET S | AUT OM OT IVE | X C HA N GE | A DU LT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 x111 tnavaille@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com RENTALS HOMES FOR RENT

2 PORCHES, PRIME LOCATION Remodeled sunny 2/1 in East-West Asheville. Yard maintenance included but not utilities. No smoking, no pets. Shortterm lease considered at higher rate. 828-712-2804. More pics on craigslist, "Easy living". HOUSE IN OAKLEY For May 1st. Sunny, charming 1.5 room single family house with small separate office in quiet residential walking-friendly neighborhood in Oakley, close to downtown and shopping. 828-7139149 emily.fader@gmail.com https://asheville.craigslist.org/ apa/6088171551.html

ROOMMATES ROOMMATES ALL AREAS Free Roommate Service @ RentMates.com. Find the perfect roommate to complement your personality and lifestyle at RentMates.com! (AAN CAN)

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

WANTED: Mountain Xpress is seeking an experienced editor with a commitment to the values of fair, balanced and multisourced news reporting, a passion for local journalism and a love of good writing. Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to handle tight deadlines and be comfortable working with both inexperienced and nonprofessional writers as well as staff reporters. Ideally, applicants will bring a deep knowledge of the local community and its history to the position; otherwise, they must be willing to educate themselves in ways that will strengthen their ability to place current events in perspective. A solid grounding in AP style, or a willingness to learn it, is essential. Freelance or possible staff position. Email cover letter, resume to editor@mountainx.com

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

success. Applicant Review: 05/02/2017. Start Date: 06/05/2017. Salary Range: $26,788 - $32,388. To apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4203

ENERGETIC EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT NEEDED! Join a Great Place to Work and Practice as an Executive Assistant supporting a dynamic leader at Mission Health! View the opportunity at mission-health.org/careers and search Req# 25983.

RESTAURANT/ FOOD COMMUNITY CO-OP SEEKING BARISTAS Firestorm Books & Coffee is seeking a community-oriented, self-directed barista with an interest in radical social change to join our co-operative in West Asheville. For more, see www.firestorm.coop/jobs.html

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY LOCAL DRIVERS WANTED! Be your own boss. Flexible hours. Unlimited earning potential. Must be 21 with valid U.S. driver’s license, insurance & reliable vehicle. 866-329-2672 (AAN CAN)

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL CHILDCARE WORKER NEEDED Loving and friendly childcare worker needed for Sunday mornings, and other events, in the nursery of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church located in North Asheville. 1-3 years childcare experience preferred. Paid a minimum of 3 hours for any shift with $12.00 an hour to start for experienced worker. Please send letter of interest and resume to smeehan@gcpcusa.org. DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY - MUDDY SNEAKERS: THE JOY OF LEARNING OUTSIDE Muddy Sneakers seeks a candidate experienced in fund development with strong communication and independent work skills to join our team as Director of Philanthropy. Email resume, cover letter, and salary history to Carolyn Ashworth: carolynlinds@gmail.com. Position open until filled. PROCESS ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN Mills Manufacturing is accepting applications for a full-time Process Engineering Technician. Hours: Mon-Thurs-7:00 am-4:30 pm Fri: 7:00 am-11:00 am. Hourly Rate:$14.08-$17.52. For a complete job description and to apply: www.millsmanufacturing.com

EVENT FACILITIES ATTENDANT A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an Event Facilities Attendant. This is a fulltime position with benefits. For more details and to apply: https://abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4200

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT • DEPARTMENT OF TRANSITIONAL STUDIES Position Type: Full-Time Regular. Contract Length: 12 months. Expected Work Schedule: Standard. Anticipated Days: Monday - Friday. Anticipated Hours: 8:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. Anticipated Hours/ Week: 40. Job Description Summary: To provide administrative, technical, and organizational assistance to Department of Transitional Studies Director and programs (ABE/HSE, ESL, ABE Foundations, and DOTS Testing) to help assure delivery of quality programs leading to student

NURSES NEEDED! Eliada Homes is seeking full-time Registered Nurses to work with children and adolescents. This is a unique opportunity to work in a beautiful setting supporting six residential cottages to ensure a healthy therapeutic environment that promotes learning and growth for the students in our care. Guided by excellence, integrity, teamwork and compassion, our nursing staff works closely with the entire treatment team. Enjoy some of the best views in town as you walk between the cottages (rain or shine) providing care. All RN positions require valid NC RN licensure. Experience working with children preferred. Both day and night shifts available. For more information or to apply, visit www.eliada.org/ employment/current-openings. SUWS OF THE CAROLINAS IS HIRING SEASONAL LOGISTICS COORDINATORS SUWS of the Carolinas/Phoenix Outdoor/ Seasons is hiring for a Logistics Coordinator-Seasonal. We are a wilderness therapy company that operates in the Pisgah National Forest and serves youth and

adolescents ages 10-17. Logistics Coordinator (Seasonal - Full-time position)- Preferred applicants will possess a Bachelor’s degree, certification in CPR and First Aid, desire to problem solve, organizational skills, self-motivation, and a willingness to be a team player. Duties include working closely with “at-risk” youth, transporting clients and employees, preparing and supplying group needs to the field, assisting in providing accurate information with inventory, being a member of the Emergency Response Team, willing to work weekends and nights. Must be able to hike long distances and lift up to 60 pounds. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record. To apply click here: http://avl.mx/3oo http://www.suwscarolinas.com/

HUMAN SERVICES FINANCIAL & HOUSING COUNSELOR POSITION OPEN We’re seeking a full time Financial/Housing Counselor. Desire to serve disadvantaged populations and the ability to relate to a wide demographic of clients. $30,890 - $33,010 www.ontrackwnc.org for full description. FULL TIME LAWN TECHNICIANS NEEDED! Well established lawn maintenance company hiring 2 technicians. Full time. Experience preferred but not necessary. Drivers license required. 40 hours/week+ Contact: Robert Holder HELPMATE SHELTER CASE MANAGER Helpmate, Inc., a domestic violence agency in Asheville, North Carolina, seeks a full-time Shelter Case Manager to provide support during evening and weekend hours to survivors of domestic violence. Primary responsibilities will include monitoring security, providing emotional support to survivors, responding to crisis line calls and documenting service provision. Strong communication and crisis management skills required. The qualified candidate must hold a Bachelor’s degree or 2 years’ experience in social work or related field, with preference for experience in domestic violence or related field, or a commensurate combination of work and experience. Diverse and/or multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. Email resume and cover letter to HelpmateAsheville@gmail.com. No phone or email inquiries – please. helpmateonline.org WILDERNESS THERAPY PROGRAM • Field Staff: Hiring for year round and summer only positions. Following training, facilitate safety and implement treatment plan designed by group therapist for teens struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. Staff work week on/week off in the woods of North Georgia. • CPR and First Aid certified required, experience with backpacking, primitive skills, therapeutic

edited by Sarah Boddy

participatorydemocrossy@gmail.com

RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT ACROSS 1. Too many floaters on 33-across, 4-down, or 41-down? 5. Overbearing 10. Ratio studied in math, art, music, architecture, anatomy... 13. Title at Bavarian Restaurant and Biergarten 14. Big Crafty launcher Brandy (no relation to 59-across Jason) 15. Rampart preposition 16. Pot-starter at Harrah’s Cherokee 17. Like community members served by BeLoved House 18. __ chi (offering of Tao Institute) 19. How prices and altitude increase on Town Mountain Road 21. Bad deal in a horse trade? 22. Key info for aSHEville Museum (abbr.) 23. Prepare to turn 24. Pay attention at Asheville Music School? 26. Core subject at Koontz Intermediate Sch. 27. Queenly character in UNCA’s “CLAS 432: Virgil” 29. Data for Asheville Downtown Association 30. Boarding priority on Southwest 32. Mast store type (abbr.) 33. Local river of chocolate? 36. Shot from the Dept. of Health 37. Annual show at Asheville Middle 38. Tressa’s Downtown genre 40. Bluegrass bass player White, and popular “talks” 41. Area filled with “despair”? 44. Nazi escape routes 47. Goal for some customers of Octopus’ Garden, or visitors to Navitat 49. Focus of Westside, nonfood co-op 50. April preoccupation 51. Reason to pause pedaling on the Pubcycle 52. Sign of triumph 53. Comes out with 55. Much-maligned Spicer

56. “___ Revolution AVL” (local chapter of national group) 57. Approaches a sentence, linguistically 58. Concept in 26-across, often with “mood” 59. Big movie for McCarthy (now busy playing 55-across) 60. National online publication with photos of local Women’s March 61. “What’s ___ 8?” DOWN

1. Move at Ballet Conservatory of Asheville 2. Roman’s Deli veggie burger ingredient 3. Emphatically not one of the salsas at Salsas 4. Local river of (eco) consciousness? 5. Fish classification 6. Try for the Mayorship 7. Part of U.S. Cellular Center 8. Steal 9. Doesn’t completely commit 10. Like a street with a lot of citizen service requests 11. Encourage, literally 12. Bulbs available at annual Spring Herb Festival (medicinal as well as beautiful!)

14. Unofficial number of local breweries 20. “Familiar” word in Glen Arden’s Spanish immersion program? 24. Biltmore headwear, back in the day 25. Bother 28. Tear zone 30. Dickensian orphan food 31. With all the wherewithal 33. Like flags outside city hall 34. Confusing alias for twospot snapper 35. Beginning 36. What we hope against, wildfire-wise 38. Exclamations at Asheville Chamber Music Society events 39. Moves at Blue Ridge Crossfit 41. Local river on its way home? 42. Exotic visitor to Charlotte Street Animal Hospital? 43. 1995 Sandra Bullock tech movie 45. Connected to The Mothership’s services 46. Doing the most, nowadays 48. “Living tissue” prefix 51. Out of the Buncombe County Detention Center 54. Our time (abbr.)

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MAY 3 - 9, 2017

M O U N TA I N X P R E S S P R E S E N T S

Older Americans Week!

A Special Issue Coming May 17th • Active Aging • Oral Histories • Staying Connected • Chronic Disease • Lifelong Learning • Post-Retirement Careers

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Beware of feeling sorry for sharks that yell for help. Beware of trusting coyotes that act like sheep and sheep that act like coyotes. Beware of nibbling food from jars whose contents are different from what their labels suggest. But wait! “Beware” is not my only message for you. I have these additional announcements: Welcome interlopers if they’re humble and look you in the eyes. Learn all you can from predators and pretenders without imitating them. Take advantage of any change that’s set in motion by agitators who shake up the status quo, even if you don’t like them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In addition to fashion tips, advice for the broken-hearted, midlife-crisis support and career counseling, I sometimes provide you with more mystical help. Like now. So if you need nuts-and-bolts guidance, I hope you’ll have the sense to read a more down-to-earth horoscope. What I want to tell you is that the metaphor of resurrection is your featured theme. You should assume that it’s somehow the answer to every question. Rejoice in the knowledge that although a part of you has died, it will be reborn in a fresh guise.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): When poet Wislawa Szymborska delivered her speech for winning the Nobel Prize, she said that “whatever else we might think of this world — it is astonishing.” She added that for a poet, there really is no such thing as the “ordinary world,” “ordinary life,” and “the ordinary course of events.” In fact, “Nothing is usual or normal. Not a single stone and not a single cloud above it. Not a single day and not a single night after it. And above all, not a single existence, not anyone’s existence in this world.” I offer you her thoughts, Taurus, because I believe that in the next two weeks you will have an extraordinary potential to feel and act on these truths. You are hereby granted a license to be astonished on a regular basis.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Are you ready for the genie’s favors? Don’t rub the magic lamp unless you are.” That’s the message I saw on an Instagram meme. I immediately thought of you. The truth is that up until recently, you have not been fully prepared for the useful but demanding gifts the genie could offer you. You haven’t had the self-mastery necessary to use the gifts as they’re meant to be used, and therefore they were a bit dangerous to you. But that situation has changed. Although you may still not be fully primed, you’re as ready as you can be. That’s why I say: RUB THE MAGIC LAMP!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Would you consider enrolling in my Self-Pity Seminar? If so, you would learn that obsessing on self-pity is a means to an end, not a morass to get lost in. You would feel sorry for yourself for brief, intense periods so that you could feel proud and brave the rest of the time. For a given period — let’s say three days — you would indulge and indulge and indulge in self-pity until you entirely exhausted that emotion. Then you’d be free to engage in an orgy of self-healing, self-nurturing and self-celebration. Ready to get started? Ruminate about the ways that people don’t fully appreciate you. CANCER (June 21-July 22): In a typical conversation, most of us utter too many “uhs,” “likes,” “I means,” and “you knows.” I mean, I’m sure that . . . uh . . . you’ll agree that, like, what’s the purpose of, you know, all that pointless noise? But I have some good news to deliver about your personal use of language in the coming weeks, Cancerian. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’ll have the potential to dramatically lower your reliance on needless filler. But wait, there’s more: Clear thinking and precise speech just might be your superpowers. As a result, your powers of persuasion should intensify. Your ability to advocate for your favorite causes may zoom. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1668, England named John Dryden its first Poet Laureate. His literary influence was so monumental that the era in which he published was known as the Age of Dryden. Twentieth-century poetry great T. S. Eliot said he was “the ancestor of nearly all that is best in the poetry of the eighteenth century.” Curiously, Dryden had a low opinion of Shakespeare. “Scarcely intelligible,” he called the Bard, adding, “His whole style is so pestered with figurative expressions that it is as affected as it is coarse.” I foresee a comparable clash of titans in your sphere, Leo. Two major influences may fight it out for supremacy. One embodiment of beauty may be in competition with another. One powerful and persuasive force could oppose another. What will your role be? Mediator? Judge? Neutral observer? Whatever it is, be cagey. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Just this once, and for a limited time only, you have cosmic clearance to load up on sugary treats, leave an empty beer can in the woods, watch stupid TV shows and act uncool in front of the Beautiful People. Why? Because being totally well-behaved and perfectly composed and strictly pure would compromise your mental health more than being naughty. Besides, if you want to figure out what you are on the road to becoming, you will need to know more about what you’re not.

MAY 3 - 9, 2017

MOUNTAINX.COM

BY ROB BREZSNY

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You may have heard the exhortation “Follow your bliss!”, which was popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell. After studying the archetypal stories of many cultures throughout history, he concluded that it was the most important principle driving the success of most heroes. Here’s another way to say it: Identify the job or activity that deeply excites you, and find a way to make it the center of your life. In his later years, Campbell worried that too many people had misinterpreted “Follow your bliss” to mean “Do what comes easily.” That’s all wrong, he said. Anything worth doing takes work and struggle. “Maybe I should have said, ’Follow your blisters,’” he laughed. I bring this up, Sagittarius, because you are now in an intense “Follow your blisters” phase of following your bliss. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The versatile artist Melvin Van Peebles has enjoyed working as a filmmaker, screenwriter, actor, composer, and novelist. One of his more recent efforts was a collaboration with the experimental band The Heliocentrics. Together they created a science-fiction-themed spoken-word poetry album titled The Last Transmission. Peebles told NPR, “I haven’t had so much fun with clothes on in years.” If I’m reading the planetary omens correctly Capricorn, you’re either experiencing that level of fun, or will soon be doing so. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In what ways do you most resemble your mother? Now is a good time to take inventory. Once you identify any mom-like qualities that tend to limit your freedom or lead you away from your dreams, devise a plan to transform them. You may never be able to defuse them entirely, but there’s a lot you can do to minimize the mischief they cause. Be calm but calculating in setting your intention, Aquarius! P.S.: In the course of your inventory, you may also find there are ways you are like your mother that are of great value to you. Is there anything you could do to more fully develop their potential? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “We are what we imagine,” writes Piscean author N. Scott Momaday. “Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves. Our best destiny is to imagine who and what we are. The greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined.” Let’s make this passage your inspirational keynote for the coming weeks. It’s a perfect time to realize how much power you have to create yourself through the intelligent and purposeful use of your vivid imagination. (P.S. Here’s a further tip, this time from Cher: “All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others.”)

environments and adolescents all appreciated • Benefits: Health/Dental, Bonus, Salary increases with Level. • Two upcoming training sessions: May 11-17 or June 1-7. • Contact: Abi or Brant at careers@ blueridgewilderness.com (706) 212-2037 or blueridgewilderness.com/ careers/

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR The Asheville City Schools Foundation seeks a Development Director to lead our fundraising team to ensure our organization has adequate funding to achieve our mission. Full description at www.acsf.org

North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for the following services: Office janitorial & supplies, Computer and technology supplies, towing, landscaping, security, alarm systems. MV Transportation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and as a matter of policy, encourages the participation of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises. If you are interested in participating in this project, please submit a copy of your DBE certificate and a brief company bio to Kathlyn Conway, Administrative & Marketing Assistant at 440-815-2294 (fax) or Kathlyn. Conway@mvtransit.com.

SALON/ SPA

TEACHING/ EDUCATION

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING PROGRAMS INSTRUCTOR A-B Tech is currently taking applications for an Advanced Manufacturing Programs Instructor position. For more details and to apply: abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/4219 INTERIM SCHOOL COUNSELOR ArtSpace Charter School is accepting applications for the 2017-2018 school year for the position of Interim School Counselor. • This is a full-time, one year position. • Applicants must have a current North Carolina Professional Educator’s License in the area of School Counselor (K-12). Applicants must be willing to work in a collaborative, integrated, experiential environment. Knowledge of the arts and arts integration strategies is preferred but not required. • Please send resume and cover letter to: resumes@ artspacecharter.org with the subject heading: “School Counselor”.

COMPUTER/ TECHNICAL

IT/Database/Web assistant Mountain Xpress seeks a part-time person to assist with administration, development and day-to-day support of the company's (1) IT systems (Macintosh workstations and servers; printers, phones, internet-connection, email and internal network hardware/ software); (2) database systems (Filemaker-based, requiring scripting and some development) and (3) website (WordPress CMS, requiring skills in mySql, PHP, HTML, CSS and Javascript). Send cover letter, resume and references to: employment@mountainx.com

EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

NOW HIRING ALL POSITIONS UltraSkin Wax Center recently opened a new location in Asheville and is looking to hire Guest Service Associates and NC Licensed Estheticians. Please apply at www.ultraskinwaxcenter.com

XCHANGE COMPUTERS BRAND NEW APPLE MACBOOK PRO/AIR RETINA 15.4" 2GHZ INTEL CORE I7 16GB RAM 128GB SSD 2016 ORIGINAL

YARD SALES BILTMORE PARK COMMUNITY YARD SALE Sat. May 6, 8 am - noon.• Don't miss this now famous sale! Huge variety including antiques, household items, clothing, holiday decor and gift items, furniture, toys, sports and exercise equipment, and much, much more! • I-26, exit 37 (Long Shoals Road), turn between McDonald's and CVS. Look for balloons on mailboxes at participating homes! HUGE GARAGE SALE • ARDEN Large multi-family garage sale. Friday, May 5, 9am-5pm and Saturday, May 6, 9am-3pm. 19 Glen Crest Drive, Arden. THIS SATURDAY • GREAT BIG GROUP SALE May 6, 9amNoon. 24 South Leslie Lane, 28805, Haw Creek, off Old Haw Creek Road. Lots of good and interesting stuff, including a belly dancing outfit!

SERVICES HOME KILL BED BUGS AND THEIR EGGS! Buy Harris Bed Bug Killers/KIT Complete Treatment System. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com (AAN CAN)

HOME IMPROVEMENT SEEKING DBE SUBCONTRACTORS CERTIFIED WITH NCDOT Project: Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance - MV Transportation, Inc. is proposing on the above referenced projects as a prime consultant and would appreciate letter of interest from DBE firms who are currently certified with the

GENERAL SERVICES DRIVEWAY SEAL COATING By Mark DeLude. • Protects and preserves. • Over 30+ years experience. Hand applied commercial grade sealer. • Free estimates. • Also interior/ exterior painting services. Call Mark: (828) 299-0447.

HANDY MAN HANDY MAN Handy Man specializing in property maintenance and small repairs , Honest dependable service with references available , Quality work at a reasonable price Pete 828-989-6646 or 281- 546 -3594 AUTO1865@GMAIL.COM HIRE A HUSBAND • HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993. Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results. $1 million liability insurance. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 2802254.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS COME SAIL AWAY IN ASHEVILLE! Do you sail? Do you want to sail? Lake Julian hosts the fantastic Asheville Sailing Club that has sailing until late fall every weekend. There are sailboat races open to members and guests. Visit or join via our website: ashevillesailingclub@outlook.com http://www.ashevillesailing. org/ KILL ROACHES - GUARANTEED! Buy Harris Roach Tablets. Odorless, Long Lasting. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com (AAN CAN) KILL SCORPIONS! Buy Harris Odorless Scorpion Spray. Effective Results Begin After Spray Dries. Available: Hardware Stores, The Home Depot, homedepot.com (AAN CAN) MAKE THE CALL TO START GETTING CLEAN TODAY Free 24/7 Helpline for alcohol & drug addiction treatment. Get help! It is time to take your life back! Call Now: 855-732-4139. (AAN CAN) NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department: electronic equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property has 30 days from the date of this publication to make a claim. Unclaimed items will be disposed of according to statutory law. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section, 828-232-4576. NOTICE OF DISPOSITION The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department tagged for disposition: audio and video equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous. All items will be disposed of 30 days from date of posting. Items to be auctioned will be displayed on www.propertyroom.com. PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Call us first. Living expenses, housing, medical, and continued support afterwards. Choose adoptive family of your choice. Call 24/7. 877-362-2401. (AAN CAN)

LOST & FOUND FOUND • SET OF 4 KEYS In the middle of Haw Creek Road, East Asheville. Monday April 10. Call (828) 713-3183 to claim.

CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLASSES & WORKSHOPS CLAY CLASSES AT ODYSSEY CLAYWORKS 5-Week classes: Beginner Handbuilding and Surface Decoration, Beginner Wheel Throwing, Narrative Surface: Drawing On Ceramics, Breaking (Down) The Mold. One Night Pottery Classes: Ready, Set, Throw. 5-Day Workshops: Pristine Porcelain Pros, Historical Forms: Contemporary Myths, Demystifying Form: Clay Play And the Teapot, Raku Magic, Cob Construction. Kids Summer Clay Camp!

INTUITIVE PAINTING 1 DAY WORKSHOP! SATURDAY, MAY 27TH, 10 TO 4PM Come Experience the Aliveness and Vitality of your own Creative Spirit! Free your Soul through Painting! Weekly ongoing classes: Tuesday evenings and Wednesday nights. 828-252-4828 SacredSpacePainting.com NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! QIGONG CLASSES Weekly, Tuesdays and Saturdays, 10:3011:30am. At Habitat Tavern and Commons, 174 Broadway, Asheville. Free parking available across the street. Email for information allen@ashevilleqigong.com

T H E N E W Y OR K TI M ES CR OSSWOR D PU ZZLE

ACROSS

1 Needing scratching 6 OPEC, e.g. 10 Lay off 14 J. E. B. Stuart’s superior in the Civil War 15 Indian royal 16 “Honey wine” 17 Things that power Teslas 20 Criticism, informally 21 Laudatory piece 22 In one piece 23 SEAL’s org. 24 Recess game 25 Rudy’s coach in “Rudy” 26 N.L. East city 27 Went bonkers 31 Teutonic turndown 32 Sharpshooter’s asset 33 Snaky character 34 Crisis time, for some … or a hint to each of the circled words 38 It’s an honour: Abbr. 40 Camera named for a goddess 41 Year the Korean War began SPIRITUAL

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

LOCAL INDEPENDENT MASSAGE CENTER OFFERING EXCELLENT BODYWORK Experience the best bodywork in Asheville from one of our wellseasoned massage therapists. Deep Tissue, Prenatal, Couples, Reflexology, Aromatherapy. $60/ hour. Chair $1/minute. Complimentary tea room. Beautifully appointed facility. 947 Haywood Road, West Asheville. Free parking in lot, handicap accessible. (828)552-3003 ebbandflowavl@ charter.net ebbandflowavl.com

HEALTH & FITNESS DIRECTOR OF YOGA STUDIO Seeking to lease the yoga studio to a well qualified yoga instructor. $1,200.00 per month, includes all utilities. Willing to negotiate and help you build the practice. 828-280-2488 haydn@helpingyougrow.com wellspringasheville.com

RETREATS SHOJI SPA & LODGE * 7 DAYS A WEEK Day & Night passes, cold plunge, sauna, hot tubs, lodging, 8 minutes from town, bring a friend or two, stay the day or all evening, escape & renew! Best massages in Asheville 828299-0999.

44 Lakeside furniture item 49 +: Abbr. 50 Cock-a-___ (dog breed) 51 Dorm V.I.P.s 52 Board hiree, for short 53 1974 hit with Spanish lyrics 55 Joe Biden, for 36 yrs. 56 [OMG!] 57 Label rarely seen on silk garments 60 Prelude to a deal 61 Simoleon 62 Typo, e.g. 63 Crash-probing agcy. 64 Glimpse 65 Gushes

9 Wide-screen movie 1 2 3 4 format 14 10 Words heard in 24-Across, maybe 17 11 “’Twasn’t me” and others 20 12 Hamlet’s killer 23 13 1950s autos with “horse collar” grilles 27 28 18 Leather often treated to look like 31 morocco 19 Make a snarling 34 sound 24 Literature Nobelist 38 39 Morrison 44 25 Female pen pal, maybe 49 28 Oven feature 29 A dance, or a dip 53 54 30 Tree with triangular nuts 57 35 Censure publicly 60 36 Dim bulb DOWN 37 Sierra and Acadia 1 Really angry 63 vehicles 2 Gets in trouble, in a 38 Aromatic additive to way natural gas 3 Detox, say 39 Splits in half 4 “Darn it!” 45 ___-Free 42 Like many Poe tales 5 Thus far (contact lens 43 Stays under the 6 Game for solution) dummies? radar 46 Peanut butter 7 Spike, as punch 44 So-called missing 8 Admit ___ choice link

AUTOMOTIVE TRUCKS/VANS/ SUVS FOR SALE

BODYWORK

JULIE KING: LICENSED MINISTER, TEACHER, INTUITIVE HEALER www.AcuPsychic.com. 828-884-4169. If you can see the Future You can Change it! For 35 years, she has helped thousands with relationships, finances, spiritual transformation & business. Mentoring & Courses available.

CHEVY FIBERGLASS CAMPER COVER Chevy fiberglass camper cover (red) fits 61/2 foot short wheelbase truck. Sliding Windows, good condition. $300. Call 828645-5698 or 828-776-5698.

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES

FOR MUSICIANS MUSICAL SERVICES NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS IN JAZZ PIANO, COMPOSITION, AND IMPROVISATION (ALL INSTRUMENTS). Michael Jefry Stevens, “WNC Best Composer 2016” and “Steinway Artist”, now accepting students in jazz piano, composition, and improvisation (all instruments). 35 years experience. M.A. from Queens College (NYC). Over 90 cds released. 9179161363. michaeljefrystevens.com WHITEWATER RECORDING Mixing • Mastering • Recording. (828) 684-8284 whitewaterrecording.com

PETS

edited by Will Shortz

CAR DR - A FULL SERVICE AUTOMOTIVE SHOP CAR DR is a full service automotive shop capable of servicing and maintaining Import and Domestic vehicles. Located on Sweeten Creek Rd. Call 828-277-6599 for your appointment today. cardrasheville@gmail.com WE'LL FIX IT AUTOMOTIVE Honda and Acura repair. Half price repair and service. ASE and factory trained. Located in the Weaverville area, off exit 15. Please call (828) 275-6063 for appointment. www. wellfixitautomotive.com

ADULT ADULT

PET SERVICES

FEELING WHACKED? Let Kaye's revive you back! Incall/outcall: 2808182.

ASHEVILLE PET SITTERS Dependable, loving care while you're away. Reasonable rates. Call Sandy (828) 215-7232.

LIVELINKS • CHAT LINES Flirt, chat and date! Talk to sexy real singles in your area. Call now! 1-844359-5773 (AAN CAN).

ANSWER TO CURRENT PUZZLE XPRESS

No. 0329

48 52

PUZZLE BY JULES P. MARKEY

47 Jayhawks’ home: Abbr. 48 Dogie catchers 54 Wooley who sang “The Purple People Eater”

55 Exchange 56 John Irving title hero 58 C.T.A. transports 59 Fathers and sons

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

B R A C R E R U O D E T C Y C S H O O L I U U N I S R A N T A P A S T A N O G O N G E M A I R I N S S E T T

E C N R S O L E C E D R U M O R A N E R O A S O I O N G L A E V O E

L I V Y

A P A C E

P U T T R S O T L O N V E E R D D

W E L L E S L L H E A N L E A D G O R A Y

M S E C A R T K E N K E N

I T R Y

N A R C O P S E R A K N A A C G O I N L D E A

E V O L V E

R E R E A D

N O L O N G E R

T W I N S R S

Paul Caron

Furniture Magician • Cabinet Refacing • Furniture Repair • Seat Caning • Antique Restoration • Custom Furniture & Cabinetry (828) 669-4625

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MAY 3 - 9, 2017