Mountain Xpress 05.20.20

OUR 26TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 26 NO. 43 MAY 20-26, 2020

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MAY 20-26, 2020

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FEATURE

8 VIRTUAL REALITY Nonprofits consider new fundraising techniques during COVID-19

15 COVID CONVERSATIONS Two local residents share their stories about coping with the pandemic

WELLNESS

NEWS

FEATURES

18 HEALTH ROUNDUP Local nonprofits serve residents struggling with mental health, substance abuse and other health issues

PAGE 24 SERVING COMMUNITY Yvette Singleton of the Asheville Buncombe Institute of Parity Achievement packed fresh food into boxes at a recent Community Engagement Market outside Isaac Dickson Elementary. The supplies went to families experiencing food insecurity during COVID-19.

COVER PHOTO Drew Sencabaugh COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 5 LETTERS 5 CARTOON: MOLTON 7 CARTOON: BRENT BROWN 8 NEWS

GREEN

14 BUNCOMBE BEAT 20 CAMP RULES Nonprofit camps face uncertain summer

15 COVID CONVERSATIONS 16 ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES 17 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 18 WELLNESS

FOOD

103.3 AshevilleFM A-B Tech Accounting Office Management All Souls Counseling Center, Inc Asheville Holistic Realty Asheville Humane Society Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company Asheville Raven & Crone Black Bear BBQ Bottle Riot / formerly District Wine Bar Chinese Acupuncture & Herbology Clinic City of Asheville Employment City of Asheville Sanitation Eliada Foundation Father and Son Home Improvement Franny’s Farm Givens Gerber Park Habitat for Humanity Restore Homeward Bound Ingles Markets Inc. Insurance Service of Asheville, Inc Kenny Horton Lenoir-Rhyne University Livewell in WNC / Live Well Media Placement Services Mercy Urgent Care / McAuley MERCY Foundation Midwest Water Operations LLC Mission Health Mostly Automotive Inc. My Daddy Taught Me That Nature’s Vitamins and Herbs New Belgium Brewing Organic Mechanic Pack’s Tavern Pisgah Brewing Co RBG Moving Ruth’s Chris Biltmore Village Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse Southern Atlantic Hemp Co, Inc. - SAHAE Second Gear Sweeten Creek Antiques The Blackbird Restaurant The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina The Regeneration Station Town and Mountain Realty Tunnel Vision West Village Market Wicked Weed Brewing Working Wheels - Wheels 4 Hope YMCA of Western North Carolina

C O NT E NT S

20 GREEN SCENE 25 CUT TO THE BONE Meredith Leigh advises a DIY approach to sourcing meat

24 FOOD 26 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 31 MOVIES 33 COVIDTOWN CRIER

A&E

A special thank you to all our advertisers, who make Xpress possible.

26 COMMUNITY SERVICE Local arts nonprofits pursue their missions amid COVID-19 challenges

34 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 34 CLASSIFIEDS 35 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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STAFF PUBLISHER: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Virginia Daffron OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose GREEN SCENE EDITOR: Daniel Walton STAFF REPORTERS: Able Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Laura Hackett, Molly Horak, Daniel Walton COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Lauren Andrews, Madeline Forwerck, Laura Hackett, Susan Hutchinson MOVIE SECTION HOSTS: Edwin Arnaudin, Bruce Steele CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Leslie Boyd, Bill Kopp, Cindy Kunst, Alli Marshall, Gina Smith, Luke Van Hine, Kay West ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick MEMBERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: Laura Hackett MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, David Furr, Brian Palmieri, Tiffany Wagner OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES & WEB: Bowman Kelley BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler-Tanner ADMINISTRATION, BILLING, HR: Able Allen, Lauren Andrews DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Gary Alston, Russell Badger, Clyde Hipps, Joan Jordan, Angelo Sant Maria, Desiree Davis, Charlotte Rosen, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, David Weiss

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OPINION

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

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Schools need coherent plan for reopening

Support environment by electing Edney

If our schools are going to reopen in some sort of “normal” fashion, we need to have a coherent plan. Many parents are very reasonably concerned about the health of their children and then of whatever viruses the kids might bring home. Estimations are clearly guesses, but fewer contacts offer self-evidently lower odds.

One idea regarding reschooling stands out. At present, all teaching is online. What if we began to reschool kids in stages?

In Australia, schools are admitting students in quarters, one-fourth each day each week. Other countries are in step. One idea is to have half the students on campus half of each week.

Locally, we might do this with Group A on campus Monday and Tuesday, Group B on Thursday and Friday. This cuts classroom attendance in half and permits alternating online connections with a teacher.

Asheville and Buncombe parents and students need assurance that a return to classrooms will be well-managed and safe.

The school systems should be promoting public discussion of possible plans now, before school registrations begin, or students might very reasonably stay home.

— Cecil Bothwell Asheville

The pandemic is hurting all of us in one way or another. While we deal with our immediate health and economic concerns, we might also take this time to think about the country, state and community we want to live in when we have the COVID-19 crisis more under control.

At the national level, our president and many of our senators are taking advantage of the immediate crisis to continue a relentless attack on the environment.

While the federal government has been chipping away at environmental protections, the North Carolina state government has also passed legislation that rolls back protections that should instead be strengthened — go to websites like the North Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club, MountainTrue and Southern Environmental Law Center for examples.

Gov. Cooper is generally good on environmental issues, but we need more men and women in the North Carolina General Assembly who care about our natural heritage. Those of us voting in District 113 have a chance to make a difference in the North Carolina House by electing Sam Edney. Sam has deep North Carolina roots and a deep love of the people and the natural heritage of North Carolina. Sam is a small-business owner and knows that encouraging a strong economy does not mean giving free rein to our largest and most powerful corporations. Please vote in November.

Now more than ever, your vote is vital.

Many of our local Earth Day celebrations were canceled, but we can still be

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OPI N I ON

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

mindful of the fact that the first Earth Day marked the beginning of an era of environmental protection legislation that led to dramatic improvements in the quality of our air, water and soil. Please help stop the current trend to reverse the progress by voting for candidates like Sam Edney.

— Elizabeth Dicey Tryon Editor’s note: Dicey reports that she is volunteering with Edney’s campaign.

Prophets may give us hope about coronavirus I am writing to express my opinion about the coronavirus.

I think we should refer to the great prophets of the past — Nostradamus, The Sleeping Prophet (Edgar Cayce) and the elderly lady, Baba Vanga of Bulgaria, who saw Obama would be president of the United States — to see if/what they have predicted about this virus would come to pass.

Perhaps their foresight prophesied we will come through these dire times successfully. Finding out what they predicted will give us all some hope.

I think there will be a large baby boom after this virus outbreak has stopped.

Let’s all keep the faith and obey the rules.

This is my opinion.

— Tom L. Nanney Asheville

Let’s talk about and support mental health Hello, my name is Adrian M. Freeman, and I wanted to talk about the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, and I want to spread the word and break the stigma that this carries, and as an African American, my struggle is even more amplified!

One-fourth of people suffer with a mental illness, and as a person of color, it is even more tough because I’m called an angry black woman, not [someone making] a cry for help or lacking coping skills.

I want to encourage dialogue and support for mental health and breaking the stigma in all of North Carolina, including the Asheville area.

— Adrian M. Freeman Charlotte

The value of letters to the editor Writing letters to the editor to newspapers is a great way for a person to 6

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get involved with the local affairs of the regional area. It is also a great way for people to take part in citizen journalism.

For people who write editorial letters, it allows them to give their voice to local issues and what is the local community’s wisest course of action.

As a frequent letter writer, I have had the opportunity to tell people to enjoy the tourist attractions, historic site gems and the happenings and goings on here in South Carolina and North Carolina.

And I have written letters for some of the largest newspapers of the regional area. Since I started writing letters to the editor in 2014, I have written for more than 35 newspapers and written more than 86 editorial letters. In my letter-writing career, I have written newspapers throughout South Carolina and written to many places I have traveled to with my family and friends in North Carolina.

A collection of my editorial letters and writings was self-published in a book last year with AuthorHouse publishers, titled Letters from South Carolina. My book even includes letters from many fine North Carolina publications, such as the Asheville Citizen Times, Mountain Xpress of Asheville, South Charlotte Weekly, The Dispatch [of Lexington] and Asheboro Courier-Tribune. I have admired and looked up to older and deceased prolific letter writers from the Carolinas, such as Leroy Vance Corbett, who was published in the Raleigh News & Observer; Bill Beerman, who published letters in the Greensboro News & Record; and Ovalyn Williams, who published letters in the Anderson (S.C.) Independent Mail.

I have also looked up to and emulated nationally known letter writers in the news, such as Marcia Deihl, who was published in The Boston Globe; Felicia Nimue Ackerman from Providence, R.I., who is a frequent letter writer for The New York Times; Larry Penner with The New York Times; Frances Wideman from Birmingham, Ala.; Kenneth Zimmerman from Huntington Beach, Calif.; and Bobby “Shaggy” Crawford from New York, who has published letters in skateboarding magazines.

Writing letters to the editor provides citizens with a great way to change the world. It allows many regular citizens to say their own 2 cents in what happens in the world and gives high visibility to issues that might have been easily neglected and overshadowed in the recent news. And with this coronavirus, it allows people to cope with this bad pandemic and tragedy that is still getting worse and worse. The art of writing great letters to the editor will live on through the ages and never end or fade away.

— Steven Hawkins Greenville, S.C.

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NEWS

VIRTUAL REALITY

BY THOMAS CALDER tcalder@mountainx.com Dosty Quarrier, development director for OpenDoors of Asheville, knows her nonprofit got lucky. The organization’s largest annual fundraiser, Art Affair, took place on Feb. 29. The event attracted 400 donors and raised over $250,000 in support for OpenDoors’ mission to end the cycle of poverty through education.

“Honestly, if it had been a week later, I don’t think we would have had that turnout because of COVID,” Quarrier says.

Pisgah Legal Services, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as lucky. The nonprofit had to cancel its April 2 annual fundraiser, Jazz for Justice, due to Buncombe County’s stay home, stay safe mandate. Meanwhile, plans for its annual fall event, the Justice Forum, remain up in the air. These two happenings, combined with a series of smaller fundraisers, typically generate around $100,000 for the organization,

which offers pro bono lawyers and legal services for underserved populations in Western North Carolina.

“That is a big hole for us,” says Ally Wilson, the group’s director of development. “That means it will be harder for us to raise our total annual campaign goal … which gives us flexible funding to sustain all of our programs.

We will have to look for different ways to make that up.”

No matter a nonprofit’s fortune or misfortune at the onset of COVID-19, the coming months remain uncertain for all. With mandates limiting crowd sizes and recommended social distancing practices likely the new norm for the foreseeable future, large fundraising events are currently on hold, causing many in the sector to reconsider how they go about connecting with their supporters. And despite the current influx of short-term COVIDrelated grants, many in the industry also worry about a decrease in available funding later, especially if the economy remains unstable.

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Nonprofits consider new fundraising techniques during COVID-19

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Nonprofit Issue

ONCE UPON A TIME: Ally Wilson, left, stands with Roderick Banks of Wells Fargo at Pisgah Legal Services’ 2018 Justice Forum reception. These days, Wilson is seeking new ways to reach the nonprofit’s supporters through social media platforms and virtual events. Photo courtesy of Pisgah Legal Services “Right now we’re putting out fires,” says Marianne Martinez, executive director of Vecinos, an organization serving and advocating for farmworkers in Western North Carolina. “But this is going to be a long, slow burning fire that we’ll be fighting for a good while.”

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Not surprisingly, many local nonprofits are turning to social media and other online platforms as a way to continue to share their missions, garner support and stay connected to their donors during this period of social isolation.

Campaigns such as Light A Path’s #ConnectionCreatesResilience encourages supporters to post pictures on Facebook and Instagram (often while donning their Light A Path swag) as an opportunity to promote the nonprofit’s efforts to bring yoga, meditation, strength training and running to local disadvantaged youths, the unsheltered and incarcerated populations. According to Caitlin Van Hecke, the organization’s volunteer coordinator, the nonprofit has also launched its own YouTube channel with instructional videos.

Similarly, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County CEO Dan

Leroy recently initiated a weekly video series filmed from his dining room. Leroy’s messages are shared through email as well as the nonprofit’s social media accounts, says Kevin Montgomery, director of resource development. Additionally, the organization has created blog content to highlight its ongoing efforts and partnerships.

Others, such as SeekHealing, which provides free support to people who are recovering from addiction, is preparing for its inaugural online festival, We Are The Medicine, slated to run June 12-14. The virtual, three-day series will feature presentations, storytelling and other activities. The events are free to attend, but donations are encouraged.

“We’re rooting in the moment,” says Michelle Kelly, SeekHealing’s volunteer manager. “We’re working around how things might look for the next six weeks or so. And maybe in six more weeks, we’ll shift our focus again. It’s an opportunity to be flexible and to go with the flow.”

MIXED RESULTS Despite these ongoing efforts, early results and future expectations remain mixed over the benefits of virtual fund-

raisers. While several organizations noted an influx of online donations in the immediate wake of COVID-19, these same groups report that numbers have since plateaued.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in online giving, but it’s not enough to cover projected losses,” writes Montgomery in an email exchange with Xpress.

For many, the online model also fails to replicate the social dynamics that occur during in-person meetings.

For example, in April, Pisgah Legal Services held its first online version of its bimonthly Justice Matters tour.

Prior to COVID-19, the event invited community members inside the nonprofit’s office, where they could speak with the organization’s attorneys and see firsthand the work being done.

The latest virtual version took a similar, albeit remote, approach. “I think it worked OK,” says Wilson. “But it’s not the same as being in the space with someone. It’s hard to generate interaction on a Zoom call.”

In general, many of the organizational leaders who spoke with Xpress conveyed reserved optimism about the overall impact that online events and campaigns will have on their nonprof-

it’s fundraising abilities, especially if COVID-19 flare-ups follow the reopening of businesses, creating additional strain on the local economy.

“If you look at fundraising trends through recessions, it’s typically 6-12 months when you see a dip in individual giving,” says Quarrier. “Maybe we won’t have that problem, but we are preparing ourselves for a potential decline in giving in the next 12 months.”

RISING TO THE OCCASION No matter the future outcome, says Jody Evans, executive director of Asheville Humane Society, COVID-19 has merely intensified what all nonprofits faced prior to the pandemic.

“As a nonprofit, your funding model is always a little bit volatile,” she explains. “You’re relying on the goodwill of foundations and the people in your community to support the good work that you do.”

For now, several organizational leaders praise the community’s ongo-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

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N O N P R O F I T I S S UE S P R IN G 2 0 2 0

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103.3 Asheville FM Our mission is to provide diverse and eclectic programming that inspires our listeners to build connections across our communities and to discover new music and ideas. Unlike other stations, we do that with volunteer DJs who know and love our community. During this pandemic we are here to keep you informed about what’s happening; provide you with music and entertainment while you stay home; and keep us all connected as a community when we cannot do so physically. Thanks for listening! info@ashevillefm.org ashevillefm.org | 828.348.0352 864 Haywood Rd., Asheville

Eliada Eliada’s mission is Helping Children Succeed. For 117 years, Eliada has supported children from cradle-to-career. A special memory of many Eliada’s kids are the times spent at summer camp. This year camp is June 8 – August 14. Camp is $165/week and childcare vouchers are accepted.

Contact Tonia Reed to register: treed@eliada.org www.eliada.org (828) 254-5356 Ext. 368

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We provide quality mental health counseling to people who are uninsured, or who have insurance but cannot afford to use it because of high deductibles or copays.

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RAISING MONEY AND SPIRITS: On Easter Sunday, East Fork Pottery delivered handcrafted mugs to the night shift health care workers at Mission Hospital. The delivery was part of a fundraising campaign that raised over $15,000 for Vecinos, an organization serving and advocating for farmworkers in Western North Carolina.

Photo courtesy of Mission ing support. At the Asheville Humane Society, Evans points to the more than 500 applicants interested in becoming foster parents during the stay home, stay safe mandate. “That’s a silver lining for us,” she says. “To see how people have stepped up, not just monetarily but through giving their time and love to these animals.”

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Connor Mailander recently launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for OpenDoors of Asheville.

Currently in training, Mailander intends to run 100 miles on June 19.

He will launch the expedition from his South Asheville home and continue along the state’s Mountains-toSea Trail. Mailander’s goal is to raise $100,000 to support the nonprofit’s college access program. (To donate, visit avl.mx/754.)

Businesses have also stepped up. In the first two weeks of April, East Fork Pottery raised over $15,000 for Vecinos through a fundraising effort that simultaneously provided free handcrafted mugs to health care workers at Mission Hospital. The unsolicited campaign, says Martinez, “is coming from our vast community of established supporters that are coming back to us and saying, ‘Hey, I’m lucky enough to be in this situation where I’m [financially] stable, but I know there are a lot people that aren’t.’”

UNAFRAID TO ASK But for just how long any given supporter’s financial well-being can withstand the economic impacts of COVID19 remains unknown. And nonprofits’ approaches to the current uncertainties vary case by case.

Light A Path has opted to pause its fundraising efforts, choosing to skip

the recent #GivingTuesdayNow campaign held on May 5. “It felt a little daunting,” says Van Hecke. “We need those funds to keep going … but we just don’t feel like people are in the position necessarily to give us money right now.”

Others, like Pisgah Legal Services, viewed the campaign as a chance to make up for the current financial hole created by its cancellation of Jazz for Justice. Helping to close that gap, Wilson says #GivingTuesdayNow donations exceeded the nonprofit’s goal of $10,000. And further fundraising efforts continue. “Our messaging acknowledges that a lot of people might not be in the same financial space that they were before,” she explains. “So we use language like, ‘If you’re able to,’ or ‘If you can,’ because we do understand that many of our past donors are finding themselves in a different financial situation.”

For Montgomery, past experiences and careers help him navigate the current health crisis. “I’m retired from the military, and I’ve been a fundraising professional for more than 18 years, so I’ve learned a lot about keeping a level head in times of crisis,” he tells Xpress in an email exchange.

And while Montgomery anticipates future challenges due to COVID19, he remains upbeat. “The test for every fundraising professional is being unafraid to ask and being OK with whatever answer [prospective donors] give you,” he explains. “Most of the time, people will surprise you with their generosity. Already, this crisis has helped to solidify my belief that people naturally want to help others and that the people of Asheville and Buncombe County are incredibly generous and compassionate.” X

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by Molly Horak

Retail businesses weigh options as COVID-19 restrictions lift On May 9, as North Carolina lifted restrictions on some retail businesses implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19, local store owners were left to decide if they felt comfortable reopening — or if opening to customers also opened the door to unacceptable risk. For some, the highly anticipated date was a signal that an end to their financial woes might be in sight. Others felt the move came too soon and remained closed to protect the safety of their staff and customers.

Under Phase 1 of the state’s threephase reopening plan, retail businesses previously designated as nonessential, including bookstores, clothing boutiques and sporting goods shops, are allowed to operate at 50% capacity. Stores are required to keep shoppers 6 feet apart, screen all employees for COVID-19 symptoms and provide hand sanitizer; they are also being asked to display signage reminding

PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE: Dean Peterson, the general manager at Tops for Shoes in downtown Asheville, makes disposable face masks available for customers. The store, which reopened on May 9, has also installed plexiglass in front of its counters and displayed signage to alert shoppers of new safety policies. Photo by Molly Horak customers of the new safety precautions. In Buncombe County, customers are encouraged, but not required, to wear masks.

Kit Cramer, president of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, says her team has joined with Buncombe County, the city of Asheville and other strategic partners to assemble resources and host virtual town halls that help businesses navigate the phased reopening process. In the coming weeks, the chamber plans to release industry-specific information guides and a comprehensive list of businesses selling personal protective equipment.

But as the situation rapidly changes, it’s difficult to collect raw data that accurately reflects who’s open and who’s not, Cramer says. This uncertainty has many business owners questioning if their decision is on track with that of their peers.

“We just don’t know,” says Sarah Evers, one of the family owners of Dancing Bear Toys in East Asheville, which remains closed for in-person customers.

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STORE BY STORE A steady stream of shoppers flowed through the downtown Asheville Tops for Shoes on May 9, the first day the store could officially reopen. The shop advertised discounts on its social media accounts, including 20% off kids spring footwear and a “buy one get one for a penny” sale.

Prior to reopening, the Tops management team individually emailed all employees asking about their existing health concerns and any reservations they had about reopening, says Dean Peterson, the store’s general manager.

Citing employee privacy, Peterson did not comment on their responses, but he noted that the leadership team “supports their employees 100%.”

Mast General Store is taking a different approach. The Valle Crucis-based chain’s leadership team announced that its stores would reopen in phases, with the Asheville location expected to open on Monday, May 25.

Carmen Cabrera, the general manager of Mast’s Asheville store, said she plans to install plexiglass guards at the cash registers, add hand-washing and

sanitizing stations and place tape and signage around the store reminding shoppers to keep a 6-foot distance.

In Weaverville, store owner Jennifer Jenkins wasn’t gung-ho about reopening Miya Gallery, but after weighing the options, she ultimately decided to open May 9. To help make her decision, she consulted with other local business owners, including a friend who owns a jewelry store on Biltmore Avenue in Asheville.

“We weren’t really anxious to reopen, but like everyone else, expenses haven’t changed,” Jenkins says. “And the other small shops on [Main Street in Weaverville] are doing the same thing we’re doing with a quiet opening.”

Normally, a large portion of the gallery’s foot traffic comes from tourists, so Jenkins isn’t too worried about large crowds visiting the store. Only five customers are allowed in the shop at a given time, and she’s installed plexiglass sneeze guards in front of every jewelry case. Customers will be permitted to handle jewelry, but items will be sanitized before and after. Masks, made by a local artist, are also on sale.

HENDO GOES LOCAL If the first day of Phase 1 reopening was any indication, Caroline Gunther, owner of Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique in Hendersonville, thinks business could be returning to prepandemic levels. Hendersonville’s Main Street was busy — she thinks the majority of businesses were open in some capacity for customers.

“I felt like people were trying to buy from local businesses,” Gunther said. “My average ticket was higher; instead of people buying one small treat, they were buying multiple higher-priced items. I definitely got the feeling that some people were coming in for the first time and they were just finding whatever to buy to support, which was great.”

Because pet food is considered an essential item, Gunther’s store has been open for curbside pickup and delivery since mid-March. With the retail space closed, she worked to finalize the store’s website, update appliances and review policies prior to the May 9 reopening for in-person shopping.

Hendersonville businesses and restaurants can opt into the “#SafeHendo Pledge,” a list of safety precautions and guidelines such as limiting customer numbers, encouraging facial coverings and educating employees on safety protocols. Gunther, who serves on the Hendersonville Downtown Advisory Board and the Henderson County COVID-19 Task Force, has signed on to the pledge.

“My thing is to meet people where they are, try to respect all different viewpoints of it and do your best to make it work,” Gunther said. “That’s all you can do.”

NO-TOUCH AND GO Evers with Dancing Bear Toys says COVID-19 is going to fundamentally change her store’s business model. The shop has been operating a curbside pickup service since the pandemic’s onset, largely because its primary customers are children and grandparents — the latter of which, due to age, are particularly vulnerable to severe symptoms from the disease.

“Our store is just so touchy-feely.

That was a reason why we closed pretty early on, because it was just irresponsible for us to say that we could keep it cleaned,” Evers says. “With kids, they go everywhere.”

Evers is working to update the store’s website, but Dancing Bear’s large and varied inventory makes it difficult to move everything online.

Customers have nonetheless appreciated the online options, she says, especially grandparents and other caretakers who didn’t have toys on hand when stay-at-home orders went into place.

No date is set for when Dancing Bear’s shop floor will officially open.

Evers says she and her family will make the decision when they, and their customers, feel safe returning.

The Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore is tentatively set to reopen on Tuesday, May 26, says Ariane Kjellquist, a spokesperson for the nonprofit. Before the pandemic, the store operated with the help of roughly 140 volunteers, many of whom are over the age of 65 and at higher risk for contracting severe COVID-19.

Kjellquist’s team is in conversation with reopened Habitat ReStores in South Carolina and other nearby states to learn best practices and troubleshoot potential challenges, she explains.

When the store does open, it will be run by Habitat for Humanity staff. All suggested safety measures, including masks, sanitizer and 6-foot distancing, will be in place.

“The safety of our donors and volunteers and customers and staff is at the forefront of all of our decision-making,” Kjellquist said. “It may look like we’re slow to reopen or not jumping on the bandwagon like everyone else who’s reopening, but we really want to wait because we think it’s the right thing to do to keep everyone safe.” X

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MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 20-26, 2020

13

BUNCOMBE BEAT

Asheville prepares austere 2021 budget Asheville City Council is facing up to hard choices about the city’s budget for fiscal year 2020-21, albeit virtually. At a May 12 work session — Council’s first meeting to be conducted entirely online, under new rules enacted as part of the N.C. General Assembly’s COVID-19 relief package — elected officials heard a plan for the city to spend less and delay new initiatives in light of the pandemic’s impact.

A conservative approach was warranted, said city Chief Financial Officer Barbara Whitehorn, due to the tremendous economic unknowns created by the coronavirus. She pointed to national data on retail sales, which were down 6.2% in March compared with the same month in 2019; previously, the country’s largest recorded year-over-year drop was 4.3% from November 2007 compared with the same month in 2008, at the nadir of the Great Recession.

“We really don’t have an idea of how bad things could get or how quickly or slowly we will recover, and that’s why we are emphasizing that we have major uncertainty in all of our numbers,” Whitehorn explained. “We’re sort of in uncharted territory right now.”

Debra Campbell, Asheville’s city manager, said she was recommending no new spending for projects that Council had previously explored, such as renewable energy on city buildings and an urban forest master plan. All departments, she added, had also been asked to cut their budgets as much as possible “with a focus on minimizing operational impacts.”

In contrast with the city’s April budget session, Campbell did not provide a specific target for government expenditures. At that time, she had projected a general fund budget of $135.7 million, up roughly 2.5% from the $132.3 million budget adopted for the current fiscal year.

Re-Imagine Senior Living

THE BUDGET BUNCH: Asheville City Council members and city staff virtually conferred on May 12 about the next fiscal year’s spending plan. Screen capture courtesy of the city of Asheville Although the city has no immediate plans to lay off or furlough existing employees, Whitehorn said a current freeze on hiring would be extended through at least December. And while some of Asheville’s lowest-paid workers will see their wages increased to the equivalent of $15 per hour, there will be no citywide cost-of-living raise.

Council member Brian Haynes noted that the pay increases omitted 35 city firefighters who had been identified by the nonprofit Just Economics as earning less than a living wage. He estimated the annual cost of bringing those employees to $12.15 per hour as roughly $37,000 and said such an increase would be “the least we could do.” Campbell, however, expressed concerns that bumping the salaries of early-career firefighters would comparatively devalue the wages of those who had been with the city for several years.

The only new projects in the budget proposal, at a total cost of $78,000, are extended hours for city community centers and

an after-school program coordinator for Asheville City Schools. That money would come out of the city’s $242,000 Strategic Partnership Fund allocation, leaving just $164,000 for competitive grants to other community initiatives.

Council member Vijay Kapoor, who works as a financial consultant for other governments, said Asheville wasn’t alone in its dire budgetary straits — and that its leaders should be prepared for even rougher times ahead. “I know we’re talking about what would happen if things got better,” he said. “I think the more likely situation is that we’re going to have to be talking about if things are actually worse here.”

Campbell will present a formal budget recommendation to Council on Tuesday, May 26. A public hearing will follow on Tuesday, June 9, and Council’s vote on budget adoption is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23.

— Daniel Walton X

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14

MAY 20-26, 2020

MOUNTAINX.COM

FEA T U RE S

COVID CONVERSATIONS

Sheltering at home, it’s hard to envision what other members of our community are experiencing during this strange time. Even if we could imagine the struggle of a parent trying to care for children while working from home or the isolation of a single older person or the anxieties swirling in the mind of a small-business owner, hearing directly from our neighbors is always more interesting and powerful than anything we could invent.

And so we continue COVID Conversations, a series of short features based on interviews with members of our community during the coronavirus pandemic in Western North Carolina. For previous articles, visit mountainx.com. If you or someone you know has a unique story you think should be featured in a future issue of Xpress, please let us know at news@mountainx.com.

Motherwhelmed Author Beth Berry teases out the myths around motherhood

Rain or shine or health crisis Mail delivery during a pandemic “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” reads an inscription carved above the entrance to the 1914 New York City Post Office on Eighth Avenue. Though it’s not the official motto of the U.S. Postal Service, the phrase has become a sort of creed for those who deliver the mail. Now those public servants can add COVID-19 to the list of conditions that do not prevent their vital work.

Tim Orson has been a mail carrier in Asheville for 27 years. Along his route through Biltmore Town Square and the surrounding neighborhoods, he now sees a strange combination of empty storefronts and bustling blocks.

“It’s like a ghost town. It’s almost a little eerie driving through there,” Orson says. “But then once you get up into the residential areas, there’s kids and people out walking and jogging and lifting weights and throwing footballs.”

Many of Orson’s customers, who would normally be at work, now meet him at the mailbox as he makes his rounds, eagerly awaiting the arrival of their packages or perhaps a chance to say hello.

“People are so friendly right now, it’s unbelievable,” Orson notes.

“Everyone is saying, ‘Please be safe, thank you. Here’s some hand sanitizer, thank you. Here’s some gloves.’

I’ve got so much stockpiled in my front windshield right now.” In addition to those offerings from customers, he says, the Postal Service has provided plenty of supplies, and he feels safe performing his duties.

MODERN MOTHERHOOD: In her recently released debut book, Motherwhelmed: Challenging Norms, Untangling Truths, and Restoring Our Worth to the World, Beth Berry — mother of four daughters, ages 12, 15, 19 and 25 — examines the stressful state of modern motherhood and how an unsupportive culture keeps mothers from thriving. Author photo by Jote Khalsa

ALL SMILES: “People are so friendly right now, it’s unbelievable,” says Tim Orson, local mail carrier. Along with expressing their gratitude for his services, Orson says, residents have offered him hand sanitizer.

“I’ve got so much stockpiled in my front windshield right now.” Photo

by Jim Halterman “There’s a sense of normalcy to see that red, white and blue truck rolling down the road,” he says. “The world is so different right now, but that is the one familiar thing they see. It gives people a sense of normalcy. It really does.”

— Brooke Randle X

As the coronavirus pandemic trains a spotlight on critical services such as health care, food distribution and sanitation, Asheville author and life coach Beth Berry says one important group of essential workers is being overlooked: mothers.

In her recently released debut book, Motherwhelmed: Challenging Norms, Untangling Truths, and Restoring Our Worth to the World, Berry — mother of four daughters, ages 12, 15, 19 and 25 — examines the stressful state of modern motherhood and how an unsupportive culture keeps mothers from thriving.

“Those of us who are doing it realize that we’re the most essential of essential workers,” she says.

Berry began writing Motherwhelmed six years ago during a four-year stint living with her then-husband and four daughters in Mexico, where the simpler, slower-paced lifestyle gave her a fresh perspective on family and society. “The [cultural] narrative is getting twisted right now so that mothers end up feeling like we’re not doing enough and that our inadequacy is the heart of the problem,” she says. “But I feel like that’s a dramatic distortion of the truth, which is that the culture is not set up to ensure the thriving of mothers.”

The pandemic, she points out, illuminates the heavy mental load mothers are expected to bear on a daily basis and the disparity between the demands placed on them versus fathers. “I’m hearing among clients all the time that,

for example, a boss will say to the husband, ‘Well, you can work from home to be with your kids only if your wife can’t.’ The expectation is first and foremost that the wife will bear the burden of that,” she says. “We have these unconscious agreements that have been perpetuated by the culture that are keeping us locked in these roles.”

To alleviate the pressure created by those existing paradigms, Berry encourages moms to look for ways of reinventing family structures to eliminate nonessential demands. She also highlights the importance of parents working together to ensure that each gets a healthy dose of child-free alone time each day to allow frazzled nervous systems to relax and reset.

“Let’s examine the stories we’re telling ourselves about how we should be showing up right now, and let this be a time where we radically shift into a mindset of what’s best for our families,” she urges. “I’m hoping that one thing that will come of this is that we’ll no longer have the question of mothers of, ‘What do you do all day?’ [I hope] that will become more obvious, that there are always things being done, and even if they’re not being acknowledged by the culture as legitimate, they are essential.”

For more on Beth Berry and Motherwhelmed, visit avl.mx/75j.

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— Gina Smith X MAY 20-26, 2020

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O LOST: The Wolfe family poses for a photo in 1915. A young Thomas Wolfe stands on the far left, adjacent to his mother, Julia. On the far right is Ben Wolfe, who in 1918 would fall victim to influenza. Thomas went on to immortalize his brother’s death in his 1929 novel, Look Homeward, Angel. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Collection, Pack Memorial Library, Asheville

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Influenza led to 127 deaths in Asheville between October 1918 and February 1919. Among the dead was Benjamin “Ben” Harrison Wolfe, who died Oct. 19, 1918. The 25-year-old newspaperman perished inside his mother’s boardinghouse on Spruce Street in downtown Asheville, a week shy of his 26th birthday. Among those present during his demise was Wolfe’s younger brother and future author Thomas.

The loss of Ben haunted Thomas throughout his life. In a May 1923 letter to his mother, Julia, the then 22-yearold aspiring writer reflected on the devastation he and his mother experienced while sitting with Ben in his final hours:

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“I think of a boy of twenty-six years heaving his life away, and gasping to regain it, I think of the frightened glare in his eyes and the way he seizes my hands, and cries ‘What have you come home for[?]’ I think of the lie that trembles in my throat, I think of a woman who sits with a face as white and set as if cut from marble, and whose fingers can not be unclasped from his hand. And the boy of eighteen sees and knows for the first time that more than a son is

dying, that part of a mother is being buried before her, — life in death, that something which she nursed and bore, something out of her blood, out of her life, is taken away.”

moment in it — gave to the scene its final note of horror.”

Later in the chapter, after Ben’s last breath, Wolfe describes a moment among the surviving family members:

Years later, in a May 1929 missive to his sister Mabel Wolfe Wheaton, Thomas revealed the lasting impact of Ben’s death. “I think the Asheville I knew died for me when Ben died,” he writes. “I have never forgotten him and I never shall. I think that his death affected me more than any other event in my life.”

Shortly thereafter, on Oct. 18, 1929, Thomas celebrated the publication of his debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel.

A work of autobiographical fiction, the book’s final chapters examine Ben’s death, whose fictionalized version is also named Ben. “Ben’s thin lips were lifted, in constant grimace of torture and strangulation, above his white somehow dead-looking teeth, as inch by inch he gasped a thread of air into his lungs,” Thomas writes in the novel. “And the sound of his gasping — loud, hoarse, rapid, unbelievable, filling the room, and orchestrating every

“The light had been re-shaded: he lay, like his own shadow, in all his fierce gray lonely beauty. And as they looked and saw his bright eyes already blurred with death, and saw the feeble beating flutter of his poor thin breast, the strange wonder, the dark rich miracle of his life surged over them its enormous loveliness. They grew quiet and calm, they plunged below all the splintered wreckage of their lives, they drew together in a superb communion of love and valiance, beyond horror and confusion, beyond death.”

Editor’s note: This concludes our series on the 1918 influenza. Previous articles can be read at the following links: avl.mx/73d, avl.mx/73e, avl.mx/73f, avl.mx/74z, avl.mx/750 and avl.mx/751.

Spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. Special thanks to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial for research assistance. X

COMMUNITY CALENDAR MAY 20 - 28, 2020

CALENDAR GUIDELINES 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.

MUSIC WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 • West African Drumming and Dance for Kids, Online, 12:30PM, avl.mx/71v THURSDAY, MAY 21 • Flood Gallery Virtual Open Mic, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g

THURSDAY, MAY 28 • Flood Gallery Virtual Open Mic, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g FRIDAY, MAY 29 • West African Music, Culture, and Language for Adults, 12:30PM, Online, avl.mx/71v

ART

FRIDAY, MAY 22 • West African Music, Culture, and Language for Adults, 12:30PM, Online, avl.mx/71v • Shake Off the Blues Livestream Concert to Support The Center for Cultural Preservation Documentary Project, 7:30PM, Online, saveculture.org • Formal Friday, a Fancy Online Comedy Show, 8:00PM, Online, avl.mx/73a

MONDAY, MAY 25 • 310ART Gallery: Drawing for Fun w/ Nadine (9:30AM & 1:00PM sessions), 9:30AM, Online, avl.mx/75b

SATURDAY, MAY 23 • LaZoom: What’s Up Your Asheville?, 5:00PM, Online, avl.mx/71s • The Black Mountain Experimental Film and Music Festival, 6:00PM, avl.mx/72g

SATURDAY, MAY 30 • 310ART Gallery: Family & Friends Paint Along, 7:00PM, Online, avl.mx/75e

SUNDAY, MAY 24 • Cocktails & Piano: A Livestreaming Concert to benefit Loving Food Resources, 6:00PM, Online, davidtroyfrancislive. com

ONGOING • Asheville Community Theatre Daily Happy Hour Stream, submit videos for #ACTHappyHour and/ or watch from 5:006:00PM daily, Online, avl.mx/710

MONDAY, MAY 25 • A Month of Mondays Livestream Interviews w/ Earl Scruggs Music Festival & Guests, 8:00PM, Online, facebook.com/ earlscruggsfest TUESDAY, MAY 26 • LEAF Global Arts: Percussion Class using Household Objects w/ Agustin Frederic, 9:30AM, Online, avl.mx/71v • Interactive Rhythm and Drums at Home, 12:30PM, Online, avl.mx/71v WEDNESDAY, MAY 27/ • West African Drumming and Dance for Kids, 12:30PM, Online, avl.mx/71v

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 • 310ART Gallery: Break Out Voice: A Live Online Workshop w/ Eric Scott, 7:00PM, Online, avl.mx/75c

THEATER

FILM SATURDAY, MAY 23 • The Black Mountain Experimental Film and Music Festival, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g SATURDAY, MAY 30 • The Black Mountain Experimental Film and Music Festival, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g

ART GALLERY EXHIBITIONS ONGOING • AVL Gallery of Art: Time to Create

May Group Show, 12:00PM, Online, avl.mx/74v SATURDAY, MAY 23 • Nancy Moore and Mary Montes Mixed Media Opening, (public masks provided, 10 viewers at a time), 6:00PM, Flood Gallery Fine Art Center, 850 Blue Ridge Road, Unit A-13, Black Mountain

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 • Dream Cafe w/ Bernard Welt: Weekly Guided Dream-Sharing Hangout, 9:00AM, Online, avl.mx/74h • Homeward Bound: The Virtual Event to End Homelessness, 12:00PM, Online, avl.mx/75g • Online Virtual Shamanic Journey Circle, 6:30PM, Online, dreamtimejourneys.net THURSDAY, MAY 21 • Free Legal Hotline hosted by Pisgah Legal Servioces, Call 828-560-3700, 8:00AM-2:00PM • End of Life Care— Understanding Goals of Care in Progressive Dementia, 2:00PM, Online, memorycare. org/spring-2020-edu FRIDAY, MAY 22 • Dream Cafe w/ Bernard Welt: Weekly Guided Dream-Sharing Hangout, 11:00AM, Online, avl.mx/74h • Ask a Scientist w/ AMOS, 11:30AM, Online, facebook.com/ Asheville.Science • World Cinema w/ Flood Gallery, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g TUESDAY, MAY 26 • Asheville Chamber Webinars: Virtual WomanUP Workshop: Living into Leadership, 9:00AM, Online, avl.mx/73z • Global Creative Writing: Exploring Global Expressive Styles, 3:00PM, Online, avl.mx/71v • Wild Abundance Facebook Livestream: Homesteading, Herbalism, Gardening & more Q&A, 7:00PM, Online, facebook.com/ WildAbundance.net

WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 • Dream Cafe w/ Bernard Welt: Weekly Guided Dream-Sharing Hangout, 9:00AM, Online, avl.mx/74h • Online Virtual Shamanic Journey Circle, 6:30PM, Online, dreamtimejourneys.net THURSDAY, MAY 28 • Solar 101 for Faith Communities w/ MountainTrue & Creation Care Alliance: Harness the Power of the Sun, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/75a FRIDAY, MAY 29 • Ask a Scientist w/ AMOS, 11:30AM, Online, facebook.com/ Asheville.Science • Dream Cafe w/ Bernard Welt: Weekly Guided Dream-Sharing Hangout, 11:00AM, Click link for additional times, Online, avl.mx/74h • World Cinema w/ Flood Gallery, 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72g

FARM & GARDEN ONGOING • ASAP Farmers Market at A-B-Tech, SATURDAYS, 9:00AM-12:00PM, 340 Victoria RD • Hendersonville Garden Jubilee Nurseries & Orchards Tour, (Friday May 22-Monday May 25), 9:00AM-5:00PM, visithendersonvillenc. org/Garden-Jubilee

FOOD & BEER

MELODIC MISSION: Formerly Asheville-based pianist David Troy Francis will perform a program of Broadway tunes on Sunday, May 24, at 6 p.m., livestreamed from his home in Roswell, Ga., to benefit Loving Food Resources. The local nonprofit provides food, health and personal care items to area HIV/AIDS and hospice patients. vimeo.com/416652877. Photo courtesy of Francis KIDS ONGOING • Weekday Stream: Janet’s Planet Online Astronaut Academy, WEEKDAYS, 10:30AM, Online, avl.mx/71n • LEAF Global Arts: Percussion Class using Household Objects w/ Agustin Frederic, TUESDAYS, 9:30AM, Online, avl.mx/71v • Livestream: Miss Malaprop’s Storytime, WEDNESDAYS,10:00AM, Online, avl.mx/73b • Facebook Live: History Mystery hosted

by Vance Birthplace, THURSDAYS, 2:00PM, Online, avl.mx/71d • Easel Rider Crafts, 3:00PM, THURSDAYS, Online, avl.mx/71v

• Ask a Scientist w/ AMOS, FRIDAYS 11:30AM, Online, facebook.com/Asheville.

Science/ • Get Outside! w/ the Girl Scouts, SATURDAYS, 11:00AM, Online, avl.mx/72h

OUTDOORS SATURDAY, MAY 23 • Virtual Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy, 9:00AM, Online, GoFINDOutdoors.org SATURDAY, MAY 30 • Virtual Forest Bathing & Nature Therapy, 9:00AM, Online, GoFINDOutdoors.org

SPIRITUALITY

VOLUNTEERING

ONGOING • Still Point Wellness: 20 Minute Didgeridoo Meditation, DAILY, 7:30AM, Online, avl.mx/71r • Weekly Meditations w/ Prama Institute, WEDNESDAYS 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/71z, • Chabad Asheville: Virtual Torah & Tea, THURSDAYS, 11:00AM, Online, avl.mx/72s Weekly Online Stream: Jewish Power Hour w/ Rabbi Susskind, THURSDAYS 6:00PM, Online, avl.mx/72s • Sunday Celebration Service w/ Jubilee Church, SUNDAYS, 9:30AM, Online, jubileecommunity.org

FRIDAY, MAY 22 • Western North Carolina AIDS Project, (volunteers needed to deliver food), 10:00AM, Register for location, wncapvolunteer@ wncap.org THURSDAY, MAY 28 • Tranzmission Prison Project, 6:00PM, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood RD FRIDAY, MAY 29 • American Red Cross Blood Drive at Asheville Outlets, 11:00AM, Register in advance at redcrossblood.org/give using sponsor code ‘Ashevilleoutlets,’ 800 Brevard RD

THURSDAY, MAY 21 • Craft Beer & Trivia w/ Burial Beer w/ AVL Art Museum, 7:00PM, Online, register by e-mailing kboddy@ ashevilleart.org FRIDAY, MAY 22 • Weekly Zoom Guided Beer Tastings w/ The Whale AVL, 5:00PM, Online, facebook.com/ TheWhaleAVL FRIDAY, MAY 29 • Weekly Zoom Guided Beer Tastings w/ The Whale AVL, 5:00PM, Online, facebook.com/ TheWhaleAVL

MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 20-26, 2020

17

HEALTH ROUNDUP

by Xpress Staff | news@mountainx.com

May is Mental Health Month “These past months have been really hard on so many North Carolinians.

Our lives have changed in unimaginable ways, and some of us may be struggling with managing our mental health,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s secretary of health and human services, as Gov. Roy Cooper announced May as Mental Health Month.

According to a press release from Cooper’s office, “One in five adults struggle with mental health challenges in a given year, and during this month people are encouraged to hold open conversations that support and respect individuals living with mental illness. The majority of individuals with mental illness do not receive the treatment they need.”

To help meet that need, the state is offering expanded telehealth mental health services during the coronavirus pandemic at 1-855-587-3463.

Recovery support continues Local nonprofits provide many services to people struggling with mental health, substance abuse and addiction. Feelings of loneliness and isolation often accompany those conditions, and that’s a big reason nonprofit peer support organization Sunrise Recovery says it’s finding ways to continue its work despite COVID-19 restrictions.

With modifications to allow for distancing, the organization’s ongoing services include: • Daily support meetings online and by phone.

• A 24/7 crisis phone service, the Warm Line, which provides resource referrals, meeting schedules, recovery support or a chance simply to hear another person’s voice at 828-280-2554.

• Individual peer support appointments to help formulate a recovery plan or listen nonjudgmentally; phone appointments can be scheduled Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Harm reduction services to provide safe injection supplies for those using illicit drugs.

• Wellness kits with food, supplies, safety gear and information on community resources.

“We know personally the challenges that come with addiction and mental health issues and we know the success in striving to reach our full potential,” says Sue Polston, the organization’s executive director. “We are here for people who may be struggling — now during this COVID-19 crisis and after it’s over.”

18

MAY 20-26, 2020

SPRING

Nonprofit Issue

make, from sexual abuse to healing.

This first season’s episodes highlight male survivor stories: 1 in 6 men report an unwanted or abusive sexual experience before the age of 18.” Episodes are available at avl.mx/758.

• Nonprofit hospice services provider Four Seasons opened a second resale shop for home-related items. The 8,500-square-foot retail space at 21 Long Shoals Road will operate 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.

Buncombe County sees outbreaks in care facilities

PEER TO PEER: Sunrise Recovery outreach team members, from left, Knowledge Green, Tanasia Boyd and Jennifer Aviles, recently handed out supply bags with snacks, water, hygiene products, syringe supplies and the overdose reversal medication naloxone at Haywood Street Congregation. Photo courtesy of Sunrise Community for Wellness and Recovery Schedule information is available at 828-552-3858 or on the group’s Facebook page at avl.mx/755.

Needs rising dramatically at ABCCM The numbers of those needing help with food and medicine due to the COVID-19 pandemic are “growing at a rate difficult to measure,” according to a recent statement from Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, which served nearly 22,000 people in 2019. Just as needs are rising, however, the nonprofit’s pool of volunteers has shrunk by 70% due to health concerns among vulnerable workers.

The organization expects needs for emergency financial assistance to spike when moratoriums on bill collection and eviction are lifted. If that were to occur in May, the organization says, many families would be three months behind on monthly expenses and face utility disconnections and evictions, which could average $1,150 per client. The demand for food boxes is also expected to grow from 85 to 120 per day.

ABCCM can now provide emergency shelter to 18 individuals at its Veterans Restoration Quarters (out of 250 total transitional residents) and four individuals at its Steadfast House facility for women and children (out of 50 total transitional residents). The organization expects demand to rise as residents need safe spaces to quarantine following a

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positive COVID-19 test result. Within its housing facilities, the cost of meals is $54,000 a month, or $2 per meal.

Staff members see about 60 current patients a week at ABCCM’s medical clinic. The clinic projects increasing needs for personal protective equipment for staff, an expense of $4,000 per month, and expects its pharmacy costs to rise by 50%, to a total of $3,000 per month.

COVID-19 tests run $51.30 per test, and the clinic anticipates needing around 25 tests each week, a total cost of over $5,000 per month.

Good to know • Nonprofit community blood collection center The Blood Connection is offering COVID-19 antibody testing to all donors at no cost. According to a press release, “The organization will make results available to the donor within seven business days by means of electronic portal. This testing is only available to blood donors, and a complete donation must be made in order to be tested. Individual testing is not available to those who are unwilling or unable to donate.” More information is available at avl.mx/757.

• Papillon DeBoer, a counselor with nonprofit Our VOICE, has launched a new podcast titled Am I Broken: Survivor Stories. Noting that the stories should be listened to with care and the awareness that some may find them upsetting, Our VOICE explained, “Am I Broken highlights the journey survivors

As of May 15, 15 staff members and residents of Buncombe County long-term care facilities had tested positive for COVID19. At Aston Park Health Care Center, four staff members and six residents were positive, while Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community’s Simonds Health Care Center had four staff members and one resident with the disease. No COVID19-associated deaths have been reported among residents or staff of congregate care facilities in Buncombe County.

In neighboring Henderson County, however, the numbers are far higher: • Brian Center Health & Rehabilitation/ Hendersonville: six staff, 42 residents and eight resident deaths.

• The Laurels of Hendersonville: 16 staff, 77 residents and 17 resident deaths.

• Cherry Springs Village, an assisted living facility next door to The Laurels: 13 staff members, 45 residents and 10 resident deaths.

• The Lodge at Mills River: one staff member and one resident were diagnosed; the outbreak is now considered ended there.

Altogether, 201 people associated with Henderson County congregate living facilities have been infected, and 35 facility residents have died.

In Polk County, 17 cases have been identified in two facilities, and three facility residents have died.

A “strike team” of public health nurses and emergency services personnel will visit all Buncombe County long-term care facilities to provide technical testing assistance and review plans for isolation and quarantine of suspected COVID-19 cases.

Meanwhile, North Carolina’s emergency response team is working to distribute personal protection equipment, including masks, gloves and gowns, to the 3,800 long-term care and congregate living facilities across the state.

Community testing to continue Last week, Buncombe County health officials offered free COVID-19 testing

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at Hillcrest Community Center and the Buncombe County Schools Central Office. At the Hillcrest site, 46 individuals were tested, reported Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, the county’s interim health director, during a May 14 press conference. She added that 34% of those who had tested positive for COVID-19 in Buncombe County are Hispanic; 6% of county residents identify as Hispanic or Latinx, she said. On May 15, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services changed its testing guidelines to ensure that members of marginalized groups can receive testing whether or not they are experiencing symptoms.

Testing will be available at Sandy Mush Community Center Wednesday, May 20, 1-4 p.m. and Deaverview Apartments Thursday, May 21, from 1-4 p.m. The testing is free, but individuals are asked to bring insurance information if they have it.

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Big moves • Dr. Susan Mims will chair the newly established Department of Community and Public Health at UNC Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center. Mims previously led Mission Children’s Hospital, as well as Women’s Health and Clinical Genetics at Mission Health. Before that, she served as medical director for the Buncombe County Department of Public Health.

• Cory Reeves was named president and CEO for AdventHealth Hendersonville.

Reeves, who previously served as vice president and chief financial officer for the AdventHealth Southeast Region and for AdventHealth Gordon & Murray in Georgia, replaced Jimm Bunch, who announced his retirement in February.

• Lelia Duncan replaced Robin Myer, the outgoing executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina, who retired May 15 after 28 years in the position. Duncan, a Brevard resident, has managed and led nonprofit organizations for more than 30 years.

• On May 5, Myer received the Order of Long Leaf Pine in recognition of his service to the local community and the state. The award, conferred by the governor, is considered among the most prestigious honors bestowed on state residents.

• Sarah Rae St. Marie was named executive director of the Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club in Brevard after working in various roles with the organization over the past seven years. X

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MAY 20-26, 2020

19

GREEN SCENE

CAMP RULES

BY ABLE ALLEN aallen@mountainx.com It’s been a rough spring for North Carolina’s kids. The state’s K-12 schools have been closed by the order of Gov. Roy Cooper since March 16, and gatherings outside of school have been limited to 10 people. Students expecting a return to normal have seen school reopenings repeatedly delayed and finally postponed until fall.

But as the school year reaches an end, uncertainty remains for families who depend on another childhood institution: the summer camp. Some residential camps in Western North Carolina have already announced cancellations for the season, while others are holding out hope to offer programs in late summer. And many area day camps, which are currently allowed to operate under guidance from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, plan to wait until July to resume activities.

Looking further out, the picture is even cloudier, for non-profit and privately held camps alike. According to Sandi Boyer, executive director of the North Carolina Youth Camp Association, residential camps earn more than 90% of their annual revenue over 7-10 weeks in the summer.

Camps have already suffered layoffs and revenue loss without the spring season, Boyer continues. But if they can’t operate this summer, they will face nearly 22 months without earned income. “It would be devastating for the camp industry to not open at all,” she says.

PATHS TO FOLLOW North Carolina has given day camps specific instructions for cleaning and

Nonprofit camps face uncertain summer

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INTO THE UNKNOWN: Camp Tekoa, like many local residential summer camps, has chosen not to run its regular programming this year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy of Camp Tekoa social distancing, and some are already gearing up for participants. The YMCA of Western North Carolina, for example, opened camps on May 18 for the children of essential workers and those looking for work. By Monday, June 1, the nonprofit’s regularly scheduled day camps will open for all children ages 4-15 — with daily health checks for all participants and rigorous sanitation. Meanwhile, the organization has closed its residential facility, Camp Watia, for the summer.

Other overnight camps remain in limbo.

Boyer says many operators are waiting to get their own guidance from state officials, who in turn base their advice on guid-

ance from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Overnight camps, Boyer adds, are typically well versed in handling communicable diseases such as noroviruses, which like the new coronavirus can spread quickly in close quarters. Camps generally keep medical staff close at hand and plan for treatment spaces. A decade ago, she points out, they had to prepare for the H1N1 swine flu, but she recognizes that the current global pandemic is a different matter requiring new direction.

The CDC’s camp guidelines, however, have reportedly run into issues with the administration of President Donald Trump. On May 7, AP News published a

set of draft guidelines for the reopening of businesses and services obtained from an anonymous CDC source. On the same day, according to Reuters, a source within the White House coronavirus task force confirmed that the guidance document had been shelved as “overly prescriptive.” The New York Times reported that Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who until March 31 represented much of WNC in the House of Representatives, had taken umbrage with the draft CDC plans as being too rigid for areas with fewer cases.

Meanwhile, says Boyer, area camps needed an answer from the state by May 15 to determine if they could start back up by the usual window of mid-June. That advance notice would have given owners time to hire and train staff, acquire supplies and personal protective equipment and inform families so they could make travel plans. As of press time on May 18, the CDC had released additional guidelines for the reopening of residential camps, but Boyer was still waiting for state guidance.

The leaked draft CDC document said camps should “limit attendance to children and staff who live in the local area,” but the final CDC tool for determining a camp’s ability to reopen does not contain that language, potentially permitting more normal residential operations this summer.

The later notice may keep area camps from getting on track until later in the summer, but Boyer says they’re prepared when the time comes. “They have literally planned for every possible scenario at this point in time,” she adds.

In light of that uncertainty, Camp Tekoa, a nonprofit United Methodist-affiliated camp just south of Hendersonville, has

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GR EEN

WE’LL ALL FLOAT ON?: Traditional camp group activities such as river tubing in clumps may be curtailed or reshaped this summer due to social distancing guidelines.

Photo courtesy of Camp Tekoa chosen to cancel summer camp and look for new solutions. “We’d been watching this creep up on us” says Phyllis Murray, the camp’s executive director.

Tekoa is part of several large camp networks that have been counseling one another on the situation. As fellow member camps started to cancel, Murray says she initially held out, expecting increased registration and the best summer in a long time.

As of mid-April, says Tekoa assistant director John Isley, 85% of the camp’s peers nationwide were planning to run programs. By the end of the month, however, that number had dropped dramatically, and Tekoa staff decided it would be logistically impossible to hold a large camp themselves. “We originally tried to offer half of a summer,” Isley says, “and we were talking about reducing bed spaces.” But a doctor on the camp’s board of directors cautioned that those mitigation ideas wouldn’t be enough. Murray says Tekoa decided to finalize the cancellation in a timely manner, in part to give summer staff and families time to make alternative plans.

are canceled, she hopes to resume in July if the state has progressed on reopening.

“More families are coming around to this realization that their children need to be spending as much time outside in natural spaces as possible,” Long explains.

“We’re anticipating that there will be more demand for our kind of programming once lockdown and quarantine is lifted for the majority of the population.”

Lena Eastes, founder of Earth Path Education, runs weeklong camps for nature connection and well-being.

She also intends to restart programs mid-July, partly to give children healthy options as they’re able to leave their homes more frequently.

“Especially for teenagers and kids right now, for some of them it’s been really hard to be this isolated from their peers,” Eastes continues, “We believe that community and nature connection is so essential to well-being.” If COVID-19 cases spike, however, she plans to cancel and offer full refunds, which was typical of the local day camps that spoke with Xpress.

OUT OF DOORS

Most of the camps Boyer works with are owned by families or are otherwise privately held. Nonprofit camps are also looking for guidance on reopening, but like Camp Tekoa, many have already chosen to cancel or cut back operations. For these facilities, fundraising may be able to cushion the losses caused by COVID-19.

Tim Brady is CEO and director of Camp Cedar Cliff, a nonprofit Christian camp located near the Billy Graham Training Center in East Asheville. During a normal year, 75% of Cedar Cliff’s revenue comes from a quarter of the year’s operation: “We survive through the fall and winter off of a successful summer,” he explains.

In this uncertain landscape, families may not be rushing to sign up for new camps. But Boyer says they aren’t rushing to cancel, either. “We see a lot of anxiousness to have their kids come to camp. Camp is such a big part of a child’s life — when they are able to do it, it just does amazing things for them,” she says.

“We have a lot of parents that are waiting to see what’s going to happen.”

Growing Wild Forest School, which offers nature immersion day camps, meets on private land along the Hominy Creek Greenway. Director Kathryn Long says that, while the school’s June camps 22

MAY 20-26, 2020

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FORAGE FOR FUNDING

The camp is now under a cash flow problem, having to refund deposits as new revenue isn’t coming in. Brady says he twice cut all employees’ pay before furloughing the staff, including himself. He notes that some camps have decided to close entirely, such as Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, which partially blamed the move on COVID-19. But he emphasizes that Cedar Cliff is motivated to make it to next year, when people will be hungry for camp.

To that end, Cedar Cliff is running a GoFundMe campaign for funds to get the camp through May. Tekoa conducted its own fundraising campaign to support operations until next season.

Smaller day camps are struggling too, but many say they aren’t equipped for a large fundraising campaign and hope registrations during a less disrupted summer will cover their costs.

RiverLink’s Rivercamp usually offers four weeks of summer camp, but this year, that will likely be cut in half as June sessions are canceled. Justin Young, the nonprofit’s education and outreach manager, says his organization hopes to run camps in July, but that plan relies on the state being under the least restrictive phase of Gov. Cooper’s three-phase reopening strategy.

Young allows that RiverLink can be very conservative with the decision of whether to operate. Although the camp is an important part of its group’s mission and the proceeds help fund other education, it contributes a relatively small portion to RiverLink’s budget, which is built primarily on fundraising.

BLAZING A TRAIL Those camps that do choose to open this summer will look different than they have before. Brady says that Cedar Cliff canceled all overnight sessions but expanded day camp programming, scheduled for the second half of summer, to include campers through 10th grade. “We feel really confident, after weeks of gathering information and looking at the regulations, that we are going to be able to provide a safe, healthy program,” he says.

The day camp will now incorporate some of the overnight camping skills that older campers enjoy, such as setting up a site and cooking over fire. Campers will also operate in pods of 10, avoiding the camp’s usual large gatherings.

Smaller groups are likely for most organizations. Growing Wild Forest School has lowered its class size from 12 campers to eight. And Long says that, as part of the camp’s usual paperwork, families will be asked to acknowledge “that the circle of contacts that a family

has now includes all of the other families that attend the school.”

Participating families will also be asked to limit other social contacts to reduce COVID-19 exposure risk and make contact tracing easier if necessary.

“That notion comes from discussions about modern relationships,” says Long, of incorporating what she calls radical honesty. “I think that sort of disclosure is important for us, as a society, moving out of this.”

Another way to minimize contact with people outside the household is to bring the household to camp. Alongside two weeks of its traditional day camp with expanded age groups, Tekoa is offering a full-family camp experience, including cabin rental and programming. The plan is a massive contraction from the camp’s usual activity, admits Isley: He estimates Tekoa will serve a maximum of 400 people of all ages this summer, down from around 2,400 kids last year.

Other camps are changing how they approach transportation to ensure social distancing among participants.

Muddy Sneakers, which offers summer day camps based at the REEB Ranch in Brevard, usually sends older campers on day trips to paddle, fish or hike in the surrounding forests. “We have to put them in a van to visit those places,” says Lindsay Green, the nonprofit’s WNC field office director, “so that’s something we are reassessing.”

Likewise, Young says RiverLink’s camp relies on a lot of van transportation, with the entire program based on field trips. If sharing vans isn’t allowed, making camp impossible, Young says he’ll try alternatives such as field science sessions. Kids and parents might meet RiverLink staff at a stream, where they could get their hands dirty monitoring water quality and sampling bug populations.

And some camps may move beyond physical meeting altogether. Camp Heart Songs for grieving kids, run annually by the Four Seasons Foundation, still plans to hold a late summer weekend camp.

The camp usually meets at Tekoa, but camp coordinator Blair Stockton says she’s working on a new location and plans to add “virtual camp,” where participants learn coping skills and connect through video chat. The sessions might include a talent show and a virtual bonfire where campers would pretend to toast s’mores.

Stockton, however, acknowledges that an online approach can’t replace the experience of being together outdoors. With families typically coming to Camp Heart Songs from all over the Southeast, she says, one question is on everyone’s lips: “Is this one more thing that we’re not going to be able to do?” X

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MAY 20-26, 2020

23

FOOD

BANKING ON THE COMMUNITY WNC food banks meet challenges with deep reserves of community aid

BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com When home cupboards are bare and wallets empty, people often turn to food banks for assistance. In Western North Carolina, MANNA — a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization — is frequently the first responder. Located in Asheville, MANNA works with partner agencies in 16 WNC counties to distribute food — 19.8 million pounds in fiscal year 2018/19. “We’re kind of like the artery for how food gets into WNC and we distribute through 220 different partner agencies that are like the capillaries,” explains Hannah Randall, MANNA CEO. “We’ve always been a crisis relief agency, dealing with people’s personal family emergencies. COVID-19 is a totally different thing and a totally different magnitude.”

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The impacts of COVID-19 on food demand, supply and distribution were immediate and profound, thrusting MANNA and smaller partner agencies into a triage response.

“When Madison County put their Stay at Home mandate into effect March 15, we had 24 new families sign up in one day,” says Jessi Koontz, executive director of The Beacon of Hope in Marshall. “That’s how many we signed up the entire month of February. The remaining two weeks of March we had 80 new families, another 81 in April. We served 682 families in February, 832 in March and 987 in April.”

“The impact was immediate,” says Ali Casparian, executive director of Bounty & Soul in Black Mountain, an organization that provides free produce markets and wellness education. “The first week or two we doubled our numbers, and they kept increasing every week. We went from distributing 12,000 pounds of food a week to over 25,000 pounds. It is challenging.”

A significant part of the immediate challenge for all agencies was supply. “Food banks are all different,” says Randall.

“MANNA is a high-donation focused food bank and normally over 80% of our food is donated. In mid-March we saw our grocery and manufacturing partners that donate regularly almost evaporate overnight. We had to shift to purchasing foods quite extensively, but thanks to the generosity of the public in helping us meet that need, we’ve been able to make that swing and we’ve been able to maintain our inventory. In March and April, we distributed 24% more food than last year at this time.”

Koontz also faced an overwhelming drop in food donations to her agency.

“Before COVID, we picked up 20,000 pounds of donations from Publix, Walmart and Aldi each month, largely bread, produce, dairy and meat. In March that dropped to 7,000 pounds and in April 5,000 pounds. That was a huge hit but because MANNA doubled down — I don’t know how they do it — we’ve been working through it. I call them on a weekly basis to ask if they have anything extra.

They say ‘Yes but you have to come pick it up’ and I tell them I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”

Distribution methods have undergone radical changes. “The last thing you want in a health crisis is people touching food more than once and being crowded together in one area so we had to do a

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ASSEMBLING LINE: Beacon of Hope volunteers Gloria Sundquist, left, and Norwood Schoenke fill boxes with produce, bread, grains and shelf-stable staples for curbside distribution. Photo courtesy of Beacon of Hope complete switch to figure out low contact food distribution,” Randall says.

Though a great majority of food banks have fully or partly transitioned from prepacked boxes or bags to a market-shopping model that permits clients to make their own choices, every agency has had to pivot to assembled boxes and curbside pick-up from cars, which in turn created traffic issues, particularly when distribution locations and days were modified.

“We had to collapse our five markets into two distribution points, which also meant we had to find room for all those cars,” Casparian recalls “A collaborative effort allowed us to use the parking lot of the former Bi-Lo in downtown Black Market. The first day we had traffic backed up onto I-40 so we went to Plan B and now snake cars through the lot.”

Keeping volunteers — many of whom are over 60 and some with compromised immune systems — safe and socially distanced is of primary concern to the agencies who rely on them, but the new systems are often met with reluctance from dedicated volunteers. “I had oneon-one conversations with all of our volunteers and encouraged those at risk to step back,” says Koontz. “They stepped back but none of them quit. They have come up with different ideas of

how to keep helping.” Casparian says her site-sidelined volunteers have been writing notes of encouragement to put in each bag and box.

According to Randall, the MANNA warehouse counts 7,000 unique volunteers a year, with about 400 regular weekly volunteers. “Many of those are considered high-risk, so early on we made a public appeal for lower risk individuals.

We have seen so many new people show up that we have been able to supplement some of our partner agencies as well.

Many food banks across the country have struggled with that. I love the way our Appalachian community is finding ways to get things to people that need them.”

Koontz has been deeply moved by the contributions from the community she serves. “Our meat freezer was completely empty then the very next day Backyard Bow Pro brought us 220 pounds of elk.

Local bakers bring fresh-baked bread, East Fork has been donating eggs, Highgate Farm and Fiddlers Green Farm have donated produce. Some days our shelves are almost empty and I don’t know what we’ll do, so much of our world is completely out of our control, but somehow food comes in. It’s unexplainable and it’s just beautiful.” X

Cut to the bone Meredith Leigh advises a DIY approach to sourcing meat

As the coronavirus pandemic forces supersized meat processing plants across the U.S. to close or significantly reduce operations that in some cases processed as many as 35,000 hogs a day, many carnivores are turning to local farmers and butcher shops with short supply chains (see “Local Meat Providers Find Increased Consumer Demand,” May 14, Xpress). But they may be in for sticker shock, warns Meredith Leigh, author, butcher, chef and instructor.

“This crisis has woken people up to the fact that the system of supply is built in a way that is fragile,” she says. And since low prices have been built into the system, the true cost of producing meat is not reflected in the current paradigm. “What a lot of people might not be expecting is the higher cost associated with getting it from a local farmer, which presents a challenge for many people now.”

Leigh, who had been scheduled for a spring book tour to support the publication of The Ethical Meat Handbook: Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition, is instead sharing information on her website about how people can network, collaborate and even barter to obtain beef and pork. “A lot of my work right now is in helping people organize themselves and understand how they might create collaborative means of accessing meat. For example, someone might be rewarded for the work they contribute to organizing a collaboration, knowledge of butchery or storage space in a deep freezer,” she explains.

Leigh says there are platforms people can access to buy live animals that are raised for you with the meat becoming available after it goes to slaughter. She also recommends seeking lesser-known sources for processed meats such as the Hendersonville Community Co-op,

BUTCHER’S CUT: Butcher, author and instructor Meredith Leigh demonstrates butchery in a series of online classes. Photo by Cindy Kunst Warren Wilson College Farm and a new website called Meat Suite, which connects consumers interested in bulk meat purchases with North Carolina farmers.

She is also introducing a series of online butchery, curing and preservation classes to help home cooks. “If we can ensure successful local farmers and educated home cooks, we have an extra layer of protection against major supply chain interruptions,” she says. “The current system is simply not sustainable.”

For more information and sources, visit Leigh’s blog at avl.mx/75k.

AVL Beer Week goes virtual The popular AVL Beer Week celebration will have a different vibe later this month when a virtual edition takes its place in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The weeklong celebration, organized by the Asheville Brewers Alliance and a group of volunteers, is set for Friday, May 22-Saturday, May 31.

If state and local social distancing measures are lifted and it’s deemed safe to proceed with the celebration, the in-person AVL Beer Week will return for its 10th edition Sept. 4-10, according to Leah Rainis, executive director of the ABA, which represents local breweries and beer-related businesses. In the meantime, there’s the virtual iteration, which will include trivia, music, beer tastings, panel discussions, brewery yoga and more. Certain event details are still coming together.

With the pandemic crisis making a traditional celebration impossible, Beer Week organizers began discussions on what, if anything, could be done this spring. “Initially, the thought was to postpone until fall,” Rainis says. “But we also thought that the breweries and the beer-drinking community in Western North Carolina needed something good right now. As long as there is beer in Asheville, there should be a beer week.”

Organizing a virtual Beer Week, however, has not been easy. “We are learning on the fly, as most people are [during the pandemic],” she says.

“We’re just hoping to bring some fun into people’s living rooms.”

Online beer events have already been offered by state brewing guilds around the country, which prompted Jessica Reiser, co-owner of Burial Beer Co., to suggest doing the same with AVL Beer Week.

“One of our hesitations was that with breweries running on limited staff, wearing a lot of hats and scrambling [to keep their businesses viable],

we didn’t want to put an extra burden on them by saying that we wanted to do Beer Week, [now] plan this event,” Rainis says. “But this is an opportunity to put something together, free of charge. We can really promote what they are doing and the cool things they have going on.”

Some events that will be part of AVL Beer Week have already been happening, such as Oskar Blues Brewery hosting music events for its Making a Difference Mondaze series to benefit the Transylvania Tomorrow Small Business Relief Fund.

Other events include Highland Brewing Co. hosting a virtual Hoppy Hour Friday with president Leah Ashburn (Friday, May 22, 5-6 p.m.); Burial, Zillicoah Beer Co. and Hi-Wire Brewing offering an event called the Virtual Beer Olympics (Sunday, May 24, 4-5 p.m.); and separate games of beer-themed trivia, one hosted by Bhramari Brewing Co. (Tuesday, May 26, 7-8 p.m.) and the other a co-venture between Burial and the Asheville Art Museum (Thursday, May 21, 7-8 p.m.).

Burial will also host several virtual editions of its Off Topic discussions, including one with the Asheville Symphony (Wednesday, May 20, 7-8 p.m.), and a virtual stout panel via Zoom with Burial co-owner Doug Reiser in conversation with Cory King of Side Project Brewing, John Wakefield of J. Wakefield Brewing and Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso of Evil Twin Brewing (Saturday, May 23, 8-9 p.m.). Burial’s annual Skillet Six Ways event, featuring six adjunct versions of the brewery’s beloved Skillet Donut Stout, will also move to the virtual realm (Thursday, May 28, 6-7 p.m.), with online sales of the beverages beginning May 20.

Learn about more AVL Beer Week activities at avl.mx/75l.

— Tony Kiss X

— Kay West X

celebrating 25 Years!

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25

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

COMMUNITY SERVICE

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

SPRING

Nonprofit Issue

earnaudin@mountainx.com Last weekend, the Lake Eden grounds in Black Mountain were supposed to be teeming with artists, vendors and attendees celebrating the spring LEAF Festival.

But with COVID-19 restrictions preventing large gatherings, LEAF Global Arts decided to combine the event with its annual fall festival, Oct. 22-25, for a special 50th festival celebration. In its place May 15-17 was V-LEAF, a free online weekend of programming featuring some highlights from LEAF’s history.

The change of plans resulted in a $275,000 loss of what LEAF Global Arts Executive Director Jennifer Pickering calls “mission-critical revenue that is the cornerstone of our work throughout the year” involving music and cultural arts education and experiences. Indicative of the arts nonprofit’s expansive reach, however, the decision’s effects were wide-ranging.

“It’s not only LEAF that depends on the festival. There’s so many artists — handcrafters, vendors, culinary artists — that not being able to have LEAF is a sincere impact on their finances and their life and their spirit as well,” Pickering says.

ECONOMIC HITS While V-LEAF encourages virtual attendees to shop online and support artists and makers that they would have encountered at Lake Eden, those within the industry have significantly suffered over the past two months. To help gauge the impact, Katie Cornell, executive director of the Asheville Area Arts Council, points to Americans for the Arts’ ongoing “Economic Impact of Coronavirus on the Arts and Culture Sector” survey, where 78 arts organizations

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MAY 20-26, 2020

Local arts nonprofits pursue their missions amid COVID-19 challenges

HELPING HANDS: Open Hearts Art Center staff member Sidney Guida, left, works with artist Ashley Weast prior to the enactment of COVID-19 restrictions.

The nonprofit has adapted to these obstacles by offering a variety of new services.

Photo by Robbie Francis in Buncombe County have reported over $4.2 million in lost revenue so far.

“For perspective, there are — or were — almost 500 arts organizations, 200 of which are nonprofits, and 9,000 creative jobs in Buncombe County before the pandemic,” Cornell says.

The AAAC’s mission is to keep the arts at the heart of the local community. Its primary focus areas at the beginning of 2020 were arts advocacy, new professional development opportunities for the sector and public art, but when the severity of COVID-19’s impact became clear, Cornell and her colleagues “immediately shifted into full advocacy mode.”

“We launched several impact surveys and did our best to keep our local gov-

MOUNTAINX.COM

ernment and state arts agencies informed about what was happening to our creative community,” Cornell says. “We also created a robust resource page to provide arts organizations and professionals with the latest news and resources. Additionally, we have done our best to promote new arts programming and raise awareness about the importance of the arts sector.”

Current AAAC endeavors include partnering with Buncombe County Schools on a Toilet Paper Art Auction to raise money for the BCS’ Resource Center to provide markers, sidewalk chalk and other art supplies to families in need. The auction started on May 14 and runs through Saturday, May 23. The AAAC is also working with local arts leaders to create a reopening plan for the

local creative sector and is partnering with Mountain BizWorks, the Center for Craft and UNC Asheville on a series of upcoming webinars to support local creatives.

However, the AAAC canceled what would have been its 10th annual Creative Sector Summit, originally slated for May 1-2, and Cornell feels that grants, donations, memberships and event revenue for these local groups are going to be hard to come by for the foreseeable future.

“Organizations that rely on bringing large numbers of people together will suffer the most. It’s hard to limit seating in a theater in order to social distance and still make enough money to cover the expenses of putting on the show,” she says.

“There is also so much free virtual content out there right now that it’s very hard to make money from online events. Nonprofits can apply for grants for programming but rely heavily on donations and event revenue to cover their operational expenses.

Without donations and event revenue, it will be very hard for most nonprofit organizations to stay in business.”

Prior to COVID-19, Pickering says, LEAF had already been working on decreasing its dependency on large events. Though the financial hit from the spring festival is substantial, once pandemic restrictions kicked in, the organization was able to funnel its membership dues toward its Schools & Streets and international programs, ensuring that 100% of its 2020 commitment to local educators and Culture Keepers around the world would be fulfilled.

Many teachers and students have adapted to digital instruction, but Pickering notes that the technology required to participate isn’t a given on a local level, and especially not in Culture Keeper countries

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GOLD STANDARD: Even with travel halted and performance venues closed, local arts nonprofits continue to serve creators from around the world. Pictured at top are members of LEAF International Rwanda’s Junior Troupe. Below is Mexico-based ensemble La Gaviota Teatro performing its piece “Urikubu” at the 2020 Asheville Fringe Festival, part of the Asheville Area Arts Council’s #AVLArtsMatter campaign.

Top photo courtesy of LEAF Global Arts. Bottom photo by Faison Dorado like Costa Rica and Haiti, where internet is unreliable or unavailable. “When the world starts again,” she says these individuals will be able to make all of their classes up “in creative ways with expansive community resources.”

LIVING ROOM ART Open Hearts Art Center, which serves adults with disabilities, has likewise navigated the digital divide. Within 10 days of the stay-at-home order being put in place, co-founder/co-director Sonia Pitts and her administrative team developed a plan to provide services to its artists via what she calls “telehealth.”

For artists not interested in these virtual offerings or for whom the adaptability is too difficult for their family to maneuver, Open Hearts staff has offered one-on-one services in the artists’ homes, taking strict precautions and practicing social distancing, as well as a “skeleton crew of under 10 people” at its studio Monday-Friday. Artists who can use telehealth are provided presanitized supplies (including a few laptops) as they take part in imaginative and resourceful lessons developed by the staff to keep faceto-face computer interactions engaging.

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“Sessions have included visual arts, adapted yoga, virtual museum trips with the group to ballet performances and national zoos, sign language classes and even dance parties,” Pitts says. “The continuity of services for our participants has successfully eliminated a variety of mental health concerns that could have easily become crises.”

To those ends, Open Hearts’ alternative services have been essential, but Pitts is a firm believer that “nothing can truly replace the value of human interaction with peers.”

In returning to those traditional practices, arts nonprofits face an uncertain future, but these three leaders and others will, in Cornell’s words, work to ensure that “everyone has access to arts and culture” and “that we will be there to help our creative community rebuild when this is all over.”

“It’s worth noting that our nation has turned to the arts to help them cope during this unprecedented time. Therefore, we are hopeful that the arts will be seen as vital rather than elective in the future,” Pitts says.

“Overall, we’d love to see our community grow stronger from the challenges we have faced together, including a resurrection within the arts, when this pandemic ends.

Asheville has always supported local businesses, and we expect that to continue.” X

by Bill Kopp

bill@musoscribe.com

A cache of new music Brushfire Stankgrass returns with a third album and then some

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: A multiyear hiatus didn’t stop Brushfire Stankgrass’ creative momentum. The Asheville-based band returns with two new albums this summer, and another is on the way. The band celebrates the release of City of a Thousand Hills with a livestream show on Sunday, May 24. Photo by Jaze Uries “We’re not a bluegrass band,” insists Will Saylor, co-leader with brother Ben in Brushfire Stankgrass. Instead, the popular Asheville-based quartet uses bluegrass as the launching point for its musical excursions, venturing well into folk, jam and rock forms in the process.

And while the group makes no claims to capture the essence of Asheville in its style, Brushfire Stankgrass’ effective hybrid music — which finds a Moog synthesizer coexisting with banjos — does result in a sound that’s uniquely Asheville. The group is celebrating the release of new album City of a Thousand Hills with a livestreamed show on Sunday, May 24. A fourth album, titled The Rich Cache, will be out this summer and, making up for lost time, a fifth record is in the pipeline, too.

The group released its debut, One for the Salamanders, in 2010. Positive reviews in Relix coupled with a packed touring schedule helped build the band — Will on guitar, Ben on banjo, drummer Micah Thomas and bassist Daniel Iannucci — a solid, dedicated following. A second release, Microclimates, was released in 2013. But then everything stopped.

“We were going full steam after Microclimates, and we all kind of got burnt out a little bit,” says Will. The cumulative effect of “grinding on the road and all going through some personal life changes” meant that it was time to step away from the band for a while. So, Brushfire Stankgrass went on hiatus.

Ben, the group’s primary songwriter, moved away from Asheville, settling for a time in Montana. But he and Will continued to write music that would be destined

for the group once it reconvened. In fact, Will says, he and his brother have written more material than can fit on one album.

“We’ve got a backlog,” he says.

In 2019, the band set up at Echo Mountain Recording Studios and cut City of a Thousand Hills. The rock textures that characterized Microclimates are subtly scaled back on the record. “I usually play my banjo through a lot of effects,” says Ben. “But on City of a Thousand Hills, I used no effects.” He describes the album as “a little more acoustic and bluegrassy” than its predecessor.

The time spent away from Brushfire Stankgrass yielded an additional cache of songs that explore the rock and jam side of the band. The best of those tunes have been recorded as well. “We’ve had seven years to [work on] The Rich Cache,” says Ben. “It has a more electric feel — Moog effects and synthesizers are used heavily

on some tracks. It’s more eclectic and leans more toward jam/fusion.”

And then there’s what Ben laughingly calls “the new new album.” Recorded just before the band members went into quarantine, the as-yet-untitled collection of songs “straddles between jam rock and Americana.” Will emphasizes that when people listen to Brushfire Stankgrass’ new releases, “you can hear the maturity, how we’ve changed over the years.”

Will says that the band’s debut was “kind of raw and new. Microclimates was a little more polished.” And City of a Thousand Hills benefits from the worldclass staff and gear at Echo Mountain.

“That was our first album that we actually recorded in a studio as opposed to home recording,” Will says. While Microclimates was a layered and overdubbed production, the band took a more organic approach for City. “We all set up at the church and cut these songs one by one,” he says, referring to Echo Mountain’s storied recording space. “That imparted a different character: The music is a little more fluid feeling.”

With COVID-19 restrictions still in effect, Brushfire Stankgrass is marking the launch of City of a Thousand Hills with a livestreamed concert broadcast from The Grey Eagle. That performance is part of The Grey Eagle Sessions, a regular series of shows available via the venue’s Facebook page, though if Phase 2 of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to reopen North Carolina is enacted in time, an in-person audience that meets state capacity rules could convene for the performance.

Ben and Will acknowledge that two signature characteristics of the region — mountain music and pioneering electronic synthesis — influence the music they make with Brushfire Stankgrass. But it wasn’t necessarily planned that way. “I think it would be a little bit contrived to say, ‘Let’s make an Asheville-y sounding band,’” says Ben. “But that’s the environment we make our music in, so we just sort of happened to end up that way.” X

WHO Brushfire Stankgrass WHERE Livestream from The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., thegreyeagle.com WHEN Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. Free, but virtual tips encouraged via Paypal. me/TheGreyEagle

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by Edwin Arnaudin

earnaudin@mountainx.com

Living in color

The Get Right Band reaches new heights on latest album With its tremendous new album Itchy Soul, The Get Right Band has crafted a sonically diverse set of songs that finds Silas Durocher (guitar/ vocals), Jesse Gentry (bass/vocals) and JC Mears (drums/percussion/vocals) weaving in various influences, yet very much making their own distinct brand of rock music.

Due to stay home, stay safe restrictions, the celebration of the album’s release has shifted from a free show on Saturday, May 23, at Salvage Station to a livestream interactive conversation on the group’s Facebook page that night at 8. Prior to the event, the Asheville-based trio spoke with Xpress about making the project that Gentry rightfully calls “a turning point for the band.”

Durocher on the perks of working primarily outside of a studio: “You’re not paying by the hour, which is huge. I definitely feel like, for most

people, it’s always a hard thing to decide when an album is finished when you’ve been working forever. Part of that, when you’re in a studio, has to be a balance of ‘How much is the vision fully realized?’ versus ‘How much are we out of money?’

I feel like a lot of times we get it to pretty close to fully realized, and it’s like, ‘That’s really good.’ Getting it this last inch would be a lot of going down rabbit holes and experimenting and maybe wasting time, and we just can’t do that for hundreds of dollars a day. This gave us the opportunity to really do that and also be more comfortable.”

Gentry on getting out of his comfort zone: “I have been a fundamentalist bassist my entire life. I’ve been resistant to effects and all that kind of stuff. I was hardcore, just, like, ‘It’s in the fingers. You just play it and then it’s there.’ Especially with this album, I’ve basically done a complete 180

heville M Joinforththee Anesxt Movie DisocuvsiseioGn!uys Watch the Michelle Obama documentary now on Netflix, then tune in as the Asheville Movie Guys, Bruce C. Steele and Edwin Arnaudin of AshevilleMovies.com, discuss the film and take your questions via livestream comments and email.

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Send an email with ‘Asheville Movie Guys’ in the subject line to ashevillemovies@gmail.com There is no charge for this event. Patrons are encouraged to consider purchasing a gift card for future use at event co-sponsor, the Fine Arts Theatre, at fineartstheatre.com.

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THE UPSIDE DOWN: “Normally, our songs are so road-tested before we go into the studio, and then when the album comes out, people usually already know most of the songs,” says The Get Right Band bassist Jesse Gentry, right, pictured with drummer JC Mears, left, and guitarist Silas Durocher. “Whereas [Itchy Soul] was the first album where we deliberately did not do it that way. So it’s kind of funny that now, when it does come out, people will know the songs even though we were planning on them not knowing them.” Photo by Tom Farr and am now totally embracing effects. I have an actual effects pedal board. It’s been totally transformative for me — it’s totally changed my whole perspective on the band and playing bass. I’m now exploring new sounds and I think that’s been pretty refreshing. It was time for that to happen, and JC and Silas really encouraged me.”

Durocher on “working” with comedian/actor Marc Maron on “However Broken It Is”: “He wasn’t involved at all in the collaboration. We just took his words from his podcast. I often jot down meaningful quotes that I hear from people for future reference for songwriting ideas. We’re big fans of the ‘WTF’ podcast. I listen religiously, and at some point, I heard him talk about how he can’t write lyrics, how he wishes he could be a songwriter or something. And I thought, ‘Well, that’s funny because I’ve been writing down all these cool, interesting quotes from him.’ Eventually, I turned it into a song, just taking pieces from different podcasts and trying to tie it into something cohesive. I put the music to it, and Jesse and JC brought their parts, and we built it together, then we sent a demo version to [Maron], which he said he really liked and actually played on his show, which was really cool. Then we went to work on the official studio version.”

Mears on the album’s increased experimentation: “Electronic music has become such a mainstream thing, and even if the artist isn’t an ‘electronic artist,’ there’s so many of those elements in popular music. Even a band like the [Red Hot]

Chili Peppers that I grew up listening to — that stuff, the electronic sounds are in their newest recordings but not in Blood Sugar Sex Magik. I felt like there’s this trend and this push, even with rock bands, to start using those sounds. And I mess around a lot with that stuff at home in my own time, but I very much wanted to incorporate it, and that was part of the reason that I put out the idea of recording this album the way that we did — to give us all time to experiment and try some new things.”

Durocher on the state of modern radio, as explored in album standout “Nothin’ on the FM”: “We’ve been playing that for maybe three years, so we’ve had it around for a while. As people trying to make a living and a career in the music industry, I feel like we’re always sort of battling the saturation of things where people’s social media streams are just full of ‘Watch this! Listen to this! Come to this show!’

And same with radio. But so much of it isn’t very good or is just very derivative of other things or it doesn’t feel like it’s fresh or treading new ground. I just felt like a lot of times, when I was listening to commercial radio or whatever various ways of checking out general music, there was not much of substance.

Obviously, there are exceptions to that.

WNCW [88.7] is a great example, and [98.1] The River, too, does a lot of cool stuff as a commercial station, so it was just kind of a sentiment of how things are changing with the output of music these days.” thegetrightband.com X

MOVIE REVIEWS THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

Hosted by the Asheville Movie Guys EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com HHHHH

= MAX RATING

BRUCE STEELE bcsteele@gmail.com

Kevin Evans

Delightfully awkward situational comedy arises from Alice’s early experiences on the job and are eventually joined by more dangerous and tragic encounters, smartly heightened by the increasing desperation of her circumstances as mortgage deadlines loom and further complications with François arise.

But even with these assets and the joys of personal liberation as Alice takes ownership of her life, Mackerras struggles to justify the 100-minute run time, stretching a short-film premise to frustrating degrees and challenging viewers to remain engaged.

REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy HHHHH

DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Carroll PLAYERS: Diana Kennedy, Alice Waters, José Andrés DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is an up close and personal cinematic exploration of Mexican cuisine, geography and culture, marvelously rooted in a biographical portrait of a woman who some have nicknamed the “Mick Jagger of Mexico,” as well as the “Indiana Jones of Mexican food.”

A documentary about tradition and the true roots of humanity’s survival, the film is a fascinating history lesson led by a British woman flourishing in her ninth decade, managing to maintain an insatiable appetite for experience and knowledge. Kennedy is nomadic and still quite peppery and zesty, consistently having no qualms expressing her deepest opinions and philosophies.

Elizabeth Carroll’s biodoc differs from most traditional examples of the genre thanks to its uncanny integration of different worlds, including the old and new, the Mexican and the English, as well as the grounded and the spontaneously adventurous.

People and cultures are researched, explored and celebrated in colorful lights and angles, and as glimpses of the Mexican

jungle are viewed from Kennedy’s home, Nothing Fancy poignantly addresses ecological concerns that affect the entire planet, rounding out its portrayal of life, love and passion.

REVIEWED BY KEVIN EVANS K.A.E.0082@GMAIL.COM

Alice HHH DIRECTOR: Josephine Mackerras PLAYERS: Emilie Piponnier, Martin Swabey, Chloé Boreham FOREIGN FILM/COMEDY/DRAMA NOT RATED In the umpteenth film to use this unimaginative title, a Parisian housewife becomes a high-end prostitute to save her home and provide for her son after her husband’s addiction to these same services puts them at risk of foreclosure.

Though somewhat clunky on the technical side in her feature-length debut, writer/director Josephine Mackerras inspires strong performances from Emilie Piponnier as the titular lead, Martin Swabey as Alice’s despicable partner, François, and Chloé Boreham as a fellow lady of the night who provides helpful advice to her novice friend.

Crescendo HHHS DIRECTOR: Dror Zahavi PLAYERS: Peter Simonischek, Bibiana Beglau, Daniel Donskoy FOREIGN FILM/DRAMA NOT RATED In the realm of global political statements, the one at the center of Middle Eastern drama Crescendo is about as potent as they come.

Inspired by renowned artist Daniel Barenboim’s West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, director Dror Zahavi’s film concerns an international goodwill organization that funds a concert uniting Israeli and Palestinian youth musicians — under the guidance of Austrian conductor Eduard Sporck (Peter Simonischek, Toni Erdmann), whose Nazi lineage is nearly as famous as his career.

The ensuing squabbles among the two warring sides and the gradual shedding of hatred are familiar yet heartwarming, beginning with tension over the choice of concertmaster between stubborn Palestinian Layla (Sabrina Amali) and cocky Israeli Ron (Daniel Donskoy). The violinists’ bickering sets up a classic scenario where rivals inevitably work together, but not before overcoming conflicts that are equal parts forced and believable.

Key moments of personal growth stem from unintentionally humorous group exercises devised by Sporck to rid his players of their mutual loathing. Though the exaggerated activities are somewhat necessary for these committed enemies to move forward and work as a cohesive single unit, they also arise out of nowhere with minimal explanations regarding the conductor’s experience as a mediator.

Ian Casselberry

Michelle Keenan

AVAILABLE VIA FINEARTSTHEATRE.COM (FA) GRAILMOVIEHOUSE.COM (GM) Alice (NR) HHH (FA) Beanpole (R) HHHS(FA) Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint (NR) HHHS (FA) The Booksellers (NR) HHHS(FA) Capital in the Twenty-First Century (NR) HHHHS (GM) Cézanne: Portraits of a Life (NR) HHHH (FA) Crescendo (NR) HHHS (GM) Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy (NR) HHHHH (Pick of the Week) (GM) Fantastic Fungi (NR) HHHH (FA) Fourteen (NR) HHHH (FA) The Ghost of Peter Sellers (NR) HHHH (GM) The Hottest August (NR) H (FA) Lucky Grandma (NR) HHHH (FA) Military Wives (PG-13) HHH (FA) Mossville: When Great Trees Fall (NR) HHHHS (GM) New York International Children’s Film Festival: Kid Flicks One (NR) HHHS (GM) New York International Children’s Film Festival: Kid Flicks Two (NR) HHHH (GM) Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (R) HHHH (FA) Pahokee (NR) HHHHS(FA) The Painter and the Thief (NR) HHHH (FA) Slay the Dragon (PG-13) HHHH (FA) Someone, Somewhere (NR) HHHH (FA) Sorry We Missed You (NR) HHHHS(FA) Spaceship Earth (NR) HHHS (FA) The Times of Bill Cunningham (NR) HHHHS (FA) Up from the Streets — New Orleans: The City of Music (NR) HHHH (GM) Vitalina Varela (NR) HHHHS (FA) The Whistlers (NR) HHHH (FA) A White, White Day (NR) HHHS (GM) The Woman Who Loves Giraffes (NR) HHHHH (FA)

A subplot concerning young lovers within the orchestra — Israeli French hornist Shira (Eyan Pinkovitch) and Palestinian clarinetist Omar (Mehdi Meskar) — means well but suffers from the actors’ limited range, and the melodramatic path their story takes threatens to derail the entire film as it follows its titular trajectory.

Keeping Crescendo on track is Simonischek’s commanding presence, the narrative’s overall goodwill and the ensemble’s flawless rehearsals, which

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include performances of some of the most beautiful classical music ever written. Together, they just barely manage to counteract the film’s saccharine yet lovely ending, which plays more like wish fulfillment than reality, though considering the subject matter, anything less than hyperbole might not have done it justice.

REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

Fourteen HHHH DIRECTOR: Dan Sallitt PLAYERS: Tallie Medel, Norma Kuhling, Lorelei Romani DRAMA NOT RATED Witnessing a friend’s life unravel is no easy matter, but through writer/director/editor Dan Sallitt’s no-frills approach, such travails are rewarding and something of a pleasure.

His Fourteen poignantly chronicles the adult relationship of two childhood friends — relatively stable Mara (Tallie Medel) and volatile Jo (Norma Kuhling) — as Jo unintentionally tests Mara’s loyalty and patience with repeating cycles of self-destructive behavior.

It’s heavy subject matter, for sure, but Sallitt doesn’t linger too long on any one scene, moving each time to the next significant vignette, which may be days, months and even years apart, challenging game viewers to play catch-up as new details are introduced.

Each of these moments reveals or conveys something crucial about the pair’s dynamic — which is instantly believable thanks to Medel’s and Kuhling’s effortless chemistry — and the dry, Whit Stillmanlike dialogue adds a welcome layer of levity to the frequently dark material.

The result is a film in which nothing is frivolous and the cumulative impact of its scenes is likely to linger long after the credits roll.

REVIEWED BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN EARNAUDIN@MOUNTAINX.COM

Lucky Grandma HHHHS

DIRECTOR: Sasie Sealy PLAYERS: Tsai Chin, Hsiao-Yuan Ha, Michael Tow FOREIGN FILM/COMEDY/DRAMA NOT RATED Rather than a lazy farce relying on cheap laughs at the expense of elderly people, Lucky Grandma is a smart black comedy that serves as a poignant character study.

Director Sasie Sealy (who co-wrote the script with Angela Cheng) builds her fea32

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ture debut around a memorable grouch, Grandma Wong (Tsai Chin), whose fortune changes when a huge amount of money literally falls into her lap.

Before her inadvertent payday, Wong spends her days in New York City’s Chinatown going to tai chi sessions, haggling with merchants for groceries and doting over her grandchildren. She’s also trying to keep her independence by staying in her small apartment rather than accept her son’s invitation to move in with his family.

But Grandma Wong’s luck isn’t really so good. The money she found belongs to a Chinatown gang. After being harassed by two thugs, Wong goes to the rival Red Dragon crew for protection. But her insistence on keeping the cash costs her oafish bodyguard, Big Pong (Hsiao-Yuan Ha), and her grandson (Mason Yam) their innocence.

Lucky Grandma is a clever spin on the crime caper genre, thanks to Chin’s wonderfully cranky performance and Sealy trusting her warped morality tale to play out to its natural end.

REVIEWED BY IAN CASSELBERRY IANCASS@GMAIL.COM

Military Wives HHH DIRECTOR: Peter Cattaneo PLAYERS: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Emma Lowndes COMEDY/DRAMA RATED PG-13 If the sight of Kristin Scott Thomas in an evening gown and military boots running across a London street can’t make you smile, you’re too far gone for the simple, sentimental pleasures of Military Wives. Inspired by a British reality TV series, the film follows the Full Monty template: A group of ordinary British folks takes on a creative project for which they have no apparent affinity and triumph in the end. The film even has Monty’s own director, Peter Cattaneo, at the helm.

Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan (Game Night) portray two army officers’ wives who, of course, can’t stand each other but join forces to start a “singing club” for their fellow wives during their spouses’ latest deployment. An assortment of likable character actresses portrays an assortment of likable women: the one with the great voice, the new bride, the lesbian, the great mom — and so on.

There’s nothing original about Military Wives, but its predictability is part of its charm. You don’t watch this movie to be challenged but to be reduced to a puddle of tears by the end. So put your judginess on pause for a couple of hours, grit your teeth at the screenplay’s countless

clichés and just let the serio-hokeyness wash over you.

REVIEWED BY BRUCE STEELE BCSTEELE@GMAIL.COM

Scoob! HHS DIRECTOR: Tony Cervone PLAYERS: The voices of Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Amanda Seyfried ANIMATED/COMEDY RATED PG Scoob!, the latest effort from Warner Animation Group, is being promoted as the origin story of Hanna-Barbera’s classic Mystery Inc. gang. Therefore, the movie is at its strongest when it focuses on the tried-and-true character dynamics of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo. Sadly, the group’s relationships get lost in the midst of an incredibly convoluted storyline that ineffectively attempts to launch some sort of HannaBarbera cinematic universe.

What makes this all the more disappointing is that the film starts so strong.

Seeing the origins of Mystery Inc. as children is tons of fun, and the movie’s re-creation of the classic opening montage from the original 1967 cartoon — complete with some of the series’ classic villains — is wonderfully nostalgic.

However, the second this montage is over, we’re treated to an egregious Simon Cowell cameo (yes, you read that right), and the emotional core of the story’s five leads dissipates as the movie descends into endless action scenes and a cavalcade of more obscure, B-list creations from William Hanna and Joseph Barbera.

The voice cast is all over the place as well. While Will Forte’s interpretation of Shaggy grew on me, Zac Efron’s stagnant voice for Fred will likely make you long for the live-action performance of Freddie Prinze Jr. REVIEWED BY JOSH MCCORMACK JMCCORMA@UNCA.EDU

The Ghost of Peter Sellers HHHH DIRECTOR: Peter Medak PLAYERS: Peter Medak, Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED Peter Medak, the Hungarian-born director of The Ruling Class and The Krays, has a varied and successful filmography spanning more than 55 years in film and television. From the outside looking in, one would think the man has no cause for regret or any reason to look back. But like many of us, it’s his failures that haunt him.

Medak’s latest project, The Ghost of Peter Sellers, is a cathartic journey through the cringe-worthy making of the unreleased 1973 farce Ghost in the Noonday Sun, starring Sellers and Spike Milligan. As documented in excruciating detail, the film should never have been green-lighted for production, but with Sellers and Milligan at the top of their game and Medak’s star on the rise, it was an irresistible opportunity. However, plagued by mishaps and the madcap caprice of Sellers, Sun was an epic failure that could have cost Medak his career.

In spite of the toll, one gets the feeling that Medak would probably do it all over again. He says, “I loved [Sellers]. It was great to be there for a second, whatever the pain it caused.” Part mea culpa and part vindication, this labor of love is for real cinephiles — and hopefully, it will set Medak free from the titular specter.

REVIEWED BY MICHELLE KEENAN REELTAKES@HOTMAIL.COM

The Painter and the Thief HHHH DIRECTOR: Benjamin Ree PLAYERS: Barbora Kysilkova, KarlBertil Nordland DOCUMENTARY NOT RATED One of the most intimate and unlikely documentaries you’re ever likely to see, The Painter and the Thief eavesdrops on the strange, evolving relationship between Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova and Norwegian career criminal KarlBertil Nordland, who helped steal two of Kysilkova’s paintings from a gallery in Oslo.

Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree stumbled across the story just after the pair met, when the painter invited the thief to pose for a portrait. Ree looks on — with remarkable access — as their lives become intertwined in surprising ways best left for viewers of the film to discover.

Ree toys with chronology, going backward and forward to add layers to his story — not unlike Kysilkova’s hyperrealistic painting technique. Also like her paintings, the documentary is both beautiful and disturbing, with difficult subjects depicted but left on the surface.

The film (which is mostly in English) leaves many factual gaps, but it’s an emotional portrait more than an investigation, and it has plenty of twists and revelations. Ree began the project out of his obsession with art thefts, but he ends it by giving us a glimpse of how art can capture complex emotional transactions in a visual language that needs no translation.

REVIEWED BY BRUCE STEELE BCSTEELE@GMAIL.COM

“Why are they publishing this Crier rubbish?” you may be asking. We certainly are. The rest of this edition of Mountain Xpress can’t help but show the tough times WNC is facing. Here’s one little spot in the paper where we offer a bit of levity, to possibly brighten someone’s day, poking a bit of fun at the outrageousness of it all.

Suspended animation While some local residents have begun venturing forth from their homes for the first time in weeks, others remain snuggly tucked up except for the most essential of outings. To counter the so-called “Rip Van Winkle effect” for those cautious/sane/ public-spirited souls, the Crier’s intrepid reporters are braving (possible) biological hazards to bring you information on changes that have taken place around town during the period of hibernation.

LOVE LETTERS

After repainting Asheville’s iconic RAD grain silo from “Stay Weird” to “Stay Home” followed by “Stay True,” artists Ian the Painter and Ishmael have now re-graffitied it to read “Stay Engaged.” Locals initially were inspired by the new message, until an image of a diamond ring joined the text, and reports emerged that the words were a cynical guerilla marketing campaign by local jewelry store owners made desperate by quarantine-induced breakups.

UNNATURAL PHENOMENON

The French Broad River now flows south, and it’s filled with blood. But don’t worry: It’s merely a QAnon plot to ding elected officials’ poll numbers and will change back on its own — at some point.

HOLE IN ONE

Local disc golf jocks are indignant that many golf courses and tennis courts remained open while parks featuring their beloved game closed in March and April.

In protest — and to guard against future interruptions in play — disc enthusiasts installed target baskets in streets and sidewalks downtown, creating a new urban course. Please yield to these obstacles and players as you drive, cycle or walk near College Street and Patton and Lexington avenues.

BEAR RECOVERY ACT

During business closures, Asheville’s black bears have taken advantage of an empty downtown to see the sights. Now an enterprising bunch of bruins has banded together to submit an application to the TDA-funded Tourism Jobs Recovery grant program. The furry collaborators assert that nothing could draw bigger crowds than the sight of mama and three cubs hanging from trees in Pritchard Park or sunning themselves on the steps of City Hall. As compensation for their presence, the downtown bears ask only for unfettered access to garbage cans. The $50,000 cash grant, meanwhile, will be placed in a fund designated for the rehabilitation of local three-legged bears.

GAMING FOR ALL

The tinkling sounds now carried on the breeze in Asheville neighborhoods waft not from ice cream trucks but slot machines paying out. The city’s partnership with Harrah’s Cherokee Casino paved the way for new joint projects and, with tourists scarce, LaZoom’s purple buses have been pressed into service as mobile gambling centers. Even those without reliable transportation can join in the fun! And through Harrah’s new licensing deal with ART, the buses qualify as an essential public service.

SOMETHING IN THE AIR

The Arras, Asheville’s tallest structure, has added a COVID-19-specific feature to its recent interior and exterior renovation. McKibbon Hospitality has hermetically sealed the structure within a giant bubble to “protect residents from those who might infect the healthy [or is that wealthy?] inhabitants.” Pedestrians in the area may opt to undergo temperature screening and/or cellphone location data scans in order to pass through airlocked sidewalk corridors, or they may decide to just take their chances walking in the middle of the street.

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MAY 20-26, 2020

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Excellence does not require perfection,” wrote Aries author Henry James. Now I’m conveying this brilliant counsel to you — just in time for the season when it will make good sense to strive for shining excellence without getting bogged down in a debilitating quest for perfection. Have fun re-committing yourself to doing the best you can, Aries, even as you refuse to be tempted by the unprofitable lure of absolute purity and juvenile forms of idealism.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): To generate an ounce of pure cocaine, you must collect 52 pounds of raw coca leaf and work hard to transform it. But please don’t do that. Fate won’t be on your side if you do. However, I will suggest that you consider undertaking a metaphorically comparable process — by gathering a sizable amount of raw material or basic stuff that will be necessary to produce the small treasure or precious resource that you require.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The very least you can do in your life is to figure out what you hope for,” writes author Barbara Kingsolver. “And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.”

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, that is exactly the work you should be doing right now, Gemini. Everything good that can and should happen for you in the coming months depends on you defining what you hope for, and then doing whatever’s necessary to live inside that hope.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The periodic arrivals of “natural disruption” in our everyday routines has a divine purpose, writes Yoruba priest Awó Falokun Fatunmbi. It is “to shake consciousness loose from complacency and rigid thinking.” To be vital, he says, our perception of truth must be constantly evolving and never stagnant. “Truth is a way of looking at self and World,” Fatunmbi declares. “It is a state of being rather than an act of knowing.” Many Westerners find this hard to understand because they regard truth as a “fixed set of rules or dogma,” or as a body of “objective facts.” But here’s the good news: Right now, you Cancerians are especially receptive to Fatunmbi’s alternative understanding of truth — and likely to thrive by adopting it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Novelist and war correspondent Martha Gellhorn departed this life in 1998, but she articulated a message that’s important for you to hear right now. She wrote, “People often say, with pride, ’I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ’I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’” Gelhorn added, “If we mean to keep control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” In my opinion, her advice is always applicable to all of us, but it’s especially crucial for you to meditate on right now. You’ll be wise to upgrade your interest and involvement in the big cultural and political developments that are impacting your personal destiny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to author and teacher Marianne Williamson, “Ego says, ’Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace.’

Spirit says, ’Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.’” I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to take Williamson’s advice seriously, Virgo. How? By giving control of your life to Spirit as you find your peace. In saying this, I’m not implying that Ego is bad or wrong. In fact, I think Ego is a crucial asset for you and I’m hoping that in recent months you have been lifting your Ego to a higher, finer state of confidence and competence than ever before. But right now I think you should authorize Spirit to run the show for a while. If you do, it will bless you with good surprises.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Snatching the eternal out of the desperately fleeting is the great magic trick of human existence.” Playwright Tennessee Williams said that, and now I’m conveying his insight to you — just in time for you to dramatically embody it. According to my astrological analysis, you now have more power than usual to accomplish this magic trick: to create something permanent in the midst of the transitory; to make an indelible mark on a process that has previously been characterized by restless permutations; to initiate a bold move that you will forever remember and be remembered for.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the course of his 73 years on the planet, Scorpio author Paul Valéry (1871–1945) wrote more than 20 books.

But between the ages of 25 and 45, he passed through a phase he called the “great silence.”

During that time, he quit writing and published nothing. Afterward, he returned to his life’s work and was nominated 12 times for a Nobel Prize.

Although your own version of a great silence is less extreme than his, I’m happy to announce that you will emerge from it sooner than you imagine.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I’m sad that my two favorite 19th-century poets were unfamiliar with each other’s poetry. Walt Whitman was 11 years older than Emily Dickinson, but didn’t know her work. Dickinson had heard of Whitman, but didn’t read his stuff. Their styles were indeed very different: hers intimate, elliptical, psychologically acute; his expansive, gregarious, earthy. But they were alike in being the most innovative American poets of their time, and equally transgressive in their disregard for standard poetic forms. If there were such a thing as time travel, I’d send one of you Sagittarians back to set up a meeting between them. Acts of innovative blending and creative unifying will be your specialties in the coming weeks.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The fictional character Sherlock Holmes (born January 6, and thus a Capricorn) is a brilliant logician and acute observer who has astonishing crime-solving skills. On the other hand, according to his friend Dr. Watson, he “knows next to nothing” about “contemporary literature, philosophy and politics.” So he’s not a well-rounded person. He’s smart in some ways, dumb in others. Most of us fit that description.

We are both brilliant and ignorant; talented and inept; interesting and boring. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to hone and cultivate the less mature aspects of your own nature. I bet you’ll reap rich rewards by doing so.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “People become like what they love,” observed theologian St. Catherine of Siena. That’ll be an interesting truth for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. I suspect you will attract experiences that are clear reflections of the kind of love you have cultivated and expressed for quite some time. You’ll be blessed in ways similar to the ways you have blessed. You’ll be challenged to face questions about love that you have not been dealing with. And here’s a promise for the future: You’ll have the opportunity to refine and deepen your approach to love so as to transform yourself into more of the person you’d like to become.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Humanity is a mystery,” wrote author Fyodor Dostoevsky. “The mystery needs to be unraveled, and if you spend your whole life unraveling it, you haven’t wasted your time. I am studying that mystery because I want to be a complete human being.” I love this tender perspective on the preciousness of the Great Riddle we’re all immersed in. It’s especially useful and apropos for you to adopt right now, Pisces, because you are undergoing an unusually deep and intense communion with the mystery. As you marinate, you shouldn’t measure your success and good fortune by how much new understanding you have attained, but rather by how much reverence and gratitude you feel and how stirring your questions are.

MOUNTAINX.COM

MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 landrews@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to ads@mountainx.com RENTALS SHORT-TERM RENTALS SHORT TERM/VACATION RENTAL Great for relocations, short term assignments, local events, etc. $1600/month, $700/week, $175/day, 2 day minimum.

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EMPLOYMENT GENERAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EBLEN CHARITIES The Board of Directors is actively seeking an Executive Director to lead Eblen Charities, an Asheville, North Carolina non-profit that has been serving our community since 1991. For details visit www. eblencharities.org PART-TIME POSITION POLICE OFFICER, PATROL A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Part-Time position Police Officer, Patrol. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/5368 TROLLEY TOUR GUIDES If you are a "people person," love Asheville, have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and clean driving record you could be a great Tour Guide. Full-time and seasonal part-time positions available. Training provided. Contact us today!

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HUMAN SERVICES HELPMATE SEEKS OVERNIGHT CASE MANAGER AND RELIEF STAFF Do you want to do meaningful work that makes a difference?

Helpmate, a 41-year old nonprofit which provides safety, shelter and support to survivors of intimate

partner domestic violence in Buncombe County, NC is hiring for two positions.

The Overnight Shelter Case Manager (FT) supports survivors of domestic violence during evening and early morning hours. The primary responsibilities of this position are to maintain facility coverage, provide support to adult and child survivors of domestic violence living in emergency shelter, respond to after hour calls on the crisis line, interact with law enforcement and other allied professionals, and monitor safety and security protocols. Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree or 2 years’ experience in social work or related field, an understanding of domestic violence, strong communication skills, and ability to make independent decisions within a framework of policies and procedures.

Relief Staff work on a PRN/ as needed basis to support key programs in the organization. Relief staff may train to support survivors and serve as on-site staff in our emergency shelter, or to provide intake support at the Buncombe County Family Justice Center. Comprehensive training available.

Pay incentives available for fluency in Spanish, Russian or Ukrainian. Helpmate is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to a strong and diverse staff. If interested, please submit a resume and cover letter to hiring@helpmateonline. org and include the words Overnight Shelter Case Manager or Relief Staff in the subject line of the email.

Positions open until filled. www.helpmateonline.org ASSOCIATE COORDINATOR FOR HOUSING PROGRAMMING Helpmate, the domestic violence organization in Buncombe County, NC is seeking an Associate Coordinator for Housing Programming.

This position oversees the operation & functioning of multiple housing grants as well as direct service support to survivors. Key duties include providing safety planning, referrals and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence as well as coordinating the functioning of the housing programs and ensuring compliance,

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reporting and meeting outcomes. The Associate Coordinator for Housing Programming supervises the Case Manager – Housing Focus. This position requires on-call responsibilities, including recurring night/ weekend availability. Qualified candidates will have a commitment to gender equity as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. The role requires the ability to make independent decisions within the framework of policies, procedures, budgetary constraints, and grant restrictions. Helpmate seeks someone with strong conflict resolution skills, a focus on a survivor empowerment, and capable of clear, concise and accurate communication. A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience required, plus 2 years of experience in the field. Diverse candidates encouraged to apply. Email resume, cover letter by 9 am on Monday, June 1st to hiring@helpmateonline. org. Applicants without both a cover letter and resume will not be considered.

TEACHING/ EDUCATION GRADES 2-3 MATH/ SCIENCE TEACHER AND GRADES K-8 PE/ OUTDOOR ED TEACHER Come join our dynamic teaching team! FMI about each position, visit http:// thelearningcommunity. org/employment-opportunities/ 828-686-3080 employment@thelearningcommunity.org www. thelearningcommunity.org

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SERVICES CAREGIVERS COMPANION • CAREGIVER • LIVE-IN Alzheimer's experienced. • Heart failure and bed sore care. • Hospice reference letter. • Nonsmoker, with cat, seeks live-in position. • References. • Arnold, (828) 273-2922.

COMPUTER COMPUTER ISSUES? GEEKS ON SITE provides FREE diagnosis REMOTELY 24/7 SERVICE DURING COVID19. No home visit necessary. $40 OFF with coupon 86407! Restrictions apply. 866-939-0093

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GENERAL SERVICES FOR ALL YOUR HOME IMPROVEMENTS & REPAIRS Call C & S for all home repairs including roofing, flooring, windows, doors, decks and masonry underpinning. Leroy Carver 828-620-8061

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ACROSS 1 Match, as subject and verb 6 Newspaper held in low esteem clientservice@gmail.com Mobile: (631)463-6777 Home: (828)398-1512 mjmfinishing.com

ANNOUNCEMENTS LEGAL NOTICES BOY SCOUT COMPENSATION FUND Anyone that was inappropriately touched by a Scout leader deserves justice and financial compensation! Victims may be eligible for a significant cash settlement. Time to file is limited. Call Now! 844-8968216 (AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT BODYWORK TRANSFORMATIONAL MASSAGE THERAPY Frank Solomon Connelly [FaceBook] So: with all this craziness [by the way, the opposite of fear is Faith/ Hope] going on; I wanted to remind everyone that I do House-Calls. I come to your nice Clean space, with my very Power-Filled, Mother Nature based Immunity System [and I will never violate anyone! If God/Goddess tells me I am infected; I will Quarantine {but not until then}!] to help you connect to that same God/Goddess filled connection to help you overcome fear/tension and return to KNOWING God/ Goddess's Got This! And! I

edited by Will Shortz

20 Old Spice alternative 15 16 21 Violinist Zimbalist 23 Only president who 18 19 was also a chief justice 21 22 23 24 Film school deg.

26 27 25 “Whew! What a tiring day!”

30 31 27 Padre’s hermana 33 28 Tackle, for one 30 Slicing, as through 35 36 37 water 41 42 43 44 45 32 Part of a cello that supports the 47 48 instrument on the floor 51 52 33 Make right, perhaps in a 55 56 57 58 not-so-right way 61 62 34 Complete … as suggested by four 64 65 66 symmetrical pairs of Down answers in 68 this puzzle 38 Burn black 70 41 Layered cake 42 Group that votes together 9 Cigar milder than a 17 Things that may fly maduro around saloons 46 A lowercase “f” on 14 Top of an espresso 18 France’s Académie a blue background, for Facebook ___ Beaux-Arts 15 Novelist Umberto 16 Swing by 19 Gives deep 47 Like Delta Force unannounced massage therapy forces 6

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No. 0415 48 She said “Little boy, gonna make you a man,” in a Kinks song 49 Princess of Avalor, on a Disney show 51 One of the Three Stooges 52 Cares for, as a garden 53 New Deal prez 54 Airport screening org.

56 Cheer repeated before “sis-boombah!”

58 Astronomers’ std.

59 “I Am … ___ Fierce,” #1 Beyoncé album 61 ___ Park, Calif.

63 Plays (around) 65 Curvy 67 Started eating 68 Magic Johnson’s 10,141 69 Ten-gallon hat 70 Cry of disbelief

DOWN 1 Good-natured 2 Mythical beast that’s half lion and half eagle

puzzle by John-Clark Levin and Jeff Chen 3 Edmond ___, “Cyrano de Bergerac” playwright 4 James who sang “At Last” 5 Canadian interjections 6 Distinctively colored freshwater fish 7 Bitter 8 What “it” is supposed to do 9 Y course 10 Rioter’s spoils 11 H.S. course often covering the “Aeneid” 12 Making up variations on a theme 13 Performing live, say 21 Send off, as rays 22 Sea cow 25 One who might become a fiancée 26 Record for later, in a way 29 Screenwriter Nora 31 Flimsy, as an excuse 35 Stuffed grape leaves 36 Half a sextet

37 Member of the weasel family 38 Pitch setter 39 Waits for a better offer, say 40 Game box info 43 Like friends not seen for years 44 Antebellum Dixie 45 People are asked to sign it after an accident 50 1896 Olympics locale 52 Hush-hush org.

55 Tell 57 Many Pennsylvania Dutch speakers 60 Typical “Key & Peele” segment 62 Dark time in France 63 E.R. workers 64 Second part of the sign of the cross, symbolically 65 Glimpsed 66 Indianapolis-toAtlanta dir.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

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Wastewater/Water Plant Operator positions available in the Asheville Area!

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Fill out application at midwestwaterop.com MOUNTAINX.COM

MAY 20-26, 2020

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