Mountain Xpress 05.05.21 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 40 MAY 5-11, 2021

MAY 5-11, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

C ONTENT S

WELLNESS

NEWS

FEATURES 10 TAX AND SPEND Buncombe floats higher property bills for 2021-22

16 BUNCOMBE BEAT Asheville City Board of Education shakes up leadership

PAGE 30 VEGGING OUT The Asheville area’s many plantbased dining options entice eaters of all persuasions. Those who follow a vegan diet with no animal products find plentiful offerings at all-vegan and eclectic restaurants alike, earning the city the No. 1 spot on a national list of vegan destinations. On the cover: Eva and Reza Setayesh of Plant Loving Humans and BimBeriBon COVER PHOTO Nicole McConville COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick

22 ROAD TO RECOVERY New clinic addresses lingering post-COVID symptoms

4 LETTERS 4 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

GREEN

8 COMMENTARY 26 BIN THERE, DONE THAT Local stores take different tacks to pandemic-era bulk sales

10 NEWS 12 BIZ BRIEFS 14 BUNCOMBE BEAT

A&C

18 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 28 WAITING IN THE WINGS Cornerstones of the WNC arts scene navigate distinct reopening obstacles

19 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 22 WELLNESS 26 GREEN SCENE 28 ARTS & CULTURE

A&C

36 CLUBLAND 32 DEVASTATING LAUGHTER Author Kevin McIlvoy and the art of satire

38 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 38 CLASSIFIEDS 39 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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OPINION

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

Does Asheville belong to all of us? The city’s decision to remove homeless camps in the absence of immediate permanent housing solutions is an effort to obscure a problem rather than solve it. To whatever extent crime, sanitation or any other issues used to justify this course of action exist, they will continue to exist in other neighborhoods or corners of the city where they are less visible or visible to constituents whose complaints generally result in less action by the city. All of the high-end new housing (unaffordable to many longtime residents), coupled with the presence of homeless camps in heavily trafficked areas, is probably the best reflection of our increasing class disparity. This juxtaposition serves to show visitors and otherwise unaffected residents alike that something is not right here. It’s wrong to tell people that they must stay in a shelter or they are breaking the law by existing here. Beyond that simple morality, moving the camps allows us to return to the comfort of putting our collective head in the sand as our city becomes unaffordable for more and more of us. If we silently permit our government officials to push around the people who have no other place to stay but a tent, then how can we expect that they will intervene when those of us with homes are pushed out of our neighborhoods by unchecked market forces? The city’s choice to offer hotel rooms to evicted campers seems to be a humane alternative to eviction alone, but this offer covers only the next couple of months without an indication of what comes next. The camps are the issue of the moment, but they beg a broader question: Does this town belong to all of us or just the highest bidders? — Derek Towle Asheville

Keep current zoning for Charlotte Street corridor Twenty-five years ago, my dear wife and I purchased our home within a block of the now proposed, highly controversial Charlotte Street development project. Our friends thought that we were out of our minds to buy such a place, as they helped move furniture and boxes into this long neglected house. Even the sellers confided 4

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C AR T O O N B Y R AN D Y MO L TO N that amid their 50-year ownership of the house, their strategy had become “plant big trees in the front yard so the city doesn’t condemn it.” Through many difficult and creative projects, this house became our beloved home, serving five generations of loved ones. Nearly all of the homes that surround the proposed Charlotte Street development share a similar history of rigorous restoration leading to a deeply loved home. However, there are a few exceptions. These are the homes on Charlotte Street and Baird Street belonging to the Killian family. Dr. Killian gained our respect for his careful maintenance of their properties, except those on the 100 Charlotte Street block and Baird Street. After his untimely death in 1998, the Killian family continued to neglect those properties for the next 23 years. Many of our neighborhood houses would look equally dilapidated now if we had willfully neglected them for that long. … Now the Killians and RCG (Boston) partnership want to override the current zoning that took years of neighborhood meetings, city meetings, extensive planning and the assistance of nationally respected city planners to create. The Killian/RCG proposal is dissonant in scale, style, environmental impact and traffic flow. This area is clearly incapable of handling the traffic generated by 192 units and multiple commercial sites. This proposal is also incompatible to the Asheville city government’s Living

Asheville: A Comprehensive Plan for Our Future. As a neighborhood, many of us would likely extend our heartfelt support for a development project that respects the hard work, discernment and collective visioning of our neighborhood citizens and abides by the present zoning that we have worked so diligently to create. There is abundant space for new infill buildings. The historic houses on Charlotte Street are certainly still restorable and could be transformed into attractive and welcome businesses/residences that further the vitality of the Charlotte Street corridor. To override the present zoning and allow the proposed project would create a very dangerous precedent for the entire Charlotte Street corridor. Why not work together together to honor the history, hard work and careful planning that our neighborhood and city have generated to value and vitalize the Charlotte Street corridor as the unique neighborhood that so many of us have come to treasure? — Richard Koerber Asheville

Au revoir, Charlotte Street “For greed all nature is too little.” — Seneca, Roman philosopher Greed is the basis of the planned destruction of 13 historically valuable homes along Charlotte Street. Greed, thinly cloaked in the subterfuge of “affordable housing,”

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

will eradicate part of an old and established neighborhood forever, leaving behind a development of roughly 180 apartments and commercial space. Growth in Asheville is inevitable, but growth can be for the good or it can be cancerous. This development — if approved — is growth of the second type. With this plan, there will be nothing left of the area that was: leisurely strolls beneath stately old trees, folks tending their yards, sitting on porches, time marking its passage gently, as it has for over a century. Gone. The Killian family’s hired-gun lawyer’s case falls into two categories: the need to raze buildings not worth salvaging and the need for affordable housing. The affordable housing problems of Asheville will not be solved by destroying our heritage. Other areas remain for such development. If the houses are in disrepair, it is because the Killian family has spent 30 of their 45 years here amassing the block of real estate on which the houses stand, then allowing them to fall into the disrepair they now claim makes them worthless. Accumulating 13 contiguous homes over 30 years is not accidental. … Let growth occur, but not where it destroys our birthright. If these houses are torn down, the loss will be forever. The charm of the Charlotte Street area is part of what makes us valuable to the tourist economy. No one comes here to see affordable housing or a shopping mall. They want to see the Asheville of their imaginations: of Thomas Wolfe, of the Vanderbilts, River Arts and Shindig on the Green, restaurants and breweries, we colorful and eccentric locals. All this, plus our mountains and outlying towns, are what make us uniquely us. A quirky bumper sticker reads: “Keep Asheville Weird.” Better said might be, “Keep Asheville, Asheville.” I write this with the heartfelt hope that our City Council will vote no on this project. We must grow, but we can grow intelligently and where it is proper, not through the destruction of what is good. — Olin Blankenship Asheville

Suffering extreme driving conditions on Asheville’s streets After daily trips along Asheville’s streets over the past few years, I 6

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can report that Asheville’s streets are among the worst in the country. And I have driven extensively throughout the U.S. The city government spends a significant amount of money trying to lure people here, only to subject them to extreme driving conditions. This was affirmed to me by two visitors recently, who told me Merrimon Avenue was like driving in a war zone. These deplorable street conditions are deep cracks, uneven surfaces, multiple potholes, sunken manhole covers and drains, and buckled pavement. There is no way to adequately describe the collective effect that these obstructions pose, because they are variable conditions at any given site, but the overall effect is one of putting your vehicle at risk of repair. If Asheville is considered a popular venue, which apparently it is, then what do the horrible street conditions say to visitors about the city? Interestingly, the streets around the city government offices look pretty good. — Alan O’Neal Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress contacted the city with a summary of the letter writer’s points, and we received a response from spokesperson Polly McDaniel, which said in part: “We would agree that many Asheville streets are in need of repair. It took the city decades of underfunding for the streets, drainage and sidewalks to get to the rough shape that we’re experiencing, but we are addressing this issue. It’s also worth noting that Merrimon Avenue is a NC DOTmaintained road. “The recent bond and capital investments the city of Asheville is deploying is addressing road conditions in a holistic and equitable manner. … So far, the bond program has paved all or parts of 17 roads for a total of 12.65 miles. The cost of this work was $9.1 million. … “On the capital projects side, the annual fiscal year resurfacing contracts from FY2017-FY2020 have paved all or parts of 68 roads for a total of 18.41 miles. The cost of that work was $8.6 million. It will take fiscal discipline to keep the investments coming to assure an equitable and sustainable network for all of our communities and modes of transportation. …”

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Time for NC to raise the minimum wage As a former worker on minimum wage, I wince as I remember the stress and anxiety that my friends and co-workers experienced as they fretted over paying for the basics on a daily basis and suffered through the pain of simply doing without. I witnessed people eating chips for dinner because it was all they could afford or playing exhausting games with credit cards by transferring years-old balances to new cards to get a break on interest rates. No one should ever have to avoid doctors’ visits even when they were in great need because they couldn’t afford it and had no insurance, like my co-workers, or work through fatigue most days because their multiple jobs didn’t permit them a full night’s sleep. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services federal poverty guidelines state that a two-person household needs $17,420 a year to make ends meet. It is distressing to me that, with North Carolina’s current minimum wage of $7.25, a full-time minimum wage worker working 40 hours a week, 52

weeks a year, makes just $15,080 a year before taxes, $2,000 below these guidelines. As is typical, inflation continues to go up at a steady pace while wages stay put. North Carolina’s minimum wage hasn’t budged in nearly 12 years. The pandemic has only exacerbated these issues, causing so many workers who were living on the edge to fall off. Some advocate for waiting for the federal government to act on raising the minimum wage. But why wait when workers need help now?! We can do what 29 other states, including conservative ones like Nebraska, Arkansas, South Dakota and Missouri, have done and raise our state minimum wage to a fairer and more just $15 per hour. We just need the political will to do it. Last [month], the Raising Wages NC coalition and groups like Just Economics held a press conference about the statewide bill to raise the minimum wage. I fully support this long overdue bill, and you should, too. I urge our lawmakers to treat this issue with the urgency it deserves and do right by North Carolina’s workers. — Susan Hills Asheville MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 5-11, 2021

OPINION

Tread lightly

Please don’t trample Heller’s blazing star (and other rare treasures)

BY GARY PEEPLES

In 1975, the number of nesting pairs of peregrine falcons in North America bottomed out at 344. In 1999 — after the Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service worked with several state wildlife agencies and nonprofits to release thousands of birds into the wild — the falcon was removed from the endangered species list. To help ensure this success into the future, each year, the U.S.

Forest Service temporarily closes many of Western North Carolina’s tall cliffs used by nesting peregrine falcons because of the bird’s sensitivity to human disturbance. This means rock climbers give up some of their best routes for months, while this rare bird returns to a nest, spruces it up, lays eggs, then hatches and fledges the young falcons. Rock climbers, through their sacrifice, have been key to the peregrine’s continued success. The peregrine falcon is the world’s fastest bird. It’s char-

ismatic. It has been revered by cultures around the world and through time. When it was taken off the endangered species list, 2,000 people showed up for the ceremony in Idaho, and the Boise State University marching band performed. On the other hand, spreading avens is a plant most have never seen nor heard of. It was placed on the federal endangered species list in 1990. In the entire world, it lives only at the highest peaks in the Southern Appalachians, where

DON’T TREAD ON ME: Biologist Mara Alexander of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records data on the endangered spreading avens, center and right with broad leaves, at Roan Mountain. Photo by Gary Peeples, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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people like to hike. One of its threats? Being inadvertently trampled beneath a hiker’s boot. Spreading avens is just one of the protected plants in our area that are endangered or threatened. So are Roan Mountain bluet, mountain golden heather and Heller’s blazing star. All imperiled. All found only in the Southern Appalachians. All occurring at popular areas. All impacted by trampling. Maybe you’ve seen “area closed” signs while hiking at Roan Mountain, Mount Mitchell State Park or at the Blue Ridge Parkway’s Craggy Pinnacle. Area closure signs typically exist for one or both of two reasons — to protect you or to protect natural resources. Elisha Mitchell, the man for whom Mount Mitchell is named, fell to his death not far from the peak of his namesake mountain. No one wants anyone else following suit. On the ecological side, the high peaks that draw visitors are home to habitats found nowhere else in the world, and with these rare habitats come rare species found nowhere else in the world. Those

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Essential updates. Original reporting. Daily at 2 p.m.

rare plants and animals are part of our natural heritage, and the challenge of stewardship is on us. Hiking season is erupting for another year. Our natural areas are one of our region’s greatest draws — and with good reason. So, by all means, get out there. Hike your favorite trail. Find a new favorite trail. Take someone who has never been hiking. But also help us. Help us conserve part of what makes this area unique. Help us make a difference with some of our rarest species by joining thousands of visitors in the simple act of staying on trails and heeding any “area closed” signs. In the great scope of things we can do to make our planet a better place, this is a pretty small ask. But it can make a tremendous difference. Gary Peeples has 20 years of experience working in endangered species conservation as a biologist in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Asheville field office, which coordinates threatened and endangered species recovery in Western North Carolina. X

GONNA FLY NOW: A peregrine falcon about to be released in 1985. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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MAY 5-11, 2021

NEWS

Tax and spend

nicating that to everyone across Buncombe County.”

Buncombe floats higher property bills for 2021-22 BY DANIEL WALTON

increase during the April 22 meeting. (Robert Pressley, the board’s only Republican and an advocate for lowering taxes in previous budget cycles, was absent as he recovered from a minor surgery.) But Commissioner Amanda Edwards emphasized a need to educate the public about how their higher taxes would benefit the county. “I think we have to do a really good job of communicating what services are going to be enhanced as a result of the property tax,” Edwards said. “I put that challenge out to all of us, as well as staff, to ensure that we’re really commu-

property value for the billing period that starts in July, down 4 cents from the current rate of 52.9 cents per $100. However, the rate is 2.1 cents higher than what Buncombe would need to charge to maintain current revenue levels. For the median home in Buncombe County — worth $231,400 before revaluation and $291,000 now — the new rate would boost taxes by over 16%, from $1,224 to $1,423 per year. The percentage increase is greater than the roughly 14% rise commissioners approved in 2017. None of the six Democratic commissioners objected to the proposed

dwalton@mountainx.com As Buncombe County officials have repeatedly stressed since embarking on the revaluation of all county real estate last year, higher property values don’t automatically translate into bigger tax bills. What owners owe depends on the rate set each year by the county Board of Commissioners. But according to an April 22 board discussion, that rate for the next fiscal year looks likely to increase taxpayers’ burden. Budget analyst Rusty Mau said that county staff was proposing a tax rate of 48.9 cents per $100 of

MORE FOR THE MONEY

Mau explained that the tax hike would put roughly $10 million more into county coffers than would be expected with a revenue-neutral rate, with total projected property tax revenues for fiscal year 202122 coming to $233.7 million. Over half of that new money would be earmarked for the county’s strategic goals, with the remainder supporting foundational government business. The single largest item would be a $2.7 million increase in funding for the county’s K-12 schools and A-B Tech, a 3% rise over last year’s budget. Early childhood education spending would go up by $851,000, while about $600,000 would provide more funds and staff support for

IVY

$111,900 $141,100 NORTH BUNCOMBE

$197,500 $248,600

FRENCH BROAD

$167,500 $215,350

REEMS CREEK

WEAVERVILLE

$214,500 $272,900

$222,900 $283,500

SANDY MUSH

$139,150 $175,750

EAST BUNCOMBE WOODFIN

$119,000 $166,200

LEICESTER

$143,800 $179,200

$295,050 $343,300

NORTH ASHEVILLE

CANDLER

$156,500 $189,000

NORTH WEST ASHEVILLE

STARNES COVE

$133,950 $169,750

$161,000 $206,000

BLACK MOUNTAIN

$227,100 $279,600

$171,450 $229,750

CBD

$400,850 $481,300

EAST ASHEVILLE

$209,300 $269,500

SOUTHSIDE

$193,550 SOUTH WEST ASHEVILLE $261,650

SAND HILL

CENTRAL ASHEVILLE

$264,950 $304,300

$181,900 $236,050

KIMBERLY

EMMA $371,050 $102,500 MONTFORD $446,100 $135,000 $325,600 $394,600

HAZEL

MONTREAT

BEE TREE

$318,100 $381,850

$96,400 $122,700

$144,600 $202,200

TOWN MOUNTAIN

SWANNANOA

$133,600 $171,300

OAKLEY

$167,200 $221,800

$219,300 $276,050

REYNOLDS

$175,300 $229,400

$206,550 $257,000

BILTMORE FOREST

$863,900 $954,550

SHILOH / SWEETEN CREEK

$154,350 $207,500

ENKA

$144,300 $180,500

BROAD RIVER FAIRVIEW

$200,000 $235,200

$84,650 $103,350

SOUTH ASHEVILLE AVERY CREEK

$237,600 $285,900

$217,550 $262,200

BEFORE AND AFTER: Median home values for different regions of Buncombe County prior to the recent revaluation are shown in black. Current median values are shown in red. Graphic by Scott Southwick 10

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conservation easements on farms and other vulnerable county land. Roughly $1.2 million would fund new employees across a variety of departments, including pretrial screeners at the county detention center and an inspector for septic and wastewater systems. The most well-remunerated new job would be that of equity officer, for which the county has budgeted $167,000 in salary and benefits. County Manager Avril Pinder said the push for that new role had come from discussions with Buncombe’s Equity and Inclusion Workgroup, tasked with developing a Racial Equity Action Plan for the county. While she had initially denied the workgroup’s request for two equity-focused positions because the plan hadn’t been finalized, she continued, community members were seeking quicker action. “‘We want to see you put your money where your mouth is,’” Pinder reported as her main takeaway from those conversations. “My thought at first was going to be a slow implementation, but I don’t think I have the runway to do that.”

over 95% white, while Southside is approximately 34% Black. Commissioner Jasmine BeachFerrara encouraged the county to center equity as it continued its tax discussions. One approach, she suggested, might be helping low-income residents appeal their property values, a process Buncombe has increasingly moved online. “Having an online appeals process works amazingly for some people,” Beach-Ferrara said. “Maybe we could think about some ways

to make sure that appeals process is really as accessible as possible, especially to folks with more limited income or for whom that process just might not feel very accessible.” Although Buncombe will receive over $51 million in COVID-19 relief funding from the federal American Rescue Plan, that money will likely not change the board’s approach to property taxes. As explained by Mau, the county aims to use such one-time sources of revenue for onetime expenses like new infrastruc-

ture, while recurring tax revenue is paired with recurring expenses like personnel and education. No formal vote on the tax increase was taken during the meeting. The next step of Buncombe’s budget process is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11, when the county’s schools and fire departments will present their requests. A final draft budget is tentatively scheduled for presentation on Tuesday, May 18, with the public hearing on the document slated for Tuesday, June 1. X

WHO’S GOT THE TAB?

Edwards, meanwhile, highlighted an equity concern with the new taxes themselves. “Those folks who are living in higher-valued houses did not seem to see the same rate of growth in their appraisal,” she said. “That does lead me to think that it is going to impact our folks who are living in different housing type situations and different income situations.” According to pre-appeal numbers, the median home value in wealthy Biltmore Forest increased by nearly $93,000 between 2017 and 2021, but the area’s median change in sales ratio after reappraisal — which represents how closely the county’s appraised values track actual sale prices — went up just 4%. All other parts of the county saw double-digit percentage increases in sales ratio; in the Southside neighborhood of Asheville, for example, median home value increased by over $70,000, and the median change in sales ratio was 26%. Because property taxes are directly linked to valuation, Biltmore Forest homeowners will likely see proportionately lower increases in their tax bills than any other Buncombe residents. Such differences may have disproportionate racial impacts; Biltmore Forest is MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 5-11, 2021

BIZ BRIEFS

Skill up with Blue Ridge Community College Blue Ridge Community College is now offering four new advanced manufacturing classes to provide students with the “critical knowledge and competencies” needed to land jobs at regional manufacturing facilities. The new courses include machining fundamentals, industrial maintenance, certified logistics technician and nondestructive testing QA/QC. Costs for each class run $230-$306, plus required books and materials. Three of the new courses have been endorsed by aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, which is building a plant in Buncombe County and is expected to employ up to 800 people. Students who complete one of the endorsed classes automatically qualify for a pre-employment assessment and an interview with the company.

Bad for the blue-collar A new report by property inspection industry website Inspection Support Network found that Asheville is the 18th-worst-paying midsize metro area for blue-collar workers in the United States. According to the report, roughly 33.8% of Asheville workers identify as blue-collar, a status defined by ISN as working jobs that require manual labor and are often paid on an hourly basis. The median annual wage of a blue-collar worker locally is $37,433, lower than the national average of $40,000. Asheville is also significantly behind the rest of the country in union membership. The national union membership rate is 10.8%, compared with just 2.4% in Asheville.

Open for business

LEARNING THE TRADE: Leonardo Zaragoza-Linares, left, and Jesus Tamayo both completed a certificate in “industrial manufacturing production technician” through Blue Ridge Community College’s manufacturing apprenticeship program. The school is now offering four new advanced manufacturing courses to prepare Western North Carolina residents for high-paying jobs. Photo courtesy of BRCC

• Pedego Electric Bikes is now open on Coxe Avenue in Asheville. The store will hold a grand opening ceremony on Wednesday, May 5, with group e-bike rides, a food truck and a fundraiser for Hood Huggers International. • The Southern Loft will open at the Asheville Outlets in May. The North Carolina-based boutique sells women’s fashion, gifts and home items. • Asheville Storks & More opened in early April to provide personalized stork yard sign rentals to announce the birth of a child. Soon, the business plans to offer yard signs for birthday parties, graduations and other special events.

Match with mom

Need a last-minute Mother’s Day gift? Mini + meep, a sustainable baby and toddler clothing brand launched by Asheville resident and mother Fay Grant, is debuting a new line of “mommy + me” matching sets. Grant paints all pieces by hand in the Blue Ridge Mountains to inspire positivity, according to a press release. The company’s commitment to green practices and artwork that inspires nature-based play led Grant to be selected as a featured artist in the 2021 Smithsonian Craft Optimism Show. The company is also giving back to the community through a partnership with MANNA FoodBank. For every order, mini + meep will donate a meal to a child in need; to date, Grant and her team have donated over 40,000 meals to local families.

NEW LOOK: Mini + meep, an Asheville-based sustainable baby and toddler clothing brand, has launched a new line of “mommy + me” matching sets. Photo courtesy of mini + meep 12

MAY 5-11, 2021

ing grants of up to $1,000 to fund projects with a positive impact. All grants include complementary business consulting; individuals age 16-30 are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit avl.mx/9bs.

Biz bites

• The Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas selected Asheville-based Skyrunner to expand broadband internet in Haywood County’s Fines Creek and Crabtree communities. Funding for the project will come from the Appalachian Regional Commission. • The Hands of Sean Perry Co., an Asheville-based construction com-

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pany, received a 2021 Guildmaster with Highest Distinction award from GuildQuality, an Atlantabased customer satisfaction survey company. The honor marks the sixth time the company has won a Guildmaster award since 2010. • Ingles Markets will host a companywide hiring fair Tuesday, May 11, to Thursday, May 13, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Interested candidates should visit any store location during those times and bring two forms of identification. • Local entertainment company Asheville Terrors has purchased the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast and Museum in Fall River, Mass. Borden’s father and stepmother were murdered in the house in 1892, and the case remains one of the oldest unsolved murders in the United States. • PLR Connect Events will host a free speed networking event for female entrepreneurs on Thursday, May 20, at 5:30 p.m. Register at avl.mx/9bq. • The NC IDEA Foundation has awarded $10,000 grants to 19 companies across the state, including Canine Harvest in Hendersonville and Cardstalk and GRAVITL in Asheville. Dare Vegan Cheese in Asheville has also been selected as a finalist for the foundation’s $50,000 SEED grant, which will be announced in mid-May. • Let’s Choose Love, a new forum for the Asheville community, is offer-

Local movers

• Anna Marie Smith is the new chief human resources officer of HomeTrust Bancshares. Prior to joining HTB, she served in senior leadership roles at Forsyth Tech Community College in WinstonSalem and at Wells Fargo. • Mark Hampshire is also joining the HomeTrust Bank team as the associate bank manager at the company’s East Asheville branch. He previously worked as a branch manager for BB&T Bank. • Gaia Herbs has appointed Jim Geikie as the company’s new president and chief executive officer. Geikie is also a partner in One Better Ventures, a Raleigh-based B Corp-certified investment and adviser firm. With Geikie’s appointment, Gaia Herbs and One Better Ventures have also announced a new partnership to help grow and advance Gaia’s mission. • United Federal Credit Union has hired Nick Iosue as a commercial loan officer serving the Asheville area. Iosue lives in Western North Carolina and has served as a member of the N.C. Young Bankers Association, vice president of the Brevard Chamber of Commerce and treasurer of Pisgah Forest Rotary.

— Molly Horak X

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 5-11, 2021

BUNCOMBE BEAT

Council talks budget, eyes property tax increase Unlike their Buncombe County counterparts, Asheville city officials didn’t give a firm figure by which residents could expect their property tax rates to increase in the coming fiscal year. But to fund a growing list of priorities for the 2021-22 annual operating budget, city staffers suggested, some additional revenue will be needed. Tony McDowell, the city’s new finance director, ran down some of those projected expenses for Asheville City Council during an April 27 budget work session. Major costs include approximately $1.15 million to fill vacant positions impacted by Asheville’s current hiring freeze; $700,000 in additional employee retirement contributions set by the state; $488,000 to staff a new fire station under construction on Broadway; $380,000 in economic incentive agreements with area businesses; $300,000 to support a cost increase for the city’s recycling contract; and $180,000 to maintain body-worn cameras used by the Asheville Police Department. Those figures don’t include any expansion of city services, added Taylor Floyd, Asheville’s budget manager. A list presented to Council cited $10.2 million in new projects, a number City Manager

PERSONNEL COSTS PILE UP: Staffing Asheville’s new Fire Station 13 will cost at least $488,000, city staffers told members of Asheville City Council at an April 27 budget work session. The new building will be located at 316 Broadway. Rendering courtesy of the city of Asheville Debra Campbell said is likely lower than their true costs. Full implementation of a city employee compensation study, which Council designated a key priority at its recent retreat, would cost $7.8 million, Floyd said. Working with the county to consolidate 911

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calls will cost at least $1 million, and continuing to implement the city’s Transit Master Plan will likewise add more than $1 million to expenditures. Approximately $300,000 will be needed to fund the planning and community engagement phase of the city’s reparations work, Floyd continued. Expenses for the early phases include stipends for members of an eventual Reparations Commission, hiring facilitators and purchasing food for participants if meetings occur in person, Campbell said. Mountain Xpress 27th Annual

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Without additional revenue, it will “definitely be hard for us to do all these things,” Campbell said. Council member Gwen Wisler suggested using the city’s reserves to cover one-time costs like the new fire station or a down payment on a reparations fund, the latter of which is not included in the current budget proposals. The Reparations Commission is expected to address funding by January 2022, Campbell responded, with reparations funding requests to be incorporated in the 2022-23 budget. Divesting from the Asheville Police Department would free up funds for reparations or longterm neighborhood investments to reimagine public safety, said Council member Kim Roney. Neighborhoods are currently slated to get $50,000 in small-scale grants in the 2021-22 budget. Buncombe County has already proposed an effective property tax rate increase of 2.1 cents per $100 of valuation. Just because the county was the first to float an increase, Wisler emphasized, the city shouldn’t hesitate to consider one as well. The property tax rate needed to produce the same total revenue for the city after Buncombe’s recently completed reappraisal would come to 38.3 cents per $100. Every onecent increase above that rate would generate an additional $1.9 million for the city, McDowell said. The first draft of the 2021-22 operating budget will go before Council on Tuesday, May 25. A public hearing will occur on Tuesday, June 11; Council will vote on the final document Tuesday, June 22.

IN OTHER NEWS

Council also unanimously passed a nondiscrimination ordinance protecting residents in private employment and public accommodations based on 16 personal characteristics and lifestyles, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. The ordinance mirrors a policy adopted April 20 by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners. “I want to congratulate this community for being in a new place today,” said Mayor Esther Manheimer. “I know not everyone is in the same place, but there are a lot more people in support than there were 10, 20, 30 years ago. This is an exciting moment for Asheville.”

— Molly Horak X

TDA grants $45K to Wortham Center amid process debate

through that,” Isley said. “As the city and the county have been coming into unprecedented dollars from [federal COVID-19 relief], we want to align with them to make sure we understand if their priorities have changed and how they have changed so that we can be in alignment with that.” Isley said further discussion on a new grant system would take place at the board’s next meeting on Wednesday, May 26.

IN OTHER NEWS

The BCTDA will hold a series of virtual panel discussions called “Deep Community Conversations” in May. The meetings will take place 12-1:15 p.m. Monday, May 10; Wednesday, May 12; Monday, May 17; and Wednesday, May 19. Panelists will speak about pandemic recovery, sustainable growth, safe and responsible travel and Asheville’s creative spirit. The online events are open to the public. Registration and more information are available at avl.mx/9bb.

— Brooke Randle X CLEARING THE AIR: A $45,000 grant for the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts will cover equipment, installation and training for a new air ionization system meant to neutralize coronavirus particles that may linger in enclosed spaces and infect visitors or performers. Photo by Will Newnham What’s the going price for fresh air? According to the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, about $45,000. During their meeting of April 28, Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority board members voted unanimously to approve a Tourism Product Development Fund grant in that amount to cover a new air ionization system at the Wortham Center. The system is designed to filter air and neutralize coronavirus particles that may linger in enclosed spaces and infect visitors or performers. But the move drew mixed feelings from some board members, driven not by the project itself but by what they suggested was an unclear process for distributing funds. In early 2019, the authority paused new grants from the TPDF — which represents the 25% of occupancy taxes that by law must be spent on capital projects to drive new overnight visits — to embark on a long-term planning effort called the Tourism Management and Investment Plan. The TMIP aimed to align grant-making with Asheville and Buncombe County government priorities on a roughly 10-year time-

frame. However, the plan’s progress was stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic before the TDA could finalize its new approach. The process publicly remains paused, and no grant application is available on the TDA’s website. But on March 25, the tourism authority board unanimously voted to reengage the volunteer TPDF committee to review new funding requests. Robert Foster, the committee’s chair, noted that the Wortham Center request was the only one his group had considered since the March vote. Board member Andrew Celwyn voiced concern about approving the funds under those circumstances. “We don’t have any other requests coming through because no one else knows that we’re available for giving out grants because we haven’t established anything,” he said. Fellow board member Kathleen Mosher asked Vic Isley, president and CEO of the Explore Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau, when the TDA would move from the current “one-off situation” to a longer-term model. Isley responded that the authority was waiting to coordinate with city and county lead-

ers to implement a new grant-making system. Both governments will receive federal coronavirus recovery funds, she added, which may impact their funding needs. “We are working and in conversations with our stakeholders at the county and at the city level. Certainly when the TMIP process was going through and throughout the calendar year of 2019, there were community priorities that were identified

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MAY 5-11, 2021

BUNCOMBE BEAT

ACS board shakes up leadership The Asheville City Board of Education doesn’t just have new members — as of April 26, the governing body of Asheville City Schools has new leaders. At its first meeting since the March 23 appointments of James Carter, Jacquelyn Carr McHargue and Peyton O’Conner by Asheville City Council, the school board’s members chose Carter as chair and McHargue as vice chair in a pair of split decisions. Carter, first appointed to the board in 2019 to fill the term of member James Lee following his move to a new city, received support from McHargue and O’Conner, both of whom are first-term members. The same bloc also supported McHargue for vice chair, with Shaunda Sandford and Martha Geitner voting against both picks. Sandford, the board’s previous chair, had nominated O’Conner to fill her role with the backing of Geitner, the previous vice chair. But O’Conner demurred at the suggestion and instead nominated Carter, explaining, “I’m a little bit scared about my rookie-ism on the board at this point.” Although school board officers usually serve for four-year terms, Carter and McHargue may see their time cut short due to action at the N.C. General Assembly. House Bill 400, jointly sponsored by Reps. John Ager, Susan Fisher and Brian Turner of Buncombe County, would create an all-elected school board with seven members instead of the current five-member board appointed by Asheville City Council. If that bill becomes law, all seven board seats would be up for a nonpartisan primary and election

NEW LEADERS: James Carter and Jacquelyn Carr McHargue will serve as the chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Asheville City Board of Education following a pair of April 26 votes. Photo by Virginia Daffron in November 2022. The four candidates receiving the most votes would serve a four-year term, while the bottom three candidates would serve a two-year term before facing reelection in 2024. Asheville is currently one of only two cities in North Carolina that appoints its school board. This

year, the process drew substantial criticism from Council members and the Asheville City Association of Educators over concerns that input from teachers and the community wasn’t considered. On March 9, Council voted to request that the state legislature change the board’s makeup.

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IN OTHER NEWS

As part of its consent agenda, the board passed a resolution opposing three pieces of state legislation that members said would unfairly target transgender students. The three bills — House Bill 358, Senate Bill 514 and Senate Bill 515, all sponsored by Republican lawmakers — would respectively ban transgender girls from playing on boys’ teams, prohibit certain gender-related medical treatments for minors and allow health care providers to refuse care based on their “religious, moral or ethical beliefs.” Superintendent Gene Freeman thanked O’Conner, who identifies as nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns, for bringing the bills to the school system’s attention. “Governors are approving this type of treatment for children in terms of not allowing them to be who they are authentically,” he said. “We are a place, in Asheville City Schools, that is accepting of everyone to be who you wish to be, and that’s good enough for us.” Freeman also floated the idea of challenging the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s policy on transgender sports participation. According to the NCHSAA, students must compete on the team matching their birth certificate’s gender unless they provide detailed documents and submit to a psychological evaluation. “Why don’t we sue them? Get the [American Civil Liberties Union] involved in it?” Freeman said. “I worry about having so many rules that point directly to transgender kids and point them out.” Board members, however, didn’t seem eager to take legal action. While O’Conner characterized the NCHSAA’s policies as unnecessary gatekeeping and “very offensive to transgender people,” they said challenging the rules could create even more discomfort for students and lead to “a media circus.” ACS spokesperson AshleyMichelle Thublin declined to share information regarding how many transgender students are currently served by the system and participate on its athletic teams. According to North Carolina Health News, fewer than 10 transgender students across the state have applied to play on teams consistent with their gender identity since 2019.

— Daniel Walton X

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Frost sentenced to six months in prison for Buncombe fraud “‘Embezzling status’ is a term used by the government [prosecution]. It seems apt.” That’s how Robert Conrad, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, summarized the actions of Ellen Frost at an April 28 hearing. He proceeded to sentence the former Buncombe County commissioner, who had pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal program fraud, to six months in federal prison and a year of supervised release. In July 2019, Frost was charged with 11 federal crimes related to her misappropriation of roughly $575,000 in county funds in 2015 and 2016. Without obtaining approval from her colleagues on the Board of Commissioners, Frost partnered with former County Manager Wanda Greene to spend Buncombe taxpayer money on sponsorships of three equestrian enterprises in the name of the Asheville Regional Airport. Frost’s attorney, Anthony Scheer, claimed that the county had profited from increased tourism due to that advertising at the Tryon International Equestrian Center, Florida’s Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and The Chronicle of the Horse magazine. He said the former commissioner had gained little personal benefit from her illegal activity, thereby demonstrating a “lack of greed” worthy of a lighter sentence. But Conrad pointed out that, as a perk of one of those sponsorships, Frost had received use of a VIP table in a members-only club at the Tryon International Equestrian Center; as outlined in her indictment, she invited airport board members and other guests to enjoy a complimentary “full-spread buffet and a premium selection of liquor, beer and wine” worth roughly $2,000 per week. The judge suggested that she had acted out of pride, not greed, and that she sought to be treated as a “big dog in the equestrian world.” The sentence reflected a compromise between federal guidelines, which advised incarceration for 24-30 months, and the joint request of the defense and prosecution that Frost not receive any active prison time. Conrad said that her betrayal of public trust in local government required an active sentence,

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INTO THE CORRAL: As punishment for her role in misappropriating $575,000 in Buncombe County funds to sponsor equestrian enterprises, former Commissioner Ellen Frost was sentenced to six months in federal prison on April 28. Photo by John Coutlakis

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as he had imposed on Greene and other corrupt Buncombe officials in August 2019. “I have no excuses. I violated that trust,” Frost said to the courtroom when asked to speak on her own behalf. She offered her “humble apologies” to Buncombe residents and said she would return to a “life of service” on her release from prison. However, Conrad opted for what he termed a “substantial variance” from the sentencing guidelines in light of Frost’s minimal profit from the fraud and her chronic health issues. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in February 2020, and Scheer had argued that active prison time would prevent her from engaging in the physical therapy needed to slow the condition’s progress. The judge also did not ask Frost to pay any restitution to Buncombe County. On April 20, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a $175,000 settlement with the former official in a separate civil suit; the agreement still allows the county to seek the remaining $400,000 in damages from Greene.

— Daniel Walton X MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 5-11, 2021

ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

FEA T U RE S

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘Absurd’ The Majestic Theater spurs controversy, 1921 When the Majestic Theater opened on the northeast corner of College and Market streets in March 1913, The Asheville Gazette-News called it “regal” and “beautiful.” Among its many decorative features were three ceiling murals representing music, comedy and love. According to the paper, the theater could seat 800 (a generous count based on available photographs). And though the building was deemed “nearly fireproof” on account of its asbestos curtains and partitions, the venue featured 21 exit doors, which could be “thrown open instantly,” The Gazette noted, allowing a packed room to empty “in about two minutes.” But more important than the theater’s grand appearance and its stateof-the-art features was its dire necessity. “It comes between the Auditorium and the mere moving picture and cheap vaudeville houses,” The Gazette pointed out in its March 22, 1913, edition. “It will be a sin if the character of the productions are not in some measure in keeping with the theater itself.” Over the next seven years, live acts took the stage. But in 1921, Majestic announced plans to temporarily close to update its equipment and convert the site to a moving picture house.

For some residents, including S.B. Haskell, the decision came as a welcome change. “I would like to endorse the new policy … in discontinuing the so-called musical comedy and vaudeville,” Haskell wrote in a letter to the editor, featured in the April 29, 1921, edition of The Asheville Citizen. “I have often wondered why the ministers and good people of Asheville have not requested this before.” According to Haskell, “The jokes and costumes [featured in live performances] have been such an order that no lady could attend.” Because of this, Haskell claimed, men accounted for 95% of Majestic’s patrons. “I have always attended theatres regularly and enjoy good vaudeville, and trust that Asheville may receive entertainments of better order in the future,” Haskell continued. “At least I hope we may have clean shows.” But others saw it quite differently. In a May 1, 1921, letter to the editor, Carl P. Jones, lambasted Haskell’s assessment of the theater, writing: “He claims that the shows in the past have been of such a nature that none of the better people could attend, but I am a frequent visi-

INSIDE VIEW: Praised for its decorative interior, “There is not such another theater in the state as the Majestic,” The Asheville Gazette-News wrote on March 22, 1913. Photo courtesy of the Ball Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville 18

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TICKETS, PLEASE: In 1913, the Majestic Theater opened in downtown Asheville. By the 1920s, its model shifted from live performances to moving pictures. Photo courtesy of the Ball Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville tor there and I am just as good as said Mr. Haskell, and as for the costumes being such that no lady should attend, that is absurd. If Mr. Haskell will take a walk up Patton avenue and across the square most any afternoon I’ll guarantee that he will see as much if not more of the feminine body exposed than at the Majestic theatre, and there are many sights seen on the streets of Asheville every day that far surpass in vulgarity anything I have ever seen or heard at the Majestic theatre.” A week after Jones’ letter, The Sunday Citizen announced Majestic Theater’s reopening. Echoing The Gazette’s original 1913 praise of the venue, The Sunday Citizen declared “tomorrow afternoon at 1 o’clock, the people of the city will witness one of the prettiest and most modern picture houses in the south.” In addition to its new green and white seat coverings — “which gives the interior a cool and inviting appearance,” the paper wrote — ushers donned white uniforms, creating “the appearance of a Metropolitan theater.” Meanwhile, on the technical side, two new projectors ensured “the latest methods of picture projection ... giving the super-attractions the clearest possible screening.” By 1929, the Majestic was renamed the Paramount Theatre.

Thirty years later, in 1959, the movie house closed. On Oct. 19, The Asheville Citizen remembered the Paramount “as [being] the home of many visiting vaudeville shows and was noted as one of the finest theaters in Asheville from an acoustical standpoint.” The paper added, “It was formerly known as the Majestic Theatre.” Today, a parking lot occupies the site where the theater once stood. Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

In other news While Asheville Archives’ focus is on local history, researching these topics often reveals other interesting, national headlines. Here are a few that appeared in the same issues that reported on the Majestic Theater. • March 22, 1913: Wilson Asked To Call National Conference Of Governors To Better Women’s Condition • April 24, 1921: Twenty Thousand Bodies Of American Soldiers Have Been Returned • May 8, 1921: Says Living Wage Theory For Pay Is Socialistic X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAY 5-14, 2021

FESTIVALS, MARKETS & FAIRS

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, ext. 137. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, ext. 320.

Burntshirt Vineyards Local Craft Market Artisan vendor fair. TH (5/6), 1-6pm, Burntshirt Vineyards, 2695 Sugarloaf Rd, Hendersonville

In-Person Events = Shaded All other events are virtual

ART Slow Art Friday: Darkness to Light Discussion led by master docent Sarah Reincke at Asheville Art Museum. FR (5/7), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9b0 Slow Art Friday: Where Have All the People Gone? Discussion led by touring docent Sylvia Horvath at Asheville Art Museum. FR (5/14), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9c1

MUSIC Asheville Rhythm & Tryon Fine Arts Center Concert Featuring world music group Free Planet Radio with singer-songwriter Jane Kramer. SA (5/8), 7pm, Free, avl.mx/9c0

LITERARY Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance: Reader Meet Writer Featuring Josephine Caminos Oria, author of sobremesa. TH (5/6), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9bt Firestorm: Identity, Inheritance and Social Change Conversation with authors Gayatri Sethi and Anjali Enjeti. MO (5/10), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9bx Malaprop's Author Discussion Scott Gould presents Things That Crash, Things That Fly, in conversation with Sonja Livingston. TU (5/11), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9b1 WNC Historical Association: LitCafe Mary Othella Burnette presents Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing up Black in Southern Appalachia. TU (5/11), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/98f

Mother's Day Market & Drink Pink Night Fresh flowers, locally made goods, fermented foods and handcrafted jewelry. FR (5/7), 4-8pm, White Labs Kitchen & Tap, 172 S Charlotte St

Malaprop's Author Discussion Featuring Heather Frese, author of The Baddest Girl on the Planet, in conversation with Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle. WE (5/12), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9bw Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance: Reader Meet Writer Featuring Bob Drury and Tom Clavin, authors of Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the Fight for America's First Frontier. TH (5/13), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9bv

THEATER In the Middle of Nowhere Original drama written by Bret Murphy and directed by Katie Jones. Tickets: avl.mx/9af. Ongoing (thru 5/16), 7:30pm, $23, The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St Montford Park Players: A Comedy of Errors Shakespeare production directed by Mandy Bean. Tickets: avl.mx/9aL FR-SA (5/7-22), 7:30pm, $10, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St Magnetic in the (Smoky) Park Outdoor variety show. Tickets: avl.mx/97f. TU (5/11), 7pm, $18, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

CIVICS & ACTIVISM Firestorm: Indigenous Resistance in Europe’s Far North Featuring Gabriel Kuhn, author of Liberating Sapmi, in conversation with activist Niillas Somby. SA (5/8), 2pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9by Asheville City Council • Budget work session. TU (5/11), 2:30pm • Formal meeting. TU (5/11), 5pm, publicinput.com/S278

Mother’s Day Market Handmade arts and crafts, plus live demonstrations by The Heritage Weavers. SA (5/8), 10am-4pm, Free, Historic Johnson Farm, 3346 Haywood Rd, Hendersonville Southern Highlands Craft Guild: Mini Pop-up Fair Art and craft vendors. SA (5/8), 10am-4pm, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Parkway

HOUSE OF TUTORS: Literacy Together invites prospective language tutors to a volunteer orientation session. Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for a tutor training session and get matched with a student, with whom the tutor is expected to meet for two hours per week for a minimum of one year. Areas of specialty include Adult Literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages. Register for the orientation at avl.mx/9at. Thursday, May 6, 10 a.m. Photo courtesy of Literacy Together BENEFITS Eblen Charities: 20th Anniversary Walk, Run or Roll Virtual fundraising event. Proceeds benefit emergency housing assistance programs. SA-SA (5/8-15), Registration required, avl.mx/9b7 Homeward Bound: Event to End Homelessness Fundraiser featuring a film by Katie Damien, plus spoken word poetry and music. WE (5/12), 12pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9c4s

BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY Mountain BizWorks Orientation Session Information on lending and learning opportunities for small businesses. TH (5/6), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9an Circle of Success: The Entrepreneurial Mindset Start-up assistance session 1 of 5, led by The Ice House. TH (5/6), 3pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9ao

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS BPR: NPR’s Noel King in Conversation Discussion on the evolution of news coverage during the pandemic, election and insurrection. WE (5/5), 7pm, Registration required, $10, avl.mx/9ag Swannanoa Valley Museum: Appalachian Experience Webinar on the springtime tradition of hunting edible and medicinal mushrooms. MO (5/10), 6:30pm, Registration required, $12, avl.mx/9bz

Sierra Club: Solarize Asheville-Buncombe Presentation on community-based solar energy opportunities for homeowners and business owners. TH (5/6), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9ai MountainTrue: Western Region Spring Hike Moderate 5.6-mile hike. Register: avl.mx/9b3. SA (5/8), 9:30am, $15, Panthertown Valley Trailhead, Glenville

City of Hendersonville: Document Shred & Drug Take-Back Event Paper disposal for Hendersonville residents, plus medication disposal for all. Food donations accepted for Interfaith Assistance Ministry. FR (5/14), 9-10:30am, Free, Dogwood Parking Lot, 423 N Church St, Hendersonville

Westside Creative Market Local handmade goods and artwork. SA (5/8), 11am-6pm, Haywood Quick Stop, 495 Haywood Rd

Malaprop's: Magical Appalachian Stories in Kids Lit Featuring authors Juliana Brandt, Cindy Baldwin, Daka Hermon and Ash Van Otterloo. FR (5/7), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9bu

SPIRITUALITY Recipe for Serenity: Journey of Self Discovery How to reconnect with your inner joy and peace using the "Emotional Freedom" technique. Register: anancy08@gmail.com. TH (5/6), 6pm, Free Groce UMC: A Course in Miracles Group Study Register to get Zoom link: 828-712-5472. MO (5/10), 6:30pm, Free Baha’is of Buncombe County: Think Not of the Imperfections of Others Devotional with prayers and music. TU (5/11), 7pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9b9

VOLUNTEERING

KIDS Malaprop's Book Launch Featuring Katherine Factor, author of Spy for Cleopatra. WE (5/5), 6pm, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9br

Literacy Together Volunteer Orientation Information session for prospective language tutors. TH (5/6), 10am, Registration required, Free, avl.mx/9at

BUYING OLD PAPER MONEY 10 yrs WNC/ETN notes, bonds, maps, currency etc. Member SPMC, NCNA, SCNA, TNS

msg/ txt 865-207-8994 or email papermoneybuy@gmail.com

ECO & OUTDOORS Hemlock Restoration Initiative: Kitsuma Peak Hike-n-Bike Strenuous 4.5-mile hike and discussion on the role of hemlocks in the forest, the impact of hemlock woolly adelgid and control strategies. Register: avl.mx/9ah. TH (5/6), 10am, Free, Kitsuma Trail, Old Fort

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WELLNESS

Road to recovery

HEMP & HEALTH

New clinic addresses lingering post-COVID symptoms

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(8 2 8) 6 9 7-7 3 0 0 WWW.FRANNYSFARMACY.COM TEAM RECOVERY: MAHEC’s Post-Acute COVID-19 Care Clinic uses a team-based approach to ensure all patients get the support they need. Pictured are nurse practitioner Keelan Dorn, left, and registered nurse Shannon Brummitt. Photo courtesy of MAHEC

BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com It started with a fever that lasted almost a month. “I had a fever and a sore throat and low oxygen and rapid heartbeat — just about every symptom except for cough,” remembers Asheville resident Katherine Cosimano. That was in May 2020, relatively early in the pandemic, when testing for COVID-19 remained hard to come by. When her symptoms became worrisome, Cosimano went to the hospital, where she tested negative for the coronavirus. Doctors reassured her that the strange myriad of symptoms she was experiencing couldn’t be caused by the disease that was raging through the country. But nearly a year later, Cosimano says, she is still experiencing many of the telltale signs of a COVID19 infection. “The most troubling symptom for me right now is my difficulty breathing. We have a dog and we live on the third floor, and I used to walk her regularly. And now when I walk her, I need to use my rescue 22

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inhaler and my nebulizer. Just walking anywhere is a big ordeal, ” says Cosimano, 58. “I also have a hard time with word retrieval, so in the middle of a sentence I can’t remember a perfectly common word like ‘table’ or ‘cup.’ It’s embarrassing.” Cosimano is not alone: Tens of thousands of people in the United States experience lingering illness after a bout with COVID-19. The

condition, called post-acute COVID19, may impact up to 60% of people previously infected with the coronavirus. These COVID-19 “long-haulers” show persistent symptoms two months after the onset of the disease — even after tests no longer detect the virus in their bodies. While those lingering effects can be bleak for patients, a newly opened clinic promises hope and support for

Knowledge is power While specialists can diagnose and pinpoint issues caused by or related to post-acute COVID-19, Dorn says that power also lies in the hands of patients. MAHEC offers a packet containing practical, evidence-based management techniques for long-haul symptoms (avl.mx/9b8). Approaches include exercises for breathing, managing a cough, diet and exercise tips and relaxation techniques. The clinic’s materials emphasize that recovery from COVID-19 may take time. That approach gives patients a sense of control over their health and helps them manage expectations while they are recovering. “It’s really around helping people to live with this and use themselves as a guide for increasing activity, managing day to day how they move through their lives,” Call explains. “It’s very reassuring because it walks through different symptoms, so it also gives a lot of validity to the symptoms that a patient feels.” X

Western North Carolina residents with long-haul COVID-19 symptoms. Spearheaded by Dr. Stephanie Call and nurse practitioner Keelan Dorn, the Post-Acute Covid-19 Care Clinic at the Mountain Area Health Education Center is the first of its kind in the region. “It’s really about validating a person and helping them move forward,” says Call, who both serves as the clinic’s medical director and cares for its patients. “It’s a clinic to support people on their road to health and wellness and living with this syndrome that we’re learning about as we go.”

SICK AND TIRED

While most people infected with the coronavirus recover within a few weeks, says Call, post-acute COVID-19 symptoms like shortness of breath, persistent cough and generalized fatigue can last for much longer. People may also experience neurological issues, dubbed “brain fog,” that can manifest as memory problems, confusion or even depression and anxiety. Doctors and researchers worldwide are still seeking to understand the full impacts of the coronavirus on the body, Call explains. All of a patient’s physical and mental health issues must therefore be evaluated before long-haul COVID-19 can be ruled out. “Honestly, people can present with almost any symptom, and we have to think through whether

THE LONG HAUL: Katherine Cosimano started experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in May 2020. She is now working with doctors at MAHEC’s new Post-Acute COVID-19 Care Clinic to address lingering effects of the illness. Photo courtesy of Cosimano this could be potentially related to COVID,” she says. “COVID is just such a big inflammatory disease that your body takes such a hit with it. We don’t even understand why it causes some of the things that it does.” Patients at the new clinic are assessed through a full medical examination that can take up to two hours, with most receiving chest X-rays, an echocardiogram to understand their heart condition,

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WELLN ESS bloodwork and a six-minute walk test to look for low oxygen when exercising. Staff members give special attention to each patient’s specific concerns and symptoms. “We’re listening to the patient’s story. We want to hear exactly what symptoms they’re concerned about, and then we do a check on all symptoms that might be associated with post-COVID,” Call explains. Depending on those patient stories and test results, a range of experts, from cardiologists and pulmonary specialists to speech therapists and neurologists, are on hand to address the many issues that could be linked to the disease. “It’s really about an interprofessional partnership,” Call says. “That’s a really important component of this syndrome, just really approaching it from all angles.” HEALTHY BODY, HEALTHY MIND Mental health is also crucial to the wellness of long-haul COVID19 patients, adds nurse practitioner Dorn. Although long-term illness can cause people to experience depression or anxiety, she explains, the lack of information about longhaul COVID-19 may also create confusion or lead patients to doubt their own experiences. “We see patients who ask us, ‘Is this real?’” Dorn says. “I think providing them with this validation that yes, this is real — yes, it is taking a toll not only on your mental health, but your physical health as well — is really important.” Call adds that the physical symptoms of the post-acute COVID-19, particularly shortness of breath, and severe fatigue and cough, can exacerbate pre-existing mental conditions. “When you are short of breath, it just enhances your anxiety, which then makes you more short of

breath. So it can create that terrible cycle,” she notes. For those reasons, Dorn says that the clinic’s team also includes a behavioral health specialist who meets with patients and gauges their mental and emotional wellbeing during the initial assessment. “Their presence on that first appointment is absolutely vital,” she says.

SWEET RELIEF

The clinic is open to new patients with a physician’s referral and expects to serve about a dozen people per day at full capacity. Dorn says she is hopeful that, as the pandemic in the U.S. reaches its final stages, the medical world’s focus will shift to post-acute COVID-19 management and care. “I think there is a demand,” adds Call. “There are a lot of people in the community who have symptoms after COVID and just don’t know if it is anything serious. And for some of those patients, they feel like they’re alone or unsure.” Cosimano, who has been experiencing COVID-like symptoms for nearly a year, was one of those people. She was referred to the new facility by her primary physician at MAHEC and became one of the clinic’s first patients. After careful evaluation of her symptoms and medical history, Call and other specialists determined that the mysterious illness that Cosimano experienced last year likely was COVID-19 after all and developed a strategy for her to begin managing the condition. For Cosimano, the care plan and validation of her illness brought what she calls a sigh of relief. “For the first time in a year, I have some hope,” Cosimano says. “I know they’re not magic and there’s a lot we don’t know about COVID, but at least there’s hope now.” X

Spring 2021

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MAY 5-11, 2021

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MAY 5-11, 2021

GREEN SCENE

Bin there, done that

Local stores take different tacks to pandemic-era bulk sales

BY KIESA KAY kiesakay@gmail.com Western North Carolina’s food cooperatives have adapted to the pandemic paradigm in many ways: changing floor layouts, increasing staff, sanitizing surfaces. Some changes have been challenging, says Robin Dreyer, but one has been very positive: “What has gone up dramatically is the amount of food we sell.” Dreyer, a member of the Ten Thousand Things cooperative in Burnsville, says the co-op’s roughly 120 member families have been cooking more at home. As a consequence, the store has moved more food than ever over the past year, particularly from its popular bulk bins. By Dreyer’s estimate, some 20% of all purchases are in bulk. “Some of our bulk foods (like rice, bulgar wheat and quinoa) are in tubs with lids with scoops, and the customers weigh and price

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IN THE BAG: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jon Svendsen, who co-owns Madison Natural Foods with his wife, Emily, is prebagging some items that were previously available for bulk purchase. Photo courtesy of Jon and Emily Svendsen them,” Dreyer says. “We consider it safe, since 100% of the food in bins will be cooked before it’s eaten.” The bulk approach to food sales can be easier on the wallet, but it’s also easier on the planet. The federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 28% of the country’s municipal solid waste in 2018 — roughly 82.2 million tons — came from packaging and containers. Bulk sections, where customers bring their own containers, can cut substantial plastic waste from the shopping experience. Yet concerns over coronavirus transmission have led some co-ops to change how they offer bulk products or even stop them altogether. Xpress reached out to several co-op managers throughout WNC to see how different stores were handling the situation.

INDIVIDUAL SERVINGS

At Madison Natural Foods in Marshall, customers can continue to shop from gravity bins, where food drops into a container from a larger store. But scoop bins became

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an early casualty of the pandemic, says Jon Svendsen, who owns the store with his wife, Emily. “Customers have to open the bins, lean over them and do a lot of handling,” Jon Svendsen says. “They’re more difficult to clean than the gravity bins, and customers stand over them — maybe breathe into them. “We prefer to do bulk sales, where the customers can bring their own containers, but now, it’s a lot of bag and weigh,” Svendsen continues. “I just got done bagging up 25 pounds of cornmeal, and ordinarily, I’d put it in the bin. It’s a real downside to use plastic bags.” The Hendersonville Community Co-op in Hendersonville has similarly changed its bulk setup. Customers can still purchase foods from gravity bins, explains store spokesperson Gretchen Schott, but a staff member clad in personal protective equipment must physically pour the items into a container. A few goods remain in scoop bins, but most are prepackaged, she says. Nevertheless, sales have been steady.

“We are doing the best we can to keep customers and staff safe,” Schott said. “We certainly haven’t had any drop in business.”

SAFETY FIRST?

A joint statement issued on Feb. 18 by the federal Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states, “There is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with or as a likely source of viral transmission of [the virus that causes COVID-19].” Recent guidance and research continue to diminish the role that surface contamination plays in the transmission of the coronavirus, says Steve Smith, Henderson County’s health director. He’s not aware of any documented instance where a person’s coronavirus infection could be traced to a contaminated surface. More worrisome is the potential for airborne COVID-19 transmission if shoppers fail to maintain proper social distancing while crowded

around the bulk food section of a grocery store. Neither the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services nor the Henderson County Department of Public Health has issued any guidance specifically for bulk food purchases, though grocery stores are required to post signage reminding customers to stay 6 feet apart from other shoppers and employees. Mason Gardner, director of environmental health for Henderson County, says grocers are acting out of an abundance of caution to ensure the safety of customers. “When this thing started, we didn’t know what it was or how it was transmitted. People did what they could to protect customers,” Gardner said. “They didn’t want to be shut down and they wanted to be on the lookout for everyone.” Gardner said that current recommendations include changing utensils regularly, disinfecting surfaces and using gloves to prevent viral spread. “Even when the chance of transmission is low, we all want to cut down any chance of transmission,” he said.

“Plastic waste has become more of a concern as people get takeout food, and small refill stations have had to close down during the pandemic,” said Shelby Emerson, owner of To the Brim. “Since I have a small business, I can know what people are touching and sanitize after each person. I’m launching curbside service, too, so customers can have contactless shopping.” The French Broad Food Co-op in Asheville initially closed its bulk products room when the pandemic hit, says General Manager Bobby Sullivan. The store had to add staff to mind the front door and moved to full service for bulk food products. “We had a triple shock when Earth Fare closed and people started panic buying,” he adds. The co-op opened up its bulk foods room again at the end of January, still with some cautionary measures in place. “We put plexiglass up so people can come into the room and see everything, but we get it for them,” Sullivan says. Customers are allowed to bring their own containers, and the store also offers biodegradable or compostable bags for bulk orders. “We have been creative and collaborative with staff to improve all systems,” Sullivan says. “The pandemic has highlighted the strengths of cooperatives, because we can change what we do as we need to do it.” With additional reporting by Molly Horak. X

FILL ‘ER UP

Meanwhile, some area stores are embracing the bulk ethos. To the Brim Refill in Asheville and FillMore in Burnsville both opened in 2020 with the goal of reducing plastic waste. Customers can bring their own containers and refill on all kinds of cleaning supplies.

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MAY 5-11, 2021

ARTS & CULTURE

Waiting in the wings

Cornerstones of the WNC arts scene navigate distinct reopening obstacles

FORWARD MOTION: The cast of A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas: A Virtual Production goofs off in downtown Hendersonville in late 2020. The theater company aims to return its annual holiday showcase and other productions to a packed Mainstage house as soon as possible, but various issues stand in the way. Photo by Scott Treadway

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Outside Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, workers are busy installing new double-paned glass windows, part of a larger effort to renovate the city’s largest indoor performance space. But within its walls, the scene is oddly quiet. While the venue is hosting 50% capacity events — including dance competitions in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium — that adhere to such current statewide COVID-19 precautions as mandatory mask-wearing and social distancing, no large-scale shows are currently scheduled in the ExploreAsheville.com Arena until late August’s rescheduled Primus concert. And it’s not the only area arts cornerstone yet to resume operations. Though in-person theater (Haywood Arts Regional Theatre), film screenings (Grail Moviehouse) and live 28

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music (The Grey Eagle) have gradually returned to Western North Carolina, several other renowned establishments remain shuttered for reasons more complicated than one may think.

WARMING UP THE STAGE

As with Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville, live music may also return to Flat Rock Playhouse in the fall, but a full season of theatrical productions remains impractical for the equity company. “What I am learning is that there are no two theaters that are exactly the same,” says Lisa Bryant, producing artistic director for Flat Rock Playhouse. “You’ve got different business models, whether you’re bound by a union or you’re a presenting house or what is your local market, and so on. The variables can be great, but because we all cater to large indoor

gatherings, more or less, we are sharing that same bucket of mess.” Bryant notes that adhering to the current 50% capacity limit while maintaining 6 feet of space between parties yields a maximum of 137 people in the 500-seat Mainstage house. As members of the Actors’ Equity Association union, she says many of their costs are fixed, and therefore it’s not financially viable to operate until the venue can host a pure 50%, zero-restriction audience, with 60% being what she calls “the true sweet spot.” The nature of a typical Flat Rock Playhouse production also presents its share of challenges. “I always say that live theater is a contact sport. You’ve got 10- and 20-second costume changes backstage — well, that looks like three dressers on top of one person, stripping them down and redressing them. Social distancing is just not a thing,” Bryant says. “Passing props from person to person; dancing with somebody and

you’re both sweating your booties off; kissing somebody — Tony and Maria in West Side Story, if they don’t kiss, we don’t have a story.” Bryant stresses that the union “is very much on top of all of those things and very concerned,” but that there’s “also that breaking point of how much longer theaters can wait” while “the reserves continue to dwindle.” Flat Rock Playhouse entered 2020 in what she calls “the best position that we’ve been in financially in a long time,” and while the head start has allowed the company to weather being closed, additional resources have nevertheless been necessary. Bryant reports that the playhouse is nearly halfway to its $1.5 million Rock Solid campaign fundraising goal and recently completed a series of small focus groups regarding reopening. The participants’ findings will be used to craft a patron survey that will be available in May. “There is comfort in knowing that about 90% or more of professional companies like ours remain closed,” Bryant says. “If I feel like I’m the only artistic director failing in all of the land and not making it because I don’t know what I’m doing, I just look around and make some phone calls — and realize that we’re all very much in the same boat and learning from each other and sharing all the tricks and tools and gossip that we can.”

Reed predicts that this summer will find moviegoers flocking to multiplexes for blockbuster fare like Fast & Furious 9 (June 25) and The Suicide Squad (Aug. 6). Right in the middle of that stretch, the Cannes Film Festival is slated for July 6-17, where The French Dispatch, Leos Carax’s musical Annette (starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard), Paul Verhoeven’s sapphic historical drama Benedetta and as-yet-unannounced new works from celebrated directors will debut.

Over the subsequent months, those titles and more that debut at the Toronto International Film Festival and other annual events will trickle into art house theaters, resulting in what should be a fairly robust Oscar season in fall and winter. Reed notes that those months have historically been the Fine Arts’ most financially successful, and with acclaimed and much-discussed new films to screen for hungry audiences, it could be when the necessary industry pieces align and make reopening financially viable.

“We’re watching the market, trying to gauge the best time for safety for the public and employees and what would be best for our business,” Reed says. “We’ve been closed for [almost] 14 months — but we’re going to be back. We just need to do this in a smart way.” And when venues such as the Fine Arts, Flat Rock Playhouse and Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville do come back, it might offer audiences one more signal that pre-pandemic life has returned. X

‘A CART AND HORSE SITUATION’ Industrywide obstacles and health concerns likewise keep the Fine Arts Theatre closed, according to Neal Reed, director of operations for the Fine Arts’ parent company, New Morning Ltd. “The most important thing for us is the safety of our employees and the public,” Reed says. “We had a big spike [of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina] and now we’re kind of plateauing. We hear talk about a fourth surge, and we really want to get to more immunity, more people immunized and where more people are comfortable.” Another major factor for independent movie theaters across the U.S. is a dearth of product. Many high-profile art house films that were slated to debut in 2020 — including Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch — have been delayed indefinitely, leaving theaters and distributors in what Reed calls “a cart and horse situation.” Numerous theaters are waiting on distributors to provide them with a steady stream of new films before they commit to reopening, while those same distributors are holding tight to their portfolio until they’re confident that enough theaters are open to play the films. MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 5-11, 2021

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AR T S & C UL TU R E

FOOD

Planting the seed

More vegan dining options are sprouting up in Asheville BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com VeganVille may not have the same broad appeal as Beer City and Foodtopia — two of the sexier food and beverage branding monikers that help lure visitors to Asheville — but landing the No. 1 spot on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ list of Top Ten Vegan-Friendly Towns and Small Cities in America is not small potatoes. The top billing is good news but not breaking news to Ashevillearea food professionals. Chefs and restaurant owners whose menus support plant-based choices have witnessed a steady increase in interest and responded in kind. “Asheville doesn’t have a whole lot of 100% vegan places,” says chef Hayette Bouras, co-owner of Sunflower Diner, which went 100% vegan on its first anniversary in October. “But you can go almost anywhere in town and have legit, vegan options beyond french fries and a side salad. Most of the time, the staff is educated on what vegan is.” Farmer and chef Chris Sharpe, owner of Eden-Out Organic Meals, believes Asheville earns its vegan-friendliness naturally and honestly, citing the region’s alternative community of people who embrace a wide range of eating habits. “There is a large vegan population here that is very vocal,” he points out. “That drives our restaurants to offer a diversity of vegan options.”

FULLY COMMITTED: “Asheville doesn’t have a whole lot of 100% vegan places,” says chef Hayette Bouras, co-owner of Sunflower Diner, which went 100% vegan on its first anniversary in October. Photo courtesy of Sunflower Diner

TO YOUR HEALTH

Sharpe came to veganism via farming and stayed for the health benefits. As a kid, he says, he ate whatever was on his plate, then became vegetarian-pescatarian in young adulthood. When he started working on a local organic farm about a decade ago, he segued to vegan. “I had free access to an abundance of vegetables that I helped grow and started eating that food to save money, then pretty much ate vegetables all the time,” explains Sharpe. “The daily access to such fresh food allowed me to 30

MAY 5-11, 2021

MOUNTAINX.COM

see the value of it on my health. I felt better.” In 2014, he purchased organic and vegan prepared meal delivery service Eden-Out from founder William Najger. He soon began supplementing the local produce he purchases for his weekly menus with foods he forages and “veganically” grows (he eschews animal byproducts in fertilizer) on his small Gnome Town Farm in Weaverville. Health concerns also brought Jennifer Webster, manager of Green Sage Cafe on Hendersonville Road, to plantbased eating about a year and a half ago as she searched for nat-

ural solutions to her husband’s chronic pain. “He had been on over-the-counter pain medication for almost five years,” she says. “We decided to try nutrient-rich, pure food, and I started cooking vegan at home. After a few months, his pain was gone, and we both felt so much better. The food you put in your body has direct effects on how you feel.” The personal conversion also led her to her job at Green Sage when the couple moved to Asheville from Detroit at the start of 2021 and she discovered the restaurant and its vegan-friendly menu. “[Green Sage is] not 100% vegan, and we do offer animal proteins,” she clarifies. “But we see more and more people interested in our vegan items, and almost everything on the menu has a vegan option.”

SEEDS OF CHANGE

Chef Reza Setayesh has long been committed to healthy eating, personally as well as professionally in the gluten- and sugar-free menu at BimBeriBon, the West Asheville restaurant he owns with his wife, Eva Setayesh. When the pandemic shuttered their dining room last spring, they began offering weekly Big Bountiful Bags featuring multicourse take-home meals of global cuisine. Each Big Bountiful Bags menu offered a meat-free option, which proved more popular than the pair expected. As they prepared this year to wind down the take-home effort and reopen the restaurant, the Setayeshes decided to expand their recipe and lifestyle website, plantlovinghumans.com, which they launched in 2019, to include heat-and-eat meals. “Through Big Bountiful Bags, we saw our customers every week going back and forth between animal protein and the plant-based option,” says Reza. “They wanted to feel better, eat better and be healthier, especially this past year, and more and more people were trying plants.” Three months ago, under the Plant Loving Humans banner, the Setayeshes began offering two weekly choices of plant-based meals — recently featured were Indian lentil “meatballs” with curry and spring vegetable jambalaya. They sell out every week, says Reza, and will continue to be available when BimBeriBon reopens its dining room. Plant Loving Humans has also added a line of sauces and condiments to help people build a

vegan pantry for cooking at home, and plans are in the works for shipping the meals along with gluten-free breads and pastries from the BimBeriBon bakery.

GOING ALL THE WAY

When Bouras opened Sunflower Diner in October 2019 in the storefront corner of the West Village Market, she wanted to dive headlong into vegan breakfast and lunch, but market owner Rosanne Kiely asked that she keep some animal proteins for nonvegan clientele. Over her first year of operations — transitioning to a takeout-only model in response to the pandemic — Bouras says Sunflower became known for its plant-based menu, vegan baked goods and creative, plant-based takes on traditional dishes. The Egg Mock Muffin, for example, stacks vegan JUST Egg, vegan sausage and vegan smoked provolone on gluten-free sourdough muffins from West End Bakery. There’s also a tempeh Reuben, and the recently added Sham and Cheese sandwich features house-made seitan marinated in brown sugar pineapple juice. “The Sham and Cheese is killing it,” Bouras says with a laugh. “Creating a vegan menu is my joy source. It’s not difficult. There are way more vegetables out there than meat and much more opportunity to be creative.” Sunflower’s customers follow a variety of dietary paths, says Bouras. “We get vegans, we get people who have heart trouble and have been prescribed the Esselstyn diet, and we get people who have no idea we’re vegan but see something on our menu that sounds delicious.” Business, she adds, has increased significantly since Sunflower committed to a 100% vegan and organic menu, even prompting Kiely to add a case of vegan-only grocery items next to the café. “The evidence is overwhelming — it was the right decision,” says Bouras Sharpe reports a steady yearly increase in customers since 2014. And that growing interest in plantbased eating is encouraging, he notes, because he believes the ethical and environmental impacts of veganism are as important as the health benefits. “I enjoy helping people transition to natural living and plantbased eating and into greater harmony with the world around us,” he says. X

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

LITERATURE

Devastating laughter Author Kevin McIlvoy and the art of satire

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com In local author Kevin McIlvoy’s forthcoming novel, One Kind Favor, a character by the name of Woolman offers a newcomer to the book’s fictional rural town of Cord, N.C., a bit of insight about the community. “It can get weird here,” he says. The same is true of the novel as a whole, which comes out Tuesday, May 18. As a writer, McIlvoy isn’t interested in the realist tradition. “I try to invite the maximum wildness into my work from the very first draft,” he says. In One Kind Favor, that wildness takes the form of ghosts intermingling with the living, and in one instance, a former soul reincarnated as a mockingbird. With 50 years of writing behind him and 13 published works under his belt, the question McIlvoy continues to ask himself as a writer is, “How far can the wildness go?”

SATIRE AND TRAGEDY

Yet along with the surreal, McIlvoy’s novel is steeped in the very real and not-too-distant past — specifically, the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the reemergence of the white nationalist movement. These two elements fuel some of the author’s harshest criticisms and sharpest satire within his latest work. But at the book’s center is tragedy: the lynching of a Black teenager named Lincoln Lennox and the

AMERICA THE TRAGIC: In his latest novel, One Kind Favor, local author Kevin McIlvoy examines racial violence in a small, rural North Carolina town. Author photo by Taylor Johnson subsequent cover-up that follows his murder. As with the featured political theater, the lynching is based on true events. In 2014, Lennon Lacy, a Black youth, was discovered hanged by the neck from a swingset in Bladenboro, N.C. Though official reports ruled it a suicide, discrepancies in the evidence cast doubt among Lacy’s family and friends — as well as the author. As an art form, one of the novel’s most appealing features for McIlvoy is its ability to examine humanity’s contradictory nature. “For

instance,” the author notes, “one of the paradoxical questions in this book is: How can the people in my beloved state of North Carolina — people that I really do believe are loving, good, deep-hearted people — how is it that they can be so hateful, so shallow and so destructive in the very same moment?” McIlvoy does not provide a clear answer to this question within One Kind Favor. Instead, the author asks his readers to dwell upon and feel the unspeakable and often devastating realities that the human experience brings.

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PROFOUND SHIFT

And yet, within these same pages, McIlvoy hits comedic note after comedic note — be it through the townspeople’s distinction between an “untimely” versus a “poorly timed” death, or the fact that local members of a conservative political foundation regularly provide the people of Cord “nutrition and health and lifestyle advice (and free expired grocery items stamped Not Expired) that dismissed the most recent seven decades of science.” “The most powerful humor I believe in the world is the humor that causes you shame,” says McIlvoy. “After we laugh, something is different in us; something is more vulnerable than before.” Embracing one’s vulnerability, the author continues, is among the greatest gifts a novel can provide its reader. And that is certainly what reading One Kind Favor offers. Readers are exposed to the town’s flawed beauty and humor as well as its horrors and inhumanity; and by extension, these same readers are nudged to consider their own conflicting impulses and inherent contradictions. If they choose to do so, McIlvoy believes, readers will find themselves more present within their everyday lives. “That’s also the reason that as a reader of the novel, I value it so highly,” McIlvoy says of the art form. “It shifts your condition as a person. And I do think it shifts it very profoundly.” “And if you’re fortunate [as a writer],” he later adds, “some readers of your work are going to feel that, too.” X

Kevin McIlvoy in conversation with Steve Almond Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe will livestream a conversation between writers Kevin McIlvoy and Steve Almond, as part of McIlvoy’s virtual book tour. The event takes place Wednesday, May 26, at 6 p.m. The talk is free to attend, but registration is required. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9ab. X

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

and Bright Branch Farm. Myron Hyman and Fiddlin’ Ryn & Friends will perform, and Olive Catering Co. and Feta Flav food trucks will be parked on-site. A kids corner and chef demonstrations join this year’s programming as well. The market is a SNAP/EBT retailer and participates in the Double Dollars Program funded by ASAP. For a list of vendors, safety protocols and parking information visit avl.mx/6z4.

Food books, local markets and garden dining take wing in spring With so many live entertainment outlets, travel opportunities and social interactions shut down by pandemic restrictions, daily meal planning, cooking and eating became individual and collective obsessions during the past year. Even as the post-vaccine world begins to open up, our appetite for all things food remains insatiable. Two locally produced cookbooks and an annual guide are here to feed the beast. Susi Gott Seguret has long lured curious gastronomes and naturalists into the woods on her 200-plusacre Madison County farm to forage for wild seasonal treasures then feast on the pickings. Though suspended by COVID-19 last year, the chef, author and director of the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts resumed the monthly outings in March. Since 2015, she’s also managed the Asheville Truffle Experience, producing the event every February until taking a pandemic sabbatical this year. Asheville Truffle Experience will return Feb. 11-13, 2022. But until then, Seguret invites both truffle aficionados and the truffle-curious to dig into the history, science and geography of this magical, mysterious — and to some, malodorous — subterranean fungus (not to be confused with the sweet treat of the same name) with the release of her new book, Cooking With Truffles: A Chef’s Guide. “Most American diners have yet to discover what a truffle really tastes like,” says Seguret. “I hope to bridge the gap between grower and chef, truffle and diner.” Her book includes over 150 recipes, from truffled cheese soufflé to truffled pancakes. The book is available online and locally at Malaprop’s. avl.mx/9ac Traveling with Jericho is a cookbook memoir by Jericho Michel that chronicles through stories and recipes his peripatetic journey as a chef through restaurant kitchens around the country. Beginning in Asheville in 1998, the book makes pit stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Key West, Chattanooga and Philadelphia, before circling back to Asheville again. The final chapter is devoted to family recipes and his own family’s restau-

Green acres

It’s meadow season at Highland Brewing Co. Birds are birding, bees are buzzing, beers are brewing, and Meadow Market Sundays resume May 2 and continue every Sunday, noon-5 p.m., with local bakers, makers, artisans and live music 3-5 p.m. Highland Brewing, 12 Old Charlotte Highway.

HEAVEN SCENT: Chef, forager and author of the new cookbook Cooking with Truffles: A Chef’s Guide, Susi Gott Seguret breathes deep the pungent and earthy scent of a large truffle. Photo by Luc Seguret rant, Michel’s in Maple Shade, N.J. avl.mx/9ad It’s not technically a book, but for regional and fresh food devotees, the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual Local Food Guide is the ultimate farm almanac covering Western North Carolina and surrounding counties in Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. The just-published 2021 edition includes over 200 Appalachian Grown farms with charts to help locate U-pick options, lodging, visitor activities and community supported agriculture programs. It also features more than 80 farmers tailgate markets with information on holiday and winter markets plus details on partner businesses such as restaurants, groceries and artisan producers. Additionally, the new guide dives into the stories of a few individual growers, including The AppaLatin Farmstead, Colfax Creek Farm, Headwaters Market Garden, Kituwah Farm, New Roots Market Garden and TK Family Farm.

The printed guide can be found at farmers markets, visitors centers, libraries, community centers, groceries, restaurants and in the lobby of ASAP’s office at 306 W. Haywood St. Look for the online version at avl.mx/81y

All aboard

Garden party

Why settle for a vase of flowers for mom on Mother’s Day? Give her an entire garden and brunch to boot at the N.C. Arboretum, which has reopened its Bent Creek Bistro for 2021. Though the indoor dining room remains closed for now, the locally sourced and seasonal menu is available al fresco on the Education Center courtyard and plaza or can be taken for a picnic on the 434-acre campus. Bent Creek Bistro is open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Orders can be made at the service window or online at avl.mx/4v8. N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way

Last spring, COVID-19 derailed the city of Hendersonville’s planned May 9, 2020, launch of the inaugural Hendersonville Farmers Market at the Historic Train Depot. “It was kind of ‘yikes!’,” says market manager and downtown events coordinator Meredith Friedheim, who had to apply the brakes to that planned opening. “But it worked out better than I could have imagined.” The market’s opening day was delayed until June 6, but during its first year, it welcomed an average of 30 vendors and 900 customers every Saturday. The 2021 season kicks off Saturday, May 8, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., with 45 local vendors, including Raspberry Fields, Bright Blooms, Garden of Griffin MOUNTAINX.COM

— Kay West X

MAY 5-11, 2021

ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around town

Say Their Names Following a successful collaboration in summer 2020, the YMI Cultural Center and First Congregational United Church of Christ Asheville open the next installment in their Say Their Names series on Friday, May 7, at the church’s Oak Street Gallery, 20 Oak St. The newest exhibit features acrylic paintings by Heather Tolbert that address her personal quest for liberation and equality, and that of Black America at large. Also on display will be photographs by Kai Lendzion, which capture moments during Black Lives Matter protests last year in Asheville and at the 50th anniversary march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala. The opening reception (5-8 p.m.) features performances by gospel singer Kia Rice on the Oak Street Gallery patio. Festivities will conclude with a short walk to the YMI Cultural Center Gallery, 39 S. Market St., where thematically complementary creations by Micah Mackenzie will be on view. Alexandria Ravenel, YMI’s equity director, says Mackenzie’s work — on display through Wednesday, May 12 — “illuminates and tackles issues of police brutality, social injustice and racial inequity,” and challenges viewers to help “bring about true citizenship and sincere civil rights recognition” for all Black people. The three featured artists are based in Asheville. “The two galleries have been in regular dialogue about how art can

MOVIE LISTINGS Bruce Steele’s and Edwin Arnaudin’s latest critiques of new films available to view via local theaters and popular streaming services include: ABOUT ENDLESSNESS: Swedish writer/director Roy Andersson doles out 33 beautifully composed, slice-of-life vignettes that equate mundane experiences with pivotal moments in world history. Grade: B-plus. Not rated

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies 34

MAY 5-11, 2021

change and is changing the minds of communities and the policies and practices within them,” Ravenel says. “[This latest show is] a public invitation to celebrate each of these artists, their contribution to our community through their art and the sister galleries’ endeavor to work together as connected spaces.” Masks are required, and social distancing will be practiced. The Oak Street Gallery works will be on display each Thursday, Friday and Saturday in May, 1-4 p.m. Free to attend. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9ay

The show goes on Asheville Pizza & Brewing Co. reopens its movie theater on Friday, May 7. While company President Mike Rangel waits for blockbusters like Godzilla vs. Kong to make their way to second-run houses, he’ll program such classic fare as The Princess Bride, The Dark Knight, Back to the Future and The Fifth Element. He also plans to book special screenings, including Kubo and the Two Strings in 3D, the singalong version of The Greatest Showman, plus Mrs. Doubtfire on Robin Williams’ birthday (July 21). Attendance will initially be limited to 60 people, who will be seated by a host on a first-come, first-served basis on the venue’s 22 rows with 9 feet between each party. As long as the reduced capacity is in place, tickets will be $5 each instead of the usual $3, and there will be no 10 p.m. screenings. Patrons are required to wear masks except while seated and eating or drinking. A zero-contact ordering and pickup system will be in place for food and beverages. To accentuate the thrill of being back at a theater, nostalgic treats — including giant Pixy Stix, candy necklaces and a popcorn bar with eight different toppings — will be on the menu. Outdoor dining on the venue’s patio is currently available, and Rangel tentatively plans to reopen the indoor dining space in June. For more information, visit ashevillebrewing.com

Mom time

Families looking to celebrate their matriarchs are invited to the Historic Johnson Farm near Hendersonville on Saturday, May 8, for a Mother’s Day Market. The outdoor craft fair runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and features over 20

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VOCALIZED: Acrylic paintings by Heather Tolbert are among the featured works in the latest Say Their Names series, which opens May 7 at Oak Street Gallery. Image courtesy of Tolbert local vendors specializing in jewelry, greeting cards, ceramics, leather items, wooden décor and more. Refreshments will be available to purchase, and all North Carolina COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be followed, including required mask wearing. Free to attend. Learn more at avl.mx/9av

Little Lorax

Local author Robert Beatty, creator of the popular Serafina series, is back with Willa of Dark Hollow. Published on May 4, the Great Smoky Mountainsset juvenile fiction novel continues the adventures of series starter Willa of the Wood, which centers on the eponymous 13-year-old orphan, one of the last members of the ancient Faeran clan. This time, Willa must figure out how to save her people and the forest from humans who start cutting down large groups of trees. For more information, visit avl.mx/9au

Please be seated

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center’s newest exhibition, I Am a Citizen of the World, features historic works from BMC artists that address global influences, plus contemporary responses from local artists and others from around the world. Among the pieces is “Building a Better Table” by Asheville-based Southern Equality Studios artists Liz Williams and Al Murray. The multimedia piece has viewers take a seat in front of a printed work and video, and encourages them to acknowledge labor performed for their benefit and feel invited to partake in ongoing efforts for social

change. The show will be on display through Aug. 14. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9aw

Mini pop-up craft fair The Southern Highland Craft Guild hosts its inaugural Mini Pop-up Fair on Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., in the lower-level parking lot of the Folk Art Center. Twenty booths will be set up and carry a variety of media crafted by guild members, representing bladesmithing, glassblowing, wheel-thrown and hand-built ceramics, woodturning, metalsmithing, leatherwork and furniture making. The fair aims to help artists recover from a year of shop closures and canceled markets. Free to attend. For more information, visit avl.mx/9ax

Black cat rock

Among the first indoor shows at The Orange Peel in over a year is a headlining gig by local rockers Jeff Santiago & Los Gatos on Friday, May 7. The evening starts at 8 p.m. with an opening set by Spartanburg, S.C.-based quartet Lovely World, which has recently been making good use of Asheville’s music offerings — tracking an album at Echo Mountain Recording, pressing tunes via Citizen Vinyl and filming a music video at The Peel. Tickets are $60 per pod, which seats up to six people and ensures proper social distancing between other pods. All state-mandated regulations to help deter the spread of COVID-19 will be followed. To learn more and purchase tickets, visit theorangepeel.net

— Edwin Arnaudin X

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MAY 5-11, 2021

CLUBLAND WEDNESDAY, MAY 5 SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/ Jason DeCristofaro, 5:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Blooming Bass w/ DJ Ephcto, 6pm THE 2ND ACT Open Mic w/ Letters to Abigail, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Tom Prasada-Rao (folk), 7pm THE GREY EAGLE The Travis Book Happy Hour w/ Sierra Hull & Justin Moses (bluegrass), 7pm

THURSDAY, MAY 6 THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ The Deathbots (punk), 5pm

FLEETWOOD'S Terraoke: Karaoke w/ Terra, 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Crafted Singer Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Duo of the Decade (rock ‘n roll), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ The Wooks (bluegrass), 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Josh Dunkin (solo acoustic), 7pm RABBIT RABBIT Silent Cinema: Kill Bill, Vol. 1, 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL The Company Stores w/ The Mighty Good Times (Appalachian folk), 7pm

FRIDAY, MAY 7 SALVAGE STATION Runaway Gin (Phish tribute), 5pm THE GREY EAGLE • Patio: Sam Burchfield & Riley Moore (folk), 5pm • Music Room: DeeOhGee (rock ‘n roll), 8pm

MAGGIE VALLEY FESTIVAL GROUNDS The Grey Eagle: Drive-in Show w/ Grace Potter (singer-songwriter), 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Back Porch Smoke Break w/ Dani Kerr (Southern rock), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Hope Griffin (acoustic folk), 6pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Writers Night w/ Anya Hinkle, Ashley Heath & Christina Chandler, 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Gaslight Street (soul), 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL Jeff Santiago & Los Gatos w/ Lovely World (rock, funk), 7pm WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT Riyen Roots (blues, roots), 7pm FLEETWOOD’S Pinky Doodle Poodle w/ Rocky MTN Roller (hard rock), 7:30pm

SATURDAY, MAY 8 WXYZ LOUNGE AT ALOFT • DJ Phantom Pantone & Friends, 1pm • DJ Abu Disarray, 7pm THE CENTER FOR ART & ENTERTAINMENT An Acoustic Evening w/ Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits, 2pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING EC3 (East Coast Dirt), 5pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Knotty G’s (Americana, soul), 6pm ODDITORIUM Party Foul Outdoor Drag Show, 7pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Dance Party w/ Mike Andersen, Record Prophets & DJ Bongomama, 7pm THE ORANGE PEEL PYLETRIBE (Southern rock, tribal), 7pm

SUNDAY, MAY 9 ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 2pm

THE GATO’S MEOW: After settling in Asheville, Bronx-born singer-songwriter Jeff Santiago quickly became immersed in the city’s diverse music community, joining bandmates Josh Chaser, Lee White and Springs Wade to form Jeff Santiago & Los Gatos. The band has played alongside artists like Franz Ferdinand and Scott Weiland, bringing a combination of emotionally driven lyrics and funky, rock-inspired jams to the stage. Joined by Spartanburg rock band Lovely World, the group will play a socially distanced pod show at The Orange Peel on Friday, May 7. 7 p.m. doors/8 p.m. show. $10. avl.mx/9bc. Photo by Tami Acquino SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Two Step Too (acoustic originals), 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Soulamanders (folk, Americana, reggae), 5pm

MONDAY, MAY 10 HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Totally Rad Monday Night Trivia, 6pm RABBIT RABBIT Outdoor Movie: Shrek, 6pm

MAY 5-11, 2021

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OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. House of SYNth, 6:30pm

TUESDAY, MAY 11 OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. • House of SYNth, 6:30pm • Team Trivia, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12 THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ Magenta Sunshine (funk, reggae), 5pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/ Jason Decristofaro, 5:30pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia Night, 6:30pm

THURSDAY, MAY 13 THE GREY EAGLE Patio Show w/ Brad Heller & The Fustics (rock), 5pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm FLEETWOOD’S Terraoke: Karaoke w/ Terra, 6pm RABBIT RABBIT Sunset Rooftop Standup Comedy w/ Cody Hughes, 6:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL Lawn Concert w/ the Kenny George Band (country, rock), 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Drag Show w/ Alexis Black, 8pm

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MAY 5-11, 2021

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Created by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, the Mona Lisa is one of the world’s most famous paintings. It’s hanging in the Louvre museum in Paris. In that same museum is a less renowned version of the Mona Lisa. It depicts the same woman, but she’s unclothed. Made by da Vinci’s student, it was probably inspired by a now-lost nude Mona Lisa painted by the master himself. Renaissance artists commonly created “heavenly” and “vulgar” versions of the same subject. I suggest that in the coming weeks you opt for the “vulgar” Mona Lisa, not the “heavenly” one, as your metaphor of power. Favor what’s earthy, raw and unadorned over what’s spectacular, idealized and polished. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus poet Vera Pavlova writes, “Why is the word yes so brief? It should be the longest, the hardest, so that you could not decide in an instant to say it, so that upon reflection you could stop in the middle of saying it.” I suppose it makes sense for her to express such an attitude, given the fact that she never had a happy experience until she was 20 years old, and that furthermore, this happiness was “unbearable.” (She confessed these sad truths in an interview.) But I hope you won’t adopt her hard-edged skepticism toward YES anytime soon, Taurus. In my view, it’s time for you to become a connoisseur of YES, a brave explorer of the bright mysteries of YES, an exuberant perpetrator of YES. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In indigenous cultures from West Africa to Finland to China, folklore describes foxes as crafty tricksters with magical powers. Sometimes they’re thought of as perpetrators of pranks, but more often they are considered helpful messengers or intelligent allies. I propose that you regard the fox as your spirit creature for the foreseeable future. I think you will benefit from the influence of your inner fox — the wild part of you that is ingenious, cunning and resourceful. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “The universe conspires in your favor,” writes author Neale Donald Welsch. “It consistently places before you the right and perfect people, circumstances and situations with which to answer life’s only question: ’Who are you?’” In my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings, I say much the same thing, although I mention two further questions that life regularly asks, which are: 1. What can you do next to liberate yourself from some of your suffering? 2. What can you do next to reduce the suffering of others, even by a little? As you enter a phase when you’ll get ample cosmic help in diminishing suffering and defining who you are, I hope you meditate on these questions every day. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The poet Anne Sexton wrote a letter to a Benedictine monk whose real identity she kept secret from the rest of us. She told him, “There are a few great souls in my life. They are not many. They are few. You are one.” In this spirit, Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to take an inventory of the great souls in your life: the people you admire and respect and learn from and feel grateful for; people with high integrity and noble intentions; people who are generous with their precious gifts. When you’ve compiled your list, I encourage you to do as Sexton did: Express your appreciation; perhaps even send no-strings-attached gifts. Doing these things will have a profoundly healing effect on you. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “It’s a temptation for any intelligent person to try to murder the primitive, emotive, appetitive self,” writes author Donna Tartt. “But that is a mistake. Because it is dangerous to ignore the existence of the irrational.” I’m sending this message out to you, Virgo, because in the coming weeks it will be crucial for you to honor the parts of your life that can’t be managed through rational thought alone. I suggest you have sacred fun as you exult in the mysterious, welcome the numinous, explore the wildness within you, unrepress big feelings you’ve buried and marvel adoringly about your deepest yearnings.

MAY 5-11, 2021

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Science writer Sharman Apt Russell provides counsel that I think you should consider adopting in the coming days. The psychospiritual healing you require probably won’t be available through the normal means, so some version of her proposal may be useful: “We may need to be cured by flowers. We may need to strip naked and let the petals fall on our shoulders, down our bellies, against our thighs. We may need to lie naked in fields of wildflowers. We may need to walk naked through beauty. We may need to walk naked through color. We may need to walk naked through scent.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As Scorpio author Margaret Atwood reminds us, “Water is not a solid wall; it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, being like water will be an excellent strategy for you to embrace during the coming weeks. “Water is patient,” Atwood continues. “Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember you are half water. If you can’t go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In a letter to a friend in 1856, Sagittarian poet Emily Dickinson confessed she was feeling discombobulated because of a recent move to a new home. She hoped she would soon regain her bearings. “I am out with lanterns, looking for myself,” she quipped, adding that she couldn’t help laughing at her disorientation. She signed the letter “From your mad Emilie,” intentionally misspelling her own name. I’d love it if you approached your current doubt and uncertainty with a similar light-heartedness and poise. (PS: Soon after writing this letter, Dickinson began her career as a poet in earnest, reading extensively and finishing an average of one poem every day for many years.) CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Now is a favorable time to celebrate both life’s changeableness and your own. The way we are all constantly called on to adjust to unceasing transformations can sometimes be a wearying chore, but I suspect it could be at least interesting and possibly even exhilarating for you in the coming weeks. For inspiration, study this message from the “Welcome to Night Vale” podcast: “You are never the same twice, and much of your unhappiness comes from trying to pretend that you are. Accept that you are different each day, and do so joyfully, recognizing it for the gift it is. Work within the desires and goals of the person you are currently, until you aren’t that person anymore.” AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Toni Morrison described two varieties of loneliness. The first “is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up; holding, holding on, this motion smooths and contains the rocker.” The second “is a loneliness that roams. No rocking can hold it down. It is alive, on its own.” Neither kind is better or worse, of course, and both are sometimes necessary as a strategy for self-renewal — as a means for deepening and fine-tuning one’s relationship with oneself. I recommend either or both for you in the coming weeks. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): England’s Prince Charles requires his valet to iron his shoelaces and put toothpaste on his toothbrush and wash all of his clothes by hand. I could conceivably interpret the current astrological omens to mean that you should pursue similar behavior in the coming weeks. I could, but I won’t. Instead, I will suggest that you solicit help about truly important matters, not meaningless trivia like shoelace ironing. For example, I urge you to ask for the support you need as you build bridges, seek harmony and make interesting connections.

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MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

computer literacy, including social media and office software tools as well as the ability to self-organize, engage with repetitive data entry and multitask under pressure. Must have a knowledge of Asheville/WNC and be community-minded. Experience in customer service (especially using point-of-sale systems) and/or publishing preferred. This position is full time; somewhat flexible hours and some benefits are available. To apply, send a cover letter and resume to xpressjob@mountainx.com.

RESTAURANT/ FOOD KAYAK ASSEMBLERS AND MOLDERS BIG Adventures is seeking full time Kayak Assemblers and Kayak Molders to start ASAP. All shifts. Email: jobs@bigadventures.com. 210 Old Airport Rd., Fletcher, NC 28732.

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES F/T & P/T MAINTENANCE WORKERS WANTED IN THE ASHEVILLE AREA! Seeking reliable people with basic repair, plumbing, and carpentry knowledge. Duties include routine maintenance, preparing vacant units, cleaning common areas & vacant units, etc. Ideal candidate will be well-organized, pro-active, knowledgeable in troubleshooting maintenance needs and coordinating contractor services. Skilled trade replacements and extensive repairs are made by third party service contractors. Must have reliable transportation and provide your own hand tools. Must be on-call for after-hours emergencies. Credit and criminal checks required. Equal opportunity provider and employer. Please mail letter of interest to Attn: M. McLaughlin at Partnership Property Management, P.O. Box 26405, Greensboro, NC 27404-6405, or email to mmclaughlin@partnershippm.com.

ADMINISTRATIVE/ OFFICE CHURCH ADMINISTRATOR First Presbyterian Church of Asheville is seeking an Administrator. Responsibilities include financial management and accounting, office management, human resources, facilities, communications and information technology. This is a full time salaried position. Please send resume and cover letter to apply@fpcasheville. org. Application review will begin on May 5 and continue until the position is filled.

FRONT OFFICE & LISTINGS COORDINATOR Mountain Xpress is seeking an organized, multitalented, high-energy, person ready to handle a variety of tasks from connecting incoming callers to the resources they need, to helping develop routines, to simple accounting and collections work. Skills needed are a friendly, professional demeanor, attention to detail, strong verbal and written communication skills, broad

CULINARY WORKERS NEEDED - SAGE DINING SERVICES Full-time and part-time. Cooks ($15-16/hr), Prep Cooks ($1415/hr), Dishwashers ($13-14/ hr). Benefits for FT. Career growth. Uniforms/shoes/masks provided. Scratch kitchen! Get paid every Friday. Call/text 443-342-3639 or email jhand@ sagedining.com for interview!

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY

MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain. Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is is sometimes needed or an option. E-mail distro@ mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Central Downtown Asheville route.

MEDICAL/ HEALTH CARE HOME INSTEAD IS HIRING CAREGIVERS! We are looking for individuals in the Asheville and surrounding areas who want to help us change the face of aging by helping seniors age at home. No certification required! 828274-4406 • Homeinstead. com/159. MEDICAL POSITIONS AVAILABLE Medical - $20/ hr for C.N.A.’s on L.T.C and behavioral units in Black mountain. All shifts, full time. Call Emily at Worldwide Staffing, 866-633-3700, extension 118.

HUMAN SERVICES AURA HOME WOMEN VETERANS IS LOOKING FOR A GRANT WRITER! We are dedicated to serving homeless women veterans. Payment is negotiable based on experience, please respond to aurahome.alyce@gmail. com. FT POSITION: THERAPIST Onsite Therapist position at treatment center for LGBTQ+ folx struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues. Licensed or pre-licensed as LCMHC, LCAS, or LCSW required. Contact info@elevatewellnessandrecovery.com.

FULL-TIME POSITION: COMMUNITY MENTOR Onsite position at treatment center for LGBTQ+ folx struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues. Exp req/33-36k. Contact info@elevatewellnessandrecovery.com.

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT

FULL-TIME POSITION: SHIFT SUPERVISOR Onsite shift work position at treatment center for LGBTQ+ folx struggling with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues. Exp req/40-43k. Contact info@elevatewellnessandrecovery.com.

THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION IS HIRING! GIFTS AND RECORDS SPECIALIST – ASHEVILLE NC Join The American Chestnut Foundation in its mission to restore the iconic American chestnut back to its native range! We are looking for an energetic individual who will serve as the initial point of contact for our donors, members, visitors and the community, at TACF's national headquarters in Asheville, NC. The Gifts and Records Specialist is an integral part of TACF's administrative team. They are responsible for donor and member gift processing, database entry, and data quality control in TACF's donor management system. For a full job description and information on applying, please visit TACF’s website: https:// acf.org/employment/. No phone calls. Applications for this position accepted through end of day Friday, May 28, 2021. Only candidates forwarded in the process will receive communication regarding interviews. TACF is a living wage employer.

HELPMATE SEEKS OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Helpmate, a domestic violence victim service provider in Asheville, NC, seeks a full-time Operations Coordinator. Required skills include: effective written and verbal communication, organizational system development/management, time management, data analysis and advanced technological skills, including the ability to quickly learn new systems. The Operations Coordinator oversees development and maintenance of data tracking systems, maintains and improves technological infrastructure, performs selected human resources functions, crafts grant reports, and supports daily operations. The Operations Coordinator is responsible for a rotating on call back up shift that may require night and weekend work. Candidates must have a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 2 years' experience in administration, social work, human services, or related field. Send resume and cover letter to hiring@ helpmateonline.org by 5pm on May 5. Please specify the title of this position in the subject line of your email. No phone calls or email inquiries, please. LIFE SKILLS INSTRUCTOR, FOUNDATIONS ASHEVILLE Foundations Asheville, a transitional program for college-age young men and women in Asheville, seeks a qualified Life Skills Instructor to join its team. Responsibilities Include: -Creating and maintaining a consistent, emotionally safe, and supportive environment that fosters successful adulthood. -Collaborating with clinical and academic support teams to implement programming designed to support young adults in reaching their goals. -Working one-on-one and in group settings to model, develop, and teach independent living skills. -Daily tasks of transportation, medication, recreation, cleanliness, community involvement, and maintaining a timely schedule. -Consistent role modeling of healthy habits, problem-solving, emotional maturity, and executive functioning. This position requires overnight shifts with excellent housing accommodations and expenses paid. The standard shift is a 3 day on/ 4 day off, 4 day on/ 3 day off rotating shift. Job Type: Full-time. https:// foundationsasheville.com/ • FoundationsHiring@gmail. com.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION BILINGUAL HOME VISITOR - EARLY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST $16.46 - $20.58 / HOUR. This position educates and coaches ten - twelve families in the areas of parenting, health, nutrition, and child development through weekly 90-minute home visits to assist parents/guardians in becoming more effective educators of their children. https://wcca.org/careers/ CHILDCARE PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR $38,052.00 - $47,565.00 / Year. The position is responsible for the establishment, compliance and training of EHS Child Care Partners (CCP) in Family Child Care Homes in Transylvania County and for the ongoing monitoring of existing CCP sites. Please apply at https:// wcca.org/careers/ EARLY HEAD START TEACHER This position provides high-quality, responsive caregiving and educational experiences to enhance school readiness that comply with the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education requirements and Head Start Performance Standards in an Early Head Start setting. $14.82 - $18.52 / Hour • https://wcca.org/careers/ FULL-TIME SCHOOL COUNSELOR ArtSpace Charter School has an immediate opening for a full-time school counselor for grades K-8. This position begins as soon as possible. Applicants must have a current North Carolina Professional Educator’s License as Counselor and be willing to work in a collaborative, integrated, experiential environment. Knowledge of the arts and arts integration strategies is preferred but not required. The counselor will be expected to work with students individually and in small groups, collaborate with classroom teachers, and

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coordinate social emotional learning and bully prevention programs. Send a resume to resumes@artspacecharter.org with a subject heading "School Counselor." NC PRE-K TEACHER $16.46 $20.58 / HOUR. This position involves providing high-quality, educational experiences to enhance school readiness that comply with the NC Division of Child Development and Early Education, Head Start Performance Standards and NC Pre-K program requirements. https://wcca.org/careers/

1 Becomes less important by comparison 6 Newspaper unit 10 “The Garden of Earthly Delights” painter

15 Bitcoin, e.g. 16 Hubbubs 17 Bear who sings “The Bare Necessities” in a 1967 Disney film 18 City near St. Petersburg in news-writing, have social-media skills, write efficiently and enjoy a fast-paced news-gathering environment. Must have knowledge of Asheville and WNC, be community-minded, have a keen sense of fairness with respect for differing points of view and be committed to Xpress’ mission of community-based journalism. Flexible availability required to cover some after-hours meetings and weekend events. This is a full-time position with benefits. Send cover letter, resume and clips/links to xpressjob@ mountainx.com.

HOTEL/ HOSPITALITY WARREN WILSON COLLEGE SEEKS ADJUNCT INSTRUCTOR FOR GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY Fall 2021 semester. Course must be taught on campus 2-3 days/ week. For more details and to apply, send cover letter and CV to jmozolic@warren-wilson.edu.

ARTS/MEDIA

HIRING FOR ALL HOTEL AND RESTAURANT POSITIONS Pisgah Inn located at 408.6 Blue Ridge Parkway is hiring for the 2021 season. Our season is April 1 to October 31. We are hiring for all Restaurant and Hotel positions. Housekeepers, Cooks, Servers, Bussers and more. Some Housing/rooms available if needed. To apply, go to https://www.pisgahinn. com/employment-application.

XCHANGE NEWS REPORTER WANTED Mountain Xpress is seeking an experienced reporter to join our team. You should have the chops to cover a wide range of issues of community concern, including local government and politics, the environment, community activism, education, economic issues, public safety, criminal justice and more. You must be able to craft stories that convey important, timely information and empower readers to take part in meaningful civic dialogue and effect change at the local level. Qualified applicants will have experience

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WANTED BUYING OLD PAPER MONEY Asheville, WNC, ETN over 10 years. Fair, open, and responsive. Buying currency, bonds, maps, documents,

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51 Heracles, to Zeus 52 Stitch’s pal, in film 56 “Two thumbs up!” 59 Key of Beethoven’s Ninth 61 Above-the-knee skirt 62 Brown loaf with an earthy taste 65 Pet rocks, once 66 They turn litmus paper red 68 Stead 69 Part of a political convention roll call 71 Checks out, in a way 72 Thingy 73 Satirist ___ Baron Cohen 74 Singer John whose middle name is Hercules 75 Food for a sea urchin 76 Company behind the first microprocessor

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puzzle by Trenton Charlson 2 Tree that’s a favorite of giraffes 3 Bemoan 4 Paranormal power, for short 5 Thin-layered sedimentary rock 6 Covenant 7 One who raised Cain 8 Wounded by a bull, say 9 Catches sight of 10 Tiny ammo 11 Like some breakfast cereals 12 Emphatic twopointer 13 Going places? 14 “Heaven forbid!” 23 Sidled (along) 24 “Fresh Air” broadcaster 27 French military headwear 29 Use, as dishes 32 Conflict that ended at 11:00 on 11/11 33 Crooked 37 Slip past 38 Swelled heads your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 258-3229.

40 Food-spoiling bacterium 41 Like Sodom and Gomorrah 42 Abraham Lincoln, for one 43 Modern lead-in to -grammer 44 ___ hop (swing era dance) 45 Not a happy face 49 Put two and two together? 50 Mayim who played Amy Farrah Fowler on “The Big Bang Theory”

53 “Believe it or not …” 54 Abhor 55 Herculean undertaking 57 Many a smartphone recording 58 Far from original 60 Soccer great with a statue in Buenos Aires 63 Topple (over) 64 Posterior 67 Nine-digit ID, in brief 70 Shade of brown

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