Marine Corps veteran Jake LaRue, featured on this week’s cover, is the founder of Man With a Horse Project, a nonprofit dedicated to equine-assisted learning.
Working with horses and other veterans, he says, “is what keeps me sane.” And LaRue is not alone. “There really are healing properties to just being with [horses],” says fellow veteran Samantha Simmons.
PUBLISHER &
Jeff Fobes
ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson
MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder
EDITORS:
Lisa Allen, Gina Smith, Jessica Wakeman
ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder
OPINION
EDITOR: Tracy Rose
STAFF REPORTERS: Lisa Allen, Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Justin McGuire, Patrick Moran, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Gina Smith, Jessica Wakeman
COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Braulio Pescador-Martinez
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Jon Elliston, Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Oby Arnold, Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Kristin D’Agostino, Brionna Dallara, Kiesa Kay, Storms Reback, Kay West
PHOTOGRAPHERS:
Staff: Cindy Kunst Intern: Caleb Johnson
ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson
LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Olivia Urban
MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Ralph Day, Scott Mermel
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick WEB: Brandon Tilley BOOKKEEPER: Amie Fowler
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DISTRIBUTION: Susan Hutchinson, Cindy Kunst
DISTRIBUTION DRIVERS: Ashley Alms, Corey Biskind, Tracy Houston, John McKay, Henry Mitchell, Courtney Israel Nash, Joey Nash, Carl & Debbie Schweiger, Gary Selnick, Noah Tanner
Support local troops in harm’s way
Recent news reports that the U.S. Navy is facing on a daily basis the most sustained combat since World War II in the Red Sea now and because the situation does not appear to be getting anything but worse, I am writing this letter to Mountain Xpress Since I am a Navy vet who enlisted in Asheville during the Vietnam era and served an extended deployment during the Arab-Israeli war and the Cold War at a small Greek-USN airbase, I am thinking about Navy frontline troops now in harm’s way and also about their friends and families in Asheville and WNC. I am asking that people in my hometown extend support and offer to help their families in any way they can. This also includes Mayor Manheimer and other area politicians and churches.
Thank you all in advance and, regardless of how you feel about this war now, I hope you will help and support the troops and write letters and send care packages to those on ships in harm’s way. I also suggest that you contact area military recruiters and the Navy for suggestions about doing this.
— John Penley USN 1972-76 Lake Havasu City, Ariz.
The crisis in K-12 public education
I am a member of Public School Strong and a strong advocate of fully
Correction
In the June 26 issue, “What’s New in Food” misstated the ownership of Tiger Bay Café. The owner is Corinne Hines. X
funded public education in North Carolina. Over the last several years, North Carolina’s Republicancontrolled government (Senate, House and Supreme Court) have worked diligently to reduce public education funding and instead provide taxpayer-funded vouchers to pay for private schools, primarily religious-oriented.
In recent years, the General Assembly in Raleigh has provided 60%-65% of funding for K-12 public schools, the remainder coming from federal and local funding. Today, North Carolina ranks 48th in the country in per-pupil funding ($4,655 below the national average and dead last when it comes to school funding effort). The State of North Carolina (controlled by Republicans) does not budget enough for public education. Period. They could do much more.
Financial goals aren’t achieved overnight. After we get to know you on a personal level, we’ll partner with you throughout your journey, always sharing strategies to help bring you closer to the future you see for yourself. Let’s start building the future today.
Kate Schneider ¬ Financial Advisor
Our Buncombe County Board of Commissioners is tasked with contributing to funding public education (approximately 30% of the budget currently). Last month, the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners authorized local funding for both Buncombe County and City of Asheville schools that did not meet their dire needs, despite desperate pleas from both that expected funding would harm the ability of Buncombe County schools to maintain teachers, provide services only provided by public schools and adequately educate our children. The Board of Commissioners is squeezed, and I believe it does the best it can with the dollars it has.
Additionally last week, the Buncombe County Board of Education appointed former Buncombe County GOP chair Glenda Weinert to the school board. (See Greg Parlier’s coverage in the June 12 issue of Mountain Xpress.) Given that I hold the Republican Party responsible for the desperate situation now faced by our public schools, I find the appointment of Weinert alarming. Has the future of fully funded public education
Word of the week
been completely abandoned in North Carolina?
One thing North Carolina voters can do on Nov. 5 is choose candidates at all levels who support fully funded public education and who value a vibrant and diversified learning environment for the future of our children.
—
Sharon Broussard Asheville
Building Bridges owes debt to Greenlee
The June 12 Mountain Xpress had a wonderful article about the 30 years that Building Bridges has held at least two sessions every year, bringing whites and Blacks together to talk about race [“Asheville’s Antiracism Connection: Building Bridges Marks 30 Years of Equity Education”].
None of that could have happened without Tyrone Greenlee. Tyrone was the administrative assistant at New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where Building Bridges began. He and the senior pastor, the Rev. O.T. Tomes, were always there, setting up and often leading our planning meetings. They fielded all sorts of phone calls about the sessions from all the people wanting to attend. Tyrone and O.T. held us down to Earth: O.T. would roll his eyes at some of our ideas, and Tyrone would forever crack a joke as they both helped us be realistic about logistics as well as the essence of what we were trying to do. Tyrone was the glue.
The beginning meetings were exciting and so very fulfilling, but honestly, those were the “glory” days. Keeping Building Bridges going for 30 years with new curriculum; recruiting new participants; applying for and getting nonprofit status; finding new locations and new speakers — that is where the real credit must be paid. That is thanks in part to the commitment of Tyrone (along with many, many others) over all these 30 years.
Yes, everyone knows Tyrone; a less-known fact about Tyrone is that he’s a magnet for kids. He works at Francine Delany New School for Children with kids. I go to Circle of Mercy worship with Tyrone every Sunday evening, and kids climb all over him! Tyrone has helped not only Buncombe County through his facilitating of the practical and visionary aspects of Building Bridges, but he has also helped an awful lot of kids who might not have “made it” were it not for Tyrone Greenlee.
— Susan Presson Asheville X
CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON
Traveling mercies
BY JESSICA WAKEMAN
jwakeman@mountainx.com
In early May, volunteers from Grace Episcopal Church unwrapped aluminum platters of bean burritos and corn on the cob as they set up for dinner in their fellowship hall. The Merrimon Avenue church was hosting its first Wednesday meal with Safe Shelter — an initiative that collaborates with local organizations and houses of worship to provide beds for traditionally underserved homeless populations, such as families, LGBTQ individuals and people of color.
In addition to feeding unhoused guests, these Wednesday evening meals invite the broader community to join. For the May 1 dinner, the Rev. Dustin Mailman, pastor of family ministries and missions at Trinity United Methodist Church (TUMC) and his wife, the Rev. Katlyn Zulinke, Safe Shelter’s development specialist, arrived with their sleepy newborn in a stroller. A volunteer positioned a vase of irises from her garden atop the dinner table. Amid conversation, a mother and four kids, all carrying black garbage bags as luggage, called out thanks to Safe Shelter staff and made their way through the fellowship hall. But before they could leave, one kid’s bag ripped, and her clothes spilled onto the floor. A Safe Shelter volunteer darted into Grace Episcopal’s kitchen to retrieve a replacement.
With the family departed, volunteers wielded kitchen tongs and filled guests’ plates with burritos and corncobs. When community health worker Shana Baynard updated the crowd that the family who had just left had been housed, everyone at the table erupted in applause.
The applause repeated not long after when a volunteer shared that he’d made a chocolate pie for dessert.
GRACE OPENS ITS DOORS
Safe Shelter operated at Grace Episcopal through May — its first time under the church’s roof. A previous effort to do so collapsed in the fall,
Churches welcome homeless families in Safe Shelter initiative
following pushback from residents in North Asheville who voiced concerns over potential crime and drug use. Ultimately, the Rev. Milly Morrow, the rector of Grace Episcopal, withdrew the church from consideration, citing safety concerns for the facility’s wouldbe temporary guests.
But in March, Safe Shelter again reached out to Morrow after its sixmonth lease with Homeward Bound’s AHOPE Day Center on North Ann Street wasn’t renewed due to the challenges of operating a 24/7 shelter.
Morrow consulted with her congregation, which remained interested in hosting. As reported by Asheville Watchdog, neighbors once again spoke out against the move. Some reiterated previous concerns, while others voiced frustrations
over what they viewed as the church’s lack of communication regarding its latest plan. After a community meeting at the church to address the disputes, the congregation moved forward.
“There’s a crisis,” explains Katherine Kaderabek, a member of Grace Episcopal’s vestry and a Safe Shelter volunteer. “These are families who need shelter. We have it to offer.”
Congregants like Kaderabek have volunteered with Safe Shelter at its other locations, as well as temporary shelters such as Winter Safe Shelter at West Asheville Presbyterian Church and Code Purple emergency shelters at TUMC.
On April 29, Grace Episcopal opened its doors to five families with schoolage or day-care-age kids and six adults who were homeless, says Safe Shelter director Christian Chambers. Among the inaugural group at Grace Episcopal who arrived April 29 were four working adults and a senior couple on disability who stayed at Safe Shelter until an apartment became available, Chambers says. Individual guests slept on mattresses in the church’s fellowship hall, while families slept in classrooms.
However, the composition of guests changed occasionally over the monthlong stay — a common occurrence at all host locations. When an individual or a family moves out to permanent housing, transitional housing or with family or friends, partner organizations in Asheville are ready with a referral list for new folks, says Chambers. These include Eliada Homes, a nonprofit serving underresourced children, and local McKinney-Vento specialists, a federal program that ensures children who are homeless are enrolled in school.
By the end of May, Grace Episcopal had hosted 30 people total — including six families with 15 children among them, says Zulinke.
NEW DIGS
In June, TUMC took over as host of the temporary shelter. Once again, Xpress joined a Wednesday evening dinner.
Nineteen people — four families and seven individuals — were staying at Safe Shelter that night.
The evening’s dinner was slightly more chaotic, due to several pre-
TAKES A VILLAGE: Safe Shelter director Christian Chambers, left, chats with volunteer Kim Hayesin the kitchen of Trinity United Methodist Church before dinnertime. Hayes, a parishioner of Grace Episcopal Church, is a longtime volunteer at homeless shelters. Photo by Jessica Wakeman
school-age guests joyously embroiled in a game of chase. Their mothers tried — and tried — to tempt them to the dinner tables set up around the hall. Occasionally, these parents managed to pop a small bite of lasagna into their mouths, but mostly, the children’s playing proved too much fun.
In addition to serving the homeless, the TUMC fellowship hall is also available to other community organizations, Chambers says. Asheville PEAK Academy, a public charter school with a majority Black student body, uses the space as its cafeteria. PEAK’s building is behind TUMC, and they share a parking lot. Additionally, the nonprofit Umoja Health, Wellness and Justice Collective operates its after-school program in TUMC’s fellowship hall until 6:30 each evening. Safe Shelter residents are not present during either program, Chambers says.
‘SERIOUS ABOUT SAFETY’
Drug use and mental illnesses were among the concerns raised by neighbors of Grace Episcopal.
Chambers reiterates that one of Safe Shelter’s key demographics is families. “We are very serious about the safety of our neighbors and our kids,” he says.
Safe Shelter guests are required to sign an agreement to abide by rules, including a prohibition on drugs and alcohol. In all instances where drug or alcohol use is discovered, the individual must leave. “They would no longer be allowed to be at Safe Shelter,” Chambers says.
According to Chambers, he asked one individual staying at Grace Episcopal who was not following the shelter rules to leave; he declined to share the reason out of respect for the person’s privacy. Upon agreeing to leave, that person was taken to a different shelter the same night. The only time the Asheville Police Department visited Grace Episcopal during Safe Shelter’s stay, Chambers continues, was when officers conducted
DINNER IS (ALMOST SERVED): Grace Episcopal Church parishioners, including Kim Hayes, left, set up for Safe Shelter’s dinnertime in the fellowship hall May 1. Bean burritos and corn on the cob were on the menu, as was a chocolate pie.
routine checks on the church property. Safe Shelter staff did call for an ambulance once when a guest experienced a health emergency, he adds.
Safe Shelter also has a curfew. Lights out occurs at 10 p.m.; Chambers notes the children are usually in bed by 9 p.m.
When asked by Xpress whether Safe Shelter had heard any complaints from Grace Episcopal neighbors while hosting the temporary shelter, Chambers replied, “Not a peep.”
Xpress reached out to multiple residents at the start of Safe Shelter at Grace Episcopal. Only one resident, Bill Whalen, shared his concerns. Whalen did not reply to subsequent outreach regarding the implementation of the shelter. Grace Episcopal neighbor James Whittle wrote Xpress in a June 28 email, “We did not encounter any negative incidents in the neighborhood. In fact, had we not been told about Safe Shelter, we would have
never even known it was operating there. We are happy they are doing it.”
Zulinke tells Xpress that Safe Shelter leadership wasn’t contacted by TUMC’s neighbors before coming there.
‘DEEP TIES’
Chambers became director of Safe Shelter in October and has previously worked at AHOPE. He wishes the community saw Safe Shelter’s on-site staff as an asset to the community, who can quickly defuse any situation that may arise.
The group, including operations manager Gene Ettison and community health worker and recovery coach Traci Ettison, have “very deep ties with the homeless community,” says Chambers. “And we also have a lot of respect.”
For example, if people who weren’t staying at Safe Shelter were trespass-
ing on its property, the staff would likely know them by name and would be able to ask them to move along without escalation, Chambers explains.
“Neighbors can get benefits that they weren’t even previously getting,” he says.
Chambers emphasizes that the shelter’s time at each participating location is temporary. On July 1, the program transitioned to Acton United Methodist Church. Come August, Grace Covenant Presbyterian is prepared to host guests for two months.
Looking ahead, Chambers says Safe Shelter does have aspirations to collaborate with organizations willing to house its clients for a longer time.
An ideal spot, he continues, would be located near a bus stop, have showers and a kitchen on-site, and an outdoor place where kids could safely “just run around, be loud if they want to.” X
Photo by Jessica Wakeman
Council approves rezoning near RAD against staff recommendation
Asheville City Council voted 6-1 to approve rezoning an area in the West End/Clingman Avenue Neighborhood despite city staff’s opposition to the plan during a public hearing June 25 at Council Chambers at City Hall.
Roberts Green LLC and Ricky and Vivian Brown requested rezoning of eight plots totaling 1 acre at the northeast corner of Haywood and Roberts streets.
The plan, presented by Chris Collins, Asheville assistant director of planning and urban design, changes the neighborhood from a River Arts Form District — Neighborhood in Transition (RAD-NT), which allows for a broad range of structures, including housing and businesses, to a Residential Multi-Family Medium Density (RM-8) District, which accommodates residential buildings, including duplexes, single-family detached homes and townhouses.
The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended 6-0 to approve the rezoning on June 6, saying that the existing zoning could hinder residential development, and that the type of structures envisioned by the RAD-NT zoning would not be supported by the neighborhood’s existing infrastructure. The commission also said the current sidewalk requirements were onerous and would not provide full connection to the River Arts District core.
But city staff opposed the rezoning, noting that the plan reduces opportunities for mixed-use development and removes form-based code elements that promote a more walkable neighborhood. Staff also noted that RM-8 zoning reduces the amount of housing that can be built by permitting single-family homes and duplexes; in contrast, RAD-NT zoning permits townhomes, multifamily and upperfloor residential housing, but not single-family homes.
“There is concern that the reduction in the diversity of land uses and opportunities for mixed-use development [under the proposed rezoning] would have a negative impact,” Collins said.
Staff also noted that the proposed zoning disregarded the engagement that the city undertook with residents to draft and implement the form-based zoning code, approved in 2017, which was designed to revitalize the riverfront and surrounding areas by creating a more walkable urban environment that supports attached housing.
“I’m very familiar with Roberts Street,” Council member Kim Roney said. “It has a lot of pedestrian traffic … Ideally, there would be a sidewalk here as an oasis.”
Council member Sage Turner asked if Council could require developers to meet certain conditions, such as a sidewalk.
“This is a straight rezoning, not a project,” Mayor Esther Manheimer
said. “A sidewalk is not a requirement we can make.”
Stephanie Monson Dahl, Asheville planning and urban design director, addressed Council, reminding members that the rezoning proposal before them was a simple yes/no vote.
“We can’t talk about proposed development plans,” Monson Dahl said. “We just have to consider the zoning.”
Collins noted that the proposed RM-8 zoning is compatible with the property’s current residential character as well as with the larger surrounding neighborhood, which is also zoned RM-8, and less like the mixed-use character of the River Arts District. The rezoning also allows more types of residential development, Collins said.
Derek Allen, the applicant’s attorney, pointed out that the properties were originally zoned RM-8 before being rezoned as RAD-NT in 2017 as part of a comprehensive River Arts District form-based code.
“Do we wait for the perfect one day or do we say, ‘Let’s get housing here now?’” Council member Maggie Ullman asked. “Is perfection being the enemy of progress here?”
Roney made a motion to deny the rezoning request, which failed to get a second. Council voted 6-1 to approve the rezoning. Roney was opposed.
In an emailed response to Xpress after the meeting, Roney wrote, “I supported the River Arts Form District Neighborhood Transition
zoning that had significant public input and leveraged infrastructure for the neighborhood corridor, which is why I made the motion to deny the downzoning that ultimately passed.”
In other news
Council also approved, 7-0, rezoning eight parcels totaling 42.65 acres at 172 Moody Avenue, north of Smokey Park Highway from Highway Business (HB) and Residential Multi-Family Low Density (RM-6) to Commercial Expansion — Conditional Zone (COM EXP-CZ).
The new zoning allows the proposed development of 349 housing units and 21,000 square feet of commercial space in Candler. The plan includes a grocery store, walking paths and a solar-powered clubhouse with 5% of the units designated affordable housing for people making 80% of the area median income. ($52,350 for an individual; $74,800 for a family of four.)
“I’m supportive of this level of infrastructure in this neighborhood,” Roney said.
“There’s a lot about this project that reminds me of what we’re trying to do with our urban centers,” Turner said. “A grocery store, the affordable housing, the connectivity, the walkability, the open space — all of it.”
— Patrick Moran X
REZONING APPROVED: Council member Kim Roney, second from right, casts the dissenting vote against rezoning near the River Arts District. Photo by Pat Moran
Buncombe school board opposes private school vouchers
The Buncombe County Board of Education is not happy with the direction state legislators are taking in funding schools.
The school board passed a resolution 7-0 in a special meeting June 27 calling on the N.C. General Assembly to increase teacher salaries, allocate funding for early childhood education and put a moratorium on the state’s private school voucher program.
“The diversion of public funds to private schools through taxpayer-funded vouchers poses a significant financial threat to public schools, potentially depriving them of essential resources and compromising the quality of education for all students,” said Superintendent Rob Jackson, reading from the resolution.
The move comes as the future of two bills introduced this spring in the N.C. House and Senate to expand the state’s voucher program remain in limbo, as the two chambers work through differences related to the fiscal year 2025 budget.
The proposed expansion of the opportunity scholarship program aims to clear a waitlist of 55,000 qualified applicants, after a law passed last fall removed income caps from the program.
The 2023 law eliminated a requirement that vouchers be accessible only to households that fall below certain income levels, as long as at least 50% of total annual funds go to children whose families qualify for free and reduced-price school meals. The law also increased spending on the program from $133.8 million to $400 million in FY 2025.
More than 32,500 students received vouchers this school year, 817 of whom were from Buncombe County, according to the N.C. State
SWORN IN: Glenda Weinert, right, is sworn in as the newest member of the Buncombe County Board of Education at a special meeting June 27 with the help of Chief District Court Judge J. Calvin Hill, left, and board member Amy Churchill, center. In her first meeting, Weinert voted with the rest of the board to approve a resolution opposing an expansion of the state’s private school voucher program. Photo by Greg Parlier
Education Assistance Authority, which administers the program.
Because the state funds schools based on attendance, public districts
lose funding when students migrate to private schools, board member Rob Elliot stated at the June 27 meeting.
Asheville City Schools considers staff cuts
The Asheville City Board of Education voted 5-0 June 27 to empower Superintendent Maggie Fehrman to explore reducing central office staff to help make up a $1.2 million budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year. Board members Rebecca Strimer and Jesse Warren did not attend the virtual meeting. After the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners allocated $600,000 of the district’s requested $3.8 mil-
lion increase in fiscal year 2025, Fehrman projected that the district will be down $1.9 million in revenues because of decreased enrollment and the loss of COVID-era federal funding. Even after making some cuts to increased expenditures and allocating $3 million from reserves, the district may need to cut staff to close the gap, she said. Fehrman said she thinks the district is as lean as possible at school
sites, but that cuts “definitely” need to be considered at the central office.
Additionally, Fehrman said she was reviewing reducing contracted services such as for landscaping and security and considering leaving any open positions unfilled, as well as looking for ways to further decrease departmental budgets.
Any decisions on cutting staff would come before the board in August, Fehrman said. X
The current money used for vouchers, he added, could instead be invested into public education.
The Office of State Budget and Management estimates that Buncombe County’s two public school districts could be out a combined $5.6 million in fiscal year 2027. This projected loss predates proposals to further expand the program.
Finances are just part of the problem, Jackson said.
“There’s a loss, in my mind, of transparency for parents and for taxpayers to understand how those dollars are being spent and what the return on investment is. And so I think that both of those things are true, that there’s a loss of funding to public schools, there’s also a loss of transparency to taxpayers in terms of how their dollars are being spent on education,” Jackson added.
At the same meeting, the board passed a six-month interim budget to ensure district employees and functions are paid for through November while the district waits to see what its final allocation will be when the state budget passes.
Even though the district only received $3.4 million of its $13.5 million request from the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in its budget passed June 18, school board members said the county is doing as much as it can for its two school districts, and the onus for the funding gaps lies with the state.
“I’m not happy with what we have right now at the state level. And I just hope people will remember that this fall, because it’s definitely hurting public education,” said board member Kim Plemmons
— Greg Parlier X
presents
BCTDA gets overview of AVL airport’s growth, construction
“Before we get started, I just want to see by show of hands how many of you have flown in the last three weeks?” Tina Kinsey, Asheville Regional Airport vice president of marketing, public relations and air service asked at the June 26 meeting of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA).
Most of the hands that shot up belonged to BCTDA board members, but the story Kinsey told of the airport’s explosive growth indicated that the rest of the infrequently flying crowd in the Explore Asheville meeting room was not representative.
Asheville Regional Airport is one of the fastest-growing airports in the country, and the third-busiest in North Carolina after Charlotte and Raleigh, Tinsley said. In 2023, a record 2.25 million passengers were served. That breaks down to 4,000 daily passengers outbound on 36 daily flights, each carrying
an average of 110 people headed to 34 destinations.
“We are … served by six airlines, Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Sun Country and United,” Kinsey said.
The demand comes from Asheville’s strong leisure market with 70% of inbound travelers flying in for leisure activities and 30% on business, she said
Vic Isley, BCTDA president and CEO of Explore Asheville, noted that while the vast majority of visitors to Asheville travel by car, air travelers stay longer and spend more in the community.
AVL Forward, the airport’s construction and design initiative, is expanding the airport from seven gates to 12 with a new baggage claim, two concourses, a concession plaza and windows throughout the terminal to make the airport brighter, Kinsey said.
Phase one in remaking the 62-yearold airport began in August, funded by $400 million in federal and state grants, airport revenue bonds and airport operating revenue.
Phase two, targeted for completion in 2027, includes a south concourse, a new lobby, a permanent Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, a second-level concessions plaza and an expansion of the baggage area, Kinsey said.
“Before we started demolition on the existing terminal, we had 113,000 square feet of terminal space,” said Lew Bleiweis, president and CEO of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority. “The new terminal will be 275,000 square feet. The first seven gates that open next year will be just around 100,000 square feet. Just the seven gates alone is the equivalent to almost the whole terminal that was existing before construction.”
FY 2025 budget adopted
BCTDA also held a public hearing on its $27.3 million fiscal year 2025 budget, a decrease from last year’s $27.6 million budget. Total marketing spending in the budget will shrink from $20 million in FY 2024 to $19.4 million in FY 2025. Net media spending for FY 2025 will be $13.8 million, an 11% drop from $15.5 million the year before. The proposed budget raises BCTDA salaries and benefits from $4.1 million in FY 2024 to $4.4 million in FY 2025, representing a 7.3% increase.
BCTDA spokesperson Ashley Greenstein told Mountain Xpress that the increase will go toward an added position in business development, which will increase group and event bookings, payments to team members to comply with new Department of Labor overtime exemptions and a 5% pool for cost-of-living or merit raises for remaining employees.
No one signed up for public comments. Since board member Kathleen Mosher was absent, all eight members of the board present voted in favor of adopting the FY 2025 budget.
— Patrick Moran X
GET ON BOARD: Asheville Regional Airport’s Tina Kinsey asks for a show of hands from recent flyers at the June 26 meeting of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. Photo by Caleb Johnson
VETERANS HEALING FARM
OUR MISSION: To enhance the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of our nation’s Veterans and their families.
VISION: An end to Veteran suicide.
• Veterans are at 72% higher risk of suicide than those who haven’t served.
• 20 consecutive years with 6,000+ veteran suicides
• 131K+ veterans have died by suicide since 2001 (4x more than died in combat)
• 2nd leading cause of death in veterans under age 45
WE NEED ANGELS
The angels watched over them when they were far from home and their families. And now we ask that investor angels invest in our veterans today.
The statistics paint a clear picture of the mental health challenges faced by post-9/11 US service members and veterans. The high number of suicides among this group is deeply concerning and underscores the urgent need for comprehensive support and intervention measures.
Please support our Veterans and donate! Today we find ourselves at a critical crossroad. We must quickly raise funds to move and rebuild in a very short period or the Veterans Healing Farm is at risk of disappearing. We need angels. We need you!
We ask that you please make a thoughtful gift to the Veterans Healing Farm. Thank you for your generosity and support. May God bless you, our Veterans, and our Country.
Alan J. Yeck Executive Director
“When I showed up at the farm, I was still very emotionally damaged from multiple layers of trauma and brain injury, but things changed rapidly for me. I’ll never forget the hug I got when I showed up broken in a million pieces. Thank you to the farm for helping me so quickly, and their continuous support as I heal. I can’t say enough about the place. Honestly, it’s exactly what it says it is!“ –OIF/OEF Veteran, U.S. Army
The Veterans Healing Farm would like to thank all of our supporters over the years. As you know, we have to be off our current location by 15 August. While we continue to fundraise and look for a new home, our agritherapy, and event programs will be suspended. Henderson County has kindly offered us space in the renovated VFW building to run our workshops for the remainder of the year.
Please become invested in our Veterans. We need your help.
‘Castle on the Hill’
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
Growing up in Buncombe County, Angel Redmond never thought much about Stephens-Lee High School, the institution that educated Black students in Western North Carolina for four decades until it closed in 1965.
“I did have aunts and uncles who went there, but I didn’t realize how much of an impact Stephens-Lee had,” says Redmond, who graduated from T.C. Roberson High School in 1994. “At Roberson, I learned nothing about it.” Redmond serves as facility supervisor at the city-owned Stephens-Lee Community Center, which is housed in the school’s former gymnasium. She wants to make sure Asheville’s young people learn about the school that excelled in education, music and athletics and served as a cultural and civic hub for the area’s African American population.
“We try to regularly have conversations with kids at our after-school program and summer camps about the importance of Stephens-Lee,” she says. “We talk about it along the lines of respecting the space that we’re in because this space is so important to Blacks.”
And when alumni of Stephens-Lee reunite at the center this weekend to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the school’s first graduating class, they will be greeted with photos of young people at the community center’s summer camp. It will be one generation’s gift to another, Redmond says.
ACTIVE ALUMNI
For the school’s alumni, keeping the legacy of Stephens-Lee alive for future generations is vital, given that even the school’s youngest graduates are in their late 70s.
“We’ve got to uphold this history and we’ve got to pass it on,” says Sarah Weston Hart, a 1957 graduate and president of the school’s alumni association. “We have to encourage our children, our grandchildren, our great-grandchildren, to keep it alive.”
To that end, the alumni association became a nonprofit in the 1990s with a mission to preserve the school’s principles by hosting reunions and awarding scholarships. It has given more than 90 college scholarships to relatives of Stephens-Lee graduates, including Terry M. Bellamy, who served as Asheville’s first Black mayor from 2005-13.
Stephens-Lee alumni work to keep legacy alive 100 years after first graduating class
PIONEERS: Stephens-Lee graduated its first senior class in May 1924. Alumni from subsequent graduating classes will celebrate the anniversary from Friday, July 5-Sunday, July 7, at the biennial reunion. First row, from left: Virginia Bolden, Ruth Bolden, Elsie Miller, Ruth Chambers, Willie Knuckles, Susie Henry and Estelle Young. Second row, from left: Fred Martin, William Greer, Lewis Thompson, Bruce Rumley, Christopher McCool, Helen Mana and Lenora Thompson. Photo courtesy of Special Collections, UNC Asheville
The association also spearheaded efforts to get the Stephens-Lee Community Center designated a local historic landmark in 1996. The center has been the focus of efforts to preserve the school’s legacy because the Gothic-style main building that housed the school, known affectionately as “The Castle on the Hill,” was torn down in 1975.
The center’s main hallway is adorned with personal photos and a timeline of the school’s history. It has a crimson carpet and an archway commemorating the original school building’s entrance. An alumni room focuses on the school’s athletic, cultural and civic history with photos, jerseys, newspaper articles and more.
The alumni room is closed to the general public, but it is a stop on the Hood Tours offered by Hood Huggers International.
And the recently opened Asheville Black Heritage Trail features a plaque commemorating the school. Additionally, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority awarded $100,000 to establish an African American Heritage museum at the community center.
100 YEARS LATER
Stephens-Lee High School opened on March 7, 1923, on the site of
the former Catholic High School, just above Valley Street in the city’s historically Black East End neighborhood. The school graduated its first senior class a year later, a milestone that alumni from around the country will celebrate from Friday, July 5-Sunday, July 7, at the biennial reunion, themed “100 Years and Still Stepping; (Let us Never Forget) the ’Castle on the Hill.’”
As Western North Carolina’s only public high school dedicated to the education of Blacks, Stephens-Lee drew students from Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Yancey and Transylvania counties. Hart, who lived in Mars Hill, remembers taking a bus 32 miles every day on a two-lane road to get to school and back. Some students had even longer journeys, she says.
By 1965, some Stephens-Lee students had been moved to predominantly white schools. That year, the district closed the school and transferred the remaining Stephens-Lee students to the newly built South French Broad High School in the Southside. In 1969, South French Broad’s predominantly Black student body was integrated into Lee Edwards High School, which went back to its original name of Asheville High School.
During its four decades, the school presented band concerts, art exhib-
its, modern dance recitals, drama and chorus performances that often drew big crowds. The marching and concert bands, led by music director Madison C. “Doc” Lennon, won numerous state awards. Lennon was inducted into the N.C. Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame in 2002.
The marching band, known for its high-energy music, high-stepping drum majors and majorettes, made annual appearances at the Asheville Christmas parade, usually taking the penultimate spot right before Santa Claus made his big entrance.
“They put us near the end because the crowd would always follow our band and not wait for the other part of the parade,” says Richard Bowman, a 1951 graduate who played clarinet and saxophone in the band.
Under the leadership of athletic director C.L. Moore, Stephens-Lee excelled in sports as well. Moore first came to the school in 1935 to serve as football coach. After leaving for a time, he returned in the late 1940s and coached multiple sports until the closure in 1965.
Moore’s success as a coach made him a legend in high school athletics. His Bears won the 1957 state football championship and the 1962 title in basketball, and he sent more than 100 students to college on athletic scholarships. He was inducted into
the WNC Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1992, the year he died.
In 1960, some politically active Stephens-Lee graduates were among those who established the Asheville Student Committee on Racial Equality (ASCORE) in the wake of the sit-ins at a Woolworth in Greensboro.
ASCORE member Oralene Simmons, class of 1961, participated in Civil Rights Era protests and helped desegregate a public library in 1961. She founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County in 2003. The group organizes local events each January to celebrate King’s birthday. Simmons credits the faculty at Stephens-Lee with inspiring her and other students to be leaders.
“The teachers that we had, they were our role models,” she says. “They really cared. We were a small community, a segregated community where everybody knew everybody. The teachers knew your parents and could just call them on the phone and speak to them about what was going on with you so that you would not fall behind.”
Bowman recalls band director Lennon driving him and fellow musicians to a music festival at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro. “Many people didn’t have cars in those days,” he explains. “After the festival was over, he took us to a movie and then brought us back. I’ll be willing to bet that he did all of that at his own expense.”
FOCUS ON EDUCATION
The quality and educational achievements of the Stephens-Lee
“We’ve got to uphold this history and we’ve got to pass it on.”
— Sarah Weston Hart, a 1957 graduate and president of the school’s alumni association
faculty have long been points of pride among the school’s alumni. Beginning in 2017, Zoe Rhine, then a special collections librarian at Pack Memorial Library’s North Carolina Room, and fellow researcher Joe Newman helped quantify those achievements through a two-year research project focused on the school’s 1964 faculty.
The study, released in 2019, found 20 of the school’s 34 faculty members that year had earned master’s degrees in education, a remarkable achievement for a Black school in the Jim Crow South.
“North Carolina did not want Black teachers going to the North Carolina schools for degrees,” Rhine says. “So they [state officials] paid to send them to other places like [Teachers College, Columbia University], and a lot of teachers got their degrees from there.” Columbia eventually created an outreach program to bring summer courses directly to Asheville.
“A lot of the alumni I have interviewed said that their parents wanted them to grow up to either be a teacher or a preacher,” Rhine says. “It really came across loud and clear that all the local Black community highly, highly valued education because they knew that was the only way their kids could get out of poverty.”
And while no one is pining for the days of segregation, many say there were benefits to having students attend a school where the
other students and the teachers looked like them and were part of the same community.
“They instilled a lot of dignity and pride in us, and I think that is something that students didn’t find after integration,” Simmons says. “They did not have that rapport with the teachers.”
ONGOING LEGACY
The experience of StephensLee may even provide a model for Asheville City Schools (ACS) as it attempts to bridge the achievement gap between white and Black students. The district earned a worst-inthe-state designation in 2017.
PEAK Academy, a public charter school that opened in 2021 in West Asheville, has a majority-Black student body. PEAK’s executive director, Kidada Wynn, says the mostly Black staff and faculty have begun to close the achievement gap by creating a space where Black students feel accepted, respected and loved.
The school started with kindergarten through third grade and added fourth and fifth grades this past school year. It will add at least one grade per year up to eighth grade.
The community center’s Redmond recalls having only one Black teacher during her time at T.C. Roberson. She thinks PEAK Academy’s approach can be valuable for young
The history of Stephens-Lee High School
• 1892: Catholic Hill School opens on the spot that would become Stephens-Lee High School.
• 1917: Seven students die when fire destroys the Catholic Hill School building.
• 1921: Asheville voters approve a bond referendum to finance a new high school for Black students.
• March 7, 1923: Stephens-Lee High School opens with more than 800 students.
• 1924: Stephens-Lee High School graduates its first senior class.
• 1941: A stand-alone gymnasium is built.
• 1965: Stephens-Lee High School closes; students are transferred to predominantly Black South French Broad High School.
• January 1967: Hilltop Community Center, operated by the Asheville Parks & Recreation Department, opens in the former gymnasium of the high school.
• 1969: South French Broad High School consolidates with mostly white Lee H. Edwards High School, which is renamed Asheville High School. Stephens-Lee’s school colors, mascots and traditions are not incorporated into the new school.
• Sept. 29, 1969: About 200 African American students walk out of Asheville High School and present a list of grievances. Violence breaks out after state troopers are brought in.
• 1975: Stephens-Lee’s main structure is razed.
• 1980: Hilltop Community Center is renamed Stephens-Lee Community Center.
• 1996: Stephens-Lee Community Center is designated a local historic landmark.
• 1998: Stephens-Lee Community Center undergoes a $2 million renovation. X
students who may have little experience outside the Black community before entering school.
“Somewhere, we lost that drive for academics,” says Redmond, who worked for ACS for 11 years. “Maybe it was during the demolition of the high school or just [students] being triggered and having to deal with civil rights issues at Lee Edwards or Asheville High [in the late 1960s]. But maybe something like PEAK Academy can help bring that back.”
The Asheville school district’s population of Black students was 17.9% last school year, not large enough to attempt a PEAK Academy approach in any of its schools, says Redmond. But she thinks the district can play a role in preserving the memory of The Castle on the Hill.
“Stephens-Lee High School should be in the history lessons for the elementary, middle and high school levels,” she says. “When you look back at history, you aren’t always aware of the academic achievements of Blacks in this country. People should learn about this school, which was a hub of academics and athletics, and all kinds of extracurricular activities, for all Western North Carolina Blacks.” X Summer is here, and Xpress’ monthly gardening feature is fl ourishing based on reader questions. Please send all gardening inquiries to gardening@mountainx.com
Golden Agers
For the love of gardening
BY CAROL KAUFMAN
ckaufman828@gmail.com
A small clump of bright red sweet williams is what caught Glenn Jolappa’s attention in 2020, just after moving into his new apartment a few blocks east of downtown Asheville.
With a longtime passion for gardening, Jolappa was amazed that these lovely flowers were thriving in such poor soil, among twisted vines and thorny weeds.
“I found out that a tenant had tossed out a broken pot of soil and sweet william onto this part of the bank,” says Jolappa. “I figured if sweet william could grow here, why not create a small garden in this spot.”
With the management’s permission, Jolappa set about creating a miniature experimental garden.
Four years later, Jolappa has transformed a roughly 400-foot stretch of soil, nestled between a wild-growth forest and a parking lot, into several lush gardens, rows of flowering shrubs, small trees and even a bubbling water fountain — all done with his own money and muscle power.
Jolappa will celebrate his 74th birthday this month. He notes that he relocated to the 168-unit complex after he and his husband divorced and sold their Kenilworth home. The former couple previously lived in Anchorage, Alaska, where Jolappa worked as a mail carrier for 31 years.
Unfortunately, a series of bad falls on hard ice resulted in various surgeries, causing him permanent disabilities.
“I moved to Asheville 15 years ago — doctor’s orders,” he says with a grin. “He advised that I get far away from ice and snow.”
A North Carolina native, Jolappa was born into a military family in Fort Bragg, so moving to Asheville felt like coming home.
“Asheville was still fairly affordable at the time,” he says, “and an area we’d been eyeing, not only for its natural beauty but for its openness toward gay people.”
While Jolappa was busy selling their Anchorage home, his then-husband made an offer on a home in Kenilworth, which required tons of work. Jolappa arrived, sight unseen, and tackled some needed renovations, then moved on to his favorite project: beautifying the outdoors.
GREEN THUMB: For the past four years, Asheville resident Glenn Jolappa has given back to his community by creating a series of gardens in his apartment complex. Photo by Carol Kaufman
“Gardening is my spiritual practice,” says Jolappa. “It’s a solo act where I can tune into the quiet, the bird sounds, get my hands in the soil and concentrate on the plants’ needs.”
When he isn’t walking his dog, Sadie, having coffee with a friend, hiking or playing cribbage, Jolappa can be found planting, hauling, unloading, digging, pruning or watering his plants — all despite his physical challenges.
“Gardening causes me pain,” he says. “Especially working on steep terrain. But for me, it’s worth it. I’ve tumbled a few times, but I’m learning to tuck and roll with it.
“No other place I know of would grant me this opportunity. As long as I can afford to stay here, I will.”
Editor’s note: Golden Agers is a monthly feature that explores local residents who are retired or semiretired but remain active in the community. X
‘Incredibly meaningful’
Edneyville teacher recalls part in D-Day anniversary celebrations in France
BY JUSTIN M c GUIRE
jmcguire@mountainx.com
Jordan Chambliss wasn’t anticipating the flood of emotions that poured over her on June 6.
A fifth-grade teacher at Edneyville Elementary School, Chambliss was in France as part of the D-Day 80th Anniversary Collegiate Mass Band, a contingent of American musicians helping to commemorate the World War II Allied landings in Normandy. The trip was organized by a nonprofit called Historic Programs.
“There were some people in the band with me that had family members that were deeply involved in World War II, and that wasn’t necessarily the case for me,” says Chambliss, who played piccolo in the band. “So I didn’t expect to be so emotionally affected by it.”
But the enormity of the moment hit Chambliss when she and her bandmates joined with other musicians at the Brittany American Cemetery to perform “Hymn to the Fallen,” a song from the 1998 D-Day epic film Saving Private Ryan
“Playing that with over a thousand other musicians and hearing the choir singing with us as I’m looking out on this view of 4,000 crosses in front of me was wildly emotional and incredibly meaningful,” she recalls. “It made me feel like I was part of something really, really important.”
Chambliss started her musical journey as a student at Rugby Middle School in Hendersonville. She continued playing at West Henderson High School and was later a band member at Western Carolina University. She represented WCU’s Pride of the Mountains Marching Band during her Historic Programs visit to France.
Chambliss spoke with Xpress about how she got into music, why she decided to join the D-Day band and how her experiences in France affected her.
This interview has been condensed for length and edited for clarity.
Xpress: How did this opportunity come about?
Chambliss: I found it on Facebook, of all places. About this time last year, there was a college marching band page that shared information about it. [Historic Programs] was essentially doing an all-call for anyone who was either currently in a college marching band or had done it in the past. So I just filled out the interest form and
REMEMBERING THE FALLEN: Jordan Chambliss participated in the D-Day Memorial Parade in Sainte-Mère-Église in Normandy, France. Photo courtesy of Chambliss
ended up getting accepted, and it all went from there.
What made you want to apply?
I have always wanted to travel more; I had never been outside of the country before. And performing with my instrument is my favorite thing in the world. So I thought there was nothing better than to travel with my instrument and be able to do such an important thing with it. Being able to go across the world and see such an important historical event for World War II and meet some of the people involved with it was something I knew would be a really great once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
How many performances did you take part in?
[Historic Programs] put together these three minibands [of about 50 people each], which were based off regions. I was with all people from
the Southeast. We were supposed to have three days of performances, but one of them ended up being canceled. We were supposed to perform at the Normandy American Cemetery, but then President Biden wanted to visit the cemetery that day.
On June 6, we performed as a mass band in Brittany American Cemetery. We performed with other music groups that were there in the area for the 80th celebration. And then on June 8, we went to Sainte-Mère-Église [a town in Normandy that was liberated by the Allies]. That’s where we were able to perform with our smaller bands.
We did a little stage performance of some pep tunes, and then later that day we did a parade in the town. It only has a population of 3,000 people, and there were multiple thousands of people there that day. We played this song called
“The Longest Day,” which is from the [1962 D-Day] movie The Longest Day, which has scenes in that town. And so that’s a very important song to the people. And we played another called “Chant Des Partisans.” It was almost an unofficial national anthem in France [during World War II].
What other things did you do while you were over there?
We got to do a lot of sightseeing. There were lots of places in France we went to that I absolutely never would have known existed. We went to an area called Bayeux, which was really pretty. We went to a place called MontSaint-Michel, which was basically a big cathedral on an island that was built, like, a thousand years ago. You don’t see stuff that old in the United States. We stayed in this really, really tiny town called Honfleur, which was three hours away from everything we actually needed to be at. Despite all the driving time it took to get anywhere, I think it was really cool to be able to stay there. We got to see more of the everyday culture in France. What got you interested in music? It was kind of like the way I signed up for this trip. Going into middle school, I signed up for band kind of on a whim because they had told us, “This is your one chance to sign up. You can’t join later in school.” And so I kind of had the mindset of “I’ll just try it, and if I don’t like it, I’ll stop.”
And it’s kind of funny, I remember one of my elementary school teachers telling us that she always regretted not doing band because her high school band went to Disney World, and she was always jealous of that. And fifth grade me was like, “I want to go to Disney World, so I’m gonna do band.” All these years later, band has never taken me to Disney World, but it has taken me to a lot of other cool places.
How would you rate the overall experience of being part of the D-Day band?
I’ve come back with a totally different view on a lot of things. I think more than anything, this trip made me very proud of where I live and where I’ve come from. Being able to see these veterans and how proud they are of what they’ve done and being able to celebrate that with them was just so eye-opening.
It’s just never something I had thought about much before, but it made me very proud to be American and to be standing up there with them. X
Off the streets
Homeless veteran finds a new life in Asheville
BY PATRICK MORAN
pmoran@mountainx.com
After a 10 1/2-hour bus ride from Portsmouth, Va., Janis Thompson arrived in Asheville on a Monday night in September 2022 with all her belongings packed into a single suitcase. An Army veteran who served six years in Germany, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., Thompson was homeless, battling drug addiction and suffering from military sexual trauma (MST).
Thompson made the long trip to Asheville never having set foot in the city. She was in Safe Harbor, a residential addiction treatment program in Portsmouth when she heard through word-of-mouth about Transformation Village, a residential campus run by Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM).
Up to that point, Thompson had sought help through a variety of resources offered by the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs — therapy, medications, stints in VA residential wards – but nothing really stuck. So, Thompson applied to Transformation Village and, after a phone interview, was accepted. Then she got on the bus.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Thompson says.
One thing she quickly learned was she was not alone.
The 2023 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual homelessness assessment report counted 777 homeless veterans in North Carolina. In largely urban areas like Asheville, the report estimated that women veterans accounted for 8% of the homeless population.
Buncombe County’s January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) count tallied 739 unhoused people, with 520 people in shelters or transitional housing and 219 people without shelter. Overall, 191 were veterans.
“Female veterans usually make up about 10% of [Transformation Village’s] population,” says the Rev. Scott Rogers, executive director of ABCCM.
In addition to the severe trauma from sexual and domestic violence that other homeless women encounter, homeless women veterans also experience a sense of abandonment that is specific to their demographic, Rogers says.
“What female veterans have in common with male veterans is they were part of a tribe, a larger family with a greater purpose. And when they’re released from the military, [there’s] a significant sense of loss … of no longer being a part of this greater purpose,” he says. “[It] adds an additional layer that makes it hard to cope.”
Complicating matters is the fact that women have to work just as hard, if not harder, than their male counterparts in the military, Thompson says.
“You have to be just as tough as guys are,” she says. “[If] guys see you fall behind, [they say], ‘Look, she can’t even run.’” The Army’s “tough it out” approach proved detrimental to Thompson’s mental health years later, when she struggled with her aversion to seeking help.
“When it comes to getting help, we want to do it like we did in the military, ” says Thompson about her fellow veterans. “Keep your head up and keep marching forward.”
MILITARY ASSAULT
Born in Fort Knox, Ky., into a military family, Thompson enlisted in the Army in 1977 at age 20.
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Thompson became an Army switchboard operator and cable installer. Her first stint was in Germany, where she felt out of place and alienated.
“It was kind of scary being there by yourself and so far away from home,” Thompson says. “I didn’t know the language.” She was glad to get back to the States, but while she was stationed in St. Louis, a male soldier raped her. She was 22 years old.
Thompson turned the rapist in, but the outcome from the attack didn’t instill confidence in how the military handled assault cases like hers.
“They reached out to me, [but] for some reason they said they didn’t need me to testify,” Thompson says. “I was told he went to jail. I’m not quite sure.” She encountered her rapist once more during her service.
“I broke into a full sprint,” she says.
The Army offered counseling to Thompson, and she saw a therapist only twice. Looking back on her treatment, Thompson says it didn’t really help. She couldn’t help feeling that the attack was somehow her fault, an assumption that was subtly reinforced by the Army’s male-dominated culture. Sex assaults in the military, she discovered, were far more prevalent than she thought.
“I started talking to other women that were in the Army,” Thompson says. “I came to find out that it happened to a lot of them. It was like, don’t try to do something [about it], or it will
HOME SWEET HOME: Veteran Janis Thompson overcame homelessness, addiction and military sexual trauma to find a home in Asheville.
Photo by Marc Pierre LeMauviel
come back on you. Keep on marching.” According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, a third of female veterans in the VA health care system report experiencing MST.
Convinced that therapy had done all it could do for her, Thompson transferred to Washington, D.C. As soon as she was on the flight to Washington, however, Thompson knew something was wrong.
“It was an enclosed environment, and I didn’t know who was behind my back,” She says. “A guy looked at me, and I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness, it’s going to happen again.’”
TRAUMA SYMPTOMS
In Washington, Thompson started working at the Pentagon. She loved the job, but she started experiencing symptoms from MST. She had nightmares, was easily startled and grew increasingly paranoid.
“I didn’t want to be in a crowd,” Thompson says. “I didn’t trust men who were 6 feet tall.” She started taking heroin to cope.
Again, Thompson sought mental health treatment, but drugs won out. In 1982, at the age of 26, Thompson received an honorable discharge. She continued to use heroin after leaving the Army and fell into a spiral of addiction and unsuccessful treatment.
“I got some pretty good jobs, but I was still using [drugs],” Thompson says. She reckons she went to the mental health care ward at Hampton VA Medical Center in Virginia 10 times, sometimes of her own volition and other times sent by court order. For two years in the mid-1990s, she transferred to Salem Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Virginia. While there, she trained to be a geriatric nurse assistant at Roanoke Community College. In the meantime, Thompson was finally diagnosed with PTSD and MST, and started getting medication to treat her trauma.
“When I got out, I kept using the street drugs instead of the medication,” Thompson says. Drugs took a toll on her finances as well as her health.
“I didn’t have credit or I couldn’t keep enough money in order to get an apartment,” Thompson says. She moved from one rooming house to another. After the owner of a house where she was renting a room decided to sell, she found herself homeless at the age of 63.
Thompson finally checked back into the mental health care ward at Hampton VA Medical Center. She was transferred to Safe Harbor’s addiction and substance use program in nearby Portsmouth. As the 65-day program drew to a close, Thompson faced the prospect of being homeless again. So,
she applied to Transformation Village and boarded a bus to North Carolina.
RULES, REGULATIONS AND CHORES
After being housed in a hotel for a week, Thompson was met by Transformation Village staff members who brought her to the facility on Sept. 19, 2022. It proved to be a good fit.
“When I got there, I had made up my mind to quit [heroin],” Thompson says. “[Transition Village] showed so much love and acceptance, and you had your freedom. That just showed how much they trusted me.”
Transformation Village provides transitional housing for homeless women, including single women, mothers with children and women veterans. But housing is not the only service the campus provides, says Rogers. Once residents’ basic needs are met — food, safety and shelter — Transformation Village offers life skills training and education and certifications designed to lead to living-wage jobs and permanent homes.
“It was so clean and neat, and they had rules, regulations and chores,” Thompson says of the facility.
“Those chores are part of our work-readiness training,” Rogers says. “Can you show up on time, stay on task, complete assignments independently and responsibly take initiative?” Besides lending structure to residents’ lives, the work and rules regimen helps residents become
employable through life skills building, says Rogers.
The work program ties in with ABCCM’s Steps to Success, four phases that Rogers says contribute to Transformation Village’s success rate in reintegrating residents into the community. Thompson achieved the first step, stabilization, early in her tenure at the facility.
“I knew it took a made-up mind in order to stay clean,” Thompson says. So, she took advantage of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings held on campus. Other clinical recovery programs offered on-site include Celebrate Recovery as well as AA and Narcotics Anonymous. ABCCM also partners with outpatient treatment programs like the Women’s Recovery Center, RHA Health Services, the Salvation Army and October Road.
“We have trauma-informed training for all staff and volunteers [to help] those coping with violence and serial trauma,” Rogers says.
LEARNING LIFE SKILLS
The second of Transformation Village’s steps to success is life skills training, where the campus offers residents over 60 volunteer courses. Thompson picked Bible studies as well as classes on codependency and conflict resolution.
The facility also partners with A-B Tech to offer educational and professional training certifications for construction, information technolo-
gy, certified nursing assistants, small manufacturing and other vocations. Rogers says Transformation Village collaborates with over 150 employers for job training.
For the facility’s final step to success — reintegration leading to permanent housing — Thompson took the initiative. On Oct. 17, 2022, she was hired as Transformation Village’s resident assistant. Next, she decided to buy a car, but that first required renewing her driver’s license.
“I hadn’t had a driver’s license in 17 years,” Thompson says. “I kept trying to do [the test] on the computer and I kept failing because it was confusing.” Frustrated with the online process, she went down to the DMV, took the test in person and scored 100%.
“I got my driver’s license and then I bought a car two days after I got my license,” Thompson says. On Aug. 4, 2023, after living less than a year in the program’s housing, Thompson got her own place. Working with local nonprofit Homeward Bound, Transformation Village helped Thompson get an apartment in Asheville.
“[Homeward Bound] pays 50%, and I pay the other 50%,” says Thompson, who continues to work at Transformation Village. Despite her perseverance in overcoming addiction and homelessness, Thompson is quick to credit Transformation Village, the program and the people who helped her put her life back on track.
“The staff loved me until I could learn how to love myself,” Thompson says. X
CHANGE FOR LIFE: Transformation Village offers life skills and job training that leads residents to permanent homes.
Photo by Lori Seger
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
JULY 3 - JULY 11, 2024
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
Feature, page 34-35
More info, page 39
More info, page 40
WELLNESS
Tai Chi for Balance
A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome.
WE (7/3, 10), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Tai Chi Fan
This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided.
WE (7/3, 10), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, ste 109
Gentle Yoga for Seniors
A yoga class geared to seniors offering gentle stretching and strengthening through accessible yoga poses and modifications.
WE (7/3, 10), 2:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Nia Dance Fitness
A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts.
TH (7/4, 11), 9:30am, TU (7/9), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, ste 109
Weekly Zumba Classes
Free in-person Zumba classes. No registration required.
TH (7/4, 11), TU (7/9), 6:30pm, St. James Episcopal Church, 424 W State St, Black Mountain
Chen Style Tai Chi
The original style of Tai Chi known for its continual spiraling movements and great health benefits.
TH (7/4, 11), MO (7/8), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Qigong for Health
A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit.
FR (7/5), TU (7/9), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109
Adult Water Aerobics
Gentle water aerobics to improve cardio fitness, build strength, boost mood, and ease joint pain. Free for ages 60 and up.
SA (7/6), 10am, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Kirtan w/Mantra Mandala
Find your voice with the group as you experience the healing power of bhakti yoga, the yoga of love and devotion.
SA (7/6), 7:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd
Yoga in the Park Yoga class alongside the French Broad River, based on Hatha & Vinyasa traditions and led by certified yoga instructors. All experience levels welcome.
SA (7/6), SU (7/7), 11am, 220 Amboy Rd
Sunday Morning Meditation Group Gathering for a combination of silent sitting and walking meditation, facilitated by Worth Bodie. SU (7/7), 10am, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
QiGong Class w/Allen
Gentle movements that will improve your balance and increase your flow of life force energy. All levels and ages welcome.
TU (7/9), 10am, Asia
House Asheville, 119 Coxe Ave
SUPPORT GROUPS
Magnetic Minds: Depression & Bipolar Support Group
A free weekly peer-led meeting for those living with depression, bipolar, and related mental health challenges. For more information contact (828) 367-7660.
SA (7/6), 2pm, 1316 Ste C Parkwood Rd
ARTS EXPO: The Big Crafty returns Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville. The DIY-flavored arts expo starts at noon on both dates and will feature over 180 artists, makers, creatives and crafters in WNC. Photo courtesy of The Big Crafty
Somatic Healing Circle
Learn to develop practical tools to heighten awareness of how you experience, embody, and express yourself in the world.
MO (7/8), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain
Asheville Kirtan
These ancient mantras, chanted in Sanskrit, help to connect us to our hearts- invoking feelings of well-being, meditation, and joy.
TU (7/9), 7pm, Weaving Rainbows, 62 Wall St
DANCE
Tango Tuesdays
Tango lessons and social with instructors
Mary Morgan and Mike Eblen. No partner required, and no experience needed for the beginners class.
TU (7/9), 6pm, Urban Orchard Cider Co. S Slope, 24 Buxton Ave
ART
Aaron Fields: Hidden Colors
This art exhibition presents a story about the perfect summer day in the mountains
through the use of mostly acrylic paint, paint markers and spray paint. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 1. Marquee Asheville, 36 Foundy St
Gail Drozd: Mystery in the Mist
Embark on a journey of discovery with a captivating exploration of nature's mysteries through Gail Drozd's latest art work. Gallery open daily, 11am. Exhibition through July 31.
Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave
Counter/Balance: Gifts of John & Robyn Horn
A presentation of important examples of contemporary American craft, including woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber and pottery by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through July. 29, 2024.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Robert Chapman Turner: Artist, Teacher, Explorer
The exhibition will include work by some of Turner’s students and colleagues as well as work by contemporary ceramic
artists whose work fits within the context of the show. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am. Exhibition through Sept. 7.
Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
Gail Drozd: Mystery in the Mist Opening Reception
An opening art reception of Gail S. Drozd’s works titled, Mystery in the Mist. Free admission and a spread of Hor d’ oeuvres will be provided.
FR (7/5), 5pm, Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave
Honoring Nature: Early Southern Appalachian Landscape Painting
This exhibition explores the sublime natural landscapes of the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina and Tennessee. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Oct. 21.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Daily Craft Demonstrations
Two artists of different media will explain and demonstrate their craft with informative materials displayed at their booths. Open daily,
10am. Demonstrations run through Dec. 31.
Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy Summer 1-On-1 Pottery Lessons
Private lessons offering individuals 30 minute classes. Walk-ins will be welcome, schedule permitting.
SA (7/6), SU (7/7), 11am, Odyssey Clayworks, 236 Clingman Ave
Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection
A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of American glass art can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 16.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Shifting Perceptions: Photographs from the Collection
A selection of photographs presented in a trio of sections, each featuring seemingly opposing forces: Natural/Unnatural, Together/Apart, and Inside/ Out. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through September 23.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
The New Salon: A Contemporary View
A modern take on the prestigious tradition of the Parisian Salon with the diversity and innovation of today’s art world. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through Aug. 19.
Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square
Sov·er·eign·ty: Expressions in Sovereignty of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
This exhibition educates visitors about the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ autonomy, its relationship with the federal government, and how the tribe has defined its own relationship with its land, people, and culture. Gallery open daily, 9am. Exhibition through Feb. 28, 2025.
Museum of the Cherokee People, 589 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee
COMMUNITY MUSIC
Music to Your Ears
Discussion Series: The Kinks
Bill Kopp, author and music journalist will discuss the music of the Kinks in this inter-
active evening led by experts and designed to enrich the listening experience.
WE (7/3), 7pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr 2024 Swannanoa Gathering Summer Concerts: Fiddle/ Mando & Banjo Concert III This concert series features some of the world's finest fiddle, mandolin and banjo covering a variety of ethnic traditions. The third show will highlight great players of jazz featuring violinists Sara Casswell, Evan Price and more. WE (7/3), 7:30pm, Kittredge Theatre, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa Concert Series on the Creek: Arnold Hill Free concert series for the community with the Arnold Hill bringing their alternative rock and Americana music this week. These events are free with donations encouraged. Everyone is welcome. There will be food trucks available on most nights. FR (7/5), 7pm, Bridge Park Gazebo, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva
The Remantlists:
Album Release Show
Album release show, performing Arthur by The Kinks, as well as their new album, Not Arthur. See p34-35
SA (7/6), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
Summer Tracks
Concert: Hustle Souls
Tryon’s Summer Tracks concert series continues with Hustle Souls and their retro-soul and Americana blend music.
FR (7/5), 7pm, Rogers Park, 55 W Howard St, Tryon
Sound Healing
Concert
Come enjoy the sounds of singing crystal bowls, unique African instruments, and various drums all while relaxing.
SA (7/6), 8pm, Asheville Salt Cave, 16 N Liberty St
Sunsets: Electric Garden Day Parties
Experience the eclectic vibes of a music festival through the vibrant energy of the sunset, exotic entertainment, food, drinks and music curated from AVL's top DJs, every Sunday in July.
SU (7/7), 2pm, Haiku AVL, 26 Sweeten Creek Rd
Mark's House Jam & Sunday Potluck
Bring a potluck dish to share with an amazing community of local musicians from around the globe. Please note that this isn't an open mic.
SU (7/7), 3pm, Asheville Guitar Bar, 122 Riverside Dr Pickin' In The Park
Enjoy performances by local singer-songwriters in an intimate and relaxed setting. Experience the rich musical heritage of Asheville as talented musicians share their stories and songs.
MO (7/8), 6pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
Wings & Strings: Hill Climbers
This music series at at the Sweeten Creek location will feature local bluegrass-style bands every week.
TH (7/11), 6:30pm, Rocky's Hot Chicken Shack S, 3749 Sweeten Creek Rd, Arden
Park Rhythms Concert Series w/Queen Bee & the Honeylovers
This series features many talented artists from across the east coast with Queen Bee and the Honeylovers providing the tunes this week.
TH (7/11), 7pm, Black Mountain Veterans Park, 10 Veterans Park Dr Black Mountain
Summer Radiance:
The Jasper & Opal Quartet
Bring your friends, grab a drink and bites from the on-site taqueria and enjoy a liberated listening experience with works from Dvorak, Bloch, Wiancko and Mendelssohn, among others.
TH (7/11), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave
COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS
Indigo Dye Workshop w/Organic Growers School
This workshop will incorporate the history of the indigo plant, how artists use it today, and how to grow and use indigo on a small scale.
SA (7/6), 2:15pm, R Farm, 1530 New Stock Rd, Weaverville
Change Your Palate Cooking Demo
This free lunchtime food demonstration is open to all but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/or their caretakers. The featured host is Change Your Palate’s very own Shaniqua Simuel.
TU (7/9), noon, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Innerdance: Altered States of Consciousness w/Soundscapes & Energy Work
A healing journey into altered states of consciousness as we flow through brain wave states with soundscapes & energy work.
WE (7/10), 6pm, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Dr, Hendersonville
Marketing Your Business Online Without a Website
Marketing strategist
Sarah Benoit will share the best practices and steps for developing a digital communications ecosystem that is affordable and positions you for success in the future. Register at avl.mx/pry8.
TH (7/11), 10am, Online
THEATER & FILM
The Winter's Tale
A jealous king, an exiled princess, a living statue, and a whole bunch of bears?
Shakespeare’s tragically comedic and comically tragic “The Winter’s Tale” debut on the Moppets stage.
FR (7/5), SA (7/6), SU (7/7), 5pm, Hazel Robinson Amphitheatre, 92 Gay St
Alfred Hitchcock's: The 39 Steps
This fast-paced play is a unique adaptation of the 1935 classic Hitchcock thriller film, infused with a healthy dose of Monty Pythonstyle humor.
FR (7/5), SA (7/6), 7:30pm, SU (7/7), 2:30pm, Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E Walnut St
Footloose
Featuring the exhilarating story of a teenager who challenges the oppressive ban on dancing in a small town, sparking a revolution of youthful rebellion and self-expression.
FR (7/5), SA (7/6),
TH (7/11), 7:30pm,
SU (7/7), 2pm, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville
Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros
A screening of Deep Listening, a new documentary film project on the life and work of American icon Pauline Oliveros. This Screening is free and open to all.
TH (7/11), 7pm, Black Mountain College Museum & Arts Center, 120 College St
MEETINGS & PROGRAMS
Senior Splash
Grab your bathing suit, water bottle, sunscreen, and a towel for a day of swimming. This event is free and open to anyone ages 50+.
WE (7/3), 1pm, Asheville Recreation Park, 65 Gashes Creek Rd
Summer Skate Jam
Show your skating skills and jam to the music. Rent skates for $3 or bring your own.
FR (7/5), 6pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd
Black Out Friday
A monthly celebration of excellence, culture, and community with BIPOC professionals, entrepreneurs, musicians, and artists. This is your space to shine, network, and thrive.
FR (7/5), 6:30pm, Haiku AVL, 26 Sweeten Creek Rd
Sunday Celebration
A Sunday celebration for the spiritual community.
SU (7/7), 11am, Center for Spiritual Living Asheville, 2 Science Mind Way
Stitches of Love
Meeting
Stitches of Love is a small group of stitchers who create a variety of handmade items which are donated to local charities. New members are always welcome
to join.
MO (7/8), 2pm, Panera Bread, 1843 Hendersonville Rd
Why Vegan?
Explore the world of Veganism through this fun and informative group discussion. Learn how to make it work with mentoring and support available and its benefits.
MO (7/8), 5:30pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave
Financial Projection
Basics
Learn why financial projections are an essential step in planning for the future and how it helps you secure the business loan you are looking for. Free with registration at avl.mx/duj.
TU (7/9), noon, Online
Hoop & Flow Arts Jam
Whether you're a seasoned hooper or a beginner, this vibrant event invites everyone to dance, spin, and groove to the music in a welcoming and energetic atmosphere.
TU (7/9), 5:30pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
Kung Fu: Baguazhang
It is the martial arts style that Airbending from the show Avatar: The Last Airbender was based on.
TU (7/9), 1pm and 5:30pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Hendersonville Rockstar Connect Networking
An unforgettable evening of connection and opportunity hosted by Jeff Patterson. This event is all about building meaningful
relationships with people who get things done in Hendersonville.
TU (7/9), 6pm, Trailside Brewing Co, 873 Lennox Park Dr, Hendersonville
Heritage & Hope: Moonshine in the Swannanoa Valley
Discover why this region became a hotspot for illegal distilling, uncover unique local methods, and meet some of the colorful characters who shaped this clandestine trade.
TH (7/11), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, Black Mountain
Dharma Talk: Paul Linn Meditation followed by a dharma talk with Paul Linn teaching Buddhist principles that can be applied to daily life. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.
TH (7/11), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Nerd Nite
A monthly gathering hosted in over 100 cities around the globe. Each month, a rotating cast of knowledgeable characters talk about a topic they are uniquely educated in.
TH (7/11), 7pm, The River Arts District Brewing Co. ,13 Mystery St
GAMES & CLUBS
Bingo on Grove Street
A fun and friendly game of bingo in the community.
FR (7/5), 10:30am, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St
Downtown Asheville Treasure Hunt
Use your treasure map to follow clues, solve puzzles, and crack codes on this unique walking scavenger hunt through Downtown Asheville.
SA (7/6), SU (7/7), 5pm, Dssolvr, 63 N Lexington Ave
KID-FRIENDLY PROGRAMS
Asheville Museum’s Summer of Science Dive into a world of discovery with interactive science activities, including bubbles and noise machines. This family-friendly event promises to engage and entertain all ages with hands-on experiments and demonstrations.
WE (7/3, 10), 5pm, Pritchard Park, 4 College St
Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness.
TH (7/4, 11), MO (7/8), TU (7/9), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave,S te 109
What’s Shaking? Music & Dance Party
A live, interactive 60-minute concert for young people and their adults. Shows include Mr. Ryan’s original poems, songs, and a few classic covers.
SA (7/6), 3pm, Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd
Imagination Monday Children can enjoy giant building blocks, tunnels, and fun games on this special day of open play geared for
ages 1-5 years-old. No advance registration required, adults must accompany children the entire time.
MO (7/8), 10am, Kenilworth Park, 79 Wyoming Rd
LOCAL MARKETS
Etowah Lions Farmers Market
An array of farm-fresh local produce that features lettuce, collards, kale, mushrooms as well as local artisans, herbal products, plant starts, prepackaged meals and more. Every Wednesday through October.
WE (7/3, 10), 3pm, Etowah Lions Club, 447 Etowah School Rd, Hendersonville
RAD Farmers Market
Providing year-round access to fresh local foods from over 30 local vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, pastured meats, cheeses, raw honey, and more. Located right on the Greenway, the market is safely accessible by bike, foot, or rollerblade.
WE (7/3, 10), 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, body care, eclectic handmade goodies, garden and landscaping plants. Open year round.
WE (7/3, 10), 3pm, 60 Lake Shore Dr Weaverville
THANKS FOR VOTING
Enka-Candler Farmer’s Market
A grand selection of local foods and crafts, everything from produce to pickles, baked goods to body care, and even educational resources. Every Thursday through October 31.
TH (7/4, 11), 3:30pm, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler
East Asheville Tailgate Market
2024 X Awards
RESULTS PUBLISH IN AUGUST
Featuring locally grown vegetables, fruits, wild foraged mushrooms, ready made food, handmade body care, bread, pastries, meat, eggs, and more to the East Asheville community since 2007. Every Friday through Nov. 22.
FR (7/5), 3pm, 954 Tunnel Rd
Pack Square Artisan Market
Featuring local handcrafted goods in the heart of downtown Asheville. Browse unique products and meet the folks that produce them. Every Friday through Oct. 25.
FR (7/5), 3pm, 1 South Pack Square Park
Henderson County Tailgate Market
Featuring Henderson County's finest produce, hand crafts, plant starts, vegetables, Sourwood honey, baked goods, fresh eggs, mushrooms, sausage and more. Every Saturday through Oct.
SA (7/6), 8am, 100 N King St, Hendersonville
North Asheville Tailgate Market
The oldest Saturday morning market in WNC, since 1980. Over 60 rotating vendors providing a full range of local, sustainably produced produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, breads, plants and unique crafts.
SA (7/6), 8am, 3300 University Heights
Asheville City Market
Featuring local food products, including fresh produce, meat, cheese, bread, pastries, and other artisan products. Every Saturday through December 21.
A producer-only tailgate market located on the campus of Mars Hill University on College Street. Offering fresh local produce, herbs, cheeses, meats, eggs, baked goods, honey, body care and more. Every Saturday through Oct. 26.
SA (7/6), 10am, College St, 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.
570 Brevard Rd
Junk-O-Rama
Browse vintage clothing vendors, local crafters, antiques and more.
SU (7/7), 11am, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
Asheville Punk Flea Fleetwood's favorite punk market returns featuring records, art, vintage clothing and
more.
SU (7/7), noon, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
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 (7/7), 1pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 West Asheville Tailgate Market
Featuring an array of goods including fruits, vegetables, baked goods, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, poultry, and fish to locally made specialty items such as natural beauty products, herbal medicine and locally made art and crafts.
Every Tuesday through November 26.
TU (7/9), 3:30pm, 718 Haywood Rd
FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS
59th Annual Marshall Rodeo & Fireworks
Annual rodeo show and kids dance contest for family night. Expect
fireworks to celebrate Independence Day on day two.
WE (7/3), TH (7/4), 5:30pm, Madison County Fairgrounds, 330 Carolina Ln, Marshall
4th of July Celebration
This special celebration within the community will feature a parade, patriotic programs, field games, food special music performances.
Bring your favorite dishes to share with your friends and neighbors.
TH (7/4), 10am, Beech Community Center, 15 Sugar Cove Rd, Weaverville
Soul of the South Music Festival
A three-day music festival with popular headliners and special daily guests.
TH (7/4), FR (7/5), SA (7/6), 2pm, Silverados, 2898 US-70, Black Mountain
4th of July Steal the Pint
Celebrate Independence Day at Bold Rock with a very special Steal the Pint. Glasses will be available on a firstcome, first-served basis.
TH (7/4), 11:30am, Bold Rock Hard Cider, 39 N Lexington Ave
Fourth of July Celebration
A memorable Fourth of July celebration that highlights friends, family and freedom. This event will feature live music, food truck delights, specialty drinks, and family-friendly fun.
TH (7/4), 11:30am, Burntshirt Vineyards, 2695 Sugarloaf Rd, Hendersonville Independence Day Block Party
This special Independence Day event will feature live music performances, food trucks, local brews and fireworks. Additionally, there will local vendors, offering unique goods and crafts and a special performance by Ultimate Air Dogs.
TH (7/4), noon, South Slope
July 4th at The Funk
An all day family-friendly block style party in South Slop with live music by Em & The Innocent Mischiefs and The Dirty French Broads.
TH (7/4), 1pm, Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave
Phuncle Sam 4th of July Show
Come celebrate 4th of July with the music of America’s favorite band, played by Asheville’s favorite Grateful Dead tribute band.
TH (7/4), 2pm, The Meadow at Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200
Fourth of July Shindig Celebrate Independence Day with food, live music by Suns of Stars and Sons of Ralph,
inflatable wet slide for kids and bounce houses too. This is a free family-friendly even and you can even watch the fireworks from this location.
TH (7/4), 4pm, Twin Willows, 525 Cascade St, Mars Hill
July 4th Celebration 2024
Family-friendly 4th of July festivities with free hamburgers and hotdogs for the community. Bring a covered dish or potluck style dish.
TH (7/4), 4pm, Sandy Mush Community Center, 19 School Rd, Leicester
Mars Hill July 4th Celebration Festival
Firework celebration featuring food trucks, games and inflatables and music sponsored by the town of Mars Hill.
TH (7/4), 4pm, Mars Hill University Stadium, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill
Shindig on Main: 4th of July Celebration
An unforgettable Independence Day celebration featuring a flag raising ceremony, food trucks, live music, fireworks and a special reading of the Declaration of Independence.
TH (7/4), 4pm, Downtown Brevard, E Main St, Brevard
4th of July Party w/ Rebekah Todd & Co.
Annual 4th of July celebration that features Asheville's own Rebekah Todd and her cosmic soul rock.
A special cook out with grilled up goodies featuring live music from Spill Mill, Colossal Human Failure and Porcelain Parrot to celebrate July 4th.
TH (7/4), 5pm, The Odd, 1045 Haywood Rd
4th of July
Annual 4th of July celebration with fireworks, special food menus and specialty drinks, live music from Kayla McKinney, lawn games, and more.
TH (7/4), 5:30pm, The Horse Shoe Farm, 155 Horse Shoe Farm Rd, Hendersonville Fireworks Viewing Party After Music Bingo
Enjoy a pint while
watching the fireworks, following music bingo night. Mac's burgers will be open for your snacking needs, so bring a chair or blanket for the festivities.
TH (7/4), 6pm, Lookout Brewing Co. 103 S Ridgeway Ave, Black Mountain
July 4th Celebration w/Flashback Band Rock out this Fourth of July with the Flashback Band and special festivities provided from Mills River Brewing.
TH (7/4), 6pm, Mills River Brewing Co., 336 Banner Farm Rd, Mills River
10th Annual July 4
Fireworks Festivities
Featuring activities for children and a concert from Gotcha Groove, performing classic hits, pop favorites, R&B and more. Fireworks will begin at dark, immediately after the concert. Food trucks and beverage vendors will be on site.
TH (7/4), 6:30pm, Bridge Park, 76 Railroad Ave, Sylva 4th of July Fireworks
Beginning at dusk, enjoy a free display of dazzling fireworks. Parking will be available on a first come first server basis.
TH (7/4), 9pm, 205 NC-9, Black Mountain
4th of July w/The Orb
Enjoy a funk and rock show this Fourth of July with members of The Snozzberries, after the fireworks downtown.
TH (7/4), 10pm, One Stop at Asheville Music Hall, 55 College St
FOMO Collective Music Festival w/Juan Holladay, ResoNate & Isa Ibn Wali
An evening of Rap and R&B with special music artists, an art market accompanied by live painters, and a visual installation.
FR (7/5), 6pm, The Getaway River Bar, 790 Riverside Dr
July 4th Plus One
Celebrate Independence day with free watermelon, live DJ music and multiple food trucks. Bring your chairs and blankets for the fireworks that start at dusk.
FR (7/5), 6pm, Sorrells Park Canton, 69 Sorrells Park, Canton
Southside Block Party
Bring a chair or blanket and enjoy a free night of music from DJ Audio as well as food, and fun for the entire family.
FR (7/5), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center, 285 Livingston St
Create Fest
This special event brings diverse communities together through the arts and will feature local artisans, food and libations, live music, networking, and other
family-friendly activities.
SA (7/6), 2:30pm, Trinity United Methodist Church, 587 Haywood Rd
2nd Annual Rock
Hoppin' Ruckus
Second annual Rock
Hoppin' Ruckus presented by Sam Burchfield and featuring special guests.
SA (7/6), 3pm, The Railyard Black Mountain, 141 Richardson Ave, Black Mountain
Lazrluvr Birthday Block Party w/Pleasantly Wild
The street will be blocked for another rocking birthday bash with music from Pleasantly Wild and Lazrluvr, food trucks and more fun.
SA (7/6), 4pm, Oklawaha Brewing Co., 147 1st Ave E, Hendersonville
The Big Crafty
The Big Crafty is back with an inspiring weekend of over 180 of the most wonderful artists, makers, and crafters around. See p40
SA (7/6), SU (7/7), noon, Harrah's Cherokee Center - Asheville, 87 Haywood St
Food Connection 10
Year Celebration
A free family-friendly party to celebrate the Food Connection’s first 10 years of salvaging restaurant and catering leftovers and turning them into meals. There will be live music, food and beverages and some fun prices from food connection. See p39
SU (7/7), 5pm, The Rad Brew Co., 13 Mystery St
Fringe Summer Nights
Pop up performances by Fringe favorites Skysail Theater, Cayla Clark and Justin Evans. All donations go to the artists.
WE (7/10), 6pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd
BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING
Asheville Indepedence Day 5k & Wicked Beer Mile
A special race on Independence Day to kick-off the holiday for friends and family. A portion of each race entry will be donated to support Food Connection.
TH (7/4), 8am, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd
18th Annual Duck Race
The annual fundraiser supports arts programming in Transylvania County. With every Racing Duck Sponsorship, you help TC Arts provide outstanding arts opportunities and cultural events in our vibrant, creative community.
TH (7/4), 6pm, Kings Creek at Brevard College
Battle scars to saddle stars
Veterans find healing by working with horses
BY JESSICA WAKEMAN
The four years that Western North Carolina resident Samantha Simmons served in the U.S. Army crushed her, she says. The physical training was arduous. Her unit leadership was difficult — toxic even. She knew of colleagues who were sexually assaulted and others who died from suicide.
She also had an infant at home and wasn’t sleeping. She experienced postpartum depression, a condition that led her to feel misunderstood and unsupported in the military. Spending weeks at a time away from her child and then-partner was unbearable.
A bright spot in her life was Midsummer Knight, the horse she adopted in 2019, even though she had to wake up at 3 a.m. to muck his stalls before beginning her day as a field medic. Around her gray-dappled horse, the tumult inside her calmed.
“Knight helped me navigate struggles,” she tells Xpress. “Knight helped bring me a sense of stability back.”
Today, Simmons is pursuing a degree in nursing at Haywood Community College, and Midsummer Knight boards at Blackberry Stables in Leicester. However, he’s not only helping Simmons now. He is also part of the healing process for other veterans who participate in the Man With a Horse Project, a nonprofit dedicated to equine-assisted learning and started by Asheville-based Marine Corps veteran Jake LaRue The equine-human bond underpins LaRue’s own healing journey.
Working with horses and other veterans “is what keeps me sane,” he says. He finds the quietude and strength of horses to be grounding.
“They give you immediate feedback for exactly who you are in
that moment,” LaRue says. “You can’t lie to them. If they had opposable thumbs and could hold cards, you’d never win at poker. They’d call every single bluff.”
Adds Simmons, “There really are healing properties to just being with them.”
MISSION FOR HEALING
LaRue’s childhood in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., featured more beaches and fishing than horseback riding. He enlisted in the Marines and studied Arabic and radio operations. After deployments in Kuwait and Somalia, he left active duty in 1992.
Then LaRue started on a downward spiral. In New Orleans, he worked as nightclub security on Bourbon Street. He calls it “an accelerated life,” with constant stimula-
tion from the Big Easy. He became dependent on alcohol and cocaine and struggled with his mental health. He moved to Asheville 13 years ago to be closer to the Charles George Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CGVAMC) and become active in his recovery.
Around this time, LaRue met horse trainer Shannon Knapp at a silent mindfulness and meditation retreat in Hot Springs. They sat beside each other for five days without speaking. But once they did, LaRue says Knapp told him, “‘You’re a veteran. You’re on this mission for healing. Let me show you something that I’m doing.’ And she invited me out to her farm and introduced me to horses.”
Knapp is the founder of Horse Sense of the Carolinas, a 110-acre
HORSE SENSE: Man With a Horse Project, started by Asheville-based U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jake LaRue, pictured, is a nonprofit dedicated to equine-assisted learning. Photo by Caleb Johnson
Magical Offerings
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS!!
7/5: NEW MOON 6:57pm
Reader: Krysta 12-6:30
Merry Meet and Greet 5-7
7/7: Reader: Andrea 12-5
Enhancing End of Life for Pets
3:30-5:30
7/8: Reader: Aimee 1-7
7/9: Reader: Jessica 12-5
7/13: Reader: Edward 12-6
Book Signing w/ Fen Druadin 2-4
property in Marshall that is home to dozens of rescued horses. She is also executive director of the nonprofit Heart of Horse Sense, which focuses on equine-assisted psychotherapy, also called counseling with horses, and trauma-informed equine-assisted learning. Alongside her Air Force veteran husband, Richard Knapp , a licensed clinical social worker and licensed mental health counselor, they’ve served sexual assault, human trafficking and domestic violence survivors, first responders and court-involved youths.
“We became experts in trauma,” she says.
Veterans are another group that experiences trauma. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 29% of veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom will experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their lives, as will 21% of Persian Gulf War veterans. Knapp says she approached CGVAMC around 2008 and proposed working with veterans to address their emotional well-being. That work was so successful that after a few years, Heart of Horse Sense and CGVAMC established a partnership.
The nonprofit has also worked with veterans through the Veterans Healing Farm, Aura Home for Women Vets and AshevilleBuncombe Community Christian Ministry Veterans Quarters, among others. Those served include Gold Star families (the immediate families of people who died while serving in the military), survivors of military sexual trauma, combat veterans, spouses of combat veterans and spouses of veterans who died by suicide.
LaRue took Knapp up on her invitation to visit Horse Sense of the Carolinas, and he bonded so strongly with the horses that he came on as a veteran volunteer. His passion and commitment eventually got him hired to work there, which he still does. He earned a degree in social work at Western Carolina University and certifications in equine-assisted therapy and learning, or EAGALA, at Horse Sense of the Carolinas’ training program. Together, LaRue and Knapp have developed programs for Heart of Horse Sense such as Wild Bunch.
“The Wild Bunch is where we would take in horses that had never been touched,” Knapp explains. “They were basically backyard horses that no one had ever messed with. They got grain once a day, but nobody had ever touched them. …
MANE MAN: U.S. Army veteran Samantha Simmons, featured, says being around her gray-dappled horse, Midsummer Knight, “helped me navigate struggles.” Photo by Caleb Johnson
We thought, ‘We’ll take those horses and we’ll partner them with veterans for mutual healing.’” Knapp’s instinct was spot-on. “‘This is amazing,’” LaRue recalls thinking. “It’s been so significant in my own healing process. How do I share this with other veterans?”
Three years ago, he decided to start his own program pairing veterans with horses.
WILD HORSES
LaRue hoped to run Man With a Horse Project from Horse Sense of the Carolinas. But, Knapp says with a laugh, they already had 28 horses and no room to spare. For a time, he operated out of Shaman
Hill Cultural Center in Alexander. In April, he found rental space with Full Moon Equestrian, located at Blackberry Stables, a boarding facility in Leicester.
Currently the program works with two horses, Simmons’ Midsummer Knight and LaRue’s Blackjack, as well as six lesson ponies from Blackberry Stables. But in August, they will be joined by LaRoux — yes, a horse with the same name as LaRue — and Caesar, who are both wild horses.
LaRue-the-human met Caesar and LaRoux-the-horse while operating retreats for Man With a Horse Project near Sand Wash Basin in Colorado, where he brings WNCbased veterans to for five-day retreats hosted with riding
tor Lori Araki from The Middle Way. Her nonprofit provides equine-assisted therapy and a horse sanctuary in Fairplay, Colo.
Sand Wash Basin is home to a herd of wild horses, also called mustangs, who live on land owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM). According to the BLM blog, the Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area experiences “overutilization of food and water resources” by the herd. LaRue learned that the “excess” wild horses, as they are referred to by the BLM blog, are rounded up and captured via helicopter. They are then kept in long-term holding until they are adopted or sold.
LaRoux and Caesar were captured in 2020; LaRue bid on LaRoux at auction in 2021 and met him the following year. He says he intentionally acquired LaRoux’s sibling Caesar so as not to separate the family.
LaRue became interested in the wild horses’ plight while recovering from injuries from a motorcycle accident in 2021. He learned that after being captured, the wild horses have to interact with humans, with whom they’ve previously had little to no contact and whom they perceive as apex predators. LaRue saw the experience wild horses endure as traumatizing. And as a veteran, he also found it relatable.
“In order for them to thrive in the new environment, they have to learn a different set of rules,” he tells Xpress. “They have to apply a different set of standards, they have to get along with a demographic that does not understand where they’re coming from. Veterans experience the same thing.”
LaRue adds, “And on top of that, we’re both really used to getting screwed over by the government that made a commitment to take care of us.”
SHARED EXPERIENCES: Jake LaRue, pictured hugging his horse Blackjack, says veterans and wild horses have a lot in common. “We’re both really used to getting screwed over by the government that made a commitment to take care of us,” he says. Photo by Caleb Johnson
’SOUL INJURY’
LaRue says he prefers not to think of PTSD as a clinical disorder, but as a “soul injury” that shattered pieces of his soul. He never really took to talk therapy (also known as cognitive behavioral therapy), he says, adding that many veterans share his disinclination. Some fear a stigma attached to mental health struggles,
Equinox Ranch is a comprehensive program which empowers combat veterans that struggle with the daily hardships of readjusting to civilian life. Please read more about us at www.equinoxranch.org
We welcome your donations to help us, help veterans.
especially among a demographic extolled for being tough, while others don’t want to endure anguished remembrances, such as the experience of being wounded or the deaths of friends. LaRue also says there is a feeling that psychologists who don’t have military experience can’t relate or understand.
Wild horses are wild animals and can have a reputation for
being untamable. But like veterans surviving each day with both visible and invisible trauma-inflicted wounds, they require patience. Simmons, the Army veteran, notes that Midsummer Knight had been abused by his previous owners, and he didn’t allow her to touch his face for 18 months. Wild horses aren’t necessarily untamable, LaRue explains — they have simply been free-roaming their entire lives. They need to learn to trust humans more than they follow “their instinct to flee from us.”
In August, LaRue will head to Colorado with a horse trailer and eight veterans. He’ll return with his two mustangs. After an adjustment period, he says they’ll immediately begin working with Man With a Horse participants. He hopes to transport other wild horses to WNC in the future.
LaRoux and Caesar are sweet-tempered, LaRue says, and will be ideal for “positive reinforcement-based horsemanship,” meaning horsemanship that does not rely on force, fear and intimidation.
Veterans will strengthen their skills in self-regulation and self-control while training the mustangs on behaviors that domestic horses may take to more readily, such as being led on a lead, LaRue says. Simmons, who attended a Man With a Horse retreat in Colorado in 2023, found this work to be exactly what she needed to address her PTSD.
That’s the healing that LaRue endeavors to spread.
“Horses don’t worry about what kind of English you’re speaking,” he says. “They don’t care about your story. They don’t [think], ‘Hey, that’s that guy with PTSD, who went to jail, who got in trouble with this, who has a history of drug addiction.’ … Horses are like the ultimate Buddhists. They live in the now all the time.” X P.O. Box 2586 Cullowhee, NC 28723 828-356-8307 equinox.ranch@yahoo.com
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ARTS & CULTURE
‘It’s my civic duty’ The art of singing the national anthem at McCormick Field
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN
No matter how many times she does it, Amanda Gentry still gets nervous whenever she sings “The StarSpangled Banner” before Asheville Tourists baseball games.
To counter those emotions and keep herself grounded before stepping onto McCormick Field in front of 4,000 people, she’s developed a preperformance routine.
“I walk down to the stadium bathroom and have, like, five minutes to myself,” Gentry says. “I don’t have to go to the bathroom. I just go stand down there and gather my thoughts and get quiet.”
The ritual helps Gentry get in the right mindset to deliver a strong performance. Her consistency has also earned her a spot in the stable of reliable vocalists that the team’s promotions manager, Alyssa Quirk,
and promotions assistant Tess Boatwright call on to lead off each home game. And with 66 such events each season, there’s the potential for a wide variety of voices.
STEP RIGHT UP
Every year on a Saturday in midMarch, the Tourists hold national anthem auditions at McCormick Field. The date is posted on the team’s website, promoted through social media and advertisements, and typically attracts enough candidates to warrant a four-hour window. One by one, the singers go through the song while Quirk, Boatwright and a few other judges take notes, prioritizing certain qualities.
“One of the big things, even though you’re singing into a microphone, is being able to project. You’re not facing the crowd, and it can be hard for some people to hear,” Boatwright
says. “And second, it’s a respect thing, so making sure they’re doing normal national anthem things.”
She adds that singers aren’t required to be local, which leads to hopefuls driving in from as far as Charlotte to audition. Nearly everyone performs solo, but a few quartets and church choirs have made the cut, as well as the Asheville Gay Men’s Chorus.
Hearing the same song sung numerous times can result in a challenging day for the judges. But the repetitive and amplified nature of the tryout has also attracted impromptu participation. One afternoon in 2010, David Bradley’s then 9-year-old son was playing an Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association game at Memorial Stadium, just up the hill from McCormick Field. While there, the familiar tune grabbed the elder Bradley’s ear.
“[My wife and I] kept hearing the national anthem sung, like, 25 times while his soccer game was going on. And so we drove back down there to see what was going on, and they were having tryouts to sing,” Bradley says. “I didn’t know anything about it. I just ran in, found out what was going on and ran back out to my wife and son and said, ‘Hey, are y’all OK if I just run in there and do a test run real quick?’”
There was no wait at that point, so Bradley went in and sang. The Tourists’ reps told him they liked what they heard and would be in touch. Since then, he’s performed “The StarSpangled Banner” at multiple games each season, as has Gentry.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
Gentry and Bradley grew up singing in their respective churches and have a long history of performing the national anthem. Gentry sang it before multiple City of Asheville and Buncombe County ceremonies, and Bradley was frequently tapped to sing before basketball games while he was an undergraduate at King College (now King University) in Bristol, Tenn.
Bradley says the biggest detail that he keeps in mind when approaching “The Star-Spangled Banner” is that the word “free” — the song’s highest note, which awaits in its penultimate line, “O’er the land of the free” — is one octave higher than the “O” in the opening line “O say, can you see.”
“So, start the note that you think you’re going to start on, and then
been singing the national anthem before games at McCormick Field for over 20 years.
make sure that you can hit the octave higher,” he says. “If you can’t, you’re not in your good range [and should start on a lower note]. If you’ve ever heard somebody butcher the national anthem, they did not check that octave thing.”
Staying reverential to the song and its meaning is what steers each of Gentry’s performances. Her high school voice teacher instructed her to “just sing it the way it’s supposed to be sung,” and she’s followed that advice in the 22 years she’s been at McCormick Field and anywhere else she’s asked to lend her vocal talents. “I don’t do anything weird that you’ll hear people do to it,” Gentry says. “I just sing it the way it has been written.”
HOME OF THE BRAVE: Amanda
Gentry has
Photo by Tony Farlow
MINDFUL MUSIC: Navy veteran Chuck Killian says singing the national anthem at McCormick Field “reminds me what it’s all about.”
Photo by Sharon Killian
CURVEBALLS
Neither performer has heard any especially unusual renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” at McCormick Field, but Bradley recalls hearing several country-music-inspired versions at games he’s attended exclusively as a fan, as well as an instrumental quartet interpretation by the Montreatbased group The Tarnished Brass. “And sometimes you get the really cool [experience] of hearing like a 6or 7-year-old sing it, who’s got a heck of a voice,” Bradley says. “You’re just like, ‘Whoa!’ And even if they butcher it, you just go, ‘Hey, that’s a 6- or 7-year-old. That’s cool. What courage it took to get up and sing in front of that many people.’”
Every now and then, Bradley is tempted to toss in a vocal embellishment. But other than one instance
when he followed his gut instinct and invited the crowd to sing with him, he resists messing with a straightforward approach.
“I’m not going to pull out a Whitney Houston version because I don’t have a Whitney Houston voice,” he says. “If I really tried to ham it up, my voice might crack — and I don’t think I want to do that when I’m trying to do the anthem.”
On the day of the performance, Bradley will refresh himself with the lyrics and say them aloud to himself, including while driving to the stadium.
“It’s a song that you do know, and so unless your nerves get the best of you, you’re going to be fine and you’re going to remember what the words are,” he says. “But sometimes, if I’m feeling worried about that day, I will have [the words] on my phone, down at my leg, just in case.”
In the initial minutes when he’s on the field, while the players are being introduced, Bradley uses the preperformance time to start breathing deeply. Then, once Boatwright or Quirk hands Bradley the microphone, he has the air support to start strong and get through the song with a consistent vocal sound.
“That’s kind of my ritual,” he says. “Maybe I’ll get a hot dog while I’m waiting before, but most of the time I wait to eat until afterward.”
Such refreshments are typically enjoyed with friends and family. Though national anthem singers are not paid for their services, they receive four complimentary tickets to the game in the reserved box seats close to home plate.
VETERAN STATUS
Singing the national anthem holds a special significance for Navy veteran and North Asheville resident Chuck Killian
“It reminds me of what it’s all about,” he says. “It’s a big deal for me — it really is.”
PATRIOTIC PERKS: People who perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” at McCormick Field receive four complimentary tickets to the game. David Bradley, left, typically brings his family (pictured) or tennis friends with him. Photo courtesy of Bradley
While out on the field, he feels that he’s representing others who’ve served in the military, including those in the Buncombe County Veterans Treatment Court. A retired CPA, Killian is currently the treasurer for the organization, a voluntary, court-supervised, intensive treatment court for U.S. military veterans charged with misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony offenses who are struggling with addiction, mental illness and/or co-occurring disorders.
Killian, who’s about to turn 79, has been performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” since the age of 13. He takes a straightforward approach to the song and strives to keep the tempo active.
Like Bradley, Killian says that finding a starting note that allows one to stay within his or her range is key to a successful rendition. And for his McCormick Field debut in 2018, he had a piano app ready on his phone to help him find that initial note.
However, the night also happened to be the one when the Tourists honored Crash Davis, the character played by Kevin Costner in Bull Durham, who ends his career in Asheville. Lured by free commemorative jerseys and other incentives, the capacity crowd gave Killian a particularly raucous welcome. The noise prevented him from hearing the app, but he did his best and powered through.
“I’m not sure what note I started on,” he recalls with a laugh. “I just
had to make it up. I certainly have a top to my range, and you don’t want to start too high when you’re a bass.”
PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
For those interested in auditioning for singing duties at McCormick Field, all three vocalists highly recommend lots of practice and seeking out opportunities to perform the national anthem at smaller functions rather than make one’s debut before a few thousand people at the ballpark.
Once you’re out on the field, back to the crowd and facing the outfield with a microphone in your hand, the immensity of the situation is bound to set in — but Gentry stresses that “you just have to tune it out.”
“I think you have to just get quiet in your head,” she says. “Some people want to close their eyes and find a happy place. For me, it’s fixating my eyes on the flag, and then I put my hand over my heart and just go with it. Once you start, there’s no going back.”
Gentry’s reliability has made her one of the Tourists’ top substitutes when other vocalists have had to reschedule. One time, she was given 20 minutes’ notice, walked in, sang and walked right back out. And she’d do it again if asked.
“To me, [singing is] a God-given talent, and if God gives you a talent to use, you might as well do it,” she says. “And if it’s the national anthem, I feel like it’s my civic duty.” X
Dialing for dollars
BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN
Asheville-based glass artist Kathryn Adams describes individual creatives like herself as “smaller than a small business — more like a microbusiness.” In addition to serving as their own marketer, accountant and inventory specialist, artists also have to look out for opportunities to grow their enterprises.
“Nobody’s going to hold your hand and help you work up the ladder of being an artist,” she says. “You don’t necessarily have a big community of people that you’re seeing at work every single day. It can be isolating.”
And when it comes to applying for grants, it can also be frustrating because what might sound like exciting opportunities may turn out to be off-limits due to requirements concerning things like ethnicity or location.
In 2019, however, Adams learned about the N.C. Arts Council’s Artist Support Grants and attended an informational session. The grants, which range from $500 to $3,000 and target both emerging and established artists, can be used to help recipients create work, improve their business operations or bring their art to new audiences. The Haywood County Arts Council is the lead administrator for Region 17, which serves Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Polk, Rutherford and Transylvania counties.
The grants, she explains, support things “that can impact your practice and impact your income. I don’t know any other opportunities like it.”
In 2023, Adams asked for about $1,000 to buy torches, gas lines and regulators for a “hot popping” setup that’s used to finish the cups in her production line. She’d been renting the equipment, and her application detailed how owning it would greatly streamline her working process. As one of 14 Buncombe County artists awarded support in the 2023-24 cycle, Adams has high praise for the program, saying, “After applying and receiving [a grant], I will do nothing but encourage my friends to do it.”
Artist grants can offer key support
DISMANTLING BARRIERS
Rebecca Lynch of ArtsAVL, formerly known as the Asheville Area Arts Council, says her organization uses artist feedback to gauge the success of its grant programs. Every recipient, she says, is required to submit a final report that can help her and her colleagues more fully understand what the project accomplished and what challenges, if any, had to be overcome.
“We’re hosting our first-ever grantee celebration at the end of June,” notes Lynch, the agency’s development and grants director. “We awarded 97 grants this year, so it’s an opportunity to gather together and really see that collective
impact that this group of arts organizations, arts businesses and individual artists is having in this community.”
Although Arts Build Community grants are also open to individual artists, she says it’s mostly organizations that wind up applying. Yet another program, titled Arts for Schools, targets artists who are partnering with local entities to teach classes or conduct residencies.
To make these grants more accessible and user-friendly for artists, ArtsAVL implemented a Google Form application process. And while applying for an Artist Support Grant requires a few hours of work, including uploading several documents and photos, Lynch says the application for Arts Build Community grants — which are aimed at projects benefiting underserved communities — is very short.
“It’s who are you, write us a paragraph about what you’re doing, give us a budget,” she explains. “There’s little or minimal in the way of attachments. We want this to be something that can be completed fairly quickly and not be a long, exhaustive process.”
LEARNING CURVE
Making it easy for artists to apply is also a priority for Buncombe County’s fledgling Creative Equity Mural Project, which funds art that conveys themes of racial equity, reconciliation and restoration. Projects selected for funding will adorn the exterior walls of county buildings. Rachael Sawyer, the county’s director of strategic partnerships, says that when she and her colleagues issued an initial request for proposals in October 2022, it was long and full of legalese.“When we drafted it and started sharing it around with others for input, we heard feedback very quickly and very strongly that that is not going to interest or be accessible to artists,” she reports. In response, the team pivoted, creating a webpage and informational video, and using the county’s Instagram account to reach out to local artists. “So it was showing up in people’s feeds, which is a different way of getting information than participating in
TOAST OF THE TOWN: Asheville-based glass artist Kathryn Adams received an N.C. Arts Council Artist Support Grant to enhance her business. Photo by Eric Thompson
government procurement program.” But the problems didn’t end there.
Asheville-based artist Jared Wheatley’s proposed mural — one of three chosen for the inaugural round — was slated for the wall of a parking deck at 164 College St. To ensure that the project was factually correct and culturally sensitive, however, the contract required him to consult with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and have them sign off on the design, county spokesperson Kassi Day told Xpress. Wheatley is a member of the Oklahomabased Cherokee Nation, which is separate from the Eastern Band.
“They wanted all of this done in a year,” he says, “and I wanted to get it to them in a year. But it’s taken hundreds of years to belittle and remove our culture from this land. To ask an artist to bring together all these different communities … and bring together a mural inside of a year, that’s a lot to ask a community to digest, and that’s really difficult to ask one member of a community to lead that conversation.”
Feeling hamstrung both by the process and by what he calls the county’s “lack of understanding about the challenges that Indigenous members of our community face,” Wheatley did not submit an approved design or request an extension by the March 31 deadline, and the contract expired.
TRY, TRY AGAIN
Lynch of ArtsAVL has been writing grants professionally for 20 years, and she sympathizes with befuddled first-time applicants and those who feel that the time invested on a gamble could be better spent elsewhere. But creatives, she maintains, have an “openness to rejection,” understanding that only a small percentage of gallery submissions or publication queries is likely to be accepted.
“Not everything that you put into the kiln is going to come out a success. Not every song that you write is going to land with your audience,” says Lynch, adding, “We’ve got to put it out there. We’ve got to create. We’ve got to do it and then hope for the best.”
To encourage that kind of resilience, the organization tries to give helpful feedback to unsuccessful applicants. Proposals are initially reviewed by ArtsAVL staff to make sure the projects are both eligible and feasible. After that, a review panel consisting of three to five experienced arts community volunteers scores them and, if the proposal is denied, often gives the artist tips on how to submit a stronger application in the next grant cycle.
“If it’s a no, we want it to be, hopefully, ‘Not right now, but come back with some improvements,’” notes Lynch, who’s now in her second year
at ArtsAVL. “I’ve seen a couple of these grant cycles go and have seen that happen. An organization came in that was new, had a really exciting [proposal], and we gave them some feedback. And then this year they received a grant for the project.”
TIME WELL SPENT
Perseverance has also proved key for Asheville-based painter Joseph Pearson, who’s had some success with grant proposals. He received PollockKrasner Foundation grants in both
1998 and 2006, among other awards. The foundation is based in New York City, and though the application process was time-consuming, he says it was ultimately time well spent.
“The impact was substantial,” Pearson reports. “They were a boost to my professional credibility as well as to my confidence. They provided financial support in times of need that paid for the supplies necessary to do my work, which allowed me to continue to hone my craft.”
Like Adams, Pearson encourages artists who’ve never applied for a grant to do their homework and ask questions well in advance of the submission deadline. Lynch agrees, advising prospective applicants to peruse ArtsAVL’s list of prior grant recipients and contact anyone with whom they might have a connection. And when it’s time to apply, says Lynch, “Keep it simple.”
Often, she continues, “Creatives come to the table with a lot of big ideas. And we’re not going to be able to fund that entire vision and all of those ideas. So think about that: If I were to get $1,000 or $2,500, what concrete piece of this big vision and idea I have is the piece that I want to ask for support for?” X
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THE LONG GAME: Grants have proven key to Asheville-based painter Joseph Pearson’s career. Photo by Caleb Johnson
Arthur or Not Arthur? Landmark Kinks album inspires Chris Tullar’s ‘Not Arthur’
BY BILL KOPP
An acclaimed late 1960s concept album provided the inspiration for a local songwriter to conceive, record and stage a concept album all his own. Counterintuitively, Chris Tullar’s Not Arthur bears almost no similarity whatsoever to The Kinks’ 1969 Arthur LP. But that hasn’t stopped him from staging a live premiere of Not Arthur, preceded by a start-to-finish performance of Arthur. The one-night-only concert takes place Saturday, July 6, at The Grey Eagle.
WHY THE KINKS?
Legendary British rock band The Kinks are revered for their early classics: proto-garage rockers like “All Day and All of the Night” and “You Really Got Me.” Their hits continued into the 1970s (“Lola”) and even the ’80s (“Come Dancing”), and the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Primary songwriter Ray Davies’ lyrics often reflect a distinctly English perspective. Sometimes, even British fans didn’t quite get what Davies was trying to convey. In practical terms, that means that while the group’s seventh studio album, Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), is today held in high esteem among critics, at the time of its release it fared poorly among the record-buying public.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: Chris Tullar based his original concept album Not Arthur on the song titles from The Kinks’ landmark 1969 LP Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). The Remantlists present a live premiere of the work at The Grey Eagle on Saturday, July 6. Image courtesy of Tullar
As originally conceived, Arthur was planned as the soundtrack for a TV special that ultimately was never completed nor aired. But Davies wrote more than a dozen songs, and the Kinks’ conceptually oriented Arthur LP arrived in shops in October 1969. One single from the 12-song record, “Victoria,” made it to No. 30 on the U.K. charts but wasn’t even released Stateside.
(formerly of Modern Strangers) suggested they work together on a creative project. “I’d never really collaborated before,” he says.
TIMELINE OF A CONCEPT
But Tullar agreed, and when Cahill asked him to come up with an idea, he randomly decided to use a classic album as a kind of writing prompt. He recalls thinking, “Let’s take a concept album and just use the song titles to make a new album.” Tullar says that Cahill found a list of the greatest concept albums, including The Who’s Tommy and Quadrophenia, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and others, then simply picked one he hadn’t heard.
“In an age when people can’t even get through a song without skipping to the next one in their playlist, it’s grounding to have something that’s designed to be listened to start to finish,” Tullar says.
And for him, that aesthetic carries over to live performance as well. “I’m not all that interested in going to see bands just play a loose collection of songs; I want it to be more of an experience. I want spectacle,” he says. Those principles would guide the creation of Not Arthur
All of which makes Arthur quite a left-field choice for inspiration for Tullar, leader of progressive pop group Carpal Tullar. He says that the kernel of the idea came two years ago when drummer Courtney Cahill
The two enlisted guitarist Troy Crosley, Cahill’s former bandmate in Modern Strangers. Crosley brought with him experience staging live shows — he’s a primary mover in the Asheville-based Rocky Horror Music Show.
But almost as soon as writing began, Cahill bowed out. So Tullar and Crosley largely developed the project with drummer Evan Scott Tullar completed the writing phase
of Not Arthur in August 2022, and recording began in 2023. By early June of this year, the sessions were finished — almost.
“Just this morning, I added charango [an Andean stringed instrument] and accordion,” Tullar says with a chuckle. “The album is going to be mastered in a couple of weeks, and we’re still adding, still coming up with ideas.”
NOT AT ALL ARTHUR
Tullar confesses to only a passing familiarity with the album upon which his original concept is built. Moreover, he insisted that his collaborators avoid listening to Arthur during the creation phase. “These guys had never even heard ‘Victoria’ on the radio,” Tullar says.
Using 12 existing song titles (for example, “She’s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina”) as the basis for an original work is an idiosyncratic approach, but it worked in the case of Not Arthur. Tullar and his writing partners crafted a narrative that’s in the rock opera tradition of fantastical and convoluted, yet entertaining. Tullar used only the song titles to create completely new songs. Neither the music nor the lyrics for Not Arthur quote from The Kinks’ album, nor do they reference The Kinks or their music in any way.
As with any conceptual work, distilling the story down to a paragraph is nearly impossible, but Tullar gives it his best shot. “Our main character, Arthur, is a disgruntled prog-rock deejay who’s been fired,” Tullar explains, noting that the character is “very loosely based” on Asheville deejay Brian Blades. “This obsessed deejay gets inducted into a Cult of the Sacred Sequence. He gets totally brainwashed by an audiotape with this perfect sequence of notes. Arthur eventually gets flown to Australia, where he’s been given a mission to
play it at a festival and brainwash everybody.” Arthur has an archnemesis, Mandolina, who herself is a musician. The only way to destroy her is to make the crowd lose interest in her.
“OK, so it is convoluted,” Tullar concludes. “It should be.”
The performing lineup for the Not Arthur premiere includes members of Carpal Tullar, plus Ian Reardon and Chris Carter from Alarm Clock Conspiracy, Andrew Thelston and the Ska City horn section. As the musicians began preparing the stage show, they decided that for its debut, the performance would be music only. No libretto, no narration, no actors. “But I would really like Not Arthur to eventually get to a point where it becomes a real stage show,” Tullar says.
Not Arthur will initially be available exclusively in digital form. “It’d be nice to have a physical format, too,” Tullar muses, pausing to think on it. “I could put it on a flash drive,” he announces. “Somebody give me $5.”
With the show date looming, Tullar knew he had to come up with a name for the group that would perform Arthur and Not Arthur. “I thought about calling us The Dismantlists because we’re dismantling something that exists,” he says. “But then I thought, ‘Remantlists,’ because we’re making something else.” X
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The Remantlists performing The Kinks’ Arthur and debuting Not Arthur
The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., thegreyeagle.com
Saturday, July 6, 8 p.m. $15
From the heart
An Asheville nurse shares her combat experience through song
BY GINA SMITH
U.S. Air Force veteran and nurse Michelle Dolan doesn’t have a background in music. She doesn’t even consider herself to be a particularly avid music enthusiast. But that didn’t stop her from expressing one of her most poignant military combat memories in song.
This spring, the Tennessee-based, veteran-focused nonprofit Freedom Sings USA selected Dolan, a primary care nurse manager at Charles George V.A. Medical Center in East Asheville, as one of 10 nurses from across the U.S. — all armed forces veterans — to participate in a three-day music therapy retreat in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Participants were paired with professional songwriters to create original songs capturing some of their most unforgettable military experiences.
For Dolan, a Mills River resident who served 11 ½ years in the Air Force — including two tours as a combat medic in an intensive care ward at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan — the inspiration came from memories of a severely injured little girl and the indelible impression she made on her military caregivers. Working with Nashville songwriter Wil Nance, who has penned hits for musicians such as Brad Paisley and George Strait, Dolan wrote the song “Zahara,” which debuted on May 15 performed by singer Lauren Mascitti on the album From the Battlefield to the Bedside Dolan says that, as a veteran, she relates to each of the other nine songs on the album. “You may not have been in the same country as them, you may not have been doing the same job, but some of the things they’ve seen, some of their stories, you know exactly what they’re talking about; you can feel their pain, feel what they did and saw,” she explains. “Because in your own experience, you’ve seen the same thing somewhere else.”
Dolan spoke recently with Xpress about her songwriting adventure and the inspiration behind “Zahara.” This interview has been condensed for length and edited for clarity.
Xpress: What inspired you to apply for the Freedom Sings USA program?
Dolan: They were looking for someone who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan, who was in the medical field during that time, and I met all the criteria. They had a brief description about what it was, working with the songwriter to come up with the song. And for some reason, instantly, it made me want to reminisce, you know? And I think working at the VA has brought that out of me — I just started at the VA this past August. Being around the veterans and carrying that pride with me to work about being a veteran, I’m able to somehow relate to my patients a little bit easier, I think. And when I saw that advertisement, I was like, “Oh, it would be nice to talk about some things that I went through and kind of reminisce about my deployments.”
Can you talk a bit about the three-day songwriting retreat in Murfreesboro?
The setting was in a church. They had all this camera equipment, a backdrop and mic and lighting and stuff set up. And [they had us answer] questions to see what we think this is really going to do for us or what we think it’s about. … And then we met each other and all the songwriters who were volunteering for this process, and they paired us up with the songwriters — world-class songwriters who have award-winning songs in Nashville or elsewhere.
[On the second day] we went to separate rooms and sat down with the songwriters. My person — his name was Wil Nance — he said, “Just tell me about yourself. Tell me about your experience in the military.” And so I just kind of started spouting off all these different things, because I didn’t know what he wanted to hear. But I told him, there’s one thing that I always go back to; one thing I always get choked up with when I talk to someone else about this experience: It was this little girl named Zahara. So we sat down and wrote different verses of the song and the chorus and pieced it all together within a day, just within hours. It was a fast process. … Then, at the end of the day, we had a concert just for us. We sat on the stage with our songwriter, and they played their guitar and sang the song for us and for everybody. … The next day, we had an exit interview with the camera crew: How was
the experience? What did you think about it? What did you get out of it? What are you going to bring back? Could you summarize Zahara’s story?
Zahara was a little girl — a local [Afghan] national. To my knowledge, she was 4 years old. The story I was told was that she was held up as a shield when the Taliban attacked her village, and something hit her head and must have scalped her; it didn’t seem to have caused any brain damage. They ended up having to take skin grafts from her leg and put on her head. So she was [in the hospital] for several months. It was all Air Force people in this section of the hospital, and we were basically raising her. Either her dad or her uncle was also there with her.
She was learning some English words, and we were learning some Afghani words, and toward the end of her stay, we were potty training her. … When she got the care she needed from us, they were going to discharge her, because they did have local health care for them outside of Bagram Airfield. … And either her dad or her uncle, whoever was with her, was basically begging us not to let them go, because he was in fear that once they went home, the Taliban were going to come back and kill them. So it was like a knife to the heart, when you’ve taken care of this little girl for so long, day in and day out, and then you can’t do anything to keep her from going home.
You never heard anything else about her after that?
No. I actually reached out to a couple of people I was deployed with, and one of them was like, “Did you find out what happened to her?” And I said, “No, I didn’t.” And she
said, “No, me either.” A lot of times, people do keep in contact and follow people that they meet when they’re deployed, and other times it’s just kind of a memory. An unfortunate memory.
What did you think of the recorded version of “Zahara” when you heard it for the first time?
I thought it was just beautiful. It reminded me of being in church. I am not a churchgoer, but I did go to church when I was a kid with my grandparents, and it just kind of gave me that feeling. It’s just a comforting, beautiful, heartwarming song. I mean, it was sad, but to me, it was heartwarming. I don’t know that it was closure but, you know, you have all these thoughts and feelings about your past, and it was just a way of wrapping it all up into one story. And that was really nice.
Is there anything else you want to share about the album or the Freedom Sings USA experience?
I would just say that the people that volunteer for this program are amazing. They want to provide basically a listening ear for anybody who wants to join the program. You don’t have to be musically inclined to do this.
Like with anything that could be therapeutic, it may open some wounds and bring experiences back to you that you maybe didn’t think would bother you. But it is a good experience overall. … You don’t have to see a counselor or go to therapy; this is a way of letting it out. Some people journal, some people draw, but if you like music, especially, this is a great outlet.
To listen to “Zahara” and for more on the album From the Battlefield to the Bedside and the nonprofit Freedom Sings USA, visit avl.mx/dtz. X
MUSIC THERAPY: U.S. Air Force veteran Michelle Dolan says her job as a primary care nurse manager at Charles George V.A. Medical Center contributed to her interest in sharing her combat experiences through music. Photo by Vance Janes
What’s new in food
New Woodfin shop makes fresh tortillas daily
North meets south at 175 Weaverville Road in Woodfin, the site of the recently opened Tortillas La Regia. Luz Salazar Maldonado grew up in Monterrey in northern Mexico, where flour tortillas are the norm. Her husband, Martin Maldonado, is from southern Mexico, where corn tortillas rule.
With the help of their adult children, the couple have created tortilla harmony at the small tortilleria, where on May 19, they invited the community to stop by, say hello and sample both types of tortillas at their opening day celebration.
The couple raised their five children in the home they bought in Weaverville in 2008. Luz had a licensed home child care business and was a certified nursing assistant at Mission Hospital; Martin worked as a carpenter, putting his dream of opening a tortilla shop on hold.
In August 2021, tragedy struck when their 27-year-old daughter, Luz
Berenice Maldonado, who was living in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, went missing in the flooding of the Cuale River following Hurricane Nora. “We flew there and searched for her for a month,” Luz recalls. “She is still missing, and as her mother, I never give up hope.”
The entire family was devastated, and Luz was overwhelmed by her grief. But a visit to a tortilla factory in Mexico reminded her of how much she had missed the fresh flour tortillas she grew up with, and she saw a potential path for healing, bringing the family together and honoring Luz Berenice.
“There are many places [in Asheville] to get fresh corn tortillas, but not flour ones,” she says. “I told Martin we could do this if we could make both.” The couple took over the Woodfin space in February and did the buildout themselves.
Assembling the tortilla machine they ordered from Mexico was another matter. “One of my sons reads every single instruction; my husband just dives in and starts putting things together,” she says. “The rest of us just watched and prayed it would work!”
The flour tortillas are made from her grandmother’s recipe. The couple did multiple test runs to get it right and figure out how to package them. Local chickens benefited from their errors and still do. “I put a notice on Facebook about tortillas we couldn’t sell, and a lady still comes and gets them every week for her chickens and brings us eggs,” says Luz. She also trades tortillas for macarons with neighboring business Beeswax and Butter.
Tortillas La Regia’s logo and name also pay tribute to Luz Berenice — her image is at the center of the graphic, and “Regia” identifies a woman from Monterrey.
For now, the shop sells packages of corn and flour tortillas, fried tortilla chips, enchilada sauce and three types of house-made salsa. Luz says the business may eventually expand to include tamales and more prepared foods, but for now, the family has found purpose and happiness in bringing local tortilla fans to their door.
Tortillas Le Regia is at 175 Weaverville Road. For more information, visit the business on Facebook at avl.mx/dua.
Bean roaster adds coffee shop
Four years ago, Cooperative Coffee Roasters took over the lower level of the Haywood Road building in East West Asheville that previously housed Urban Orchard Cider Co.’s cider-making facility. Now owners Katie and Matthew McDaniel are expanding their bean-to-bag business to bean-to-cup with the May 23 opening of Cooperative Coffee Shop in the roastery’s upstairs space.
Since 2020, the couple have been steadily growing their wholesale and online retail business but were surprised — and delighted — when people made their way in person to the roastery. “In the last year, we had walk-in customers want to buy bags of coffee,” Matthew says. “It wasn’t part of our flow, but abstractly, Katie and I felt like it would be a good idea to open a coffee shop to help grow our identity.”
Opportunity knocked when Urban Orchard closed its West Asheville tasting room in 2023, making the street-level part of the building available. The McDaniels decided to go all in, working with Mountain BizWorks to buy the entire building.
They took possession in January and began a makeover to match their vibe. “What worked great for a bar at night didn’t work for an early-morning coffee shop.” The 20 indoor seats are supplemented with 20 more on the front deck and five picnic tables in the rear courtyard.
Drinks include drip coffee to highlight Cooperative’s single-origin beans, classic espresso drinks, nitro cold brew, chai and matcha lattes plus four taps pouring coffee and other seasonally rotating beverages, including a hibiscus lime soda made in-house. Newstock Pantry provides a savory menu of sandwiches and deli salads, and pastry chef Greg Mindel’s Lost Flamingo does baked goods, specializing in croissants. Cooperative Coffee Shop is open 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 210 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/du3.
New wine bar in Fairview
To say residents of Fairview were eager for the opening of Rooted in Wine is an understatement. “As we
LOVE AND TORTILLAS: Luz Salazar Maldonado, left, and Martin Maldonado craft fresh flour and corn tortillas at Tortillas La Regia. The shop’s name and logo honor their daughter, Luz Berenice Maldonado, pictured behind them, who went missing in Mexico in 2021. Photo by Kay West
were remodeling this old 1925 house, people were stopping by and coming in as we worked inside and in the garden, wanting to help paint or dig holes,” says James Garland, who opened the wine bar/garden/ import and bottle shop with his wife, Renata, on May 23. “As soon as I put the sign out front the week before, cars were pulling into the parking lot before I got back to the porch.”
James is a serial entrepreneur with a deep background in wine distribution and importing, and Renata’s passion is gardening. They typically offer 20 wines by the glass and many more by the bottle to drink on-site or take home. Also available are draft beer, cider and mead, as well as Devil’s Foot craft soda, Fever Tree tonics and ginger ale, sparkling water and nonalcoholic beer by the can.
Guests can create a DIY charcuterie board pulling from the shelves stocked with packaged local cheeses, Sunburst smoked trout dip, organic crackers, honey and jams. Olive oil imported from Italy, linens from France and crystal from Germany are for sale, as are plants and gardening accessories.
There is seating inside, on the covered front porch and under the pergolas in the wine garden. Wellbehaved, leashed dogs are welcome in the outdoor area — only Blue, the couple’s blue-eyed Pomeranianhusky, has indoor privileges.
Rooted in Wine is at 1327 Charlotte Highway in Fairview. For hours and more information, visit avl.mx/du4.
Takeaway café opens in Black Mountain
When asked what inspires the menu for her new Black Mountain business, Annie’s Culinary Garden, chef/owner Annie Forsthoefel states the obvious. “[It’s] influenced by what is coming out of my garden, as well as what is coming from nearby farmers.”
Launched on June 21 in the space on U.S. 70 that formerly housed
The Clean Plate, Annie’s Culinary Garden has no seating but features multiple to-go options, including salads, soups, sides and specials. Plus, the shop offers a weekly menu of prepared, single-serving meals, such as green chicken enchiladas and pesto noodles, that can be ordered online Sunday-Tuesday and picked up on Thursday or Friday.
Cold salads are sold in 8-, 16- or 32-ounce tubs — two staples are chicken salad and vegan chickpea “tuna” salad. A grab-and-go case stocks takeand-bake meals that feed two to three people. On Saturdays, there are spe-
cials, such as recently featured Kahlua pork and huli huli chicken.
Forsthoefel, who moved from Oregon to Western North Carolina in 2021, has been immersed in farming, restaurants, catering and promoting sustainable practices throughout her life. Many of her menu’s ingredients come from her own garden, which takes up an entire hillside by her house.
Thirteen pounds of beets harvested recently from her property resulted in a vegan shredded raw beet salad for the deli case. “They had to go on the menu,” she says. “The garden’s not waiting on me.” She also sources from local producers like TendWell Farm in Old Fort and Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview.
Annie’s Culinary Garden is open Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at 3206 U.S. 70 in Black Mountain. For weekly menus and specials and to order, visit avl.mx/du5 and avl.mx/wordcapj.
Food Connection turns 10
On Sunday, July 7, Food Connection will throw a free, family-friendly party to celebrate its first
10 years of salvaging restaurant and catering leftovers and turning them into meals — 670,000 and counting — for folks who need them. The celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. at River Arts District Brewing Co., with beer, wine, nonalcoholic beverages and food for sale. For every pint RAD Brewing Co. sells that night and through July of its new Oui Bluets blueberry lemon farmhouse ale, it will donate $1 to Food Connection.
RAD Brewing Co. is at 13 Mystery St. For more on Food Connection, visit avl.mx/du6.
Vegan seafood pop-up
Calling all vegans and vegan-curious who feel bereft of seafood specialties like fish and chips, crabcakes, scallops and lobster mac and cheese.
On Sunday, July 7, Florida-based Oh My Cod Vegan Seafood Co. will drop anchor at Diatribe Brewing Co., serving a vegan-of-the-sea menu from noon-5 p.m.
Diatribe Brewing Co. is at 1042 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/du7.
— Kay West X
Around Town
The Big Crafty will return to Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville on Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, noon-6 p.m.
The biannual regional arts and crafts fair was founded in 2008 by Brandy Bourne and Justin Rabuck with the idea of creating a family reunion for their creative community. “We extend a warm welcome to a rich pageant of basement and backyard artists, juried prize winners and brand new creative spirits,” the original call to artists read. The response to the call has been overwhelming, bringing together hundreds of artists every year. “We’ve been part of the creative community here since the ’90s, and we bring our full hearts to creating this event,” says Rabuck. “Our artists reflect that right back, and I think the warmth of our creative community shines through.”
The Big Crafty has been voted Best Arts/Crafts Fair in Best of WNC every year since it began. The upcoming summer event will feature over 180 booths of artists, makers and craftspeople, with over 50 of those artists participating in the craft fair for the first time.
New artists include Allison Daniel, who works with native clay and innovative firing techniques; Dean Denney, who makes Buddhist forms out of naturally fallen native wood; Ester Araujo, a textile designer who supports herself with fine art and corporate design work; Franchesca López Borges, who bridges her Puerto Rican and stateside heritage through “patchwork,” hand-built pottery; Julie Hassett Sutton, a photographer whose clients include the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CBS News, NBC and Delta Airlines; Lindsay West, who fell in love with wood-firing and salt-glazing while working toward her degree at UNC Asheville; Allie Chamberlain, who reclaims vintage textiles en route to the landfill to make art for the body and home; and Chris Garcia, who does screen printing through his California-based business, Remontant Press.
The Big Crafty previously took place in Pack Square Park, but the event moved to the Civic Center last year. Saturday tickets cost $10, and Sunday admission is free.
Harrah’s Cherokee Center Asheville is at 87 Haywood St. For more information, visit avl.mx/duc.
Wherefore art thou Romeo?
Nemesis Theater Co. will perform an original adaptation of Romeo & Juliet at N.C. Stage Company each weekend from Friday, July 12-Saturday, July 27.
While Nemesis’ interpretation is still 85%-90% Shakespeare, according to director Melon Wedick, he has rewritten the prologue and endings, and at points, the cast is prompted to ad-lib. Jon Stockdale and Dwight Chiles star as the titular lovers to tell a brand-new story of queer awakening, while multiple endings explore possible escapes from the onslaught of tragedy. “During the dramaturgical research for the show, we hit upon Luigi da Porto’s novella La Giulietta, first published in 1539, which tells the story of Romeo and Juliet with a slightly altered (and far more tragic) ending,” says Wedick. “The ending was too good not to include — which brought us to two. But we wanted to honor, also, the queer-awakening story we’ve developed and give Juliet some agency over their story, so our show ends in a series of ‘do-overs’ until we find an ending we can live with.”
In addition to the familiar story of meddlesome parents and clergy, the production will also feature water pistols and a femur fight. Nemesis performers Erin McCarson and Zak Hamrick, last seen together in Nemesis’ most recent play Cymbeline, will return for the performance alongside newcomers Jason Phillips, Paula O’Brien, Elijah York, Elli Murray, Rachel McCrain, Olivia Stuller, Selah Hamilton, Eli Hamilton,
COMMUNITY CRAFT: Justin Rabuck, owner of art shop Horse + Hero, is co-founder of The Big Crafty. Photo courtesy of Justin Rabuck
Ronnie Nielsen, Katie Alexander, Nora Tramm and Elizabeth DeVault
Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 but are half off on Thursdays.
N.C. Stage Company is at 15 Stage Lane. For more information, visit avl.mx/due.
Local art students help out library
North Buncombe High School art students have designed a new logo for the Friends of the Weaverville Library (FOWL).
Since Weaverville Library first opened in 1955, it has been supported by FOWL, a volunteer community organization that helps the library operate a used bookstore, put on community programming, purchase special materials, make facility improvements and more. The Friends group had used a basic sketch of the library as a de facto logo for many years, but in August 2023, the organization’s board of directors decided it was time for an upgrade. Board Chair Stuart Lamkin reached out to North Buncombe High School art teacher Eamon Aldridge to invite ideas from his students.
The students were excited to apply their skills to a project that extended beyond the classroom. Numerous submissions were received, many involving books and birds (playing off the FOWL acronym). Ultimately, the organization asked the students to incorporate elements of all the designs into a final rendition put together by sophomore Dream Burford. The contributing students were each offered gift certificates to the library’s
used bookstore as well as certificates of appreciation.
The new logo now adorns the organization’s communications, newsletters and social media. Thinking back on the process, Lamkin remarks, “I was so pleased with how it turned out, from beginning to end. I truly appreciate Mr. Aldrige’s willingness to take up the project, especially in the midst of so many other things, then the students putting their talents into it. They really did a phenomenal job, and FOWL will be extremely proud to use our new awesome logo everywhere!”
The Weaverville Public Library is at 41 N. Main St., Weaverville. For more information, visit avl.mx/duf.
Conservation photo competition for kids
The George Masa Foundation is inviting submissions for its inaugural George Masa Youth Conservation Photography Prize.
Open to children ages 11-18, the prize is meant to inspire middle and high school students to consider conservation by exploring and capturing the natural world through the categories of Wildlife, Landscape, Water, Climate Change and Sustainable Practices. “We are excited to launch this competition and see the incredible creativity and vision that young people bring to conservation,” says David Huff, founder of the George Masa Foundation, in a press release. “Through their lenses, we hope to gain fresh perspectives on the natural world and inspire a deeper commitment to protecting it.”
Participants can submit their entries through the official contest website. The competition will be judged by a panel of experts in photography
and conservation, ensuring that the winners are recognized not only for their artistic talent but also for their ability to communicate important environmental messages. Winners in each category will receive cash prizes and have their work featured on the George Masa Foundation’s website and social media channels.
For more information, visit avl.mx/dug.
Jewish poetry conference
Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry is hosting the second annual Jewish Poetry Conference at UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Student Union this week, continuing through Friday, July 5.
A cohort of 36 poets from around the world will lead writing workshops, panels, readings and a Shabbat service in partnership with UNCA’s Center for Jewish Studies.
On Wednesday, July 3, there will be a discussion titled “Introduction to a Jewish Poet” from 3:15-4:30 p.m. and a reading at 7:30 p.m. featuring poets of the Yetzirah board of directors and staff. On Thursday, July 4, a discussion titled “Poetry as Prayer” from 1:30-2:45 p.m. will be followed by a reading from 3:15-4:30 p.m. Friday features two more readings by multiple poets, including fellows and faculty. Participants are invited to attend a Kabbalat Shabbat service on Friday, July 5, from 7-7:45 p.m.
Yetzirah: A Hearth for Jewish Poetry is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering a community for Jewish poetry. Resources include workshops, readings, publishing information and a searchable online database to discover Jewish poets.
For a full schedule of events and more information, visit avl.mx/duh.
Oby Arnold
MOVIE REVIEWS
KINDS OF KINDNESS: Writer/ director Yorgos Lanthimos successfully returns to the dark humor and scathing social satire of his early work. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin
ASHEVILLE’S GOT TALENT: On Saturday, July 6, country-rock trio Ashes & Arrows bring their vocal power, thoughtful lyrics and onstage energy to the Salvage Station, starting at 8 p.m. The band features members based in Asheville as well as New Zealand, and the group even recently appeared on “America’s Got Talent.” Photo courtesy of Spencer Voigt
ONE WORLD
BREWING WEST
Fee Fi Phaux Fish (multi-genre), 7pm
SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm
SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm
STATIC AGE LOFT Karaoke Night, 10pm
THE BARKSDALE
Service Industry Night w/DJ Lake Solace, 9pm WICKED WEED BREWING Cactus Kate (country), 5pm
SALVAGE STATION Hawthorne Heights w/Anberlin, Armor For Sleep, Emery & This Wild Life (emo, post-hardcore, alt-rock), 6:30pm
SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco, 9pm
SHILOH & GAINES Karaoke Night, 8pm
SOVEREIGN KAVA Django & Jenga Jazz Jam, 7pm
STATIC AGE LOFT Karaoke Night, 10pm
STATIC AGE RECORDS Picture Rather Muted & Xambuca (multi-genre), 9pm THE ODD Deviled Cookie Nightmare w/Cookie Tongue (cabaret-music), 9pm THE OUTPOST Will Overman (country, Americana), 7:30pm WICKED WEED BREWING Owen Walsh (folk), 6pm
SUN: Cosmic Appalachian Soul Sundays, 7pm MON: Ping-Pong Tournament, 6pm TUE: Open Jam w/ house band the Lactones, 8pm WED: Poetry Open Mic AVL, 8:30pm/8pm signup
7/11 THUR DJANGO JAZZ JAM, 7pm Hot Club Jazz 7/06 SAT KING ArtiSiN, 9pm Smoke Session Vol. 2 7/05 FRI LACTONES, 9pm Psychedelic Rock
food. music. beer. community. and maybe a train or two.
Wed, July 3, 7pm
Dan ' s Jam - Open Bluegrass Jam
Every Wednesday! Come jam with us – all levels are welcome.
Thur, July 4th Celebration
Extended hours: 2PM til Late
Live DJ Phantompantone & Friends on the outdoor stage 7-10pm. Brews, food, ice cream, general hilarity & fun!
Fri, July 5, 7pm Bradley Bacci Duo
Mixed-genre jams
Sat, July 6, 3-10pm
Sam Burchfield & The Scoundrels present the 2nd Annual Rock Hoppin ' Ruckus music fest!
w/Ranford Almond & the Pinkerton Raid + special guests. Music all day in our outdoor field! Taproom & restaurant open. Tickets $20-$25. Details on our website/socials.
Details, food menus and more at railyardblkmtn.com
live music + 15 screens of sports + full bar + tasty eats + ice cream sammies + fun for the family open til 11 pm | kitchen closes 10 pm on fri and sat
141 RICHARDSON BLVD - BLACK MOUNTAIN
Adult Superstore
WHERE ADULT DREAMS COME TRUE
Thousands of items to choose from 20% off One Item Expires July 31, 2024
Largest inventory selection in Western North Carolina for over 25 years
828-684-8250 Open 9-11pm Every Day
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The “nirvana fallacy” is the belief that because something is less than utterly perfect, it is gravely defective or even irredeemably broken. Wikipedia says, “The nirvana fallacy compares actual things with unrealistic, idealized alternatives.” Most of us are susceptible to this flawed approach to dealing with the messiness of human existence. But it’s especially important that you avoid such thinking in the coming weeks. To inspire you to find excellence and value in the midst of untidy jumbles and rumpled complexities, I recommend you have fun with the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi. It prizes and praises the soulful beauty found in things that are irregular, incomplete, and imperfect.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are coming to a fork in the road — a crux where two paths diverge. What should you do? Author Marie Forleo says, “When it comes to forks in the road, your heart always knows the answer, not your mind.” Here’s my corollary: Choose the path that will best nourish your soul’s desires. Now here’s your homework, Taurus: Contact your Future Self in a dream or meditation and ask that beautiful genius to provide you with a message and a sign. Plus, invite them to give you a wink with either the left eye or right eye.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Last year, you sent out a clear message to life requesting help and support. It didn’t get the response you wished for. You felt sad. But now I have good news. One or both of the following may soon occur. 1. Your original message will finally lead to a response that buoys your soul. 2. You will send out a new message similar to the one in 2023, and this time you will get a response that makes you feel helped and supported. Maybe you didn’t want to have to be so patient, Gemini, but I’m glad you refused to give up hope.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The Fates have authorized me to authorize you to be bold and spunky. You have permission to initiate gutsy experiments and to dare challenging feats. Luck and grace will be on your side as you consider adventures you’ve long wished you had the nerve to entertain. Don’t do anything risky or foolish, of course. Avoid acting like you’re entitled to grab rewards you have not yet earned. But don’t be self-consciously cautious or timid, either. Proceed as if help and resources will arrive through the magic of your audacity. Assume you will be able to summon more confidence than usual.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): All of us, including me, have aspects of our lives that are stale or unkempt, even decaying. What would you say is the most worn-out thing about you? Are there parts of your psyche or environment that would benefit from a surge of clean-up and revival? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to attend to these matters. You are likely to attract extra help and inspiration as you make your world brighter and livelier. The first rule of the purgation and rejuvenation process: Have fun!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): On those rare occasions when I buy furniture from online stores, I try hard to find sources that will send me the stuff already assembled. I hate spending the time to put together jumbles of wood and metal. More importantly, I am inept at doing so. In alignment with astrological omens, I recommend you take my approach in regard to every situation in your life during the coming weeks. Your operative metaphor should be this: Whatever you want or need, get it already fully assembled.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When Adragon De Mello was born under the sign of Libra in 1976, his father had big plans for him. Dad wanted him to get a PhD in physics by age 12, garner a Nobel Prize by 16, get elected President of the United States by 26, and then become head of
BY ROB BREZSNY
a world government by 30. I’d love for you to fantasize about big, unruly dreams like that in the coming weeks — although with less egotism and more amusement and adventurousness. Give yourself a license to play with amazing scenarios that inspire you to enlarge your understanding of your own destiny. Provide your future with a dose of healing wildness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Your horoscopes are too complicated,” a reader named Estelle wrote to me recently. “You give us too many ideas. Your language is too fancy. I just want simple advice in plain words.” I wrote back to tell her that if I did what she asked, I wouldn’t be myself. “Plenty of other astrologers out there can meet your needs,” I concluded. As for you, dear Scorpio, I think you will especially benefit from influences like me in the coming weeks — people who appreciate nuance and subtlety, who love the poetry of life, who eschew clichés and conventional wisdom, who can nurture your rich, spicy, complicated soul.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The coming weeks will be prime time for you to re-imagine the history of your destiny. How might you do that? In your imagination, revisit important events from the past and reinterpret them using the new wisdom you’ve gained since they happened. If possible, perform any atonement, adjustment, or intervention that will transform the meaning of what happened once upon a time. Give the story of your life a fresh title. Rename the chapters. Look at old photos and videos and describe to yourself what you know now about those people and situations that you didn’t know back then. Are there key events from the old days that you have repressed or ignored? Raise them up into the light of consciousness.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1972, before the internet existed, Capricorn actor Anthony Hopkins spent a day visiting London bookstores in search of a certain tome: The Girl from Petrovka. Unable to locate a copy, he decided to head home. On the way, he sat on a random bench, where he found the original manuscript of The Girl of Petrovka. It had been stolen from the book’s author George Feifer and abandoned there by the thief. I predict an almost equally unlikely or roundabout discovery or revelation for you in the coming days. Prediction: You may not unearth what you’re looking for in an obvious place, but you will ultimately unearth it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquariusborn Desmond Doss (1919–2006) joined the American army at the beginning of World War II. But because of his religious beliefs, he refused to use weapons. He became a medic who accompanied troops to Guam and the Philippines. During the next few years, he won three medals of honor, which are usually given solely to armed combatants. His bravest act came in 1944, when he saved the lives of 70 wounded soldiers during a battle. I propose we make him your inspirational role model for the coming weeks, Aquarius. In his spirit, I invite you to blend valor and peace-making. Synergize compassion and fierce courage. Mix a knack for poise and healing with a quest for adventure.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): What types of people are you most attracted to, Pisces? Not just those you find most romantically and sexually appealing, but also those with whom a vibrant alliance is most gracefully created. And those you’re inclined to seek out for collaborative work and play. This knowledge is valuable information to have; it helps you gravitate toward relationships that are healthy for you. Now and then, though, it’s wise to experiment with connections and influences that aren’t obviously natural — to move outside your usual set of expectations and engage with characters you can’t immediately categorize. I suspect the coming weeks will be one of those times.
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LIVE LIGHTER ON THE EARTH AT WESTWOOD, A UNIQUE CO-HOUSING COMMUNITY! 3 bedroom/2 bath home. The end-unit features solar-assisted radiant floor heating, spacious deck, open floor plan and more. Enjoy all the benefits of a co-housing lifestyle of a co-housing community. 43 Vermont Ct UNIT A4, Asheville, NC 28806. Visit westwoodcohousing. com or VermontCourtA4. com for details. $449,000. Contact Terry Horner at 828-712-6340 or Jim Reid at 828-606-0590 for information. Offered by Preferred Properties of Asheville. 828-712-6340
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CHURCH MUSICIAN St.
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