Mountain Xpress 06.28.23

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

To mark the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, Xpress sits down with six local veterans to reflect on their experiences, their return to civilian life and the conflict’s legacy.

COVER PHOTOS Courtesy of Robert Lucas, Martin Downie and Eric Hill

COVER

Scott Southwick

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Jessica Wakeman

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Mary Jean Ronan Herzog, Rob Mikulak, Daniel Walton

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Blake Becker, Morgan Bost, Carmela Caruso, Bill Kopp, Amber Adams Niven, Storms Reback, Daniel Walton, Kay West

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INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick

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Join NC People’s Power to spark change

In the 1976 film Network, a satire on TV news by Paddy Chayefsky, considered one of the greatest screenplays of all time, unhinged network news anchor Howard Beale opens his broadcast by outlining the hot-button issues of the day — unemployment, crime, inflation, the Russians, etc. — and exhorts his viewers to go to their windows, stick their heads out and shout, “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.” In viewing this scene [avl.mx/csk] almost 50 years later, I was shocked at how many of these issues are still affecting our lives today.

On July 1, a new coalition called NC People’s Power is organizing Days of Outrage in 13 cities across North Carolina to speak out against the attacks on “our bodies, our schools, our health, our environment, our rights, our communities, our income,

our jobs, our democracy.” Endorsed by 91 organizations, with more being added each day, the coalition is putting forth a people’s agenda that will seek the following:

• Fully fund public schools, early education and child care, not private-school vouchers.

• Defend Black history and people’s history.

• Protect our communities with sensible gun safety laws.

• Safe staffing in state mental health and medical facilities.

• Support improved Medicare for all. No to Blue Cross Blue Shield price hikes.

• Defend the right to abortion and reproductive health care. Increase rural access to prenatal and postnatal health care.

• Stop criminalization of LGBTQ+ people. Support gender-affirming care.

• Defend voting rights. No gerrymandering.

• Stop criminalizing the right to protest.

• Stop taking historic appointments from the governor’s office.

• Raise the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour.

• Raise the wages of teachers and state employees to $20 per hour or by 20% over two years.

• Make millionaires and corporations pay taxes to support vital public services.

• Support the right to organize a union and public-sector collective bargaining. Fully fund Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Paid sick leave, paid family and parental leave.

• Provide low-income housing, direct rent and mortgage relief. Moratorium on evictions, foreclosures and utility cutoffs.

• Support minority- and women-owned businesses.

• Stop attacks on Black, brown and Indigenous people. Reparations now.

• Protect immigrant workers and families. No working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

• Stop construction of prisons and detention centers.

• Expand criminal record relief and resources for people released from incarceration.

• Protect clean water, air and land.

• Hold Big Agriculture, Duke Energy and all corporations accountable for environmental pollution. Expand renewable energy.

On July 1, we are organizing a speakout. We’ll assemble at the Pack Square monument at 5 p.m. We’ll deliver a few prepared speeches. However, we really want to hear from you. What makes you mad as hell?

After this, we plan to organize people’s assemblies across the state, where citizens will refine the people’s agenda for each community and learn how to advocate with elected officials.

It is often said that the only way to beat the power and influence of corporate and billionaire money over elected officials is through people power. Currently, we are siloed, with organizations and their supporters advocating for their single issue. If we band together and organize across issues, where environmentalists advocate for health care and racial justice activists advocate for housing, etc., there is no limit to what we can accomplish.

Please join us on July 1. If you represent an organization that wishes to endorse this action, go to this website and sign up [avl.mx/csl].

— Lauren Steiner Fairview

Editors note: The writer reports being an activist, organizer and inde-

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

pendent journalist who moved to the Asheville area in 2021.

Better solutions needed for living with bears

I was disappointed to read the solutions posed in the article on bear encounters in the June 7 paper [“Close Encounters of the Ursine Kind: Bearhuman Conflicts Are Getting More Intense,” Xpress]. It seemed to dwindle down to: “Well, the bear population and thus encounters have grown over the last decade. The tried-and-true way to deal with it is to hunt them down.” The article brushed over other solutions, such as education and city ordinances.

In my opinion, there are also more harmless and logical solutions not mentioned. Instead of decreasing the population of bears by killing them, why don’t we try limiting our production of food waste? The city could also allocate funds to distribute large bearproof canisters for food waste for each neighborhood. We could have more bear crossing signs in areas where they are frequent.

Another addition would be to plant more native fruit-bearing trees and plants so the bears are less reliant on food scraps. Also, there should be more public discussion on what to do when you encounter a bear, how to safely act and how to not provoke them.

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN

The rise of bear encounters is the direct result of urbanization and development. The least we can do is approach the problem proactively to enhance the quality of life for both us and our furry neighbors. We do live in the mountains, after all.

— Kelly Bartoldus Asheville

Newcomers are ruining Asheville

[ Regarding “Quirky Is Not Important,” June 14, Xpress:]

Why would you print such a hateful letter? Karen, the author, equates being “cool” and “quirky” with being trashy. It’s the greedy, unrestrained development that is ruining Asheville and the surrounding communities.

Our infrastructure simply cannot support such a large influx of people, people who cut down vast numbers of trees to build their homes, consume our natural resources and generate more trash than the city can deal with.

Karen states that folks here have no pride in their communities when it’s largely all these newcomers who don’t care. They want “a pretty view” and could care less what has to be destroyed in the process. Karen states that she must “now move on.” Good riddance.

— Lindy McClure Leicester

War and remembrance

BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE

jmcguire@mountainx.com

Bill Manofsky of Flat Rock had a ringside seat to the start of the Iraq War. As a Navy Reserve commander, he survived missile attacks in the conflict’s earliest days in March 2003.

Waynesville’s Martin Downie arrived in the country in 2009, a time when the United States was beginning to draw down its military forces after years of protracted conflict and thousands of lives lost on both sides.

In between, Asheville’s Joe Hough, Waynesville’s Robert Lucas and Canton’s Brandon Davis served in the conflict that raged from 2003-11. Canton’s Eric Hill was deployed twice.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, Xpress sat down with these six local veterans to reflect on their experiences, their return to civilian life and the conflict’s legacy.

As Manofsky, Downie and the others demonstrate, there is no single Iraq War experience. Some veterans served in combat and suffered life-altering injuries. Others had support roles and escaped unharmed, at least physically. Some were reservists called up for the war, others were in the midst of decadeslong military careers.

And while all say they are proud of their service in Iraq, most express complicated feelings as they look back on the war and its aftermath.

THE EARLY WAR

Hours after President George W. Bush announced the war had begun on March 19, 2003, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein ordered missile strikes on Kuwait, right where Manofsky was deployed. He was one

WNC Iraq veterans look back 20 years later

mention of it in my medical record. I’m pretty upset.”

Canton’s Hill arrived in Mosul, Iraq, as an Army reservist for the Alabamabased 926th Engineer Brigade shortly after hostilities began. He had served in the Army and Reserves from 199301 and reenlisted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

His role with the unit put him in harm’s way routinely.

“I’m trained in communications, so I did a little bit of radio setup, but my main job [in Iraq] was to be the rear gunner in a three-Humvee convoy team,” says Hill, who now serves as pastor of Rockwood Methodist Church in Canton and Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church in Candler. “I escaped without any injuries other than my spine’s all out of whack and my neck’s all out of whack. Physically, I never got hurt.”

Between his first tour and his second tour in 2008-09, he went on more than 3,000 missions outside the line and received a Bronze Star Medal.

NO EASY END TO THE WAR

As the war dragged on, area veterans saw how its violence became commonplace.

of two area residents who were there right at the outset.

In fact, he had been in the country since December 2002, even before the war started to support special operations as the conflict began. “I was directly involved in the mission planning of inserting Special Forces teams into Baghdad and central Iraq, and also the Al-Faw peninsula,” he recalls.

Mandofsky was unharmed in the initial barrage but left the conflict shortly thereafter when he had an acute reaction to the anti-malaria

drug, Lariam, which was issued to

He was discharged from the Navy with a diagnosis of post-traumatic Manofsky became an outspoken critic of the controversial drug, which he says initially made him severely ill, suicidal and aggressive. Long-term effects include vertigo, short-term memory loss and random tremors in

“The Navy does not want to talk about Lariam,” he told United Press International in 2003. “There is no

“We were attacked every day while I was there, and by attacked, I mean random mortar strikes and rockets from the insurgents,” says Lucas, who was based at Balad Air Base in a noncombat role. “The first time it happened was literally when we were getting off the plane when we first arrived. That was our welcome to Iraq. The first few times it’s a little crazy. But then, you’d be surprised, you get used to it. I never felt any real sense of danger.”

Lucas was deployed to Iraq in January 2006 as part of the 727th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron, also known as

IN COUNTRY: Waynesville’s Robert Lucas poses with a portrait of Saddam Hussein during his tour of service in Iraq in 2006.

Photo courtesy of Lucas

“Kingpin.” By that time, Saddam had been captured and was awaiting trial, the search for weapons of mass destruction had been abandoned, and the Iraqi insurgency was well underway.

“I remember thinking, ‘OK, we’ve been here three years now, it’s about time to wrap this sh*t up,’” Lucas recalls. “It’s so funny thinking about how naive I was.”

Kingpin provided surveillance and control of aircraft over Iraqi airspace. For five months, Lucas worked nights as a tech specialist controlling the unit’s data infrastructure systems.

Davis arrived in Iraq in 2005 as part of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division. A few months into his tour, he was on patrol in Baghdad when his vehicle ran over a roadside bomb and he suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Hough went to Iraq in August 2006 as part of the 105th Engineer Group of the Army National Guard. The unit was responsible for clearing roads of improvised explosive devices, making roadway repairs and other tasks.

Then an assistant principal at A.C. Reynolds High School, he served as liaison officer between the engineer group and division headquarters. “I would advise the general officer for that division on all operations questions that would come up, as well as if I got any questions from corps level,” he recalls.

On two occasions, Hough briefed Gen. David Petraeus, commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq.

While in Iraq, Hough was promoted from captain to major and took online courses through Western Carolina University to make progress toward his master’s degree in education. “It’s hard to believe that I could do that in a war environment, but I did,” says Hough, who is now an assistant superintendent with Buncombe County Schools. “Western Carolina did a great job, and I was able to find a little bit of time to pull away from my duties.”

WANING INTEREST IN THE WAR

In the war’s later years, Downie witnessed the success — and failures — of the work to make Iraqi forces self-sustaining, opening the door to the departure of U.S. troops.

He served in Iraq from 2009-10 as the public affairs chief for Lt. Gen. Michael D. Barbero and was responsible for training, equipping and developing Iraqi security forces. Those efforts were part of newly elected President Barack Obama’s goal of removing U.S. combat brigades from the country by August 2010.

“We needed to get their Army, their Navy — and I’m making quotes in the air when I say their ‘Navy’ — and their Air Force, as well as their police forces, in shape to defend their own

country,” says Downie, who retired to Waynesville after a 30-year military career. “And man, we tried like hell, we really did. My job was to highlight all of those efforts and get as much of that into the press as possible.”

That proved to be difficult by that point in the war, he admits.

“I think most of the U.S. press had really had a belly full by that time and really wasn’t buying the sauce,” says Downie, who retired as a colonel after 30 years in the Army. “I think in the early days they were much more present on the ground. By the time I got there, we were working pretty hard to get journalists in. We’d have to embed them and take them on tours. They all wanted to be in combat.”

COMING HOME

For many of the veterans, the transition back to civilian life proved difficult.

Several still struggle with PTSD and depression. Some find that being in large crowds or exposed to loud noises can trigger memories of their time in Iraq.

“Even now, when I hear fireworks in my backyard, I know I’m here in Waynesville, but I still get that weird feeling of being back there again,” says Lucas, who does not suffer from PTSD.

After his Iraq tour ended in 2006, Davis spent time couch-surfing with friends in Haywood County, drinking too much and generally feeling lost outside the structure of military life. He didn’t seek help among the area’s various veterans groups.

“I wasn’t looking, and I didn’t know that anything like that existed,” he says. “I didn’t know there was a veterans community.”

He reenlisted in 2008 and spent time in Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf. After leaving the Army a second time in 2012, he worked in oil fields in North Dakota before making his way back to Western North Carolina. He got to know Brandon Wilson, director of Veterans Services of the Carolinas, who hired him as senior care coordinator.

A division of Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry, the group supports veterans and their families with housing, employment and more.

Hill says that during his first tour, he had a life-altering experience that led him away from the church for six years. He chooses not to discuss the details.

He turned back to religion after coming home from his second tour and found that helped with many of the problems he was facing. But he continued to battle depression and

Family business

Alan Yeck served on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps from September 1979 to September 1982. Stationed at several bases throughout his military career — including Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Kaneohe, Hawaii — he achieved the rank of corporal.

What drew you to enlist?

My grandfather drove a tank in France in World War I. My father served in the U.S. Air Force in World War II, the Korea War and Vietnam War. My oldest brother was a MASH [Mobile Army Surgical Hospital] helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and his wife was a MASH nurse. Next brother was U.S. Air Force, killed on active duty. Next brother was U.S. Army. I joined the USMC. Family business.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

I enlisted at a young age and was immediately put on the fast track to adulthood. Honor, dignity, respect and appreciation for freedom are part of my Marine Corps and core.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

Be sincere in your rapport. You are asking to learn more and to understand. I would stay away from discussion on combat and war, though, unless they want to share that. Just be sincere.

MILITARY REFLECTIONS

Finding lifelong friends

Monica Walsh Blankenship joined the U.S. Air Force in 1974 as a nurse. She spent two years at the David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif. Over the subsequent five years, she was an active reserve flight nurse, primarily with the 65th Air Evacuation Squadron at Travis, and flew all across the Pacific theater. She left the Air Force in 1981 as a captain.

What drew you to enlist?

Blankenship: While working in Chicago, ironically, I had turned down a lucrative offer to work on the Alaskan pipeline; there was no way I was going to commit to something for two years! Three months later, I was commissioned in the Air Force. Go figure!

Having a brother who served in Vietnam with the Navy certainly nudged me toward the military. I had been peripherally involved with the AFROTC group from college, so I was getting encouragement there, too. But I primarily wanted to contribute in a different way, be a part of something bigger. The flying aspect was a lure, but there was more to it. I believe I was looking for more direction, adventure, newness — and thought, “Why not?!”

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

Caring for patients in the military let me comprehend some of their unique pain and circumstances and definitely contributed to being a better nurse. It also inspired me to go further in nursing, eventually earning my master’s degree while in the active reserves. I met my husband, a physician in the Air Force, while at Travis. So that time drastically impacted who I am today. After the Air Force years, we then lived overseas for 17 years, a much easier transition because of our military experience. My Air Force years broadened my horizons geographically and intellectually, brought me lifelong friends and the love of my life.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

For people who have not served, I would advise an awareness that, just as many veterans love to tell their story, there are those that find it painful and choose not to talk in any depth about their experiences. That needs to be respected. Keep in mind, too, that some veterans feel “unworthy” of interest because they were not deployed or in combat. Recognize whatever their role was and convey that it was important. Keep questions general and listen. Being genuinely interested beyond “thank you for your service” is appreciated and rewarding. X

ALAN YECK

MONICA WALSH BLANKENSHIP

WELCOME HOME

We write to heal the wounds of war

Join our writing class and feel the healing powers of writing your story!

Let your legacy be written and shared with your family-the time is now.

Go to our website, brothersandsisterslikethese. godaddysites.com , read our stories and then click on the tab, “Find out more about Brothers and Sisters Like These” and give your contact informationwe will get back in touch.

Comments from veterans who participated in the writing class:

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Together Then Together Again

even contemplated suicide. It was during that period that he felt the call to become a local licensed pastor and finally started seeking help.

Hill found Veterans Services of the Carolinas helpful when he finally sought support after his second tour in Iraq ended in 2009, he says. His wife, Keri Hill, now works as chaplain and intake coordinator for the group.

Other groups have proved helpful to local veterans, including Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville, Warrior Clan in Haywood County, Veterans Horseplay WNC of Marshall and the Western North Carolina chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

“There are any number of organizations, commercial and nonprofit, making outreach efforts for veterans, and there’s a network out there,” Downie says. “Man, if you’re a veteran and you can’t find help, you’re not trying very hard. I’m not exaggerating.”

Several veterans praised Asheville’s Charles George VA Medical Center, which regularly ranks among the top VA hospitals in the nation for quality and has been ranked in the top five VA hospitals to work in the nation.

“Compared to the VAs in California, I like the Asheville VA a lot,” says

Manofsky, who was based in the Golden State for decades before his 2017 move to Flat Rock. From 201316, he was heavily involved with veterans’ health issues as national vice president of legislative affairs for the Association of the U.S. Navy.

Downie and Hough believe U.S. troops returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and other recent conflicts

have been treated much better by the public than those who served in Vietnam in the 1960s and ’70s.

“The lesson learned from Vietnam was regardless of how you feel about being at war, you thank the soldiers because they’re just doing their job,” Hough says. “Anytime they see somebody in a uniform, they say, ’Thank you for your service.’ It’s almost second nature, and that’s wonderful.”

He says he and other veterans frequently have their meals paid for when eating at a restaurant. “Ask any soldier that’s deployed. If for some reason they’re out in public where they had their uniform on, it’s happened multiple times. You almost started feeling guilty because it happens so much, to be quite honest. And that’s wonderful, too.”

THE WAR’S LEGACY

U.S. troops were officially withdrawn from Iraq in 2011, though the insurgency and other aspects of the armed conflict are ongoing.

Looking back at the war, many of the local veterans have conflicted feelings. They are proud of their service and the people they worked with but are uncertain whether Iraq ultimately benefited from the U.S. presence there.

“Should we have been there? I don’t know where we would be today had we not done that, but there might have been other ways to do it,” Manofsky says. “Saddam was a bad guy, just like [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s a bad guy. I think Bush One should have taken him out in the first Gulf War,” referring to former President George H.W. Bush and first Iraq conflict in 1990-91.

As a member of an engineering group, Hill saw firsthand areas where the U.S. improved Iraq’s schools, hospitals and roads. Outside of that, though, he doesn’t know if the country is in better shape.

Hough says Iraq was in an improved condition when the U.S. started withdrawing troops. “But I don’t know that I’ve had my hand on the pulse enough lately to know if that has continued or not.”

Downie believes the U.S. failed to learn the lessons of Vietnam about the limits of using military force to accomplish political aims.

“I know for a fact that men and women over there did their absolute level best,” Downie says. “Everyone who was there that I worked with was passionate, committed, professional. But we don’t control the strategic level; that’s in the hands of the politicians, and you can get angry about it. We continue to go into places that are fundamentally different from our culture, from our values, and we try to instill those values.” X

FRONT LINE: Canton’s Brandon Davis served with the U.S. Army’s 4th Infantry Division in Iraq. Photo courtesy of Davis

A veteran’s anti-war stance

Heath Smith enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1999. He attended boot camp in Parris Island, S.C., School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, N.C. and then was later stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif. He was deployed twice to the Middle East. On the second round, in March 2003, he led a Marine Corps infantry team into combat, fighting in the battle of Umm Qasr (the first battle of the Iraq War) and the battle of Nasiriyah.

What drew you to enlist?

My grandfather was a Marine in World War II. And I’m from a tiny, nothing town in Tennessee and couldn’t wait to get out.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

I have maintained much of the structure learned during my time in the Corps. My experiences in Iraq and working in veteran services has made me staunchly anti-war, as I have seen the negative consequences and destruction armed conflict leaves in its wake.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

To remain sympathetic to those who have served this county no matter the political climate of the times they served or the conflicts in which they were involved. There are many selfless people who have served and continue to serve.

MILITARY REFLECTIONS

Veterans are not a monolith

Kevin Rumley enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2003, directly out of high school. In 2004, he was injured by an improvised explosive device on the Syrian border of Iraq. He notes 26 members of his battalion were killed by such devices. Rumley underwent 32 surgeries. Doctors believed he’d never walk again, but he beat the odds. Nevertheless, he says, “My life was forever changed.”

What drew you to enlist?

My father was in the Marines. Growing up in northern Virginia, the military had a strong presence and influence. After 9/11, I had a robust internal drive toward service. I remember skateboarding down to the recruiter’s office with my long, bleached blonde hair and saying, “I want to join the Marines and I want to be a rifleman.” The recruiter was happy to oblige.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

The military profoundly shaped who I am today. My entire outlook on life was morphed from my combat experience. Losing close friends at such a young age has lasting implications. For many veterans, a lost sense of connection and purpose emerges after serving in the armed forces. I eventually realized that the principles of service taught in the Marines can carry over into my civilian life. Just like in the infantry, you need that community/tribe to survive! Now that I am out of the Marines and working at the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court, I repeatedly see the significant role community and connection play in the recovery process of our justice-involved veterans’ lives.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

I feel it is important to highlight that veterans are not a monolith. Every veteran’s experience is different. Only about 10% of the armed forces experience combat, despite depictions of veterans in media and news to the contrary. For civilians, it is important to understand that a veteran is a human being first. I would argue that thanking someone for their service is completely appropriate when coming from a place of authenticity. X

Heath Smith, right, with his family, from left, Angela, Brooklyn and Stone.

Kevin Rumley, right, with assistant commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. William Nyland.

Opportunity knocks

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

Some veterans find it difficult to adjust after military service. They might lack skills that lead to civilian jobs, and in some cases, that leads to homelessness. Recognizing those challenges, A-B Tech and the nonprofit Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry partnered to put classrooms right where they’re needed: in two transitional shelters.

“To my knowledge, there’s not another program partnership like this where you have a college or university actually going out to a facility for the homeless,” says Tim McElyea, director of Veterans Restoration Quarters, an ABCCM facility that provides housing, skill-building and other support for veterans. “This is pretty cutting-edge stuff.”

A-B Tech offers a culinary program at Veterans Restoration Quarters and several other classes at Transformation Village, ABCCM’s 100-bed shelter for women. Residents, veterans and nonveterans alike can ride the ministry’s intercampus van to classes at either location.

ACCESS IS EVERYTHING

Transformation Village has five A-B Tech classrooms in a bright, airy education wing connected to the shelter. The wing also has a front entrance for other A-B Tech students. Anyone enrolled may take classes at the two campuses at the shelters.

The programs currently available at Transformation Village are nursing, industrial sewing and construction. Those industries have hiring needs locally and thus can provide trainees with “living-wage employment,” says McElyea. “You can walk in and basically come out with a new career after taking [A-B Tech courses],” McElyea continues. The goal is to provide “a lot quicker access and opportunity to people to get into living-wage employment.”

The classrooms are right downstairs from Transformation Village’s other offerings: meals, child enrichment, Bible study and peer support. “It’s made easily accessible opportunities that would be a lot more difficult for our veterans to be able to get to,” McElyea explains. “A lot of folks that are homeless don’t have transportation, so certainly, if

A-B Tech, ABCCM partnership brings classes to

veterans’ doorstep

Sugarcane Studios, which provides custom sewing and alterations; and SewCo., a design studio and sewing manufacturer.

Program graduates have landed jobs at manufacturers as well as at companies offering reupholstering and alterations, Ko says.

Students don’t need to commit to boot camp classes without trying it first. On Thursday evenings, the A-B Tech classroom at Transformation Village offers a sewing class that anyone from ABCCM can attend. Ko says the intention is to introduce industrial sewing as a career in a low-pressure setting.

COLLEGE DREAMS

Denise Montgomery , director of educational services at Transformation Village, says she outlines the available educational opportunities at A-B Tech with every shelter resident within their first two weeks of arrival.

She says veterans who have lived at Transformation Village have a variety of educational backgrounds. Some have college degrees and want training in a new field. Montgomery recalls one veteran who was just a few credits short of a doctorate.

you’re homeless it’s harder to get to school.”

Marine Corps veteran Daniel Conway struggled upon his return from deployment and eventually found stability in his life after pursuing an education. He completed his community health worker certification at A-B Tech online and now works for Veterans Services of the Carolinas, a division of ABCCM. He says for veterans who are affiliated with ABCCM, “the accessibility, the comfort, being somewhere they’re familiar with already” makes their classrooms at the shelters all the more inviting.

BOOTCAMP

A-B Tech’s industrial sewing classes (it uses the term “boot camp”) are taught by Johnny Ko. A former dentist who retired to Asheville, Ko is a lifelong hobbyist tailor who first donated excess fabric to ABCCM and then began teaching.

The Carolina Textile District, an association of textile manufacturers

in Western North Carolina, provides A-B Tech’s curriculum. The threeweek boot camp instructs students on two Juki industrial sewing machines: a single-stitch and a serger. In addition to classroom instruction, students have visited Diamond Brand Gear, which sells tents, hiking and camping gear; Mills Manufacturing, maker of military parachute systems;

A former teacher and school principal, Montgomery enjoys helping people enroll in college for the first time, especially those who say, “‘Oh my gosh, I never thought I’d become a college student!’”

The veterans she’s worked with are “extremely motivated” to take advantage of the educational opportunities presented by the partnership. “I love being here and helping them fulfill a dream that they have is quite rewarding,” she says.

JOB PREPAREDNESS: Johnny Ko teaches industrial sewing classes at the A-B Tech satellite campus at Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry. Ko demonstrates how to use a single needle Juki industrial sewing machine in a classroom. Photo by Jessica Wakeman

What about us? Farm bill renewal raises questions for WNC farmers

BY DANIEL WALTON

Lawmakers in Washington are once again revisiting the smorgasbord legislation colloquially known as the farm bill, and North Carolina’s agriculture industry wants a seat at the table. But talks over the omnibus bill, which is renewed roughly every five years and authorizes hundreds of billions in funding for everything from corn subsidies to research into organics, often leave the western part of the state behind.

In states with a substantial farming sector, policy conversations tend to be dominated by large-scale producers of commodity crops, says agricultural economist Rod Rejesus of N.C. State University. In North Carolina, those growers are mostly based in the east, with thousands of acres planted in corn, soy or cotton. He points to recent farm bill listening sessions conducted in Smithfield by Republican Sen. Thom Tillis and across the state’s northeast by Democratic Rep. Don Davis.

Western North Carolina’s mountainous terrain, however, favors smaller farms producing a diverse mix of crops; Asheville in particular has a culture of new growers forging direct-to-consumer relationships through farmers markets and community supported agriculture. “This has been a perennial issue over the years, that these smaller farmers and beginning farmers are typically considered underserved in the farm bill,” Rejesus says.

Rep. Chuck Edwards , the Republican who serves WNC in the U.S. House, recognizes this deficiency. Last month, Edwards convened a nine-member agricultural advisory

board to provide a variety of perspectives as he advocates for the region’s interests in the farm bill.

“We were looking for some of the folks that we typically don’t hear from,” Edwards tells Xpress In addition to business owners like Kirby Johnson, whose Flavor 1st Growers and Packers supplies large supermarket chains such as Ingles, the board includes Anne Grier, a market grower who uses organic practices; Dale Hawkins , a cutyour-own Christmas tree producer; and Robin Reeves , a small-scale cattle farmer.

“The folks that are responsible for feeding and clothing us are asking for solutions at any level where they

can be hurt,” says Edwards. “We owe it to those folks taking risks to grow food and fiber to do everything that we can to preserve our national security. A hungry nation is an angry nation.”

GROWING PAINS

At the board’s first meeting on May 19 in Hendersonville, he notes, three concerns emerged as top priorities: access to labor, farmland preservation and crop insurance. On the first issue, continues Edwards, growers hope to maintain a reliable, affordable supply of foreign guest workers to plant and harvest — work that most American citizens don’t want to do.

North Carolina ranks among the top five states in the country for most participants enrolled in the H-2A visa program, which grants temporary residency to foreign farmworkers and ensures a minimum hourly wage of $14.91. In 2020, employers across the state were authorized to hire over 22,000 guest workers, the vast majority of them from Mexico.

But WNC farmers are also worried about increasing pressure to turn farmland into subdivisions. They also want federal programs aimed at reducing the risks of farming to cover a wider variety of

crops. Edwards says he hopes to address these concerns in his contributions to the farm bill, but his team hasn’t yet developed specific policy proposals.

Agricultural advisory board member Brian Traylor says his business, Gaia Herbs, is affected by all three issues. The herbal supplement manufacturer grows much of its raw material on a 350-acre plot in Transylvania County.

Traylor says Gaia relies heavily on H-2A employees from central Mexico, many of whom return each year to work on the farm. “We want to make sure that the regulations around that program continue to stay in a place where the labor rate is both fair to the employees and competitive for the businesses that are bringing those people in,” he explains.

Meanwhile, farmland in the area continues to get snapped up for development, notes Traylor, which could hinder any expansion plans Gaia might have. And at the same time, he continues, nonresidential uses are becoming more competitive than agriculture, citing federal support for solar energy production in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Finally, Traylor believes that formulas for federal crop insurance don’t sufficiently value the organic, regenerative practices Gaia employs on its farm. Because those meth-

GROUP INPUT: Last month, Rep. Chuck Edwards convened a nine-member agricultural advisory board to provide a variety of perspectives as he advocates for the region’s interests in the farm bill. Tractor photo courtesy of Gaia Farms; Chuck Edwards photo courtesy of Aesthetic Images Photography

ods reduce the risk of crop failure, he argues, farmers who use them should be rewarded with lower insurance rates.

“Many people want to do the right thing and are kind of on the edge,” he says. “As you help people understand the benefits of these practices and put incentives in, that could really help people make a transition.”

FEEDING THE HUNGRY

Despite its informal name, however, the farm bill has even greater significance for people not directly involved in agriculture. Over 75% of the more than $325 billion authorized by the 2018 bill was for benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps.

None of the advisory board members are directly involved in administering SNAP or other benefit programs, and Edwards doesn’t plan to establish a similar body for guidance on nutritional policy. He encourages constituents with concerns about those programs to call his office directly at 202-225-6401 or send a message via his website.

However, Edwards does note that WNC farmers have shown interest in collaborating with SNAP. “A very creative idea that was brought to me is that maybe small, local farmers and tailgate markets should be able to accept SNAP vouchers so that we could provide locally sourced, more healthy foods,” he says. (Some local farmers markets already accept

SNAP payments, but the details vary. The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, an Ashevillebased nonprofit, has programs that encourage SNAP recipients to buy fresh produce.)

On the administrative side, Edwards says he’ll fight to maintain work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults who receive SNAP benefits. Those requirements were recently expanded to eventually apply to adults ages 50-54 as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which raised the federal debt ceiling.

Many of Edwards’ Republican colleagues in the House hope to tighten SNAP regulations even further during the farm bill negotiations. Democrats, who narrowly control the Senate, have said they will fight against new restrictions on the program and may vote against any farm bill that contains them.

Jaylen Cates , policy director for the nonprofit Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, notes that similar battles over SNAP have delayed renewal of the farm bill in the past. The group, which promotes sustainable agriculture throughout the Carolinas, is concerned that political infighting could jeopardize other funding that local farmers rely on.

“We had this happen in 2014,” Cates explains. “The farm bill was

held up and wasn’t passed before the reauthorization deadline. And when that happens, programs that don’t have mandatory funding stop having money. The grant programs don’t run.”

Congress, says Cates, needs to recognize how the program benefits farmers and not let disagreements about it hold up the entire farm bill, pointing out, “Those SNAP customers are customers of farm products.”

THE CLOCK IS TICKING

Lawmakers still have several months to renegotiate the farm bill. Its most recent iteration, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, isn’t set to expire until the end of September. Edwards says a first draft of new language isn’t expected until sometime earlier that month.

Rejesus, the N.C. State economist, says that the omnibus nature of

the bill lends itself to political giveand-take. Urban, mostly Democratic legislators tend to focus on the law’s nutritional programs, while rural, mostly Republican lawmakers want support for the farmers in their districts. The two sides usually trade concessions within different sections of the bill, he continues, until they achieve a bipartisan compromise that enables the entire package to pass.

Edwards suggests that Republicans will focus those talks on keeping costs down. “The black cloud in the sky is our growing debt. The real challenge is going to be how to meet the needs of our agriculture community and still reverse the horrible spending that we’ve seen up here in Washington,” he says.

But despite their philosophical differences, notes Rejesus, both parties have a powerful incentive to find some common ground. If the farm bill isn’t renewed, many of its provisions would revert to what’s called “permanent law,” much of which dates to a jumble of legislation from the 1930s and ’40s.

“We don’t want that,” stresses Rejesus. X

“Many people want to do the right thing and are kind of on the edge.”

— Brian Traylor, Gaia Herbs

American Legion

Post 70 celebrates Independence Day with all patriotic Americans.

The American Legion exists to provide veterans and active duty personnel with a place to gather to fellowship with other service men and women who find a belonging place while helping the community in many ways.

Activity Schedule

American Legion Baseball

W Henderson HS

6/28 Rutherford Post 423

6/29 @Cleveland County Post 82

7/1 1st Playoff Game

7/1-5 1st Round Area 4 Tournament

7/6-11 2nd Round Area 4 Tournament

7/12-19 3rd Round Area 4 Tournament

7/20-22 Area Championship Series

7/24-29 State Tournament

Ladies Fast-Pitch Softball

Bob Lewis Fields

6/28 @Rowan 7/10 @Wilkes

7/12 @Rowan 7/17 Wilkes

7/31-8/2 STATE

3rd Annual Fund-Raising

Golf Tournament

Omni Grove Park Inn, 8/14 ncpost70golf.com

Sep 11 Memorial Service

At the Post with flag retirement ceremony

MORE INFORMATION:

americanlegionncpost70.org

NC Dept: nclegion.org

National: legion.org

americanlegionpost70nc

103 Reddick Rd, Asheville (828) 299-8463

info@americanlegionncpost70. org

Warriors wanted

Local recruiters face headwinds hitting enlistment goals

BY BROOKE RANDLE

brandle@mountainx.com

This year’s class of area high school graduates will be faced with the decision about what to do next. Some will head straight into college, while others will begin trade programs or entry-level jobs.

Only a fraction of today’s youths will choose to enlist in one of the six branches that make up the U.S. armed forces. While military enlistment has long been considered a patriotic and meaningful means of employment and education, national reports indicate that all branches of the military have experienced declining enlistment in recent years.

During a Senate subcommittee budget hearing held April 19 on military readiness for fiscal year 2024, leaders from the Army and Air Force estimated they’ll miss their recruitment goals by 10,000 each, while representatives from the Navy said they expected to be 6,000 sailors short.

That trend has played out in Western North Carolina as well, says Army Capt. Casey Strunk, who serves as the company commander for the Asheville Army Recruiting Company.

“The situation nationally has been spoken to at this point,” says Strunk. “We’re definitely down on numbers.”

But the latest data from the local Army recruiting offices offers hope. Strunk notes that May represented the first 30-day period in which the local office met its monthly goal of 24 new recruits since fiscal year 2019-20.

“We were able to achieve [our goal] 100%, which is what we call a ‘mission accomplishment,’” says Strunk.

NOW HIRING: National reports indicate that all branches of the armed forces have experienced declining enlistment in recent years. Photo courtesy of iStock

While the armed services are still grappling with a variety of issues that have led to fewer enlistments overall, Strunk notes that the success of WNC’s local offices could soon be reflected throughout the country.

“[Meeting our goal] was phenomenal for the company, and that is very [representative] of the Army as a whole.”

A RANGE OF FACTORS

Military enlistment has dropped nationally in recent years for a variety of reasons, including societal changes, internal processes and fewer eligible candidates. Strunk points out that a

majority of Americans of ideal recruiting age, which ranges from 17-39 depending on the branch of service, are simply unqualified for service due to weight, drug use or other health issues, or the ability to meet academic requirements. Strunk estimates that only 23% of people in that target age range are fully eligible to serve in the Army and Army Reserve. That’s down from 29% of eligible adults in fiscal year 2019, according to data from the U.S. Army Recruiting Command.

“We do recruiting in Western North Carolina, so we have stations in Morganton, Hickory, Asheville, Shelby, Sylva and Hendersonville,” says Strunk, who has served in the Army for six years. “And across the country, that propensity and eligibility for enlistment really varies geographically where you are and by who has health care available to them and who has higher education options available.”

He adds that a new health record database implemented servicewide last year is also contributing to lower enlistment numbers. He acknowledges that the new system, called Military Health System Genesis, provides some benefits, such as offering a thorough medical and mental health history for applicants. But gathering all of that data slows down the enlistment process.

“Before this new medical program came out, you could theoretically prospect, recruit and then enlist someone into the Army within two to four weeks,” he explains. “And that timeline is pretty much shot now. ”

Strunk also notes that before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the WNC recruiting offices frequently met their recruitment targets. Those numbers began to drop, however, when in-person recruitment came to a standstill.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Zachary Ohmie, a recruiter in the U.S. Air Force and Space Force office in Asheville, echoes those concerns, saying that the interaction between recruiters and students in his office was limited to virtual visits.

“It has been a bit of a struggle getting our name out there and getting these younger people interested in the Air Force or in the military in general,” says Ohmie, who has been in the Air Force for 14 years and has served as a recruiter for the last two years. “Not getting into schools and talking to kids face to face definitely hurt us.”

DECLINING VISIBILITY

Even without the limitations brought on by the pandemic, Ohmie

says the nation’s dwindling veteran population and their influence on future generations is playing a role.

“I think that it ties back to fewer people that have relatives or family members who have served or that are currently serving,” says Ohmie. “Because the military has gotten a little bit smaller over time, that exposure to younger people [through] family members [who have] served, is getting smaller as that footprint gets smaller.”

Without that firsthand knowledge from friends or family members, Ohmie says, that can fuel the misconception that the military service men and women work exclusively in combat roles, which he says represents only a portion of military careers.

“There’s a lot of people who are worried about being placed in harm’s way, but for the most part, the Air Force serves a support role, so most of us have jobs that are outside of combat,” Ohmie explains. “But it can be hard to get in front of enough people to get that message out there.”

“The Army has a lot to offer, and it’s not about necessarily enlisting and getting shipped off somewhere,” adds Strunk.

Both Ohmie and Strunk say that in addition to offering positions in the

ground forces or as pilots, the military offers more than 130 specialized career options that often mirror civilian jobs, such as information technology and cybersecurity, medical and nutrition, and public relations.

“We’re trying to break that stigma that being in the military is being on the front lines with a weapon, no matter what, because that’s not really the case,” Ohmie says.

THE ROLE OF JROTC

With exposure to military life from family members fading, Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps training programs in high schools gave students their first taste of what military service might be like.

However, Asheville City Schools discontinued its JROTC program in 2019 after enrollment fell “below the minimum that is statutorily mandated … for consecutive years.”

Former 1st Sgt. Jesse Warren, who served in the Marine Corps for 25 years and then as a JROTC instructor within the Asheville City Schools district for 16 years, says that the skills that students learned, such as communication, leadership and discipline, helped prepare young adults to enter the military, college or any industry of their choosing.

“The JROTC program is designed to build students up and put some good fertilizer inside of them so that when they do grow, they learn and you’re going to age well,” says Warren, who now serves as a member of the Asheville City Board of Education. “It’s hard for students to become that solid person because they really don’t know how. That’s one reason why the JROTC program was important.

“The reason why people don’t go into the military is because they’re not prepared. They’re not talking to the right people,” Warren says.

While Warren emphasizes that JROTC is not a strictly military preparation program, a 2019 report from the Army Times found that 20%-25% of students who participate in the program do go on to serve in the military.

Buncombe County Schools still has an active JROTC program, which exposes local students to military career options. Still, Ohmie says while there isn’t data to prove the absence of JROTC programming in the Asheville school system has impacted enlistment locally, it is possible that the loss of the program is having a negative influence on recruitment.

“I’m sure it does have an impact. Obviously, I can’t quantify how big of an impact,” says Ohmie. “But those are the classes where recruiters have the easiest time getting in front of

students because we work with the JROTC instructors to get the information out there.”

BOOSTING ELIGIBILITY

While the Western North Carolina Army recruiting branch hit its May goal, the implications of continued low military enlistment still worry Ohmie and Strunk.

“I think there’s concern for a lot of people, myself included, if we’re not able to recruit people into the military and our military shrinks because of it,” says Ohmie. “We definitely need people coming in to take up the mantle when people retire or separate to keep our competitive advantage.”

“The Army’s mission is to deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars. And you can’t do that when you don’t have the manpower to do so,” adds Strunk.

In response, each branch of the military is offering new incentives and long-standing benefits such as health care, access to education and funding for tuition expenses, housing loans and increases in compensation.

“I’m halfway done with my master’s [degree] with no college debt,” Strunk notes.

The branches are also relaxing certain criteria in an effort to cast a wider net for recruitment.

Strunk says that the Army has launched two pilot programs aimed at helping applications improve academic scores and get physically fit.

“At the end of those two courses, [applicants] still have to meet the academic and physical standard,” Strunk maintains. “But it allows ways for people that want to serve, that are prepared to serve, to get themselves either mentally or physically in the position to make them eligible to serve.”

Ohmie adds the Air Force also is trying to expand eligibility through a new pilot program that offers some applicants a second chance if they fail to pass a drug test. “It’s not guaranteed,” Ohmie cautions. “But in certain instances, we can send them a waiver to make them still eligible to join.”

Warren, meanwhile, says he looks back fondly on his 25-year career as a Marine and remains a mentor for students who are interested in learning more about what the military has to offer.

“It gave me a chance to do a lot of other stuff. I wouldn’t have been able to go to the Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, England and Amsterdam,” Warren remembers. “It gave me a chance to meet movie stars; I met three presidents in my lifetime.

“Just try four years. Go see the world,” he continues. “Just get out of Asheville and go.”  X

Duty to give back

Ted Minnick was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 23, 1966, and later commissioned as an officer in the field artillery. In July 1969, he was deployed to Vietnam as an artillery battery commander. Three years later, he left active duty and joined the N.C. Army National Guard as a military police company commander. By 1986, he transferred to the Army Reserve as a military police evaluation team chief, where he served until his retirement in February 2006.

“I spent a total of 39 years, seven months and 20 days in the Army, and I don’t regret it,” he says. “The military was good for me and my wife and daughters.”

How did you feel once you were drafted?

I didn’t think twice about serving — it was something I had to do. I never once thought about evading the draft since I was raised as an Air Force brat. My dad had a good 30-year career as an Air Force officer, and I felt it was my duty to give back.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

The military taught me organization, respect and discipline. Of course, my dad also taught me discipline and respect for others as I was growing up. It was second nature for me, and the military enforced those principles. When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

The military will instill in you the discipline you need to live your life. You will also learn that the ones on your left and right are your brothers and sisters and to lean on them when things get rough. X

MILITARY REFLECTIONS

From all walks of life

In 2009, Ivan Sarabia enlisted with the U.S. Army. His basic and advanced individual trainings took place at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. After completing his training as a combat engineer, he was assigned to the 101 Airborne Division in Fort Campbell, Ky. In 2010, Sarabia was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the troop surge in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

What drew you to enlist?

My parents immigrated from Mexico, and as a first-generation American, I always wanted to give back to the country that had given my family so much. I wanted to join right after high school, but my parents encouraged me to attend college as I would be the first one in the family to do so. After graduating in 2008, I still had the itch to serve. I was single and didn’t have any children, so I decided that the time was right to join.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

I got to meet and become friends with so many people from all over the U.S. with all different backgrounds. Even to this day, we all stay in contact, and I consider them my lifelong brothers — especially the ones I served with overseas.

After the VA helped me transition back to the civilian world, I knew that I wanted to do the same for other veterans. So, I used the GI Bill and went back to school. I graduated from Aurora University with my Master of Social Work in 2018. I was drawn to work as a veteran service officer to not only assist veterans but also their dependents.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

I think the one piece of advice I would offer is to remember the military is one of those places where people from all different places and backgrounds, and for various reasons, join. That is a strength not only to veterans but to the whole of society.

TED MINNICK

Ivan Sarabia with his dog, Sweeney.

A colorful solution

‘Purple bag program’ for homeless seeks to address litter

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

Among the complaints Asheville residents have about their city, litter is one that most can agree on. A new pilot program initiated this spring by the city Public Works Department seeks to address an underserved population by the city’s Sanitation Division services: people who are unhoused.

“We’ve heard from a lot of unhoused people and community members that [they] don’t have a lot of ways to dispose of their trash, and that can lead to litter,” says city Sanitation Division Manager Jes Foster

Beginning March 30, dozens of city employees have distributed free purple trash bags to unhoused people. These include the Sanitation Department, the Parks & Recreation Department, the Asheville Police Department and

the community responder program within the Asheville Fire Department, which is part of Asheville’s 60-day downtown safety initiative that began May 1. Foster says the purple bag program is not formally part of the downtown safety initiative, but it addresses a similar goal of addressing litter. The community paramedics in Buncombe County Emergency Medical Services also have bags to distribute, as does the city’s litter collection contractor.

The bags are purple — a different color from the trash bags used by most households or businesses — to signify its contents may contain biohazardous materials. (Foster notes that her division does not purchase or distribute sharps containers for the disposal of used syringes.) The unique color also clarifies the city’s responsibility for pickup rather than private waste removal services.

PICKED UP: Beginning March 30, dozens of city of Asheville employees have distributed free purple trash bags to unhoused people. The bags are purple — a different color from the trash bags used by most households or businesses — to signify its contents may contain biohazardous materials. Photo courtesy of Jes Foster

HOW IT WORKS

The staff at the Sanitation Division frequently interacts with the unhoused population, especially at encampments. “We were occasionally and unofficially handing out trash bags when we went to [encampment] sites. But there wasn’t a concerted effort” to address this population’s litter until the purple bag pilot, Foster says.

Additionally, Asheville’s Parks & Recreation Department and the Sanitation Division of Public Works have contracted numerous times with a private company to remove biohazardous waste.

When distributing purple bags, participating partners are instructed to tell people to place tied purple bags in a location that’s easy to access, like the roadside or near an existing trash receptacle.

Foster says the Sanitation Division staff is cautious about disposing of black trash bags from encampments because they may contain personal items. “What we’ve heard is that those black heavy-duty trash bags are really valuable to unhoused folks for storing and waterproofing their belongings,” she explains. “If we see a purple bag, we know it’s for us to pick up.”

The cost of the pilot comes from the Public Works budget, Foster says, estimating it purchases 250 bags for about $100.

The Sanitation Division picks up purple bags visible on the roadside or those left behind at a vacated encampment. “Our [Sanitation Division] folks are already visiting encampments,”

says Foster. “We’re already out picking up trash. We’re not doing any extra work to make it happen.” Community members can report the presence of purple bags as well.

Foster estimates over 400 purple bags have been distributed in total. However, the scope of the project is too wide ranging to provide accurate data on how many have been used and collected. “It was a nice idea at first to try to track how many bags were collected,” she explains. “But we have so many different partners distributing and collecting bags that it was really difficult to track.”

The cities of Austin, Texas, Seattle and Tacoma, Wash., have municipal programs to distribute trash bags to unhoused people. Foster says Asheville didn’t consult with any other municipalities on how their programs operate.

A MATTER OF DIGNITY

Dustin Mailman, pastor of family ministries and missions at Trinity United Methodist Church, says he learned of the purple bag pilot in late May from the community paramedics. He says trash has been “an ongoing issue at Trinity,” located on Haywood Road at Balm Grove Avenue, and he’s had conversations with neighbors about finding a solution “that was both dignifying and didn’t create any extra effort for the church.”

The community paramedics gave Mailman about 20 purple bags, which he distributed. “It’s helped our

space stay in tip-top shape. … I think it’s making a difference,” he says. The purple bag pilot has “further illustrated to me, when people have a place to throw their garbage away, they will throw it away.”

At first, Mailman wondered if the unusual color of the bags would be stigmatizing to recipients. But he came to a different conclusion once he saw the purple bags in use. Those bags say the trash belongs to a person who is unhoused, which is “a symbol in my eyes that the folks on the streets in Asheville do care as much about property as much as others do,” he says.

Foster says the Sanitation Department has also given purple bags to Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina, which provides services to the unhoused population. “We’re trying to get them into the hands of as many service providers as we can who are interacting with unhoused folks,” she says.

“Outreach has been giving out purple bags to individuals we connect with in the community,” confirms Homeward Bound outreach team lead Mike DeSerio. “People were grateful to have a quicker way to get rid of their trash and keep their camp clean.”

DeSerio says Homeward Bound has already “been routinely giving out regular black trash bags” to be used for trash, to carry belongings or for rain cover. “When offering the purple bags over recent weeks and explaining they are only for trash that can be left roadside for expedited pickup, the campers were grateful,” he says.

Mailman hopes that when the efficacy of the purple bag pilot is assessed, it will be made permanent. But he also underscores that this pilot addresses only one piece of the needs of people without housing and that access to bathrooms is a “greater issue.”

“If people don’t want to see poop on the sidewalks, these trash bags are a great place to put that — at least

for now,” Mailman says. He acknowledges that in general people find the topic of bathroom access disgusting but says it is a matter of dignity and should be addressed more directly.

TEMPORARY OR PERMANENT?

The purple bag pilot has been viewed with some caution by community members who are concerned it legitimizes the existence of homeless encampments.

Information about litter programs on the Sanitation Division’s website reads, “the pilot program does not document or sanction camps. Our pilot program is supported by the Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee (HIAC) Outreach and Encampment Response group and is meant to be an interim option to help solve sanitation issues while more permanent solutions are developed and recommended by HIAC.”

Helen Hyatt, vice president of the Coalition of Asheville neighborhoods, a community group, and a member of the Outreach and Encampment Work Group for HIAC, hopes to see the pilot eventually phased out. DeSerio from Homeward Bound is also a member of the Outreach and Encampment Work Group. Mailman from TUMC is a member of HIAC.

“If there is significant improvement in sanitation in encampments area, and people are picking up all their unused items, the program should continue up until HIAC has implemented the [National Alliance to End Homelessness] roadmap,” Hyatt wrote Xpress in an email, referring to recommendations for curbing homelessness that the nonprofit presented to the city and county in February. “The program should phase out after that time,” she wrote.

Homeless strategy division manager Emily Ball declined to comment on the purple bag pilot, calling it “a Sanitation [Division]-driven initiative.”

Citing education, Buncombe raises property taxes

The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its regular meeting June 20 to raise the county’s property tax rate to provide increased funding for local school districts.

The $430.4 million general fund budget increases the property tax rate by 1 cent to 49.8 cents per $100 of taxable value, or about 2%, resulting in the county’s highest tax rate since 2021. The owner of a home valued at $300,000 will pay about $1,494 in taxes, roughly $30 more than last year.

Commissioners agreed to the tax hike after hearing for months about the struggles of educators to live on salaries set at a statewide base level by North Carolina’s legislature, — they say aren’t keeping pace with Buncombe’s high cost of living. “Public comments that have come through time and again have said, ‘The state has starved us. You have to do what the [N.C. General Assembly] won’t do for us,’” said Commissioner Amanda Edwards about the increase.

According to a presentation by Budget Director John Hudson, the tax increase will raise an extra $5.1 million over the revenues estimated during the June 6 public hearing on County Manager Avril Pinder’s recommended budget. He said the county had freed up another $1 million after revising the budget to no longer support a transit study with the city of Asheville. He also projected an increase in investment earnings and anticipated a $600,000 reduction in debt payments.

The approximately $6.1 million in new funds would be split between Buncombe County Schools and Asheville City Schools and would raise

the county’s total allocation for K-12 education to $113.3 million, Hudson said. A-B Tech’s funding would remain at the $8.1 million level outlined in the previously recommended budget.

With the extra funding, board Chair Brownie Newman projected that both BCS and ACS would be able to give teachers a 2% raise in their local supplement, money that districts pay above the state-supported base salary. In their budget requests, however, both school districts had requested enough to provide teachers a 7% raise in local supplement pay.

“I saw the head shaking. I saw that 2% was not what you were hoping to hear tonight,” Edwards acknowledged. “But let me tell you, it took a lot of work on the part of the seven of us to come to that agreement because we know that [some] families will have to start selling off pieces of their land [because of this tax increase],” she continued.

Several members of the all-Democratic board expressed frustration at the Republican-led N.C. General Assembly for not allocating more money for education, putting pressure on county governments to come up with the funds. Commissioner Parker Sloan cited the state constitution, which he argued puts the duty of education funding on the state.

“This did not happen overnight. Our schools are in a staffing crisis, and that started in 2011, when the General Assembly became unified under one political party that does not appreciate democracy. And it sees education as a threat,” he said.

Newman said the decision to raise taxes was difficult because it passes the burden of funding to middle-class

homeowners, many of whom are struggling with the same cost-of-living issues that teachers are.

“The issue we wrestled with is not a lack of willingness to increase investments in schools or some kind of ideological opposition to raising taxes,” he said. “I think we’re all behind this budget and committing this funding to teacher pay raises. At the same time, we’re cognizant that we’re basically taking the funds out of other working people’s pockets to do this.”

Beyond education, the fiscal year 2023-24 budget also includes $6.6 million for new spending on public safety, including support for 24 new positions. Another $37.7 million is slated for capital projects, including $15.1 million for repairs to the county courthouse.

Additionally, $12.9 million is set aside for affordable housing bond projects, $3.9 million for pre-K and $700,000 to address homelessness. County employees will receive a 7.28% cost-of-living salary increase.

In other news

Starting next month, it will be more expensive to dump trash at the Buncombe County landfill and transfer station.

As part of the new fee schedule approved unanimously by commissioners for fiscal year 2023-24, landfill tipping fees will go up from $43.75 to $45 per ton. Tipping fees at the transfer station will increase from $47.75 to $52 per ton. (Customers will continue to pay $2 to dispose of each 33-gallon trash bag and $1 per smaller bag.)

The county’s Solid Waste Department will also implement several new fees in

the coming months. A new penalty will double the base tipping fee for any load containing more than 5% by weight or volume of certain recyclable materials, said Dane Pederson, Buncombe’s solid waste director.

According to a June 20 presentation, 15% of residential waste and more than 40% of construction waste dumped at the landfill consists either of recyclables or wood suitable for mulching, motivating staff to crack down on mixed-waste loads. The fee will become effective in September after an education campaign and a month of warnings to those disposing of waste, Pederson said.

There will also be new flat fees — $10 or $25 depending on the size and type of vehicle hauling the trash — for residents delivering unsecured loads of garbage to the landfill. Those fees will be in place starting in August.

— Greg Parlier  X

TAX HIKE: The Buncombe County Board of Commissioners acquiesced to some teacher demands to increase property taxes for increased education funding, passing a new budget at the June 20 meeting. Photo by Frances O’Connor

How to promote growth in underachievers

BY CHLOE LIEBERMAN

Summer is here, but it barely feels like spring in many ways. We’ve had cooler-than-normal temperatures this year, which has been great for crops like lettuce and cilantro, and a little tricky for heat lovers like tomatoes, corn and peppers. In this month’s feature, I’ll troubleshoot the slow growth that you might be noticing, plus talk about trellising tomatoes. Be sure to send your questions for next month to me at gardening@ mountainx.com.

How to juice growth

My summer crops like peppers, corn, tomatoes and eggplant are growing slower than usual. What can I do?

This spring has brought cooler-than-average temperatures to our mountains. We had a bit of a heat wave in early April, but since then we’ve had regular dips into the 50s and even 40s at night. Heat is one of the engines of growth for plants, and summer crops like those you mentioned need higher temperatures to grow, thrive and especially make and ripen fruits.

Some, including tomatoes, corn and squash, will simply grow more slowly in cooler conditions. Others, particularly eggplant, peppers, sweet potatoes and melons can be permanently stunted by those nights in the 40s. These extra-sensitive plants are better off planted later in the season, rather than risking getting chilled. If you’ve already got them in the ground and the temperature dips down, it’s worth getting out there

and covering them to protect them from getting too cold.

Additionally, for all heat-loving crops that might be slowed by a cool spring, it’s essential to keep up with watering and fertility. These other essential elements of plant growth can’t make up for a lack of heat, but they give plants what they need to grow and can boost them as they withstand the stress of cooler weather. It’s easy to think we don’t need to water as much since it hasn’t been so hot and sunny. And while this

is true to a degree, ample (but not excessive) watering is still important even though the weather hasn’t been so steamy. A good goal for most vegetables is to provide about 2 inches of water per week. This goes up if it’s hot and sunny and obviously includes any rain that might fall that week. For summer crops that are just getting established, it’s nice to water at least twice per week, spreading that amount out over time.

Along with water, growing plants need food. Nitrogen in particular

helps fuel the kind of green growth that most summer crops are focused on at this time. You can supplement this nutrient in several ways. Powdered organic fertilizer blends like Plant-Tone are readily available and easy to use, and other options include feather meal, alfalfa meal and composted manure. There also are liquid fertilizers that you mix with water and use to “fertigate”; these include fish emulsion and urine (see more on fertilizing with urine at avl.mx/cs1). With these measures in

GROWING UP: Apprentices at Wild Abundance stake tomato plants to direct them up, not out. Photo courtesy of Wild Abundance

place, your summer veggies should still be able to produce, even in the face of our cool spring this year.

Containing unruly tomato plants

My tomato plants are like giant sprawling tarantulas. I’ve heard it’s important to prune and support them, but I don’t want to cut off branches that are making fruit and I don’t know what’s the best way to support them. Please help!

It makes total sense that your tomatoes are becoming tarantulas that’s part of how they naturally grow and spread. In fact, where their stems contact soil, they can grow adventitious roots. This means they can get more water and nourishment through these “backup” roots, or, if a vine breaks, it can make it on its own as a whole new plant. Additionally, when tomato fruits that are touching the ground rot, their seeds spread and make more tomato plants.

So, why do we want to give tomatoes a lift by staking or trellising? Well, because we have different goals for the tomato plants than they have for themselves. Our main objective is more sweet, juicy tomato fruits Whereas their main goal (at least biologically; I’ve never been able to ask a tomato plant existential questions) is to perpetuate themselves as tomato plants.

When we stake tomatoes, we’re getting them to give us more of what we want. First, staking keeps the fruits from rotting on the ground. Also, picking is easier when fruit is elevated. Particularly in our warm, moist climate, lifting the plants allows for more airflow and less soil contact, which reduces fungal and other diseases. Staked tomatoes are trained to stay in their own space, not crowding their neighbors, and it’s easier to prune tomato plants that

are staked. Finally, mulching is much easier under elevated plants.

Pruning helps with many of the aspects mentioned above, too. Plus, pruning makes staking or trellising easier. It may feel difficult to cut back a perfectly healthy-looking tomato vine (especially if you’ve let it grow long enough to make flowers or even fruits), but it will ultimately lead to healthier plants and higher yields in the long term.

Just like everything in the garden (and life), there isn’t just one way to support your tomato plants. When you’re deciding how to stake tomatoes, ask yourself these questions: How many tomato plants are you growing? Are your tomato varieties determinate (bushy) or indeterminate (tall, viney)? What materials do you have on hand? What’s your budget for staking tomatoes?

If you’re growing just a few tomatoes, any of the options below will do. But if you’ve got a big field of 10-plus plants, cages are probably impractical. When you’re dealing with determinate varieties of tomatoes, staking can be less beefy and cages more flimsy, whereas indeterminate varieties need strong support.

Lots of materials that you might have lying around could be helpful in staking tomatoes. Some examples are old pieces of wire fencing, bamboo poles, string, wire, even old pantyhose (to rip into strips and use to tie tomatoes to their stakes)! Things like T-posts and UV-resistant rope can be helpful but aren’t necessary if they’re beyond your budget.

TOMATO CAGES

Tomato cages are those round wire contraptions you see for sale at garden stores. You also can make your own by rolling wire fencing into a cylinder. If you choose this option,

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

Elizabeth Garbarino, MD Grace Evins, MD

make sure that there is room to get your hands through the fencing to prune and pick your tomatoes.

Cages are ideal for smaller gardens (including tomatoes in pots), determinate varieties and in cases when a generally bushier growth habit is desirable. This means less airflow and more chance of fungal disease, but potentially more fruit per plant. Tomato cages are bulky and can be a pain to store. Homemade ones can be unrolled for easier storage. Using tomato cages to stake your tomatoes means the least amount of work tying plants onto their support throughout the season.

WOODEN STAKES (WITH OPTIONAL TRIPOD VARIATION)

For this you will need tall (8 feet or more for indeterminate varieties) and stout (2-inch x 2-inch) poles or pieces of bamboo for each plant. Bury the end of the stake deep enough into the soil so it is stable. Use string or wire or strips of old pantyhose to tie the tomato plants to the stake.

You’ll need to prune off any suckers and maintain one central leader or “trunk” for this method to work. For extra strong stakes, set them up as tri-

pods, with the tops fastened together and the buried ends at an angle.

STRING TRELLIS

Tomatoes grown in greenhouses are most often supported by string trellises. However, this method of staking tomatoes can be used outside, too. In essence, it’s just like

staking with wooden or bamboo stakes, but the string acts as the stake. Each tomato plant has a string coming down to it from a bar, wire or rope suspended above. Then, as the tomatoes grow, you simply twine them around the string in a spiral motion. There’s no need to tie the plants to anything with more string, which is handy. With this method, you’ll also need to prune off suckers and maintain a single leader or “trunk.”

The key to a good string trellis is to make sure it’s strong and secure. On our farm, we’ve used T-posts with stout bamboo poles attached to them to support a thick, UV-resistant rope. We anchor the rope at either end of the row with more T-posts, pounded at an angle, and tension it using a variation of the trucker’s hitch. Another friend uses the same vertical post system, with PVC plumbing Ts at the top and pieces or rebar going between vertical posts. If you have a greenhouse, you’ve already got a strong structure to work with.

FENCE PANEL TOMATO TRELLIS

So-called hog panels, or cattle panels, are sections of fencing made from thick, galvanized rods welded together. Flimsier “welded wire” fencing is also available, but it may flop over or sag when your tomatoes are juicy, ripe and heavy. To use this method, simply pound T-posts or wooden fence posts into your row of tomatoes and attach the fencing with string or wire. Then simply tie or weave your tomato plants onto the fencing as they grow. An advantage of this method is that you can choose to prune either for a central leader or for three or four leaders. In either case, you will still want to prune off subsequent suckers. X

HAPPY TOMATOES: Bamboo is used to give these plants breathing room. Photo courtesy of Wild Abundance

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 40

WELLNESS

Narcotics Anonymous

Meetings

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

Sparkle Time Holistic Exercise

Aerobic, strengthening, balance and flexibility.

WE (6/28, 7/5), MO (7/3), 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 (6/28, 7/5), 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 (6/28, 7/5), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Dharma & Discuss People coming together in friendship to meditate, learn and discuss the Dharma.

Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

TH (6/29, 7/6), 7pm, Swannanoa Valley Friends Meetinghouse, 137 Center Ave, Black Mountain

Family Education Workshop: Routines for Healthful Sleep

Learn easy ways to achieve the best night’s sleep.

FR (6/30), 10am, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain

health challenges. Email depressionbipolarasheville@gmail.com or call or text (828)367-7660 for more info.

SA (7/1), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd

An Astrology & Yoga Workshop: Balance

Your Sun Energy

Yoga at the Rooftop Terrace: Creative Flow

Series

A unique creative flow experience that combines the beauty of art with the power of mindful movement. All-levels are welcome.

Please bring your own mat.

SA (7/1), 9:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

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 required.

SA (7/1), 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.

Registration is required.

SA (7/1), 10am, Round Mountain Creamery, 2203 Old Fort Rd, Black Mountain

Therapeutic Slow Flow

Yoga

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

SA (7/1), 10am, Mount

Inspiration Apparel, 444 Haywood Rd, Ste 103

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 (7/1), SU (7/2), 11am, 220 Amboy Rd

Magnetic Minds:

Depression & Bipolar

Support Group

Free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental

In this workshop we will use the wisdom of astrology and yoga to balance sun energy and bring more vitality, confidence, excitement, and clarity into your life. No astrology or yoga experience needed.

SA (7/1), 3pm, Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Walking Meditation

A short walk with meditation instructions to reduce stress, anxiety and increase health and balance. Afterwards, there will be tea and snacks.

SU (7/2), 10am, Lake Tomahawk Park, 401 S Laurel Circle Dr, Black Mountain

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 (7/2), 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 (7/2), 1:30pm, West Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd

ART

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.

WE (6/28), 9am, Revolve Studio, 821 Riverside Dr, Ste 179

Jacqueline Shatz & Margaret Thompson: Eidolon

Features Jacqueline Shatz’s small sculptures of ambiguous and hybridized figures as well as Margaret Thompson’s paintings which are inspired

TALES FROM A STRANGER: John John Brown brings a unique blend of storytelling, songs and visual arts to White Horse Black Mountain. The show, “Songs, Stories and Art Lessons from Strangers,” takes place on Friday, June 30 at 8 p.m. Photo courtesy Bhanu Mati

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, Ste 144

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, and Sunday, noon. Exhibit runs through June 30. Bender Gallery, 29 Biltmore Ave

The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer & His Family Foundation Features works from important postwar artists including Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and more. This exhibition explores the many identities of food in daily life: whether a source of pleasure, a reason for gathering, a mass-produced commodity, or a reflection

of social ideologies and divisions. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 22.

Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

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

Paint & Sip

Bartender and local artist will walk you through how to paint a beautiful mountain scene while you sip on wine and dine on fruit and cheese. All materials are included.

TH (6/29), 6pm, Monte Vista Hotel, 308 W State St, Black Mountain

Public Tour: The Art of Food

A tour of The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation with museum educators.

TH (6/29), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

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. Exhibition through July 2. North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Ste B

Watercolor the Blue Ridge Watercolor painting covering basic techniques. No experience necessary. We will complete one watercolor painting. All materials for the completion of a watercolor painting will be provided.

FR (6/30), 5pm, Haywood Handmade Gallery, 86 N Main St, Waynesville

Soul Renderings

Opening Reception

Local artisans, Jenny Pickens and Andrea Clark are collaborating to offer an African American women's art exhibition. This opening reception will feature vibrant paintings by Jenny Pickens and historic East End

Asheville Photographs by Andrea. See p40

FR (6/30), 5:30pm, Wedge at Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave

The Poetry & Paint

Experience: Episode 2

A transformative platform where individuals can immerse themselves in the profound synergy between poetry, music, and the visual arts.  FR (6/30), 7pm, STM Multimedia Studio, 3861-A Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden

Bizarre Sábado These “Bizarre Sábado” happenings are 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 (7/1), 1pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Public Tour: Intersections in American Art Join educators for a tour of Intersections in American Art. The exhibition focuses on key aspects and strengths of the Museum’s holdings and provides a narrative framework within which visitors can interact with and experience works of art. No reservations are required.

SU (7/2), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Art from the Garden Exhibit

View the works created during the Garden Tour by the plein air artists. Enjoy complimentary refreshments and mingle with the artists during the last leg of Art in Bloom's festivities. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through July 26.

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

McNair Evans: Tomorrow Ever Comes

An installation of photographs taken on Amtrak trains between 2012 and 2022 by San Francisco based photographer McNair Evans.

Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through July 15.

Tracey Morgan Gallery, 188 Coxe Ave

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 (7/5), 10am, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W State St, Black Mountain 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. Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St

Bailey Mountain Art Show

This show is a celebration and benefit of Bailey Mountain Preserve by local artists and community.

TH (7/6), 10am, Mars Hill University, Weizenblatt Gallery, 79 Cascade St, Mars Hill

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

Arts-N-Scraps

Bring your creativity and interest in craft.

All the supplies will be provided for you.

TH (7/6), 5pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St

COMMUNITY

MUSIC

One Beat: Reggae

An evening of cultural immersion as we explore the roots, influences and impact of Reggae music and way of life. This event will feature storytelling, music, dancing, food, art, vendors and other exciting line up to create a sensory night of fun and enrichment.

TH (6/29), 5pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

Pritchard Park Songwriter Series

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

TH (6/29, 7/6), 5:45pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Park Rhythms Concert

Series w/Charlie Martin

This year’s series features artists from across the nation. The series will also include several artists from North Carolina, along with a few local favorites.

Indie rock artist, Charlie Martin kicks off the series. All shows are free and open to the public.

TH (6/29), 7pm, Veterans Park Dr, Black Mountain

Sandeep Das & Mike

Block Duo

This duo features a combination of the Tabla: a pair of Indian drums used in Hindustani Classical Music, Cello: a bowed string instrument used in European Classical Music, as well as Vocals: both rhythmic and melodic.

TH (6/29), 7:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Summer Music Series

w/Emily Martin

Live music from some of our favorite local artists around town with folk singer Emily Martin kicking off the series.

FR (6/30), 6pm, Oak

and Grist Distilling Company, 1556 Grovestone Rd, Black Mountain

Concert Series on the Creek: Kayla Mckinney & the Twisted Trail Band Free concert series for the community with country and honky tonk artist Kayla Mckinney & the Twisted Trail band providing the good times this week. These events are free with donations encouraged.

FR (6/30), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva

Summer Tracks

Concert: Reedy River

String Band

Summer Tracks concert series in Rogers Park continues with Reedy River String Band. Hailing from Greenville, SC. Reedy River String Band plays foot-stompin’ Appalachian roots music in three-part harmony, infused with rock ‘n roll.

FR (6/30), 7pm, Rogers Park, 55 W. Howard St, Tryon

Summer Concert Series

w/Fellow Pynins

A gathering of the community for music and camaraderie. Folk band Fellow Pynins 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 (6/30), 7:30pm, Transylvania County Library, 212 S Gaston St, Brevard

John John Brown

This original project weaves together storytelling songs and the visual arts in a live performance. Throughout the concert, Brown takes the listener inside the lives of 14 characters while strumming his guitar and singing beside a projected graphic story.

FR (6/30), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Verdi’s La Traviata

Filled with melodies, iconic arias and a timeless score, Violetta and Alfredo’s love story will transport you to a bygone era.

Fully-staged opera with orchestra, sung in Italian with English supertitles.

SA (7/1), 2pm, Brevard Music Center, 349

Andante Ln, Brevard

An Evening w/Deep River

Asheville’s premier country vocal group, will play an evening of popular Eagles and country rock hits from a diverse list of artists.

SA (7/1), 7:30pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Symphonic Dances

Yue Bao, the Houston Symphony's electric young Assistant

Conductor, makes her Brevard debut with Rachmaninoff's driving and rhythmic Symphonic Dances.

SA (7/1), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

Sal Landers' Party RX

Sal brings her Canyonesque rock’n roll sounds with an infectious energy that swaggers and captivates. Sal will be joined by Michael Filippone, Robin Borthwick and special guest Ashley Pritchard.

SA (7/1), 8pm, Asheville

Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Michael Jefry Stevens

Performing several jazz pieces during the service.

SU (7/2), 10:30am, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Hendersonville, 2021 Kanuga Rd, Hendersonville

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 (7/2), 3pm, Asheville

Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Seraph Brass

A dynamic roster drawing from America's top brass musicians presenting a diverse body of repertoire, ranging from original transcriptions to newly commissioned works and core classics.

MO (7/3), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

Sirens of Hominy Series

A collaborative in-the-round, featuring a different set of Asheville songstresses every week. Hosted by CaroMia, genres ranging from soul, R&B, pop, jazz, to country.

TU (7/4), 6pm, FBO Hominy Creek, 230 Hominy Creek Rd

Music To Your Ears: Bill Kopp w/Mark

Casson

A monthly discussion series for music enthusiasts to gather and discuss important albums, artists or musical movements.

WE (7/5), 7pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr

Jazz Jam

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

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

Spiders w/Kalashnikovs, Adam Lion, Laura Steenberge & KCM Walker

A duo featuring Heather Lockie and Clay Chaplin that makes electroacoustic experiments. There will be other performances by Adam Lion, Laura Steenberge and KCM

Walker.

TH (7/6), 7pm, 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 (6/28, 7/5), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Poet Keith Flynn

Listen to local author and managing editor of the Asheville Poetry Review Keith Flynn as he reads from his book, The Skin of Meaning Registration is recommended at avl.mx/csc.

TH (6/29), 3pm, Mars Hill Library, 25 Library Dr, Mars Hill

Faith In Arts: A Conversation w/ JJJJJerome Ellis

A stuttering, Afro-Caribbean composer, poet, and performer. His works are invitations to healing, transcendence, communion, and deep listening. For more information visit avl.mx/prxd

TH (6/29), 4pm, Online Black Experience Book Club: Jackal

The Black Experience Book Club reads books by Black authors about the many facets of the Black experience. Join other book lovers to discuss this month’s pick Jackal by Erin E. Adams

TH (6/29), 6:30pm, YMI Cultural Center, 39 S Market St

Poetry Open Mic Hendo

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

18+

TH (6/29, 7/6), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave E, Hendersonville

Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food: Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley will present their new book.

SA (7/1), 3pm, City Lights Bookstore, 3 E Jackson St, Sylva

Teen Poetry Writing & Slam

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

TU (7/4), 2pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd Monthly Poetry Critique Meeting

Grab your writing and come to the Dark City Poets Society’s critique meeting for feedback.

TU (7/4), 6pm, 107 Market & Deli, 107 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

All Arts Open Mic

Prepare a five minute original piece in whatever medium you so choose — storytelling, music, poetry, literature, comedy, dance — or simply come to enjoy and support the local arts community. First Thursday of every month.

TH (7/6), 6:30pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

THEATER & FILM

Appalachian Performing Arts

A traditional clogging performance. Learn about native and original clogging in our area and watch live performances.

TH (6/29), 1pm, Pine Hall, 64 S Spring St, Hot Springs

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.

TH (6/29), FR (6/30), SA (7/1), 7:30pm, SU (7/2), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

What's in the Box?

Pride Show

A drag show plus a fast-paced improv show using short form improv games. Drag Performers will also participate in the improv show.

FR (6/30), 6:30pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven 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. Vist avl.mx/cs8 for times and dates.

FR (6/30), 8pm, Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Hwy 225, Flat Rock

The Moppets Present: The Odyssey

The Montford Moppets present: The Odyssey in an adaptation of Homer's classic epic written for our stage by local playwright Skyler Goff.

FR (6/30), SA (7/1), 5pm, SU (7/2), 11am, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Nature's Wisdom Thru

Native Eyes

This film takes an intriguing look at storytelling, native wisdom

Purple Nation Sovereign Camp Out

This family friendly event will feature expert presenters facilitating discussions on health freedom, optimal wellness, financial and political freedom, permaculture and legal sovereignty. Enjoy food, swimming, hot tubs and a variety of musical performances. Visit avl.mx/prxc for the full event list.

See p40 SA (7/1), noon, Sacred Mountain Waters Wellness

Sanctuary, 2932 Big Laurel Rd, Marshall

Independence Day

Celebration

Asheville Tourists vs Greenville Drive with post game Independence Day Fireworks. MO (7/3), 6:05pm, McCormick Field, 30 Buchanan Place

Reading of the Declaration of Independence

Ashley Calhoun will lead this reading which will be followed by a free outdoor concert featuring the Singing Soldiers vocal ensemble. The evening concludes with a free display of fireworks that begins at 9:30 p.m. MO (7/3), 7pm, Lake Junaluska, 759 N Lakeshore Dr, Lake Junaluska

2023 Independence Day 5k

Start your Fourth of July celebrations on the right foot with this fun, fast and flat 5k.

TU (7/4), 7am, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd

Hendersonville 4th of July Parade

Residents and visitors are invited to join the family-friendly entertainment and festivities. Once the Parade concludes, there will be live music, food trucks, a kid’s fun zone and fireworks.

TU (7/4), 10:30am, Downtown Hendersonville South Main St, Hendersonville

Lake Junaluska’s

Independence Day Parade

Fourth of July festivities including a parade, food trucks and music by Whitewater Bluegrass with a family square dance.

TU (7/4), 11am, Lake Junaluska, 759 N Lakeshore Dr, Lake Junaluska

4th of July

Independence Day

Celebration

A fun-filled evening of entertainment, delicious food, and

Fourth of July Events H ✰H✰

and nature's intelligence to help us heal our broken relationship with the living world. All screenings include live music by a native flute player as well as a talk with the director and film participants afterwards.

SA (7/1), 7:30pm, Trinity Presbyterian Church, 900 Blythe St, Hendersonville

Twelfth Night

A beloved Shakespearean masterpiece that combines mistaken identities, hilarious pranks and a touch of romance.

FR (6/30), SA (7/1), SU (7/2), 7:30pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St

Reckoning w/The Primal Wound

STAR AND STRIPES:  Beginning Friday, June 30, Lake Junaluska will host its annual Fourth of July Celebration. The multiday gathering includes concerts, firework displays and other special events. On Tuesday, July 4, folks are invited to gather alongside North Lakeshore Drive to watch the Independence Day Parade. The procession begins at the Lambuth Inn at 11 a.m. and will conclude at the Nanci Weldon Gym. Photo Courtesy of Sydney Sullivan

community.

TU (7/4), 4:30pm, Sandy Mush Community Center, 19 School Rd, Leicester

July 4th Celebration

w/Darren Nicholson

An evening of southern-inspired dining with special drinks, live music from Darren Nicholson, lawn games, a bonfire and fireworks.

TU (7/4), 5:30pm, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Rd, Hendersonville

4th of July Cookout

w/Town Mountain

Fourth of July backyard style cookout with a special performance from alternative-country act, Town Mountain. There will be post-performance fireworks.

TU (7/4), 6pm, 185 King Street, 185 King St, Brevard

Backyard 4th

Independence Day Celebration

Celebrate Independence day with BBQ plates, yard games, bubbles, picnic baskets, hula hoops and more. This throwback style celebration will be followed by fireworks

TU (7/4), 6pm, Maggie Valley Festival Grounds, 3374 Soco Rd, Maggie Valley

9th Annual Fireworks Festivities

Fourth of July festivities with the Carolina

Soul band performing classic hits, pop favorites, R&B and more. At 9:30 pm, there will be a fireworks show.

TU (7/4), 6:30pm, Bridge Park, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva

July 4th Celebration

w/Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast Annual Fourth of July celebration in downtown Weaverville with musical performances by Caitlin Krisko & the Broadcast followed by a fireworks show. There will also be local vendors, food and beverages.

TU (7/4), 7:30pm, Main Street Weaverville, 1 South Main St, Weaverville

Old Fort Rodeo

Professional bull riding, barrel racing, cowboy action, and wild west entertainment for the whole family. Food trucks will be on hand stay for the fireworks after the rodeo

TU (7/4), 7:30pm, Old Fort Rodeo, 189 Catawba River Rd, Old Fort

58th Annual Marshall Rodeo & Fireworks Annual Marshall rodeo and fireworks.

TU (7/4), 8pm, Madison County Fairgrounds, 330 Carolina Ln, Marshall

Independence Day Concert w/The Land of Sky Symphonic Band

Independence Day concert with a 43-piece ensemble made up of skilled amateur and professional musicians.

TU (7/4), 8pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Ingles Independence Day Celebration The free event features the Ultimate Air Dogs, live music, local food, craft beverages and fireworks.

TU (7/4), noon, 1 South Pack Square Park

Pendergrast Family Patriotic Pops Celebrate Independence Day with Patriotic Pops and the Brevard Symphonic Winds joined by the Seraph Brass as they perform inspirational American music.

TU (7/4), 2pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

Independence Day Sunset Fireworks Hike Hike up for a great vantage point to watch the July 4th Black Mountain fireworks display from above on Sunset Mountain.

TU (7/4), 7pm, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, 223 West State St, Black Mountain

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 (6/28, 7/5), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Homemade Health & Wellness Series w/ Ashley English

A class series focusing on homemade health and wellness items with author, teacher, and homesteader, Ashley English. This weeks topic is Home Canning 101. Free class, but call (828) 250-4758 to register.

WE (6/28), 6pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Free movie showing that may be of interest to adult adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents. Bring your own packed meal, snack and non-alcoholic drink. For more info, contact samanthasong2020@ gmail.com.

SU (7/2), 5:30pm, West Asheville

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Competitive Duplicate

Bridge

Check bridgeweb.com/ avl for dates, times and special announcements. All are welcome.

WE (6/28, 7/5), FR (6/30), MO (7/3), noon, Congregation Beth Israel, 229 Murdock Ave

Asheville SCORE: The Side Hustle Juggle

Learn how to effectively juggle both your primary job and your side hustle while still growing your business and maintaining a personal life. This free seminar will be led by Elizabeth Burr, owner and CEO of Preferred Pet Partners LLC and The Pet Business Coach.

WE (6/28), 5pm, North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave

Building Our City Speaker Series: Eric Kronberg the Zoning Whisperer Eric Kronberg specializes in examining and demystifying zoning ordinances to find ways to make great projects possible and help others navigate through the zoning swamp.

WE (6/28), 5:30pm, The Collider, 1 Haywood St, Ste 4

Every Black Voice

The afternoon will consist of relevant, hot topic discussions, educational videos, black history education and more.

WE (6/28), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Pritchard Park Series: Summer of Science

Explore hands on activities and experiments

Swing Dance Lesson & Dance

Swing dancing lesson and dance, every Thursday.

TH (6/29, 7/6), 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 (6/30), 10am, Bullington Gardens, 95 Upper Red Oak Trail, Hendersonville

Splash into Summer

sign up required, but adults must accompany children the entire time. There will be a van full of games, art projects and fun treasures to stoke the imagination.

SA (7/1), 10am, Leah Chiles Park, 123 Lakewood Dr

People's Power Assembly

WNC organizations are joining in a statewide, Day of Outrage, along with 12 other NC cities, to protest the state legislature's attack on voting rights, education, reproductive rights and more, and to call on lawmakers to address a People's Power Agenda.

$17 - $20 Hour & Beyond Job Fair

Job seekers are encouraged to attend. Browse through the employer booths and find a great career opportunity.

TH (6/29), 11am, WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd

Housing Mobility Workshop

Consumers attending will receive assistance in obtaining credit repair, moving from public housing to the private rental market, or starting the process of homeownership. Realtors will be attending to answer questions. TH (6/29), 5pm, Hillcrest Community Center, 100 Atkinson St

Change Your Palate Cooking Demo

This free food demonstration is open to everyone but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/ or their caretakers. Our featured host is Change Your Palate's very own Shaniqua Simuel.

TH (6/29), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Amazing Race: Family Edition

Compete in groups of four to travel “around the world” and solve puzzles to completion before the other teams.  Register your team of 4 at avl.mx/csf

TH (6/29), 6pm, Marshall Public Library, 1335 N Main St, Marshall

Butts & Boots: Line Dancing

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

TH (6/29, 7/6), 6pm, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave

Project Mind Lab

An evening filled with intriguing discussions, captivating crafts, refreshing beverages and the wonders of science. This event is exclusively for adults.

TH (6/29), 7pm, Dssolvr, 63 N Lexington Ave

A free family-friendly foam party with inflatable water slides and other water activities to public parks to welcome summer’s arrival.

FR (6/30), 1pm, Murphy Oakley Park, 715 Fairview Rd

Anime Costume Party

Wear your favorite anime character costume or anime t-shirt. There will be several fun activities such as Naruto run races, foam sword fight matches, trivia, and different mini anime-themed games and arts and crafts.

Registration is required.

FR (6/30), 3pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Garden Helpers: Bees & Butterflies

Stories and activities provided by Master Gardeners will teach kids how bees and butterflies work together with plants to create beautiful flowers and vegetables. Register the child's name with buncombecounty.org/ library or call (828) 250-4758.

FR (6/30), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Montford Glow Nights

Each month offers a different glow activity for children ages 6 to 12 to enjoy. This month the theme is laser tag.

FR (6/30), 6pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

From Trauma to Radiant Joy w/Vasant Lad

Vasant Lad will explore how the individual mind is connected to a universal mind, and how psychological trauma can be addressed through actively working within this relationship. For adults only.

FR (6/30), 7pm, AyurPrana Listening Room, 312 Haywood Rd

Rec & Roll

A free pop-up for toddlers ages 1 to 5 years-old. No registration or advance

SA (7/1), 5pm, 1 N Pack Square

Ladies Sunday Cycles

This is a non drop ride, we have cue sheets via Ride with GPS, and there are options to either do the whole ride or head back when needed. Routes will be posted on the Ride My GPS app under WNC Outdoor Collective. SU (7/2), 7:30am, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club

Tournament-style scrabble. All levels of play.

SU (7/2), 12:15pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

Game Day: Perspective Café

Traditional game day with board and card games as well as refreshments from the Perspective Cafe. SU (7/2), 2pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

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. Preregister at avl.mx/cec MO (7/3), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & SewCo, 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 (7/3), 4pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain Pritchard Park Summer Series: Hoop & 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 (7/4), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St

Bikes 'N Brews

A weekly group ride that takes in the views of Black Mountain and Old Fort and concludes at the WNC Outdoor Collective with your favorite beer or kombucha.

WE (7/5), 5:30pm, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

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 (7/5), 6pm, Black Mountain Brewing, 131 NC-9, Black Mountain 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 (6/28, 7/5), 7pm, The Elephant Door, 126 Swannanoa River Rd

WNC, Past & Present:

Educational Leadership & the Allen School from 1865 to 1930

A discussion about several instrumental Black women educators who provided fair and equitable educational opportunities for the Black Community in Swannanoa and Asheville from 1880 to 1930.

TH (7/6), 6pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

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 (6/28, 7/5), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville

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 (6/29, 7/6), 3pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler

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 (6/28), 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 (6/28, 7/5), 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 (6/28, 7/5), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville

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 (6/29), 3pm, Biltmore Park Town Square, Town Square Blvd

Pack Square Artisan Market

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

Every Friday through Oct. 27.

FR (6/30), 1pm, 1 South Pack Square Park

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 (6/30), 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 (7/1), 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 Satur-

day through Oct. 28.

SA (7/1), 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 (7/1), 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 (7/1), 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 November.

SA (7/1), 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 (7/1), 10am, College Street, Mars Hill

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.

SU (7/2), 8am, 570

Brevard Rd

The Odd Flea

Bring your own tables and display all of your wacky and tacky items such as taxidermy, antiques, records, junk, witchy tinctures, plants and more. 1st Saturday of every month.

SU (7/2), 9am, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd

Art on the Greene Summer Series

Browse fine art from local and regional artists representing a variety of media, such as ceramics, glass, metal, wood, watercol-

or, acrylics and oil.

SU (7/2), 10am, Historic Banner Elk School, 185 Azalea Cir SE, Banner Elk

BIPOC Farmer's Market

Everyone is encouraged to come out to support local BIPOC vendors. The market is EBT accessible with double dollars for fresh fruits and vegetables.

SU (7/2), noon, W.C. Reid Center, 133 Livingston St

Marquee Live

This free community-wide event will feature a brunch, live music, live art demonstrations by Marquee cast members, food trucks, pastry pop-ups, special surprises and more.

SU (7/2), noon, Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St

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 (7/2), 1pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

Tuesday Creative Market

Browse the wares from local makers and creatives.

TU (7/4), 4pm, Different Wrld, 701 Haywood Rd, Ste 101

Wednesday Farmers Market

A vibrant marketplace filled with local vendors offering fresh produce and handmade goodies.

WE (7/5), 2pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain

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 (7/6), 3pm, Pinecrest ARP Church, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Flat Rock

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

Blue Ridge Proud Free community-wide celebration with live music from a jazz trio, light bites from Huli Sue's and Well-Bred Bakery, beverages from Battery Park Book

Exchange and Carmel's. There will also be a "Ultimate Grove Arcade experience" raffle with proceeds benefiting Blue Ridge Pride.

WE (6/28), 6pm, Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave

Floating Wish Lanterns

Lake Junaluska staff will release floating, biodegradable lanterns on the lake. Each lantern will carry a name in remembrance or in honor of a loved one. All are welcome to the lakeside to enjoy, celebrate and admire this meaningful display.

SA (7/1), 9:15pm, Lake Junaluska, 759 N Lakeshore Dr, Lake Junaluska

Ben's Tune Up 10 Year

Anniversary Party Free celebration and party with live music and DJ's all day and night. There will also be food special, drinks and more.

TU (7/4), 3pm, Ben's Tune Up, 195 Hilliard Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Carnivale Macabre: The Longest Hunch

An evening of burlesque, pro wrestling,

magic, music and more. Proceeds from the show are a benefit for one of the show’s creators, Paul Lentini, who is currently fighting cancer. Ages 18+ SA (7/1), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave

Annual Duck Race

2023

This annual fundraiser supports arts programming in Transylvania County, including Arts in Schools and the Student Arts Academy. With every Racing Duck Sponsorship, you help the Arts Council provide outstanding arts opportunities and cultural events in our vibrant, creative community. For more information call (828) 884-2787.

TU (7/4), 6pm, Brevard College, 1 Brevard College Dr, Brevard

Divine Intervention: The Game Show

A hilarious game show event with non-stop fun and laughter, all while supporting a great cause. All profits from this event will be donated to Arms Around ASD 501(c)3 charity. This event is for people 21+. TH (7/6), 7pm, New Belgium Brewing Co., 21 Craven St

Misconceptions about service

Ellis Pinder enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1984 and retired in 2005. He attended recruit training at Parris Island, S.C., and was subsequently stationed at Quantico, Va.; Okinawa, Japan; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; and Camp Lejeune, N.C. Before his duties at Camp Lejeune, he served on recruiting duty in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

What drew you to enlist?

The military presented an inexpensive opportunity to venture away from home, experience unique challenges and lay the foundation for future educational and employment opportunities.

How has your military service influenced who you are today?

A lot of the qualities I acquired while in the military are embedded in how I conduct myself as well as the way I approach and am committed to completing tasks. Whenever I’m engaged with others, I try to apply lessons learned that are rooted in the camaraderie and cohesion of the military service. The military enhanced my mental toughness, patience, discipline and personal responsibility.

When it comes to discussing service with a veteran, what advice would you offer citizens who have not served?

While serving on recruiting duty, the military was viewed by many civilians as a last resort when all else falls through. After hearing that you served in the military, civilians sometimes tend to close the conversation loop, not sure of how to proceed or where the conversation will lead. Some veterans are not inclined to openly share information about themselves. As such, the interaction should be positive, display a true sense of interest in the veteran and take the form of a conversation one might have with someone who has had a diverse career. Not every veteran bears the scars of combat. Veterans served for different reasons, and many have traveled extensively. Their service is as varied as their socioeconomic backgrounds. X

Remembering Matthew Adkins

Anne Adkins, a Gold Star Mother, lost her son, Matthew, who was killed on May 3, 2007, while serving in Iraq. Today, she works with several local nonprofits, including Blue Ridge Honor Flight. The organization leads free flights for U.S. veterans to Washington to visit national war memorials.

What inspired Matthew to enlist?

Matthew was devastated by 9/11 and wanted to enlist, but we persuaded him to wait. He initially did, but he later came home and said he was enlisting so nothing like that would ever happen to our country again.

How has his military service and death influenced who you are today?

We are very proud of his service and dedication to his country, but losing him was the hardest thing I have ever done. I felt compelled after his death to work aiding veterans. I am now on the board of Blue Ridge Honor Flight, a member of Brothers and Sisters Like These and a committed helper at Veterans Healing Farm.

What advice would you offer other families who have lost a loved one on active duty?

After losing your child, you may suffer from memories that depress you but would be insignificant to your child. For example, after Matthew’s death, I kept thinking about giving Matthew a swat on his bottom when he was late getting ready for day care which made me late for work. If Matthew knew this kept coming up in my mind, he would laugh and say, “I don’t even remember that.”

Focus on the happy and positive times you had with them and how wonderful they were. Be so grateful for the time you had with them. What if you had never had them? Think how lucky you were for the time you had with your precious child. Finally, remember they are not gone from you. They live now and will forever in your heart, your mind and soul. Forever. X

ELLIS PINDER

MATTHEW ADKINS

Veterans’ inside war

Museum shows battle trauma is nothing new

BY MIRIAM BRADLEY

getitcontributor@mountainx.com

The Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas in Brevard doesn’t shy away from the toll that war takes on those who fight.

Founded just six years ago by Emmett Casciato, the museum highlights America’s modern wars from World War I to the war on terror.

“I never served a day in my life, and it was my way to give back to those who did,” Casciato says “I wanted to make sure our military history was intact and not forgotten. And I wanted to make sure everyone knew what these people really went through.”

Beyond the exhibits of uniforms, vehicles, weapons, letters and photographs are the volunteers who can tell their stories, too. More than 90% of the volunteers are veterans or married to one, according to Janis Allen, director of communications for the museum.

In the exhibits, the human toll is apparent. For example, in the World War I exhibit, a documentary by North Carolina Humanities mentions the soldiers who, out of desperation, shot themselves to get out of unbearable conditions. They were publicly shamed by being forced to wear armbands in yellow — for cowardice — embossed with SIW, for self-inflicted wound.

Further on, standing amid the war on terror exhibit, one sees a photograph of Sgt. Jared Adam Best from Haywood County. He joined the Army at 17, was deployed to Iraq and reenlisted so he could be there for “his guys.” According to the display, “he learned just how hard it can be to adjust to civilian life, how hard it can be to forget the horrors of war. On New Year’s Eve 2016, he died by suicide resulting from PTSD from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Kristal Brown of Brevard can understand Best’s struggles. An Army medic, she arrived in Iraq on Jan. 16, 1991, as part of Operation Desert Storm, just as the bombing began. During her six-month deployment, she endured bombings, threats of being gassed and sexual assault. After getting out of the military, she floundered. “I tried to live an ordinary life, but I just wasn’t the same,” she says.

DIFFERENT NAMES, ALL THE SAME

The lasting effects of witnessing the war’s brutality are nothing new. The first documented reference to post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms was circa 2100 B.C. in the Epic of Gilgamesh, which describes symptoms Gilgamesh suffered after seeing his friend killed.

In the late 1600s, these symptoms were called “nostalgia” by a Swiss physician, and this name stuck until after the Civil War.

During World War I “shell shock” gained more attention as the condition became more widespread. First attributed to concussions caused by exposure to shelling, it was renamed “neurasthenia” (a type of nervous breakdown) when it occurred in soldiers who never experienced shelling. After World War I, these soldiers were subjected to traumatic treatments intended to shock them out of their symptoms. Driving this extreme treatment was the belief that these

State and local resources for veterans

• Veterans Crisis Line, 800-273-8255, press 1. You also can text 838255 or go online to veteranscrisisline.net

• Veterans Administration’s National Center for PTSD can be reached at www.ptsd.va.gov

• Operation Decisive Victory (ODV), a national nonprofit based in Charlotte, offers a range of services to veterans, including suicide and homelessness prevention. It can be reached at www. operationdv.com or 877-207-7080

• Veterans Healing Farm in Hendersonville offers opportunities

for veterans to heal in a natural environment. It can be reached at www.veteranshealingfarm.org or veteranshealingfarm@gmail.com

• Military Missions in Action in Fuquay Varina offers a variety of services to veterans and their families. It can be reached at militarymissionsinaction.org or 919-552-1603.

• Paws4People provides service dogs to veterans. It can be reached at www.paws4people.org or emailed at info@paws4people.org

symptoms were caused by a lack of courage.

In World War II, it was called battle fatigue, combat fatigue and combat stress reaction and believed to be caused by long deployments. Treatments included insulin shock therapy, hydrotherapy, electric shock therapy and even lobotomies.

Help for many Korean War veterans suffering from PTSD was minimal. Doctors prescribed only rest with the hope symptoms would diminish over time.

It wasn’t until Vietnam War veterans pushed for better treatment that PTSD was introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 1980.

EVOLUTION OF TREATMENT

Treatment for PTSD now includes psychotherapy and medication. Group therapy and support groups are helpful for many veterans, giving them a safe place to share their experiences with those who understand.

The importance of available care is clear. While treatment has improved, in 2020, suicide was the 13th-leading cause of death among veterans overall, and it was the second-leading cause of death among veterans under age 45, according to the 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report.

Brown is grateful for the group sessions she attended through the Charles George Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Asheville but wishes there was a local group. “There aren’t a lot of soldiers in this area, or if there are, they are older. Somewhere to go and talk about your battles (and) how you survive this PTSD is helpful. Being over in Asheville with those ladies, it helped me learn how to process, but I need reminding. Having a support group here (in Brevard) would be very beneficial.”

• Eagle Rock Camp based in South Conover offers retreats for veterans and their families. Go to eaglerockcamp.org for more information.

• Vets4Warriors Crisis Hotline is a 24/7 peer support hotline. 855-838-8255

• Combat Female Veterans Families United in Greensboro can be reached via email at info@cfvfunited.com or online at www.cfvfunited. com.

• The Greensboro Vet Center in Spindale offers counseling and other resources. For more information, go to www.va.gov/ greensboro-vet-center/

UNPLEASANT PAST: Kristal Brown of Brevard stands next to a gas mask similar to the ones she wore in Operation Desert Storm. Photo courtesy of the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas

From the battlefield to the brewhouse

Vets use military past to inform brewing future

BY GREG PARLIER

Kevin Sandefur didn’t know much about craft beer in the late 1980s. At the time, he was stationed in Homestead, Fla., as a linguist in the U.S. Navy. There, a friend and co-worker introduced him to homebrewing.

“I had no idea you [could] make beer at home,” he says. “So, I learned the ropes.”

Decades later, Sandefur began gifting his homebrews to colleagues at Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva, where he worked as a nurse.

“One day, I came in, and a group of doctors pulled me aside and said, ‘Hey, you need to start a brewery,’” he says. “They handed me an envelope with a check [and became] my first investors.”

About a year later, in 2012, BearWaters Brewing Co. launched. Today it has three locations in Haywood County.

Like Sandefur, there are several other local veterans who’ve found similar success in Western North Carolina’s brewing industry. And while their styles may vary, these brewers all agree that their current accomplishments are linked to their past service.

GRILL, BREW, BOND — REPEAT

For many who are enlisted, cooking becomes a means of building community.

Chris Melton, head brewer at Lookout Brewing Co. in Black Mountain, says he spent a lot of time over the grill while stationed in Hawaii in communications intelligence with the Navy. And that passion, he says, extended from land to sea. Often when deployed, he would help prepare meals alongside the chefs inside submarine kitchens.

“Man, that was always a good time,” he notes. “We were temporarily part of their crew. It was a bonding experience.”

When on base, Melton and his buddies often sipped on local favorites from

Kona Brewing Co. and Maui Brewing Co. Meanwhile, frequent deployments to the Far East exposed him to the rice lagers inherent to the region. Those moments of bonding over food and beer stuck with Melton after he returned to his native Buncombe County. He regularly hosted friends in his backyard, serving meals and homebrewed beers.

Sandefur echoes Melton’s experience.

“For a lot of guys in the military, that was a hobby we all had outside of work: taking turns to cook and host,” he says. These gatherings, he continues, went beyond meals, allowing service members a chance to share parts of their cultural traditions and upbringing.

“My wife always says that food is my love language,” Sandefur continues.

“For me, brewing has always been a natural extension of that. Just playing with different flavor profiles and seeing how far to push the envelope with things.”

TASTE OF GERMANY

The transition from military service to civilian life can be tricky to navigate for some.

Mike Baer, owner and founder of Guidon Brewing Co. in Hendersonville, was at a loss after his 20-year career with the U.S. Army ended at Fort Stewart, near Savannah, Ga.

He says the skills he learned in the military, where he worked in reconnaissance, offered a narrow range of opportunities tied to defense contracting and law enforcement. Neither path appealed to him.

Homebrewing, however, had been a major part of his service life. While stationed in Germany, he discovered his love for German-style beer. Once he returned stateside in the early 2000s, he attempted to replicate the flavors.

“I couldn’t afford import, and we didn’t have a whole lot of craft beer

options on the shelves at the time,” he remembers.

Eventually, one of Baer’s civilian friends, a beer distributor, suggested he pursue it professionally.

“[My friend] had tasted my [homebrewed beer] and thought it was good,” he recalls. “And as someone who sells beer, I figured he would know what good beer is and what kind of beer sells. That kind of planted the seed in my head about opening a brewery.”

Baer’s passion eventually brought him north, where he enrolled in the brewing certificate program at South College Asheville campus. And by 2019, Guidon was a reality.

CROSSOVER SKILLS

For other veterans, such as Greig Hillman, the journey from military to brewery is less direct. After serving in the Air Force, Hillman initially purchased several Subway restaurants around Greenville, S.C.

It was not until Hillman’s brother, Brad, then a homebrewer based in New York City, relocated to the South that the pair turned to the beer industry. At that point, the two siblings, along with Greig’s wife, Brandi, went into business. The trio launched Hillman Beer in 2017 and later opened a second location in Old Fort. (They have a third spot coming to Morganton soon.)

But what Greig Hillman has in common with the other three veterans interviewed for this article is a collective appreciation for how their service, and the organizational skills it taught them, continues to inform how they own and operate their breweries and businesses today.

“I have brought a lot of that into everything I’ve done after the military,” Hillman says. “It’s very structured and organized; everything is done on checklists. So, all of our breweries and the Subways, they all had checklists that we all followed to help us get through a day, get through a week, and make sure everything we needed to do got done.”

Along with structure, Sandefur adds that the military’s inclusive culture has helped him better understand how to manage personalities within the brewing industry.

“Knowing how to take a diverse group of people and blending them into a team that is working toward a common goal is something that I really took away from the military,” he says. X

HOME SWEET HOME: After four years stationed with the Navy in Hawaii, Chris Melton finds himself brewing beer at Lookout Brewing Co., across the street from where he went to primary school. Photo by Greg Parlier

WITH MORGAN BOST

BY MORGAN BOST

Welcome back to those returning. For newcomers, I am Morgan Bost, your host and local comic tasked with bringing you the chuckles each month in exchange for much needed external validation. Never one to work harder (or smarter for that matter), I’ve called up three of my funniest friends and fellow comedians — Becca Steinhoff, Nora Tramm and Peter Lundblad — to get their advice on everything from pet-friendly adventures to fineish dining around town.

Whether you are visiting Asheville for the first time or identify as a local (a term people can only truly use if they have documented evidence that their lineage dates back at least three generations), this month’s “Best Medicine” is here to offer up tips and ticks — I mean tricks — to help you maximize your summer fun.

Bost: Earlier this month, while squinting through the haze blown in from Canadian wildfires, I grew concerned for the safety of our parttime Florida snowbird population. In the event of another code orange air quality alert, which advises older and younger folks to stay inside, how can people still satisfy their thrill for the great outdoors? Where in Western North Carolina can folks quench their thirst for wet and wild adventure under the gentle breeze of an AC unit?

Peter Lundblad: Three words: stink bug rodeo. The number of insects invading our homes goes up in the summertime, and luckily for everyone, these bugs can infiltrate AC units as well. Since crochet is trendy, make little costumes for your “guests” and set up a circuslike arena for them to perform in.

Let the dog days of summer begin!

the comfort of your Airbnb’s spacious living room (if you’re a visitor to our area) or your combination bedroom/ office/yoga studio/hotboxing den (if you’re a local), you can vicariously climb and hang glide all over the beautiful kingdom of Hyrule. (Safety note/area tip: unlike in Hyrule, you cannot ride the bears in Asheville.)

Bost: I will see your three words, Peter, and offer you my own: openmic comedy. It is one of the only live performance experiences where you leave feeling superior to the artist. (I say this as an open-mic comic.) Such events are a fun and free way to show your family that your life decisions actually could be worse. While it may not be the same as scaling Mount Pisgah, watching underinsured comics work through their trauma in front of a live audience is sure to give you an adrenaline rush. Don’t enjoy comedy? No worries! You will find very little of it at open-mic night.

Last month, I asked parents about the worst place in Asheville for a human child to have a meltdown. This month, I’m asking about the fur babies. Where in WNC proves the biggest pain for your pet? Are there places Fido feels particularly “furrocious?” The vet? The dog park? Weekly chakra readings?

Most stink bugs will work for minimal pay and, unless you get a spider into the mix, they usually don’t think to unionize. If they do unionize — and if you’re a kind and merciful ringleader — cut a deal quickly, give them a good health plan, and they’ll simmer down.

Becca Steinhoff: Might I recommend a tour of your favorite Walmart?

Thanks for Voting!

Nothing like a big-box store with a big-box fan to really rile up the locals and work up a good sweat. Perhaps a jog through the flat-screen aisle. If box stores aren’t your thing, you can always take your family to a trampoline park if you want to pelt foam at your children so they fall into the pit or watch them narrowly escape 100 other children running at full speed in rubber socks.

Nora Tramm: Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, an epic openworld Nintendo game, has been out for about a month. (I hope you appreciate me taking time off from playing it to answer these questions.) Who needs sweat, blisters and bug bites? In

Lundblad: My pet rocks Todd and Velveeta have both been asked to leave the Asheville mall more than once. Apparently, humans can build a vast cavern system with snacks at the end, but any critter that is naturally drawn to caves is “unwelcome.” We should embrace the mall as a modern cave system. ATMs built into stalagmites; stalactites that double as selfie sticks. I, myself, would happily go to the mall more often if I could look at ancient, days-old cave paintings across a smoothie booth.

Steinhoff: My dog Pele is a sharpei-lab mix who loves me so ferociously (with so much jowls and slobber) that the most dangerous place to bring her is somewhere another animal wants my attention. She gets very jealous. Carrier Park is her favorite place to learn over and over again, that I don’t need her to protect

SUMMER TIME: Local comic Morgan Bost, top left, discusses summer strategies with her latest round of local comics. Also featured, clockwise from top right, are Peter Lundblad, Nora Tramm and Becca Steinhoff. Photos of Bost, Lundblad and Tramm by Cindy Kunst; photo of Steinhoff courtesy of comedian

me. I just need her to be the softest and to accept the attention she gets for being very funny looking.

Tramm: Like other bold Asheville nonconformists, I’ve been trying to train my cat, Riley, to be an adventure cat. He loves his little harness, and he’s always excited to go outside. Where he eats grass. And eats more grass. And hisses at you if you try to get him to stop eating grass. I used to fantasize about taking him out for an afternoon on the lawn at Zillicoah Beer Co. Now when I look upon that verdant expanse, all I can see is an acre’s worth of grass for this a-hole to consume and subsequently hork up on my carpet. Riley, babe, you blew it. You’re gonna have to stay inside and watch me play Tears of the Kingdom instead.

Bost: Having been mentioned in the last column, my cats Leopold and Gertrude have again demanded an appearance. (Amazing how quickly fame goes to the head.) Gert has unfortunately inherited my social anxiety, thus making every public place her worst nightmare. If more than three people are at the apartment, she excuses herself to the bedroom, unable to handle the pressure of being so cute around so many. Leo, on the other hand, loves people. He’s much more

doglike than cat. The vet once labeled him a “frat boy” due to his rambunctious behavior. Given this, I imagine the worst place to take him would be the South Slope, where throngs of fraternity brothers and bachelor parties roam the streets puking and yelling and causing the utmost mayhem, much like Leo at breakfast time.

The Xpress has cooked up a new monthly column, “Fresh Dish,” by reporter Andy Hall, which debuted this month. It spotlights local chefs and dishes. The inaugural column featured my favorite local chef, Katie Button. Not to be outdone, “Best Medicine” will also be providing insider tips on local cuisine. Unable to secure a celebrity chef, I’ve asked this month’s guest columnists to call up their favorite line cooks for tips and tricks for dining around WNC. Everything from where to cure that nasty hangover using only leftover change from Fiesta Laundry to the best local ingredients to pair with vape juice and energy drinks. Consider the gauntlet thrown, Andy.

Lundblad: I recently learned three little tips for the perfect breakfast bur-

rito. No.1: Only eat vegetables for three days prior to the planned consumption. (Cabbage and cauliflower are the best choices, as they are barely food to begin with.) No. 2: Call a loquacious cousin or friend and stay up all night with them drinking Yoo-hoo and arguing about fluoride in the water. No.3: Buy a burrito. Under these conditions, any breakfast burrito can taste like Christmas in a tube.

Steinhoff: I’ve been in Asheville for so long that the best food I would recommend is from places that don’t exist anymore. I would go to Doc Chey’s every day if I could. Now it’s a dumpling house. I want a burrito from Lucky Otter, but it’s location now houses a ramen place. I would go to Blue Dream Curry House, but I won’t even go look to see what it’s turned into now. I realize this is the opposite of helpful, but I feel Asheville people can lament with me here. Fortunately, you can still go get raw vegan at Laughing Seed Cafe if you’re feeling nostalgic.

Tramm : In the debut “Fresh Dish” feature, I see Katie Button recommends ramps and xuixo. That sounds delicious, but tell me this, Katie Button: Will scarfing down a plate of allium-smothered Spanish

pastry pull you back from the brink of death after being trampled by an angry lion-centaur? Because the meat skewers that you can cook in Tears of the Kingdom will. Looks like the real world is zero for three in this matchup.

Bost: Given my proclivity for heartache, I’ve chosen to abstain from further interaction with line cooks. However, having recently found myself unemployed, I can certainly tell you the best place to grab a bite on a budget. First off, did you know that you can go to Papa John’s and order just the garlic butter? It’s true! I’ve lived it. Might I suggest stocking up at multiple locations to not draw suspicion?

Once your pockets are brimming with butter sauce, linger outside of PIE.ZAA, my favorite place for a slice. Inevitably, naive tourists on foot will severely underestimate the vast enormity of a full pie and have nowhere to place their leftovers. Heroic, you walk by and offer to take it off their hands, sustainability being of utmost importance. Now you have the best pizza paired with the best sauce for a fraction of the cost! (I didn’t intend for that last line to rhyme, but pizza poetry flows through me.)

flash of fire’

Discovering Asheville’s past through Thomas Wolfe’s fiction

BY THOMAS CALDER

tcalder@mountainx.com

Xpress returns for the second round of its new feature, “Look Homeward.” The series is inspired by the show “One True Podcast,” which invites historians, artists, writers and scholars to discuss the life and work of Ernest Hemingway “Look Homeward” strives to do something similar, albeit with a Western North Carolina bend. Rather than Hemingway, we are focused on writer Thomas Wolfe, though future plans call for conversations about additional influential writers such as Wilma Dykeman, John Ehle and O. Henry.

For our inaugural piece with author Terry Roberts, see “Look Homeward: A New Monthly Series on WNC Writers,” April 26, Xpress.

In this month’s column, we speak with Kayla Seay. Born in Asheville and raised in Maggie Valley, Seay has worked at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial since 2016 and has served as historic interpreter III and assistant site director. The memorial, at 52 N. Market St., offers tours of the Old Kentucky Home, the boardinghouse Wolfe’s mother, Julia, operated from 1906 until her death in 1945. The site was the inspiration for Thomas Wolfe’s 1929 debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel.

Xpress: What is the one Wolfe sentence that you think best represents the author and why?

Seay: In Look Homeward, Angel, Wolfe writes: “We can’t turn life back to the hours when our lungs were sound, our blood hot, our bodies young. We are a flash of fire — a brain, a heart, a spirit.” This is not only my favorite line from Wolfe but also represents his short, but prolific life.

For readers less familiar with Wolfe, would you mind touching on some of his achievements within his brief 37 years?

I think Wolfe was prolific in many ways — from the sheer magnitude of his writing to his numerous trips abroad. From my perspective, these two things were arguably his obvious passions in life and consumed significant amounts of his time, energy and money.

From the time he graduated Harvard in 1923 until his premature death at 37

in 1938, he had traveled abroad seven times and produced thousands of longhand-written manuscript pages. The later publication of his pocket journals, spanning from his last bits of time at Harvard through his last year of life, show how he jotted down everything — from grocery lists to rough drafts of letters, to bits of dialogue and chapter outlines for his novels.

I believe Wolfe was a sponge, and he absorbed all he could from the world around him: the people, the smells, the sounds, the weather. He then put all of that back into his writing. There is a certain movement to his words, where all these different aspects he has absorbed seem to really shine and work together. Wolfe is an author who can paint a picture like no other.

Although he only saw two of his novels come to fruition in his time, the sheer volume of writing he left behind served as the scaffolding used to build his last two novels — The Web and the Rock and You Can’t Go Home Again — published posthumously.

When did you first become aware of Wolfe and how, if at all, did that draw you to working at the memorial?

My relationship with Wolfe began 10 years ago, when I took an internship as a graduate student in public history. I was born here and grew up in Maggie Valley, so I was familiar with who Wolfe was in a very limited scope, but I had never read any of his works. I’m sad to say I had never taken a tour of the historic house nor benefited from a field trip here as a student in the local schools, either.

Leading up to my internship, the site director at the time said, “We basically have two requirements — read our interpreter’s handbook, and then you’ve got to read the ‘big ’un’: Look Homeward, Angel.” I thought to myself: “Easy peasy, no problem — I’ve read tons of big, long books as a historian.”

Well, about 80 pages in, I remember looking up from the book and staring off into my living room trying to grasp at what I’d read — the flow to his words, the detail, his long and superfluous sentences that danced around the point but never seemed to quite get there. I came to two realizations: I understood quite quickly why he’s not as widely read as some of his more concise contemporaries such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway; and I also knew, without

a doubt, that I was hooked and I would see it through even if it killed me.

I’m seeing you survived the experience.

Yes, it didn’t kill me, thankfully. It made me even more eager to learn more about him and his family. That’s the beauty of reading something that is autobiographical fiction; while he certainly tweaked things and took creative liberties, we see so closely how the pages of the novel trace his youth, experiences and his family. It’s extraordinary, and rare, when you can look at something on the page and then corroborate it with other records and resources we have on-site. I now couldn’t imagine Asheville without the context of his prose.

As a historian and someone native to the area, what, if anything, has Wolfe’s fiction taught you about Asheville and Western North Carolina that you didn’t previously know?

Growing up in the area, I’d like to say I understood the importance of tourism as a main industry here. Looking at both our site records and histories of the area, Wolfe’s writings shed a brighter light on how prolific health tourism was specifically and how that significantly escalated with the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s. Prior to the

railroad, it took a lot of money to make way across the mountain ridges, but folks desired a place that provided a cool escape from the heat of the deeper south and coast as well as the seasonal threats of malaria and yellow fever.

Once the railroad came through and people could travel so much easier and more affordably into Western North Carolina, you can see sanitariums and health resorts bloom in this area, along with boardinghouses. Because doctors put so much stock into climate as a cure at that time, we can also see the heavy promotion of Asheville as an ideal destination for the treatment of tuberculous and for respiratory health. Through Wolfe’s work we get a better sense of just how dramatically this changed Asheville’s landscape and how, despite the printing of “no sick people” on his mother’s business cards, tuberculosis seemed to find its way into many of the city’s businesses and public spaces.

Speaking of the boardinghouse, is there a particular room you love most?

Of the 29 total rooms in the historic house, the sun parlor is my absolute favorite, hands down. Wall-to-wall windows create a perfect space of light and cheer, even on an otherwise overcast, dreary day. This room provided

boarders a space to spread out and socialize while waiting on meals, and with the piano and gramophone, it was a room of entertainment before guests retreated to their bedrooms.

The very open-air nature of the room is also a nod to the importance that guests placed on Asheville’s climate and healthy, healing mountain air. Although our view has changed drastically over the years, you can walk up to one of the wavy window panes and better put yourself in Thomas’ shoes as you gaze out onto the old Spruce Street. You can hear the tinkling of the piano keys if you try hard enough, and you can easily picture the boarders sipping their cups of coffee and reading the newspaper on the chaise or loveseat before heading out for the day.

What about the furniture? Do you have a favorite piece?

As far as historic homes go, we are beyond fortunate to have a little over 85% of the original furnishings and artifacts inside the house, and for that reason alone, there are many, many beautiful pieces to admire. But of all the beds, dressers, tables and chairs, the single piece of furniture that I can’t get enough of is the pie safe in the kitchen. It’s a source of bemusement for many guests as they look over the intricately punctured tin panels and marvel over its size and use. On the whole, most traditional pie safes were tall but relatively shallow, with shelving protected by tin-paneled doors. Usually punctured into some sort of design, these allowed baked goods to breathe while protecting them from critters and insects. The one in the boardinghouse’s kitchen is much deeper and is no doubt a nod to the amount of baked goods stored there for the large number of boarders over the years. I am 100% certain I love this pie safe because I am the keeper of my family’s pie safe, one of the few antique pieces I have that dates back to the late 1800s.

Lastly, what book or story collection would you recommend the Wolfe-curious start with and why?

If you’re interested in Wolfe but not quite sure where to start, there are two schools of thought on that. Some folks recommend jumping right into the deep end, much like I did, by tackling Look Homeward, Angel. If you’re local and can plan a visit, it works wonders to come and learn about Thomas and his family and to see the historic house. As a deeply autobiographical writer, learning about and seeing these things really helps the novel come to life so you can parallel the fact with the fiction. Although maybe lesser known by comparison, Wolfe has many wonderful short stories to serve as an excellent starting point. This allows folks a chance to dip their toe in the pond rather than diving straight in — you get a feel for his beautiful prose and attention to detail, but the end is in sight! In his novella The Lost Boy, Wolfe fictionalizes his family’s trip to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Told in four parts, he revisits the death of his brother while they were there, and his return trip back years later. It’s a moving piece as we see the protagonist grapple with two themes that many readers connect to as universal experiences — the fading of memories and the death of a loved one. For more on the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, visit avl.mx/cpx.

BEST ROOM IN THE HOUSE: Kayla Seay, assistant site director at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, poses inside the sun parlor. Of the 29 rooms inside the historic house, this is her favorite space. Photo by Thomas Calder

What’s new in food The Hound opens in East Asheville

The Hound, a new lounge concept from Zambra owner Peter Montague and The Copper Crown owner Adam Bannasch, has opened on Tunnel Road in East Asheville.

Cheekily named after the Greyhound bus station that previously occupied the space, The Hound represents a concerted effort to provide East Asheville with an elegant watering hole away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Asheville.

While The Hound will serve both drinks and food, Montague’s intention is not to be pigeonholed as a simple bar or restaurant. “We’re a lounge,” he declares. “A public room or area designated for people to sit, relax and have drinks with friends.”

Montague, who is half Japanese, took inspiration from izakayas casual Japanese drinking establishments that encourage guests to stay awhile in the crafting of The Hound’s romantic yet laid-back atmosphere. “My style and aesthetic are centered on creating an air of mystery creating a place where you can just disappear.”

The Hound’s candlelit indoor space is warmly furnished and decorated, while its open-air outdoor space aspires to an ambiance of Zenlike tranquility. “I have always been inspired by the union between indoor and outdoor spaces in Japanese architecture,” explains Montague. “Everything is treated as one singular space at The Hound; it just flows.”

The same cultural influence informs drink recipes crafted behind the bar. One particular cocktail, consisting of Japanese gin, sake made with yuzu (an East Asian citrus fruit), fresh-squeezed lime and pure cane syrup, is poised to become one of the lounge’s signature drinks.

“It’s sort of our riff on the classic French 75 cocktail, and it’ll be a perfect refreshment to enjoy outside on a warm, sunny day,” says Montague.

Along with seasonal craft cocktails, the lounge also serves a rotating tap selection of 16 local beers and an affordable-to-high-end wine list created by Zambra sommelier

Jennifer Thomas

For food, The Hound features a simple menu of small plates utilizing foods from local partners like The Chop Shop Butchery, Grommet Chip Shop, Sunburst Trout Farms and Three Graces Dairy. The Blue Collar Diner food truck has also committed to serving The Hound’s patrons every Thursday through Sunday.

“We are especially excited to be partnering with The Hound

because we feel they share our professionalism and vision for this great location,” says Sarah Keeney, who co-owns and co-operates Blue Collar Diner alongside Michael Aanonsen. “We think our combined passion, experiences and work ethic will provide a truly unique space for Asheville.”

In the future, The Hound plans to invite local chefs to host popup events utilizing the lounge’s full kitchen. Look for Venezuelan popups coming soon, as well as oyster and sushi-themed experiences.

The Hound is at 2 Tunnel Road. Visit avl.mx/cs7 for hours and additional information.

A uniquely American tradition

Ready to put your love for hot dogs to the ultimate test? Farm Dogs, located in the S&W Market downtown, invites all craven challengers to its first hot dog eating contest on Sunday, July 2, beginning at 1 p.m.

Participants will have 10 minutes to devour 10 hot dogs, buns and all. Whoever eats all 10 dogs the fastest, or eats the most dogs in the event that no challenger can eat all 10, will win a cash prize of $200, a large, gold chain in the shape of a hot dog and bragging rights that will last long after the stomach cramps subside.

“This event is all in good fun,” says Sara Burton, Asheville’s regional

manager for Farm Dogs and Farm Burger. “We’ve been talking about doing an event like this with the folks at S&W since we opened and have always been hesitant, but this year we decided to just go for it.”

Entry into the hot dog eating contest costs $10. To sign up, visit avl.mx/cs6. The S&W Market is at 56 Patton Ave.

Soprana pizza

Soprana, an Italian brick-oven pizza restaurant, will open this fall on the rooftop of the Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown hotel. Philip Bollhoefer , vice president of food and beverage at Parks Hospitality Group, will design an accessible yet distinct menu highlighting local produce, meats and seasonal fare. Bollhoefer is a chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts with nearly 20 years of experience in restaurants and hospitality groups. In addition to pizza, guests can expect a menu of shareable snacks, salads, charcuterie and an extensive local craft beer list.

“The inspiration behind Soprana lies in the stunning natural beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains,” says Bollhoefer in a news release. “We wanted to feature the mountains throughout the restaurant’s design to create a space that felt as warm and inviting as the neighborhood we live in, while the menu shines a spotlight on the

RELEASE THE HOUND: Zambra owner Peter Montague and The Copper Crown owner Adam Bannasch have opened The Hound, a new lounge in East Asheville. Photo courtesy Peter Montague

impressive ranchers, farmers, purveyors and makers in the Asheville food and beverage scene.”

Another new restaurant, E’Terie, is also planned to open on the Embassy Suites lobby level, offering a more casual menu that will include bar bites, snacks and a large list of beers, cocktails and wine.

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown opens this fall at 192 Haywood St. Visit avl.mx/cs4 for additional information and updates.

New chefs

Westmoreland & Scully has announced a pair of new chefs for the group’s Chestnut and Corner Kitchen restaurants.

Amanda Mathosian now serves as the lead creative force behind both Chestnut’s and Corner Kitchen’s pastry programs. Mathosian studied under chef Marc Anthony Bynum with Marc Bynum Concepts as well as chef and author Guy Reuge with Mirabelle Restaurant & Tavern in New York.

Inspired by a baking internship in Florence, Italy, her dessert offerings will include wildflower-honey lemon cheesecake, spring pavlova and pot de creme. “I want to use seasonal ingredients and support local businesses around town as best as I can,” she says in a news release.

Additionally, Scot Davidson has been introduced as the new chef de cuisine at Corner Kitchen. Some of Davidson’s dishes, like cast-iron roasted mushroom en croute, half a roasted Springer Mountain chicken and spring vegetable green curry, have already made their way onto the Corner Kitchen menu.

“I’m very much enamored by anything to do with the Silk Road spice routes. These spice trades forever changed the culinary traditions of many cultures and allowed the world to experience wonderful flavors and the sharing of ideas that is the basis of everything we see today. I see food as a way to bring people and cultures together despite our differences,” says Davidson in a news release.

Chestnut is at 48 Biltmore Ave. Corner Kitchen is at 3 Boston Way. Visit avl.mx/cs3 for additional information.

Seasonal dishes

Sovereign Remedies has introduced six new dishes to its menu to coincide with the changing seasons. Running the gamut from appetizers and salads to entrees and desserts, the new menu items all

employ local, seasonal produce to create tastes that match the feelings brought on by warmer months in the mountains.

Smoked, fried fingerling potatoes served with guajillo ketchup, pepper rouille and herb aioli offer just enough heat to break a cooling sweat. Hodgepitality media manager Brian Ortiz describes the Mama’s Squash Casserole, with its herb-roasted zucchini covered in goat cheese, Mornay sauce and roasted garlic, as a “comforting hug on a plate.”

The Cajun pineapple heritage pork collar offers a taste of the South with an unexpected tropical twist, and the margarita bar dessert features a lime and blanco tequila curd in a pretzel crust topped with coriander whipped cream and a side of guava churro. “It’s the perfect end to a perfect meal,” says Ortiz.

Sovereign Remedies is at 29 Market St., No. 105. Visit avl.mx/cs5 for additional information.

Devil’s Foot expands distribution

Asheville’s Devil’s Foot Beverage Co., known for its line of farm-tocan craft sodas, has announced a new partnership with BountyBev to distribute in the greater Nashville area, including eight of the middle Tennessee counties. Devil’s Foot products have already started hitting shelves in the Nashville area, and a number of bars and restaurants will soon follow suit.

“We’re really excited to see Devil’s Foot in Tennessee it’s been a longtime goal for us,” says Devil’s Foot co-founder Ben Colvin in a release announcing the partnership. “We’re proud to partner with BountyBev, especially with their passion for introducing the best craft beverages into the market. As we expand our footprint, we’re committed to doing things the Devil’s Foot way working directly with farmers and growers, making sure we’re doing business in a sustainable way and giving back to our community as much as we can.”

Tennessee joins Devil’s Foot’s expanding distribution area, which also includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and a nationwide shipping program.

Devil’s Foot Beverage Co.’s local tasting room, The Mule, is at 131 Sweeten Creek Road. Visit avl.mx/ajm to learn more.

— Blake Becker  X

Around Town

Steep Canyon Rangers kick off summer tour at home

Asheville’s Steep Canyon Rangers are no strangers to the road. The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass and roots band, which sometimes includes comedian Steve Martin, has toured nationally and internationally for close to 26 years. But it’s the hometown shows that are “a world apart” from the rest, says vocalist and banjoist Graham Sharp

“Your favorite people are out there in the audience smiling and dancing,” he says. “It’s a chance to put your best foot forward and say, ’Hey, you know, we’re all over the place playing all year long and we’re not around as much as we’d like to be, but here’s what we’ve been doing.’ I think we always took the Asheville crowd interaction as a good sort of metric for how we’re feeling with the music.”

The band kicks off a six-month tour on Saturday, July 1, at 7 p.m. at Salvage Station, with another Asheville-based, nationally touring band opening — gypsy jazz and folk punk group the Jon Stickley Trio.

The Rangers last played in Asheville in May 2022, when they held a free concert in Pack Square Park. “That felt like an Asheville love-in, with 6,000 people in the park. And strangely, it felt like they were all people from around here that we’ve known for such a long time,” says Sharp. “That’s kind of what you hope for your hometown show to feel like.”

The July 1 show will also be the first show at home since Aaron

MOVIE REVIEWS

ASTEROID CITY:Writer/director Wes Anderson’s latest quirky gem delivers his most ambitious narrative approach yet.

Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

Burdett replaced Woody Platt on vocals and guitar last fall.

“We’re so focused on making this six-piece band the best it can be,” says Sharp. “We have different strengths in different places that we can expand a little bit more and also explore some territory which might not quite suit us anymore. When you’re in the arts, you’re never at an endpoint.”

Sharp says the Rangers enjoy playing with younger acts like the Jon Stickley Trio.

“For so long, we were the new kids on the scene in bluegrass, and I felt like just in the last two years [we became] one of the established bands on the scene,” he says. “So, it’s cool seeing all these amazing groups and individuals coming up in Asheville and across the country. It’s really inspiring.”

The all-ages show will take place on Salvage Station’s outdoor stage.

Salvage Station is at 466 Riverside Drive. For more information, visit avl.mx/cs9.

Resident citizen

Recording studio Citizen Vinyl’s new producer-in-residence comes from a background working with international recording artists including U2, Sinead O’Connor and Van Morrison

Ireland native Kevin Moloney, who comes from a technical rather than a musical background, started on his career path while growing up in Dublin. There he became an assistant engineer in a recording studio and first encountered members of U2. They were all teenagers at the time. “We worked on their first five albums before I moved to London and went freelance as a producer,” says Moloney in a press release.

After a career in London that included producing O’Connor’s first album, The Lion and the Cobra, Moloney found himself settling in Los Angeles in 1992 and worked with artists such as The Caulfields, The Judybats and Naked.

in studio and on location. “It’s whatever serves the song. It doesn’t have to happen in a professional room — that doesn’t make it right. It’s about being ready at the moment to capture it.”

Moloney describes the recording studio in Citizen Vinyl as “a halfsized version of the Abbey Road room,” referring to the iconic Abbey Road Studios, where The Beatles recorded much of the album of the same name.

Citizen Vinyl is at 14 O. Henry Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/csa.

Art for the soul

A new exhibition from local artists Jenny Pickens and Andrea Clark will be housed at Wedge Brewing Co.’s Grove Arcade location. Soul Renderings: An African American Women’s Exhibition will display paintings by Pickens and photographs by Clark from Friday, June 30, through September.

Wedge Brewing Co. at the Grove Arcade is at 1 Page Ave., Suite 152. For more information, visit avl.mx/csd.

Red + blue = purple

A celebration of freedom will take place the weekend before Independence Day. The Sovereign Campout: Celebrating Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness will be held from Friday, June 30, at 2 p.m. through Sunday, July 2, at 6 p.m., at Sacred Mountain Waters Wellness Sanctuary in Marshall.

The event, which is alcohol and drug free, will feature speakers, wellness practices, live music, a DJ dance party, a kids zone and food and beverage vendors.

Discussion topics will include health, financial and political freedom; permaculture and food independence; and legal sovereignty. Attendees will have opportunities to participate in facilitated “sharing circles.”

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com ashevillemovies.substack.com

Since moving to Asheville, Moloney has led the production of Asheville-based singer-songwriter Anya Hinkle’s forthcoming album Oceania. He says in the press release that he likes aspects of working both

Pickens, an Asheville native, works in several mediums and is also known for her local murals, including her role in the Black Lives Matter mural downtown. Clark, originally from Massachusetts, has lived in Asheville since the 1960s and has documented through photography the changes in the East End neighborhood, as well as other local subjects.

The exhibition will kick off with an opening reception June 30, 5:309 p.m.

“This gathering is sponsored by Purple Nation USA to bring the best of red and blue together to seek the truth and cultivate unity,” according to the website.

The 200-acre venue is in a private mountain valley bordered by rivers and has a pond, hot tubs and grills.

Sacred Mountain Waters is at 2932 Big Laurel Road, Marshall. For more information, visit avl.mx/csb.

Andy

BACK IN TOWN: Asheville-based Grammy Award winners Steep Canyon Rangers will play a hometown show at Salvage Station on Saturday, July 1, at 7 p.m. Photo courtesy of Steep Canyon Rangers

THE AMERICAN WOODSMAN

An original musical by Lorrie Pande

The American Woodsman is a Family Friendly Salute to the Great American Spirit, filled with both lively toe-tapping & uplifting music, enhanced by colorful choreography. You don’t want to miss this Asheville run!

theamericanwoodsmanmusical.com

June 23-30, July 1-2 at Wortham Center for the Performing Arts

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

Featuring The Highly Recognized and Multidimensional Artist Dr. Tiffany Renée Jackson

Lorrie Pande writer, director, producer

For questions about free listings, call

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

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

DIFFERENT WRLD

Queer Comedy Party w/Roman Fraden, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Open Mic Wednesday Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Borthers, 6:30pm

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

SHAKEY'S

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

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Reddenhollow w/Claire

Hoke & Night Walks (indie), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Jupiter & Okwess (afrorock, funk), 8pm

THE ODD

Father Figures, The Knife Kickers, Ripped

Tip & Acid Jo (indierock), 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN

Irish Music Circle, 7pm

THURSDAY,

JUNE 29

AMAZING PUBCYCLE

The Office Trivia Night, 6pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

The Tallboys (rock, reggae), 8pm

BATTERY PARK

BOOK EXCHANGE

Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Hunter Begley (alt country, folk), 6pm

CROW & QUILL

Sparrow & Her Wingmen (jazz), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Welcome to Berlin, A Patchwork, Sean

O'Hara, Sayurblaires & Peach Rings (emo, alternative, pop), 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

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO.

Myron Hyman (classic-rock, blues, country), 7pm

A BETTER TRIP: On Tuesday, July 6, Shane Mauss, an award-winning comedian, performs “Comedy + Science + Psychedelics = A Better Trip” at Different Wrld — twice. The first showing beings at 6:30 p.m., with an encore at 9 p.m. The comedy show explores a range of topics, including Mauss’ personal psychedelic experiences as well as the history, science, culture and laws surrounding psychedelics in the U.S. Photo courtesy of John Andrew

ONE WORLD BREWING Liz Kelley (jazz, blues), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Isaac Hadden Organ Trio (funk, jazz, rock), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Collie Buddz w/ Sammy Adams (reggae), 7pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Stand Up Comedy for Your Health, 8pm

THE DFR LOUNGE

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

THE GETAWAY TIKI BAR Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Krekel & Whoa (folk, rock'n'roll), 5:30pm

• Greg Ruby, Don Stiernberg, Evan Price & Kevin Kehrberg (hotjazz, swing), 8pm

THE ODD Graveyard Shift: Goth DJs w/Half Blind Eyes, Bruschetta Delorean & Kangarot (industrial, goth), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Peggy Ratusz (blues), 7pm

THE ROOT BAR

Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD Trivia Thursday, 7pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH

SLOPE

Social Bachata, 8:30pm

WNC OUTDOOR

COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Dana Cooper & Jeff Black (Americana, indie, folk), 7:30pm

WRONG WAY

CAMPGROUND

Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 7pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 30

27 CLUB Cardboard Box Colony, Bad Idols, Austin Possum, ToughLuckKid, Regina Miller & Grant Harris (punk), 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Venus House Party, 10pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

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

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Chief Kaya, Zen Selekta, Zeplinn & Worm (dance, electronic, bass), 9pm

BEN'S TUNE UP

EK Balam (reggaeton, hip-hop), 8pm

BIER GARDEN

James Hammel & Friends (jazz, funk), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Arvie & Bunny (covers), 6pm

BOTANIST & BARREL

TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

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

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

• Comedy at Catawba: Sam Evans, 7pm

• Comedy at Catawba:

Shaunak Godkhindi, 9:30pm

CORK & KEG

The Old Chevrolette

Set (country), 8pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

Mirror Ballin w/DJ

Mojav, 10pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Safety Coffin, Watches & Slow Stab (bluesrock, punk), 9pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Harry Potter Tri-Wizard Trivia Tournament, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Jackson Grimm (folk, pop, Appalachian), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Honky-Tonk Fridays w/Jackson Grimm, 4pm

• Brad Heller & The Fustics (rock, Americana, folk), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Open Mic Night w/ Hamza, 8pm

NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM AND PRODUCTION FACILITY

Crisp Comedy, 8pm

828-251-1333, opt. 4.

OKLAWAHA

BREWING CO.

Abby Bryant & The Echos (soul, rock'n'roll), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

5J Barrow Friday Nights (folk), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Reggae Night w/ Tali Roots, Petah Iah & The Mind Renewing Band, 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong w/Of Good Nature (psych-funk, soul), 5:30pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Jamie Hendrickson Quartet (psych, funk), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Jon Price Trio (improv), 9pm

STATIC AGE RECORDS

Symptoms Moon Mane & Busy Weather (punk, rock'n'roll), 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

• Patio: Kim Smith (acoustic), 6pm

• The Grateful Brothers (The Grateful Dead & Allman Brothers tribute), 9pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

The Get Right Band & Eleanor Underhill (Americana, psychedelic, indie-rock), 6pm

THE ODD

Asheville After Dark

Presents: Perversions (adult & kink-friendly), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Kenny George Band (country, Southern-rock, folk), 7pm

THE RAD BREW CO.

Kate Bryant (country), 6pm

THE ROOT BAR

Banjo, Beats & Booze (hip-hop, old-time), 9pm

WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT

Dirty Bird (funk, blues, rock), 7pm

SATURDAY, JULY 1

12 BONES BREWERY

Industrial Coffee Pot (jazz), 6pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Hip Hop Party, 10pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 7pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE

Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 5:30pm

BEN'S TUNE UP

Jaze Uries (house, electronic), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

David Matters (folk), 6pm

CROW & QUILL

Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm

ETOWAH VALLEY

GOLF AND RESORT

Geriatric Jukebox (oldies), 6pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Ben Phantom (pop, jazz, bluegrass), 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

• Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm

• Jack Marion & The

Pearl Snap Prophets (country, rock'n'roll), 9pm

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Karaoke Night, 9pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

• Creamery Station (soul, blues, roots), 4pm

• The Knotty G's (Americana), 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Steep Canyon Rangers

w/John Stickley Trio (bluegrass, Americana, folk), 6pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Ethan Heller & Friends

w/Carey Walters & Jerard Sloan (psychrock, funk), 9pm

THE BURGER BAR

Best Worst Karaoke, 9pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Patio: The Scatterlings (Americana), 5:30pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Lyric (funk, R&B), 6pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Wednesday w/Lomelda & Tenci (shoegaze, indie), 8pm

THE OUTPOST

Chikomo Marimba (African), 7pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK

MOUNTAIN

The Rock Hoppin' Ruckus w/Sam Burchfield (folk), 1:30pm

URBAN ORCHARD

CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE

80's Night, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Robin Bullock (Gordon Lightfoot tribute), 8pm

SUNDAY, JULY 2

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Sunday Hustle Dance Party, 9pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN

BREWING

Billy Presnell (folk, Americana), 2pm

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Comedy at Catawba: Dustin Nickerson, 6pm

DSSOLVR

Appalachian Gothic Brunch, noon

GREEN MAN

BREWERY

Alexis Drag Race, 2pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Mr Jimmy Duo (blues), 1pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm

• Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

End of the Line (Allman Brothers tribute), 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

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

THE GREY EAGLE

Tommy Prine w/Jordan Smart (rock), 8pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

The Fixins (rock), 2pm

PLĒB URBAN WINERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 4pm

MONDAY, JULY 3

27 CLUB

Karaoke Monday, 10pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

CaroMia, Rahm, Daniel

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

DSSOLVR Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

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

• Rooftop Pre-Party In

The USA w/ DJ Molly

Parti, 7pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

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

NOBLE CIDER & MEAD DOWNTOWN

Freshen Up Comedy Showcase, 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

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy & Friends (blues), 7pm

THE MEADOW AT

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Kim Jade (funk, soul, blues), 2pm

THE MONTE VISTA

HOTEL

Music Mondays, 5pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Chris Rosser w/Eric Eden (folk), 7pm

TUESDAY,

JULY 4

D9 BREWING COMPANY

Malus Mons - Live Electronic Music, 6pm

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

SHILOH & GAINES

4th of July Celebration w/Datrian Johnson, Melissa Mckinney & André Lassalle (funk), 12pm

SILVERADOS

Savannah Dexter, Brabo Gator & HayStak (country, hip-hop), 7pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Weekly Open Jam hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 6:30pm

THE BURGER BAR C

9pm

THE MEADOW AT HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Jerry’s Dead (The Grateful Dead tribute), 2pm

THE ODD

Open Mic Comedy, 8pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Tuesday Night Trivia, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 5

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

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

FRENCH BROAD

BREWERY

Bluegrass Jam w/The Saylor Borthers, 6:30pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY

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

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

SHAKEY'S

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

SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

THE GREY EAGLE

Patio: Paul Edelman (folk, rock'n'roll), 5:30pm

THE OUTPOST

The Lads (rock, blues), 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Circle, 7pm

THURSDAY, JULY 6

AMAZING PUBCYCLE

The Office: Trivia Night, 6pm

ASHEVILLE GUITAR BAR

The MGB's (acoustic), 7:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWING

Ashley Heath (blues, Americana), 6pm

DIFFERENT WRLD

• Better Trip w/Shane

Mauss (early show), 6:30pm

• Better Trip w/Shane Mauss (late show), 9pm

FLEETWOOD'S

Thursday Night Fun w/ Janx Spirit & Zillicoah (rock'n'roll, indie-rock), 8pm

FLOOD GALLERY

FINE ART CENTER

True Home Open Mic, 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

LA TAPA LOUNGE

Iggy Radio (Southern-rock), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Andrew Wakefield (bluegrass), 7pm

PULP

Standup Comedy w/ Katy Hudson & Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

SALVAGE STATION

Lettuce & Steel Pulse w/Makua Rothman (reggae/funk), 5:30pm

SHAKEY'S

Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm

THE DFR LOUNGE

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

THE GREY EAGLE Will Easter & The Nomads w/Zack Warren (rock, folk), 6pm

THE ODD Suckle & Repent: Music for the Muskrat w/Lurky Skunk & Blissful Thoughts (folk, rock'n'roll), 8pm

THE ROOT BAR Kendra & Friends (multiple genres), 6pm

URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Social Bachata, 8:30pm

WNC OUTDOOR COLLECTIVE Trivia, 6:30pm

WRONG WAY

CAMPGROUND Don't Tell Comedy: West Asheville, 7pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Visionary author Peter McWilliams wrote, “One of the most enjoyable aspects of solitude is doing what you want when you want to do it, with the absolute freedom to change what you’re doing at will. Solitude removes all the ‘negotiating’ we need to do when we’re with others.” I’ll add a caveat: Some of us have more to learn about enjoying solitude. We may experience it as a loss or deprivation. But here’s the good news, Aries: In the coming weeks, you will be extra inspired to cultivate the benefits that come from being alone.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The 18th-century French engineer Étienne Bottineau invented nauscopy, the art of detecting sailing ships at a great distance, well beyond the horizon. This was before the invention of radar. Bottineau said his skill was not rooted in sorcery or luck, but from his careful study of changes in the atmosphere, wind and sea. Did you guess that Bottineau was a Taurus? Your tribe has a special capacity for arriving at seemingly magical understandings by harnessing your sensitivity to natural signals. Your intuition thrives as you closely observe the practical details of how the world works. This superpower will be at a peak in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): According to a Welsh proverb, “Three fears weaken the heart: fear of the truth; fear of the devil; fear of poverty.” I suspect the first of those three is most likely to worm its way into your awareness during the coming weeks. So let’s see what we can do to diminish its power over you. Here’s one possibility: Believe me when I tell you that even if the truth’s arrival is initially disturbing or disruptive, it will ultimately be healing and liberating. It should be welcomed, not feared.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Hexes nullified! Jinxes abolished! Demons banished! Adversaries outwitted! Liabilities diminished! Bad habits replaced with good habits! These are some of the glorious developments possible for you in the coming months, Cancerian. Am I exaggerating? Maybe a little. But if so, not much. In my vision of your future, you will be the embodiment of a lucky charm and a repository of blessed mojo. You are embarking on a phase when it will make logical sense to be an optimist. Can you sweep all the dross and mess out of your sphere? No, but I bet you can do at least 80 percent.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the book Curious Facts in the History of Insects, Frank Cowan tells a perhaps legendary story about how mayors were selected in the medieval Swedish town of Hurdenburg. The candidates would set their chins on a table with their long beards spread out in front of them. A louse, a tiny parasitic insect, would be put in the middle of the table. Whichever beard the creature crawled to and chose as its new landing spot would reveal the man who would become the town’s new leader. I beg you not to do anything like this, Leo. The decisions you and your allies make should be grounded in good evidence and sound reason, not blind chance. And please avoid parasitical influences completely.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I rebel against the gurus and teachers who tell us our stories are delusional indulgences that interfere with our enlightenment. I reject their insistence that our personal tales are distractions from our spiritual work. Virgo author A. S. Byatt speaks for me: “Narration is as much a part of human nature as breath and the circulation of the blood.” I love and honor the stories of my own destiny, and I encourage you to love and honor yours. Having said that, I will let you know that now is an excellent time to jettison the stories that feel demoralizing and draining — even as you celebrate the stories that embody your genuine beauty. For extra credit: Tell the soulful stories of your life to anyone who is receptive.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the Mayan calendar, each of the 20 day names is associated

with a natural phenomenon. The day called Kawak is paired with rainstorms. Ik’ is connected with wind and breath. Kab’an is earth, Manik’ is deer, and Chikchan is the snake. Now would be a great time for you to engage in an imaginative exercise inspired by the Mayans. Why? Because this is an ideal phase of your cycle to break up your routine, to reinvent the regular rhythm, to introduce innovations in how you experience the flow of the time. Just for fun, why not give each of the next 14 days a playful nickname or descriptor? This Friday could be Crescent Moon, for example. Saturday might be Wonderment, Sunday can be Dazzle Sweet, and Monday Good Darkness.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): From 998 till 1030, Scorpio-born leader Mahmud Ghaznavi ruled the vast Ghaznavid empire, which stretched from current-day Iran to central Asia and northwestern India. Like so many of history’s strong men, he was obsessed with military conquest. Unlike many others, though, he treasured culture and learning. You’ve heard of poet laureates? He had 400 of them. According to some tales, he rewarded one wordsmith with a mouthful of pearls. In accordance with astrological omens, I encourage you to be more like the Mahmud who loved beauty and art and less like the Mahmud who enjoyed fighting. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to fill your world with grace and elegance and magnificence.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): About 1,740 years ago, before she became a Catholic saint, Margaret of Antioch got swallowed whole by Satan, who was disguised as a dragon. Or so the old story goes. But Margaret was undaunted. There in the beast’s innards, Margaret calmly made the sign of the cross over and over with her right hand. Meanwhile, the wooden cross in her left hand magically swelled to an enormous size that ruptured the beast, enabling her to escape. After that, because of her triumph, expectant mothers and women in labor regarded Margaret as their patron saint. Your upcoming test won’t be anywhere near as demanding as hers, Sagittarius, but I bet you will ace it — and ultimately garner sweet rewards.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn-born Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was an astronomer and mathematician who was an instrumental innovator in the Scientific Revolution. Among his many breakthrough accomplishments were his insights about the laws of planetary motion. Books he wrote were crucial forerunners of Isaac Newton’s theories about gravitation. But here’s an unexpected twist: Kepler was also a practicing astrologer who interpreted the charts of many people, including three emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. In the spirit of Kepler’s ability to bridge seemingly opposing perspectives, Capricorn, I invite you to be a paragon of mediation and conciliation in the coming weeks. Always be looking for ways to heal splits and forge connections. Assume you have an extraordinary power to blend elements that no one can else can.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Dear Restless Runaway: During the next 10 months, life will offer you these invitations: 1. Identify the land that excites you and stabilizes you. 2. Spend lots of relaxing time on that land. 3. Define the exact nature of the niche or situation where your talents and desires will be most gracefully expressed. 4. Take steps to create or gather the family you want. 5. Take steps to create or gather the community you want.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’d love you to be a deep-feeling, free-thinker in the coming weeks. I will cheer you on if you nurture your emotional intelligence as you liberate yourself from outmoded beliefs and opinions. Celebrate your precious sensitivity, dear Pisces, even as you use your fine mind to reevaluate your vision of what the future holds. It’s a perfect time to glory in rich sentiments and exult in creative ideas.

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to become a part of

crew!

ACROSS

1 “Take it easy”

7 Letters above 2 on a phone

10 Bit of regalia

14 Area around a nipple

15 Word with level or legs

16 No later than

17 Feeding apparatus at a petting zoo

20 Sun, in Spanish

21 Tiny hill-dweller

22 Bits of news

23 One who is one, e.g.

26 Rib structure

28 Slightest opportunity

34 Cooks in the oven, maybe

35 Future atty.’s exam

36 Word that can be a state abbreviation

37 Not outer

38 “Sprechen ___ Deutsch?”

39 Second-brightest stars

41 Tina of “30 Rock”

42 Ilhan in Congress

44 Country singer Underwood

45 Big name in underwear

48 Raise to the third power

49 “___ I’m saying is …”

50 Dirty look

53 Victory

55 “Whoops,” in a text

58 Rapper with the 2010 hit “No Hands”

63 High point 64 “___ we there yet?”

65 Spiteful feeling

66 Headquarters

67 Dedicated poem

68 Where to find the starts of 17-, 28-, 45and 58-Across?

DOWN

1 Parts of some smiles

2 You can open it with a twist

3 Peddle

4 “Haha”

5 Cheer for a matador

6 Khmer temple

7 Phrase of clarification

8 Ideal scenario

9 Toadstool topper

10 Product of solar steeping

11 Nook in a church

12 Academic acronym

13 ___ d’oeuvres

18 “The Banana Boat Song”

19 Last thing to go in a pocket, one hopes

23 Big name in speakers

24 Plastic grass

25 Group whose “Butter” video was the fastest to reach 100 million views on YouTube (2021)

27 Obama health legislation, for short

28 Dead duck

29 Yuzuru ___, first skater to successfully land a quadruple loop in competition

30 Bat an eye, say

31 Certain explosive, informally

32 Assert

33 Otherwise

34 Funky bit of noodling

38 Something agreed upon by consenting sexual partners

40 Greek god of love

43 Word with angry or flash

44 Cartoon frame

46 Alpine climber’s tool

47 Bit of hair

50 Home test kit component

51 County north of San Francisco

52 Just gets (by)

54 Beverage brand whose mascot is a polar bear in a sweater

55 Mangle, e.g. 56 Community pool org.

57 “I’ve ___ thinking …”

59 Dweller on the Mekong River

60 Bass booster

61 Sky safety org.

62 Inc. cousin