Mountain Xpress 07.07.21

OUR 27TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 27 NO. 49 JULY 7-13, 2021

C O NT E NT S

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PAGE 6 CALLING IT QUITS

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NEWS NEWS

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10 KEEPING SECRETS Local Democrats reluctant to support government transparency bill

12 WHERE DID THEY GO? Following up on the 2019 Flatiron sale

Officers continue to depart the Asheville Police Department, leaving more than 85 positions open since June 2020. Of more than 50 former officers, only two were willing to discuss their motivations for quitting with Xpress.

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OPINION

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

Missing the old Asheville

Are activist welcome wagons the solution?

my visions to ask myself, “What is the first step?” and have acknowledged that the first step is not global but has more to do with Antelope, Ore., and Provincetown, Mass.

What activists need to organize is partisan welcome wagons and moving vans to welcome allies to vote for mayors to fund abortions to reduce school tax and housing demand, as Mayor Esther Manheimer already does for city employees through health insurance coverage, though for other reasons; but it needs doing so much precisely because it is so counterintuitive.

After all, when were overpopulation activists ever involved with welcome wagons? And when did global problems ever elect mayors? (Except climate change, for reasons beyond me.) Also, which foreign languages should we study? Chinese? Sanskrit? I took some Spanish, partly in Nicaragua, but the Sandinistas never taught me to say “overpopulation,” or “abortion,” for that matter.

As a political overpopulation activist, I keep having to boil down

CONTINUES ON PAGE 5

I was in tears reading this week’s letters about the changes in Asheville [June 23, Xpress]. Tears because all of it is so true. Been here over 40 years and watched it change from the beautiful mountain retreat and little town it was then.

Downtown did need help, but it didn’t need to be turned into the tourist-oriented, overbuilt, overdeveloped mess that it has become.

I came here because of what it was. I was leaving behind the kind of place it now is. I sorely miss the Asheville I moved here to live in.

— Patricia Wald Asheville

Clamp down on noisy vehicles [Regarding “Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Proposed Noise Ordinance Could Reshape Downtown’s Future,” June 23, Xpress:] My concern is for the extremely loud trucks and motorcycles that fill the roadways. I’d love to see the police stop some of these drivers and issue tickets for violating the noise ordinance.

I live in West Asheville and am awakened almost every night after 11 p.m. by the noise of trucks or motorcycles flying by at excessive speed with no mufflers. The noise has increased dramatically over the past five years or so.

— Susan Jensen Asheville

The reality of the Asheville job market Thermo Fisher was trying for two months to get approximately 14 positions filled. If you notice the shifts that were available, they were for second and third shifts.

The younger nonmarried individual will not work these shifts. They are prime time for them to mingle and party.

Now for Pratt & Whitney and Raytheon. Knowing about aircraft engines, it is a very mundane job.

It is assembly line and very boring.

Say if you were assigned to the wiring harness — to clamp it in place and do this for the rest of your life.

It is not easy.

Plus, both companies have government contracts that require drug testing when hired and then random testing. They are also 24/7 work coverage. Now do you

C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N think that they will get close to 800 employees when Thermo Fisher can’t even hire 14?

This is going to be a big disaster waiting to happen.

The original article about Pratt & Whitney stated they were relocating here because the South is known for lower workers’ wages.

So the hourly pay they posted will never be seen in anyone’s paycheck unless you are a manager or higher.

There is also a chance that P&W will have some employees relocate here to help set up the production, and they will get better wages than the local. It is the truth, and nobody has asked the proper questions when the proposals were brought to the county commissioners’ meeting.

They always tell you what you want to hear to get their foot in the door.

— Leonard Nickerson Swannanoa

Thumbs-up for attention to local issues Substantial opinion letters such as those in your June 23 issue are why I’ll turn first to the Xpress in Asheville or Bill Moss’ Lightning in Hendersonville for thoughtful attention to local issues.

The increasingly cloned Citizen Times and Times-News could learn from your example. Thanks for giving your letter writers enough space to develop their views.

— Bill Moore Hendersonville MOUNTAINX.COM

JULY 7-13, 2021

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MOUNTAINX.COM

OPINION

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

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN Does Woodfin have less opposition than Asheville? Because it is smaller, like Antelope? Does Antelope have welcome wagons?

Also, what keeps Provincetown’s low fertility rate from cutting the rent like the school tax? Too many welcome wagons?

— Alan Ditmore Leicester

Beasley is a sincere and discerning leader I have never endorsed a candidate in a primary. This year, I am breaking with tradition because some elections are too important to leave to chance. North Carolina has an opportunity to do our part in keeping Democratic control of the U.S. Senate and give President Biden a Congress that works for the American people. I have worked with and personally know several of the current Democratic candidates, and I am endorsing Cheri Beasley because we need to be putting our best candidate forward.

Many North Carolina families are hurting, and we need a

senator who will focus on building a better future for all North Carolinians. Cheri will fight for jobs that can support a family and economic opportunities for all North Carolinians, for access to affordable and quality health care, and strong public schools for our children.

I am proud to tell you that I am supporting Cheri Beasley for U.S. Senate. Cheri has devoted her life to public service in North Carolina.

She has been a public defender, a District Court judge, the first African American woman to lead the N.C. Supreme Court and the only candidate who has won statewide in North Carolina — twice.

Beyond her historic firsts, I know Cheri to be a sincere and discerning leader who is keenly aware of the challenges we face. We need someone who can excite and energize voters across this state; we need someone who can work in a bipartisan way for all North Carolinians; and we need someone who is focused on policy, not polarization. We need Cheri Beasley.

— Rep. Brian Turner Asheville X

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NEWS

Calling it quits

Why are officers leaving APD?

BY BROOKE RANDLE brandle@mountainx.com It’s no secret that officers are quitting the Asheville Police Department in droves — it’s front-page news in The New York Times. A June 24 article for the paper shone a national spotlight on the APD’s staffing shortage as being among the worst in the country.

Out of 238 sworn positions with the APD that were filled at the start of 2020, 87 were open as of June 30, and all but three of those vacancies were created by officer resignations. Those vacancies, combined with vacation time, family medical leave and other occasions that require time off, mean that the department is operating at about 40% of its full strength capacity during each shift, according to Chief David Zack. In a June 2 press release, the department announced that it would stop responding to a number of crimes, including simple assaults that have already occurred, petty theft, trespassing and more, “as a result of the staffing crisis.”

What’s less certain is why officers are choosing to quit. While the department ties the start of its resignation wave to June 2020, coinciding with local and national protests over the murder of Black Minneapolis resident George Floyd by white former police officer Derek Chauvin, nearly all of its former officers are unwilling to talk about the conditions that led them to leave.

Xpress reached out to more than 50 former APD officers about their resignations. Only two agreed to share their thoughts, both under the condition of anonymity out of fear of professional consequences at their new jobs.

“There’s not a single issue,” says Zack, of why his force has been deplet-

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JULY 7-13, 2021

NOW HIRING: As Asheville Police Department officers continue to leave the agency, other departments are beginning to take notice, including the Winston-Salem Police Department, which put up a billboard along Patton Avenue seeking to recruit officers. More than half of the officers who have left APD have gone on to other departments, including within Buncombe County. Photo by Scott Southwick ed. “When you start taking into account just the way that police officers are portrayed and vilified, in combination with the wage, in combination with just the stress of the profession, there’s been no one single factor.”

Those issues aren’t unique to the APD. But according to the two former officers, the department has its own undercurrents that may also be contributing to its losses. While those former officers’ reasons for leaving only sample the range of opinions behind all APD resignations, their perspectives provide insight into an agency that’s struggling to stay afloat amid local calls for massive overhauls to police practices and funding.

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TONE AT THE TOP

One former APD officer tells Xpress that a primary reason they chose to leave the department was what they call a lack of support from leadership.

The officer believes the APD has been caving to anti-police public opinion rather than standing by its rank and file. Some of that criticism predates the racial justice protests of last spring.

The source points to the APD’s handling of the use-of-force case against another former officer, Anthony Sorangelo, as the start of the issues.

While arresting an intoxicated man on Feb. 11, 2020, Sorangelo punched the man after he became agitated and combative, an action the officer claimed was necessary to gain the man’s compliance.

Zack, who had been sworn in as chief a week prior to the incident, had promised to stabilize the APD after the back-to-back resignations of former Chiefs Tammy Hooper and Chris Bailey. The department also faced allegations of racial bias stemming from the 2016 shooting of Jai “Jerry” Williams and 2017 beating of Johnnie Rush, both Black residents. (Both Sorangelo and the man he punched are white.)

The new chief determined that a criminal investigation into the Sorangelo incident was necessary, according to an APD press release.

The officer was charged with a misdemeanor for simple assault in June 2020 and terminated from the APD

in September. But this February, Judge Calvin Hill dismissed the case against Sorangelo after Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams presented his evidence in the case. Sorangelo now works with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

The Xpress source says that what they describe as a presumption of Sorangelo’s guilt caused many APD officers to lose confidence in Zack and other department leaders. September, the month of Sorangelo’s termination, saw 16 officers resign from the force, the highest of any month since the start of 2020.

“I get it if an officer does something illegal. But when an officer acts within his legal rights, they’re cleared through the initial investigation. And then a new chief comes and backtracks and says, ‘We need to make an example of this.’ … In my opinion, they were just out to get [Sorangelo], which makes my blood boil,” the source says.

The former APD officer says the unwillingness of department and city leaders to accept accountability during last year’s racial justice protests also pushed some officers over the edge. They claim that Chief Zack and City Manager Debra Campbell regularly offered support and guidance to officers in private but publicly condemned the APD’s actions to appeal to Asheville’s City Council and local media.

The source points to one incident, which made national news, where officers destroyed water bottles and other

supplies at a protester medical station.

“As soon as that incident happened, [Campbell] immediately condemned it. She said it was inappropriate and should have been handled differently.

But the fact is, that order came down from higher up,” the source explains.

“She was a part of that decision, but then she puts the blame on the Police Department and trash-talked them in the media.”

According to an after-action report released by the APD in March, the decision to destroy the medic supplies “was made by the highest-ranking supervisor on the scene. City spokesperson Polly McDaniel says Campbell was not involved except by authorizing ”a general delegation of authority for all tactical decisions to the chief of police and the APD during the protests.“ “Our Asheville police officers are community heroes, people who stayed in place serving our neighborhoods during the pandemic,” Campbell added in a statement provided by McDaniel. “They deserve our thanks and special appreciation during this time when their numbers are down.”

BACKLASH TO BACKLASH

Another former officer says that, while a majority of officers have quit in response to intense community criticism during and after last year’s protests, others chose to leave earlier this year after the initial resignations created immense pressure for those who stayed. The source explains that the staffing shortage caused some officers to be pulled from high-level, specialized positions to cover patrol beats.

“I watched a lot of people who had worked hard to get positions that were not patrol, such as detective and school resource officer, or become specialized, like anti-drug or anti-crime task force units. Some were working those jobs for a long time, some even up to 10 years,” the former officer says.

“I watched people from all of those categories get removed from their jobs and put back on patrol because of the shortage of patrol officers.”

APD spokesperson Christina Hallingse confirmed that some detectives had been reassigned to patrol duties due to the staffing crisis. Those officers did not see a reduction in pay.

As more officers left the job, those who remained were stretched thin, causing even more to leave as day-today operations became more difficult.

“The snowball just kept rolling down the hill,” says Zack, referring to the continued personnel losses.

The former officer also maintains that working in the city limits of Asheville is exceptionally difficult compared to the duties of law enforce-

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FRESH STARTS: Asheville Police Department Chief David Zack says that APD’s current class of basic law enforcement training cadets won’t hit Asheville’s streets until 2022 at the earliest. Photo courtesy of the Asheville Police Department ment agencies in surrounding areas.

According to the officer, Asheville experiences one of the highest police call volumes in Western North Carolina. The city also has a sizable number of homeless residents, and while Asheville’s population hovers around 90,000 people, millions of tourists visit the city throughout the year.

“You have to be on your A-game if you really want to prevent crime and try to ensure the safety of everyone there. It’s almost like the major leagues for Western North Carolina,” the source says.

But despite the high expectations from officers, compensation at APD has struggled to keep up with the area’s rising cost of living. Starting pay for new officers was around $37,000 for fiscal year 2020-21, while Asheville is the state’s most expensive place to live, according to May data from the nonprofit Council for Community and Economic Research. “We were not in the marketplace by a longshot,” says Zack.

During its June 22 meeting, Asheville City Council voted 6-1 to approve a $201.67 million operating budget for fiscal year 2021-22, which included $6.7 million for increases in employee compensation, among them raising Asheville’s starting police offi-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

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N EWS cer pay to about $45,000 — a boost of more than 20%.

Zack says that while the increase is a start, he doesn’t expect it to solve the issue of staffing shortages. “We know for a fact that some officers left to work in agencies that paid less because they felt that they were going to be more appreciated in those communities,” he says. “It’s not just about money.”

LATERAL MOVES

Media outlets and concerned citizens are not the only people taking notice of APD’s staffing shortage. On June 4, the Winston-Salem Police Department installed a billboard along Patton Avenue advertising a website that seeks to recruit new officers.

“We are committed to providing our community here in Winston-Salem with exceptional service, and in order to continue to do that, we are constantly in search of good, professional police officers,” says Winston-Salem Police Department Capt. Renee Melly. “Asheville, in law enforcement circles, has a very good reputation in this regard.”

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JULY 7-13, 2021

After her department caught wind that Asheville was experiencing high numbers of officer resignations, she says Winston-Salem began researching why Asheville’s police officers were leaving. Based on a review of local media, she says, the WSPD found that a lack of support from local leaders and the community at large was the No. 1 issue.

“Although each agency has its own unique challenges, one area where we feel we excel here in Winston-Salem is in the support we receive both from the city and the department,” Melly tells Xpress. “Even in light of this past year’s events, the city and the community have stood by us and showed a tremendous outpouring of support.

So that’s why we chose to extend our recruiting efforts to Asheville. We believe that we have here what they may be missing there.”

Melly says that her department has used recruiting billboards in other North Carolina cities in the past, such as Boone and Fayetteville; however, Asheville’s billboard is the only one currently in use. While she says the campaign has generated some interest, the WSPD has yet to recruit any Asheville officers.

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Last fall, the Fort Wayne Police Department in Indiana unveiled a digital billboard message along Interstate 26 East near exit 33 also seeking new officers. And Chief Zack says he’s recently heard local radio ads recruiting officers from the Ocean Isle Beach Police Department, located on North Carolina’s coast.

“Everybody’s recruiting, and when they see the numbers of officers leaving Asheville, they see us as ripe for poaching and they’re taking full advantage of that,” Zack says. He notes that around half of APD’s recent departures have gone on to work with other law enforcement agencies, including those within Buncombe County.

Both former APD officers that spoke with Xpress say they have stayed with law enforcement after leaving Asheville’s department. They say that the difference between their new employers and APD is significant.

“It’s the polar opposite. It confuses me some days,” says the first source.

“They treat their officers like adults.

They allow me to do my job. They trust my decisions. It’s confusing how much less anxiety there is on a day-today basis.”

TURNING THE TIDE

Zack says that eight people are about to enter APD’s basic law enforcement training. That training lasts about a year, meaning those recruits won’t be on the streets until spring 2022 at the earliest. And even if the recruits graduate from the academy, they are not obligated to stay with the department.

“We had what we thought were seven really good candidates that graduated in December 2020. Six have already left,” Zack says. “As they came out of the training program and saw what the job entailed and went out and started physically doing it, they said, ‘No, this is not for me.’”

Despite the department’s challenges, Zack says that he is starting to feel “a different vibe” of community support and maintains that the APD will continue to carry on.

“We are hearing more community members speak up. We are getting more support from Council. Certainly them addressing the compensation issue shows a level of support. So I think that tide is turning,” Zack says.

“We can’t concentrate on who left.

We’ve got to concentrate on who’s still here.” X

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JULY 7-13, 2021

9

NEWS

Keeping secrets Local Democrats reluctant to support government transparency bill

NOTHING TO SEE HERE: All four of the state-level Democrats who represent Buncombe County — clockwise from top left, Rep. Brian Turner, Sen. Julie Mayfield and reps Susan Fisher and John Ager — did not express support for a new bill to allow greater access to government employee records. Photos courtesy of those pictured

BY DANIEL WALTON dwalton@mountainx.com “We believe that the state government must be accountable to the people of this great state through transparency in how government business is transacted and the release of information in a timely manner.”

That’s what the N.C. Democratic Party platform has to say on the subject of access to government records.

That position, however, doesn’t appear to extend to records about government employee personnel decisions. Nearly all Democrats in the state Senate stood against House Bill 64, the Government Transparency Act of 2021, in a 28-19 vote to approve the measure on June 14 — including Sen. Julie Mayfield, who represents the western two-thirds of Buncombe County.

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If signed into law, HB64 would require all government agencies in the state to disclose when employees are promoted, demoted, transferred, suspended, separated or dismissed, as well as provide a “general description of the reasons” for each move. Such a level of transparency would align North Carolina with laws in at least 35 other states, including Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee.

The bill is now slated for consideration by a joint committee of Senate and House members, which will then submit language for a new vote in both legislative chambers. When Xpress asked each of Buncombe County’s state-level representatives if they would support the new transparency measures, only Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards, who represents the eastern third of Buncombe County, along with Henderson and Transylvania counties, gave an unequivocal yes.

“All employees on the state payroll work for the taxpayers. Those taxpayers deserve to know the reasons behind significant employment decisions for those who serve them,” said Edwards, who voted for the bill on June 14. “Moreover, citizens should be allowed to see the rationale that leaders use in making those major decisions; otherwise, we cannot hold leaders accountable for the decisions they make on our behalf.”

PRESSING MATTER

The transparency language was introduced in the current legislative session by a trio of Republican senators with the support of the N.C. Press Association. (Xpress and its journalists are NCPA members and participate in the association’s annual awards.) But John Bussian, the NCPA’s legislative counsel, says previous efforts to enact similar measures have been bipartisan or driven by Democrats.

Bussian notes that then-Sen. Roy Cooper, a Democrat who now serves as the state’s governor, introduced the Discipline Disclosure Act in 1997.

That bill, which stalled in the House Committee on Public Employees, would also have required more government employee personnel records to be made public. A subsequent bipartisan effort in 2010 led by Republican Sen. Phil Berger and Democratic Sen. Dan Clodfelter failed to pass transparency measures as well.

“So here we are, almost 25 years after Roy Cooper made the first serious attempt to bring North Carolina into the 21st century when it comes to the public’s right to know about its own state and local government employees,” Bussian says. “There have been a number of serious attempts made to do this that started with, oddly enough, the Democrats, who now are lined up in opposition.”

The change in Democratic attitudes, Bussian believes, has been driven by strident criticism from the State Employees Association of North Carolina and the N.C. Association of Educators, which together represent tens of thousands of government workers. A letter jointly signed by leaders of both organizations, as well as the Teamsters and N.C. Justice Center, calls the transparency language unconstitutional and claims it would harm employees. “[The bill] will only embroil the state in lawsuits and open the personnel records of public service workers to gossip and innuendo and difficulties finding future employment,” the letter reads.

Bussian counters that other states that have had similar levels of transparency for decades haven’t experi-

enced those problems. He says greater access to records would help journalists hold governments accountable.

In a local example, had HB64 been in place in 2018, Asheville would have been required to provide an explanation for the firing of former City Manager Gary Jackson by City Council. The city has never formally disclosed a reason for that personnel decision, made after the leak of body camera footage that showed the beating of Black resident Johnnie Rush by former white Asheville Police Department officer Chris Hickman; Jackson received six months’ worth of salary and benefits after his firing.

“Most people I know in newsrooms say this would be the single greatest gain for them on their beats of anything that’s happened in their lifetimes, here at least,” Bussian says. “Some of those reporters who have worked in other states are familiar with the world of openness, but not here.”

MUM’S THE WORD

Mayfield, as well as Democratic Reps. John Ager, Susan Fisher and Brian Turner, all say they haven’t been approached by state employee lobbyists regarding the bill. Mayfield says her opposition is grounded in a basic regard for privacy: “I don’t think any of us, regardless of where we work, would want our personnel file opened up to public review (even if it only contains general descriptions).”

Mayfield adds that she disagrees with Edwards’ points on accountability. “Just being a public employee doesn’t mean your employment life should be spread out for all to see,” she says. “Some things are better to be private, and I believe personnel records fall into that category.”

Ager echoes Mayfield’s concerns and says he will need more time to consider the bill. Turner, meanwhile, shares worries about misuse of the information that would be released.

“In the past 10 years or so, we’ve seen an explosion of data that’s taken out of context and weaponized,” Turner says, noting that employees don’t have control over how their disciplinary actions are described by supervisors. While he might support making more information available with “appropriate safeguards,” he continues, he has no proposal for how that might be accomplished.

And although Fisher says she’s “generally been on the side of the press association” in the past, she’s cautious about releasing private personnel details. “I think it started out a little too broad,” she says of the information the bill would divulge. X

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NEWS

Where did they go?

Following up on the 2019 Flatiron sale

BY BEN WILLIAMSON

“The bigger loss is to the Asheville economy. I’m less likely to do business with Asheville-based businesses and hire people,” she explains. “I hired an assistant recently, but she lives in Michigan. I’m more disconnected from Asheville in general.”

Genz, who organized a group of tenants to discuss the impacts of the proposed Flatiron sale back in 2019, believes many efforts to prevent the building’s conversion into a hotel focused on building preservation without recognizing how the local business community would be disrupted. “Is Asheville going to be a place where middle-class people live and work? Are we going to keep the central business district small-business friendly?” Genz asks. “That message got lost.”

Former tenant Adam Palmer, an information technology professional, shares Genz’s sentiments.

“I can’t remember the last time I was downtown. [My colleagues and I] used to frequent businesses downtown, but we don’t do that anymore,” Palmer says.

When reviewing options to relocate from the Flatiron, Palmer says he was only able to find listings in Asheville with rental rates double what he had been paying. He tried coworking spaces but eventually decided to set up his new office at home.

“Coworking didn’t compare to the situation we had at the Flatiron, which was pretty much perfect in every way. There was a unique community of people there, and it’s a huge loss for the city not to have that around,” Palmer says.

bdwilliamson1919@gmail.com Two years ago, many Asheville residents took sides in a debate over the future of one of the city’s most iconic buildings. Developer Philip Woollcott had proposed converting the Flatiron Building at 20 Battery Park Ave., an eight-floor neoclassical landmark built in 1927, into a 71-unit hotel with a restaurant and commercial space — displacing small retail shops on its street level and some 80 small-business tenants in the floors above.

Asheville City Council and scores of public commenters deliberated across two Council meetings about what should be done with the structure then-Council member Julie Mayfield had called “the soul of our city.” And in a 4-3 vote on June 26, 2019, Council approved the rezoning of the building to allow for hotel use.

The Flatiron was sold to Woollcott in August 2019 for approximately $15 million; after pandemic-related financing and permitting delays, the developer says, construction is now underway.

The Flatiron debate marked a watershed moment in the city’s tourism-influenced development.

Resistance to the plan, coming on the heels of similar previous battles regarding other hotels, catalyzed a 17-month moratorium on new Asheville hotel construction unanimously passed by Council in September 2019. In February, Council approved new rules that allow developers to build hotels of up to 115 rooms by right if they contribute community benefits such as public parking or funding for affordable housing and reparations.

GRAND PLAN: This artist’s rendering shows how downtown Asheville’s Flatiron Building might look after its conversion into a hotel, scheduled for completion in early 2023. Graphic courtesy of Philip Woollcott The trajectory of the Flatiron now appears set, with a grand opening for the new hotel projected in early 2023. But what about the paths of the people who previously called the building their place of business? Mountain Xpress reached out to some of those directly affected by the Flatiron’s evolution to learn how the sale has impacted their lives since 2019.

LOST CONNECTIONS

Economic development consultant Francie Genz used to occupy 12

JULY 7-13, 2021

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an office at the Flatiron for $300 a month. When asked to relocate, she struggled to find comparable spaces. She considered coworking at The Collider in downtown Asheville, but concerns over COVID-19 transmission in the shared space ultimately led her to relocate to her home office.

Because her consulting business can operate remotely, Genz says, the move hasn’t disrupted her bottom line. But she says she’s felt the impact in other areas, particularly her ability to network with other local professionals.

PIVOT POINTS

Other former tenants say that, while they would have preferred to stay in the Flatiron, they were able to successfully transition to other spaces. Ed Draper, whose Draper Insurance Agency had occupied the building for 38 years, says he found a suitable — albeit smaller — location downtown after a challenging search.

Draper says he understands why Russell Thomas, the building’s majority owner and longtime manager, chose to sell and harbors no hard feelings about the move.

Thomas had claimed that the building’s age led to mounting repair bills that couldn’t be covered by continued leasing as office space.

“It was old, and he had to spend a lot of money to upgrade it. When you throw 80 people out on the streets, that’s life. I’m 83 years old and I have never seen anything last forever. It lasted as long as it did, and I am happy for that,” says Draper.

The Rev. L.C. Ray worked out of the Flatiron for 20 years with his nonprofit One Youth at a Time, which offers mentoring and tutoring to at-risk local youths. He relocated that office to the WNC Baptist Fellowship Church, just a half mile away, where he serves as pastor.

“We had no problem finding a place and we had the option of moving to the church. That blessed us. It was one of those things,” Ray says.

And Chris Sparks, who ran print and web design business Sparking Design from the Flatiron for eight years, says he was able to locate a larger space with better parking in the River Arts District for less than his previous rent. He admits that finding the new spot was difficult, and he’s since moved into a home office. But he suggests that issues for Asheville’s small businesses can’t be tied to a single building’s closure.

“We don’t have enough affordable office space or housing. Pay for jobs is not enough. The housing market is through the roof, and Asheville just isn’t prosperous right now,” Sparks says. “We realize [the sale] impacted a lot of people, but at the same time, it was [Thomas’] building.”

NEXT CHAPTER

When asked to look back on the experience of selling the building,

OUT OF THE LOOP: Francie Genz, an economic development consultant and former Flatiron tenant, says she feels more disconnected from Asheville after the building’s sale led her to move into a home office. Photo courtesy of Genz

SNAPSHOT

PRICED OUT: Former Flatiron tenant Adam Palmer says all the comparable Asheville office spaces he could find after the building’s closure cost roughly double his previous rent, leading him to set up a home office. Photo courtesy of Palmer Thomas says he was discouraged by how he was treated by the public and media. “It was all about a good news article,” he says. “I felt like some of the people wanted me out of downtown. They wanted to hurt me. They put up signs, did all kinds of stuff, rallied against us, when we were renting some things out that never went up on rent in 15 years.”

Thomas, the Flatiron’s building manager for 34 years, says he carries positive memories from his time overseeing the property but is happy to be done with it. He invested some of the proceeds from the sale into residential duplexes in Weaverville, which he currently manages alongside a farm north of Asheville.

While he recognizes the inconvenience of the sale to tenants, Thomas says, “All the people that had been there forever were very supportive.

They didn’t want to speak out, but they wanted to do the right thing and take care of the Flatiron.”

Thomas adds that he does occasionally speak with some of those long-time tenants and that they are all “doing fine.” He says he hasn’t heard of tenants experiencing negative outcomes from dislocation.

But Thomas says the repercussions of the sale have lingered for him. “I am affected because of the way the general public treated me,” he explains. “Now I am a dirty guy because I worked for 16 hours a day for 34 years to come to fix leaks and water flows and everything else? I was tired of doing the same thing every day. I am glad to be out.” X

COME TOGETHER: Fireworks lit up the night sky as community members gathered for an in-person Fourth of July celebration at Pack Square Park.

Photo by Jeffrey DeCristofaro

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BUNCOMBE BEAT

BCTDA approves $15.3 million for tourism marketing As tourism and travel ramp back up from the disruption of the COVID19 pandemic, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority plans to pump millions of dollars into advertising to ensure that Asheville remains a top regional destination.

In a 8-1 vote on June 30, the BCTDA board approved a $20.3 million operating budget for fiscal year 2021-22. The bulk of the budget — $15.3 million — is designated for advertising and public relations efforts to increase tourism and overnight stays in Buncombe County. The money represents a 55% increase over the $9.7 million the agency spent on marketing during its previous budget cycle.

“It’s easy to say that $15 million is a lot of money,” said BCTDA board member and hotelier John McKibbon.

But he argued that the expenditure was worthwhile, pointing to the roughly $2 billion local economic impact of the tourism industry, Board member Andrew Celwyn cast the sole vote against the budget.

Of the 70 comments that the authority received on the matter, he said, nearly all expressed concern over the amount of money being spent to draw more tourists to the area and the negative impacts of tourism on the local community, including contributing to Asheville’s rising cost of living.

FULLER HOUSE: As Asheville continues to boom as a national vacation destination, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority plans to up its spending on marketing to bring visitors to the region. Photo by Brooke Randle Many commenters asked that the funds allocated for advertising instead be spent on city infrastructure, schools and reparations for Asheville’s Black residents. But state law prevents occupancy tax money from supporting most government infrastructure or operations, meaning that property

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owners mostly foot the bill for police and fire service, road and sidewalk repair and construction and the costs associated with cleaning up after large numbers of visitors.

The budget also includes $440,000 to administer the authority’s Tourism Product Development Fund, which

provides grants to projects with the potential to boost tourism throughout the county, and $200,000 in earned revenue from paid advertising on BCTDA websites that is generally used to sponsor local events.

While the authority’s budget was approved with those allocations, spending levels may change if new state legislation alters the current split of occupancy tax revenue. Existing legislation requires the BCTDA to spend 75% of occupancy tax revenues on marketing, with the remaining 25% allocated toward “tourism-related capital expenditures.”

The proposed change, which appears to have support from the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners, Republican Sen. Chuck Edwards and the Asheville Buncombe Hotel Association, would shift those percentages to two-thirds and one-third, respectively.

If the revenue split is adjusted, said board member John Luckett, the authority will make budgetary amendments to reflect those changes, including shifting $2 million from its roughly $12 million in available cash reserves to fund the desired level of marketing.

“I think this budget is another year where we’re letting down our community. For over 25 years, we’ve been the TDA in the state that invests the least amount in our local community, and it’s a very marginal change that we’re talking about potentially taking place if the legislation is changed to a twothirds/one-third split,” said Celwyn.

— Brooke Randle X

Join the Organic Growers School at an upcoming class: 7/24 Homegrown Dreams (online) 7/26 & 8/2 Gardening Series (online) 8/10 Seed Saving 101 (online) 10/3 Ethical Foraging Plant Walk (Hot Springs) 10/9 Homegrown Dreams (Arden) 10/17 Seed Saving 101 (Asheville) Find more on our website: organicgrowersschool.org/events/

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FEA T U RE S

Q&A with Justin McVey, regional wildlife biologist with NC Wildlife Resources Commission Justin McVey of Horse Shoe looks at the world differently than do most people. A bird feeder and a trash can are a potential buffet for urban black bears scavenging residential properties in search of food. A dead deer on the side of the road might be roadkill — or an indication that disease is working its way through the population. His unique perspective comes with the territory as Western North Carolina’s wildlife management biologist for the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

McVey joined the NCWRC full time in 2012 after years of working with domestic, captive and wild animals.

His first job out of college was at a kangaroo breeding facility, where he learned how to catch joeys (and how to get a kangaroo to take extra vitamins by feeding it a peanut butter and banana sandwich). After earning a Master of Science degree with a thesis on the eating habits of red wolves and coyotes, he became the NCWRC’s District 9 wildlife biologist and now manages the elk and black bear population across 12 WNC counties.

McVey, 43, spoke with Xpress about how to make houses and porches unpalatable as potential dens, why humans should never feed bears and what it feels like to approach a mama bear and her cubs inside a den.

What do you think is the most pressing issue for WNC wildlife right now?

Urban bears: bears that are in settings where there’s more houses. Our bear population is still increasing, and of course our human population is increasing. The most pressing thing is trying to educate folks and get people to learn how to live responsibility with bears.

All that revolves around not feeding bears or letting them be fed — things like having bearproof trash cans, not having bird feeders when bears are active and not feeding bears.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people that feed bears. We have folks who are buying hundreds of pounds of nuts, putting out bird seed just for bears, throwing out other things for bears and hand-feeding bears. Really crazy stuff!

There are several Asheville neighborhoods that have residents feeding bears. This is very dangerous not only to humans, but also the bear. The bears are starting to become defensive of the area that they’re getting fed in. They’re bluff-charging people and doing some alarming behaviors. If people really

BEAR NECESSITIES: Justin McVey, regional wildlife biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, cuddles four bear cubs while doing field work for the Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study in Asheville. Image courtesy of Justin McVey cared about bears and wildlife, they would keep them wild.

Is summertime the most active time of year for black bears in WNC? I deal a lot with the bears generally from Memorial Day until late summer, late July or August. But in early winter, when bears start to den, I get calls about them getting up underneath houses or porches. In the past couple of years, I’ve been a little busier during winter, talking bears into moving on from under houses.

How do you talk a bear into moving on?

Oh, I’ve got different tricks.

Sometimes it’s easy. Say it’s a porch: You can have the homeowner put a radio on and run a water hose on top of the deck so it drips down. It makes the bear uncomfortable and realize this isn’t the greatest place to have a den. Other times I have to use my pepper spray or some pyrotechnics.

Sometimes it’s just yelling at the bear, and I can get them to move on — and advise the homeowners how to seal up the area and prevent that from happening again.

In addition to being the bear biologist for District 9, you’re the state’s elk biologist. What does that entail?

During the winter months, it is a lot of elk work. That’s when I’m trying to put collars on elk. We’ve got a big project looking at the population estimate of elk in North Carolina, with a lot of field work from January to March.

What are some of the myths or misunderstandings about the wildlife here that you frequently correct?

Elk are what they are: 800-pound, long-legged herbivores that eat a lot of vegetables. I don’t know if there’s many myths around those.

But with bears, you see opposite ends of the spectrum. You have folks who think bears are cute and cuddly and need our help — “Oh, this one looks like it’s not heavy enough! It needs to gain some weight!” — so they’re feeding the bear. And then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum, where people are just scared to death of bears.

Part of my job is trying to educate folks on what a bear really is. Yes, it’s a wild animal, but it’s not something you need to be afraid of. You need

to respect that it’s a wild animal and behave accordingly.

Do you have any updates on the Urban/Suburban Black Bear Study in the Asheville area that the NCWRC and N.C. State University are collaborating on?

We’re in the second phase of the study, which is probably going to end up going until 2024. This second phase is looking at what these urban bears are eating and their interactions with people. Our N.C. State grad student Jen Strules has about 20 bears with collars on them, so she’s monitoring those.

Researchers are going to take hair samples to figure out where their diet came from, whether it’s natural or anthropogenic food sources like human trash. Jen’s getting a lot of bears denning beneath houses and decks.

The hot spots are Haw Creek, Town Mountain Road and Beaverdam Road.

Those specific areas of Asheville have a ton of bears, so that’s where she’s focusing her efforts.

What is the story behind that photograph of you holding four bear cubs?

That was during the first phase of the collaborative bear project with N.C. State. During the winter, we will work up the female bears. We crawl into the bear den, anesthetize mom, change out her collar and put a new battery on it. We weigh each cub and take multiple measurements, including zygomatic arch, ear and hair length, front and hind paw length and width, chest girth, overall length and tooth eruption. With the mom, we’ll take blood again and sample for diseases and mark wherever the den is. Then we put the cubs back with mama and wake her up.

The mama bear is heavily anesthetized when you do this, right?

That’s right. Black bears don’t truly hibernate. They go into this thing called torpor. So when you crawl into a bear den, the bear raises her head and looks at you. You look down and you try to be still. She’s really, really sleepy and doesn’t want to move. Once she puts her head down, you can slowly creep and crawl a little bit more until you get close enough to hit her with the dart gun and anesthetize her. You’re on your belly looking at a full-grown bear!

It’s something else.

Do you feel fear during those times? Or have you been working with wildlife for so long that you don’t feel fear anymore?

There’s always a caution, but it’s not fear. I also don’t go in there like a cowboy, guns a-blazin’, like I can handle everything. I always respect the wildlife. I always know that they could hurt me.

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— Jessica Wakeman X JULY 7-13, 2021

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ASHEVILLE ARCHIVES

FEA T U RE S

by Thomas Calder | tcalder@mountainx.com

‘No trouble at all’ On March 22, 1941, at least 1,500 union workers walked out of the American Enka Corp., a rayon manufacturer that operated in Asheville from 1929-85. Wages, working conditions and paid time off were among the issues employees demanded management address.

In the following day’s paper, The Asheville Citizen described the strike’s ongoing scene. “Picket lines to all the entrances to the plant were established by the strikers yesterday afternoon and last night there was a solid wall of men at every entrance,” the article read. “Several hundred men stood about the entrances and around fires that had been built just off the Enka corporation property, while coffee and sandwiches were served to those on the picket lines, and a sound truck furnished music.”

Wasting no time to make its case to the public, American Enka ran an open letter in the same issue. According to the corporation, management had been in ongoing negotiations with union leaders for nearly two months before the strike. “As one Union leader expressed it during our conference, they asked for ‘everything except the keys to the plant,’” the letter claimed.

Nevertheless, the letter stressed the corporation’s confidence that a timely resolution would be met.

In the same day’s paper, an editorial described the strike as “an unfortunate occurrence which will excite widespread regret.” Along with lost production and wages, the editorial noted, “The business houses of this section will lose patronage as a consequence of the stoppage in the earning power of so many people.”

But like the corporation itself, the editorial seemed optimistic about a quick and peaceful resolution. Neither

Workers go on strike at American Enka, 1941

ON STRIKE: Demanding higher wages, better working conditions and paid time off, workers at American Enka went on strike in late March 1941. The featured photo of Enka workers predates the strike by 11 years. Photo courtesy of Buncombe County Special Collections, Asheville the employees nor management would incite violence, the paper assured readers. Therefore, the editorial concluded, the strike “will not be marred at any stage by outbreaks of lawlessness.”

As the dispute dragged on, the paper continued to stress and promulgate a peaceful demonstration. “No strike has ever been won in this section by violent measures,” a March 26, 1941, editorial read. “On the contrary many strikes have been lost through such tactics.”

Despite the paper’s warning, at least one instance of violence was reported.

On April 1, The Asheville Citizen noted that union members overturned a vehicle that attempted to drive through the picket line. The article did not note any injuries.

Finally, on April 3, after nearly two weeks, a deal was made during a latenight meeting at the George Vanderbilt Hotel in downtown Asheville. Though

neither side of the negotiations disclosed the terms of the agreement, the paper noted Enka’s plans to reopen the following day. The strike, the paper reported, ultimately affected more than 2,300 workers.

To celebrate the strike’s end, union members staged an impromptu parade down Patton Avenue and Haywood Street the following day.

On April 5, The Asheville Citizen ran its final editorial on the matter.

“The American Enka Corporation is the largest industry in this section,” the paper wrote. “Any development which affects adversely the interests either of this corporation or its employes is naturally a matter of lively concern to all of the people of this region. The news that the strike has been ended will, therefore, be highly satisfying to the citizens of Western North Carolina.”

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Along with satisfaction, at least one resident expressed pride in how events unfolded. In an April 9, 1941, letter to the editor, P.C. Edwards (whose son was among those on strike) praised both union President Nick Collins and Sheriff Lawerence Brown. “[Collins] kept whiskey and beer out of the strike and had no trouble at all to amount to anything,” Edwards wrote.

“Other strikes you read about are very unruly — always a killing or two before it is settled.”

Meanwhile, Brown deserved praise for not overwhelming the situation.

“He had an idea there wouldn’t be any trouble, so he didn’t let it take all his time and men on the job,” Edwards wrote. “We didn’t need any army to keep down trouble.”

Editor’s note: Peculiarities of spelling and punctuation are preserved from the original documents. X

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JULY 7-JULY 13, 2021 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 ca lendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

Online Events = Shaded ART & CRAFT STROLLS/FAIRS The Asheville Gallery of Art June show Soul of Place: Images Inspired by the Places We Love. Featuring art

by Karen Keil Brown and Cathyann Burgess.

Gallery open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave Art in Bloom This year marks the 15th Annual Art in Bloom fundraiser. This event combines two gallery exhibits, live floral arrangements, local garden tours and floral-inspired workshops.

TH-SU (7/8-11), $5-$50, Black Mountain Center for the Arts, 225 W. State St, Black Mountain

Artists' Demonstration w/Alicia Wildcatt Live jewelry making demonstration.

SA (7/10), 11am, Registration required, Haywood County Arts Council, 86 N. Main St, Waynesville Foundation Studios Anniversary Party A day filled with artist demos, live music, and the opening of our resident artist showcase, A Place Called Home.

SA (7/10), 12pm, Foundation Studios, 27 Foundy St At First Light: NCGC Lighting Invitational Art exhibition featuring glass and light.

MO (7/12), 10am, North Carolina Glass Center, 140 Roberts St, Suite B

The Black Wall Street MarketPlace An opportunity for finding gifts of all kinds, services and networking, while supporting Black-owned businesses in Asheville.

SA (7/10), 10am, Grind AVL, 346 Depot St

Meadow Market A rotation of local bakers, makers, and artisans.

SU (7/11), 12pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy #200, Asheville

COMMUNITY MUSIC

Westside Creative Market Local handmade goods and artwork.

SA (7/10), 11am, Haywood Quick Stop, 495 Haywood Rd

Music On Main Concert Series A free night of live music, dancing and a car show.

FR (7/9), 7pm, Hendersonville Visitor Center, 201 S. Main St, Hendersonville

FOOD & BEER RAD Farmers Market Weekly farmers market featuring more than 30 local farmers, makers, bakers and craft artisans.

WE (7/7,14), 3pm, Pleb Urban Winery, 289 Lyman St Flat Rock Farmers Market Weekly farmers market.

TH (7/8,15), 3pm, Flat Rock Farmers Market, 1790 Greenville Hwy, Hendersonville

VIVE LA FRANCE! Asheville Sister Cities will celebrate Bastille Day with a lawn picnic at the Smith-McDowell House on Wednesday, July 14, 4-7 p.m. The event will feature live swing music from Asheville’s Albi and the Lifters as well as lawn games, food, beverages and a raffle. $10-15. For more information, visit avl.mx/9sf. Photo courtesy of Smith-McDowell House Brews and Bears There will be food, drink, and music, and guests will get to watch an enrichment activity for the Nature Center’s resident black bears, Uno and Ursa.

FR (7/9), 5:30pm, WNC Nature Center, 75 Gashes Creek Rd

EXPERIENCE WNC’S NEWEST OUTDOOR CONCERT VENUE

Hendersonville Farmers Market Weekly market featuring a range of vendors.

SA (7/10), 8am, Historic Hendersonville Train Depot, 650 Maple St

North Asheville Tailgate Market Tailgate market featuring local farmers and vendors.

SA (7/10), 8am, West Asheville Tailgate Market, 3300 University Heights, Asheville

Opening Night: A Beethoven Celebration Conductor Keith Lockhart sets the stage for our 85th Anniversary Season with two of Beethoven's works and a new piece by Kennedy Center Composer Carlos Simon.

FR (7/9), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard Mozart Symphony No. 40 The debut of Jordan Bak in Walton’s Viola Concerto.

SA (7/10), 7:30pm, $20-$65, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

FRI Rich Homie Quan 7/9 w/ special guest 100 Grand Gang & Dakota Moss

FUNK YOU

w/ special guest LYRIC

FRI 7/16

The Kentucky Headhunters

SAT 7/17

Brian McKnight

w/ Georgia Thunderbolts

All Outdoor Concerts are rain or shine • Parking and Shuttle Available Uber/Lyft HIGHLY recommended

Gates 5pm • Show 7pm • ALL AGES SHOW

2898 US 70, Black Mountain NC 28711 Across from Ingles Warehouse

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JULY 7-13, 2021

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Dvořák New World Symphony Classical music with conductor Keith Lockhart.

FR (7/16), 7:30pm, $20-$65 - $65, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

SPOKEN & WRITTEN WORD Malaprop’s Book Club The club meets the first Wednesday of every month.

WE (7/7), 7pm, Registation required, avl.mx/9s5 A Night with Christina Baker Kline and Friends Virtual event with the author of The Exiles, hosted by Malaprop’s.

WE (7/7), 7pm, Registation required, avl.mx/9os

Try us online each day.

You know us in print each week.

Tickets On Sale NOW SilveradosWNC.com

SAT 7/10

Traditional Music Part of free concert series.

SU (7/11), 6pm, First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St

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Home Improvement Billy & Neal Moxley

100 Edwin Place, AVL, NC 28801 | Billy: (828) 776-2391 | Neal: (828) 776-1674

New Used Bookstore Opening The store is stocked with thousands of books, audiobooks, CDs, DVDs and more.

A bargain priced area and a collection of special finds.

TH (7/8), 1pm, Weaverville Public Library, 41 N. Main St, Weaverville Reader Meet Writer: Living Brave with Shannon Dingle Malaprop’s hosts conversation with the author.

TH (7/8), 7pm, Registation required, avl.mx/9ot

Mystery Book Club The club meets at Malaprop’s on the second Monday of every month.

MO (7/12), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/7jn Reader Meet Writer: Saved By A Song with Mary Gauthier Malaprop’s presents a conversation with the author of Saved by a Song.

TU (7/13), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/9s4

Book + Author: Migrations with Charlotte McConaghy in conversation with Jeff VanderMeer Malaprop’s hosts conversation with the author.

TH (7/8), 7pm, Registation required, avl.mx/9ou

S. A. Cosby presents Razorblade Tears, in conversation with David Joy Malaprop’s presents a conversation with the authors.

TU (7/14), 6pm, Registration required, avl.mx/9s6

Library Book Sale Fiction, non-fiction and children's books, DVDs and audiobooks for sale.

FR, SA (7/9,10), 9am, Madison County Public Library, 1335 N Main St, Marshall

CRAFT: Authors in Conversation with Joseph D’Agnese Presented by Malaprop’s.

TU (7/14), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/9s7

Reader Meet Writer: The Lost Art of Dying with Lydia Dugdale, MD Presented by Malaprop’s.

WE (7/15), 7pm, Registration required, avl.mx/9s8 Notorious HBC (History Book Club) Hosted by Malaprop’s. the club meets the third Thursday of every month.

TH (7/15), 7pm, Registation required, avl.mx/9s9

THEATER S'Wonderful The John Crawley Band is back, this time with John Crawley playing piano as George Gershwin.

FR (7/9,16), SA (7/10), TH (7/15), 7:30pm, SU (7/11), 2pm, $14-$34, Hart Theatre, 250 Pigeon St, Waynesville

The Magnetic Theatre presents Kore: A Modern Telling of the Persephone Myth. Written by Gabrielle Orcha, directed by Jessica Johnson, featuring Zak Hamrick, Katie Langwell and Heather Nicole Bronson.

FR (7/9,16), SA (7/10), TH, (7/15), 7:30pm, SU (7-/11), 4pm, $23, The Magnetic Theatre, 375 Depot St Magnetic in the (Smoky) Park Outdoor variety show.

TU (7/13), 7pm, $15-$18, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

CLASSES, MEETINGS & EVENTS Fall Gardening Course Online course offered

by Free Abundance.

TH (7/1-15), Free, Registration required, avl.mx/9qs Fridays at the Folk Art Center Explore the importance of storytelling and oral tradition among the Cherokee.

FR (7/9), 7:30pm, Free, Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Speed Dating First-ever speed dating event.

SA (7/10), 3pm, $5, Sweeten Creek Brewing, 1127 Sweeten Creek Rd Movies with Architects A film festival focusing on Black and minority architects and exploring social constructs.

SU (7/11), 4pm, Free, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave The Little Mermaid Screening of the Disney classic.

MO (7/12), 7pm, $5, Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave Ben's Friends - Support Group A support group for people in the hospitality industry struggling with addiction.

MO (7/12), 10am, AB Tech Culinary Arts & Hospitality School, 30 Tech Dr Miss Malaprop’s Storytime Weekly children’s event.

WE (7/13), 10am, Registration required, avl.mx/7b9

Bastille Day Celebration Lawn picnic, food, beverages and a raffle.

Each ticket includes a glass of wine.

WE (7/14), 4pm, $15, Smith-McDowell House, 283 Victoria Rd Money Visioning & Goal Setting Get a clear picture of your money goals through an interactive visioning exercise.

TH (7/15), 5:30pm, Free, Registration required, avl.mx/9ne

WELLNESS Hot Summer Series: Total Body Training with Eva A month of free, weekly workouts in different outdoor locations.

WE (7/7), Asheville YMCA, 30 Woodfin St Zumba Gold Dance to all styles of Latin rhythms, plus pop, oldies, tango and bellydance. No experience necessary.

WE (7/7), 12pm, $5, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave.

Yoga in the Meadow All-levels beer yoga class.

TU (7/13), 6pm, $10, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy #200

Yoga in the Park 75-minute, all levels class. Donation based.

SA,SU (7/10,11), 1:30pm, Carrier Park, 220 Amboy Rd COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available on site.

12+.

TU (7/13), 2pm, Erwin High School, 60 Lees Creek Rd Steady Collective Syringe Access Outreach Free naloxone, syringes and educational material on harm reduction.

TU (7/13), 2pm, Firestorm Books & Coffee, 610 Haywood Rd

Sparkle Time - Holistic Senior Exercise Aerobic, strengthening, balance, flexibility and fun! $5 per class, ongoing. Call Lois at 828-274-1779 for more information.

WE (7/14), 10:30am, Avery’s Creek Community Center, 899 Glennbridge Rd SE, Arden Zumba Gold Low-Impact Zumba Gold dance to all styles, including Latin, pop, oldies, tango and bellydance.

WE (7/14), 12pm, $5, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

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HEALTH ROUNDUP

by Jessica Wakeman | jwakeman@mountainx.com

State funding for local domestic, sexual violence nonprofits to end Sept. 30 The N.C. Governor’s Crime Commission informed four WNC nonprofits on June 16 of the discontinuance of nearly $2.3 million in grant funding previously available through the Victims of Crime Act and the Violence Against Women Act. Existing VOCA and VAWA grants are scheduled to run out on Thursday, Sept. 30.

Helpmate, a nonprofit that serves survivors of intimate partner violence, will lose $566,000 in expected funding over two years. That money had been slated to support client shelter, case management, court advocacy and the employment of five full-time advocates. Our VOICE, a nonprofit that provides services for survivors of sexual violence, anticipates $298,000 less in funding over two years, which would have provided for three fulltime positions and counseling services. Pisgah Legal Services and The Mediation Center were also affected.

These nonprofits have urged local governments to request funding through the federal American Rescue Plan Act to fill the financial gaps created by the discontinued grants. More information about donation opportunities for individuals, corporations, foundations, faith communities and others can be found at HelpmateOnline.org and OurVOICENC.org.

Dogwood Health Trust invests $25 million into Pisgah Fund Dogwood Health Trust announced an investment of $25 million into the

million in grants the trust plans to make annually.

Lauren Pierce Flickinger, who is based in Asheville, will serve as the manager of the Pisgah Fund.

According to Hatteras Venture Partners, potential fund investments could include pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, medical devices, digital and telehealth and contract research and manufacturing.

“We are eager to see this fund at work in Western North Carolina,” says John Crumpler, general partner and co-founder of Hatteras Venture Partners, in a press release from the firm. “Our research indicates that this region is poised for post-COVID growth, particularly as individuals and companies move away from high-density regions.”

MONEY MANAGER: Lauren Pierce Flickinger will manage the Pisgah Fund, a $50 million investment fund that will initially focus on Western North Carolina health care businesses.

Image via Hatteras Venture Partners

Edwards earmarks $1.5 million grant for Hendersonville rehab

Pisgah Fund, a $50 million investment fund that will initially focus on Western North Carolina health care businesses. Run by Hatteras Venture Partners, a venture capital firm based in Durham, the fund will invest in companies based in the 18 counties served by the DHT. DHT’s role in the fund represents an investment allocation of its core assets, which derive from the roughly $1.5 billion sale of the nonprofit Mission Health System to HCA Healthcare in 2019. The money is not part of the approximately $50

First Contact Ministries of Hendersonville is slated for a $1.5 million grant in the 2021-22 state budget thanks to Sen. Chuck Edwards, a Republican who represents Henderson County and the eastern third of Buncombe County.

The grant would be used for a substance abuse rehabilitation center to be operated by the faith-based nonprofit in Henderson County.

The nonprofit began as a weekly support group for people in recovery at Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville. It provides free services for addiction and recovery

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in the form of education, ongoing support and placement in rehab centers throughout the country. “We’re navigators — we assist people in finding whatever treatment they need,” says Craig Halford, president of First Contact Ministries.

If the grant is approved in the final budget, the money would enable the ministry to open the rehab center, which Halford said the nonprofit has attempted to do three times prior.

The ministry is seeking an existing facility that it could purchase and renovate into an in-house treatment center. Currently, First Contact Ministries holds recovery meetings at three different churches and their administrative offices. “The opioid epidemic is clearly a crisis that has destroyed so many lives directly and indirectly, and we need to be looking for solutions to help cure people that have been affected,” says Edwards.

“We have the good people with First Contact already in the community striving to make a difference, and I believe this grant will be a significant part of helping them do the work that they’re already so compelled to take on.”

News notes:

• Pardee Family Medical Associates Asheville, an outgrowth of nonprofit Pardee UNC Health Care in Hendersonville, opened at 805 Fairview Road on June 29.

The practice, adjacent to Sona Pharmacy, uses a physician-pharmacist co-visit model in which a physician and a clinical pharmacist practitioner see patients during the same visit. The primary care practice will provide child and infant health care for patients ages 6 months and older, physical exams, blood tests, hormone replacement therapy and other services.

• Nantahala Health Foundation announced over $204,000 in grants for health and wellness-related nonprofits and public service organizations. Grant recipients include Big Brothers Big Sisters in Asheville, AWAKE Children’s Advocacy Center in Sylva, Blue Ridge Public Health Project in Cashiers and Full Spectrum Farms in Cullowhee.

• Two WNC nonprofits, Blue Ridge Public Health, a public health system, and Meridian Behavioral Health Services, a behavioral health care agency, are consolidating services and business operations. Blue Ridge Public Health provides family medicine, pediatric medicine, behavioral health and dentistry, among other services. Meridian Behavioral Health Services provides child medication management, recovery education and medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence, among other services. The consolidation will be completed Friday, Oct. 1.

• The Buncombe County Schools district has partnered with MATCH Wellness, a Greenville-based company, to educate seventh graders about nutrition and physical

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activity. Lessons in the Motivating Adolescents to CHOOSE Health program will be incorporated into existing curricula for healthful living, science, math and other subjects, according to a press release from BCS. The MATCH program will begin in August for the 2021-22 school year.

ABFM is a youth-led collective of high school students from across Buncombe County, who meet weekly to plan & implement projects in their schools & communities to prevent & reduce youth substance use.

Meetings are being held virtually through Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Train up

• The YMCA of Western North Carolina is offering free exercise classes throughout July. Classes in athletic conditioning, total body training, Zumba, strength fusion and cardio dance will be taught by certified instructors throughout the region. All classes are open to the public. For the class schedule and to enroll, visit YMCAWNC.org.

• Vaya Health is holding a free online training for suicide prevention on Tuesday, July 13, at 2:30 p.m. “Question, Persuade, Refer” teaches how to recognize the signs of a suicidal crisis. Community members can RSVP for the training at VayaHealth.com or email Renee.Urban@vayahealth.com for more information. X

To join the movement, email substancefreeyouthbc@gmail.com

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ARTS & CULTURE

Group dynamics

Art in Bloom and Midsummer Market highlight rural creators “There is such enthusiasm for this event because the floral designers are so talented and creative, and the designs they produce range from exquisite to mind-blowing,” she says. “Some are grandiose, some are whimsical. Some capture the work with three sprigs of grass in a perfect container, and some haul in a giant frame and fill it with sand and fully grown trees. It’s ephemeral and never the same.”

Tickets range from $5 for access to the gallery exhibit to $50 for an all-inclusive pass. Workshop tickets are sold separately. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9nw.

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Ready to party like it’s 2019?

That’s almost a reality.

Opportunities to experience the work of Western North Carolina’s rich arts communities aren’t quite back to pre-pandemic levels, but as statewide restrictions lift, arts organizations just outside of Asheville are reopening. And some of their upcoming events are providing a welcome blast from the past.

FLOWER POWER

The COVID-19 pandemic was no match for Black Mountain Center for the Arts’ annual Art in Bloom fundraiser. Though event organizers were forced to go digital for the 2020 edition — turning the planned tour of six local gardens into an online experience — the support they received proved that would-be attendees were committed even in times of duress.

Now in its 15th year, Art in Bloom is back as an in-person offering throughout July, though with a few modifications.

“It was tricky back in January to predict what the guidelines would be in summer,” says Jessica Klarp, BMCA events coordinator. “We usually have the event in June but pushed it to July, hoping more people would be vaccinated and more willing to gather a little later in the year. We were right, but it also shifted our event more outdoors.”

Responding to what Klarp calls “people’s deep need for connection and community and continuity,” this year’s Art in Bloom features

IINSPIRED REACTIONS: Area flower arrangers will again interpret local artists’ creations in this year’s Art in Bloom fundraiser, hosted by Black Mountain Center for the Arts. Photo by Joye Ardyn Durham multiple signature components. In addition to garden tours featuring en plein air painters at work, attendees may partake in flower-themed workshops focused on creating clay flower pots, nature journaling, flower painting and mosaic pot making. Arguably the most popular

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and distinct component, however, involves 20 floral designers from the ikebana traditions and Western flower arranging professions each interpreting a different work of art selected from a variety of regional galleries.

“We look for work that floral designers can play off of, or that spark the imagination,” Klarp says.

“Work with strong lines, bold colors and gestures that can be repeated with organic materials. We try not to select works that are floral.”

On the morning of Thursday, July 8, in the BMCA’s upper level, 225 W. State St., the floral designers will unload buckets of flowers and position containers in front of their assigned artwork. Their creations will be complete by that afternoon and available for viewing at that evening’s preview party. But after Saturday, July 10, the interpretations will be taken down, adding a time sensitivity to the occasion that Klarp feels enhances its allure.

MARKET VALUE

By contrast, the Madison County Arts Council’s Midsummer Market is in its inaugural year, but the celebration of local artists has its roots in a tradition that’s been in effect nearly as long as Art in Bloom.

Erich Hubner, program director for MCAC, explains that the showcase — which starts Monday, July 12, at the nonprofit’s arts center, 90 S. Main St., Marshall, and runs through the end of the month — was inspired by MCAC’s pandemic pivot during its annual holiday sale.

Instead of its usual two-day event, packed with artists and shoppers, MCAC concocted a holiday market that spanned three weeks.

“The artists set up booths and marked the inventory, and we handled the sales and enforced strict safety protocols, such as limiting the number of people in the building and requiring masks,” Hubner says.

“This allowed shoppers to browse safely, and the community here responded very enthusiastically.”

A similar model is in place for the Midsummer Market. The event’s 20 booths showcase the work of MCAC member artists working in disciplines including photography, quilting, metalwork, beaded flowers, painting, fabric, handmade brooms, jewelry, gemstones, pottery, basket weaving and furniture.

MCAC’s goal is to provide income for these artists, while also connecting them with the public. And while the creators won’t be staffing their booths every day, Hubner notes that many will be present on Thursday, July 15, 5-8 p.m., for a reception that MCAC is hosting as part of Marshall’s Third Thursday event series.

“The money spent at these types of events generally recirculates in the local community, so sales like this become a win-win,” he says.

“It’s also psychologically important as a sign of hope for togetherness.

The year of COVID-19 isolation has affected people in many ways.

These kinds of events help folks feel kinship with their neighbors.”

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AR T S & C UL T U R E

FOOD

Visionary restaurateurs, architects and designers work to rejuvenate Asheville’s bounty of old buildings

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Improving with age

BY KAY WEST kwest@mountainx.com Architect Robert Todd says one of the things that drew him to Asheville from Mississippi in the fall of 1992 to complete a postgraduate internship was the city’s bounty of art deco architecture and old buildings. “I was always interested in older buildings and adaptive reuse,” he says. “Asheville has a wealth of existing buildings, and I had a sense that they were ripe for reuse.”

Todd points out that two things — fate and effort — have contributed to a dense urban core of older yet viable structures. “For many years Asheville was too poor to tear them down, and there were people who worked to preserve them.” (A tragic exception is the poorly titled urban renewal era, during which the city razed many of its historic Black neighborhoods.)

As Asheville began reimagining itself over the last 20 years, that convergence has resulted in a gold mine for local, independent restaurants and breweries to obtain affordable — if somewhat decrepit — spaces for their ventures along with opportunities for architects and designers to transform them. “We approach it embracing the existing buildings, keeping the components that add character and let new and modern components create a contrast versus replicating the old,” Todd says.

MAKING DREAMS REAL

Imagination and vision are priceless attributes for restaurateurs, chefs and brewers who dream of opening their own business. Turning dreams into brick-and-mortar facilities that meet regulations, comply with codes, address safety issues while also enchanting the eye and whetting the appetite is the domain of architects and interior designers.

“A big part of what we do is help owners navigate through city permitting and the engineering; getting commercial kitchens to meet building codes in old buildings can be a challenge,” explains architect Brent Campbell of BCA Architecture and Design.

Campbell started his firm in 2007 and has since handled local restaurant projects, including Bone and Broth, The Bull and Beggar, Sovereign Remedies, 24

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PICTURE PERFECT: Hunter Berry, left, owner of Taco Billy and architect Brent Campbell have a sit-down during the current project to expand Taco Billy’s bar and back patio. Photo courtesy BCA Vortex Doughnuts and Leo’s House of Thirst.

“Doing the draining, plumbing, electrical, exhaust, all the mechanicals and getting equipment in there are the basics and not easy or glamorous,” he says. “All that needs to be done before you get to the fun stuff.”

The first step in planning a restaurant is the kitchen, and Campbell begins by meeting with the owner and/or chef to discuss overall capacity. “Chefs always want a way too big kitchen,” he says with a laugh. “We talk about how much of the square footage is needed for kitchen equipment, food prep, cooking, cold storage and dishwashing, plus restrooms, then how much is left for actual dining? It’s always a push and pull.”

For brewery projects, Todd says he meets with the owner and brewer. “We

have become knowledgeable in laying out brewery space, and while everyone has their own preference on the layout, we know the different areas you need to allow for and how much space they take,” he says.

As a lead architect in the firm where he then worked, Todd’s first project in Asheville was the former Two Moons Brew and View on Merrimon Avenue.

He later helped the business with its subsequent transition to Asheville Pizza and Brewing when it was purchased by Mike Rangel in December 1998.

Soon after Todd launched his own firm, Red House Architecture, in 2005, Highland Brewing Co. contracted him to design its then-new East Asheville location when the brewery moved from its original spot below Barley’s Taproom downtown. “They were leasing the building initially, and the

immediate priority was to create brewing space,” he recalls of Highland’s Old Charlotte Highway facility. “They did not have a tasting room to speak of — I think their first bar was made of stacked pallets.”

Highland has remained a client through multiple expansions of its now sprawling brewery and taproom. So has Rangel, who retained Red House to do Asheville Brewing’s South Slope location in 2004 and most recently, to transform the former Wells Fargo bank building at 75 Coxe Ave. into Rabbit Rabbit, a partnership with The Orange Peel. “Mike’s imagination is just unparalleled,” says Todd, who has also helped bring dreams to life for several other local breweries, including Hi-Wire Brewing, Archetype Brewing, One World Brewing and Burial Beer Co. A challenge of going into existing buildings is getting the space to work for each individual brewery’s model, he notes. “There are vastly different needs according to what they intend to do and how they plan to sell — if they plan to just do retail on site or distribute,” Todd explains. “With breweries, you try to incorporate as much outdoor space as possible for the tasting room as indoor space will probably be limited.”

THE BIG REVEAL

The difficulties presented by old buildings are balanced by their rich rewards. “[They] have these inherent characteristics and elements that reveal themselves,” says Campbell. “You don’t have to fabricate anything; you highlight what is there.”

That was the case for interior designer Sarah Kowalski, hired by chef John Fleer in 2013 to help him transform La Caterina, a longtime Italian restaurant on Pack Square, into Rhubarb.

Kowalski knew Fleer, who had served as executive chef at her father’s Canyon Kitchen restaurant in Lonesome Valley in Cashiers and cooked her wedding dinner. “I think my familiarity with John, the way he cooks, his commitment to local food and products helped inform what we did in the space,” she says.

During Rhubarb’s demo phase, Kowalski says the team was delighted to uncover the building’s original mosaic floor tile, wainscoting and a wall mural under the plaster. “We were really lucky,” she recalls. “We were able to utilize the textures we found; we brought in some reclaimed barn wood to tie the areas together. John wanted it simple, unpretentious, tactile and to have room for big family dinners.”

Kowalski has since worked with Fleer on other projects, including The Rhu and Benne on Eagle. The latter, she notes, was more complicated than previous jobs due, in part, to the city’s

rigorous historic preservation requirements. Ultimately, the building’s history as a foundry ended up informing some of her design decisions. “I wanted to bring in more metal to give it an interesting industrial feel,” she says.

Designer Claire Wiese, owner of Rhythm Interiors and Installation, had a different challenge when she was hired by Al Singh to transform the former site of Rezaz — a beloved longtime restaurant in Biltmore Village — into Singh’s vision for a high-end Indian restaurant, Andaaz Indian Cuisine.

“It was his first restaurant and a very fast-moving project,” she says. “He needed to get it open quickly, as most independent restaurant owners do.”

The only thing retained in the large space during the transition was the hardwood floors. The bar was completely relocated, then new furniture, fabrics, tile, statuary and art were ordered with many of the items coming directly from India.

A particular Indian fabric Singh wanted to incorporate — phulkari — was used to cover acoustic panels on the wall to help absorb ambient noise, a crucial and sometimes overlooked challenge in muffling sound-bouncing elements like brick and metal. “Those panels are functional but also add color and richness to the walls,” Wiese points out.

Wiese regularly consulted with Singh and his partners to be sure the design elements she chose were culturally appropriate and met their vision of taking guests on an exotic yet comfortable trip to a foreign land. “Ultimately in restaurants, we create experiences, memories and feelings,” she says.

WOODEN IT BE NICE: Red House architect/owner Robert Todd stands in the stairwell of Forestry Camp Restaurant and Bar, a reclamation project he did with Burial Beer to repurpose a 1930s US Forestry Camp. Photo by Wren London the house, dining and outdoor seating is not duplicated city to city.

Tupelo Honey is currently working with the Washington, D.C.-based architecture and design firm Street Sense Media, which has done the last three stores and will continue as the business expands further. “I think we have found the perfect blend of vintage and nostalgia, juxtaposed with modern, clean lines,” says Prince. “Each store is familiar but unique to its location.”

Though Asheville restaurant and brewery architects deal almost exclusively with old structures, they say the work never gets old. Todd points to Red House’s 2019 project for Burial Beer, creating Forestry Camp restaurant and bar from an abandoned and crumbling 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps camp (the project won a 2020 Griffin

Award from the Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County).

“In the wrong hands, that whole site could have been razed,” he says.

“Instead, the original timber and amazing timberwork and craft have been preserved and adapted. It is just a remarkable result that we are very proud to have been a part of.”

Campbell’s work with restaurateur and avid preservationist Drew Wallace in transforming a neglected building on Haywood Road into Leo’s House of Thirst won a 2021 Griffin Award from the PSABC. Currently, his firm is close to completing what he calls “the most complicated project I’ve ever been involved with” — the soon-toopen Harvest Pizzeria Asheville on Banks Avenue.

Campbell’s and Wallace’s vision for the project saved a South Slope landmark known locally and tongue in cheek as Three Walls — a shell of a building with three old brick walls and no roof or floor, covered with graffiti and the site of many Instagram posts.

“We essentially built a building inside the walls, added a kitchen and a roof deck, and it will be a gigantic crazy pizza place that will seat 200 people,” says Campbell. “It would have been a lot easier to tear those walls down, but no one wanted that.”

Todd, who moved to Asheville for the existing architecture, agrees. “We are creative thinkers here, and we like to work and live differently than other parts of the country,” he says. “There is embedded energy in these old buildings we want to save and pay it forward for the future.” X

SAME BUT DIFFERENT

Taking great care with architecture and aesthetics isn’t just important for one-of-a-kind restaurant concepts.

Feelings have guided the design philosophy of Asheville’s iconic Tupelo Honey since it was opened on College Street in December 2000.

“That restaurant really conveyed a point in time in Asheville history,” recalls Christin Prince, senior vice president of marketing, who has lived in Asheville since the 1990s. “It was quaint, homey, welcoming and laid back. All the things Asheville was then and still in most ways is today.”

Over the years, Tupelo Honey has continued to expand its operations and now has nearly 20 locations in 12 states.

Though each restaurant is different, says Prince, there are functional needs common to all. “We are still a scratchmade restaurant, so we need really big kitchens with giant prep areas, we need big lines to execute the food in the volume we do,” she says. The front of

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ARTS & CU L T U R E

CRAFT

Crafting change Recent grants generate new arts and culture initiatives

BY BEN WILLIAMSON bdwilliamson1919@gmail.com The region’s cultural history and traditions — and their relevance to contemporary life and possibilities — will get a boost via two new grants at a pair of local postsecondary institutions.

Warren Wilson College was recently awarded nearly $950,000 by the Windgate Foundation to expand its craft programming. Meanwhile, Western Carolina University received $88,050 from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation to support expansion of an existing interpretive Cherokee exhibit.

IMAGINING POSSIBILITIES

The Windgate grant stands to impact Warren Wilson’s Critical Craft

Studies Program by increasing the number of undergraduate craft courses, supporting visiting artists to campus, procuring new equipment and increasing funds for scholarships.

According to Provost Jay Roberts, most of these initiatives will be in place by the start of the fall semester. “Well over 100 students per year will have new and enhanced experiences as a result,” he says. A timely benefit, considering the provost’s assertion that the new school year will likely see the college’s largest incoming class in over five years — roughly 280 new students.

Nevertheless, Roberts maintains the college’s latest plans are about more than getting students to the Swannanoa campus. “[It] speaks to our mission and philosophy as a residential liberal arts school with an emphasis on making the world a more

HAMMER TIME: Recent funding from the Windgate Foundation will allow Warren Wilson College to increase the number of undergraduate craft courses, as well as support additional visiting artists, procure new equipment and increase funds for scholarships. Photo courtesy of Warren Wilson College just, equitable and sustainable place,” he says. “We view art as an integral part of this ongoing work.”

Currently, craft work crews already operate on campus completing woodworking, blacksmithing and fiber arts projects. Each of these areas, notes Roberts, stand to gain additional support through the grant.

But most importantly, Roberts emphasizes, the potential impact of the funding exceeds dollar amounts and the number of classes offered.

“This is far beyond just making,” he says. “Making is important, but it is fundamentally about how we orient ourselves to our world. Through art and through craft we can make the world a better place by imagining what is possible. It is really one of the things that drives change.”

CENTER OF CAMPUS

Farther west, in Jackson County, change is also underway at WCU’s Bardo Arts Center. Since its launch 15 years ago, the center has worked with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to design an interpretative exhibit in its space. Until now, this meant incorporating bilingual signage and architectural features influenced by Cherokee heritage, says Denise Drury Homewood, the center’s executive director. “In the past, we’ve had information to hand out about what the translations mean, who performed them and what the architectural features mean,” she explains.

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The Cherokee Preservation Foundation grant will increase the impact of the exhibit by installing permanent displays to explain the various Cherokee elements on view at the center. The money will also support multiple efforts to promote Cherokee culture as vibrant and contemporary rather than a relic of the region’s past.

The project is slated to be completed in spring 2022 with additional support from WCU’s Cherokee Studies Program and the WCU Cherokee Center. Beyond signage and architecture, the new exhibit will include visiting Cherokee artists and musicians, sharing both their cultural traditions and language.

“The EBCI told us it is important to them for people to see that Cherokee culture is alive and thriving,” says Drury Homewood. “And to be able to hear people both young and old speaking the language.”

And while an emphasis on current Cherokee culture will be prominent, historical elements will be spotlighted as well. For example, a land acknowledgement that explains the university’s location on historical Cherokee land will be on permanent display.

The center’s prime location on campus, notes Drury Homewood, bodes well for the project’s visibility to future students and visitors alike. “This is the final stopping place on every orientation tour,” she points out. “It’s an appropriate place to have this [latest exhibit].” X

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

FOOD ROUNDUP

What’s new in food

Yancey County Farmers Market prepares for a new permanent facility Like all outdoor farmers markets, Yancey County’s weekly Saturday gathering is held rain or shine. But with construction about to begin on the Yancey County Resource Center on West Main Street in Burnsville, the market may find shelter from the storm as early as this fall.

The new facility, which will include a large pavilion with the capacity to accommodate 36 vendors, will serve as the permanent home of the Yancey County Farmers Market.

The site will also feature a two-story building with offices, meeting space, a certified demonstration kitchen and public restrooms.

“It’s a dream come true,” says Cheri Lee, market manager. “We are such a rich agricultural community, and we have so many smallscale farms here that need whatever platforms they can get. The more opportunity we can give our vendors and farmers and new young farmers, the better.”

The project is the culmination of a partnership between Yancey County government, the Yancey County Economic Development Commission and Appalachian State University’s Integrative Design Experience Laboratory program. Discussions about a permanent market site began before COVID-19, but the pandemic exposed additional community needs that helped expand the vision.

“When COVID hit and many of our nonprofits were working to distribute food to people in the community, we realized this could provide a place for nonprofits to do their work,” says Jamie McMahan, executive director of the Yancey County EDC. Furthermore, McMahan points out, the permanent structure will be available for craft markets, festivals, outdoor classrooms and other community events.

Students from Appalachian State “designed this stem to stern and will construct it,” notes McMahan.

Though a start time has not yet been set, McMahan adds, “We expect construction to begin very soon.”

Lee is counting on it. “Our season is normally mid-April through mid-November, but this will allow us to extend the selling time,” she says. “Our crafters would love the opportunity for a holiday market this year.”

The Yancey County Farmers Market currently happens 8:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. Saturdays at 8 Town Square, Burnsville. To learn more, visit avl.mx/0vg.

Cider and grub

Barn Door Ciderworks in Fletcher is putting its own spin on the term “open kitchen.” In June, co-owners Katie Moore and Dan Fowler invited local artist and skilled home cook Kathy Triplett to create and execute a concise menu of small bites to debut in the cidery’s tasting room.

“We strongly believe in food being part of our customers’ cider experience, and we thought it would be fun to invite some of our friends who are excellent cooks to come into our business and work some of their magic,” Moore explains.

On June 15, Triplett debuted a skewer trio — shrimp and mandarin orange, vegetable and local cheese — and Sunburst hickory-smoked trout salad crostini. On Friday, July 9, Landis Lacey will tie on his apron to plate Korean-influenced sliders, Asian slaw and a cheese sampler. On Thursday, Aug. 5, Judi Jonofsky will step into the designated chef clogs (menu TBD).

Service time for the tasty treats is 4-8 p.m. Moore says all community members are invited to sign up for a turn as featured home chef. There is no cost to participate, and food items are priced individually.

Barn Door Ciderworks is at 23 Lytle Road, Fletcher. To learn more, visit avl.mx/9ni.

Remember the amaro Since its founding in 2017, Eda Rhyne Distillery has made three unique small-batch spirits — Appalachian Fernet original amaro, Amaro Flora and Rustic Nocina — sourcing local heirloom corn and grains along with regional medicinal plants and herbs to craft traditional herbal liquors.

This summer, Eda Rhyne co-owners and distillers Chris Bower and Rett Murphy pop the top on a new product: Amaro Pop, a canned spritz cocktail flavored with grapefruit and honey. “We take what we do very seri-

ON THE DRAWING BOARD: Integrative Design Experience Lab at Appalachian State University created plans for the future Yancey County Resource Center, which will be the permanent home of the Yancey County Farmers Market. Courtesy of Yancey County EDC ously, but we appreciate a good time,” says Bower. “We really wanted to create something fun and enjoyable: a cocktail you can take on a hike, to the swimming hole or campsite.”

Bower adds that the summer-friendly, 7% ABV beverage was a year in development before Eda Rhyne canned its first batch, which will be sold at the distillery and ABC stores by the four-pack.

To celebrate, Eda Rhyne will host the Amaro Pop Party 5-9 p.m.

Saturday, July 10. The first pop is free for all guests. Along with libations, the gathering will feature DJs and food trucks. Samples of the distillery’s other new spirit, Lindera vodka, will also be available.

Eda Rhyne is at 101 Fairview Road, Suite A. For more information, visit avl.mx/9nj.

Flight path

After a COVID-imposed hiatus in 2020, Highland Brewing Co. is bringing back Night Flight, a 4.5-mile run mapped through East Asheville.

On Saturday, July 17, runners will race like the wind or slow jog over the Asheville Golf Course, cruise the Beverly Hills neighborhood, zip past the Western North Carolina Nature Center, then cross the finish line back at Highland Brewing to the applause of family and friends and the more visceral reward of an icecold beer.

As always, 100% of proceeds from the race will go to the development of greenways in Asheville and Buncombe County through the volunteer-based nonprofit Connect Buncombe. Since Night Flight’s

inception eight years ago, Highland has raised more than $50,000.

“This race came out of an interest to better connect the brewery to greener modes of transit and showcase our East Asheville neighborhood,” says Leah Wong Ashburn, Highland Brewing Co. CEO and president. She adds that thanks to local government support and a voter-passed bond package, a new greenway is being planned along the Swannanoa River in East Asheville near the brewery.

The post-race party will be held in Highland’s Meadow with awards given in multiple categories. Race time is 7:30 p.m. Registration is $43.

Highlands Brewing Co. is at 12 Old Charlotte Highway. To sign up, visit avl.mx/9nq.

Glass act

Cheers to Asheville’s Wehrloom Meadery and Tryon’s Parker-Binns Vineyard, both of whom both placed in the inaugural North Carolina Mead-Cider-Fruit Wine Competition presented by JenNis Beverage Marketing on May 24 at The Lodge at Flat Rock mountain resort. “We wanted to create an event to promote and raise awareness of North Carolina commercially produced meads, ciders, and fruit wines,” said event organizer Dennis Turner in a press release announcing the 27 medals awarded across the state.

Wehrloom earned a silver and two bronze in the mead category; Parker-Binns won a people’s choice and a silver medal for its blackberry fruit wine.

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— Kay West X JULY 7-13, 2021

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

ROUNDUP

Around Town

Urban Renewal Impact website goes live Priscilla Robinson’s Urban Renewal Impact website debuted on June 24, marking the end of a multiyear digital collaboration with local residents and technical experts to document and tell the stories of urban renewal in Asheville’s Southside neighborhood.

The Asheville native began her exploratory research in 2008 and received a grant from the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County to present her findings online. The site includes a timeline of significant events in Asheville’s Black community, galleries of people who were displaced by urban renewal projects and a map of the Southside community before, during and after the detrimental policy’s implementation.

“This website allows residents to revisit community and tell their stories,” Robinson says. “We expect it to be an important resource in the truth-and-reconciliation conversations on reparations in Asheville.”

To learn more, visit avl.mx/9o3.

MOVIE LISTINGS Bruce Steele’s and Edwin Arnaudin’s latest critiques of new films available to view in local theaters and via popular streaming services include: BLACK WIDOW: The thrilling adventures of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) post-Captain America: Civil War are buoyed by an A-list cast and a sharp sense of humor. It’s everything viewers could want from an MCU movie.

Grade: A-minus. Rated PG-13 NO SUDDEN MOVE: Steven Soderbergh’s 1950s Detroit-set heist film has style to spare and makes great use of its allstar ensemble, but may be too convoluted for its own good.

Grade: B-plus. Rated R

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies 30

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Harmonious future Recent Asheville High School graduate Harmony Redford is one of 81 teens selected for the 17th annual GRAMMY Camp program and the lone student from North Carolina.

The aspiring musician will participate in the prestigious music industry camp’s audio engineering career track, July 20-24. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, it will be held virtually instead of its traditional in-person experience in Los Angeles. Musical acts All Time Low, Echosmith and The War and Treaty will be this year’s guest artists and discuss their career paths with the students.

“I’m so excited to learn from award-winning industry professionals, grow as a performer and writer, and collaborate with other talented musicians my age,” says Redford.

She will attend college remotely for audio engineering in the fall and is actively seeking internship opportunities within the local sector. For more information, visit avl.mx/9og.

And the nominees are ...

Western Carolina University is seeking nominations for its Mountain Heritage Award to honor an individual and an organization for contributions to Southern Appalachian history, culture and folklore. The award was first presented in 1976 to journalist and author John Parris. Other individual honorees include corn shuck artist Annie Lee Bryson, Cherokee storyteller Lloyd Arneach and visual artist and community historian Ann Miller Woodford. Among the prior organizational winners are Qualla Arts & Crafts, Tried Stone Missionary Baptist Church and Cashiers Historical Society. Nominations are due Friday, July 30. Learn more at avl.mx/xmasjb7.

Mountain memoir-ish Asheville-based author Doug Brown’s new book Walker Percy Loves You and Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life was published on June 4. Brown describes the project as “memoir-ish,” and says that it combines some formative experiences in his life; how the writings of Percy — a Southern novelist, most famously known for The Moviegoer — have helped Brown understand his time

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DEDICATED NEIGHBOR: Priscilla Robinson has been researching the effects of urban renewal on Asheville’s Southside community for 14 years. Photo by Pat Barcas on Earth; how telling personal stories can help bring substantial healing; and how Brown has “found ways to move forward through the sacraments of ordinary life — and especially the sacraments of Asheville.” To learn more, visit avl.mx/9oi.

Transylvanian tunes Brevard Music Center has added five performances to its 2021 season, beginning on Sunday, July 11, with singer-songwriters Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt. Other upcoming artists include Fireside Collective (Sunday, July 18), Darrell Scott (Sunday, July 25) and Bruce Hornsby (Sunday, Aug. 1), plus Metropolitan Opera baritone and Brevard native Sidney Outlaw (Tuesday, July 20).

To view the full season schedule and purchase tickets, visit avl.mx/9nc.

Cheers to two years Foundation Studios hosts its second anniversary party on Saturday, July 10, noon-8 p.m., at 27 Foundy St., suite No. 10. The day will include artist demos, live music and the opening of the resident artist showcase, A Place Called Home.

“We strive to be a community baseline, or foundation, of support for artists to gather, express, share and grow,” says Foundation Studios representative Jordan Moodie. “After a year where we all had quite a lot of time to reflect on what ‘home’ means to us, we thought it would be interesting to collect these ideas as expressed by our artists. Everyone has their unique origin story, but by sharing those stories with others, we can start laying down new roots. It just seemed natural to emphasize this theme in honor of our anniversary.”

In keeping with that theme, the studios will also feature the I Am Home Art Project, a local nonprofit that works with artists at risk of homeless-

ness. Attendees are invited to donate art supplies to the nonprofit, including paintbrushes, acrylic paint and canvases. The event is free to attend. For more information, visit avl.mx/9oj.

Yancey stages

Parkway Playhouse holds auditions for its fall lineup on Saturday, July 10, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at The Mountain Heritage Center, 113 Green Mountain Drive, Burnsville. Mainstage shows for the season include A Good Day, which chronicles 10 relationships that experience a life-changing moment, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Learn more at avl.mx/9ol.

Delayed celebration(s) Downtown Hendersonville merchants look to make up for lost time on Saturday, July 10, with Celebrate: The Remix, a supercharged edition of the monthly LoveHendo Saturday open-street event. Their goal is to help people belatedly enjoy parties, proms, anniversaries and even weddings that were delayed or compromised in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Attendees are encouraged to reserve a table at a favorite restaurant or coordinate a larger event — including a marriage ceremony, as multiple business owners, among them Wag! A Unique Pet Boutique’s Caroline Gunther, can conduct legal unions right downtown.

“I put the word out on Facebook asking if anyone would like to hold their wedding on Main Street this summer, and people thought I was kidding,” Gunther says. “Who could ask for a more unique and memorable wedding day?”

The festivities conclude with a car show from the Carolina Classic Car Club. The celebration is free to attend. To learn more or plan an event, visit avl.mx/9om.

— Edwin Arnaudin X

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

WEDNESDAY, JULY 7 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Mark Fisher (solo acoustic), 1pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night at SAB w/ Jason DeCristofaro (jazz), 5:30pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night w/ Tommy Yon, 6pm BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia Night, 6pm ISA’S FRENCH BISTRO Jay DiPaola’s Live Lounge (solo acoustic), 6pm HAZEL ROBINSON AMPHITHEATRE Molly Tuttle (bluegrass, Americana, solo guitarist), 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam (folk), 6pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm RABBIT RABBIT Trivia Night, 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Bingeable Trivia, 7pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic/Free Jam, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE - Jesse Barry & Friends (blues, funk, soul), 6pm - Sabine McCalla (Americana), 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Queer Comedy Party featuring Hayley Ellman at Beauty Parlour, 9pm ONE WORLD BREWING Latin Night Wednesday, 9pm

THURSDAY, JULY 8 ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Todd Cecil and Dirt Yard Choir (rock), 6pm

EDNA RHYNE DISTILLING CO. Edna Rhyne Block Party, 5pm

SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic, 6pm FLEETWOOD’S Terraoke! Karaoke with Terra, 6pm

ISA’S FRENCH BISTRO James Hammel (acoustic solo), 5:30pm

CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Weekly Trivia w/Billy Nesbit, 6:30pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Brian Ashley Trio (country, blues), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION The Very Jerry Band (Jerry Garcia tribute), 6:30pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN BREWERY ChillBilly (acoustic), 6pm

185 KING STREET Jangling Sparrows (Americana), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Hank, Pattie & The Current (folk, bluegrass), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew & the Boys (bluegrass), 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Salsa Night, 8pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Karaoke w/KJ Salina, 8pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Metal Night w/DJ Grey and Jagger (heavy metal), 9pm

MUSIC TO CROW ABOUT: Riverside Rhapsody Beer Co. will welcome harmony-driven folk-rock/country duo Rooster on Saturday, July 10, at 6 p.m. The Asheville band, made up of drummer Erin Kinard and guitarist Annie Myers, will play an outdoor show at the Woodfin brewery. Photograph courtesy of Rooster ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Phursdays with Gunslinging Parrots (A Phish experience), 9pm

FRIDAY, JULY 9 RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Fresh Phish Friday by DJ Camaro, 5:30pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE & CHAMPAGNE BAR Gypsy Jazz w/Fatty & Friends, 5pm

THE GREY EAGLE Kayla Lynn & The Change (funk), 6pm POINT LOOKOUT VINEYARDS AcousticENVY (rock, pop, soul, country), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Karaoke and Singles Night, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST UniHorn (funk, jazz, soul), 6pm BLUE GHOST BREWING COMPANY Tuxedo Junction Band (big band), 6:15pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Free Dead Friday w/Gus & Friends plus Generous Electric, 6:15pm SALVAGE STATION George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners w/ Marvelous Funkshun (funk, soul), 6:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Mike Farris (country, blues, gospel), 7pm THE BARRELHOUSE Zach Meadows (Americana, blues), 7pm SILVERADOS Rich Homie Quan (rap), 7pm RABBIT RABBIT Jamey Johnson w/ Whiskey Myers and Reyna Roberts (country), 7pm FLEETWOOD'S Oblivion Throne w/ Powder Horn (heavy metal), 7:30pm

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THE SOCIAL Blake Ellege and the Resonators (country), 8pm IMPERIÁL DJ Phantom Pantone & Friends (electronic), 8pm BEN’S TUNE UP DJ Kilby (vinyl), 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL The Hot Club (Gypsy jazz), 8pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Krave Amiko/ PINKNEY/Orange Doors (psychedelic, rock, experimental), 8pm WILD WING CAFE SOUTH Commodore Fox (rock, dance), 8:30pm D9 BREWING Carolina Bound (acoustic duo), 9pm SOQDET IN SYLVA Wachacha & Friends w/ Orion Records Linz-E (drum & bass), 9pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY DJ dance party w/Mesy & Zoti, 10pm

SATURDAY, JULY 10 SUNNY POINT CAFE Adi the Monk (blues, jazz, funk), 9am HOME GROUND COFFEE BAR & DELI Bluegrass Brunch Shindig w/Supper Break, 11:30am BURNTSHIRT VINEYARDS. Roots and Dore (blues, soul, roots), 2pm

THE RIVETER Supatight (funk), 7:30pm

AMERICAN VINYL CO American Vinyl Co Grand Opening, 1pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Sweet Megg (jazz, blues, Western swing), 7:30pm

ASHEVILLE YACHT CLUB Iggy Radio (loop artist), 3pm

185 KING STREET McIntosh & The Lionhearts (acoustic band), 8pm

ASHEVILLE DISPENSARY Sunset Sessions (house, ambient DJ), 4pm

THE GETAWAY TIKI BAR Getaway Comedy featuring Joe Pettis, 8pm

BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah’s Daydream (jazz), 5pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Model Face Comedy, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Free Flow Band (funk), 5pm

THE INN AT BILTMORE ESTATES The Hot Club of Asheville (Gypsy jazz), 6pm POINT LOOKOUT VINEYARDS The Marsha Morgan Band (pop, rock, beach), 6pm WAGBAR Connor Kozlosky (funk, jam), 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING East Coast Dirt (rock, jam), 6pm RIVERSIDE RHAPSODY BEER CO. Rooster (Americana, folk), 6pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Flatted Third Blues Band, 6:30pm THE BARN AT PAINT FORK Jackyl (heavy metal), 6:30pm THE ASHEVILLE CLUB Kyle Corbett (classical guitar), 6:30pm PACK SQUARE PARK Shindig on the Green, 7pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Beauty Parlour Comedy w/Damon Sumner, 7pm JIMMY’S ON THE RIVER Lucky James (acoustic), 7pm BREVARD MUSIC CENTER Mozart Symphony No. 40, 7pm SALVAGE STATION Kendall Street Company w/Hustle Souls (alternative rock), 7pm SILVERADOS Funk You (funk), 7pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Aaron Burdett Album Release Show (Americana, bluegrass), 7pm ODDITORIUM Party Foul Outdoor Drag Show, 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB The Jackson Grimm Band (Americana), 7:30pm THE ORANGE PEEL Straightlines w/Billingsley (pop, rock), 8pm THE GREENHOUSE MOTO CAFE Young & Old Alike (rock), 8pm THE FOUNDRY HOTEL JST (jazz trio), 8pm

185 KING STREET Magenta Sunshine (funk, jazz, soul), 8pm ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB Karaoke Party, 8pm FLEETWOOD'S The 40, 20, 10S/Gold Rose (Americana), 8pm RABBIT RABBIT Silent Disco, 8pm SLY GROG LOUNGE Catacomb III - Into the Abyss w/DJ Oneiric (dance, techno), 9pm SOQDET IN SYLVA Genki Genki Panic (surf punk), 9pm THE GREY EAGLE John R. Miller (Americana), 9pm

SUNDAY, JULY 11 STRADA ITALIANO Dan Keller (jazz guitar), 10am HOME GROUND COFFEE BAR AND DELI Hot Club of Asheville (Gypsy jazz), 11:30am JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Brunch, 12pm THE GREY EAGLE - Brunch of Jokers (comedy), 12pm - Many A Ship (indie rock), 5pm ONE WORLD BREWING Jazz Jam Brunch (jazz), 1:30pm SAINT PAUL MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS Geriatric Jukebox (folk, rock), 2:30pm THE GREENHOUSE MOTO CAFE Dave Desmelik (Americana), 5pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Chalwa (mountain reggae), 3pm ARCHETYPE BREWING Sunday Live Sessions + Food Trucks, 3pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Perry Wing Combo (Americana, blues, country), 4pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Purple (jazz, funk, soul), 5pm 185 KING STREET King Street House Band w/Howie Johnson (open electric jam), 6pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Alexa Rose Band (Americana, folk), 7pm SALVAGE STATION Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears w/Big Woozy (blues, funk, soul), 7pm

MONDAY, JULY 12 THE GOLDEN PINEAPPLE Robert’s Totally Rad Trivia, 5pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Mitch’s Totally Rad Trivia, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Jonathan Foster (Americana), 6pm HENDERSONVILLE VISITOR CENTER Street Dances, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. It Takes All Kinds Open Mic Night, 7pm THE JOINT NEXT DOOR Blue Monday w/Mr Jimmy (blues), 7:30pm

TUESDAY, JULY 13 GREEN MAN BREWERY Old Time Jam (musical collaboration), 3pm THE GREY EAGLE Fruit Smash presents ‘Rotations’ DJ The Big G X DJ Otto Maddox (dance), 5pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Music Bingo, 6pm MILLS RIVER BREWING Weekly Trivia Night, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Inside Out Stand Up Comedy Showcase, 6:30pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Trivia Night, 6:30pm DOWN DOG AVL Tacos and Trivia, 7pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night w/ Tommy Yon, 6pm Tuesday Trivia with Eister, 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic at White Horse, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 14 305 LOUNGE & EATERY Mark Fisher (solo acoustic), 1pm SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 5:30pm ISA’S FRENCH BISTRO Jay DiPaola’s Live Lounge (acoustic), 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Open Mic Night w/ Tommy Yon, 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. French Broad Valley Mountain Music Jam, 6pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Witty Wednesday Trivia, 6:30pm 185 KING STREET Trivia Night, 7pm RABBIT RABBIT Trivia Night, 7pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Bingeable Trivia, 7pm ATTIC SALT THEATRE The SuperHappy Trivia Challenge, 7pm THE GREY EAGLE Travis Book Happy Hour w/Vince Herman (Americana), 7pm THE BARRELHOUSE Open Mic/Free Jam, 8pm ASHEVILLE BEAUTY ACADEMY Beauty Parlour Comedy w/Carlette Jennings, 8:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING Latin Night Wednesday, 9pm

THURSDAY, JULY 15 DOWNTOWN HENDERSONVILLE SOUTH MAIN STREET Abby Bryant and The Echoes (rock, soul) , 5:30pm FLEETWOOD’S Terraoke! Karaoke with Terra,, 6pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Sidecar Honey (indie, Americana, rock), 6pm CATAWBA BREWING SOUTH SLOPE Weekly Trivia w/Billy Nesbit, 6:30pm ISIS MUSIC HALL & KITCHEN 743 Peggy and Paula (folk, bluegrass, classical), 7pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew & the Boys (bluegrass), 7pm RABBIT RABBIT Sunset Rooftop Comedy Show, 8pm SWEETEN CREEK BREWING Open Mic, 6pm THE GREY EAGLE - Ward Davis (country), 7pm - Alex Williams (country), 9pm

MILLS RIVER BREWING Open Mic Night, 6pm

THE WEAVER HOUSE Mr Jimmy and Patrick Lockett Blues Duo (blues), 7pm

BOLD ROCK HARD CIDER Trivia Night, 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY Karaoke w/KJ Salina, 8pm

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FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Poet Joshua Jennifer Espinoza writes, “i name my body girl of my dreams / i name my body proximity / i name my body full of hope despite everything.” I love her idea that we might give playful names and titles and descriptors to our bodies. In alignment with current astrological omens, I propose that you do just that. It’s time to take your relationship with your beautiful organism to a higher level.

How about if you call it “Exciting Love River” or “Perfectly Imperfect Thrill” or “Amazing Maze”?

Have fun dreaming up further possibilities!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The English language, my native tongue, doesn’t ascribe genders to its nouns. But many languages do. In Spanish, the word for “bridge” is puente, which is masculine. In German, “bridge” is Brücke, which is feminine. A blogger named Tickettome says this is why Spanish speakers may describe a bridge as strong or sturdy, while German speakers refer to it as elegant or beautiful. I encourage you to meditate on bridges that possess the entire range of qualities, including the Spanish and German notions. In the coming weeks, you’ll be wise to build new metaphorical bridges, fix bridges that are in disrepair and extinguish fires on any bridges that are burning.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Académie Française is an organization devoted to preserving the purity and integrity of the French language.

One of its ongoing missions is to resist the casual incorporation of English words, which the younger generation of French people is inclined to do. Among Anglicisms that don’t have the Académie’s approval: podcast, clickbait, chick-lit, deadline, hashtag, marketing, timelapse, and showrunner. The ban doesn’t stop anyone from using the words, of course, but simply avoids giving them official recognition. I appreciate the noble intentions of the Académie, but regard its crusade as a losing battle that has minimal impact.

In the coming weeks, I advise you to refrain from behavior that resembles the Académie’s. Resist the temptation of quixotic idealism. Be realistic and pragmatic. You Geminis often thrive in environments that welcome idiosyncrasies, improvisation, informality and experimentation — especially now.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Cancerian author Vladimir Mayakovsky wrote a poem about how one morning he went half-mad and conversed with the sun. At first he called the supreme radiance a “lazy clown,” complaining that it just floated through the sky for hours while he, Mayakovsky, toiled diligently at his day job painting posters. Then he dared the sun to come down and have tea with him, which, to his shock, the sun did. The poet was agitated and worried — what if the close approach of the bright deity would prove dangerous? But the visitor turned out to be friendly. They had a pleasant dialogue, and in the end the sun promised to provide extra inspiration for Mayakovsky’s future poetry. I invite you to try something equally lyrical and daring, dear Cancerian.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A blogger named Bunny-Gal writes, “I almost completely forgot who I was there for a while. But then I dug a hole and smelled the fresh dirt and now I remember everything and am okay.” I recommend you follow her lead, Leo — even if you haven’t totally lost touch with your essence. Communing with Mother Earth in the most direct and graphic way to remind you of everything you need to remember: of the wisdom you’ve lost track of and the secrets you’ve hidden too well and the urgent intuitions that are simmering just below the surface of your awareness.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I can’t understand the self-help gurus who advise us to relentlessly live in the present moment — to shed all awareness of past and future so as to focus on the eternal NOW. I mean, I appreciate the value of doing such an exercise on occasion for a few moments. I’ve tried it, and it’s often rejuvenating.

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But it can also be downright foolish to have no thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow. We need to evaluate how circumstances will evolve, based on our previous experience and future projections. It can be a deadening, depleting act to try to strip ourselves of the rich history we are always embedded in. In any case, Virgo, I advise you to be thoroughly aware of your past and future in the coming days. To do so will enhance your intelligence and soulfulness in just the right ways to make good decisions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Psychotherapist and author Clarissa Pinkola Estés poetically refers to the source of our creativity as “the river under the river.” It’s the deep primal energy that “nourishes everything we make” — our “writing, painting, thinking, healing, doing, cooking, talking, smiling.” This river beneath the river doesn’t belong to any of us — it is potentially available to all — but if harnessed correctly it works in very personal ways, fueling our unique talents.

I bring this to your attention, Libra, because you’re close to gaining abundant new access to the power of the river beneath the river.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In formulating personal goals, Scorpio author Brené Brown urges us to emphasize growth rather than perfection.

Trying to improve is a healthier objective than seeking flawless mastery. Bonus perk: This practical approach makes us far less susceptible to shame. We’re not as likely to feel like a failure or give up prematurely on our projects. I heartily endorse this strategy for you right now, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In a letter to Jean Paul Sartre, author Simone de Beauvoir described how she was dealing with a batch of challenging memories: “I’m reliving it street by street, hour by hour, with the mission of neutralizing it, and transforming it into an inoffensive past that I can keep in my heart without either disowning it or suffering from it.” I LOVE this approach! It’s replete with emotional intelligence.

I recommend it to you now, since it’s high time to wrangle and finagle with parts of your life story that need to be alchemically transformed and redeemed by your love and wisdom.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In one of his poems, Capricorn-born Kenneth Rexroth complains about having “a crooked guide on the twisted path of love.” But in my view, a crooked guide is the best kind. It’s unwise to engage the services of a love accomplice who’s always looking for the simplest, straightest route, or who imagines that intimate togetherness can be nourished with easy, obvious solutions. To cultivate the most interesting intimacy, we need influences that appreciate nuance and complexity — that thrive on navigating the tricky riddles and unpredictable answers. The next eight weeks will be an excellent time for you Capricorns to heed this advice.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian singer Etta James (1938–2012) won six Grammy Awards and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame and Blues Hall of Fame. She testified, “Most of the songs I sing have that blues feeling in it. They have that sorry feeling. And I don’t know what I’m sorry about.” Wow! I’m surprised to hear this. Most singers draw on their personal life experience to infuse their singing with authentic emotion. In any case, I urge you to do the opposite of Etta James in the coming weeks.

It’s important for the future of your healing that you identify exactly what you’re sorry about.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn,” writes Piscean self-help author John C. Maxwell. His statement is useful, but it harbors a problematic implication.

It suggests that you can experience either winning or learning, but not both — that the only time you learn is when you lose. I disagree with this presumption. In fact, I think you’re now in a phase when it’s possible and even likely for you to both win and learn.

MOUNTAINX.COM

MARKETPLACE

BY ROB BREZSNY

REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com REAL ESTATE FOR SALE BY OWNER UNIQUE, NICE 3/2 HOME FOR SALE Minutes to downtown, country setting, approximately 2 acres. Price $370,000. For details call 828-380-6095.

EMPLOYMENT GENERAL RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER If you've never met a stranger, believe in the power of community, and love connecting others to ways that they can support issues close to their heart, join us! unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities

looking to join an independent, community-minded organization, please send a resume and cover letter (no walk-ins, please) explaining why you are a good fit for Mountain Xpress to: xpressjob@mountainx.com

RESTAURANT/ FOOD PERSPECTIVE CAFE ASSISTANT Perspective Cafe at the Asheville Art Museum is seeking a PT Cafe Assistant. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 11 to 3 required. $12 per hour plus tips. Email resume to mailbox@ashevilleart.org. https://www.ashevilleart. org/about/careers/

DRIVERS/ DELIVERY

SALES/ MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Part-time communications support for Children First/ Communities In Schools, including social media, graphic design, website, PR, and events. $18-21/ hourly. Open until filled.

See full description and instructions to apply at www.ChildrenFirstCISBC. org/employment.

SALES PROFESSIONAL Mountain Xpress is looking to add a new member to our sales team. Ideal candidates are personable, organized, motivated, and can present confidently, while working within a structure. Necessary skills include clear and professional communications (via phone, email, and in-person meetings), detailed record-keeping, and working well in a team environment. While no outside sales experience is required, experience dealing with varied and challenging situations is helpful. The position largely entails account development and lead generation (including cold-calling), account management, assisting clients with marketing and branding strategies, and working to meet or exceed sales goals.

If you are a high energy, positive, cooperative person

MOUNTAIN XPRESS DELIVERY Mountain Xpress is seeking an energetic, reliable, independent contractor for part-time weekly newspaper delivery. The contractor must have a safe driving record, a reliable vehicle with proper insurance and registration, and be able to lift 50 lbs. without strain.

Distribution of papers is on Tuesday afternoons and typically lasts about 7-8 hours per week. Occasional Wednesday morning delivery is is sometimes needed or an option. E-mail distro@mountainx.com. No phone calls or walk-ins please. Central Downtown Asheville route.

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT EVENTS & EXPERIENCE MANAGER Do you love creating events and experiences where people come together to build authentic and strong relationships? This new position supports event planning with school and community partners. unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities.

EVENTS & EXPERIENCES ASSOCIATE (PT) Logistics and project management for events and experiences that bring people together to build a united and resilient community where everyone belongs and everyone thrives. unitedwayabc.org/ employment-opportunities

MEMBERSHIP & MUSEUM EVENTS MANAGER, ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM The Asheville Art Museum Membership & Museum Events Manager is responsible for managing the Museum's membership program and producing membership & fundraising events. Email resume and cover letter to mailbox@ashevilleart.org. https://www.ashevilleart. org/about/careers/

TEACHING/ EDUCATION A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Full-Time position: English Language Acquisition Coordinator.

For more details and to apply: https://abtcc. peopleadmin.com/postings/5677 A-B TECH IS HIRING A-B Tech is currently taking applications for a Adjunct position – Quest for Success Instructor. For more details and to apply: https:// abtcc.peopleadmin.com/ postings/5668

RETAIL PART-TIME SALES ASSOCIATE We have an opening for an individual who is a musician. We prefer you play a string instrument and have electronics knowledge.

You need to enjoy working with customers. If you qualify, please email becky@ musicansworkshop.com and request an application.

RETAIL SALES ASSISTANT Must be have great customer service skills, and a friendly disposition. You will be opening & closing, restocking and pricing inventory. Part time: Saturday & Sunday. shopwhisp@gmail.com.

XCHANGE YARD SALES WOLF CHASE COMMUNITY YARD SALE Come see all of the post pandemic treasures as our entire community comes together for a yard sale on 07/10 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Call 910.297.6008 for additional details.

WANTED BUYING ANTIQUES Vintage, cast iron, pottery, advertising signs, primitives, old collections, estates, old tools, taxidermy, rifles, decoys, wood carvings, signs, clocks, and much more! 828-582-6097 • steadyaim1@yahoo.com.

TOY TRAINS & OLD METAL TOYS Cash buyer for Toy Trains and Old Metal Toys.

Search your barn, cellar and attic and call Dick, a summer resident, at 941-374-2288.

SERVICES AUDIO/VIDEO CABLE PRICE INCREASE AGAIN? Switch To DIRECTV & Save + get a $100 visa gift card! Get More Channels For Less Money. Restrictions apply. Call Now! 877-6930625 (AAN CAN) DISH TV SPECIAL $64.99 For 190 Channels + $14.95 High Speed Internet. Free Installation, Smart HD DVR Included, Free Voice Remote.

Some restrictions apply.

Promo Expires 7/21/21.

1-855-380-2501 (AAN CAN) HUGHESNET SATELLITE INTERNET Finally, no hard data limits! Call Today for speeds up to 25mbps as low as $59.99/mo! $75 gift card, terms apply. 1-844-416-7147 (AAN CAN)

FINANCIAL CREDIT CARD DEBT RELIEF Reduce payment by up to 50%! Get one LOW affordable payment/month.

Reduce interest. Stop calls.

FREE no-obligation consultation. Call 1-855-946-3711 (AAN CAN)

HOME 4G LTE HOME INTERNET NOW AVAILABLE! Get GotW3 with lightning fast speeds plus take your service with you when you travel! As low as $109.99/mo! 1-888519-0171 (AAN CAN)

HOME IMPROVEMENT ELECTRICIAN ELECTRICAL SERVICE Power to the People!

Serving Asheville and abroad. Troubleshooting,

Is the crossword part of your weekly ritual?

Us, too.

Join at SupportMountainX.com You can help make sure Xpress continues to print the crossword each week by becoming a monthly contributor.

THE N EW Y OR K TI M ES C ROSSWORD P UZ Z LE fixture hanging, can lights, generators, car chargers, remodels, new construction, we do it all! Licensed and insured. Free Estimates.

828-551-9843

HANDY MAN HIRE A HUSBAND- HANDYMAN SERVICES Since 1993.

Multiple skill sets. Reliable, trustworthy, quality results.

Insured. References and estimates available. Stephen Houpis, (828) 280-2254.

ANNOUNCEMENTS ANNOUNCEMENTS ARE YOU BEHIND $10K OR MORE ON YOUR TAXES? Stop wage & bank levies, liens & audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, & resolve tax debt FAST. Call 855-955-0702 (Hours: Mon-Fri 7am-5pm PST) (AAN CAN) BATH & SHOWER UPDATES In as little as ONE DAY! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months!

Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & Military Discounts available.

Call: 1-877-649-5043 (AAN CAN) BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR! We edit, print and distribute your work internationally.

We do the work… You reap the Rewards! Call for a FREE Author’s Submission Kit: 844-511-1836. (AAN CAN)

COMPUTER & IT TRAINING PROGRAM Train ONLINE to get the skills to become a Computer & Help Desk Professional now! Grants and Scholarships available for certain programs for qualified applicants. Call CTI for details! 1-855-554-4616 (AAN CAN) DONATE YOUR CAR TO KIDS Your donation helps fund the search for missing children. Accepting Trucks, Motorcycles & RV’s , too!

Fast Free Pickup – Running or Not - 24 Hour Response - Maximum Tax Donation – Call 877-266-0681 (AAN CAN) NOTICE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department: electronic equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous items. Anyone with a legitimate claim or interest in this property has 30 days from the date of this publication to make a claim. Unclaimed items will be disposed of according to statutory law. For further information, or to file a claim, contact the Asheville Police Department Property and Evidence Section, 828232-4576. NOTICE OF DISPOSITION The following is a list of unclaimed and confiscated property at the Asheville Police Department tagged for disposition: audio and video equipment; cameras; clothing; lawn and

edited by Will Shortz | No. 0602

garden equipment; personal items; tools; weapons (including firearms): jewelry: automotive items; building supplies; bikes and other miscellaneous. All items will be disposed of 30 days from date of posting. Items to be auctioned will be displayed on www.propertyroom. com.

STILL PAYING TOO MUCH FOR YOUR MEDICATION? Save up to 90% on RX refill!

Order today and receive free shipping on 1st order - prescription required. Call 1-855-750-1612 (AAN CAN) TRAIN ONLINE TO DO MEDICAL BILLING! Become a Medical Office Professional online at CTI! Get Trained, Certified & ready to work in months! Call 1-844-268-5058 (AAN CAN)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT COUNSELING SERVICES ASTRO-COUNSELING Licensed counselor and accredited professional astrologer uses your chart when counseling for additional insight into yourself, your relationships and life directions. Stellar Counseling Services. Christy Gunther, MA, LCMHC. (828) 2583229.

ACROSS

POSITIVE HYPNOSIS | EFT | NLP Michelle Payton, M.A., D.C.H., Author | 828-6811728 | www.MichellePayton.com | Mind Over Matter Solutions books, online and in-person education, workshops and sessions. Positive Hypnosis—re-learning thru positive reinforcement, Emotional Freedom Technique, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Birth Mix Personality Assessment, Past Life Regression.

SPIRITUAL GYPSY CARD READINGS Old world traditional Gypsy cards reading and spiritual counseling. Receive the message from Universe and use it in any area of your life.

Call Margo 828-655-9030.

AUTOMOTIVE AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter!

Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)

1 *Graveyard sight 5 *Emerald or ruby 10 *Ring centerpiece 13 Jet stream direction 14 Word with one or other 15 Man found in America?

17 Deadly snakes 18 “Peanuts” boy 19 Brit’s “Nonsense!”

20 Bourbon substitute 21 Delight 22 Tear sheet?

24 Dangerous juggling props 26 Marshy area 27 Country whose flag has two blue stripes and a star: Abbr.

28 Quiets down 29 Tree cover 30 Anthem contraction 31 Nirvana’s “Smells Like ___ Spirit” 32 Org. seeking alien life 33 ___ Murray, two-time Wimbledon champ 34 Historic inn commemorated during Pride Month, as suggested by this puzzle’s border answers 37 Political suffix 40 Fillable flatbread 41 Persist 44 Western treaty grp.

45 Section of a wine list 46 H.S. class whose students might cook 48 G.O.P. org.

49 Binary digit 50 Binary question 51 Tokyo’s airport 53 Vegetable also called ladies’ fingers 54 “There’s the ___” 55 Discharge

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56 Weight on the Isle of Wight 58 Hurtful remark 59 Overcharges, so to speak 60 Skywalker’s droid, informally 61 First-year legal student, familiarly 62 *Pennsylvania state symbol 63 *Kind of building seen on “Sesame Street” 64 *Magnetite

DOWN 1 *Online card game with over 100 million players 2 Infield pop-up, say 3 Malign 4 Rehab woe, for short 5 Debutantes, say 6 Elite eight 7 Actress Russo 8 1989 play about Capote 9 Widespread panic 10 Grasps 11 Beach problem 12 Like the words “literally” and “ironic,” often

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16 *Pit that’s spit 21 War of 1812 treaty site 23 Fingerprinting need 25 Where the heart is 26 Ruling on a point of Islamic law 29 Borscht base 32 Mocking 33 Davy Crockett died defending it 35 Start tallying your drink orders, say 36 Literature Nobelist Mario Vargas ___ 37 *Vital piece 38 Behaved uncontrollably

39 Attribute 42 Spicy Mexican pepper 43 Like many veteran professors 45 Decay 46 This point forward 47 *Quaint street material 50 “See what I mean?,” informally 52 Teeny 53 Aware of 57 Defenseman who scored a Stanley Cup-winning “flying goal” 58 Neighbor of Brazil: Abbr.

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS NY TIMES PUZZLE

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