Mountain Xpress 06.14.23

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TOP OF THE TOWN

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

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Blue Ridge Public Radio selects Laura Lee as

Asheville’s 19th-century tourists, 20th-century moonshiners and present-day, adventure-seeking residents have long made the most of Deaverview Mountain’s springs and sightlines. Now, with the help of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and a wealthy anonymous conservationist, this natural gem may soon be maintained as the county’s largest public park.

COVER PHOTO Frances O’Connor; image has been enlarged to emphasize the city’s urban landscape

high gear, Warren Wilson bicyclist

COVER

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Asheville’s illusion of leadership

[Regarding Asheville Watchdog’s “Down Town” series, Feb. 27-June 1 (avl.mx/crk), with condensed versions republished in Xpress:]

Want to hear something funny?

Asheville City Council members are operating under the illusion they are leaders. Ninety percent of leadership can be summarized in four main qualities, which are: being supportive; operating with a strong results orientation; seeking different perspectives; and solving problems effectively.

They are incapable of actual leadership, and worse, they lack the courage to actually be a leader. At best, they are policymakers, very often playing the role of people who work in human resources or accounting. Budgeting different departments and pay for city employees. This is part of their duties.

Aside from administrative tasks, they are incapable or lack the courage to tackle actual problems that affect those who live in or visit Asheville. They make few decisions, other than hire outside consulting firms for possible insight when looking for a solution. If the recommended solution doesn’t sit well with them, wait a while and hire another consulting firm with the hope its solution is more palatable.

Once a solution that fits their vision is found, at taxpayer expense, they may still have to hire yet another consulting firm for the “how-to” to actually implement the plan.

With Asheville’s form of government, a critical person in the leadership food chain is actually the city manager, hired, of course, by Council. The current city manager, who acknowledges she is an introvert, can’t lead. She may be an outstanding administrator but clearly is not a leader or implementer.

So, we have bike lanes that are seldom used but horrible traffic. You have to be very alert if you are downtown, either that you don’t step in human waste on the sidewalk or to be alert for the aggressive panhandler waiting to harass you for money, if not demanding or threatening.

Asheville is an awesome beer destination, and there are some great breweries downtown. I don’t recommend them to visitors, solely because downtown is a cesspool of homeless and drug addicts, and there are plenty of equally good breweries outside the downtown. And somewhere, the leadership decided that removing a significant number of on-street parking spots,

forcing people into predatory private lots, was a good move?

If you are happy with the status quo, then reelect these failed leaders, but if you don’t want aggressive panhandlers in your face, human waste on your shoe or to be able to have pride in Asheville, vote them out and demand those elected replace the city manager with an actual leader.

— Miles Bosworth Asheville

Will Asheville go the way of Greenwich Village?

[Regarding “Can Asheville Stay Weird? Businesses Try to Maintain Uniqueness Amid City’s Rapid Growth,” May 24, Xpress:]

Having grown up in Greenwich Village in the ’70s, full of quirky little family-run shops, I see Asheville heading down the same road. Now when you go to the Village, it’s a Starbucks, bank and drugstore on every single street. How many of those do you need? Where are the fun record shops, the cozy restaurants and the Italian family grocery store that I grew up frequenting? All gone, in the name of “progress.”

Money talks, so none of this is a surprise in what’s happening to Asheville. What does surprise me is how openly the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority rushes headlong into grasping for the new and shiny, instead of supporting and encouraging the delightfully unique that is already there.

We still have time to change things, but it will take a focus on building on

what we have, not tearing down the old for the new. Will we ever learn?

— Lisa Wagoner Asheville

Quirky is not important

[Regarding “Can Asheville Stay Weird? Businesses Try to Maintain Uniqueness Amid City’s Rapid Growth,” May 24, Xpress:]

Hey readers, I came here from Chapel Hill two years ago. I am stunned by the lack of respect for such beauty that surrounds us. I have never seen such filth as I have here. I have traveled the country, and now I must move on.

Get real — quirky doesn’t work. Picking up the garbage does. Come on, so-called cool people: Take care of your community or don’t live here. Have some pride, for God’s sake.

— Karen White Asheville

Ban single-use plastics for our planet’s future

Did you know MountainTrue found an average of 19 particles of microplastic per liter of water in the French Broad River, 40% of them being from candy wrappers, plastic bags and disposable bottles? Every single time MountainTrue takes a sample of our French Broad River watershed, plastic pollution is found at some degree. This is unacceptable!

As eighth grade students from Francine Delany New School for Children, we want our community to protect our health and ban

single-use plastics. It’s time for us to stop putting convenience before health. Single-use plastics are damaging to our watersheds and our planet’s climate.

Because they’re made from fossil fuels, single-use plastics contribute to global warming, and when single-use plastic breaks down, it turns into microplastic particles, which travel through the water and the air.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, we ingest one credit card’s worth of plastic each week. Not to mention that chemicals in plastics, like phthalates, are linked to childhood asthma and are damaging to our reproductive and nervous systems. This is unacceptable, and it’s time for adults to do the right thing. Ban single-use plastics.

As young people, we rely on adults to make responsible choices, so Asheville, please ban single-use plastics and ensure we have a habitable planet for the future.

— Anthony “Lucas” Nesbitt and Harvey Welch

Francine

Delany New School for Children

Asheville

War and peace and Buncombe County

Many of the Xpress online comments and offline letters criticizing my pleas to my relative Jack Cecil [“Dear John Francis Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil IV (Jack),” May 10, Xpress] have been contemptuously dismissive. They include: “Might be time to put down the pipe,” “repetitive nonsense” and “join the real world.” The writers apparently think that the Pratt & Whitney weapons plant that Jack helped locate in Buncombe County is a logical thing, and more and better weapons are necessary.

But the real-world facts are that the U.S. use of war weapons, parts of which were often made by Pratt & Whitney, have often backfired horribly in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, among many others. In fact, 200 others since 1950, according to The Journal of Conflict Resolution

Another critical theme of the writers is that there are bad guys in the world. And that Lord Robert Cecil’s mindset and Nobel Peace Prize activities were quickly forgotten after Hitler began (true to his word) his conquest of Europe. Yes, I was shattered when my League of Nations failed to prevent Hitler’s rampage. However, the current real world is that England has 220 and France 290 nuclear weapons, according to the

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

Federation of American Scientists. Thus, Putin cannot try to overrun much of Europe as Hitler did without almost certainly precipitating the near-total destruction of his country. And that’s even without NATO’s use of the 5,428 nuclear weapons of the United States. Of course, then Russia might respond with its 5,977 nuclear weapons, and much of humanity will be exploded, incinerated and/ or irradiated to death — all within a few days. We’re not in World War II anymore.

Paul Weichselbaum’s Xpress letter is more nuanced than the others [ “Branyon Channels Revisionist History,” May 24]. He contends that NATO expansion “beyond the Baltic states was unnecessary and ill-advised, but that expansion was not the proximate cause of Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.”

And: “It takes a very amateur historian to assert that the ‘merchants of death’ are the cause of war” for there are “multiple causes” of war.

Yet the real-world fact is that negotiation is still possible with Russia. Probably only Putin knows what he would have done if the U.S. had pledged not to extend NATO into Ukraine, an outcome he constantly demanded. Gorbachev and Yeltsin often expressed the same NATO concerns. We can still agree not to extend NATO if we would.

Isn’t it worth a try, considering the carnage vicious Putin is inflicting on Ukraine and the potential for nuclear war?

And yes, there often are multiple causes of war, but that means the influence of defense contractors can’t be discounted, either. For instance, current Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin used to sit on the board of Raytheon, the parent company of Pratt & Whitney. In militarytimes. com, Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently stated that in “2019 a government watchdog found that the Pentagon’s 14 largest [private] contractors had hired 1,700 former Department of Defense senior civilian and military officials.” Thus, the untangling of whether war decisions are made for private profit or public policy is almost impossible these days. And that will also be true if we get into the war with China that many are promoting.

Therefore, the negotiations that I hoped would become the main way to handle disputes between nations may still be the best way to peace in Ukraine, China and the world. And it’s a real-world possibility that the alternative may be the horror of a nuclear World War III. The Pratt & Whitney plant that Jack Cecil and Buncombe County recruited, along with many other such plants, may contribute to

this cataclysm as they try to maximize profits by promoting war.

— Edgar Algernon Robert GascoyneCecil, 1st Viscount Cecil of Chelwood, aka Lord Robert Cecil (1864-1958) via Bill Branyon Asheville

A clarion call to end war enabling

It has been interesting and exasperating to read some of the responses to Bill Branyon’s thoughtfully researched and crafted commentary about the views of Jack Cecil’s ancestor, Lord Robert Cecil [“Dear John Francis Amherst Vanderbilt Cecil IV (Jack),” May 10, Xpress]. Presented as a warning to those of us alive now, it is perhaps too intellectually challenging for some folks to see the serious issues that our country and the world have, thus far, refused to meaningfully address to the peril of life on Earth.

Einstein said: “The splitting of the atom has changed everything, save our mode of thinking. Thus, we drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.” It is our thinking about conflict and our relationship to our natural environment that has got to evolve past our primitive brains. What is the logic of destroying nations, their peoples and environments to achieve some

perceived safety? It is the complete absence of logic! War is the ultimate stupidity. It must end!

As long as we remain stupid, those who profit from war will gladly create the next one and the next one and the next one.

Bill’s article was a clarion call to end our enabling. Sadly, most eyes and ears are not able to see or hear.

Einstein also said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Can we even imagine a world in which war is abolished? In which resources are shared, in which communities and societies are strong because they invest in what lifts up human beings and the natural world?

War and climate disruption/pollution/human disease and environmental disintegration are related. If humans are such evolved creatures, why do we still depend on the threat of mass destruction and war to achieve security? We need to be about the business of protecting our natural environment, seeing humanity as part of the web of all life on Earth. More industries manufacturing weapons parts and destroying hundreds of acres of pristine forests and the living webs within them is the opposite of what our community needs to truly thrive.

— Anne Craig Asheville

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

Top of the town Conservancy

saves Deaverview from development

BY GREG PARLIER

When you emerge from underneath the oaks on Deaverview Mountain’s highest point, a jaw-dropping panorama of the French Broad Valley materializes. With contiguous sightlines from Weaverville to Bearwallow Mountain and Bent Creek, there might not be a better view of Asheville below the clouds — and soon it may be accessible to anyone with as little as a bus pass.

The 342-acre tract atop Deaverview Mountain was purchased by an anonymous conservationist in March with the intention of selling the land to the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. SAHC has three years to obtain federal and state grants to repay the buyer, then it plans to turn the property over to Buncombe County as a park or preserve.

The land has been in private hands for decades, most recently owned by John Ward and Pamela Whitney before they sold it to Deaverview Mountain LLC in March for $7.3 million.

Ward and Whitney had various plans for developing the mountaintop property, including building a multiunit high-end development before ultimately deciding to sell the entire tract with the understanding it would be conserved, according to Jay Leutze, senior adviser to the SAHC board.

“I love that it connects us all, people who have been here a long time and those that have moved here more recently,” says Buncombe County Commissioner Terri Wells.

Just 5 miles from downtown, the entrance road to Deaverview is about a half-mile from the closest bus stop on Deaverview Road.

“One of the reasons I got so excited about it is because of that proximity

to a large part of our population that will then have access to this wonderful mountain park with these trails,” Wells says.

‘A DREAM COME TRUE’

Neighbors and conservationists are also thrilled about the potential to prevent the development of what those familiar call one of the most “iconic” vistas in Buncombe County and to provide public access to a natural area in a part of the county with few existing parks.

“We don’t have a lot of outdoor recreation access of that quality right in town,” says neighbor Jamie Ervin, an outdoor recreation policy advocate for Outdoor Alliance. “And so, a benefit is that it creates more of an opportunity to help people who maybe don’t have a background in outdoor recreation or people that have been historically excluded from outdoor spaces or don’t feel welcome there. They have much less of a barrier to getting outside and seeing a really good view and just building a better connection with the mountains in our area.”

Josh Kelly, a public lands biologist for MountainTrue who’s hiked in the area numerous times with per-

mission from previous owners, adds that the site would be Buncombe’s first county-owned forest park. “And that location is pretty neat because it kind of straddles the divide between Asheville, Leicester and Erwin Hills, and has an Appalachian-urban feel to it,” he says.

Furthermore, several prominent streams in West Asheville like Smith Mill, Ragsdale and Canie creeks start on Deaverview’s slopes, and Kelly says the presence of salamanders indicates high water quality in those headwater springs.

Deaverview is also where Kelly first learned to identify birds by ear because of its convenient location and diverse bird habitat, including a mature oak forest, he says.

Meanwhile, longtime Erwin resident Kim Plemmons, a Buncombe County Board of Education member, is especially excited about the opportunities a mountain park might afford students from nearby schools.

“Having a park there is just, it’s almost like a dream come true for this community because we need these types of things and these types of venues for kids and teenagers [to enjoy],” Plemmons says.

Plemmons says Angie Trantham, principal of Johnston Elementary,

DEAVER’S VIEW: Reuben Deaver would have seen a very different view from his namesake mountain in the early 1800s than this one, pictured in May. Photo by Frances O’Connor

located 1.5 miles from the mountain’s access road, already has plans for field trips up the mountain. The opportunities for on-site instruction and connection with nature for all schools, but especially those in the Erwin district, are endless, she says.

Leutze echoes that sentiment.

“Every kid that comes up here will be moved the way I’m moved when I’m here. And that leads to curiosity and a desire for more exploration. And I think this can be the kick-start for lots of kids getting their first nature fix. And once you’ve had this feeling, you want it again,” Leutze says.

“And those become our ambassadors for more parks on the valley floor, more connectivity for wildlife and addressing invasive species in our landscape. Those are such important things facing us right now.”

DEAVER’S VIEW

Deaverview has a rich cultural history dating back to early Asheville.

In the 1800s, the mountain was referred to as Mount Yeadon, named after the editor of the Charleston Courier, and was noted for its views of Asheville and the Hominy Valley, according to several books written about the time.

Eventually, the mountain fell into the hands of its namesake, Rueben Deaver, who operated the nearby Sulphur Springs Hotel with his fatherin-law, Robert Henry. The original hotel was built in 1834 and became one of Asheville’s first tourist attractions.

There are multiple accounts of visitors and residents traveling up to a vista near the hotel for its views, including one from Mountain Scenery by Henry E. Colton, published in 1859.

“The view of the valley of Hommony [sic] Creek is extremely good, and enables one to form at a glance a correct idea of the supassing [sic] fertility of that region. It is about two and a half miles from the Springs to the top of this little mountain. The traveller [sic] who visits Asheville will most certainly go to the Sulphur Springs; and, when there, a jaunt to Mount Yeadon is indispensable to the full appreciation to the [sic] attractions of that section.”

A fire destroyed the hotel in 1861. Decades later, the property was rebuilt and renamed before it too was consumed by flames in 1892.

HOOCH ON ‘BALD SPOT’

A century later, the family of longtime local resident David Warren was still recreating on the mountain and the adjacent Spivey Mountain, even using its springs to distill moonshine in old clawfoot bathtubs, he says.

Warren says his grandfather was one of the best liquor makers around, even attracting a congressman up to the woods to try his hooch.

Neighbors could tell when Warren’s grandfather had a fresh batch because the creek coming off the mountain would turn white from him washing out his equipment up the slope, he says.

When Warren was growing up, Deaverview was referred to as Bald Spot, after its treeless southern vista, a spot made possible by previous owners running as much as 100 head of cattle on the mountain. Since then, the forest has grown considerably toward the opening, limiting what are still expansive views to the south and east.

It was common for teenagers to take their dirt bikes up the mountain in the 1970s and ’80s, Warren says, some with permission and some without.

OTHER LOCAL TALES

Like Warren, others within the community have similar memories of the site’s former use. Aside from dirt biking, Plemmons says teenagers also used the mountain as a date spot. She adds that before she married her husband, he would take her as close to the top as he could get in his Jeep.

Many neighbors say they accessed Deaverview, or “Old Baldy,” via trails originating off Spivey Mountain Road, and therefore some incorrect-

ly still refer to the entire area as Spivey Mountain. According to U.S. Geological Survey maps, Spivey’s peak lies to the north on a different private tract that includes communication towers. That tract is closed to the public and has been for years.

At one point, when neighbors could hike Deaverview via Spivey Mountain Road, local musician Kendra Warren, David Warren’s daughter, wrote a song, “Spivey Mountain Jam,” about a story her dad tells from his childhood on the mountain.

According to the song, Kendra Warren’s dad stole cigarettes from his father and started a fire somewhere in those woods.

Ben Gilmer, who has lived in the Deaverview area for years, brought his kids up to the vista regularly before owners cracked down on unapproved access via Spivey Mountain Road several years ago.

“It just means a whole lot to [the kids]. They’ve seen pictures of themselves up on the mountain when they were younger. It felt like a real loss to have this sort of beautiful mountain playground taken away from them. And so, they’re very excited about having the chance to get back there,” Gilmer says.

THE KEY TO ASHEVILLE’S FUTURE

Now, if SAHC is successful in securing funds, Deaverview will be publicly managed and open to all.

“It’s like a really good view. I mean, it’s on par with places you would go hiking off the parkway, and it’s really cool to see downtown Asheville, just like it’s the kind of place that will help people love the outdoors,” says Ervin.

“That’s how we create people that are going to care for the mountains and are going to protect our region over the long term by exposing them to places like that.”

Leutze, who wrote a book about his work conserving Roan Mountain, says he sees conserving Deaverview as possibly the key to Asheville’s future for many reasons.

“You can see for miles,” Leutze says. “That means also you can see threats, and you can see what a changing climate is going to do on the landscape scale. So, I think of this as a critical window, a really amazing laboratory and window into the landscape.

“And conservationists have all come to the conclusion that our work needs to not be discrete pockets,” he continues. “It needs to be landscape wide, in order to have real impact and help a landscape respond to a changing climate and a growing population. If we don’t lock down these greenways and trails and forest linkages now it only gets more expensive in

future.”

the

ACCESSIBLE VISTA: Supporters of conserving Deaverview Mountain as a county park cite its accessibility close to Asheville’s population center and proximity to a bus line as key aspects of its potential. Photo by Frances O’Connor

MOUNTAIN SAVIOR: Jay Leutze, senior adviser for Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, admires the view on Deaverview’s bald peak as he reflects on his work advocating for forest conservation. He is known for his work helping to conserve Roan Mountain on the North Carolina-Tennessee line. Photo by Frances O’Connor

A gentler approach

Asheville firefighters roll out community responder team pilot

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

There has been a new sight in downtown Asheville since May 1: members of the Asheville Fire Department interacting with the public as part of a community responder pilot program.

Four firefighters compose the team — two primarily reaching out to people who may be unhoused or experiencing a behavioral health issue, and two primarily meeting with downtown business owners to address their needs and concerns. The intent of the community responder team is to have a “proactive approach” to outreach, explains AFD Lt. TJ Fortenberry, who manages the team day to day.

Following a drumbeat of criticism over how the city addresses the unhoused population, substance use, crime and mental health, Asheville announced the pilot April 20 as part of Asheville’s 60-day “downtown safety initiative.” It is part of a yearslong goal of reimagining public safety.

When someone calls 911, dispatch at the Buncombe County Public Safety Communications Center asks if a fire, police or medical response is needed, says county spokesperson Lillian Govus

Firefighters are trained as emergency medical technicians, so AFD or local fire departments within the county might be dispatched to provide medical help if they are closest to the incident. AFD also responds to any life-threatening emergency, says AFD spokesperson Kelley Klope Firefighters can stabilize a patient while Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services is on the way, Govus explains.

Therefore, AFD sometimes is the first on the scene when a person is unresponsive on the sidewalk or someone seems to be in a mental health crisis. Klope notes that firefighters “have been responding to these calls for many years. … They constantly respond to suicide, drug issues, behavioral health issues.”

However, there is not a single solution to many of these types of calls. Emergency services providers in Asheville and Buncombe County have frequently told Xpress that such calls involve complex and multilay-

ered issues like behavioral health, hunger, poverty or neglect.

That’s where the community responders come in. “Instead of firefighters responding to those situations that aren’t necessarily an emergency, community responders are trying to reach people where they are, bring them resources, build relationships, know these people and know how to help them,” says Klope.

BOOTS ON THE GROUND

According to the AFD Community Responder dashboard, between April 26, when the pilot was ramping up, and June 12, the team had 398 proactive interactions, meaning they spoke with someone, and responded to 59 events upon request. (Data is updated in real time on the dashboard.) Among those interactions, community responders conducted over 70 wellness checks and addressed several first aid/wound care needs.

The community responders are assigned primarily to downtown. A public “heat map” of the pilot’s outreach shows the majority of interactions have taken place on Haywood Street, North Lexington Avenue, North Pack Square and North Ann Street. However, the responders also venture beyond downtown limits; other locations lit up on the “heat map” include West Asheville around Balm Grove Avenue and Haywood Road, and the Swannanoa River Greenway next to the Walmart Supercenter.

“Big picture, [the data] will be used for efficacy analysis,” explains Emily Ball Asheville community and economic development homeless strategy manager. “Did the pilot work? What did we learn from it? What do we do next?” She says community responders are collecting basic data but “also trying to understand what are they responding to, what’s the situation … and what’s their response. Did they connect someone to a service? Did they provide immediate service themselves — overdose reversal, first aid?”

Ball says it’s also important for community responders to report when they are unable to assist someone or resolve a problem. Data about what is missing from Asheville’s supportive services can be just as

instructive for future decision-making as what works, she explains.

‘WE’RE REALLY NOT THREATENING’

While more police downtown is another component of the 60-day downtown safety initiative, the AFD community responders say the philosophy behind their role is to be lowkey. They aren’t law enforcement, they’re not in uniform, and they don’t carry guns, handcuffs or Tasers.

“Maybe [people have] been traumatized by something in the past,” explains responder Capt. David Sullivan . “Sometimes that can cause a trigger [when interacting with emergency responders] — versus when we approach wearing

what we’re wearing, we’re really not threatening.”

AFD and BCEMS are in the “sweet spot” of addressing the needs of people on the street because they aren’t responsible for enforcing laws, explains Mike DeSerio, outreach program manager for Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina, a nonprofit providing services for the homeless. It also helps that the community responders “dress down” in a casual polo shirt and pants, he says.

The team operates on 12-hour shifts several days a week. (Team members aren’t being dispatched to other AFD calls “on the truck” during the pilot phase, but the team can come to a scene if requested, Klope says.) Firefighters volunteered to be considered for the pilot, and the project manager, Assistant

Fire Chief Patrick Crudup, selected four. The team is all male, but Crudup says that if the pilot is expanded, he’d like to see more diversity on the team.

Ball and integrated housing specialist Katherine Ellington helped draft interview questions for the pilot hopefuls. Ball says she was “impressed by the folks that we talked with for the empathy and the natural deescalation ability that they have.”

They ask unhoused people, “Can I help you get somewhere?” and “Are you working with someone on housing?” (A question for business outreach is “What has your experience been?”)

The team received guidance from representatives at Homeward Bound and a therapist who works with the

unhoused population. Team members also took a class on critical stress management with Responder Support Services, an organization contracted to provide behavioral health counseling to AFD and APD.

The training addressed the subtle nuances of body language — how close to sit to someone, where to stand in relation to someone on the ground — and how it appears to those who have experienced trauma. “For the most part, everyone [we] encounter has had some type of physical or mental trauma that’s occurred to them,” says Sullivan.

The community responders are “well trained to know what to do, what to say and not to make promises that you can’t keep because a lot of these folks have been promised a lot while they’re on the street, and people haven’t followed through,” Sullivan says. “So, there’s a lack of trust on their part.”

‘A CONSOLIDATED EFFORT’

AFD’s community responder program covers some of the same ground as the four-person mobile community outreach team, or MCOT, within BCEMS. The two teams are working together in “a consolidated effort,” says BCEMS Director Taylor Jones, noting that both teams have emergency medical technician training.

This collaboration is fostered with a weekly meeting among service providers. The meetings were organized by the BCEMS community paramedics who have a workspace at Haywood Street Congregation. DeSerio from Homeward Bound says he attends weekly with the AFD community responders, BCEMS’ community paramedics and representatives from Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness and Buncombe County Justice Services. The assembled group works to “navigate issues coming up,” DeSerio says.

He says his interactions with community responders have been positive. “I feel like their approach is one of support and aligns with what we’re doing already in outreach,” explains DeSerio. “Essentially, it feels like more hands on deck for what’s already being done, which is really needed.”

Jones concurs. “Anytime that communities can come together and provide more comprehensive services, it serves the community,” he says. “The problem’s a very large problem. And so, the more responders, we can put on the ground to provide services [the better].”

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS: Asheville Fire Department Capt. David Sullivan, left, is a liaison with business owners downtown as part of a new community responder pilot within the department. Lt. TJ Fortenberry, right, oversees the four-person team working on the pilot through June. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

Blue Ridge Public Radio selects Laura Lee as news director

Blue Ridge Public Radio has announced Laura Lee as its news director. Lee joined BPR as interim news director in January after previously serving as the news editor at the statewide investigative outlet Carolina Public Press and as a writer and editor at the national education publication Edutopia. Lee received a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate of law from UNC Chapel Hill, and worked as a producer at National Public Radio in Washington on “All Things Considered” and “Talk of the Nation,” among other programs.

Big-time support

The Asheville Humane Society will receive a $40,000 grant contribution to the Lily-Grace Fund from national nonprofit Petco Love. The fund supports care for shelter animals with significant medical concerns. The Asheville Humane Society also received a

$120,000 grant from PetSmart Charities to support veterinary care in the Emma and Deaverview communities.

Inaugural award

Choice Hotels International Inc. unveiled the Tony Fraga Visionary Leadership Award, which honors late hotel owner and developer Tony Fraga. Fraga was the founder of FIRC Group, which operates the hotel Cambria Downtown Asheville, Haywood Park Hotel and Country Inn and Suites Asheville River Arts District. The inaugural award, recognizing outstanding leadership in the Cambria brand, was presented to Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Hospitality Management at the Choice Hotels 67th annual Convention to recognize outstanding leadership within the Cambria brand.

Community Champions

United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County announced this year’s Community Champions, which honors people and businesses that partner with the nonprofit to make an impact in the community. This year’s awardees include Shelia Christofalos of Insurance Service of Asheville; Katie Price of Harrah’s Cherokee Center; Velene Fagan of the United for Youth Leadership Team; and 211 Call Center manager Elizabeth Kelly. A full list of recipients can be found at avl.mx/cqn.

Reparations

The Tzedek Social Justice Fund has appointed Torre Garrison as the new

reparations project director for the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville. The RSAA is an independent, Black-led reparations finance authority that manages the distribution of monetary reparations to local Black citizens in response to community input. More information can be found at avl.mx/cqo.

Women for Women

After considering 60 applications, nonprofit Women for Women awarded six grants totaling $278,950 for programming that serves women and girls in Western North Carolina to address mental health, health care, child abuse and financial counseling. The 2023 grant recipients and awards include $64,650 for All Souls Counseling Center; $15,000 for the International Friendship Center; $49,350 for the KARE House; $35,000 for NAMI Western Carolina; $65,000 for OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling; and $49,950 for Sistas Caring 4 Sistas.

Scholarships

Six local students received the George H.V. Cecil Journey Scholarship awarded by Buncombe County-based nonprofit WNC Communities. The endowment fund, which is the result of a $3.1 million donation by the estate of George H.V. Cecil, provides renewable four-year scholarships to high school seniors in Western North Carolina. The 2023

recipients are Abigail Przynosch of Buncombe County; Irvin MoralesSaldivar of Madison County; Kensley Phillips of Graham County; Lucy Murray of Transylvania County; Zorabella Adrignola of Transylvania County; and Joanna Cady of Madison County.

Meal time

PubCorps, a Black Mountainbased nonprofit founded by John Richardson, relaunched in May with a large-scale meal-packing event hosted at the RailYard restaurant in Black Mountain. Nearly 200 volunteers gathered May 7 to pack 61,584 shelf-stable meals, which were then distributed by MANNA FoodBank to families in need across Western North Carolina.

Special needs housing

Asheville-based nonprofit Mountain Housing Opportunities recently acquired 75 units of special needs housing from nonprofit WNC Housing, which develops and preserves properties in conjunction with supportive state mental health services. The housing units are scattered among 20 properties in Buncombe County and are home to about 90 residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, severe and persistent mental illness and other special needs. MHO plans to continue the long-term affordability and special needs access to these properties.

Expansion

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western North Carolina is offering new programming for high school-aged students to mentor elementary school children through High School Bigs. The hourlong mentorship opportunities will allow high schoolers to work with younger students on homework, reading, exploring careers and other activities to expand their confidence and interests. More information at avl.mx/cqv.

National winner

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s The Deerfield home design was awarded Best in Accessibility in Habitat for Humanity International’s nationwide house design contest. The

MAKING MOVES: Laura Lee began her tenure at Blue Ridge Public Radio as interim news director in January. Photo courtesy of BPR

design, which is a single-level, agingin-place townhome for adults ages 55 and older, is also Asheville Habitat’s only house model to earn the Gold level of Green Built certification.

Local recognition

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce awarded the Asheville branch of Quility Insurance with the Sky High Growth Award for experiencing growth and contributing to the local economy in innovative ways. Quility works in partnership with several Asheville-area organizations such as Bounty and Soul, Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, BeLoved and Make-A-Wish of Central and Western North Carolina.

Grant recipients

The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina awarded grants totaling $408,113 for local projects that address early childhood development, food and farming, and natural and cultural resources. Among the awardees were the Region A Partnership for Children, the McDowell Local Food Advisory

Council and the Organic Growers School. A full list of grant recipients and awards is available at avl.mx/cqt.

National cooperative

Asheville-based solar energy company Sugar Hollow Solar was selected from a national pool of applicants to gain membership in the industry group Amicus Solar Cooperative, a certified B corporation and public benefit corporation. Sugar Hollow is the 75th member of the cooperative and the fourth North Carolina solar provider to receive access. Cooperative membership will further reduce energy costs for customers.

Service opportunities

Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity is seeking AmeriCorps members to work as construction crew leaders for home construction and repair. These yearlong service opportunities offer a living allowance, a housing stipend of $700-$800/ month and other benefits. More information at avl.mx/cqu.

— Brooke Randle X

School staff and advocates speak out during budget hearing

Over 100 teachers and education supporters flooded the June 6 meeting of the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, all urging elected officials to fund local school districts at higher levels than proposed for next year’s budget.

The red-clad advocates filled the commission chambers and two overflow rooms, with about 25 speaking during the county’s budget hearing. They said the 10.3% increase for both Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools in the proposed $423.6 million fiscal year 2023-24 budget was far below the level needed to meet local education’s needs.

Several speakers argued for raising property taxes to help pay for increased school budgets. The proposed budget would keep the property tax rate at 48.8 cents per $100 of taxable value for the third straight year, equating to a bill of about $1,460 for a house valued at $300,000.

“These public school workers, the people who need tax relief the most, are willing to pay more in property taxes if it means their co-workers are more comfortable in their jobs. That is such selfless behavior, and I hope the county commissioners honor that,” said Timothy Lloyd, a custodian at Asheville Middle School.

Buncombe County Schools requested $116 million, a 41% increase from 2022-23 funding, primarily to increase pay for teachers and staff. County commissioners are poised to allocate $90.3 million to BCS, up 10% from about $82 million, if the budget passes as is June 20. The Asheville City Schools system is slated to receive $16.8 million of its $20 million request, up from the about $15.2 million it got last fiscal year, according to the county budget.

Several teachers complained that staff losses are mounting at schools, arguing that only significantly higher pay will stop the exodus. “I just found out we are losing a librarian and school counselor today, as well as a math and science teacher,” said Joan Hoffman , a technology teacher at A.C. Reynolds High School.

Daniel Withrow, a teacher at Ira B. Jones Elementary in Asheville City Schools and president of the Asheville City Association of Educators, said more than a third of teachers at his school left last year. For better or worse, he con-

tinued, the county must pick up the state’s slack in terms of support for education.

“You know the state has failed to fund our schools adequately. You know the responsibility to fund our schools has fallen to local govern-

ments. By now you also know we lag far behind other urban districts in meeting this obligation,” he said.

Eden Wood, a fifth grader at Claxton Elementary, said students have noticed the declining morale amongst teachers and staff at school.

“If [the proposed budget] gets passed, I think the teachers are going to lose it for real. If we’re getting to this point, something definitely needs to be done to stop this,” she said. “It’s at a point where teachers aren’t staying for more than a year now. They don’t want to get too connected to their students, and they don’t want to be reluctant to leave. That is really, really hurtful to this community.”

Board Chair Brownie Newman was the only commissioner to address the education advocates at the end of the public hearing.

“I think I certainly speak for everyone on this board when I say we are very deeply concerned about where our state stands in terms of public education currently and some of the proposals that, if enacted, could further dismantle the whole around how our public schools work,” Newman said.

A final vote on the budget is scheduled for the board’s meeting Tuesday, June 20.

In other news

Commissioners decided to delay a decision about changing the time of one of their two meetings each month. The proposal would have moved the board’s meeting on the first Tuesday of each month to 10 a.m. starting in August. The meeting on the third Tuesday of the month would remain at 5 p.m.

Commissioner Al Whitesides said he would not vote for a schedule change because he was concerned the morning time slot would limit working people, particularly people of color, from being able to attend.

“If it ain’t broke, why are we fixing it?” he asked. “This makes it look like we’re going to make it difficult for people to come to meetings.”

Commissioner Parker Sloan said he supported the time change because it would open meetings up to those who work evenings, as well as parents who have to be home with their kids after school. But he added that he would only want to make the shift with unanimous consent among board members.

Commissioners will take up the subject again at the June 20 meeting after seeking more public input via email.

BUDGET BEEF: Buncombe County Association of Educators President Shanna Peele told Buncombe County commissioners that a boost in funding is vital to the future success of local school districts. Photo by Frances O’Connor

MORE MONEY: Timothy Lloyd, a custodian at Asheville Middle School, tells Buncombe County commissioners to honor the wishes of educators to raise property taxes in order to invest more in public education. Photo by Frances O’Connor

Q&A: Hitting high gear, Warren Wilson bicyclist stars in Patagonia documentary

Growing up in one of the most dangerous public housing projects in Richmond, Va., Monte Cosby did not dream of being the subject of a Patagonia documentary. But getting into cycling in high school paved the path to just that.

A senior majoring in outdoor leadership, Cosby is a member of Warren Wilson College’s nationally ranked cycling team. He is also the subject of Patagonia’s new film, Monte: Can’t stop. Won’t stop. which premiered at the college on April 29. Patagonia is touring the country screening the documentary.

Cosby discovered biking through the founders of Richmond Cycling Corps Legacy Academy, a group that uses bicycles to give young people a path out of that city’s housing projects. The academy and Warren Wilson College work together to identify young people who might thrive at the small, liberal arts college. Academy

founder Craig Dodson was especially key in getting Cosby to cycle.

“He kept coming around, even when I did not want to ride,” Cosby tells Xpress. But ride he did, and the sport quickly served as a bridge to new opportunities. Cosby enrolled as a student in the academy, which led to him earning a full scholarship to Warren Wilson.

“Growing up was like any other public housing — repeatedly seeing drug deals, prostitution, violence,” Cosby says. “My friends would get locked up. There were gunshots all the time. But my family was strong together. Worked together. Loved each other. Kept a tight circle. Took part in family cookouts.”

Cosby’s dream after college is to return home to give back to his community by getting more young people on bikes. He also wants to work on breaking down racial barriers within the sport.

This interview has been condensed for length and edited for clarity.

Xpress: Who got you on a bike? How old were you? Were you a natural from the start?

Cosby: Matt Kuhn and Craig Dodson, the founders of Richmond Cycling Corps, got me on a bike when I was 12. I was not a natural from the start. Craig and Matt pushed me hard in practice. I felt like Craig was pushing us further than I ever had been pushed. He made us do morning and afternoon workouts and rides consistently.

When did you realize that you wanted to become a cyclist? Tell us about the moment you went from riding bikes for fun to training as a competitive sport.

Honestly, I did not want to be a competitive cyclist. All the training and expectations by my coaches pushed me to race. I always raced to make a difference, to prove I could do it. So, I guess there was not really a moment. It happened because my life was going down a path I did not want it to go down. I had a choice to choose racing or the streets. Racing was more beneficial mentally and physically. Matt and Craig really were there coaching us even when I did not want to race. And after the race, I always felt good. Like I accomplished a lot. I did something that was so different.

Tell us some challenges you face as a cyclist.

One challenge I faced as a cyclist is being one of the only Black people at races. It makes me feel a lot of pressure, like expectations might be higher on me. I feel self-conscious a lot. Also, I tore my ACL [knee ligament].

What do you love most about cycling?

What I love most about cycling is the community. Some of my best friends are cyclists. What I love about being on the bike is how I feel. When I am on a bike, I feel free. I feel fast. I feel strong.

You say in the media release about the people you grew up with,

“These people are really dedicated to being something great; it’s just hard for them to be great when there’s nothing around them that’s great.” Do you feel your success has alienated you from others back home who didn’t get the opportunity that you did? Or do you see a lot of support?

I see a lot of support, especially from my neighborhood. My friends uplift me. They encourage me. They brag to other people.

How did you feel when Patagonia contacted you about this film?

I was hyped when Patagonia contacted me about this opportunity. It felt like a dream. It felt like I was being heard. It felt like my story is important.

When did you start saying “can’t stop, won’t stop?”

Ha. Day one. When I joined RCC. It is painted on the side of the bike trailer. Besides that mantra, what advice do you have for anyone who finds themselves “stuck” in what seems like a hopeless situation?

It is OK to feel how you are feeling. I say also go out and look for opportunities. And take them.

— Andy Hall X

CAN’T STOP. WON’T STOP: Warren Wilson student Monte Cosby is featured in a new Patagonia documentary. Photo by Jess Daddio

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

JUNE 14 - JUNE 22, 2023

For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

 Online-only events

 More info, page 30

WELLNESS

Narcotics Anonymous

Meetings

Visit wncna.org/ basic-meeting for dates, times and locations.

Sparkle Time Holistic

Exercise

Aerobic, strengthening, balance and flexibility.

WE (6/14, 21), MO (6/19), 10:30am, Avery’s Creek Community Center, 899 Glennbridge Rd SE Arden

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.

WE (6/14, 21), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109

Free Zumba Gold

Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Free, but donations for the instructor are appreciated. For more information please call (828) 350-2058.

WE (6/14, 21), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Free Zumba

Free Zumba class that will focus on health and fitness with local Zumba instructor, Lynn T. All fitness levels are welcome.

TH (6/15), 4:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Dharma & Discuss

People coming together in friendship to meditate, learn and discuss the Dharma. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (6/15, 22), 7pm, Swannanoa Valley Friends Meetinghouse, 137 Center Ave, Black Mountain

Free Yoga

A yoga session outdoors.

FR (6/16), 5pm, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave

Wave on the Edge: LGBTQ Sweat Your Prayers

Body Liberation space, safe space for queer people to move in a sober environment. No dance experience

necessary.

SA (6/17), 9:30am, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

Yoga For Everyone

For all ages and abilities. Instructors are trained to facilitate classes for people standing, or in a chair.

Bring your own mat, water bottle and mask.

Registration is required.

SA (6/17), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Goat Yoga on the Farm

Move through your sun salutation in a wide open field as baby goats frolic nearby.

SA (6/17), 10am, Round Mountain Creamery, 2203 Old Fort Rd, Black Mountain

Silent Walking Meditation & Tea

A short walk with meditation instructions around Lake Tomahawk with moments of walking in silence. Afterwards, there will be iced tea, hot tea and snacks.

SA (6/17), 10am, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr Black Mountain

Therapeutic Slow Flow

Yoga

A blend of mediation, breathing and movement. All bodies, genders, and identities welcome. Bring your own mat.

SA (6/17), 10am, Mount Inspiration Apparel, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103

Pilates

Free pilates mat class with Alexis from Cisco Pilates. The class is beginner friendly. Register at avl.mx/crn

SA (6/17), 11am, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St

Yoga in the Park

Each class is unique, intertwining movement and breath, with a different focus of strength and release. All-levels welcomed, but bring your own props and mat.

SA (6/17), SU (6/18) 11am, 220 Amboy Rd

Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group

Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. Email depressionbipolarashe-

MOVEMENT OF CELEBRATION: Asheville-based choreographer and director Melvin AC Howell hosts a live performance at Marshall High Studios on Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. This multidisciplinary performance integrates dance, music and theatrical elements to spread positive messages about race, class and Black history across Western North Carolina.

ville@gmail.com or call or text (828) 367-7660 for more info.

SA (6/17), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd

Happy Feet, Ankles & Knees

Learn how to use the feet, ankles and knees to make your whole body happier and healthier. Practice postures to support strength and alignment, while promoting mobility and optimal function.

SA (6/17), 3pm, Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Dances of Universal Peace

Simple melody and movement set to sacred phrases from a number of spiritual traditions. No experience needed, all dances and chants are taught.

SA (6/17), 7:30pm, Haw Creek Commons, 315 Old Haw Creek Rd

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

A conscious movement experience in a 100year old building with a community of women at all life stages.

SU (6/18), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Spring Flow w/Jamie

Designed to release heat stored in the body, release excess kapha, and prepare the

body for summer. Class is held outside. Bring your mat.

SU (6/18), 11am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks

This class is centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for queer and gender non-conforming individuals.

SU (6/18), 1:30pm, West Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

Mettā & Meditation

In-person guided meditation focused on benevolence & loving-kindness. This event is free and open to beginners as well as experienced practitioners. MO (6/19), 7pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Zumba

Mask and social distancing required. Por Favor usa tu cubre bocas antes de la clase.

TU (6/20), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain

Mindfulness, Meditation & Free Yoga w/ Lauren C

A local Asheville yoga instructor who's passion is mental health & mindfulness, will be leading you into an evening of breathwork,

meditation and yoga.

WE (6/21), 6pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

ART

Wildflower Drawing

Stephanie will guide you through stepby-step drawing and coloring techniques. There will be a handout of photographs of the flower to use as visual references. Each flower will be observed closely to learn more about their parts and unique characteristics.

WE (6/14, 21), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Izzy Losskarn: There’s Plenty for Everyone

Features large scale pastel drawings which invite the viewers into an imagined household space full of hyperbolic, absurdly manipulated products that are familiar to contemporary domesticity. Gallery Monday through Saturday, 9am, closed Sunday. Exhibition through June 28. Revolve Studio, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179

Lisa Clague: A Solo Exhibition

Renowned figurative ceramist Lisa Clague presents new sculptural work in a range of scale, from oversized

heads to diminutive busts. Clague’s chimeric forms are often an amalgamation of human and animal imagery.

Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, Sunday, noon. Exhibition runs through June 24.

Momentum Gallery, 24 N Lexington Ave

Art in Bloom: Regional Artists Gallery Exhibit

The gallery features selected pieces from regional artists. The works featured will be inspiration for the arrangements created by our floral designers. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through June 14.

Black Mountain

Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Art in Bloom: Preview

Party Browse the floral interpretations at their freshest and meet the floral designers. There will be drinks, hors d'oeuvres, and live music to celebrate this series.

TH (6/15), 5pm, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain Arts-N-Scraps

Bring your creativity and interest in craft.

All the supplies will be provided for you.

TH (6/15), 5pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St

The Art of Food: Member-Only Preview

All Museum Members are invited to join us for the exclusive opening of our upcoming exhibition: The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.

TH (6/15), 5pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Free Art Class Art class with all materials provided.

TH (6/15), 6pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101

Art in Bloom 2023

This event, celebrating nature and art, combines two gallery exhibits, live floral arrangements, and a local garden tour featuring working artists. This unique exhibition also serves as a fundraiser for the Black Mountain Center for the Arts. For the full schedule of events visit avl.mx/9nw.

TH (6/15), 5pm, FR (6/16), SA (6/17), 10am.

Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Altruistic Genius: Buckminster Fuller’s Plans to Save the Planet

This exhibition brings the inventions and designs of R.

Buckminster Fuller to Western North Carolina and introduces visitors

to Fuller’s strategies for the sustainability of humans and the planet relating to housing, transportation, mathematics, and engineering. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through August 21.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Bizarre Sábado

Inspired by Mexico City’s Bazaar Sábado, the innovative gathering place and crafts market first organized in 1960 by BMC alum Cynthia Sargent and her husband Wendell Riggs. SA (6/17), 1pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St Natura a Colori Exhibition

This exhibit explores the wide range of expressive possibilities using various techniques from slumping to "painting" with glass powders. The goal of this show is to share the unexpected ways in which kiln-formed glass can make a creative statement. Gallery open Friday through Sunday, 10 am. North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B

Jacqueline Shatz & Margaret Thompson: Eidolon Features Jacqueline Shatz’s small sculptures

Photo by Tanja Kuic

of ambiguous and hybridized figures as well as Margaret Thompson’s paintings which are inspired by elements of the symbolist movement and magical realism. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, 11am. Exhibition through July 23.

Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St, Ste144

Daily Craft Demonstrations

Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths, daily. These free and educational opportunities are open to the public. Daily, 10am.

Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Year of the Rabbit: Solo Exhibition for Hunt Slonem Slonem’s opulent textural paintings of his iconic birds and butterflies and his wildly popular rabbits, as well as unique sculptural works, give us a glimpse into Slonem’s colorful maximalist world and artistic empire. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, Sunday, noon. Exhibition through June 30. Bender Gallery, 29 Biltmore Ave

Pulp Potential: Works in Handmade Paper

The works in this exhibition reveal the breadth of possibilities and unique qualities that exist when artists choose to employ and even create handmade paper. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through July 14.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Black Mountain College & Mexico Exhibition

The exhibition includes original visual works and sound installations by prominent contemporary Mexican artists alongside vintage works by BMC artists and relevant archival materials. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 11am, closed Sunday. Exhibition through September 9.

WE (6/21), 5:30pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

COMMUNITY MUSIC

The Orchard Sessions

w/Erick Baker

Erick Baker is an Emmy Award-winning writer, TV show host, and singer-songwriter. His music blends a divergent set of American roots influences, country, rock, folk, soul, and blues into one seamless sound.

TH (6/15), 6pm, The Farm at Old Edwards, 336 Arnold Rd, Highlands

Pritchard Park Songwriter Series

Each week will feature two songwriters from the community playing songs about life in the 21st century.

TH (6/15, 22), 5:45pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

The Asheville Gay Men's Chorus: 25 Years of LGBTQ+ Voices in the Mountains

Celebrate this historic milestone with these brave gay men and their voices.

TH (6/15), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St Concert Series on the Creek: The V8’s Free concert series for the community with The V8’s providing the good times this week. These events are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome. There will be food trucks available on most nights.

FR (6/16), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva

Josh Goforth

Goforth is a highly accomplished storyteller and acoustic musician playing close to 20 different instruments.

FR (6/16), 7pm Folkmoot Friendship Center, 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville

Jahnavi Harrison: Kirtan & HeartSong

Two evenings of life-giving kirtan and songs that will open your heart. Kirtan is an ancient practice that builds deep bonds and lifts the heart like nothing else.

FR (6/16), SA (6/17) 7:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Summer Concert Series

w/Barret Davis

American roots music

artist Barrett Davis will be performing at the series this week. This free event will take place at the library’s amphitheater or an indoor location in the event of rain.

FR (6/16), 7:30pm, Transylvania County Library, 212 S Gaston St, Brevard

AmiciMusic Presents: Reed 'Em & Weep

A concert featuring trios for oboe, bassoon, and piano. They will be performing works by Ludwig Milde, Ludwig van Beethoven, Geoffrey Bush, Margaret Dring, and Paul Carr. SA (6/17), 2pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

The Asheville Jazz Orchestra

An evening of jazz favorites featuring this 17-piece Asheville Jazz

Orchestra. SA (6/17), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Jahnavi Harrison: HeartSong & Sunday Reset

Reset through meditation, writing, songs and chants. Create a healing, rejuvenating container from which to emerge with fresh perspective for the season ahead. SU (6/18), 1:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Mark's House Jam & Beggar's Banquet

Weekly Sunday pot luck and musician's jam with acoustic and plug in players. It's a family friendly community day so bring a dish to share.

SU (6/18), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Friends of Music: Lucy Owen Hoyt & Deborah Hollis

Friends of Music presents a music concert in the Parish Hall. Three musicians will perform in what they call their “It was meant to be moment".

SU (6/18), 4pm, The Episcopal Church of Saint John in the Wilderness, 1905 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

Free Sound: Slow Packer & Gold Light

A highly curated collaborative concert series from Burial and Static Age Records, bringing audaciously inspiring live music to the Collier stage throughout the summer.

TU (6/20), 5pm, Burial Beer Co., 40 Collier Ave

Sirens of Hominy Series

Featuring a different set of Asheville songstresses every week. Hosted by CaroMia, genres ranging from soul, R&B pop, jazz, to country.

TU (6/20), 6pm, FBO Hominy Creek, 230 Hominy Creek Rd

The Songwriter Sessions w/Mare

Carmody, Ryan Price & Kim Smith

An evening of original songs in natural acoustics and listening room atmosphere. This month's session will feature Mare Carmody, Ryan Price and Kim Smith.

WE (6/21), 7pm, The Brandy Bar, 504 7th Ave E, Hendersonville

Jazz Jam

An open jam session. Drop-ins are welcome so bring your instruments.

TH (6/22), 7pm, LEAF Global Arts, 19 Eagle St

Acoustic Eidolon

Featuring Joe Scott on double neck guitjo and Hannah Alkire on cello from Colorado. Their original sound is created by the mixing

of their diverse musical backgrounds and their unusual instrumentation.

TH (6/22), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Min Xiao-Fen's New Film Scores Performed

Live w/River Guerguerian

Min Xiao-Fen's new film scores will be performed live with River Guerguerian. Together, they bring a unique cross-cultural expression and artistic vision to the stage. Both films will be shown during the performance.

TH (6/22), 8pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

LITERARY

Joke Writing Workshop

Hosted by Disclaimer Stand Up Lounge and moderated by Cody Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn’t working.

WE (6/14, 21), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Virtual Story Time: Cinda Meets Ella w/ Wallace West

This is a live streamed virtual story time event with author Wallace West who will be reading his book, Cinda Meets Ella. Free but registration is required. Register at avl.mx/cr8

WE (6/14), 10am, Online

Pack Library Book Club: Hell of a Book

A book discussion group that meets the second Wednesday of each month. This month's reading is Hell of a Book by Jason Mott. Email jen.waite@ buncombecounty.org or call (828) 250-4700 for more information.

WE (6/14), 10:30am, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St

Poetry Open Mic Hendo

A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday night.

18+

TH (6/15, 22), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave E, Hendersonville

Skyland Library Book Club: Lessons in Chemistry

A book discussion hosted by the Friends of the Skyland/South Buncombe Library. This month's reading is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

TH (6/15), 2:30pm, Skyland/South Buncombe Library, 260 Overlook Rd

Reading & Book Signing w/Andrea L. Rogers

A free reading and book signing with chil-

Business-toBusiness ISSUE Publishes

dren's book and young adult horror writer

Andrea L. Rogers from the Cherokee Nation. This event is presented as a part of Confluence: An Indigenous Writers' Workshop Series

FR (6/16), 5:30pm, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee Land of the Sky 101 Book Club

Each month readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, or groups of essays and poems, and one rigorous non-fiction read. This month we’ll be reading The Brier Sermon by Jim Wayne Miller and Soul City by Thomas Healy. SA (6/17), 10:30am, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St

Asheville Storyslam: Pride

Prepare a five minute story about being proud. The confidence and glory of owning your talents, embracing your identity or, perhaps, flying too close to the sun.

MO (6/19), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

North Asheville Book Club: Covered with Night

The North Asheville Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of every month. This month’s reading is Covered with Night by Nicole Eustace.

TU (6/20), 2pm, North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave

Teen Poetry Writing & Slam

Explore styles, work with prompts, flex your voice and share your prose. Unique lesson plans every Tuesday.

TU (6/20), 2pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

Dark City Poets Society: Poetry Night Poetry night with the dark city poets.

TU (6/20), 6pm, 107 Market & Deli, 107 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

Swannanoa Valley Book Club: George Masa's Wild Vision: A Japanese Immigrant Imagines Western North Carolina

A book club discussion of George Masa's Wild Vision: A Japanese Immigrant Imagines Western North Carolina followed by an author presentation.

TH (6/22), 10am, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

THEATER & FILM

Free Odd Movie

Night: Black Roses

Free heavy metal-themed horror movie released at the height of the Satanic panic of the late ‘80s. Free popcorn. WE (6/14), 9pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd

Da Classroom Ain't

Enuf

An exploration of the intersection of Black and Brown communities, particularly in and around the American educational system, featuring an ensemble of four actors who play teachers, students and their families. A mix of poetry, prose and music, with original tracks by composer Richard Jones.

TH (6/15), FR (6/16), SA (6/17), 7:30pm, The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St

Rodgers & Hammerstein's: Cinderella Enchanted

The Award-winning Broadway musical from the creators of The King and I and The Sound of Music comes to Flat Rock Playhouse. Multiple showings Wednesday through Sunday. Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Hwy 225, Flat Rock

My Way

A musical tribute to Frank Sinatra. My Way celebrates the mystique of Ol’ Blue Eyes and the unforgettable music and wit that made him famous.

TH (6/15), FR (6/16), SA (6/17), 7:30pm, SU (6/18), 2pm

Southern Appalachian Repertory Theatre, 44 College St, Mars Hill

Calendar Girls

A Comedy about friendship as 6 women bare it all for a good cause. Based on the true story of eleven older women who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund.

FR (6/16), SA (6/17), 7:30pm, SU (6/18), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

Leah & the Rabbit

This three-piece act will touch on historical drama and discuss the appropriation of African American stories, resiliency among enslaved people, and the romanticized view of the plantation past. The program is free and will include two showings at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. See p30 SA (6/17), 11am, Vance Birthplace, 911 Reems Creek Rd, Weaverville

Elevate: An Improv Workshop

An improv workshop focused on supporting each other’s ideas. Through improv games and exercises, students will practice scenes and the fundamental principle of “Yes...And”

Open to beginners and all experience levels.

Ages 18+ SU (6/18), 1:30pm, Catawba Brewing Co. South Slope Asheville, 32 Banks Ave

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Competitive Duplicate Bridge

Check bridgeweb.com/ avl for dates, times and special announcements. All are welcome. WE (6/14, 21), FR (6/16), MO (6/19), noon, Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave

Walk Through History:

Lake Tomahawk

A guided walking tour around Lake Tomahawke that will discuss the creation of the lake and its history from its inception in 1936 to the present with attendees. WE (6/14), 10:30am, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 W State St, Black Mountain

Tenant Rights Workshop

The goal of this virtual workshop is to educate tenants about their rights as renters in North Carolina and begin connecting tenants to resources and to each other. There will be a presentation and Q&A session with Pisgah Legal Services followed by a discussion with Just Economics about the Tenants' Network. Register at avl.mx/cq6 WE (6/14), 5:30pm, Online Rhythm of Women

This is a women only drum circle. Learn East African drumming techniques and enjoy the rhythm and sounds of feminine beats. Text (828) 777-6787 to reserve your space.

WE (6/14), 7pm,The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

Children's Week

A week of free cultural activities for children and their caregivers. The week will feature a robust schedule with hands-on experiences and demonstrations from Museum staff and EBCI craftspeople, cultural leaders, and community members. All activities are free of charge, and registration is not required. Visit avl.mx/crm for the full schedule of activities.

WE (6/14), TH (6/15), FR (6/16), SA (6/17), noon, Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 589 Tsali Blvd, Cherokee Spanish Club Spanish speakers of all ages and levels are welcome to join together for conversation to practice the language in a group setting.

WE (6/14, 21), 6pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain

Meet Gracie: Read to a Therapy Dog

Meet Gracie, a certified therapy dog who is the perfect friend for anyone in need of comfort or support.

TH (6/15), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Third Thirsty Thursday

A social event for people interested in being a coach, or a business person wanting to network with coaches in a fun, social environment, Curated by Western Carolinas Coaches (ICF subchapter).

TH (6/15), 5pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, 200

Money Visioning & Goal Setting

In this live and interactive online class, you will get a clear picture of your money goals through an interactive visioning exercise. Then, you’ll learn how to create a realistic savings goal and plan the steps needed to reach it. Register at avl.mx/cr0

TH (6/15), 5:30pm, Online

Butts & Boots: Line Dancing

Beginner line dance and two-step lessons, every Thursday. Free and no partner or experience needed.

TH (6/15), 6pm, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave

Swing Dance Lesson & Dance

Swing dancing lesson and dance, every Thursday.

TH (6/15, 22) 7pm, Alley Cat Social Club, 797 Haywood Rd

Walk & Talk Fridays

Stroll through the pollinator trail, then stay to explore the woodland nature trail, Sally’s Garden, horticultural therapy gardens, as well as the Fairy Trail. Suitable for all ages; children must be accompanied by an adult.

FR (6/16), 10am, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville

Anti-Crime Summit

Congressman Chuck Edwards will be hosting an anti-crime summit to discuss the rates of rising crime and violence in Asheville, Buncombe County and Western North Carolina at large. Members of the public are invited to attend.

FR (6/16), 12:30pm, AB

Tech, Ferguson Auditorium, 340 Victoria Rd

Quick & EZ Dad's Day Cuts for Our NC Veterans

Quick and easy cuts for our Veterans to start the Father's Day weekend off with a nice, fresh trim.

FR (6/16), 1pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Learning the Language of Your Dreams

Tayria will share a brief lecture offering insights into how to develop a relationship with your dreams, explaining why they are important, and giving a brief history of dreamwork.

FR (6/16), 2pm, Engaged Asheville, 41 North Merrimon Ave, Ste 107

PAHC: Silent Vigil for Immigration Reform

The goal is for an immigration reform legislation that: promotes reunification of families; meets economic, business, and employment needs of this country; is responsive to those seeking to enter the

United States legally and includes a path to citizenship for undocumented residents.

FR (6/16), 4pm, 1 Historic Courthouse Square, Hendersonville

Astronomy Club of Asheville: Public Star Gaze

A public star gaze at Grassland Mountain Observatory in Madison County. This event is free and open to everyone, and registration is not necessary to attend. A temporary gate code, required for entry, will be posted on their website by 5:00 pm on the day of the star gaze. Sunset occurs at 8:31 p.m. Location directions at avl.mx/prxa FR (6/16), 5pm, Grassland Mountain Observatory, 2890 Grassland Parkway, Marshall

Explore Srividya: Experience the Divine Feminine Within

Learn about Srividya, the ancient spiritual knowledge to experience the Divine Feminine within. For anyone interested in self-knowledge, truth and seeking to understand the purpose and meaning of life.

FR (6/16), 6pm, Asia House Asheville, 119 Coxe Ave

Office Data & Performance Training

The goal of the community data training is to promote transparency through data accessibility as an organization, advance the conversation regarding data use in the community, as well as encourage community use of the City’s website.

SA (6/17), 10am, Asheville Municipal Building, 100 Court Plaza

Game Day: Perspective Café

Traditional game day with board and card games as well as refreshments from the Perspective Cafe. SU (6/18), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Elizabeth Colton: Journalism Ethics & the Law

A discussion on Journalism ethics and the law, freedom of the press & expression, human rights, the work of Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) worldwide and the case of The Blade reporters covering the homeless removal in Asheville.

SU (6/18), 2:30pm, Ethical Humanist Society, 227 Edgewood Rd

Sew Co./Rite of Passage Factory Tour

On this 30 minute micro-tour, learn about sustainable and transparent business practices and hear about production processes and client collaborations. Preregis-

ter at avl.mx/cec MO (6/19), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & Sew Co, 240 Clingman Ave Ext

Chess Club

Open to all ages and any skill set. There will be a few boards available, but folks are welcome to bring their own as well.

MO (6/19), 4pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain World Tavern Poker Poker night hosted by Nikkita.

MO (6/19), 7pm, The Getaway River Bar, 790 Riverside Dr Information Session on Medical Directives

A free presentation about the essential aspects of Hospice and Advanced Care Planning. This session is designed to help you understand important documents so that your medical wishes are known in writing. The event is free, but RSVP’s are requested by Friday, June 16 to Michele.Rowland@ HCAHealthcare.com .

TU (6/20), 3pm, CarePartners Seymour Auditorium, 68 Sweeten Creek Rd

Good Vibrations

Kids will explore sound, how it is created and what sound waves look like by doing a series of tests with tuning forks. For more information visit buncombecounty. org/library or call us at (828) 250-4758.

TU (6/20), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Pritchard Park Summer Series: Hoop and Flow Arts Jam

Asheville Hoops provides jammin’ tunes, demo props for all to use and a positive event that promotes movement, creativity, dance and fun.

TU (6/20), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Pritchard Park Series: Summer of Science

Explore hands on activities and experiments while we learn about the Science of Bubbles or the Science of Sound. Every other week we will play and learn together using a variety of tools, instruments, and toys.

WE (6/21), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

LOCAL MARKETS

Etowah Lions Club

Farmers Market

Fresh produce, honey, sweets, flowers, plant starts and locally crafted wares. Stop by to chat with vendors, the Lions club, and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Every Wednesday through Oct. 25.

WE (6/14, 21), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

Leicester Farmers Market

Farmers Market with over 30 vendors. Locally grown and sourced selection of meats, produce, eggs, plants and flowers, baked goods, cheese, honey, sauces, crafts, art, and more. Every Wednesday through Oct. 25.

WE (6/14, 21), 3pm, Leicester Community Center, 2979 New Leicester Hwy, Leicester

RAD Farmers Market

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods, with 25-30 vendors selling a variety of wares. Handicap parking available in the Smoky Park lot, free public parking available along Riverside Drive. Also accessible by foot, bike, or rollerblade via the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

WE (6/14, 21), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr Weaverville Tailgate Market

A selection of fresh, locally grown produce, grass fed beef, pork, chicken, rabbit, eggs, cheese, sweet and savory baked goods, artisan bread, fire cider, coffee, pickles, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, and garden and landscaping plants. Open year round.

WE (6/14, 21), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville

Enka-Candler Tailgate Market

A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, with a hefty helping of made-to-order meals from our food trucks.

Every Thursday through Oct.

TH (6/15), 3pm, A-B TechSmall Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

Flat Rock Farmers Market

A diverse group of local produce and fruit farmers, craft-food makers, bread bakers, wild crafters, art-crafters, and merrymakers.

Every Thursday through Oct. 26.

TH (6/15, 22), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

Pack Square Artisan Market

This market will showcase local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown Asheville.

Every Friday through Oct. 27.

FR (6/16), 1pm, 1 South

Pack Square Pack

Saluda Tailgate Market

With over a dozen vendors, this agriculture-only market

features an assortment of homegrown produce, meat, and eggs within a 25 mile radius.

FR (6/16), 4:30pm, W Main St, Saluda

Henderson County

Tailgate Market

Seasonal fruits, fresh mushrooms, vegetables, local honey, meat, eggs, garden plant starts, perennials and much more. Every Saturday through Oct. 28.

SA (6/17), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville

Hendersonville Farmers Market

A vibrant community gathering space with produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, coffee, crafts, food trucks, live music, kids’ activities and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 28.

SA (6/17), 8am, 650 Maple St, Hendersonville

North Asheville Tailgate Market

The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors offer fresh Appalachian grown produce, meats, cheeses and eggs - with a variety of baked goods, value added foods and unique craft items. Weekly through Dec. 16.

SA (6/17), 8am, 3300 University Heights

Asheville City Market

Local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Weekly through Dec. 17.

SA (6/17), 9am, 52 N Market St

Black Mountain

Tailgate Market

Featuring organic and sustainably grown produce, plants, cut flowers, herbs, locally raised meats, seafood, breads, pastries, cheeses, eggs and local arts and handcrafted items. Every Saturday through Nov. SA (6/17), 9am, 130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Mars Hill Farmers & Artisans Market

A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. We offer fresh local produce, herbs, garden and landscape plants, cut flowers, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, jams, honey, soaps, tinctures, crafts & more.

SA (6/17), 10am, College St, Mars Hill

Junk-O-Rama

West Asheville vintage, crafts and antique market. Browse hot deals on vintage and crafts from local artists, the first and third weekends of the month.

SA (6/17), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Yard Sale

Browse multi-vendors offering new and vintage clothing, sewing machines & craft supplies, small household items, art prints, stickers & patches, jewelry and more.

SA (6/17), 3pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St

WNC Farmers Market

High quality fruits and vegetables, mountain crafts, jams, jellies, preserves, sourwood honey, and other farm fresh items. Open daily 8am, year-round.

570 Brevard Rd

Asheville Punk Flea

The Asheville Punk Flea is back with crafts, records, vintage and more.

SU (6/18), noon, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd

Creative Market

Browse the wares from local makers and creatives.

SU (6/18), noon, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101

Meadow Market

Browse goods and gifts from local makers and artisans with different vendors every week, you’ll find specialty items. Shop for handmade jewelry, housewares, vintage goods and crafts.

SU (6/18), 1pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

Asheville Night Market

A bizzare bazaar on the third Sunday of every month for up-and-coming peddlers, new artists, and questionable goods. SU (6/18), 6pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd

Biltmore Park Farmers Market

A wide array of farm-fresh seasonal produce, eggs, honey, locally-grown flowers, artisan baked goods, foraged mushrooms, handmade soaps, and more from local farmers, specialty food producers, and crafters. Every Thursday through July 20.

TH (6/22), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Art in Bloom 2023

This multifaceted event, celebrating nature and art, combines two gallery exhibits, live floral arrangements, and a local garden tour featuring working artists. This unique exhibition also serves as a fundraiser for the Black Mountain Center for the Arts.

TH (6/15), 5pm, FR (6/16), SA (6/17), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain

Rhythm & Brews Concert Series: Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights w/Carolina

Drifters

Free outdoor shows with a variety of established acts as well as up-and-coming artists from around the nation. This week, blues and Southern-rock band Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights will be performing alongside the Carolina Drifters.

TH (6/15), 5:30pm, Downtown Hendersonville South Main St, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Land of the Sky Gem Show

Browse gem and minerals from different vendors. Open to the public and admission is free. For more information contact Rick at (828) 779-4501 or email rickjacquot@gmail. com.

FR (6/16), SA (6/17) 9am, SU (6/18), 10am

Land of Sky Shrine Club, 39 Spring Cove Rd, Swannanoa

Downtown After 5 w/Victoria Victoria, Charlie Hunter & Josh Phillips

Monthly music series with different artists performing every month in downtown, Asheville. This month, soul-pop group Victoria Victoria featuring Charlie Hunter will be providing the tunes downtown. Josh Phillips and his ninepiece band will also be performing.

FR (6/16), 5pm, 100 Block N. Lexington Ave

Juneteenth Festival Celebration

A festival with a focus in remembering, honoring and celebrating. There will be opening remarks, live music, dance groups, vendors and food trucks, black organizations and more. See p30 SA (6/17), 11am, SU (6/18), 1pm, 1 South Pack Square Park

S&W Market 2 Year Anniversary

A day filled with live music, food, and vendors to celebrate the S&W market being open for 2 years.

SA (6/17), noon, S & W Market, 56 Patton Ave

Summer Party

Enjoy live music, a new drink menu and food. Bring the family, bring the pets, and definitely bring some sunscreen.

SA (6/17), 3pm, Oak and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

2023 Gala: The 75th Anniversary Celebration

A dazzling evening of jubilee celebration. Featuring a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, and live auction. This event brings together some of the Museum’s most dedicated supporters

and celebrates all the Museum has to offer—from world-class exhibitions to engaging programs for children, teens, and adults.

SA (6/17), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Move;Meant A.R.T.

Expo: Juneteenth

A celebration of black culture, black music and black dance with Asheville-based choreographer and director Melvin AC Howell, visual artist Jenny Pickens and co-choregrapher Amanda Hoyle. The live performance integrating dance, music and theatrical elements will feature a cast of seven performers, including Howell. SA (6/17), 7:30pm, Marshall High Studios, 115 Blanahassett Island Rd, Marshall

Carolina Mountain

Club: One Hundred Years

Local author Danny Bernstein shares the history of hiking, trail maintenance, and land protection in western North Carolina in her recent book, Carolina Mountain Club: One Hundred Years. There will be a conversation between Danny Bernstein and Trevor Freeman.

TU (6/20), 6pm, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood St Lament w/Earth

Five seasonal events featuring original music, poetry, rituals, images, scripture and videos to reflect different seasons of loss through the liturgical year. These free events are interactive, inviting you to pray and sing along. Register at avl.mx/crd

TH (6/22), 7:30pm, Online

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Strength Bonanza Annual Pride Month fundraiser that celebrates LGBTQ+ community members. Registration is donation-based and all proceeds will go to Campaign for Southern Equality, an Asheville-based organization that promotes LGBTQ+ equity and wellbeing in the South. SA (6/17), 8:30am, Strength Ratio, 829 Riverside Dr, Asheville

Katarina's Saturday Cabaret Drag Brunch

A brunch that includes admission, brunch, and a professional drag show. All profits go to support the non-profit organization Cornbread and Roses, a non-profit organization that provides a wide range of events, groups, and support services.

SA (6/17), 2pm, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave

Big plans

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

The Council of Independent Business Owners heard from HCA Healthcare executives at its June 2 breakfast meeting at UNCA’s Sherrill Center. HCA Healthcare, a Nashville-based company, owns Mission Health, the health care system that operates Mission Hospital and other local health care facilities. HCA Healthcare purchased nonprofit Mission for $1.5 billion in 2019.

Greg Lowe , president of HCA Healthcare North Carolina Division, shared highlights from Mission Health’s 2022 Community Impact Report. He said that Mission Health is responsible for WNC’s only children’s hospital, pediatric emergency room, pediatric intensive care unit and Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (serving babies born before 32 weeks’ gestation). Lowe also touted Angel Medical Center, a 30-bed hospital in Franklin that opened in September, and Mission Hospital’s plan to upgrade its Mother-Baby Unit and its Burn Center.

Lowe said Mission Health is seeking to build two new free-standing emergency department facilities: one in South Asheville and one in West Asheville. “We are in a unique market — in larger metropolitan areas, there are typically five or six hospitals, maybe 10 hospitals, and every one has an emergency department,” he said. “We need to offload some of the ER volume that’s coming into Mission Hospital.”

Lowe mentioned two upcoming public hearings with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the two proposed ERs. “We’ve got other health institutions that don’t want us to build these and serve the community,” Lowe said, and he encouraged audience members to access a QR code to write a letter in support of HCA.

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER UPDATE

The majority of the June 2 CIBO meeting focused on plans for the Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center, a 120-bed hospital that will provide behavioral health services. The hospital will add another 38 beds for acute behavioral health care in the area, Lowe said.

Melina Arrowood, chief operating officer of HCA Health Care and

HCA Healthcare executives share new mental health facility details

behavioral health services at Mission Hospital, said the Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center will serve pediatric, adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. It has been designed with features intended for patients undergoing behavioral health treatment, including a “psychsafe playground” for young patients. She noted that Mission Hospital is currently the only hospital in WNC that provides behavioral health services for children.

Currently, Mission Health employs 14 psychiatrists, Arrowood said, and eight additional full-time psychiatrists have been hired for the Sweeten Creek facility. Like other current Mission Health facilities, Sweeten Creek will provide an intensive outpatient program, which a patient attends three days per week, and a partial hospitalization program, which a patient attends five days per week. She explained that the center aims to add an IOP and a PHP in its adolescent unit and that management is already hiring to start the adolescent IOP. Currently, Copestone — the behavioral health services unit of Mission Health located on the St. Joseph Campus — is one of the only facilities in WNC that provides electroconvulsive therapy.

All staff from Copestone will move to the Sweeten Creek facility, but other services will remain in the St. Joseph Campus, says HCA spokesperson Nancy Lindell

Arrowood noted that each Sweeten Creek unit will have a separate outdoor courtyard, so different age demographics will be kept separate; the cafeteria has large TV screens for hosting movie nights or watching sports; and many indoor walls have murals. “We didn’t want things to be bland, we wanted things to be colorful,” she said.

During the question-and-answer portion, one man asked if Mission Health anticipated treating many individuals who are experiencing a mental illness crisis and could also be unhoused.

Patients in a mental health crisis “often present to the emergency department,” Arrowood explained, and Mission Hospital has a psychiatrist in the ER. “We do take care of a lot of people who struggle with homelessness,” she said, and “we work really hard to get them connected to services outside the hospital,” such as Vaya Health and RHA Health Services, which provide mental health care.

Arrowood added that not everyone who is in a mental health crisis needs to be in an inpatient unit, which is meant for individuals who pose an immediate threat to themselves or others.

Another man in the audience remarked to the speakers, regarding the Sweeten Creek facility, “You’re going to be the clearinghouse for all the homeless.” In response, Lowe explained that not all unhoused people require behavioral health services and that behavioral health hospitals provide acute beds, which are not required for every person with behavioral health struggles.

Another audience member asked about safety features at the Sweeten Creek facility. Arrowood responded that the building was designed with many safety features and that staff will receive Crisis Prevention Intervention training and wear personal alarm systems.

Arrowood said furniture is currently being moved into the Sweeten Creek facility. Lindell tells Xpress the ribbon-cutting should take place mid-July, and pending permits, it could open to patients beginning in August. X

BOSS MAN: Greg Lowe, president of HCA Healthcare North Carolina Division, spoke to Asheville’s Council of Independent Business Owners on June 2. He encouraged attendees to support HCA’s plans to open two additional emergency rooms in Asheville. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

In distress When

BY ANDREW R. JONES AND SALLY KESTIN AN ASHEVILLE WATCHDOG REPORT

This is a condensed version of Asheville Watchdog’s “Down Town, Part 11: Better alternatives to mental illness treatments.” For the full version, visit avlwatchdog.org.

Government policies toward the mentally ill changed in recent decades — ostensibly for benign reasons: Rather than send people in mental distress to state-run hospitals, it was believed to be better to integrate them into their home communities. But when state facilities closed, state and local governments failed to allocate enough money to fund local alternatives.

As a result, there aren’t enough beds or resources for troubled people in need of help in Buncombe County. Police in Asheville say their only alternative often has been to arrest mentally ill people for petty crimes. They’re incarcerated for no more than 20 days — a term set by law — released, and sometimes arrested again within hours.

And thus, the Buncombe County Detention Center and the Mission Hospital emergency department have become the region’s frontline treatment facilities for people experiencing mental health crises. The results are both inadequate and expensive.

In this, Part 11 of Asheville Watchdog’ s“Down Town” series, we’ll look at how other cities have confronted mental health issues — with greater success.

A 24/7 CRISIS CENTER IN TUCSON, ARIZ.

Margie Balfour is adamant about calling mental health care what it is: medical care.

“You don’t have counties going, ‘Well, gee, we’re gonna move our budgets around so you can pay for all these heart attack patients.’ We don’t even talk like that. That sounds ridiculous,” Balfour said, discussing the Pima County, Ariz., choice to use capital funds to build Tuscon’s Crisis Response Center, run by Connections Health Solutions.

The center is a 24/7 mental health care hub with a walk-in urgent care facility, a place for police to bring people in crisis, an open area with

behind other cities

“The county decided that they needed a crisis center,” Balfour said. “It was really driven by the county wanting to reduce the jail population. So, they did a bond election and raised the capital funds to build the building.”

The $54 million bond also paid for a psychiatric hospital and mental health court, “so it’s all connected,” Balfour said.

For its first few years, the center struggled, Balfour said. “Safety issues, long waits, things like that.”

The 40-bed center — which sees about 12,000 adults and 2,200 children a year — is now recognized as a national model because of how it incorporates a mental health crisis hotline, mobile crisis teams and law enforcement.

About 20% of the people served by the center are homeless, Balfour said.

“Just like anyone else, we’re trying to figure out what’s going on in their life and what’s driving their crisis and what they need to be connected to,” Balfour said.

Pima County, home to about 1 million, in 2023 identified 2,209 people living in shelters, transitional housing or no home at all.

“I will just be honest, that is one of the most challenging populations,” Balfour said. “We recently did a research study and looked at factors that predict your utilization, and homelessness was one of the most strong predictors.”

30 reclining chairs for adults and 10 for children, and more, all focused on providing evaluations and crisis intervention for anyone who drops in.

Behavioral health is health care, Balfour said. “The health care system should fund mental health emergencies just like they do medical emergencies.”

Balfour, a psychiatrist, is chief of quality and clinical innovation with Connections Health Solutions and a “national leader in crisis care and law enforcement responses to behavioral health emergencies,” according to the National Institute of Justice.

She started with the Tucson crisis center in 2014, three years after it opened.

Because of its focus on diverting people toward care and away from jail, Tucson’s program makes it less likely that homeless people will fill jails and hospital emergency rooms, often the default when police have no other options.

In Asheville, police say often their only option is the Mission Hospital emergency room, which can tie up officers for hours.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 22

DEEPER DIVE: Part 11 of Asheville Watchdog’s “Down Town” series looks at how other cities have confronted mental health issues — with greater success.

Photo courtesy of Asheville Watchdog

“Our turnaround time for police is about five minutes,” Balfour said. “We never say ‘no’ to police. They have everything they need back there.”

The collaboration with law enforcement is one piece of a crisis system that has seen significant positive outcomes, according to a presentation Balfour gives.

A mental health support team has helped decrease local involuntary hospitalizations from 60% to 20% since 2014. A substance use response team connected 2,000 people to treatment in its first two years of operation. A homeless outreach team connected 500 homeless people to housing, also in its first two years.

“We’re really close partners with the police, and Tucson police is one of the most progressive police departments in the nation around mental health,” Balfour said.

Asked what she would say to a city that doesn’t have a crisis response center and law enforcement tie-in, Balfour said there are a number of “clinical justifications” that the Tucson model is better.

First, Balfour said, many people with mental health issues don’t

belong in jail, where they stay too long and often are arrested again.

Then, there’s the cost, Balfour said. Studies estimate psychiatric care in a hospital emergency department costs at least $2,300 a day per patient.

And police often lose hours waiting in emergency rooms when they could be back on the streets. “Especially now when a lot of police agencies are really short-staffed, that’s a very important thing,” Balfour said.

Finally, she said, having a better crisis response system is better patient care.

“Police aren’t bringing people to the emergency rooms anymore, or into the jails anymore. They’re actually … recognizing that people need help and they’re bringing them to the right place.”

That’s how it should be, Balfour said, reiterating her heart-attack comparison.

“You don’t criminalize having a heart attack,” she said. “You don’t send police, and you don’t take people to jail, and you don’t handcuff them. Tucson has really taken an approach where there’s all these opportunities for the clinical system to be able to respond to those crises. … It’s become a health-first response.”

Asheville has a psychiatric hospital, Mission Copestone, and a 16-bed crisis facility, the Neil Dobbin Center run by RHA Health Services that generally operates at near capacity with 10-12 beds full. That center is part of the larger Comprehensive Care Center at 356 Biltmore Ave., which includes a behavioral health crisis facility with walk-in services and a mobile crisis team that is available 24/7 to 11 Western North Carolina counties.

But families and patient advocates in Buncombe County describe a dearth of mental health treatment options and said the wait for an appointment sometimes takes weeks or months.

ALEXANDRIA CO-RESPONDER POLICE AND MENTAL HEALTH TEAMS

Alexandria, Va., in 2021 began a “co-response” program pairing specially trained police officers with licensed behavioral health workers to respond to mental health-related 911 calls.

The team is dispatched to obvious calls like suicide attempts. “We often just listen to the radios, we’re driving around and kind of look at the call notes, and if we think that there is a

possibility for mental health to be a factor … we’ll go by and see if we can offer any assistance,” said Megan Hencinski, a psychologist and therapist supervisor in the program.

The team responds to the kinds of calls that have generated complaints and arrests in Asheville, such as someone cursing or behaving erratically in public or refusing to leave a business.

“Sometimes those individuals are experiencing a mental health crisis that requires a hospitalized intervention; sometimes they just need assistance, knowing where the shelters are,” Hencinski said. “You want to make sure that you’re diverting individuals from the criminal justice system when you can because it becomes such a cycle and revolving door.”

An evaluation of the program after the first year found calls handled by the team resulted in fewer involuntary hospitalizations and arrests, and more referrals to outpatient mental health, substance abuse and other services compared with calls handled by traditional police teams.

Twenty calls “met criteria for arrest,” the evaluation said, and “70% were diverted away.”

Based on the results, the Alexandria City Council expanded the program, Hencinski said. It now has three teams on duty every day from 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. at an annual cost of about $700,000.

In Buncombe, community paramedics are available to assist police on certain calls, but there is no co-responder program.

GREENVILLE’S DOWNTOWN OUTREACH TEAMS

Greenville, S.C., business owners were getting frustrated. It was in the heat of the pandemic. Merchants, residents and city leaders were see-

“You want to make sure that you’re diverting individuals from the criminal justice system when you can because it becomes such a cycle and revolving door.”

— Megan Hencinski, psychologist

Elizabeth Garbarino, MD Grace Evins, MD

ing more people experiencing homelessness and in crisis.

“They didn’t know when to call the police and when to call somebody else,” said Lorain Crowl, CEO of United Housing Connections, the organization that oversees homeless and housing services in the area.

“We honestly started this conversation in 2020 with the city,” she said. “We’re seeing additional folks experiencing homelessness on the street; things have closed down because of the pandemic. We need to try to get ahead of this.”

That led to a UHC outreach team in Greenville’s downtown. It has contributed in part to nearly 90 people getting off Greenville streets and into homes since 2021, Crowl said.

“They are out every day of the week,” Crowl said. “There’s a twoman team on the day shift and on the weekends and several times in the evening, literally connecting with people on the street and talking to them about their barriers to housing.”

Equally important, downtown merchants and the public have a way to report concerns without calling 911. The team has a phone number and an email address listed on the city website along with a recommendation about how to interact with people in a mental health crisis.

“Leave this work to the professionals,” the site instructs. “If the person appears to have mental health issues and is experiencing homelessness but not in immediate crisis, send an email with the location and description of the person.”

Asheville contracts with a nonprofit to provide street outreach, and the city Fire Department recently assigned firefighters to respond to crises downtown in a 60-day pilot program.

Buncombe County residents reported “overwhelming concerns of mental health and substance use-induced crises within the unsheltered

population” in a survey conducted by a national consultant last year but said “they do not know what to do about it or who to call.”

The outreach team in Greenville — social workers who collaborate with police — was a first for the city of more than 72,000.

“We had never received federal, state, city, county or municipality funding for outreach before,” Crowl said. “It was something that this administration stepped out on the limb and said, ‘We’re going to do this, we’re going to provide [funding] for you to put an outreach team on the street because you have to define the problem first.’”

Downtown merchants praise the outreach program.

“I can pick up the phone and call and typically somebody will be there in relatively short order,” said Veera Gaul, owner of Oil & Vinegar on Main Street downtown. “I think as a business owner, I have too many other things to worry about, and as much as I would like to be involved in learning how to deescalate the issues, I’m not fully trained to do that.”

UHC set up an email address that funnels reports of people experiencing homelessness to the outreach team.

Police stay “away if our outreach team is talking to folks,” Crowl said. “If they need us to do something, [police] will call or email the outreach and let us be the first responder if it’s not a police matter.”

Asheville Watchdog is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and surrounding communities. Andrew R. Jones is a Watchdog investigative reporter. Email arjones@avlwatchdog.org. Sally Kestin is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter. Email skestin@ avlwatchdog.org. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/donate. X

From Israel to Asheville

BY ARNOLD WENGROW

a.wengrow@yahoo.com

Asheville-based poet Jessica Jacobs didn’t always think of herself as a Jewish poet.

“When I wrote my first two books,” she says, “I was living a largely secular life. If you had asked me, I would say, ‘Yeah, sure, I’m a Jewish person, but it’s not a really big part of my life.’” Now, she says, “I go back and look at those books, and I can tell you they’re written through a very Jewish lens. And I wasn’t aware of it.”

Over time, Jacobs grew inspired to more deliberately merge her religious and poetic identities. On Sept. 1, she launched the nonprofit Yetzirah, the first literary organization in the U.S. for Jewish poets. Yetzirah, she explains, is a word from Jewish mysticism referring to the world of formation.

Since its online debut, Yetzirah has attracted some 900 subscribers from around the country and world. Jacobs describes the website as a hearth for Jewish poetry. “If you think traditionally of what a hearth is, it’s a place of warmth where people gather together to share a meal or to talk about their day,” she explains. “And that’s what I’m hoping it can be for Jewish poetry, a place where Jewish writers can come and find support.”

Want to attend?

The public events for the inaugural Yetzirah’s summer conference kicks off Wednesday, June 21 at 3 p.m. inside UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Student Union, 1 University Heights. At that time, poet Alicia Ostriker, a two-time finalist for the National Book Award, will deliver a keynote address.

At 8 p.m., workshop faculty member Ilya Kaminsky will participate in a reading. Born in Odesa, Ukraine, Kaminsky is the author of several books, including Deaf Republic, a finalist for the National Book Award and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Kaminsky currently serves as chancellor of the American Academy of Poets.

And now Yetzirah is gearing up for its next phase. On Tuesday, June 20, the nonprofit will launch its first in-person event: a five-day Jewish poetry conference at UNC Asheville. The gathering will feature 34 poets from 14 states, as well as two international poets coming from Israel and Germany.

Unlike traditional workshops, where submissions are critiqued, Jacobs describes the conference as a generative workshop. “This is about creating new work,” she says. And while classes are full, Jacobs says the public is invited to attend all the afternoon and evening readings and discussion panels, which take place in person but are also available to view online.

TRANSCENDENCE

The Yetzirah public events will appeal to anyone who appreciates poetry with a spiritual dimension, says writer Amy Peterson, who also serves as associate pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church. “Jewish people are my siblings,” she says. “I have often found that some of my most interesting and enlightening conversation partners in spiritual and theological discussions have been Jews.”

Along with holding a master’s degree in divinity studies from Duke University, Peterson earned a Master of Fine Arts in creativewriting at Seattle Pacific University.

On Thursday, June 22, at 8 p.m. fellow faculty member Jacqueline Osherow will give a reading. Osherow is the author of several collections of poetry, including Hoopoe’s Crown and Looking for Angels in New York.

Come Friday, June 23, at 5:30 p.m., the conference’s third faculty member, Rodger Kamenetz, will participate in the conference’s final public reading. Kamenetz, best known for The Jew in the Lotus, has also authored several collections of poetry, including The Missing Jew, Yonder and Dream Logic.

Along with faculty participation, each reading event will feature poets from the weeklong conference.

For a complete schedule and to register for the free events, visit avl.mx/cad. X

Local nonprofit hosts inaugural Jewish poetry conference

She and Jacobs first met at a writer’s conference in Washington state before reconnecting in Western North Carolina, after Peterson relocated here last year.

“Asheville is a great city for literary readings in general,” Peterson says. “But I’m particularly interested in [the Jewish poetry conference] because there is a willingness to address transcendence and to speak openly about faith — issues that you sometimes don’t find in the literary world.”

Of course, not all Jewish poets write religious poetry, Jacobs stresses. “For me, in its most basic terms, Jewish poets write poetry period,” she says. “I think that’s true whether they’re writing about Torah or they’re writing about eating a ham sandwich.”

Rick Chess , an acclaimed Asheville Jewish poet and the treasurer of Yetzirah, agrees. “Most of these poets don’t just write about Jewish things. In fact, some of them write only a little bit about Jewish things. For some, the Jewish stuff is kind of underneath the surface. You don’t need to know any of it to be fully engaged by the poems. These are all works of art that transcend any cultural identity.”

PAY IT FORWARD

Jacobs says she started the Jewish poetry conference as a way to give back to a community that has been so welcoming to her. She and her wife, fellow poet Nickole Brown, relocated to Asheville in 2016 by way of Arkansas. No stranger to the city, Jacobs had visited the area several times before to attend various reading events.

Before moving here, she says she and Brown made a long list of things they were looking for in a new home base, including a vibrant arts community.

“And every time we would stop at a place, we would say, ‘How does this tick the boxes?’ And Asheville ticked them all,” she remembers. “We just fell in love with the literary community and how many artists and musicians and poets were here.”

Jacobs envisions the Jewish poetry conference becoming an annual event for Asheville.

“We have partnered with UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies and

INTERNATIONAL: On Sept. 1, local poet Jessica Jacobs launched the nonprofit Yetzirah, the first literary organization in the U.S. for Jewish poets. Now, she is preparing to bring poets from around the country and world to Asheville for a five-day conference. Photo courtesy of Jacobs

we’re looking forward to continue working with them,” she says. And it’s important, she adds, to keep the series as an in-person happening. “We have also an annual online reading series, which means that people from around the country and the world — from Israel, from London — can all gather in a virtual space. And that’s really beautiful,” she says. “But there’s something magical that happens when people sit down in a room to write and share a meal together.” X

Everyone from everywhere on any spiritual path is welcome at Jubilee!, where we call our inclusive Sunday services “celebrations” because they are infused with music, inspiring messages, creativity and laughter. This might just be the Sunday morning experience you have been yearning to try!

Talking trees

New film explores storytelling, Native American wisdom and nature’s intelligence

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN

earnaudin@mountainx.com

David Weintraub ’s neighbors aren’t happy with him.

Rather than mow his yard every week, he’s been letting the grass grow a little longer than usual before buzzing it back, making him the odd lawn out on a street that otherwise abides by country club guidelines.

“Everyone wants to live on what looks like a golf course, and I’m just trying to let the grass grow a little bit so the pollinators can do their thing,” he says. “I’m really just giving it a week off and not using chemicals, and it’s just amazing. The buttercups and clover are up, and I’m seeing bees and more birds and all kinds of things enjoying that.”

Weintraub’s ultimate goal is to completely take out the grass and replace it with numerous native plants. He adds that if his back were in better shape, he would have made that landscape transformation by now, regardless of the complaints he’d almost surely hear.

“I just don’t see what the problem is in trying to stay connected with the world that you live in — the living world,” Weintraub says. “We’re not apart from it. And we isolate ourselves when we believe the commercials about having everything pristine. That’s just not real.”

The Hendersonville resident brings a similar ethos to his work as executive director of the nonprofit Center for Cultural Preservation, as well as his latest film, Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes. The feature-length documentary explores the convergence of storytelling, Native American wisdom and nature’s intelligence. It premieres Saturday, June 24, at North River Farms in Mills River. Subsequent screenings take place Thursday, June 29, at The Orange Peel in Asheville and Saturday, July 1, at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville.

THE LONG VIEW

Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes marks the 50th film that Weintraub has made for the center. His resumé consists of three dozen short films and over a dozen features, covering topics such as the flood of 1916 (Come Hell or High

Water), Appalachian music (A Great American Tapestry) and the history of moonshining (The Spirits Still Move Them). Despite the wide range of topics, a driving force runs through each work.

“My life has always been at the crossroads of natural heritage protection and cultural heritage protection,” Weintraub says. “And it wasn’t that long ago that those things weren’t different concepts. We knew that to survive, we had to treat nature in a respectful manner because it was what sustained us.”

He adds that each of his films builds on the previous one, and that, particularly with his more recent documentaries, the main takeaways regarding the intelligence of nature have had a powerful cumulative effect. Those insights made him more mindful of the impact his storyteller mother had on him in his youth, sharing folk tales and stories of Indigenous people, including the Cherokee, Zuni and Apache tribes. Weintraub remembers reveling in these narratives, especially those about nature, populated by such entities as “the tree people and the possum people and the frog people.”

“When I was a kid, I always thought that these were just wonderful metaphors for the close relationship that Native people had with the living world. But actually, I was wrong. It was far more than that,” he says.

“Western culture sees humans at the top of the hierarchy, with everything else — the plants and animals — below,” he continues. “But Native people see it totally different. They tell us that since plants and animals were the first to come, they’re our teachers on how to live and how to connect with each other. And it’s by learning from them that we learn to live a life that is sustainable. And Western science is just starting to catch up with this ancient wisdom.”

In his research for Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes, Weintraub came across recent studies confirming that trees are connected through a fungal network that allows them to share resources, communicate with each other, distinguish their seeds from others of the same species and even warn other trees of impending predation or disease.

“This resembles a level of intelligence that’s far beyond what we’ve ever dreamed of — but [it’s] in folk

tales and, of course, in Native stories, which we’re now beginning to realize are actually true,” he says.

Likewise, he notes that Western science has diminished animal intelligence to merely instinct because it differs from human intelligence. Yet, Weintraub points out, many animals demonstrate “an incredible ability to communicate, excellent situational awareness, the use of tools and an ability to comprehend and learn things far beyond what we’ve given them credit for.” Again, he stresses that Native people have been sharing this knowledge for “tens of thousands of years.”

In addition to that theme, Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes pits the Indigenous tradition of gratitude and reciprocity with the living world against the Western tradition of the divine right to extract and deplete the same world to oblivion. The docu-

mentary emphasizes that people have a choice over which story to heed.

“This film is looking at reconciling what Western science is teaching us, what Native wisdom is teaching us, what nature is teaching us and how storytelling connects all that together to help us hopefully change our approach so that we can heal our broken relationship with the living world,” he says.

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

To help illustrate these concepts, Weintraub tapped into the relationships he’s built with various Native tribes over the past 15 years.

Interviewees in the film include members from six Indigenous groups, including the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and Florida’s Miccosukee Tribe of Indians.

Meanwhile, Western perspectives are included from scientists such as nationally recognized wildlife ecologist Carl Safina and local botanists Steve

Pettis and Dave Coyle. All offer their insights on the importance of heeding Native wisdom and using it as a means of reconnecting with the living world.

“It was just this incredible tapestry of knowledge that I hadn’t seen put together before, and it made me really excited,” Weintraub says. “Of course, the hardest thing of all as a filmmaker is knowing how to take 30-40 hours of footage and distilling that down to a 60-minute film because there’s just so much stuff.”

As for the unused footage, Weintraub notes that he’s “an ardent recycler” and aims to make a variety of short films, vignettes and trailers from what doesn’t make it into the final cut. But he hopes that what’s there tells the story in a positive way, unlike many environmental activism films he’s seen.

Complementing the interviews is copious footage of nature that the director lensed in area national parks and South Florida. The experiences offered him much-needed time away from screens, which he believes have created a society unable to take time to slow down and reflect on the world. And yes, he recognizes the irony of a filmmaker issuing such complaints but also notes the power inherent in harnessing modern technology for good.

“Sometimes you have to use the medium that’s out there to hopefully get people to then shut that all down and get out and walk in nature, grow a garden, learn what native plants used to grow here and help to foster that,” he says, before returning to a familiar topic.

“Don’t cut your lawn every week — just be able to take some time, not just walk up a trail and immediately post [a photo of] that on your Facebook or Instagram but just sit there and look at it and enjoy it and have that infuse your body and your soul. Because ultimately, if we work to heal the Earth, then the Earth heals us.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/93o. X

IN THEIR ELEMENT: From left, Davy Arch, Cherokee storyteller and mask maker; Lloyd Arneach Sr., Cherokee storyteller; and Robert “Redhawk” Eldridge, Sappony storyteller and educator, discuss their crafts in the new film Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes. Photo by David Weintraub

What’s new in food

Local beverage leaders form new distillery

Asheville Brewing Co.’s Mike Rangel and Little Jumbo’s Chall Gray have joined forces to form a new distillery of craft spirits, named Ninja Spirits, as well as a line of ready-todrink bottled and canned cocktails: The Buckminster Cocktail Co.

Both brands from the beverage entrepreneurs will be available for retail sale in the distillery’s South Slope tasting room and cocktail bar (opening this summer). The products will also be available at Asheville Brewing Co. on Coxe Avenue and in North Carolina ABC stores.

“Ninja Spirits will focus on traditional spirits, with our first release being a wheat-based vodka. Future lineup additions will include a gin, and we have several other ideas in development,” says Allison Brown-Rangel, co-owner of Asheville Brewing Co. and public relations representative for the new retail spirit brand.

The team responsible for Ninja Spirits’ distillation will comprise Asheville Brewing Co. head brewer Pete Langheinrich and a team of graduates from A-B Tech’s Brewing, Distillation and Fermentation program.

“We want to create craft liquors and cocktails made locally that are affordable, delicious and better than what you can get from the big guys,” says Brown-Rangel. “What made us want to create great beer is now what makes us want to create great spirits. Maybe it’s in our own DNA.”

Gray’s idea for The Buckminster Cocktail Co. ready-to-drink cocktail line has been several years in the making. Inspired by R. Buckminster Fuller, an innovative academic who served at Black Mountain College, Gray seeks to capture the spirit of

creativity and invention with prepackaged cocktails that can rival the quality of those crafted behind the bar. The first Buckminster release will be a bottled Old-Fashioned blend made with bourbon, bitters and cherries. Later this summer, a canned version of Little Jumbo’s Hello Friday cocktail, made with bonded bourbon, angostura bitters and Blenheim ginger ale, will be released.

“I’ve spent more than a decade in the cocktail industry, mainly on the bar side of things, and ready-to-drink cocktails are the most exciting sector in alcohol these days,” explains Gray.

“I just went on a camping trip, and we were able to open a bottle of our Old Fashioned and enjoy it on ice around a campfire. That’s a new frontier beyond just bringing some beer or a bottle of wine.”

Adds Brown-Rangel: “Ninja Spirits will set itself apart from other distilleries by using the best resources available, creating small batches and using tricks of the trade learned from 25 years in the brewing world. Combine that with Chall’s experience creating world-class cocktails, and Asheville will soon see we have amazing things to offer.”

The Ninja Spirits tasting room and cocktail bar will be at 66 Asheland Ave. Follow Ninja Spirits at avl.mx/cr9 and The Buckminster Cocktail Co. at avl.mx/cra for updates.

Spinning records and small plates

Psychic Hotline, an artist-run recording company based in Durham

and founded by Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso, has announced a two-day retail pop-up event at Citizen Vinyl on Wednesday, June 14, and Thursday, June 15, noon-6 p.m.

A tapas food pop-up from chef Paul Cressend will be present on Wednesday, and chef Yunanda Wilson’s aThoke Lay Burmese cuisine pop-up will be serving on Thursday. On both days, Pink Moon Bar will be pouring glasses of natural wine, and Citizen Vinyl’s Session Cafe & Bar will offer a special Psychic Hotlineinspired menu of craft cocktails.

The pop-ups will coincide with Sylvan Esso’s kickoff shows at Rabbit Rabbit and will also serve as a celebration of independent North Carolinabased music companies. Citizen Vinyl has maintained an ongoing partnership with Psychic Hotline since its inception, pressing the majority of the label’s vinyl releases.

A factory retail outlet will offer Psychic Hotline’s record catalog, including early access to new releases from Four Tet, William Tyler and local band The Dead Tongues, for sale during the two-day pop-up.

North Carolina-exclusive LP variants, online-exclusive releases, merchandise and rare imports will also be available for sale. Live DJ sets from the extended Psychic Hotline community, including Nick Sanborn, Helado Negro, DJ Lil Meow Meow and SHWNxSBTG, will be played throughout both event days.

Citizen Vinyl is at 14 O. Henry Ave. Visit avl.mx/cr7 for additional information.

Cheese and cider dinner

Barn Door Ciderworks hosts local artist and cheesemaker Victor Chiarizia for a dinner event celebrating melty Raclette cheese and crisp cider on Wednesday, June 14, beginning at 6 p.m.

Classic, artisanal methods will meet modern techniques as Chiarizia discusses the history of Raclette cheese, how it’s made and the best foods to pair with it, while using a melting machine he built by hand. Various roasted vegetables and meats prepared in the Barn Door Ciderworks kitchen will complement the cheese, as

SOUTH SLOPE SPIRITS: Asheville beverage entrepreneurs Chall Gray and Mike Rangel debut new distillery, retail spirits and ready-to-drink cocktails. Photo courtesy Ninja Spirits

- Tony

Sushi

Japanese Restaurant

will a number of special ciders selected specifically for cheese pairing.

“We’ll go down to the cellar the afternoon of the event to choose ciders that are not on tap to pair with the meal,” says Barn Door Ciderworks co-owner Katie Moore. “That way our guests are able to have tastes of ciders not currently being served to the public.”

Barn Door Ciderworks is at 23 Lytle Road, Fletcher. Visit avl.mx/cr6 for tickets ($45 per person) and additional information.

Pride Bar Crawl

Crawl With US hosts its annual Pride Bar Crawl on Saturday, June 17, 4 p.m.-midnight, beginning at Catawba Brewing Co.

Single tickets cost $25 per person, and group tickets (including at least four people) are discounted to $20 per person. Twenty percent of all event proceeds will support Blue Ridge Pride. Last year, the crawl raised over $22,000 for The Trevor Project, a national nonprofit providing 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people.

All tickets include one complimentary drink or shot, free cover to a drag show at Banks Ave Bar ($15 value, begins at 6 p.m.), a themed party cup for the first 100 check-ins and exclusive drink and food specials throughout the crawl. Guests are encouraged to “make your own adventure” after checking in, with stops planned for Banks Ave Bar, Catawba Brewing Co., Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive, Dalton Distillery and a special after-party held at Scandals Nightclub beginning at 10 p.m.

Catawba Brewing Co. is at 32 Banks Ave. Visit avl.mx/cr4 for tickets and additional information.

Brats and beer

Looking for a last-minute gift idea for Dad or just want to bone up on your grill skills? Bert Sheffield, White Labs Brewing Co. research and development chef, will guide a hands-on sausage-making class at the brewery on Saturday, June 17, at 2 p.m.

Originally from Louisiana, Sheffield’s upbringing has equipped him with years of experience in butchery, sausage making and meat curing. Sheffield plans to synthesize his bayou background into an instructional Cajun crash course, wherein class attendees will grind, link and grill their own sausages. Once guests learn how the sausage is made, they’ll get to enjoy their work and wash down the handmade tubular treats with a beer tasting chosen specifically to suit the sausage.

“Guests will gain a better knowledge of food processing and better

understand the science behind sausage making,” says Erik Fowler, head of education and craft hospitality at White Labs Inc. “Sausage making is an art, and when you understand the inner workings of what’s happening in the meat, it becomes an extension of your personality. We want the guests to feel like sausage making is a fun, easy way to get in touch with their local farms and process their own sausages and proteins at home.” White Labs Brewing Co. is at 172 S. Charlotte St. Visit avl.mx/cr3 for additional information and tickets ($65 per person).

Community solstice celebration

Chef Joey Woll of the Weaver House, in collaboration with various vendors from the Weaverville Tailgate Market, invites the Weaverville community to celebrate the summer solstice with a special meal on Wednesday, June 21, 3-6 p.m.

Customers are encouraged to preorder plates prepared using local farm-to-table foods and pick the meals up on June 21 at the Weaverville Community Center. All meals will be composed of meats, grains and produce sourced locally. Pickup meal options include a chicken rice bowl with Dillingham Farms poached chicken, a mushroom rice bowl with a GourMays lion’s mane “crabcake” and a vegan mushroom rice bowl featuring MycoCulture mushrooms, wood-fired Ivy Creek vegetables and Second Flora Microgreens.

All meals include a starter salad featuring Ivy Creek greens, High Top croutons and Ali Rae dressings made with ingredients from Sister of Mother Earth and Lane in the Woods Farm and Creamery. In an effort to highlight inclusivity, a 10% discount will be offered to those who are disabled or from marginalized communities.

The Weaverville Community Center is at 60 Lakeshore Drive, Weaverville. Visit avl.mx/cr5 to place your order.

Sideways to sell

Sideways Farm & Brewery owners Jon and Carrieann Schneider have announced their plans to sell. “It is our desire to sell the brewery as a fully functioning business with inventory,” the brewery announced on its social media platforms. Operations will continue until the brewery is sold.

Sideways Farm & Brewery is at 62 Eade Road, Etowah. Visit avl.mx/cr2 for updates.

— Blake Becker X

Around Town

Juneteenth celebrations across Asheville

A weeklong celebration of Juneteenth began June 12, will culminate with a two-day, free family festival in Pack Square Park on Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18. Organized by the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, in partnership with the city of Asheville, the week’s events include Black Asheville 411 lunch-and-learn sessions, local Black and brown artist tours and an Asheville Juneteenth Black film series, African Americans in Film.

On Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday 1-6 p.m., events will include live bands, spoken-word performances, walking tours, vendors, food trucks and a children’s art station. On Sunday, local church choirs and groups will hold performances celebrating spirituals, gospel and contemporary praise music.

Historically, Juneteenth celebrations served the purpose of educating communities about the end of slavery, as well as strengthening community through self-improvement.

“Juneteenth provides an opportunity for communities to come together, honor those that came before in the fight for equality and embrace working together toward self-determination,” says Joseph Fox, former vice president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Association. “It provides pride and hope to communities that have long been underserved and underresourced.”

Fox adds, “Juneteenth celebrations are extremely important in recognizing and honoring the resiliency of our communities that are forged from the struggles of our enslaved ancestors. It is a time to remember them, build upon their courage and embrace the freedoms we have today using collective impact and community-based strategies.”

For more information, visit avl.mx/cre.

Leah’s story

On June 17 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Vance Birthplace State Historic Site and the American Myth Center will partner on a Juneteenth presentation of Leah & the Rabbit: A Conversation Around Resiliency & Reclaiming Narratives.

A tour of the reconstructed Vance house and the slave dwelling, which dates to 1790, is the first in the threepart presentation. The play Leah &

the Rabbit, which tells the story of Leah Erwin, an enslaved woman who lived on the Vance plantation, will follow the tour. The third and final portion will be a moderated discussion of the play, the romanticization of the Old South and the reclaiming of African American collective histories.

Mikayla Wilson, who wrote the play, was approached last March by American Myth Center co-founder and curator Aaron Snook about creating a piece with Vance Birthplace specifically for Juneteenth. “The staff wanted to focus on Leah Erwin, one of the people enslaved by the Vance family,” says Wilson. “Aaron thought it might be a good idea to combine Leah’s story with the stories of Br’er Rabbit because both of their stories were taken away from them and repurposed for white audiences. This was a chance to re-contextualize and take back their narrative. ... After reading through the stories, I found a lot of inspiration in the trickery and ingenuity of Br’er Rabbit, and I thought that could be connected with Leah’s ability to live through the harsh realities of slavery to see emancipation.”

Lauren May, assistant manager of Vance Birthplace, says historical drama programs seem to have a big impact on visitors. “We have seen our visitors connect with these programs in a more personal way than with a traditional tour or lecture,” she says. “These programs also spark more discussion, which is necessary for museums striving to share an inclusive narrative.”

Wilson adds, “By having a Juneteenth event in Asheville, we are recognizing that the enslaved people who were here are not forgotten and that their stories are worthy of being told.”

Registration is encouraged, as space is limited for the free program. Donations are welcome.

Vance Birthplace State Historic Site is at 911 Reems Creek Road, Weaverville. For more information, visit avl.mx/crf.

Swiping Asheville

The location of the first episode in a new romantic documentary dating series from HBO Max may look familiar to Western North Carolina viewers. The debut of “Swiping America” on Thursday, June 15, features the four leads going out on dates in the Asheville area — with locals.

Subsequent episodes of the LGBTQinclusive series will take the leads, all

dating apps, in the hands of their film crew, who take on the task of swiping for them in eight different cities. First up: Asheville, where the group plunges into a chilly Appalachian rebirth to meet their very first matches.”

The date sites are Hot Springs, The Whale in West Asheville, downtown’s The Montford Rooftop Bar and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville.

Creators and executive producers Johnnie Ingram and Stephen Warren say they chose Asheville as the first visit because “we love a fish-out-of-water love story, and Asheville is the perfect first stop as it’s a small town compared to NYC — but surprising with lots of singles,

allowed us to enjoy the beauty of Asheville. We don’t see this kind of scenery in NYC, so it was refreshing.”

Adds Reagan Baker: “Asheville was a great place to start the journey because the people were so welcoming — the suitors I met there were some of the most respectful and polite out of anywhere.

“I grew up in East Tennessee, so I loved the chance to see similar nature to my childhood — big blue skies with puffy white clouds, rolling hills with a million trees everywhere. I’ve lived in New York for so long, I almost forgot about meadows and streams.”

For more information, visit avl.mx/crh.

strations and food vendors while Appalachian music is played on the house porch.

“We have over 100 artisans who will be selling their art as well as several who will demonstrate,” says Dannehl Strautz, museum director. “We started our festival five years ago to continue the tradition started by Mary Cornwell when she opened the museum 43 years ago to help preserve and share the crafts of our great state.”

The music lineup includes Alex Travers, Appalachian Consort, Cold Mountain Bluegrass Band and Cider Ridge. Food and beverage will be available from vendors such as Woof Street Bistro, Appalachian Smoke

CLOSE TO VERMEER: Director Suzanne Raes’ documentary provides a fascinating behind-thescenes look at the Rijksmuseum’s stunning exhibition.

Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

CLUBLAND

For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Karaoke Night, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz) , 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S Open Mic Wednesday Night, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Sylvan Esso (alt-indie, electronic, pop), 7pm

SHAKEY'S

Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Amygdala w/Middle Earth, Rhythm Hams & Loss of Conscious (hardcore-punk, powerviolence), 8pm

THE FOUNDRY HOTEL

Shed Bugs (rock, blues, funk), 7pm

THE BUSH FARMHOUSE Open Mic, 6pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Lauren Calve (blues, Americana), 5pm

• Chris Duarte Group (punk-blues), 8pm

THOMAS WOLFE

AUDITORIUM

An Evening w/Larry the Cable Guy, 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

27 CLUB

Forsaken Profits, Nox Eternus & Cloud City Caskets (metal), 9pm

AMAZING PUBCYCLE

The Office: Trivia Night, 6pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Kiki Thursday: Drag Party w/DJ RexxStep, 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

The MGB's, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Sold Out: YOB w/Pallbearer (doom-metal), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Ryan Furstenberg (indie, folk), 6pm

CORK & KEG

The Daiquiri Queens (honky-tonk, rock'n'roll, jazz), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Sweet Megg (hot-jazz), 8pm

EURISKO BEER CO.

Modelface Comedy: Aaron Naylor, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Call the Next Witness, Skunk Ruckus & Hi Helens (punk), 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY

FINE ART CENTER

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad

Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science

Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

LEAF GLOBAL ARTS

Jazz Jam, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Kid Billy (Americana, blues, ragtime), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

In Flight (progressive-rock, jazz), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Free Flow Band (funk), 8pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Sylvan Esso (alt-indie, electronic, pop), 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

THE DFR LOUNGE

Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz (Latin, jazz), 7pm

THE GETAWAY TIKI BAR

Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Drunken Prayer (Americana), 5:30pm

• The Goddamn Gallows, IV & The Strange Band w/Volk (country, rockabilly, punk), 8pm

THE ODD

Elvis Depressedly, Convalescent, Ever After (indie-rock), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Chloe Kimes w/Jackson Grimm (alt-country, folk, Appalachian), 7pm

THE ROOT BAR

Kendra and Friends, 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Trivia Thursday, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

Social Bachata, 8:30pm

BROOKLYN POP-STATIC: Experimental pop duo Water From Your Eyes performs at Static Age Records Saturday, June 17, at 8 p.m. From playing a sold-out NYC residency in DIY venues to joining Snail Mail on a U.S. tour, the Brooklyn-based duo continues to push its sound to new audiences.

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road (bluegrass, old-time, Americana), 7:30pm

WICKED WEED BREWING

Stephen Evans (folk, rock), 6pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

12 BONES BREWERY

Linda Mitchell (folk, swing, jazz), 6pm

27 CLUB

Disco Inferno (dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Venus House Party, 10pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

Mr Jimmy's Friday Night Blues, 7:30pm

BIER GARDEN

The Coveralls (covers), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Syrrup (jazz, soul, and blues), 6pm

CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Bachelor Party: A Stand Up Comedy

Experience w/John Baglio, 7pm

• Comedy at Catawba: Carmen Lynch, 9:30pm

CORK & KEG

Jackomo Cajun Country Band (Cajun, Zydeco, honky-tonk), 8pm

CUMMING’S COVE

GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB

Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S North by North, Hex

Wizard & Hi Helen's (indie, punk, psych), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

The Mountain Grass Unit (funk, bluegrass, rock), 7:30pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Ben Phantom (pop, jazz, bluegrass), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Honky-Tonk Fridays

w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm

• Drayton & The Dreamboats (swing, rock'n'roll, honky-tonk), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Open Mic Night w/ Hamza, 8pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Saddletramp (country), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Solar Circuit (trance, electronic), 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

5J Barrow Friday Nights (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Late Shifters (Southern-rock, Appalachian, Americana), 8pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Live DJ & Silent Disco: Gemini Partuy, 6pm

SALVAGE STATION

Dark Star Orchestra (Grateful Dead tribute), 5:30pm

SHAKEY'S Big Blue Jams Band & DJ Ek Balam w/Mad Mike, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Bob Marston & The Credible Sources (rock, soul, jazz), 9pm

SILVERADOS

The LACS w/Murphy

Elmore & Dustin Spears (R&B, rap, country), 7pm

THE BURGER BAR

Eggshell Emily, Bobby Stevens, Mike Andersen, Lo Wolf & Clover's Curfew (multiple genres), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

The Bad Plus & Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog (jazz, rock, pop), 8pm

Photo by Eleanor Petry

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Fire Flower (jazz), 7pm

THE ODD

Bold Burlesque & Haus of Jane Present: Juneteenth Burlesque , 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Emo Night Brooklyn (emo, punk), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

The 40, 20, 10’S (Americana, country, rock), 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Cider Celts (Celtic, folk, old-time), 6pm

SATURDAY, JUNE

17

27 CLUB

Annabel Lee, Rising Regime, Buried In

Terror & The Silencing Machine (metal), 9pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

80's MAXimum

Overdrive, 10pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

Miami Gold (rock'n'roll), 8pm

B-SIDES LOFT

Tender Lash w/ Mordaga, Cold Choir & Offerings (goth, darkwave, industrial), 8pm

BANKS AVE.

Katarina's Saturday Cabaret: Drag Brunch, 2pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Stephen Evans (folk, rock), 6pm

BLUE RIDGE BEER

GARDEN

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 2pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Muddy Guthrie (Americana, rock, blues), 7pm

CORK & KEG

The Barsters (bluegrass, rock'n'roll), 8pm

CROW & QUILL

Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

• Served by Sev Drag; The Future of Drag, 11am

• Heavenly Bodies

Dance Party, 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Pretty Odd, Puppy & the Dog & Lazaris Pit (psych, rock), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

Don't Tell Comedy: RAD, 8pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Up Jumped 3 (jazz), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody's Darling

String Band, 4pm

• The Old Chevrolette

Set (country, honkytonk), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Karaoke Night, 9pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

• Detective Blind (indierock), 1:30pm

• The Feels (indie, rock, R&B), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Pressing Strings (rock, folk), 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Kathryn O'Shea Band (folk, alt-indie), 4pm

• The Brothers

Gillespie (Appalachian, rock'n'roll, roots), 9pm

POINT LOOKOUT

VINEYARDS

Chairmen of the Board (pop, R&B), 6pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Sold Out: Pixies w/ Franz Ferdinand & Bully (alt-indie, punk-rock), 5:30pm

REVOLVE

Spookstina & Patti

Synth (noise, experimental), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Dark Star Orchestra (Grateful Dead tribute), 5:30pm

SHAKEY'S

Trash Talk Queer Dance Party & Drag Shows, 9pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Free Flow Band (funk), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Water From Your Eyes w/Lion Country Ferrari (indie-pop, garagework), 8pm

THE BURGER BAR

Best Worst Karaoke w/ KJ Thunderk*nt, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Peggy Ratusz & Kelly Jones (blues, country, pop-rock), 5:30pm

• Guy Davis & Walter Parks (Americana, blues, folk), 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

The Heavenly Vipers (jazz, honky-tonk, rock), 6pm

THE ODD

• Human Nip, The Goldfish Party & Bellizia (rock), 1pm

• Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Gimme Gimme Disco, 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Snake Oil Medicine Show (psych-bluegrass, rock), 7pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

Livin’ on the Ledge Series w/Phantom Pantone, 2pm SUNDAY, JUNE

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Space Armadillo (rock, funk), 8pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Logan Guntzelman, 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Hollow Leg, Clamfight & Tombstone Highway (doom, blues, sludge), 8pm

HIGHLAND

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

The Lads (Americana), 3pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Eric Gales w/Datrian

Johnson & The Family Tree (blues, soul), 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Aaron Woody Wood (Appalachia, soul, Americana), 7pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Gif. From God w/ Serrate & Cave Grave (metal, powerviolence), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Burlesque Brunch, 12pm

• Spirit of the Beehive w/Tombstone Poetry (indie, rock, folk), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

• Detective Blind (indierock), 1:30pm

• Annie Stokes (Americana, folk), 4pm

THE OUTPOST

Drip A Silver (Grateful Dead tribute), 4pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Sunday Bluegrass Jam w/The Hillclimbers, 4pm

ZILLICOAH BEER CO.

PubSing, 5pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, JUNE 19

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

CaroMia, Rahm, Daniel Iannuci & Jaze Uries (soul, R&B, folk), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Caskey w/Benny Holiday & Friends (hip-hop, rap), 8pm

DSSOLVR

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

DIFFERENT WRLD Free Music Mondays, 8pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Traditonal Old Time Jam, 5:30pm

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB

Taylor Martin's Open Mic Mondays, 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Totally Rad Trivia w/ Mitch Fortune, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

NOBLE CIDER

DOWNTOWN

Freshen Up Comedy Open Mic, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Downtown, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Mashup Mondays w/

The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Ahleuchatistas w/Okapi & All I Ever Wanted

Was A House I Could Scream In (avant-rock, experimental), 8pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

THE MONTE VISTA

HOTEL

Music Mondays, 6pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Jay Brown & Friends (roots, blues, jazz), 7pm

WRONG WAY CAMPGROUND

Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 7pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

• Trivia w/Drag Queens, 8pm

• Karaoke w/Ganymede, 10pm

D9 BREWING CO.

Malus Mons (electronic), 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Feeling Bad Tuesday

Night w/Bad Ties (experimental), 9pm

FRENCH BROAD

BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Team Trivia, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute, jam band, rock), 6pm

RABBIT RABBIT

Sold Out: Noah Kahan w/Joy Oladokun (pop), 7pm

SHAKEY'S

Booty Tuesday w/DJ Ek Balam, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Weekly Open Jam

hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 6:30pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Mvtant w/Jaguardini & Corpse Dust (experimental, dark-wave, industrial), 8pm

THE BURGER BAR

C U Next Tuesday Late Night Trivia, 9:30pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Charlie Marks & Jay Skaggs (folk, old-time, alt-country), 5:30pm

• Ryan Monroe & Josh Roberts (rock), 8pm

THE ODD

Open Mic Comedy, 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

27 CLUB

The Russian White, Solemn Shapes, Same St0ry & Kangarot (dark-electronic, deathwave, punk), 8pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL

CLUB

Karaoke Night, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Jay Brown (roots, blues, jazz), 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Open Mic Wednesday Night, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

FBVMA: Mountain Music Jam, 6pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Rebelution w/Passafire, The Expendables & DJ Mackle (Reggae), 4pm

SHAKEY'S

Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 10pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Good Real Estate w/ Feeling Bad & Half

Blind Eyes (experimental punk), 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER

BAR

Asheville FM Live Sessions w/Carpal Tullar (rock), 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Amanda Neill (Americana), 5:30pm

• Dawn Landes (folk, indie), 8pm

THE ODD

Red Mesa, Doomstress & Bonedozer (metal), 8pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

WICKED WEED

BREWING

Kipper's Totally Rad Trivia, 6pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

AMAZING PUBCYCLE

The Office: Trivia Night, 6pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Kiki Thursday: Drag Party w/DJ RexxStep, 9pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR

BAR

The Travelling Pilsburys (acoustic), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MASONIC

TEMPLE

Andrew Marlin String Band (bluegrass), 7:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

The Blushin' Roulettes (folk), 6pm

CROW & QUILL

The Burger Kings (rock'n'roll), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Cat Piss, Acid Jo & Mary Metal (indie-rock, postpunk, metal), 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

The Silver Doors, Pink Peugeot & Minorcan (psych, synth), 9pm

FLOOD GALLERY FINE

ART CENTER

True Home Open Mic, 6pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER

BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE

LOUNGE

Modelface Comedy: Cody Hughes, 7pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science

Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Paul Edelman (folk, rock'n'roll), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Jeff Caldwell (folk, pop, R&B), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Magenta Sunshine (blues, folk, soul), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Papadosio's Summer

Seequence w/Marley

Carroll (Electronic), 7pm

SHAKEY'S

Karaoke w/DJ Franco & Comedy Show, 9pm

THE DFR LOUNGE

Steve Simon & The Kings of Jazz (Latin, jazz), 7pm

THE GETAWAY TIKI BAR

Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Triathalon w/Current Blue (lofi-rock, R&B), 8pm

THE ODD

Jessi Slaughter, DJ GrimmJoi, OreoTh Sage (hyper-pop), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Sold Out: Margaret Cho, 8pm

THE ROOT BAR

Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Trivia Thursday, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH

SLOPE

Social Bachata, 8:30pm

WICKED WEED BREWING

The Hillclimbers (Appalachian, bluegrass), 6pm

The insider’s guide

NC DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE & CONSUMER SERVICES is Hiring!

The Cooperative Grading Service is recruiting a seasonal apple grader (Laborer or General Utility Worker) in Henderson County. Position will be temporary with full-time hours during harvest season, beginning in August (August – Oct/Nov).

Education and/or experience in the performance of a variety of manual tasks, normal color vision, basic math, and basic computer skills.

Laborer salary hourly rate at $15.75. General Utility Worker hourly rate at $16.00. Paid training provided; mileage paid at state rate. A PD-107 (NC State application) is required. EOE.

For more information, call Melissa (252) 792-1672 or 252-333-5042

Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@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 advertise@mountainx.com

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Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships

and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 258-3229

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JUNE 17 - 18, 2023

CROWNE PLAZA RESORT ASHEVILLE, NC

PAST IS PROLOGUE

Millions worldwide believe there is more to recent earth and human history than recognized by our gatekeepers. By bringing together Scientists and Speculators the Cosmic Summit will tell the whole story the best we can.

The heterodox subjects addressed at The Summit will include the well-published Younger Dryas Impact Event, More Recent Cosmic Impacts, A Suspected Precursor Civilization, Clovis People, The Black Mat, Megafaunal Extinctions, Gobekli Tepe, Forgotten Ancient Technologies, Controversial Archaeology, Atlantis, Megalithic Monument Building, The Knights Templar, Egyptian Mysteries, and Catastrophic Geology.

The event will be streamed worldwide through howtube.com. But for those who come to beautiful Asheville, NC, the gathering will be a unique opportunity to eat, drink and think with others who ponder ages past.

cosmicsummit.com

Are you ready to move beyond false divisions and propaganda to cultivate Unity?

Join other freedom lovers in sharing truth and celebrating freedom and unity at Sacred Mountain Waters Wellness Sanctuary in Marshall. Enjoy two days and nights of sharing and celebration in nature (Fri, June 30th to Sun, July 2nd). One-day Saturday pass also available. This family-friendly event will feature expert speakers facilitating discussions on health freedom, wellness, selfsufficiency, permaculture, legal sovereignty and financial and political freedom. Also enjoy live music, hiking, swimming and hot tubs set in a private 260 acre mountain valley bounded by two miles of pristine rivers. The Sovereign Camp Out is sponsored by Purple Nation USA and hosted at Sacred Mountain Waters Wellness Sanctuary to bring the best of Red and Blue together to seek unity and truth.

View the full schedule and get your tickets at PurpleNationUSA.org

JAHANNAH JAMES RANDALL CARLSON SCOTT WOLTER BEN VAN KERKWYK

Luke Caverns • Micah Hanks • Chris Cottrell • Russ Allen • Dr. Allen West Dr. Kenneth Barnett Tankersley • Dr. Andrew MT Moore • Dr. Steven Collins Mr. Marc Young • Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe, MBE

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries-born Vincent van Gogh’s painting Potato Eaters shows five people in a dark room barely illuminated by lamplight. Seated around a small table, they use their hands to eat food they have grown themselves. Vincent wanted to convey the idea that they “dug the earth with the very hands they put into their bowls.” I don’t expect you to do anything quite so spectacularly earthy in the coming weeks, Aries, but I would love to see you get very up close and personal with nature. I’d also love to see you learn more about where the fundamental things in your life originate. Bonus points if you seek adventures to bolster your foundations and commune with your roots.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned

Mexican artist Diego Rivera emerged from his mother’s womb in 1886. But some observers suggest that Rivera’s soul was born in 1920: a pivotal time when he found his true calling as an artist. During a visit to Italy, as he gazed at the murals of 15th-century mural painters, “he found the inspiration for a new and revolutionary public art capable of furthering the ideals of the ongoing revolution in his native land.” (In the words of art historian Linda Downs.) I will be extra dramatic and speculate that you may have a comparable experience in the coming months, dear Taurus: a rebirth of your soul that awakens vigorous visions of what your future life can be.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Among her many jobs, my triple Gemini friend Alicia has worked as a deep-sea rescue diver, an environmental activist, a singer in a band, a dog food taster, an art teacher for kids, and a volunteer at a sleep lab researching the nature of dreams. Do I wonder if she would be wise to commit herself to one occupation? Not really. I respect her decision to honor her ever-shifting passions. But if there will ever come a time when she will experiment with a bit more stability and constancy, it may come during the next 11 months. You Geminis are scheduled to engage in deep ruminations about the undiscovered potentials of regularity, perseverance, and commitment.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): As religious sects go, the Shakers are the most benign. Since their origin in the 18th century, they have had as many women as men in leadership roles. They practice pacifism, disavow consumerism, and don’t try to impose their principles on others. Their worship services feature dancing as well as singing. I’m not suggesting you become a Shaker, Cancerian, but I do hope that in the coming months, you will place a premium on associating with noble groups whose high ideals are closely aligned with your own. It’s time to build and nurture your best possible network.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For years, Mario A. Zacchini worked at a circus as a “human cannonball.” On thousands of occasions, he was shot out of a cannon at 90 miles per hour. “Flying isn’t the hard part,” he testified. “Landing in the net is.” His work might sound dangerous, but he lived to age 87. Let’s make Mario your role model for a while, Leo. I hope he will inspire you to be both adventurous and safe, daring but prudent. I trust you will seek exhilarating fun even as you insist on getting soft landings.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): One of my favorite astrology teachers, Stephen Arroyo, notes, “Most people have a strong opinion about astrology, usually quite extreme, even though 95 percent have never studied it whatsoever.” Of course, astrology is not the only subject about which people spout superficial ideas based on scant research. Viral epidemiology is another example. Anyway, Virgo, I am asking you to work hard to avoid this behavior during the rest of 2023. Of all the zodiac signs, you have the greatest potential to express thoughtful ideas based on actual evidence. Be a role model for the rest of us! Show us what it means to have articulate, well-informed opinions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Meditation teacher

Cheri Huber wrote a book called Be the Person You Want to Find. This would be an excellent title for your life story during the next 10 months. I hope you will soon ruminate on how to carry out such a quest. Here are two suggestions. 1. Make a list of qualities you yearn to experience in a dear ally and brainstorm about how to cultivate those qualities in yourself. 2. Name three high-integrity people you admire. Meditate on how you could be more like them in ways that are aligned with your life goals.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Now is a good time to take stock of how you have fared in the Dating and Mating Games through the years. Why? Because you are entering a new chapter of your personal Love Story. The next two years will bring rich opportunities to outgrow stale relationship patterns and derive rich benefits from novel lessons in intimacy. An excellent way to prepare is to meditate on the history of your togetherness.

P.S.: The term “fate bait” refers to an influence that draws you toward the next turning point of your necessary destiny. Be alert for fate bait.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian actor Samuel L. Jackson loves the color purple. He insists on it being featured in his films, and he often wears purple outfits. In Black Snake Moan, he plays a purple Gibson guitar. In the animated movie, Turbo, he voices the role of a purple racing snail. In his Star Wars appearances, he wields a purple light saber. Now I am endorsing his obsession for your use. Why? First, it’s an excellent time to home in on exactly what you want and ask for exactly what you want. Second, now is a favorable phase to emphasize purple in your own adventures. Astrologers say purple is your ruling color. It stimulates your natural affinity for abundance, expansiveness, and openness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): People who understand the creative process say it’s often wise to stay mum about your in-progress work. You may diminish the potency of your projects if you blab about them while they’re still underway. I don’t think that’s true for all creative efforts. For example, if we collaborate with partners on an artistic project or business venture, we must communicate well with them. However, I do suspect the transformative efforts you are currently involved in will benefit from at least some secrecy for now. Cultivate the privacy necessary to usher your masterpiece to further ripeness.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Musician Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was a freaky rebel, iconoclastic weirdo, and virtuoso experimenter. Everything normal and ordinary was boring to him. He aspired to transcend all categories. And yet he refrained from taking psychedelic drugs and urged his fans to do the same. He said, “We repudiate any substances, vehicles, or procedures which might reduce the body, mind, or spirit of an individual to a state of sub-awareness or insensitivity.” Zappa might have added that some substances temporarily have a pleasing effect but ultimately diminish the life force. In my estimation, Aquarius, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-evaluate your relationship with influences that weaken the vitality of your body, mind, or spirit. It will also be a favorable period to seek new modes of lasting liberation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you are at a festival or fair where you could win a lot of money by smashing watermelons with your head, I hope you won’t do it. Same if you imagine you could impress a potential lover by eating 25 eggs in three minutes: Please don’t. Likewise, I beg you not to let yourself be manipulated or abused by anyone for any reason. These days, it’s crucial not to believe you can succeed by doing things that would hurt or demean or diminish you. For the foreseeable future, you will be wise to show what you do best and express your highest values. That’s the most effective way to get what you want.

ACROSS

1 Toot one’s own horn

5 Opposite of “sans”

9 Crime lord strangled by Princess Leia

14 Tibetan monk

15 Home of the Sphinx

16 Elba who portrayed Nelson Mandela

17 Ursa Major and Ursa Minor?

19 They’re found around castles

20 1992 role for Robin Williams or 2019 role for Will Smith

21 [I’m right here!]

23 Three-way intersection

24 Side dish with ribs

27 Mystical mixtures

29 Scorpio and Cancer?

33 Therapists’ org.

69 “___ Enchanted” (2004 film)

70 Many a textbook

71 Famed diarist Samuel

72 Study, e.g.

26 It’s filled, and may be filling

28 It sees right through you

29 Be specific about, in a way

38 Thomas who won the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature 40 Critical resource harvested in “Dune”

73 Wonderstruck DOWN

1 Modern journal

2 Rapturous review

3 “Preach it!”

4 Obtrusively showy

5 A growing number?

6 By way of

7 Journalist Klein who co-founded Vox

8 First nut listed on a can of Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts 9

Trouble

11 World capital 50 miles from Vienna

12 Risky dog to own

13 Foolish sorts

18 They go through loops

22 Right-angle shape

30 Magic Keyboard go-with

31 Genre for N.W.A and Ice-T

32 Defensive line?

36 Offensive line?

37 Pub choices

39 Classic soft drink brand

41 Big Apple educational syst.

42 “And so … “

45 154 Shakespeare works

47 Intimidate, in a way, with “out” 50 Avignon affirmative 51 Tie to a post, say

Tundra, for one 53 Lay out in a new pattern

Wear away

Bulk storage area